Book Review: Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

Edition: Paperback, 535 pages
Published by: Orion Books, 4th May 2017
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Completed: 27th May 2020
My Rating: 4 stars

Welcome to the world of the Grisha.

Kaz Brekker and his crew of deadly outcasts have just pulled off a heist so daring even they didn’t think they’d survive. But instead of divvying up a fat reward, they’re right back to fighting for their lives.

Double-crossed and badly weakened, the crew is low on resources, allies, and hope. As powerful forces from around the world descend on Ketterdam to root out the secrets of the dangerous drug known as jurda parem, old rivals and new enemies emerge to challenge Kaz’s cunning and test the team’s fragile loyalties.

A war will be waged on the city’s dark and twisting streets – a battle for revenge and redemption that will decide the fate of the Grisha world.

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Whoa! Saints, this book was absolutely insane, crazzzzzzy and I loved it! Six of Crows was the starter but Crooked Kingdom was the main course.

Book Review: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Edition: Paperback, 495 pages
Published by: Orion Books, 12th July 2016
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Completed: 19th May 2020
Rating: 4 stars

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone. . . .

A convict with a thirst for revenge

A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager

A runaway with a privileged past

A spy known as the Wraith

A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes

Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don’t kill each other first.

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The Six of Crows duology is probably one of the most overhyped books out there. I initially wanted to read it when it was first released, due to the hype. I got the ebook on my phone ready to read but at the time, I don’t know why I wasn’t in the mood to read it and could barely get pass the first chapter! But having come across it again on Bookstagram, so many fans have raved about how amazing this duology is and I thought it was high time I jumped on the bandwagon and give it another go, and here I am finished with the book!

Book Review: Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare

Edition: Hardback, 590 pages
Published by: Walker Books, March 2020
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Completed: 18th March 2020
Rating: 4 stars

Welcome to Edwardian London, a time of electric lights and long shadows, the celebration of artistic beauty and the wild pursuit of pleasure, with demons waiting in the dark. For years there has been peace in the Shadowhunter world. James and Lucie Herondale, children of the famous Will and Tessa, have grown up in an idyll with their loving friends and family, listening to stories of good defeating evil and love conquering all. But everything changes when the Blackthorn and Carstairs families come to London…and so does a remorseless and inescapable plague.

James Herondale longs for a great love, and thinks he has found it in the beautiful, mysterious Grace Blackthorn. Cordelia Carstairs is desperate to become a hero, save her family from ruin, and keep her secret love for James hidden. When disaster strikes the Shadowhunters, James, Cordelia and their friends are plunged into a wild adventure which will reveal dark and incredible powers, and the true cruel price of being a hero…and falling in love.

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Review may contain spoilers!
(It’s so hard to review Shadowhunter books without going into the spoilers)

Book Review: Soundless by Richelle Mead

Edition: Paperback, 266 pages
Published By: Penguin Books
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult
Rating: 2 stars
Completed: 20th April 2017

In a village without sound…

For as long as Fei can remember, no one in her village has been able to hear. Rocky terrain and frequent avalanches make it impossible to leave the village, so Fei and her people are at the mercy of a zipline that carries food up the treacherous cliffs from Beiguo, a mysterious faraway kingdom.

When villagers begin to lose their sight, deliveries from the zipline shrink. Many go hungry. Fei and all the people she loves are plunged into crisis, with nothing to look forward to but darkness and starvation.

One girl hears a call to action…

Until one night, Fei is awoken by a searing noise. Sound becomes her weapon.

She sets out to uncover what’s happened to her and to fight the dangers threatening her village. A handsome miner with a revolutionary spirit accompanies Fei on her quest, bringing with him new risks and the possibility of romance. They embark on a majestic journey from the peak of their jagged mountain village to the valley of Beiguo, where a startling truth will change their lives forever…

And unlocks a power that will save her people.

I was already fully aware that this book has a lot of mixed review – mostly negative, which is the reason why I wasn’t that interested in reading it because I trust the reviews. However this was a Christmas gift so I had to read it. My friend knew I enjoyed the Vampire Academy series a lot and thought I’d like this one. I thought oh its only 266 pages; it can’t be that bad, right? It was.

Book Review: Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

Edition: Paperback, 480 pages
Published by: Simon & Shuster UK, 7th May 2015
Genre: Contemporary, Family, Realistic Fiction, Romance, Young Adult
Rating: 3.5 stars

Taylor Edwards’ family might not be the closest-knit—everyone is a little too busy and overscheduled—but for the most part, they get along just fine. Then Taylor’s dad gets devastating news, and her parents decide that the family will spend one last summer all together at their old lake house in the Pocono Mountains.

Crammed into a place much smaller and more rustic than they are used to, they begin to get to know each other again. And Taylor discovers that the people she thought she had left behind haven’t actually gone anywhere. Her former best friend is still around, as is her first boyfriend…and he’s much cuter at seventeen than he was at twelve.

As the summer progresses and the Edwards become more of a family, they’re more aware than ever that they’re battling a ticking clock. Sometimes, though, there is just enough time to get a second chance—with family, with friends, and with love.

This is my third Morgan Matson read and this one gave me alotta emotions. I don’t deal with emotional books very well. I was literally bawling my eyes out.

Second Chance Summer is about seventeen year old Taylor Edwards, whose family isn’t particularly close because everyone is so busy but then one day she and her family received devastating news that her dad has cancer. So her parents decide to spend one last summer together at their lake house. Taylor hasn’t been back to the lake house in the last five years. She never wanted to come back because she has bad memories and last time she was there, things did not end well.

Book Review: Never Never, Part 3 by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher

Edition: e-Book, 92 pages
Published by: Hoover Ink
Genre: Contemporary, Fiction, Romance, Young Adult
Rating: 2 stars
Completed: 10th August 2016

New York Times bestselling authors Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher are back with the much-anticipated final installment in the Never Never novella series.

Together, Silas Nash and Charlize Wynwood must look deeper into the past to find out who they were and who they want to be. With time ticking down, the couple are in a race to find the answers they need before they lose everything.

Can they regain what they once had? And will it restore who they once were?

Part 3 picks up from where we left off on Part 2 and I see RED because I’m rather frustrated and annoyed with the final outcome of this novella series, as expected from the negative reviews so far.

This review will contain SPOILERS. It’s hard to review this without spoiling anything. So if you haven’t yet read Part 1 and 2 yet, then maybe you should but if you don’t care, then read on. Here we go:

Book Review: The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson

Edition: Paperback, 528 pages
Published by: Simon & Schuster Children’s, 3rd May 2016
Genre: Contemporary, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Romance, Young Adult
Rating: 3 stars
Completed: 30th July 2016

Andie had it all planned out.

When you are a politician’s daughter who’s pretty much raised yourself, you learn everything can be planned or spun, or both. Especially your future.

Important internship? Check.

Amazing friends? Check.

Guys? Check (as long as we’re talking no more than three weeks).

But that was before the scandal. Before having to be in the same house with her dad. Before walking an insane number of dogs. That was before Clark and those few months that might change her whole life.

Because here’s the thing—if everything’s planned out, you can never find the unexpected.

And where’s the fun in that?

The Unexpected Everything centres on our main character Andie, who is the daughter of an important Congressman. Andie has everything planned out for the summer and Andie always plans to stick to a plan. Andie is a very smart and logical character. She’s independent and a straight-A student who has a pre-med internship lined up for her but everything comes crashing down when her father is involved in a political scandal. This causes her summer plans to inevitably change and finds herself walking a lot of dogs and also meeting a boy named Clark.

This is only just my second Morgan Matson read and what I like about her books is that she does a great job of balancing serious issues with fun, summer themes. It also focuses on genuine friendship and family, giving the story a more emotional impact, than just it being about a boy.

Book Review: One by Sarah Crossan

Edition: Hardcover, 448 pages
Published by: Bloomsbury Children’s Books
Genre: Children’s, Disability, Family, Fiction, Poetry, Young Adult
Rating: 4 stars
Completed: 18th June 2016

Grace and Tippi don’t like being stared and sneered at, but they’re used to it. They’re conjoined twins – united in blood and bone.

What they want is to be looked at in turn, like they truly are two people. They want real friends. And what about love?

But a heart-wrenching decision lies ahead for Tippi and Grace. One that could change their lives more than they ever asked for…

This moving and beautifully crafted novel about identity, sisterhood and love ultimately asks one question: what does it mean to want and have a soulmate?

One tells a unique story about conjoined twins, Grace and Tippy. They have both have a pair of arms, hearts and lungs but they are joined at the waist, thus only having one body – so the coordination seems like a big mystery. The story begins with Grace and Tippy’s parents struggling to afford home schooling fees because their dad has been laid off. As a result, they are forced to attend an actual public school for the first time.

Review: Never Never, Part 2 by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher

Edition: E-Book, 158 pages
Published by: Hoover Ink, May 17th 2015
Genre: Contemporary, Fiction, Mystery, New Adult, Novella, Romance, Suspense, Young Adult
Rating: 4 stars
Completed: 18th January 2016

“Never forget that I was your first real kiss. Never forget that you’ll be my last.
And never stop loving me between all of them.
Never stop, Charlie.
Never forget.”

Silas races against time as more truths unravel, while others twist tighter together. And now, the stakes are higher as Silas’ control slips and others begin to point fingers. Charlie is in trouble and he must be the one to bridge the chasm between their past and their present. Because somewhere between I love yous and Never Nevers and Never Agains, a truth they can’t imagine, beckons to be found.

“Where are you, Charlie?”

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I can’t go into reviewing Part 2 without revealing the major cliff hanger in the last book, so just to warn you if you haven’t read it. Part 3 was officially released on the 19th January, so now is a good time to read all the parts.

Revealing SPOILERS from Part 1:

Okay so Part 2 picks up from Part 1, which was the big twist. Charlie and Silas have basically been losing their memories every 48 hours for a week. Charlie is missing (because she’s stubborn). Silas quickly writes down all that he knows before he forgets. And so the book begins with Silas’ memory loss and we’re back to square one. The question is where is Charlie? (It’s the reason for the missing hand).

“I know that’s weird, but that’s what you love about me. You love how much I love you. Because yes. I love you way too much. More than anyone deserves to be loved. But I can’t help it. You make normal love hard. You make me psycho-love you.”

Review: Never Never by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher

Edition: Kindle
Published by: Hoover Ink, 7th January 2015
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, New Adult, Romance, Young Adult
Rating: 4 stars
Completed: 10th January 2016

Best friends since they could walk. In love since the age of fourteen.

Complete strangers since this morning.

He’ll do anything to remember. She’ll do anything to forget.

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Damn that cliffhanger.

I wanted to put my hands on either side of face and say no! Like the emoji.

This is my first Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher read and wow, I was not expecting to enjoy this as much as I did! I am really gobsmacked. I think I may be off to a good reading start this year. More thrillers, less contemporary.

I have nothing but good things to say about this book.

This is about our two main characters Charlie and Silas who have been friends ever since they’ve were young and are supposed to be in love. The story is written in alternating POVs. Both characters have lost their memory whilst they are in school and thus have no idea who they are, where they are, how they got there, where they live, who their family and friends are. In a nutshell, they are trying to find out who they are and why this is happening to them. Along with us, the reader, we are also trying to find out the mystery with them.