Book Review: Eve of Man by Giovanna Fletcher & Tom Fletcher

Now I have POV by Mcfly suck in my head.

She survived against all odds. The first girl born in fifty years. They called her EVE.

On the first day, no one really noticed. All those babies wrapped in blue blankets--not a pink one in sight. On the third day, people were scared--a statistic-defying abundance of blue. Not just entire hospitals, not only entire countries, but the entire world. Boys. Only boys.

Until Eve. The only girl born in fifty years. The savior of mankind. Kept protected, towering above a ruined world under a glass dome of safety until she is ready to renew the human race.

But when the time comes to find a suitor, Eve and Bram--a young man whose job is to prepare Eve for this moment--begin to question the plan they've known all along. Eve doesn't only want safety, and she doesn't only want protection. She wants the truth. She wants freedom.

I wasn't sure about this novel going in, I am a fan of Mcfly and therefore Tom Fletcher, but not sure if songwriting translates to prose. This was another Sci-fi by people famous for things outside of their known writing mediums that I did like. It's not perfect but its decent first attempt at YA Prose.

This is another novel with a lack of females being born. This is always the way Dystopia go along, I've only come across one Dystopian st where all the males died out. Probably never going to be a thing since more women and fewer men have in the past been able to build up the population and Afitical sperm is apparently on the way. This one goes for girls just not being born anymore which brings up questions as to why.

LGBTQ+ people aren't really talked about, apparently, there are brief references that I missed. I had a moment where I thought wouldn't it be cool if there were a trans character, but no, just appears to be a cis boy pretending to be a girl and falling in love with eyes. This is the first book in a series so it might be explored more in the sequels. The two protagonists that have been sheltered in different ways and romantic relationships do seem not to be significant in this world anymore. It's interesting to think about what would Transness be like in a world like this, but it is probably best left for a trans writer to tackle anyway. Sexism and Toxic Masculinity are present in this world, so gender roles are there. I'm not sure what it's trying to say about them, it does seem to more about the power this company has over Eve and the other women with XX chromosome havers being so rare. It could be going somewhere with gender and sex. I could write an essay on this, however, it would more my own thoughts than what is actually present in this book. Best to move on to more of the actual text.

The audiobook has two narrators to match the POVs in this book. It works well. I do like and feel for the characters.

Overall, I give this book 4/5 stars for Rusty Metal. This is a near-future Dystopia and that will sadly never not be relvant. I think I will read the next in the series if I come across it. Anyway, I need to review my books as I read them.

Read: 6/6/2019 to 7/6/2019
Reviewed: 26/06/2019 - 16/03/2020
Narrator/s: Charlotte Ritchie and Josh Dylan
Medium: Audiobook
Published Date: 18th June 2019
Publisher: Listening Library
Source: Library
Content Warning for Book: I'm not sure, but memory says: Sexism; Sexual Assualt referenced; Child Abuse;

Book Review: The Song Rising by Samantha Shannon

The Song Rising sounds awkward to me. Maybe This Song Rising.

Following a bloody battle against foes on every side, Paige Mahoney has risen to the dangerous position of Underqueen, ruling over London's criminal population. 

But having turned her back on Jaxon Hall, and with vengeful enemies still at large, the task of stabilising the fractured underworld has never seemed so challenging.

Little does Paige know that her reign may be cut short by the introduction of Senshield, a deadly technology that spells doom for the clairvoyant community and the world as they know it.

This is the third book in The Bone Season series (I have reviewed the previous ones if you're new to the series The Bone Season and The Mime Order), so spoilers for the first two. This is the first of the novels that I've listened to on audiobook. The voice actor,  Alana Kerr Collins does a pretty good job of capturing Paige's voice and does all of the other books so no jarring changes (and hopefully none in the future).

Despite, liking Collins it took me a while to finish this book. It technically took me eight months to read this book exactly according to my Goodreads. 20.9.2017 to the 20.5.2018 for a book that's twelve hours and a bit long. I got to the Chapter 7/25% in by 31st of December and didn't properly go back till May. I just didn't want to. I went after other audiobooks, I wasted time repeatedly going through the oddest and rubbish opinions my local library has (it's rubbish for me, there's like no fantasy or horror of any kind), instead of listening to this book already downloaded to my phone.

Though, with the next novel not coming out till 2020 so not like it a big deal, with a planned six books from the start, I do wish they had been coming out more frequently. I don't think its time, more the last of pacing. The start of the book is political stuff as Paige recovers and takes control of the Mime Order.

In terms of world-building, we get to see more of other Scion control locations and what has gone down in the past. That was interesting and seems to be more where the series is going.

We get new characters that are fine, though once again I couldn't say who for sure was actually introduced in this book. The old characters do a lot of searching. I didn't feel that connection to them this book.

Slight Spoiler, Highlight to see: I was also half convinced that Shannon was going to kill off a main character and did not care. Half-convinced in I thought she just might do it.

I had completely forgotten that Paige is still only meant to be like 19 when all this shit is going down. I guess that's because of the time that takes for the books to be written and I've been slowly ageing and ageing away from Paige. Though, she was already in the future so she was always going to be the youngest of us two.

The ending is quite a cliffhanger, in tune with the other books. I'm kinda disappointed due to what's been set up for the last book, but I also get the choice.

Overall, I give this book 3/5 stars for Gaelic Dungeons. This novel was okay once I actually listened to it. I might just wait until the series is finished before picking more novels. I want to know what happens, but all at once might work better.


I paid for this book with my own damn money thing time. I probably would have request it off NetGalley if I had saw it.

Book Review: Show Stopper by Hayley Barker

In my house we are born in our master's houses.  Okay, I've got nothing for this line.

Ben, the teenage son of a powerful government minister, attends on opening night and falls under the spell of Hoshiko, the tightrope walker and star attraction. 

But as he steps beyond the dazzle and spectacle of the area, to reveal the horrors of that lurk beneath, can he find the courage to resist, to rebel, to help end the cruelty and the carnage?

Step right up for this heartbreaking and heart-racing story - the darker the danger; the louder you'll scream...

 This is a dystopia. I didn't realise that until I started reading it. I was disappointed because I wanted cool, spooky circus fun and not expecting a half-baked political message with ill-conceived world building.

The story is told from Ben, pure rich boy, and Hoshiko, a dreg who is forced to perform in the circus, which is designed to kill dregs for the entertainment of Pures.

I found the world building to be lacking. Death circus is cool idea but the rest of the world is poorly consulted to run it.

As this is a dystopia it has it share of stupid name changes like Parliament is now PowerHouse. We have had several Parliament building in history and it now being a statue-like building. This is meant to be near future, so who got away with that stupid change. I'm also surprised that non-English heritage names are allowed in this world.

There's also a bit where they turn the circus tent to look like a Pumpkin, but Pumpkins are foreigners and therefore unpure. Okay, no one, not even the racists think about squash that way. Crave a turnip. The Tradition Irish/Scottish Halloween.

Another big problem is that is very surface racism/prejudice. It never explain in detain who are considered a dreg. It's not done just by skin colour as there is a Blond pale dreg. The Author to my best knowledge is English so probably didn't consider how prejudice the English are towards the Celtic (Keltic) countries that surrounded it e.g. the rest of the UK. Sure, we have been prejudice to them. This mostly seen in government policy now. Poor Wales. What I'm wondering is, are they straight up Nazis? Like is it only Anglo Saxon for the win. The main character is Blonde and there are European Heritage dregs. Racism ain't logical in real life, but this is more a lack of world building. Though, there's going to be a sequel so maybe it explain in there.

The actual problem with this book is the romance. I don't buy it at all, it's instant Love and everyone that's a "good" guy accepts it. I feel like there's a scene missing. I buy Ben's side of things but not Hoshiko's. She risks her family for a boy she see as the enemy. Her mindset changes when the plot calls for it. Maybe if they had had a conversation before she started risking her life for some random. So much of the plot relays on it and its just not very strong. Baker tries to show Hoshiko's conflict but it comes across as so flickle. I think if this could have been done right, I would have probably let most my other issues go but I go annoyed and started motivation at lot so I notice the other issues more.

Hoshiko when not throwing away everything for a boy was a compelling character...sometimes. Ben is doing the whole discovering his life is a lie thing and getting people killed. He does act with abandon after his moment of clarity. They are okay characters. Plot more than anything actually drives this book, but it very much established as being no win scenario and I wouldn't have guess sequel was coming till I was googling around for the info on Baker's background. It probably have been stronger for me if Baker had embraced the impossible for these characters but with them starting something bigger.

Overall, I give this book 3/5 stars for Freezer Brains. This book wasn't what I was expecting when I started reading it, which definitely effected my enjoyment level. It has a big subject that taken from Britain increasing uncertain political future but I don't think it comes closes to hitting that. This is probably more for a young, unpolitical knowledgable teen and does a good job of tricking an unaware reader into reading it with the novelty of a circus.  I don't think I will read the sequel, Show Stealer, unless the description is more interesting.

Book Review: All The Rage by Courtney Summers

A cover that actually matches the novel behind it.

Romy Grey wears her lipstick like armour ever since the night she was raped. The night she discovered that Kellan Turner, the sheriff’s son, is not the golden boy that everyone thinks he is.

No one wants to believe a girl from the wrong side of town, and so the truth about what Kellan did to her that night has cost Romy everything. Branded a liar, her only refuge is the diner she works outside of town, where no one knows her name or her past; becoming anonymous now feels like her only escape.

But when a girl goes missing after a party, Romy must decide whether she wants to fight or carry the burden of knowing more girls could get hurt if she doesn’t speak up. Nobody believed her the first time – and they certainly won’t now – but the cost of her silence might be more than she can bear.

Rape is a hot topic right now, which is good as the public view of it is terrible and full of false notions. It is good that it has made into YA books with a big part of its audience likely to be effected by it in the future or have already been. Doesn't the world suck? Even if you never victim of it; its the fear girls are taught to avoid and effects the way you live your life, but it still almost tabbo to discuss it which is so damaging. This book deals with some of the common issues that rape victims face, e.g. having wanted to be with your rapist before the assault or rapist having a better reputation and more connections than you. Also corrupt police.

I think overall its is done well. Romy mental state matches up with what she been through and her trying to continue with her life whilst not being ready to. Romy characterisation is done well, the other characters do feel a bit flat, just a little bit but with the book being from Romy POV, that could just because that the way she see them.

The setting plays a big part with it taking place in a small town where everyone knows each other business including the police so its hard to get non-biased help and people think they know you from other people's opinions. This is also applies to the whole of society and the town worked well as a microcosm.

The plot of this book is good, there is a slight mystery but it as confusing as it is in life. My one issue with the novel, a big chuck of the books relays on Romy getting in a situation that I have hard time seeing her doing with her suspicious nature and I can't getting more into it without spoilers.

Like I said this book if from the point of view of Romy and therefore first person, This book is odd in that doesn't really have chapters. The novel isn't that long so this isn't really problem, but there were times where I was confused about the time line, though that could have been intention.

Overall, I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars for war paint. This is a good book with a serious topic. There were elements I thought worked really well and I really connected with the main character.

I got this book for review off Netgalley and it is being published by Macmillan Children's Books on 28 January 2016.

Book Review: Need by Joelle Charbonneau

In my house, kidney donation is something to joke about.

“No one gets something for nothing. We all should know better.” Teenagers at Wisconsin's Nottawa High School are drawn deeper into a social networking site that promises to grant their every need... regardless of the consequences. Soon the site turns sinister, with simple pranks escalating to malicious crimes. The body count rises. In this chilling YA thriller, the author of the best-selling Testing trilogy examines not only the dark side of social media, but the dark side of human nature. 

  

This book is about being manipulated into doing straight up illegal and immoral things by the website, on the basis that it's anonymous and free stuff.

The main character's brother PJ or some other genetic letters for a name, needs a kidney donation eventually. Now I know about kidney donations and I don't buy that it's that serious. If he has another relapse then he'll need one. Okay, so that makes sound his kidneys are still functioning without the need of dialysis, therefore he's not at the point of "NEEDING" one. This coming from someone whose sister kidney has been at the point of failure and then it recovered. You're be surprised at how low kidney function can before you go on the donor list. If it had been the Liver then I wouldn't know anything about how senvle the need actually was. The character acts as if her brother was brink of death right at that moment. She just too desperate. He's not on the organ donation list yet.

This is a typical YA novel in that the parents are terrible and should not be allowed to have children. Okay not quite. But you know not knowing what going on with their kids and just screwing them over with lies.That being said Kaylee is unlikable.  There all unlikable characters, except the odd one or two that get screwed over before we really get to know them. Kaylee is only sympathetic next to her brother and since I didn't buy that, then none of her idiotic behaviour in the past is justifiable.  She straight up broke the law. Maybe she was meant to show people are capable of extreme acts if they can justify it to themselves but we start the book after that and she just this isolated character who is too dumb to print scene a website.

The book switches between Kaylee and someone's POV every chapter but not strict with that format. We know more than the characters, which I think it was more frustrating than tension building.

Overall, I gave this book 3 out of 5 stars for nutty cookies. The concept is interesting, though evil internet is very 80s, the execution didn't do that much for me. There's are a lot of clichés and the characters are bland extras or jerks. Though, it was easily to jump in and out of. It also takes place the Winter break after Christmas & New Year are over so if you like reading book that take place at the exact time of year you reading them, then there's still plenty of time to acquire this book for that time of year.

I got this book for Review off NetGalley and HMH Books for Young Readers.

Book Review: The Witch Hunter by Virginia Boecker

I have dual-citizenship on the internet.

The magic and suspense of Graceling meet the political intrigue and unrest of Game of Thrones in this riveting fantasy debut.
Your greatest enemy isn't what you fight, but what you fear.
 
Elizabeth Grey is one of the king's best witch hunters, devoted to rooting out witchcraft and doling out justice. But when she's accused of being a witch herself, Elizabeth is arrested and sentenced to burn at the stake.
Salvation comes from a man she thought was her enemy. Nicholas Perevil, the most powerful and dangerous wizard in the kingdom, offers her a deal: he will save her from execution if she can break the deadly curse that's been laid upon him.
But Nicholas and his followers know nothing of Elizabeth's witch hunting past--if they find out, the stake will be the least of her worries. And as she's thrust into the magical world of witches, ghosts, pirates, and one all-too-handsome healer, Elizabeth is forced to redefine her ideas of right and wrong, of friends and enemies, and of love and hate.
Virginia Boecker weaves a riveting tale of magic, betrayal, and sacrifice in this unforgettable fantasy debut. 

OR

Sixteen-year-old Elizabeth Grey doesn't look dangerous. A tiny, blonde, wisp of a girl shouldn't know how to poison a wizard and make it look like an accident. Or take out ten necromancers with a single sword and a bag of salt. Or kill a man using only her thumb. But things are not always as they appear. Elizabeth is one of the best witch hunters in Anglia and a member of the king's elite guard, devoted to rooting out witchcraft and bringing those who practice it to justice. And in Anglia, the price of justice is high: death by burning.


When Elizabeth is accused of being a witch herself, she's arrested and thrown in prison. The king declares her a traitor and her life is all but forfeit. With just hours before she's to die at the stake, Elizabeth gets a visitor - Nicholas Perevil, the most powerful wizard in Anglia. He offers her a deal: he will free her from prison and save her from execution if she will track down the wizard who laid a deadly curse on him.

As Elizabeth uncovers the horrifying facts about Nicholas's curse and the unwitting role she played in its creation, she is forced to redefine the differences between right and wrong, friends and enemies, love and hate... and life and death.

The first book in an incredible new series set in a fantastical medieval world.

This is a start of a series, set in a fantastical medieval Europe about witch hunting. It's fun and problematic.

The main character, Elizabeth Grey, why she has combination name of two English Queens around the book's setting in the real world is something we should question the writer about it. If it's intentional, let's hope it's not meant to be foreshadowing. Back to my initial point, the MC is okay. I have no strong emotions, sometimes I sort of like her and then it drops off. I think the big thing is her emotions are shallow, so there's not enough to cover you with and don't stick around for long. She also a big cliché,. Strong, little Blonde that people judge to be this weak and fragile thing but she can kick ass, it's a pretty over done formula. Also it's not like she takes advantage of people's view of her (other than the first few seconds) at all so what the point of this description being stated several times. There is some interesting character dynamics going on and complicated relationship stuff. However, this did become a tad bit annoying and this book also has instanta love, but the kind that tries to tick into it not being instanta love, but it is because the characters love each other all of a sudden. Though, it's not actually a love triangle, like I've seen some say. I call it instanta love because I don't feel like it develops from anyway, sure they have conversations, but more like this terrible thing has happened to me and I felt guilty about that.

The plot and the world is interesting with the different types of witches and the living dead. Okay, the whole plot/starting point jumps off something terrible happening to the MC and while with keeping with the setting, I just don't how I feel about the treatment of it. It just seems this grey zone of the book and I've seen someone comment on being a positive thing that this aspect of the character and I had no how to word a comment to discuss this with them. 

The Kingdom name is about as original as toad and she should have just called it FAKE ENGLAND. Especially, when the the book is dedication says "For England".  I mean Anglia is the medieval name for England so the author did decide on some distinction from the real England but also not at all, as Anglia is still commmonly used, I imedicately associated Anglia with England, so why not just go all the way and come up with actual name yourself. Also the set up we have, is no way near real English history for time period. It's not a altering one or two things, therefore it doesn't at all count as alternative history. Also with this being England, there should be a whole lot bitching going with the bordering countries. Though, be honest I bet we'll get terrible name in the series like Gaul which is France, we know this because it's across the Channel (also a google search comfirmed this). Honestly, I hate Anglophiles so I'm straight up prejudice against someone obsessed with England. It more the ones that say Britain when they just mean England. Also I'm not going to lie, but Anglia currently has more in common with Scotland. We went through horrific period of our King killing witches, sure he went on to become the King of England, but call him James the first and I'll punch you in the face. Probably not physically but with words. Anyway, there's the Witchcraft Act 1563 (Scotland) and this book takes place in 1558. England went through it's big witch hunting phrase in 17th century. Having a proper date is weird, especially when it clear where this is based on but being completely different, so like why? Also the King in this novel is called Malcolm which is a Scottish King name, like George or Edward are English King names. Also honestly, if it becomes blatantly clear that there is not a country sitting on top of Anglia; I will be pissed. I don't know if Walsh readers will feel the same about a Country to the West. If we never go there, fine. It just Scotland and England are not the same country, so many people don't get that; and in this time period we still have completely different governments so it shouldn't be that confusing. So that turn into a rant about history and the setting of this book, but every time the name Anglia came up, it grated on me. Next time, just make up your own country names instead of using Medieval Latin and everything being set in fantastical England is so bloody dull.You know other countries have/had royal families too.

Somehow I got a hold of the US/Canadian digital review copy as well as the UK one. The UK has the better cover but the US has better chapter heads. The numerical number being in drawn circle or cup stain, whilst the UK is just written numbers. That's only difference beside the whole hardback and paperback things. Not that I was expecting any.

Overall, I give this 3.5 out of five stars for herbs. I like this book, I probably would have liked at lot more without all the weird reference to England in it because one it's not clever and doesn't add anything to the world, it in fact takes away from it. Currently, I would read the sequel but I feel that with this series setting and problematic plot elements that it has, it's walking a tightrope that means I could currently jump off the series before the end easily and I ain't running for a sequel.

I got this for Review off NetGalley and it was published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers on 2rd June 2015 and is being Published by Orchard Books on the 4th June 2015. Somehow I got a hold of the US/Canadian edition as well as the UK one. 

Blog Tour: Renegade by Kerry Wilkinson

Frankly, I think we should have a better wall now.

Wow, Sliver sure looks younger

Silver Blackthorn is on the run. All she really wants is to be reunited with her family and friends but the time for thinking about herself has passed. Now the fates of eleven other teenagers are in her hands - and they are all looking to her for a plan. With an entire country searching for the escaped Offerings, Silver is under pressure to keep them all from the clutches of the Minister Prime, King Victor and the Kingsmen. As expectations are piled upon the girl with the silver streak in her hair, she realises that life will never be the same again. Huge changes are on the horizon and Silver is in the thick of them . . . Renegade follows the heart-stopping events in Reckoning, from Kindle bestselling author, Kerry Wilkinson.

For those dazed and confused, this is the second book in The Sliver Blackthorn series.If not familer, there is always my review of the first one to check out.

We'll back with Sliver straight after the escape and because this is a sequel more catastrophe happens.

 The plot was interesting and developed this world more. It also answer my hunch from the last book, which I won't say more about because spoilers. That was actually good planning/foreshadowing in the last book, which is great to see in a series.

The characters continued to be their depthful selves. The friendships are really nice. The romance is eur and the way intertwines is annoying and very cliché. While not being the worst love triangle I ever read and it has a realistic root, it still takes away more than it adds. I also no medicate treatment was ever sought and of course that played into the plot. It was obvious axe hanging.

Overall, I gave this book four out of five stars for sonic hearing. There is some issues, however this is a interesting world and want to see what Sliver ends up doing.

Random Author question and answer time.

8. Why The Gully is a great play park

Not far from where I live is a play park next to a community centre. It's all fairly standard stuff: a climbing frame, a slide, some swings, a roundabout, one of those weird rocky horse on a spring things, underage kids hanging around smoking. Not much has changed in the 20 years since I was that age.

Except for one thing.

Nowadays, there's black padded matting everywhere. It's near impossible for some kid to be messing around on the swings, overbalance, and land with a satisfying splat on the solid concrete floor. Sure, there used to be blood, tears and embarrassment - but there was also a very important lesson learned about not messing around on swings.

Not so much in 2015. If a kid wants to split his or her head open, they have to actually try, which, I guess, has taught perseverance to the younger generation.

With all this talk of health and safety gone, er, sensible, I can't help but think that perhaps my fictional creation I would most like to encounter is The Gully from the Silver Blackthorn trilogy.

In my slightly twisted future, there is little power, meaning all the gadgets, devices and vehicles with which people are so familiar have become obsolete. The Gully is an old, emptied lake that has been filed with husks of rusting cars, abandoned train carriages, plane hulls and all sorts of other fun things.

Rather than a boring old roundabout and swing set, I like the idea of hopping from car bonnet to car bonnet, or climbing through the shattered remains of a plane. How about swinging from an old helicopter rotor, or sleeping in the hull of a tank?!

In all three books of the Silver Blackthorn trilogy, including Renegade, Silver has an opportunity to explore The Gully. Because she grew up close by, it is her playground, a place she knows better than anyone. I'm kinda jealous.

All that without the hint of a black padded mat.

My question is how does Sliver know what a playpark is, but that might have came up in the first book.

This is the end of this post, you may leave, after having enjoyed an even day post.

 

Book Review: Capative by Aimée Carter

A character that shares the name with Goddess of my country.

The truth can set her free
 
For the past two months, Kitty Doe's life has been a lie. Forced to impersonate Lila Hart, the Prime Minister's niece, in a hostile meritocracy on the verge of revolution, Kitty sees her frustration grow as her trust in her fake fiancé cracks, her real boyfriend is forbidden and the Blackcoat rebels she is secretly supporting keep her in the dark more than ever. 

But in the midst of discovering that her role in the Hart family may not be as coincidental as she thought, she's accused of treason and is forced to face her greatest fear: Elsewhere. A prison where no one can escape. 

As one shocking revelation leads to the next, Kitty learns the hard way that she can trust no one, not even the people she thought were on her side. With her back against the wall, Kitty wants to believe she'll do whatever it takes to support the rebellion she believes in—but is she prepared to pay the ultimate price?

This is the second book to The Blackcoat Rebellion Trilogy, if you've not read the first one, I have a review of it.

Kitty is an idiot, nothing she does will ever change my mind about it. She does idiotic stuff at least every other chapter and it so fucking hard to read. Unlike the last book, there's no sense she knows what she doing is dumb and this time I did want to violently shake her (this sentence is reference to my review of the first by the way). The supporting cast should not be deeper and more interesting than main character. I think we might to have seen Kitty grown in this book, but I'm not sure she really learned from the mistakes she should have.

The plot while I interesting, I feel Carter gets us there the wrong way. Everything relays on Kitty making the wrong mistakes, which are often and she never learns from them. Also they is attempt at forshadowing in this book, but too obvious and with everything else just felt like repetition of the book's plot points. Also not sure how I feel about the main character's disability being used as a plot point, especially a plot point that feels seems sort of obvious with everything we told.

Also things that happen to certain characters feel pointless. Maybe there be a reason for it in the right book, but right now there doesn't. There also this love triangle thing going on, it doesn't do anything and really hope it doesn't just go BLAM in the finial book. In this book, the romance doesn't feel like it plays much into the plot but that might because of how distant I have became from Kitty so I didn't care at all. Kitty could have ended up in a blender and been turned into paste and would not have cared.

Overall, I gave this book three stars out of five for stylish jumpsuits. I really want to know how this Trilogy ends. This world is interesting, it just a shame that the main character is annoying. Hopefully, the next book will be less reliant on Kitty doing something stupid. It still a good book once you get past Kitty's short coming.

I got this book for review off NetGalley and it was published by Mira Ink December last year.

Book Review: Half Wild by Sally Green

YOU ARE PLOT DEVICE!!!!

After finally meeting his elusive father, Marcus, and receiving the three gifts that confirm him as a full adult witch, Nathan is still on the run. He needs to find his friend Gabriel and rescue Annalise, now a prisoner of the powerful Black witch Mercury. Most of all he needs to learn how to control his Gift - a strange, wild new power that threatens to overwhelm him. Meanwhile, Soul O'Brien has seized control of the Council of White Witches and is expanding his war against Black witches into Europe. In response, an unprecedented alliance has formed between Black and White witches determined to resist him. Drawn into the rebellion by the enigmatic Black witch Van Dal, Nathan finds himself fighting alongside both old friends and old enemies. But can all the rebels be trusted, or is Nathan walking into a trap? 

There are going to be spoilers for the first book in this reviews so you haven't read that and don't want to be spoiled. Leave now and go to my review of the first.

There is a love triangle in this book. Different in two aspects, the centre is a boy and we still have two boys. This isn't a real triangle (most ain't because for it to be a true triangle the other two would have to get on too inside the canon). One of the angles, is not really a character, she is a plot device. I can understand Nathan's attachment to Annalise because she was first person outside his family to be nice to him. But as a reader we know nothing about her, I have no attachment and even though Gabriel is over top with his attachment, we know him and care about him. Him in danger effects me. Annalise just doesn't feel like a character to me, she is a damsel in distress. Anything she does and has happen to her in this whole series just feels like plot, meaning having her as love interest is boring and pointless. She could just be a childhood friend and Nathan feels he owns her. In this book defense, a lot of books fallen into this trap of just telling us the characters love each other and give no reason why: No show, only Tell. There is a least a reason, this is just more annoying in this case because Pixie Dream Girls are annoying and everywhere. If we just had one personal info about her that didn't involve any other characters, maybe she be more like a person and less problematic.

We have more flashback in this, in fact we have flashbacks of after Nathan escaped. I found this to be weird. Like why didn't we hear about that then if it was so important, though the writer did say she should have planned more in acknowledgements and this is her debut series. Just a sentence instead of some of the flashbacks would have been fine.

This time big players are even. If have read my last review, I found the fact that the big players mostly being men unrealistic (and boring) when women tend to have more powerfully gifts and witches value that. That being said, wouldn't be cool to have a female villain that's just straight up evil. One can only dream (or get writing). One of the players doesn't make that much sense to me and I don't believe that this character would ever be given a role of that much power and don't feel I can say more without spoiling things. 

The ending feels a bit rushed. I think certain scenes were rushed over or skipped completely near the end that were important for the characters and their relationships with each other. I would have liked a bit more development with these.

Overall, I gave this five out of five stars for letters. I still like this series and I enjoyed this book better than the first one. I think the setup we had in the first plays off and now we only have to wait for the final part of the trilogy to find out this wrap up well and we get a satisfying ending. I will see you next March where I will tell you if I think it does. I'm guess it coming on the 27th.

I got this book for review off Netgalley and it's being published by Penguin on 26th March 2014.

Book Review: Captive by A.J. Grainger

Stockholm Syndrome anyone?

I open my eyes. The cell is flooded with sunlight; the window is a slice of pale blue. Dust particles dance in the sparkling light, pirouetting in a golden line from the window to the opposite wall of the cell, where they seem to converge into shapes. It is like looking into a kaleidoscope.

Dad isn't here. No one is, but me.
Robyn Knollys-Green is an A-list celebrity, famous for being the daughter of one of the world's most powerful men. But not even the paparazzi can find her now.

Robyn begins to realise that she is trapped in a complicated web of global corruption and deceit - and that the strange, melancholy boy who has been tasked with guarding her might not be an enemy after all . . .

I think I might have requested this purely on it's title and cover, because I have no memory of reading the summary before I started reading the book. You shouldn't do that, most times you'll end up with something you don't like much. In this case I ended up with a book I have no strong feelings over.

This is mainly a romance, it feels sort of forced and it was pretty obvious going off the way Robyn describe him when she first sees him.  My nickname for her has became Romeo, because she is as about rational as he was. I felt nothing for the characters, in fact the most promising ones for me are the ones we see the littlest of.

Also Animal activist that harm their fellow animals, suck as human beings and animals. I think that took something away from the plot for me as I sort shut them down as characters. Also I found the whole thing unlikely, or everyone in this book is idiot. I mean the whole reason she is kidnapped is a bad idea because there is a history of it never working especially since I think Britain has no negotiation with terrorist policy.

In terms of plot, I felt it was dragged out bit, like there was 50 pages that felt so unnecessary and  were attempt to keep the action going but it ruined the book more for me. There are flashbacks in this book which I liked. Except, I feel like Romeo's reaction to what's happening in the present should be different based on what revealed by the flashbacks. She only reacts with the flashbacks in mind after the reader has read the experience, it doesn't match up fully.

 It was interesting to see a YA book that involving politics and corruption without it being a Dystopia.

Overall, I gave this book 2 and half stars out of 5 for bird calls. Even though what I have to say about this book is mostly negative, I actually have no strong feels towards which is why I decided to rate it exactly in the middle. I guess this book is for people who like forbidden romances and ain't knowledgeable on how to get away with crimes.

I got this book for review off NetGalley and it was published by Simon and Schuster UK last month (29th Janaury 2015).

Book Review: The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon

You know this is a sequel because there is a number 2 on the cover.

In the internationally bestselling The Bone Season, Paige Mahoney escaped the brutal penal colony of Sheol I, but now her problems have only just begun: many of the fugitives are still missing and she is the most wanted person in London.

As Scion turns its all-seeing eye on Paige, the mime-lords and mime-queens of the city’s gangs are invited to a rare meeting of the Unnatural Assembly. Jaxon Hall and his Seven Seals prepare to take centre stage, but there are bitter fault lines running through the clairvoyant community and dark secrets around every corner.
Then the Rephaim begin crawling out from the shadows. But where is Warden? Paige must keep moving, from Seven Dials to Grub Street to the secret catacombs of Camden, until the fate of the underworld can be decided. Will Paige know who to trust? The hunt for the dreamwalker is on.

This the sequel to The Bone Season, so expect spoilers for that book in here. If you've not read the first, why not check out my review of it instead.

I'm just going to say it. This book is not as good as Bone Seasons. The thing is that book was so good; its a hard act to follow, especially with it ending on cliffhang and you're just dump back into this world which would be fine if you had read the books back to back but I didn't.

I don't think there is good job re-establishing characters and events from past novel. Frankly, in a series that's going to be so long it's important that you don't have to read the last book before the reading the next. Things and characters are mention in pasting without proper explanation. It's hard to remember everything when its been over a year since you've read the first book and I just don't have the time to reread every book before I read it's sequel (I'm not a big rereader to begin with) and I bet others are that way too. A lot of stuff went down in the end of the last book and just hard to catch up.

I think the big problem is the plot drags a little and I pushed myself through this book mainly because I was eager to read another book. That might just be my problem, but I never felt that way with the last book. Also while there is more world building, we pretty familiar with it now and finding about this world was one of my favourite things in the last novel.

I still love the characters, Paige is still awesome.  Still very interested in for going on with these characters.

Overall, I gave this book four out of five books for Mimes. Second Book Syndrome is horrible thing, while I'm wondering how this story going on for five more book. Hey, that might be good thing and I'm keen find out what's going to happen next.

I got this for review off Netgalley. It being published by Bloomsbury on the 27th January 2015.

Book Review: Reckoning By Kerry Wilkinson

The Prime Minster is now a transformer.

Woman, not 16 year old girl.

In the village of Martindale, hundreds of miles north of the new English capital of Windsor, sixteen-year-old Silver Blackthorn takes the Reckoning. This coming-of-age test not only decides her place in society – Elite, Member, Inter or Trog – but also determines that Silver is to become an Offering for King Victor. But these are uncertain times and no-one really knows what happens to the teenagers who disappear into Windsor Castle. Is being an Offering the privilege everyone assumes it to be, or do the walls of the castle have something to hide? Trapped in a maze of ancient corridors, Silver finds herself in a warped world of suspicion where it is difficult to know who to trust and who to fear. The one thing Silver does know is that she must find a way out . . .

I hate when people blindly tell you something is a mix of two other books but this book did remind me very much of Hunger Games by Suzanne Colins and Pawn by Aimie Carter. Basically, Typical Dystopia set up.  Set after some sort of civil/global war, most people are hungry and impoverish, the ruling government is lying to you and is incredibly corrupt.  The catalase for all this is, oil has run out, I don’t buy that much because they actually alternative to most oil products but you know it doesn’t matter how and why. It’s just how things are now. It just has certain of aspects of those two books but it does become its own novel once you really get into it. Also Pawn only came out last January so it’s probably a coincidence that they both have tests in them, that classify your rank in society.

This is set in England.  Now I say England because the top half of Britain a.k.a Scotland a.k.a my homeland is not part of this government and we never actually go where Wales is. England and Wales have been spit to four realms. Sometimes in books, it's the off-hand comments are what stick with me. Map of England & Wales is shown; something like a Scotland use to be a top is said. So now I’m left wondering if Scotland is literally gone (in this world places have been completely destroyed) or is its own country and there is a guarded border. This is a start of a series so hopefully we learn that and stuff about other countries. The civilians have no contract with people from other countries so have no idea what happening out there except going off what knew before they were cut off. In times of war sharing a border does make things interesting; I feel like that could be a feature in the next books.

The world building in this book is interesting. I’ve got to say going off the given summary I don’t fully get that it’s a dystopian. Basically, it has the fun of a dystopian set in a castle. Except for that it doesn’t have medieval vibe at all. Class stuff does sort of play into it, with the Elites tending to come from families of Elites and be raised to think the better than everyone else. It doesn’t play much in the actual story as you think it would because the situation of the castle levels out everyone.

The character all seem to have some depth. I think the relationships are well done. They all fairly realistic and no one does something completely mind dumbing for the sake of the plot. There is one case of someone does deciding to reveal information at the perfect time for the plot though. I don’t care that much for Sliver but the world is interesting enough to out balance that.

Overall, I gave this book four out of five stars for Minster Primes. This was good start of a trilogy (the Sliver Blackthorn Trilogy if you're wondering). Main plot points of that book are resolved but there tons left to be developed on.

Book Review: Riot by Sarah Mussi

This is why Scotland should do a runner. Well, if it was true.

Years of cuts have devastated Britain: banks are going under, businesses closing, prices soaring, unemployment rising, prisons overflowing. The authorities cannot cope. And the population has maxed out.

The solution: forced sterilisation of all school leavers without secure further education plans or guaranteed employment. The country is aghast, but the politicians are unshakeable. No more free housing for single parents, no more child benefit, no more free school meals, no more children in need.

It's time for the young to take to the streets. It's time for them to RIOT.

This book is set fours years from now in England. I think its bit too soon. For the events that happen in this novel a lot would have to happen, for one the UK would have to leave the EU. It's breaking a lot of Human Rights and the UK would have been pressured by their allies not to do it. Also it jumps to extremes too quickly. It's everyone that meant to sterilize if they don't have a job; not just people who already have kids or who are drug addicts. Prisoners to underprivileged teenagers. It just doesn't make sense that you'd be able to get that sort of law even close to passing.

It another issue is that the conspiracy isn't blamed on a political Party but a person whose not even a party leader. The climax is a little bit too nicely wrapped up, though the ending isn't that clean cut. Also motive isn't fully formed, a more developed answer would have been good.

Tia is alright. She bit flat, she has the necessary skills and background for the plot but we don't really learn anything about her that doesn't relate to the plot. We learn almost nothing about the deuteragonist. There is a romance, however it's feels a bit forced. It wasn't needed and the book would have been fine if had it just been friendship. It didn't take or add anything. 

This more action packed, I did get carried a long with the story. It didn't stop me from questioning the details.

Overall, I gave this book 4 out of 5 stats for multiple phones. It's enjoyable read but there definitely some issues with it. If you really think about  the situation, then it's too unbelievable. Maybe not never, but fours year? A lot can happen, just not that much.

I got this book for review off Netgalley and is published by Hodder Children's Book on 1st May.

Book Review: Pawn by Aimée Carter

I would totally be an VIII.

Are you more than the number on the back of your neck?

For Kitty Doe, it seems like an easy choice. She can either spend her life as a III in misery, looked down upon by the higher ranks and forced to leave the people she loves, or she can become a VII and join the most powerful family in the country.

If she says yes, Kitty will be Masked—surgically transformed into Lila Hart, the Prime Minister’s niece, who died under mysterious circumstances. As a member of the Hart family, she will be famous. She will be adored. And for the first time, she will matter.
There’s only one catch. She must also stop the rebellion that Lila secretly fostered. The same one that got her killed…and one Kitty believes in. Faced with threats, conspiracies and a life that’s not her own, she must decide which path to choose—and learn how to become more than a pawn in a twisted game she’s only beginning to understand.

 Basically, Kitty agrees to something without knowing what she was getting herself into (not that she had much choice in the matter) and the real plot takes off from there. Kitty gets chosen to be masked because she has the same eye colour as Lila which is apparently rare. The government is corrupt (but what dystopia is not). When you seventeen, you take a ability test and results indicate where you work for the rest of life. Its I to VI, Kitty is gets a III which means she get manual labour and because she has no family she meant to be get sent to different city far away. It very dark world Carter has made. Nothing about Kitty life is fair. She finds herself in a family that just scheming against each other which might involve murder.

Kitty is actually quite smart but she can't read. It never actually stated in the book but she obviously Dyslexic which made me realise that I think this is the first book that I've read that has a dyslexic character as the Protagonist. I know the frustration of failing a test/not doing as well as hoped due my dyslexic nature. Running out of time before you're finished always sucks. Obviously, I could retake the test but also marked down for failing in the first place. I like her, she has spunk. I also likes the fact that Kitty might do something stupid but knows it stupid so you don't to shake her till she get sense. She backed into a lot of corner in this book so some of them can't be helped.

The characters that Kitty comes in contract after becoming Masked are complex bunch. She never really sure if she can trust any of them because their motivation ain't always that straight forward. There are some gems there and of course because this YA so there is three teenage boys involved that I know from the other reviews that they is shipping going on. Though, if you don't like sort thing much (like me) you can ignore it and focus on the plot (which is really good by the way). There is some romance but it not overbearing and actually goes with the plot and its friendship romance so it nice.

There's is one thing I don't get. Why is it a Prime Minister if there no King/Queen? The Harts are basically old fashion Royal family in that the oldest rules the country and has done for the past three generations. They do have a vote but it only ever one name on the ballot. It small thing, just why did American swapped from a president in the first place?

Overall, I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars for stolen oranges. This the first of a series and I'm looking forward to the next one which is meant to be out sometime this year but Pawn just came out so going to be good few months. I think it promising series and I'm very intrigued with what happens down the line. If you like dystopia or people swapping life with each other I recommend this book to you as it good on both fronts.

I got this book off Netgalley for Review. Published by Mira Ink. 

Book Review: The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

Well, I could write a book by the time I'm 22 if I actually ever wrote anymore.

The year is 2059. Nineteen-year-old Paige Mahoney is working in the criminal underworld of Scion London, based at Seven Dials, employed by a man named Jaxon Hall. Her job: to scout for information by breaking into people’s minds. For Paige is a dreamwalker, a clairvoyant and, in the world of Scion, she commits treason simply by breathing.

It is raining the day her life changes for ever. Attacked, kidnapped and drugged, Paige is transported to Oxford – a city kept secret for two hundred years, controlled by a powerful, otherworldly race. Paige is assigned to Warden, a Rephaite creature with dark honey skin and heavy-lidded yellow eyes. He is her master. Her trainer. Her natural enemy. But if Paige wants to regain her freedom she must allow herself to be nurtured in this prison where she is meant to die

The Bone Season is apparently the next big thing. Sadly, I think this likely to hurt it more than help it as a series. It's the first in the intended series of six books (we definitely getting two sequels anyway). Its a good book but not amazing. It's an interesting world being built. Technically, a dystopia, fantasy and petty sure a parallel time-line (there's like a different history from our one). It's 50 years in the future with technology stuff but also magic.

Our protagonist is Paige Mahoney who for some reason came from currently free Ireland to an imprison Britain (London, England specifically) when a child. Paige is a Dreamwalker which a rare type of clairvoyant. Since Clairvoyants are illegal, Paige finds herself in World of Crime. But where else are you going to find yourself next in line when only 18.

Anyway, while on the train Paige accidentally injuries two Scion Police thingies and that where the fun begins. BA BA BA, Paige finds herself in Oxford, which has been ripped off the maps because its home to the Rephaite; creatures from another dimension who feed off human life force. I want to imagine them as lizard people, they're not described that way. They actually look like humans I think, but taller. Maybe its the name, green blood or the yellow eyes but they're lizard people to me.

So Paige gets picked by Warden to be his human/trainee, which is special because he never picks humans ever. Dark motives at hand. Paige helps plans of rebel amongst the Clairvoyants but we won't be getting into any of that. If want to know more about the dark motives/rebel, read the book.

Characters are interesting lot and there is a lot of them. In fact, I've already forgot most of their names. I like Nick though and the evil head lizard lady.

Information is given at good pace and I never found myself just flicking through the pages bored (which does happen with me sometimes. I'm usually end three times at once or jumping from things). The ending is handle really well, has a proper ending but leaves with wanting to know what happens next.

In summary, an interesting and good novel. I will continue to read the series but honesty I would wait till it comes out in paperback. I give it 5/5 stars for missing body parts. Like it is really good, it just not amazing, knock the air out of you good. Potential there though and the writer's young so she possible she could learn/mature to be as the series goes on.

I  have now reviewed the next two books: The Mime Order and The Rising Song (soon).

I got this book off NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for Review.