Title: The Selection (The Selection #1)
Author: Keira Cass
Published: June 7, 2012
Publisher: HarperCollinsCholdren'sBooks
ISBN: 78-0007466696
Genre: Dystopian/Sci Fi
For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.
But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her.
Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.
Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself--and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Solid 3 stars.
I'll be honest, America is one of those character's that I'm never going to like. "Oh no, don't make me up in pretty dresses and send me off to a beautiful palace to be pampered and adored all so I can have the chance of being the future queen and, you know, actually having a chance to help change the debilitating caste system of our society which sees the majority of our country living in abject poverty and thus help raise everyone I love out of poverty. Oh, woe is me."
Seriously?
This idea that by forcing people to wear pretty clothes and make up and act like a "lady" somehow means that they're going to lose "who they are as a person." As if the clothes and make up and their appearance defines them? Yeah, not a great message to be throwing out there in a young adult novel.
If I wanted to be told that my appearance is the most important thing about me, I'd go pick up a fashion magazine.
But anyway, on to the actual book.
Fun read.
It was engaging and I read it in one day. The writing is of a high quality and the pacing is excellent. One thing I absolutely loved was the slow-burn of America's developing feelings. We get to the end of the book and she's still trying to come to terms with what her feelings actually are. This is realistic, not only for a one-month time frame, but, also, for a seventeen year old girl. It's a nice touch.
Over-descriptive. I don't need to know that her favourite jammies are "cute" or that they consist of "brown shorts and fitted white tee." Unnecessary embellishment makes it read like a 13 year old's first attempt at writing. But, that is few and far between and overall, as I have said, good quality writing.
Aspen? As we're only at the end of the first book and we still have another two to go, I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt here and hope there's still room for Cass to turn him into a lesson about how not to let men treat you instead of a valid love interest.
The naming conventions are ... embarrassing. I mean, America Singer? Really? And the caste's merely being numbers? Really? Cass couldn't think of anything better?
This book could have been a fantastic allegory for the way women are looked upon and demeaned in society, if Cass had actually moved past her complete hang-up on appearances. There is so much potential in a book like this if you're willing to take it forward and not just leave it at face value. I feel like, as a female reader, I've been done out of something potentially brilliant.
At the end of the day, there is a lot of things inherently wrong with this book but I couldn't, in good faith, give less than three stars to a book which kept me so entranced.
Disclaimer: This book was provided to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Title: An Ember in the Ashes (An Ember in the Ashes #1)
Author: Sabaa Tahir
Published: April 28, 2015
Publisher: Razorbill
ISBN: 978-1595148032
Genre: Sci-fi and Fantasy
Set in a terrifyingly brutal Rome-like world, AN EMBER IN THE ASHES is an epic fantasy debut about an orphan fighting for her family and a soldier fighting for his freedom. It’s a story that’s literally burning to be told.
What if you were the spark that could ignite a revolution?For years Laia has lived in fear. Fear of the Empire, fear of the Martials, fear of truly living at all. Born as a Scholar, she’s never had much of a choice.
For Elias it’s the opposite. He has seen too much on his path to becoming a Mask, one of the Empire’s elite soldiers. With the Masks’ help the Empire has conquered a continent and enslaved thousands, all in the name of power.
When Laia’s brother is taken she must force herself to help the Resistance, the only people who have a chance of saving him. She must spy on the Commandant, ruthless overseer of Blackcliff Academy.
Blackcliff is the training ground for Masks and the very place that Elias is planning to escape. If he succeeds, he will be named deserter. If found, the punishment will be death.
But once Laia and Elias meet, they will find that their destinies are intertwined and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.
In the ashes of a broken world one person can make a difference. One voice in the dark can be heard. The price of freedom is always high and this time that price might demand everything, even life itself.
Rating: ★★★★☆
“You are an ember in the ashes, Elias Veturius. You will spark and burn, ravage and destroy. You cannot change it. You cannot stop it.”
This book had some serious hype to live up to. Thankfully, it was up to the challenge.
Anyone who knows me knows that I have an unbridled passion for anything remotely related to ancient Greece and Rome. So when the blurb for this book was released it automatically went to the top of my 'Most Anticipated' list. It was, perhaps, less Rome-like than I was hoping for, but there is absolutely no doubt that it draws heavily upon Roman culture from the naming conventions to slave brutality.
This book definitely has a lot going on. We follow two main characters - Elias and Laia - in alternating chapters in which we come to learn their stories and meet the supporting casts of both their lives. The alternating narratives gives us a wonderful insight into the polarity of their lives, and yet how they still manage to maintain the same core ideals. It actually takes a while before the two meet, but once they do the story kicks into overdrive and all the things start to happen. But between the two character's stories and arcs there is a lot going on. However, instead of being overwhelming or confusing, Tahir manages to keep the plot tight and neat and through her wonderful writing has it running effortlessly. The writing is gorgeous and makes reading this book a dream.
“The voice is deep and soft, not a sound so much as a feeling. It is storm and wind and leaves twisting in the night. It is roots sucking deep at the earth, and the pale, sightless creatures that live below the ground. But there’s something wrong with this voice, something diseased at its core.”
That doesn't, however, take away from the gravity of the novel. This book is dark and gritty. Tahir does not shy away from the gruesome topics we are confronted with; topics such as rape and torture and child abuse which Tahir explores with unapologetic realism. This book is evocative. It makes you feel so completely for the characters and the things they are forced to endure in their attempts to do what they believe is right in a world which will see them dead for trying.
Laia as a female MC was surprising to me. Mostly for the fact that I quite like her. Her journey from start to finish is wonderfully done. She begins as a timid, scared young girl who has lost her family and who lives in constant shame that she will never have the courage that her Mother had. When we leave her at the end of the book Laia is strong and capable and has found the courage that she needs to move forward and save her brother. It's satisfying watching her grow as a person through everything that happens to her.
“My brother is still fighting, and his screams slice right through me. I know then that I will hear them over and over again, echoing in every hour of every day until I am dead or I make it right. I know it.”
Elias when we meet him is a dispirited soldier who is on the verge of fleeing a life, and Empire, he has come to hate. His character arc is more complicated than Laia's and I did find it slightly more compelling. Elias, first and foremost is a soldier - a Mask, elite. Taken at the age of six and then raised to manhood within the walls of Blackcliff. And yet, he has the strength of character to maintain his own ideals about what he believes is good and right. We watch a young man on the verge of desertion grow into something so infinitely more. I can't really say much without heading into spoiler territory - but trust me, there is a reason this guy is a love interest to two women!
The supporting cast of Resistance and Mask characters are diverse and irresistible. The Commandant is one of the most chilling villains that I have come across in a long time. My level of hatred for her is right up there with Dolores Umbridge. Helene is one of the characters that is hard for me to come to terms with; we see her through Elias' eyes and so through his narrative she is cast into a favourable light, and yet we are given enough information about her to know that she is, inherently, not a nice person - anyone who can agree with the enslaving of an entire nation and the annexation of their lands purely because she believes that "might makes right" does not strike me as a good person and yet it her Loyalty to Elias and her willingness to do anything for him that stops her from becoming one of the bad guys. The augurs are a great plot device and are very, very cleverly done. If this does have a second book, I can certainly see that there is a lot more to them and their story than we have been led to believe. And Izzi. Poor Izzi. She is the Neville Longbottom of our story: scared, timid, but someone who wants to fight and has a heart made of fire and hope.
And this is just a small sample of the wonderful secondary characters that we come across.
The love quadrangle - or whatever it was - is what lost this book a star for me. Mostly, the instalust! between Elias and Laia is what I found it hard to cope with. Tahir does a good job of making the feelings between Helene and Elias feel real, but then the rest all feel very forced. I think it's because it's more a case of Tahir has told us instead of shown us and I couldn't connect with their feelings. Still, it is definitely better done than a lot of romances that I've come across.
The book has an exciting start, slows down briefly and then is explosive for the last 50%. I think one of the things I like best about this book is that it constantly kept me guessing but never gave enough away that I knew what was coming. The plot twists were big surprises and it made for a much more exciting read.
A phenomenal book that is worth the hype and is more than worth the read!
If you liked this, you'll definitely like Sacrificed by Emily Wibberley.
“You are full, Laia. Full of life and dark and strength and spirit. You are in our dreams. You will burn, for you are an ember in the ashes.”
Title: Unteachable
Author: Leah Raeder
Published: March 25, 2014
Publisher: Atria Books
ISBN: 978-1476786407
Genre: Contemporary Romance
An edgy, sexy USA Today bestseller about falling for the one person you can’t have.
Maise O’Malley just turned eighteen, but she’s felt like a grown-up her entire life. The summer before senior year, she has plans: get into a great film school, convince her mom to go into rehab, and absolutely do not, under any circumstances, screw up her own future.
But life has a way of throwing her plans into free-fall.
When Maise meets Evan at a carnival one night, their chemistry is immediate, intense, and short-lived. Which is exactly how she likes it: no strings. But afterward, she can’t get Evan out of her head. He’s taught her that a hookup can be something more. It can be an unexpected connection with someone who truly understands her. Someone who sees beyond her bravado to the scared but strong girl inside.
That someone turns out to be her new film class teacher, Mr. Evan Wilke.
Maise and Evan resolve to keep their hands off each other, but the attraction is too much to bear. Together, they’re real and genuine; apart, they’re just actors playing their parts for everyone else. And their masks are slipping. People start to notice. Rumors fly. When the truth comes to light in a shocking way, they may learn they were just playing parts for each other, too.
Smart, sexy, and provocative, Unteachable is about what happens when a love story goes off-script.
Rating: ★★★★☆
"I see the lights every night. It seems like the whole world has figured out how to be happy, but no one's letting me in on the secret."
Okay.
Fuck.
Wow.
Guys.
This was really hard for me to rate because it was actually, like, a brilliant book. Just - really well written and engrossing and engaging and the overall quality of it should get it five stars alone.
But!
But but but.
I just couldn't connect with the characters *sad face*.
I know this is an it's-me-not-you thing because obviously no one else had any problems connecting with Maise and Evan. But, the fact that I couldn't connect meant that their love scenes? Didn't do it for me. Their situation? I wasn't bothered. Their angst? Sorta annoyed me. And it is so frustrating for me to sit here and realise that this book is sort of incredible and I can't fully appreciate it because I couldn't drum up an affinity for the characters.
So.
I'm going to try and be objective about this.
Unteachable deserves all the hype that it has received. Like, hella.
Firstly. The writing? Woah.
"The thought of how much happiness lay scattered across the universe, unrealized, in fragments, waiting for the right twist of fate to bring it together."
I believe Leah Raeder once described her own writing as "pretentiously lyrical" and that is a completely accurate description but it actually really fucking works. There's only a certain type of fiction that can make pretentiously lyrical work; this is also true of certain types of writers. Maggie Stiefvater is one of these writers. Her books, the Raven Cycle, is an example of this certain type of fiction. Leah Raeder and Unteachable are another example. Even though the two sets of writing are pretentiously lyrical in completely different ways.
But yeah. What I'm trying to say is that Leah Raeder does with her writing what people like Tahereh Mafi epically fail at. So, the writing is incredible.
The plot is simple yet effective: Girl meets boy. Girl sleeps with boy. Girl leaves boy. Girl pines for boy. Boy turns out to be her teacher. They get it on. Repeatedly. Things start to go to shit. Formulaic and simple. Also, very fucking effective. I think the fact that the story is so realistic helps us engage with it.
How many of us, at eighteen, had a thing for one of our teachers? How many of us, at eighteen were sexually aware enough that given half the chance we probably would have gone along with it. I remember "that" teacher for me: He was the P.E teacher. He was young, he was beautiful, he was funny and he gave a shit about us and given half the chance I would have jumped his bones.
This is something that is happening all over the world. But instead of making this about the teacher abusing his position of authority, Raeder makes this a story about two genuinely fucked up people trying desperately to pull some happiness into their lives; trying to claw out a hand-hold for themselves in the world. I never once felt like the relationship between Maise and Evan was unequal because they were both equally infatuated with each other.
In fact, Raeder gives us quite a few gritty topics in this book and then gives us a completely different way of looking at all of them: Maise's drug ruined home. Wesley's single parent home. Hiyam's privileged life. Nothing about this book is "typical."
This book deserves five stars. Because I'm emotionally stunted, I wanted to give it three. I settled on giving it four.
4/5 would bang recommend.
Title: Break In Two (Full Hearts #1)
Author: MJ Summers
Publisher: Piaktus Books
Published: November 21, 2014
ISBN: 978-0349407067
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Thirty-one year old Claire Hatley is running from Seattle having just discovered that her live-in boyfriend has traded her in for a twenty-two year old hostess. Devastated and alone Claire must make a fresh start. She answers an ad for a chef at a guest ranch just outside Colorado Springs and finds herself face to face with Cole Mitchell, quite possibly the sexiest man to ever ride a horse. Common sense tells them to stay away from each other, but their attraction is not to be denied. He gives her a glimpse of what love should be, but just as she starts to trust him, the past comes back to tear them apart.
Join Claire and Cole as they embark on the stormy love affair of a lifetime.
(Oh...and for those of you with husbands/boyfriends, please tell them “you’re welcome” from MJ.)
Rating: ★☆☆☆☆
No. No. Non. Niet. Nee. Jo. La. Ne. Nej. Nein. Ohee. Lo. Nei. Ni. Nai.
Ok, I can't think of any other languages to say no in. But you get the point.
All of the nope.
I DNF'd at 22%
I think the casual use of rape as a plot point to further a romance is what really put me off this.
The characters are shallow and one dimensional. I struggled to engage with the female main character and spent most of the time actively disliking her. There is no chemistry between her and the love interest.
The romance developed too quickly. Insta!love is not appreciated in most literature and it is definitely not appreciated in badly written literature. Which this is.
The plot is flat and overdone. A similar plot (putting aside that it's a PNR) is taken in How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf which gets it absolutely, 100% right. If the blurb of this book caught your attention? Go read How to Flirt instead and save yourself some pain.
Somehow the book manages to promote both misogyny and misandry. Which is a feat I have never seen accomplished before. I don't know whether to congratulate Summers or go on a book burning campaign.
And this was cheesy in the worst possible way. Like, this book should come with a box of crackers and maybe some grapes and little bit of salami to go with the sheer amount of embarrassing, cringe-worthy cheese that this book is made up from.
M.J. Summers has gone straight onto my Do-Not-Read list.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Title: Starborn (The Worldmaker Trilogy #1)
Author: Lucy Hounsom
Published: April 23, 2015
Publisher: Tor UK
ISBN: 978-1447268529Genre: Sci-Fi and Fantasy
Death and destruction will bar her way...
Kyndra's fate holds betrayal and salvation, but the journey starts in her small village. On the day she comes of age, she accidentally disrupts an ancient ceremony, ending centuries of tradition. So when an unnatural storm targets her superstitious community, Kyndra is blamed. She fears for her life until two strangers save her, by wielding powers not seen for an age - powers fuelled by the sun and the moon.
Together, they flee to the hidden citadel of Naris. And here, Kyndra experiences disturbing visions of the past, showing war and one man's terrifying response. She'll learn more in the city's subterranean chambers, amongst fanatics and rebels. But first Kyndra will be brutally tested in a bid to unlock her own magic.
If she survives the ordeal, she'll discover a force greater than she could ever have imagined. But could it create as well as destroy? And can she control it, to right an ancient wrong?
Book One of the Worldmaker Trilogy
Rating: ★☆☆☆☆
DNF at 32%
I'll be honest. I think I knew from the start that I was going to be DNFing this, but I stuck with it for as long as possible until I got to the point where I was saying to myself: "Kayleigh, you're not enjoying this. You're struggling to read this. There is nothing about this story that you like. You shouldn't have to force yourself to read a book. Give up the ghost."
The writing is generally of a decent quality, but the pacing was awful - it was all over the place. You would go for a few pages of decently paced, decently written prose and then all of a sudden you were flying through important scenes which seemed to have half the information you need missing and you'd come out the other side more confused than you went in - and not in the way that makes you want to read more to find out what is going on but in the way that makes you wonder why you're still reading.
But then the things that are supposed to be mysterious and keep you guessing - for example: Kyndra's special snowflakeness - are so blindingly obvious that it makes you feel genuinely embarrassed for Hounsom
The plot is something I've seen a hundred times before: ordinary village girl turns out not to be so ordinary after all. I can enjoy these books if they are well written or if the author has done something new and exciting with the story. Hounsom does nothing new or exciting and it is not well written.
The world building was ... lacking. I'm trying to be nice. Again there's nothing new here but she does try to shake things up (air ships?!?!) and gets it horribly, horribly wrong. The characters were awful. Completely 1-dimensional and unrelatable. I hated most of them. Passionately. In fact the only character that I remotely liked was Nediah and even he was on the flat side.
It's like Hounsom has taken aspects from books written by Trudi Canavan and Brandon Sanderson and tried to make a story out of it. Just minus the writing talent and creative genius.
Sorry, but no.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Title: The Winner's Curse
Author: Marie Rutkoski
Published: April 10, 2014
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's
ISBN: 978-1408858202Genre: Sci-Fi and Fantasy
Kestrel lives the lavish lifestyle of a Valorian General's only daughter, and such riches come at a cost for Valoria's captives and for her. As the Herrani face death or slavery, Kestrel's destiny is shaped by her father. He gives her two choices: join his army or get married. Desperate to realise her own future and knowing that it will invite scandal, she pays a small fortune for a handsome Herrani blacksmith at a slave auction. Arin not only plays Kestrel's power games, he understands what she needs and soon she is torn between loyalty to her people and her feelings for him. But Arin is not all he seems and Kestrel will learn that the price she paid for him is much higher than she ever could have imagined.
The first novel in a stunning new trilogy, The Winner's Curse is a story of romance, rumours and rebellion, where dirty secrets and careless alliances can be deadly and everything is at stake.
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Okay, this has been a pretty controversial book from what I've seen of the reviews around the internet.
The writing and pacing and characters and plot are generally well liked.
The treatment of slavery is not.
I'm going on the record here to say: The only reason this book got 3 stars is because I am holding out hope that Kestrel can pull her head out of her arse in the next two books.
I can appreciate that most of the book is told from Kestrel's POV and that hers is the mindset that she is the daughter of the Empire's greatest general who was brought up around slavery and that while she doesn't readily agree with it, she realises that she would only cause more trouble for her and the slaves if she were to do something. I can also appreciate the villainising of the Slaves at the end because, again, we're seeing things from Kestrel's POV.
Just because I can appreciate and understand what has been done in the book does not mean I agree with it.
I don't.
I started this book thinking: Yes. We have our heroine. She's going to fall in love with a slave, find out about the uprising and help them to overcome their oppressors. As it should be. I went along quite happily in this book.
That is not what I got. I am not happy with what I got. The last 35% of this book did not make me happy.
The last 35% of this book insulted me.
And, err ...
Can we say Stockholm syndrome?
Also, that ending? No. Nope. All the nope.
I really, really hope The Winner's Crime can redeem this.
Title: Sacrificed: The Last Oracle
Author: Emily Wibberley
Published: February 13, 2015
Publisher: Create Space Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN: 978-1505896787Genre: Sci-Fi and Fantasy
Knowing the future can save her city – but not her heart.
Born to serve the merciless Oracle, Clio wants nothing more than to break free. But when her entire family is murdered by Mannix, the king's adviser, Clio inherits the Oracle’s power, a power she never wanted and doesn't understand.
Hunted by Mannix, Clio is forced to flee her home in Sheehan and seek refuge in a foreign city where oracles are forbidden. If she's found out, she will be sacrificed atop its great pyramid.
Clio has no choice but to win the trust of Riece, an enemy warrior. Despite the undeniable attraction between them, Clio knows that if he finds out who she really is, he won't hesitate to execute her.
Clio tries to hide her budding powers, but the Visions she keeps having of Mannix and his barbarian army slaughtering her people torture her conscience. She alone has the strength and foresight to stop him, but only if she can embrace her destiny and sacrifice everything.
Rating: ★★★★★
This book blew my mind.
I put this on my TBR list back in January because it looked like it was going to be a good read and then it was promptly buried under the sheer overwhelming force that is my TBR list. Then I came across it on NetGalley and, quite literally, jumped at the chance.
Clio is the youngest, and fourth, daughter of the Oracle of Sheehan. Clio has never been close to her Mother and one by one, the same is happening with her sisters as they all enter into the servitude of the Oracle. When, finally, Clio loses her sister Ali to their Mother and the Deities, she vows never to allow her mother to change her the way she has her sisters and runs away. That night, Clio's Mother and two older sisters are brutally murdered and her sister Ali is taken by the King's (very creepy) adviser, Mannix. As a result, Clio is forced to shoulder the burden that was once her Mother's: she becomes the Oracle.
Desperate to rescue her sister, and best friend, Clio sets out for Morak, a city in which being an Oracle is punishable by death, in hopes that she can get there before it's too late, but she makes it to the City just in time to witness her sister's execution. It is there, in the cells under the Pyramid of Morak that she meets Oracle-hating Commander Riece, whom she must learn to trust, and convince him to trust her, in order to survive and save Sheehan from the ambitions of Mannix.
I loved this book from the moment I started reading it, and once I had, I didn't want to put it down. I've already said that I spent the day at work with my Kindle hidden behind my computer screens just so I could keep reading it without my boss seeing me. There wasn't a dull moment in this book. Emily Wibberley seems to have mastered the art of weeding out unnecessary scenes which add nothing to the story and can often become boring. Every scene was carefully crafted and contributed to the overall plot and kept the story flowing wonderfully.
Clio's character is delightful to read, and she does't change so much as grows and matures through-out the book which is wonderful to watch. She grows from a cynical girl who sees her mother's calling as a bit of a sham into a powerful young woman who holds her own, saves the day and can fully accept her calling in life.
Derik and Riece, our respective love interests actually manage to step outside of the mold and to have a personality of their own and a role to play besides being in love with the main character. It's refreshing to see. In fact, a few of the minor characters are just as memorable: Riece's younger sister is a great motivator for his character but also provides great comic relief and a nice break from the action of the rest of the book.
The world building is great. We don't get to see much of the world in general, admittedly, as the story centers around Morak and Sheehan, but Wibberley throws out the names of a few places that I'm hoping we get to see in the next books. Besides that, she keeps it fairly simple which makes it much easier for you to immerse yourself in the world; it's easier to connect with a story when you don't spend half a book trying to get your head around the world, it's population and it's politics. The untouched were a wonderfully scary addition.
In the end, you're left wanting more. I know I certainly was and I cannot wait for the second book.
That ending, though! Talk about emotional overload!!
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
