The Eve Illusion by Giovanna & Tom Fletcher Review

The Eve Illusion by Giovanna & Tom Fletcher
Series: Eve Of Man #2
Published On: April 16, 2020
Published By: Michael Joseph
Genre: YA, Dystopian
Pages: 400
Format: eBook
Source: Netgalley
Rating: ★★★

Eve is the last girl on earth. 
For the last sixteen years, Eve has been a prisoner. Guarded by the Mothers. Trapped by her fate. Watched by the world. 
Until she took her chance, and escaped. 
Eve finally has the freedom she has wanted for so long, and with Bram she has the love. But both come at a price. In this dangerous new world beyond the Tower, the regime are only ever one step behind. And together with the desperate rebel group fighting against them, Eve has found herself in more danger than she ever could have imagined. 
With everything stacked against them, can Eve and Bram survive?

This is the second book in the Eve Of Man trilogy by Giovanna & Tom Fletcher, a book I didn't realise I was anticipating until it's publication was announced. The premise of this series sounded so interesting to me when the first book was released. It is a dystopian series following Eve, the first girl born in fifty years. While the first book was interesting and enjoyable enough, it didn't blow me away or make me super excited to know how the story would continue. However, upon seeing the second book being published, I found myself interested in how Eve's story would progress.

The second book picks up immediately after the first book ends, so be aware there will be spoilers throughout this review. This isn't something I find happens often, but I very much enjoyed diving straight back into the story and being right in the middle of Eve's escape. I also enjoyed the extra perspective brought in to this sequel. I particularly enjoyed Michael's POV of the escape, as this helped to make it feel more real.

While the first book in the series did a great job of setting up the story and introducing us to the life Eve was living within the tower, the second book brought the action. Though not a huge amount went on in terms of development of plot, the authors did not shy away from hard-hitting, action packed scenes. There was a lot of torture and death throughout this instalment, with nothing appearing to be too gruesome. I found this aspect to be quite thrilling and made me feel deeply for our main characters.

Despite all the action, the main plot was a bit boring. As I previously mentioned, there wasn't much plot development until near the end, which resulted in much of the book dragging. While the characters did show development, and I really enjoyed seeing them and their relationships with each other grow and evolve with the new situations they found themselves in, it just wasn't enough to keep me interested.

Overall, this was an enjoyable book and decent second instalment in the series. I would say it is on par in quality with the first in the series, but the series itself is still just average for me. I do enjoy the characters and found many of the elements of this book thrilling and interesting, but not enough to keep me invested in the story. I am interested to see how the series concludes, so will be picking up the final book, which I have higher hopes for given the ending of this one.

Mini Reviews | Easy Prey & Dear Evan Hansen

I don't have an awful lot to say on these books, both were just middle of the road 3 stars for me, so I thought I would just share my few thoughts in a more casual review. I thought I would share a few things I liked and a few things I didn't like about each book and you can decide from that whether you think these would be books you would enjoy. Both of these books were received fro publishers in exchange for an honest review.

Easy Prey by Catherine Lo
Published On: October 12, 2018
Published By: Amulet Books
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Mystery
Pages: 352
Format: Paperback
Source: Publisher
Rating: ★★★
Amazon | BD | Goodreads

Only three students had access to a teacher’s racy photos before they went viral. There’s Mouse, a brainy overachiever so desperate to escape his father and go to MIT that he would do almost anything, legal or not. Then there’s Drew, the star athlete who can get any girl’s number—and private photos—with his charm but has a history of passing those photos around. And finally there’s Jenna, a good girl turned rebel after her own shocking photos made the rounds at school last year, who is still waiting for justice. All three deny leaking the photos, but someone has to take the fall. This edgy whodunit tackles hot-button issues of sexting and gossip and will have readers tearing through the pages to reach the final reveal.

I Liked...
- The plot. It was fast-paced and the story was very interesting. It was definitely engaging and you were kept wondering how situation were connected and how things would come together in the end. The premise was interesting and a lot of relevant topics were addressed and debated from various points of view,
- The characters. All three main characters were so different but each had their own issues and storylines aside from the main plot. I really enjoyed reading from each characters perspectives, all of which had their own distinct voice. They were not the most likeable group of characters but they didn't need to be for me to enjoy them.
- The majority of the book. This was a really fun, enjoyable book for the first three quarters of it. I was really enjoying the story and the characters, like I said, and was generally having a good time. I thought it was cleverly written, it kept me wanting to read on and find out what happened next and I was flying through it. Sadly, it didn't last.

I Didn't Like...
- The end. I understand why this book ended the way it did, I understand what the author was trying to do. I just didn't agree with it. I don't like how things worked out and was quite disappointed by the ending. I wanted something better.
- That it was predictable. I had guessed who 'done it' pretty early on was just waiting to find out how and why. I know some people like to be able to guess the culprit but it always annoys me when I'm not surprised by the reveal.
- I can't think of a third thing, it was really just the ending that I didn't like.

Dear Evan Hansen by Val Emmich
Published On: October 9, 2018
Published By: Penguin Random House
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Pages: 368
Format: eBook
Source: Netgalley
Rating: ★★★
Amazon | BD | Goodreads

When a letter that was never meant to be seen draws high school senior Evan Hansen into the Murphy family's grief over the loss of their son, he is given the chance of a lifetime: to belong. He just has to stick to a lie he never meant to tell. That the notoriously troubled Connor Murphy was his secret best friend. Suddenly, Evan isn't invisible anymore. And Connor's wealthy parents have taken him in like he was their own, desperate to know more about their enigmatic son from his 'closest friend'. As Evan gets pulled deeper into their family, he knows that what he's doing may not be right, but if he's helping people, how wrong can it be? No longer tangled in his once-incapacitating anxiety, this new Evan has a purpose. He's confident. He's a viral phenomenon. Every day is amazing. But when everything is in danger of unravelling, he comes face to face with his greatest obstacle: himself.

I Liked...
- It's Dear Evan Hansen. I love this musical so of course I'm going to enjoy that this book is based on the show.
- The story. Like I said, I love the show and as this is the story of the show, it's safe to assume I would enjoy the story.
- The characters. Again, they are the same as the show. However, they really came to life in the book. They were all very well written and I really enjoyed reading about all of them.

I Didn't Like...
- It just didn't translate well. The story alone without the music and stage production just didn't live up to the standard of the show. It fell a bit flat.
- I was bored. As much as I love the story, I found it boring in this format. It took me too long to get through it and I lost interest.
- I was disappointed. I set my expectations too high as this was one of my most anticipated releases of the year. Sadly, it didn't meet my expectations, which is probably more my own fault than the book itself.

Both of these books have their positives but neither blew me away. However, I can see why so many people have enjoyed them, they just weren't for me.

Sophie :)

Mini Review | Toxic by Nicci Cloke

Toxic by Nicci Cloke
Published On: July 26, 2018
Published By: Hot Key Books
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Pages: 304
Format: eBook
Source: Netgalley
Rating: ★★★

Amazon | BD | Goodreads

Hope has never been happier. She's on her way to Crete, after a group of her friends have made her an honorary 'lad' and let her tag along on their boys' holiday. There's a slight complication in that one of those boys, Logan, is Hope's ex-boyfriend, but they're still friends and Hope's pretty confident it won't be too awkward. 
The next couple of days are exactly what Hope was hoping for - lazy days in the sun, and long, drunken conversations. She can't help but notice that Logan's flirting with her. Logan and Hope end up alone and Hope is horrified when, after she leans in to kiss him, Logan completely rejects her. Embarrassed and annoyed, Hope is on a mission to get drunk, and with the alcohol flowing, and the sun going down, Hope's starts having a great time. 
The next thing Hope knows, she's being woken up on the beach by two strangers. It's 9 o'clock the next morning and she can't remember anything about the previous night . . . what on earth happened?

*A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

  This book was not what I expected at all. From the synopsis, this sounds like a mystery trying to uncover what happened to Hope after she wakes up on the beach while on a 'lads holiday' with no recollection of how she got there. However, there is a lot more to this book.

  It's split into three sections, each with a different narrator. The first follows this holiday that Hope goes on with her male friends, including ex-boyfriend Logan. This was a really fun storyline that really got me in the summer mood and made me want to go on holiday. It also featured the mystery aspect of what happened to Hope, as well as another mystery that is revealed throughout the book.
The second section focuses more on the aftermath of the holiday and how friendships have changed due to the events that took place. There are a lot of important topics covered in this section, most prominently mental health and asking for help. This was an incredibly important section and one that I found really struck a chord with me.

  The third section very much relates to the title of the book. This section really draws attention to toxic friendships, but it also deals with topics such as homophobia and sexual abuse. This is not the light and fluffy read the cover might lead you to believe, it deals with some really hard hitting stuff and this final section does go to some quite dark places.

  While I did generally enjoy this book, some aspects didn't quite meet my expectations. The characters were all pretty average and I didn't have a strong connection with any of them. I also found the mystery aspect to be anti-climactic and not really necessary to the story, other than to emphasise how awful certain characters were. I also found that the three sections, though not set out as three separate sections, were very distinct in their separation and so the story didn't flow as well as it could have. On top of that, things did start to drag a little towards the end and I found myself getting a bit bored.

  Overall, this is a good book with many layers to it. It deals with some difficult, hard-hitting topics, but important topics that need to be discussed. These topics were, I feel, handled sensitively and written well. Though there were aspects I found disappointing and I was bored at points, the main themes of each section were interesting and engaging for the most part. It was not at all what I was expecting, and definitely not the story the cover would suggest, but I did enjoy it and would recommend it to those who like darker contemporaries with a bit of summer fun thrown in.

Mini Review | The Summer Of Us by Cecelia Vinesse

The Summer Of Us by Cecelia Vinesse
Published On: June 14, 2018
Published By: Hachette
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Pages: 320
Format: eBook
Source: Netgalley
Rating: ★★★

Amazon | Goodreads

Aubrey and Rae have been planning their European tour since the moment they met. It was meant to be the perfect way to spend their last summer together before university, but now it's not just the two of them . . . 
There's Jonah, Aubrey's seemingly perfect boyfriend, and Gabe, who Aubrey may have accidentally kissed. Then there's Clara, the friend Rae is crushing on, hard, even though there's no hope because Clara is into guys, not girls. And on top of all that Aubrey and Rae's friendship appears to be falling apart. Things are more complicated at eighteen than they were at ten. 

*A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

A fun summer read.

If you're looking for a nice fun, summery adventure, this is the book for you. It takes you on a trip around mainland Europe, visiting some of the most iconic landmarks in the most popular European cities and you do feel as though you are there witnessing these sights with the characters. I went on an adventure reading this book.

I enjoyed the characters.

All five of the characters in the friends group were decent characters. They were all well-developed and I enjoyed reading about them. The story is told in alternative points of view from both Aubrey and Rae, both of which I enjoyed equally. Though there was nothing particularly special about any of the characters, and none I felt especially drawn to, they were not bad characters by any means.

The drama was just too much.

I was under to illusion that this would simply be a fun trip around Europe with no drama or arguments. However, for me, there was just a bit too much drama. There was drama between almost every character all at the same time and it wasn't necessary. In fact, it made things kind of confusing, I couldn't keep up with what each of them were fighting about. It was as though the author felt the book needed more drama to keep it interesting, when actually the trip itself was interesting enough for me.

Fun adventure to drama backdrop.

Towards the second half of the book, this fun trip around Europe became more of a backdrop than the plot of the book. The drama and developing relationships completely overshadowed the trip. It got to the point where we, as readers, only really got to see the train journey to other places, rather than the places themselves. Important landmarks in great cities become nothing more than the place where relationships moved forward or characters argued. While this was still showing these great places and it still felt like I was on an adventure around Europe, it didn't seem as important to the story, which was disappointing.

I ended up getting bored.

The unnecessary drama combined with the lack of exploring amazing cities lead to me losing interest in the story completely for much of the second half of the book. I stopped liking some of the characters at times and just wanted it to be over. I was so disappointed as it had started off so well and I had been really enjoying it. However, I suppose it just wasn't for me in the end.

Overall, this book started out promising but went downhill. While I enjoyed the travelling aspect, this became overshadowed by the friendship and relationship drama. I appreciate the need for some drama to keep the book entertaining, it was too much for me and really took away from the fun of the book. I guess this book just wasn't what I was hoping for and was not the book for me; however, I did enjoy parts of it.

Mini Review | A Thousand Perfect Notes by CG Drews

A Thousand Perfect Notes by CG Drews
Published On: June 7, 2018
Published By: Orchard Books
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Pages: 282
Format: eBook
Source: Netgalley
Rating: ★★★

Amazon | Goodreads

Beck hates his life. He hates his violent mother. He hates his home. Most of all, he hates the piano that his mother forces him to play hour after hour, day after day. He will never play as she did before illness ended her career and left her bitter and broken. But Beck is too scared to stand up to his mother, and tell her his true passion, which is composing his own music - because the least suggestion of rebellion on his part ends in violence. 
When Beck meets August, a girl full of life, energy and laughter, love begins to awaken within him and he glimpses a way to escape his painful existence. But dare he reach for it?

*A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

I can't say I enjoyed this book.
Enjoyable is not a word I would use to describe this book, but not because it was a terrible book. The subject matter is not pleasant but I think it is something that needs to be discussed. Our main character, Beck, is subjected to some truly disgusting abuse from his mother frequently throughout the book, which made for a very difficult read.

This book is heartbreaking.
Beck's mother's treatment of her children is so horrendous that I really struggled to read this book. It broke my heart to read about Beck's home life and everything he has to deal with. The situation felt so real, at times I had to remind myself that these were fictional characters. Despite these characters being fictional, it was an important reminder that this kind of thing does happen more often than I would like to think about. It is a very important topic.

Interesting take on child abuse.
I found it particularly interesting that the abuse Beck is subjected to is regarding his music. Beck is forced to obsessively play piano and is subjected to horrendous violence should he not play for the required time or make mistakes. I have never read anything like that before. I found it especially poignant as music is commonly considered something that brings joy and comfort, which was definitely not the case in this situation.

The characters felt real.
The characters were the best thing about this book. Both Beck and August felt well developed and almost felt like real people. I loved how different they were, August was the complete opposite of both Beck as a person and his life in general. She was a ray of sunshine and it was lovely to see her bring some light to Beck's life.

The plot was lacking.
This was the let down for me; there wasn't much plot to this book at all. I was always waiting for something big to happen, some big plot twist that would make the story more exciting. However, other than the development of the relationship between Beck and August, and August's deteriorating home life, not a lot happened. It definitely wasn't a plot driven book but, for me, it just needed a bit more to happen.

Overall, this was a difficult read due to the subject matter but I enjoyed it as much as a person can enjoy such a topic. The characters were well-developed and felt like real people standing in front of me. However, the lack of plot resulted in me becoming bored at times. I needed a little something more to keep me fully engaged.

Mini Review | Eve Of Man by Giovanna & Tom Fletcher

Eve Of Man by Giovanna & Tom Fletcher
Series: Eve Of Man #1
Published On: May 31, 2018
Published By: Michael Joseph
Genre: YA, Dystopian
Pages: 400
Format: eBook
Source: Netgalley
Rating: ★★★

Amazon | Goodreads

AGAINST ALL ODDS, SHE SURVIVED. THE FIRST GIRL BORN IN FIFTY YEARS. THEY CALLED HER EVE. 
All her life Eve has been kept away from the opposite sex. Kept from the truth of her past. But at sixteen it's time for Eve to face her destiny. Three potential males have been selected for her. The future of humanity is in her hands. She's always accepted her fate. Until she meets Bram. 
Eve wants control over her life. She wants freedom. But how do you choose between love and the future of the human race?

*A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

This had so much potential.
While so many people may be over the dystopian 'trend', I am one of those who still enjoys a good dystopian. I would say that is exactly what this book is; a good dystopian. It didn't blow me away but it is an interesting plot and an interesting society.

The story is not something I have read before.
I know there are various books out there that are somewhat similar in the basic premise, but I have never read anything like this in which no females have been born for fifty years. It was a very interesting concept that was used in a creative way. The idea of keeping Eve away from the rest of the world in a purpose built tower and exposing her to very little of the real world was a very unique concept that I enjoyed.

We had two well-developed societies.
Due to Eve being confined to the tower, it was almost as though two separate societies were created for this story. We had the society within the tower, in which things were very futuristic and incredibly interesting to read about. Then, we also had the world beyond the tower. This, I felt, was slightly less developed than within the tower, though much less of the book was spent in this setting. I expect this will be developed more in future books in the series.

The technology was very creative.
So much of this story is based around the technology used within the tower. As I mentioned, it is all very futuristic. I have no idea how the authors managed to think of all of the unique, incredibly advanced technology described in the book; I was so impressed. It was a little confusing at time, but it was definitely interesting to read about.

The characters were bland.
Despite all of the things I enjoyed about this book, the characters fell flat for me. This was very unexpected, as one of the things I enjoyed about the one other Giovanna Fletcher book I have read was the characters. However, both Even and Bram were dull and had little personality.

It was let down by the pacing.
The pacing of this book was completely wrong for me. The first 75% of the book was very slow and while things were happening, they seemed to be taking forever to happen. Then, in the last 25%, everything happened. At one point I didn't actually think there was enough time left in the book for it to finish. The last part of the book needed much more time to be fully developed, it seemed much too rushed and ended up being a little confusing.

Overall, I do think this series has potential. I was unsure how I would feel going into this book as it was something so different for these authors, but I did enjoy it. There were some really great things about this book. However, the pacing and the characters let it down for me. I am interested to see how the series progresses, as I think many of the issues I had with this book could be resolved in future books.

Mini Review | The Language Of Kindness by Christie Watson

The Language Of Kindness: A Nurse's Story by Christie Watson
Published On: May 3, 2018
Published By: Chatto & Windus
Genre: Non-Fiction, Memoir
Pages: 336
Format: eBook
Source: Netgalley
Rating: ★★★

Amazon | Goodreads

Christie Watson was a nurse for twenty years. Taking us from birth to death and from A&E to the mortuary, The Language of Kindness is an astounding account of a profession defined by acts of care, compassion and kindness. 
We watch Christie as she nurses a premature baby who has miraculously made it through the night, we stand by her side during her patient’s agonising heart-lung transplant, and we hold our breath as she washes the hair of a child fatally injured in a fire, attempting to remove the toxic smell of smoke before the grieving family arrive. 
In our most extreme moments, when life is lived most intensely, Christie is with us. She is a guide, mentor and friend. And in these dark days of division and isolationism, she encourages us all to stretch out a hand.

*A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

This is my kind of book.
I feel like everyone has that one very specific type of book that they can never pass up and for me that is medical non-fiction or memoirs. I find different healthcare systems and the experiences of people working within them so interesting that I could read these types of books forever. If you are one of these slightly odd people like me, this book is definitely for you.

I loved so much of it.
If I was rating this book purely on the information within it and what I took from it, it would easily be a five star read. There is so much really great information about what it takes to be a nurse and how much the job takes from you. These are things I already knew, but reading about a person's real experience of their job and how the challenges of nursing made a real impact on their life made it all the more real. This is a perfect book for anyone in the nursing or healthcare field.

It is not for everyone.
Being in this field, I found this book so interesting and helpful. However, I don't think those outwith the field will be able to take the same from it. It is not a memoir filled with funny stories of interesting patients, it is a real, raw look at nursing and everything nurses face. There is a lot of nursing theory and almost academic discussion, which I learnt a lot from but is not likely to be the most interesting thing for non-nurses to be reading about.

The writing was hard to follow.
While the content was great, the writing didn't flow making it a little difficult to follow. We jumped from one story to the next without transition and it was often unclear when these stories took place in relation to the point in her career. This did not take away from the content but was a little confusing.

A must-read for anyone considering nursing.
I think this book should be compulsory reading material for anyone considering nursing as a career. I know many student nurses who could have benefited from this kind of insight into the career before starting their studies. It is a true representation of life as a nurse, warts and all, and emphasises the true fundamental aspect of nursing; kindness.

Overall, I think this is a great nursing memoir for those in the healthcare field but may not be the most accessible, easy to read book for others. Personally, I took a great deal from this book and have learnt things that I know I will put into practice in my own career. I would definitely recommend it to anyone in the field or considering nursing as a career, but it is not a book for everyone.

Review | Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman

Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman
Published On: April 5, 2018
Published By: Ink Road
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Pages: 352
Format: eBook
Source: Netgalley
Rating: ★★★

Amazon | Goodreads

Kiko Himura has always had a hard time saying exactly what she’s thinking. With a mother who makes her feel unremarkable and a half-Japanese heritage she doesn’t quite understand, Kiko prefers to keep her head down, certain that once she makes it into her dream art school, Prism, her real life will begin. 
But then Kiko doesn’t get into Prism, at the same time her abusive uncle moves back in with her family. So when she receives an invitation from her childhood friend to leave her small town and tour art schools on the west coast, Kiko jumps at the opportunity in spite of the anxieties and fears that attempt to hold her back. And now that she is finally free to be her own person outside the constricting walls of her home life, Kiko learns life-changing truths about herself, her past, and how to be brave.

*A copy of this book was provide by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

I tried my hardest to go into this book with no expectations but for some reason, somewhere in the back of my mind, I expected to really enjoy it. Having read some reviews before picking it up, I had seen so many people rave about this book. I was seeing nothing but 5 star reviews and people claiming this as their new favourite book and I had thought I would be one of them. Sadly, not. For me, this book was average.

I didn't hate it, by any means. There are several aspects of the book that I particularly enjoy. For the most part, though, I just found it to be kind of 'meh' and not all that exciting. I didn't feel like very much happened and found there was nothing drawing me in and making me want to keep reading. I was a little bit disappointed.

Despite there being so many different aspects to the story, I felt as though the plot dragged. The main character, Kiko, is dealing with so much in her life and all of that is explored within the story. However, it was all a little bit boring. I'm not even sure how to explain it but it almost felt to me as though there was a pretty boring main plot and then all of the complex, interesting stuff going on in Kiko's life were different subplots rather than being involved in the main story. It definitely had potential but I don't feel like it was executed as well as it could have been.

One of those "suplot" aspects that I didn't like was the romance. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't like Jamie! He was a very bland character with little substance to him, but he was also just not a great person. I really didn't like his attitude towards Kiko's anxiety. He didn't even try to be nice about it, despite promising at one point to try harder, and just made her feel worse about something she couldn't control. I may have been muttering some not very nice words while reading about him.

Kiko's anxiety is a very prominent part of the book, which I think is really great. While she doesn't let it define her, it is clear to the reader just how much it impacts her life and how much she struggles with it. While the representation in this book was great, for the most part, I did have a few small issues with it. For the majority of the book, I thought the anxiety rep was very accurate and often really related to what Kiko was going through and how the situation was being described. However, there were a few times where it felt very exaggerated or that things were inconsistent. I would say, though, that the representation was pretty good overall.

I loved how important Kiko's heritage was to the story. Kiko is half-Japanese, but has not really had the opportunity to explore the Japanese culture. I think the way this was discussed and incorporated into the story was really great. There is a real emphasis on how much not being exposed to that side of her heritage has impacted Kiko and caused her to feel so insecure in herself. There was also great discussion regarding beauty and how there is more than one idea of beauty, not just the blonde, blue eyed Caucasian models displayed all over the media. This was probably my favourite aspect of the book and I particularly loved getting a bit of an insight into Japanese culture myself.

Overall, this book has a great message and did have it's good qualities but it didn't live up to the expectations I had for it. I found the plot to be slow and a little boring, and had some issues with a few characters. However, I did really love the emphasis on embracing your heritage and exploring different cultures, as well as the anxiety representation throughout the story. I can understand why a lot of people have really enjoyed it, but for me it was just an average read.

Review | In Search Of Us by Ava Dellaira

In Search Of Us by Ava Dellaira
Published On: March 6, 2018
Published By: Hot Key Books
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Pages: 400
Format: eBook
Source: Netgalley
Rating: ★★★

Amazon | Goodreads

Marilyn is in search of freedom. She grew up as a child actor, her mother's meal ticket out of mediocrity. But it's been a long time since she booked a job, and she and her mother have no choice but to move in with her volatile uncle. Marilyn is counting down the days until she can escape to college, and the promise of her own future. That is, until she falls in love with James, the boy downstairs, who shows her that her life is worth living in the present. At 17, Marilyn is about to learn that everything can change in an instant. 
Angie is in search of answers. She is mixed race and has never met her father, but she knows she looks and thinks a lot like him. Though Angie grew up with her devoted mother, Marilyn, she's always felt the absence of the man she never knew. But after discovering that her mother has been lying to her, Angie sets off on a road trip to Los Angeles, in search of an unknown uncle - and maybe even her dad. At 17, she hopes to finally find out the truth about where she came from so she can discover who she truly is.

*A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

In Search Of Us is unlike anything I have read before. It is a multigenerational story following both 17-year-old Angie in the present day and her mother, Marilyn, as a 17-year old. Angie is searching for the father she has never known, Marilyn is unexpected falling in love with the boy that lives downstairs. Both stories are very different but both were enjoyable to read and kept my attention.

This was also unlike anything I have read before in terms of the way it dealt with important issues. Where many of the recent popular YA books make it clear that the book deals with issues such as race, this book did things differently. The topic of racial prejudice is introduced subtly, in throwaway comments about not liking a family due to their skin colour, before becoming shockingly important within the story. Angie also highlights many occasions in which she had been treated differently for not looking like her white mother, which becomes a more integral part of her story as the book continues. These topics are dealt with in a way that introduces these issues as almost 'normal', before emphasising the true impact of seemingly insignificant comments. To me, this was incredibly clever as it made for a greater impact.

While there are things I really enjoyed about this book, there were some things I had issues with. Firstly, for a book in which mother-daughter relationships are important, the mother-daughter relationship was lacking. Marilyn's mother is far from perfect and this is made very clear throughout the book. Marilyn is determined to give Angie a better life than she had and be a better mother than her own. However, the two felt so distant from each other. I struggled to accept them as having this tight, loving mother-daughter relationship as I couldn't feel any kind of connection between them. Perhaps this is due to the circumstances surrounding Angie's story.

I also had a hard time with the relationships, another quite important aspect of the story. Marilyn and James' relationship was one I was rooting for. They had a connection and I loved reading about them but it felt very rushed. I don't know if this is because there was so much to try and fit in with two different stories being told in one book. Angie and Sam's relationship I just didn't understand. It felt completely unnecessary as Angie's story was already interesting enough without adding in some boy drama. The only thing it added to the story was making Angie look bad as neither of them treated the other all that well. 

My only other issue with this book is purely down to personal preference; the chapters were so long! I'm the kind of person who needs shorter chapters to keep my attention so I did struggle quite a bit with this book. I don't know if this is different in the finished copy of the book as I read it as an eARC so this may not be the case now. Like I said, this is purely personal preference as I know many people prefer longer chapters but sadly I am not one of those people.

Overall, I did enjoy In Search Of Us and this has definitely encouraged me to pick up more of Ava Dellaira's work in the future. I really enjoyed the story and the way it was written, particularly the way important topics were dealt with. I also thought the ending was completely unexpected and shocking, but very important and impactful. Though it wasn't a new favourite, I would definitely recommend giving this book a try.

Review | More Than We Can Tell by Brigid Kemmerer

More Than We Can Tell by Brigid Kemmerer
Published On: March 8, 2018
Published By: Bloomsbury
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Pages: 416
Format: eBook
Source: Netgalley
Rating: ★★★

Amazon | Goodreads

Rev Fletcher is battling the demons of his past. But with loving adoptive parents by his side, he’s managed to keep them at bay...until he gets a letter from his abusive father and the trauma of his childhood comes hurtling back. 
Emma Blue spends her time perfecting the computer game she built from scratch, rather than facing her parents’ crumbling marriage. She can solve any problem with the right code, but when an online troll’s harassment escalates, she’s truly afraid.
When Rev and Emma meet, they both long to lift the burden of their secrets and bond instantly over their shared turmoil. But when their situations turn dangerous, their trust in each other will be tested in ways they never expected. This must-read story will once again have readers falling for Brigid Kemmerer’s emotional storytelling.

*A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

First things first, it needs to be noted that this is a standalone novel! Despite many calling it a sequel to Brigid Kemmerer's 2017 release Letters To The Lost, this simply follows a character introduced in that book and can definitely be read on it's own. I had not read Letters To The Lost before picking this one up and I didn't feel like I was missing out on anything, so please don't let that put you off if you were considering giving this book a go.

This book follows two main characters with their own individual storylines. I found it very interesting to have both main characters have such complex, intense situations going on. It almost felt like the alternating POV chapters could have been two separate books merged together. In fact, at times I wished they would have been two separate books in order to find out more about each of them and dive deeper into their stories.

However, my one complaint about this book follows on from that point somewhat. I wanted more of their individual stories! Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed seeing them together and how their relationship developed, but I wanted more of their personal lives. I want to know more about Rev's family and his experiences of getting used to a new foster brother. I want to know more about Emma's relationships with her parents and her best friend. There were so many aspects to each of their lives and I don't feel they were all explored in as much depth as they could have been.

Despite enjoying both of their storylines, I didn't love both characters. I really liked Rev and loved reading from his perspective. I found his family life to be very interesting and I thought the way he handled all of the things he had to deal with was always quite understandable. He didn't always deal with things the best way but you could make sense of why he did it. He was also very easy to relate to and empathise with. Emma, on the other hand, I didn't like as much. Unlike Rev, I found didn't understand the way she dealt with things most of the time. I found her and her situation very interesting to read about but she did seem very selfish and immature at times, particularly in the way she treated her mother, which made her harder to like. I did, however, love that she was a gamer and created her own game!

I did really enjoy this book and all of the many intense situations the characters were having to deal with. However, I found some of it to be a little predictable. I didn't predict much of what went on with Rev but nothing of Emma's situation came as a surprise to me. I wasn't at all surprised by the ending, which was disappointing as I think it could have been a real shock moment had I not already worked out what was coming.

Overall, this was a good read with some darker, intense aspects as well as a pretty cute romance. The plot had a lot going on and didn't go quite as in depth as I would have liked in many areas, however it was fast paced, making it a quick read. While I did enjoy the book, it didn't bring anything new and didn't blow me away.

Review | The Last Laugh by Tracy Bloom

The Last Laugh by Tracy Bloom
Published On: February 23, 2018
Published By: Bookouture
Genre: Adult, Chick-Lit
Pages: 294
Format: eBook
Source: Netgalley
Rating: ★★★

Amazon | Goodreads

‘I’ve googled it, how to die,’ Jenny says to Maureen. ‘It was full of climbing this mountain, swimming that sea, becoming a marathon runner and raising millions for charity.’ 
‘Sounds like bloody hard work. You can make it more fun than that surely?’ 
Jenny discovers her days are numbered at the same time she discovers her husband is having an affair… 
Frankly, her life was tough enough already. Two tricky teenagers, her mother’s constant complaints, friends who aren’t up to the job and a career which has been spiralling downwards since she won ‘Sunseeker Tour Rep of the Season’ twenty years ago. 
And now this: a cheating husband and a death sentence. 
Enough is enough. Jenny vows to keep both catastrophes a secret. She takes her life – and death – into her own hands and decides to live as she did when she was happiest… in 1996. She plans a spectacular 1990’s themed party in place of a wake that she herself will attend. But will she be able to keep her secrets for long enough to have the party of a lifetime?

*A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Tracy Bloom is one author I have a bit of a hit or miss relationship with. I have read two of her books before, one of which I really enjoyed, the other I didn't like so much. However, as her writing is usually pretty hilarious, I wanted to give her another chance, which is why I picked up her new release. Like I said, her writing is usually hilarious so I was interested to see how she would take such a serious topic and make it laugh out loud funny.

Now, don't get me wrong, this book was funny, but, as it turns out, it was not laugh out loud funny. Perhaps that was a bit much to ask of a book dealing with terminal illness and a husband having an affair. Tracy Bloom did a great job of mixing humour and serious topics, however some aspects of the book that I feel were meant to be humorous just seemed downright bizarre.

In fact, much of this book seemed bizarre; sometimes in a good way, other times not so much. The plot is very unique. Never before have I read a book about a terminally ill woman finding out her husband is having an affair and deciding to deal with it all by throwing a party. It was all very strange and I found it hard to understand any of the reasoning behind many decisions Jenny makes. It all just seemed very irrational and a little bit crazy.

Despite a rather crazy plot, the characters were pretty average. For me, Tracy Bloom tried too hard to make the characters, Jenny in particular, quirky and interesting and it didn't really work out. The only character I really enjoyed, who felt authentically quirky, was Maureen. Maureen is a truly great character who, despite being a little bit mad, was hilariously funny and really made the book for me.

One thing I really liked about this book was that it featured a character with anxiety. Jenny's son really struggles with anxiety and this became quite a big aspect of the book. There were points throughout the book in which I really did not like the way he was being spoken to and about; however, this did improve as the book went on and I really liked how his part of the story wrapped up.

Overall, this book was enjoyable but nothing particularly special. The plot was interesting, if at times difficult to fathom, and did have me laughing at times, despite the serious subject matter. The bland characters were somewhat disappointing but mad Maureen made up for it. While not my favourite of the Tracy Bloom books I have read, this has definitely encouraged me to give some of her other books a go.

Mini Review | Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
Published On: September 1, 2015
Published By: Corgi Children's
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Pages: 310
Format: Paperback
Source: Bought
Rating: ★★★

Amazon | Goodreads

My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.
But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly.
Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster.

So much hype!
This book had a crazy amount of hype surrounding it when it was first published and that hype never really died down. Unfortunately, due to the hype, I went into this book with super high expectations and ended up a little disappointed. For me, this was just an average read.

Loved the way this was written.
I absolutely loved the format in style in which this was written. I loved the sketches and diagrams but even just the layout of the text on the page was done in such a creative way. It was so creative and beautiful that it really added to the feel of the book.

I didn't love the characters.
I'm not even sure exactly what my problem was but I just didn't like any of the characters. I wasn't a huge fan of Maddie or Olly and I hated Maddie's mum from the first page. Probably the only character I didn't dislike was Carla. The other characters just annoyed me mostly.

The plot didn't blow me away.
A lot of the hype surrounding this book was relating to the great plot and fun twists. I ended up not particularly loving the plot. I thought a lot of things that happened were pretty stupid and not particularly realistic, and the rest I found a bit boring.

That ending!
I hated the ending of this book almost as much as I hated the ending of Gone Girl. I was so angry at the way the ending was dealt with and the fact that there were not appropriate repercussions. I found the very end to be anti-climactic considering the dramatic plot twist previously, I was just generally disappointed.

Overall, I absolutely love Nicola Yoon's writing style but, like I mentioned in my review of The Sun Is Also A Star, I never love her stories as much. I want to love everything she writes because I love how it is written but there's just something that I don't enjoy about her stories themselves. I will continue to pick up her books, hopefully one day I'll find something I love.

Mini Review | Onyx by Jennifer L Armentrout

Onyx by Jennifer L Armentrout
Series: Lux #2
Published On: June 3, 2012
Published By: Entangled Teen
Genre: YA, Paranormal
Pages: 366
Format: eBook
Source: Bought
Rating: ★★★

Amazon | Goodreads

Being connected to Daemon Black sucks… Thanks to his alien mojo, Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarro connection. So I’ve sworn him off, even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But we’ve got bigger problems.
Something worse than the Arum has come to town… The Department of Defense are here. If they ever find out what Daemon can do and that we're linked, I’m a goner. So is he. And there's this new boy in school who’s got a secret of his own. He knows what’s happened to me and he can help, but to do so, I have to lie to Daemon and stay away from him. Like that's possible. Against all common sense, I'm falling for Daemon. Hard.
But then everything changes… I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. And I have to tell Daemon, even though I know he’s never going to stop searching until he gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them—from me? No one is who they seem. And not everyone will survive the lies…

Not as good as book one.
I quite enjoyed the first book in the series, but for me this second book just wasn't as good. It felt very similar to the first book and I didn't feel that the story developed as much as I would have liked.

To be honest, I was a little bored.
I didn't feel that this book was as exciting as the first. There wasn't as much happening, in my opinion, and the major plot points that were meant to be the big exciting parts of the story just weren't that exciting. I found it pretty boring, hence why it took me a good month and a half to finish.

Pretty predictable.
With all of the big plot twists and mystery reveals throughout this book, I don't think anything particularly surprised me. I seen almost everything coming. I think that may be another reason I was a bit bored when reading this.

Katy and Daemon couldn't get more annoying.
I was all for this romance and the 'will they get together or not?' aspect of the first book, however by this one I was just fed up of it. They spent yet another whole book debating whether or not they like each other and should get together. I just didn't care anymore, it was annoying.

Oh wait, let's add in a love triangle!
Yes, the one way to make Katy and Daemon more annoying, add in another love interest. As if this series isn't compared to Twilight enough, Jennifer L Armentrout felt the need to add in an unnecessary love triangle. It just wasn't needed, there were other ways to introduce new characters and involve them in Katy's life without making him the next Jacob Black.

I think my relationship with this series is over.
As much as I enjoyed the first book, I didn't enjoy this book enough to want to read more of this story. I don't think I will be picking up the rest of the books in this series, mainly as I don't really care enough anymore.

Overall, while I enjoyed the first book in this series, the second was just an average read for me. There were more things that annoyed me about this book than things I particularly enjoyed and, to be honest, I'm already starting to forget things that happened. I don't think I will be picking up the next book in this series, at least not for a good while.

Review | Summer Days and Summer Nights edited by Stephanie Perkins

Summer Days and Summer Nights edited by Stephanie Perkins
Published On: June 2, 2016
Published By: Pan Macmillan
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Anthology
Pages: 384
Format: Hardcover
Source: Bought
Rating: ★★★

Amazon | Goodreads

Maybe it's the long, lazy days, or maybe it's the heat making everyone a little bit crazy. Whatever the reason, summer is the perfect time for love to bloom. Summer Days & Summer Nights: Twelve Love Stories, written by twelve bestselling young adult writers and edited by the international bestselling author Stephanie Perkins, will have you dreaming of sunset strolls by the lake. So set out your beach chair and grab your sunglasses. You have twelve reasons this summer to soak up the sun and fall in love.

Summer Days and Summer Nights is the second anthology edited by Stephanie Perkins featuring twelve summer romances, following on from My True Love Gave To Me featuring twelve holiday romances. I have chosen to rate and review each story individually, with the overall rating above the average rating of all twelve stories.

Head, Scales, Tongue, Tale by Leigh Bardugo - This was a huge surprise for me. This story is about two teens who develop a relationship over a series of summers while searching for a lake monster reported to live in the local lake. I usually dislike the stories that include elements of fantasy and magical realism but I actually really enjoyed this one. It was very out of my comfort zone but it has made me want to pick up more from Leigh Bardugo, whose books I was never interested in before. 3.5/5

The End Of Love by Nina Lacour - Sadly, this one was a disappointment. I had heard such great things about Nina Lacour's writing so I really wanted to love this story. Unfortunately, I found it boring. It's about a girl who decides to retake a class during summer in order to get out of the house as her parents are getting a divorce. Also taking the class is a girl our main character has perviously had a crush on. This story features one of my biggest dislikes in books; children being incredibly selfish and thinking the world revolves around them when their parents divorce. That, although not the main point of the story, ruined it for me. 2/5

Last Night At The Cinegore by Libba Bray - This was a very weird story. Kevin works at a movie theatre and on the final night before it closes, his last shift working with his crush Dani, a lot of crazy stuff starts happening. Horror isn't really my thing and this was definitely horror. Some really weird, creepy stuff went on in this story and is definitely not the kind of thing I would usually read. It was written incredibly well, and I did enjoy it somewhat, but it really wasn't my thing. 2.5/5

Sick Pleasures: For A and U by Francesca Lia Block - This was the most confusing story of them all for me, about a boy and girl who meet one night and romance ensues. It was very average and not particularly interesting but the use of first initials instead of names just confused matters. It was enjoyable enough but nothing special. 3/5

In Ninety Minutes, Turn North by Stephanie Perkins - It's really no surprise for me that this was my favourite of the anthology. This story follows the same characters we were introduced to in Stephanie Perkins' story in My True Love Gave To Me. I loved revisiting those characters and seeing how their relationship progressed. It was just as cute and adorable as I expected and having been introduced to the characters previously really helped me connect to them throughout this story. 5/5

Souvenirs by Tim Federle - This was another average story about two boys who were both working at an amusement park over the summer and started a relationship, however set a day to break up. This was an interesting idea, following a couple on the day they have set as the day they break up, but I think it could have been executed better. I found it a little bit boring. 3/5

Inertia by Veronica Roth - Another story I enjoyed much more than I was expecting to. Veronica Roth's story was very different but cleverly done. This story follows a girl whose childhood friend is in critical condition in hospital and has chosen her to share memories with him before he dies. I really enjoyed the way the romance genre was twisted to become more of a sci-fi story with romance elements. It was such an interesting concept and the romance was incorporated really well. I was also impressed with how well some more serious topics were covered in such a short story. 4/5

Love Is The Last Resort by Jon Skovron - Again, I found this story to be pretty average. This follows a cast of characters at a resort and featured multiple relationships rather than just the one. It was fun to have a larger cast of characters but in such a short time it was difficult to connect with all of them. I really enjoyed the resort setting and having multiple romances, however I feel like it needed to be a bit longer to reach it's full potential. 3/5

Good Luck And Farewell by Brandy Colbert - Since reading this book, this is the one story that I keep forgetting what it was about. I enjoyed it enough while reading but it appears to be quite forgettable. It's about a girl whose cousin, who has almost raised her since her parents died, is moving away and she has to deal with that change in her life. It was a nice, cute story but, once again, pretty average. It was a good take on family relationships and emphasised the different types of family but the romance was nothing special in this story and was a definite case of insta-love. 3/5

Brand New Attraction by Cassandra Clare - I wasn't sure what to expect from Cassandra Clare but I ended up pleasantly surprised by her story, I really enjoyed it. It was very unique as it is set in a carnival and follows the daughter of the carnival owner. There is a lot going on in this story but rather than being confusing or overwhelming, I found that it reflected the busy carnival setting and added to the feel of the story. It was very different to all of the other stories in the collection as there was a lot more to it than just the romance. I loved the interesting setting and unique plot. I was very impressed with how much Cassandra Clare managed to do in such a short story. 4/5

A Thousand Ways This Could All Go Wrong by Jennifer E Smith - Having loved many of Jennifer E Smith's books before, I expected to enjoy this story just as much as I did. This is the story of Annie who is working at a camp over the summer and has a crush on the shy boy from school. There is so much more to this story than it first seems and I really loved the way autism and Aspergers were discussed. Some of the things mentioned were a bit stereotypical and I think including such stereotypical behaviours could have been avoided but overall I think it was written well. I really enjoyed the story, particularly the relationship with the little boy, and also found the romance adorable. 4/5

The Map Of Tiny Perfect Things by Lev Grossman - This was a good end to the anthology. Another very interesting premise, this story follows our main characters as they live the same day over and over again. It was an interesting take on the topic and I was initially quite doubtful as I often find that kind of story to be boring and repetitive. However, I ended up enjoying it much more than I expected to. It is a bit more complex than some of the other stories, and ambitious to attempt in such a short space of time, but I still thought it was a fun, cute story. Unfortunately, while the story was interesting, I didn't connect with the romance at all. 3.5/5

There was an interesting mix of good and not so good throughout this anthology and many of the stories surprised me as it was often the ones I least expected that I enjoyed the most. I didn't enjoy this as much as I enjoyed My True Love Gave To Me, but there are definitely some authors whose work I am more interested to check out having read their short story.

Review | Trust by Kylie Scott

Trust by Kylie Scott
Published On: July 18, 2017
Published By: Kylie Scott
Genre: Contemporary
Pages: 382
Format: eBook
Source: Netgalley
Rating: ★★★

Amazon | Goodreads

After being held hostage during a robbery at the local convenience store, seventeen-year-old Edie finds her attitude about life shattered. Unwilling to put up with the snobbery and bullying at her private school, she enrols at the local public high school, crossing paths with John. The boy who risked his life to save hers. 
While Edie’s beginning to run wild, however, John’s just starting to settle down. After years of partying and dealing drugs with his older brother, he’s going straight—getting to class on time, and thinking about the future. 
An unlikely bond grows between the two as John keeps Edie out of trouble and helps her broaden her horizons. But when he helps her out with another first—losing her virginity—their friendship gets complicated. 
Meanwhile, Edie and John are pulled back into the dangerous world they narrowly escaped. They were lucky to survive the first time, but this time they have more to lose—each other.

*A copy of this book was provided by the published via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

I had heard a lot of good things about Kylie Scott, particularly her Stage Dive series, so when I came across this book on Netgalley I was intrigued, even more so when I read the synopsis. This wasn't quite what I was expecting. I was expecting New Adult and was surprised to find the characters were still in high school, however the content was definitely more what I would expect in NA. Other than that confusion, I have some mixed feelings about this book but enjoyed it overall.

The start of this book is so intense that I was instantly drawn in and had to keep reading. I loved the intensity of the opening scenes, particularly as they were written so well that it made me feel like I was right there in the story. After such an enthralling start, the rest of the book wasn't quite as exciting and I wasn't as invested in the story as I previously had been, however it was still good.

It is frequently mentioned throughout the book that our main character, Edie, is a bigger girl, which made a nice change from having a super skinny protagonist as is quite often the case. I liked that this raised issues of body confidence and a lot of Edie's struggles with her weight were relatable. There were some comments about her weight, bullying and name-calling that I found a bit uncomfortable to read about, though, and I occasionally felt that it wasn't made clear how wrong and hurtful such comments could be.

There were a couple of things I had an issue with in this book, one being that I didn't like the way mental health was discussed. There were some good points in which Edie mentioned her mental health improving since starting to see a therapist. However, a lot of the discussion surrounding mental health could be potentially harmful. The characters have gone through such a traumatic experience at the beginning of book that it is not unexpected that they exhibit signs of PTSD and anxiety as the book develops. Edie often mentions experiencing symptoms of these things but describes herself as "crazy" for this, as well as for needing to see a therapist. For me, there wasn't enough discussion about the benefits of seeking help for mental health problems to outweigh the negative content regarding mental health. From a personal point of view, as someone who suffers from anxiety and frequently experiences panic attacks, I did not appreciate having a panic attack being considered a sign of being "crazy". I think this kind of thing could be potentially harmful to those going through similar situations.

Another thing I didn't really like within the book was the way virginity was handled. I more often than not find myself rolling my eyes at the discussions of virginity being so precious and the protagonist worrying about it being perfect. However, this went to the opposite end of the scale. Losing your virginity was treated like it was nothing. It was discussed as something that you just needed to get it over with with the first person you find. I don't think it needs to be made into such a big thing as is often the case in the books I read, but to discuss it as thought it is completely unimportant was uncomfortable for me.

Despite the issues I had with this book, one thing I really loved was the friendship aspect. There is an emphasis on friendship, particularly as Edie's trust is broken by a good friend so early on in the story, and I really enjoyed seeing her develop her trust with the new friends she makes. I absolutely loved Hang, I think because it seemed like such a different friendship than the one that had been broken and it illustrated the fact that all friendships are different but just as important.

My favourite friendship of them all, though, was Edie and John's friendship. For that reason, I didn't love the romance. I obviously knew it was coming and how their friendship would play out but I loved them much more as friends. They had a great friendship that to me didn't really evolve into a relationship, it just happened due to the circumstances. If it had been more of a gradual thing I would probably have liked the relationship more and it would have felt more natural to me, as it felt quite awkward and unnatural the way things happened.

Overall, though I had my issues with a few things in the book, I did enjoy it. It was a darker, more intense contemporary but still an enjoyable read. There were some more mature themes within the book so I would be aware that it is perhaps not suitable for younger YA readers. I would definitely pick up more from Kylie Scott in future and am now even more interested in her previous series'.

Review | When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon
Published On: July 13, 2017/May 30, 2017
Published By: Hodder & Staughton
Genre: Contemporary
Pages: 384
Format: eBook
Source: Netgalley
Rating: ★★★

Amazon | Goodreads

Dimple Shah has it all figured out. With graduation behind her, she’s more than ready for a break from her family, from Mamma’s inexplicable obsession with her finding the “Ideal Indian Husband.” Ugh. Dimple knows they must respect her principles on some level, though. If they truly believed she needed a husband right now, they wouldn’t have paid for her to attend a summer program for aspiring web developers…right?
Rishi Patel is a hopeless romantic. So when his parents tell him that his future wife will be attending the same summer program as him—wherein he’ll have to woo her—he’s totally on board. Because as silly as it sounds to most people in his life, Rishi wants to be arranged, believes in the power of tradition, stability, and being a part of something much bigger than himself. 
The Shahs and Patels didn’t mean to start turning the wheels on this “suggested arrangement” so early in their children’s lives, but when they noticed them both gravitate toward the same summer program, they figured, Why not? 
Dimple and Rishi may think they have each other figured out. But when opposites clash, love works hard to prove itself in the most unexpected ways.

*A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

This book sounded like the perfect summer read. Two teens brought together by an arranged marriage of sorts, trying to dislike each other to spite their parents but that ultimately proving difficult. Everyone has been looking forward to reading the story of Dimple and Rishi, there was so much hype and very high expectations, myself included. Unfortunately this didn't meet my expectations and I was left a little disappointed. It was cute and fun as I had expected but just not enough, it fell flat for me.

With such a spotlight on diversity in books this year especially, I think much of the hype surrounding this book was due to the Indian American main characters and the fact that this story very much involved their culture. This was a large part of my attraction to this book and for me this was covered so well. I really loved all the discussions about their culture. I loved the little cultural references, the discussions about their parents and family members lives in India, I found it all so interesting. This was my favourite part of the book but more so because of how it was done. This book was diverse, but not in the way that focused on the difficulties of being, in this case, an Indian-American teen, it was just a cute story about two teens falling in love. I think we need more diverse books like this, that don't focus on how a person is "different" or the difficulties of being part of a minority, which of course are important topics too, but just deal with universal topics like first love or a fun summer with someone other than a white, heterosexual, cisgender protagonist.

The main characters, Dimple and Rishi, as can be seen from the title, were very much the main focus of this book. There was no crazy plot just some pretty great characters. Or at least great sounding characters. I think I liked the idea of Dimple more than the character herself. I was so excited to be reading about a female main character with a passion for something other than the typical singing, dancing, art, etc., but rather coding and app development. However, I ended up finding her a bit irritating and frustrating. I found myself wanting to scream at her through the pages (or rather through my kindle) because of the things she was doing and choices she was making.

While I may not have been the biggest fan of Dimple, I liked her relationship with Rishi. I thought the arranged marriage kind of scenario was really interesting but wish it had been more of a plot point instead of just being used to introduce the characters. I think I would have enjoyed just more of that storyline. I really liked Dimple and Rishi together, I thought they were an adorable couple and I loved how they supported each other. They had a very healthy relationship, which is great to portray in young adult books, but I did feel the relationship moved a bit too fast for my liking and it started to feel a little like insta-love.

Obviously from the title you can gather that this is Dimple and Rishi's love story and that is obviously the main focus. However, family also plays a big part in this story. I loved the importance of family within the story and to our main characters. Though they didn't always have the best relationships with their family members, I think it was very important that they were still talking on the phone with parents despite being away from home. This makes a difference from the usual perpetually absent parents in a lot of YA novels.

There are some really good aspects to this book but the biggest let down for me was the lack of talk about the actual camp they were attending. This coding summer program seemed like such a great setting but it was hardly mentioned, they could have been anywhere. I was waiting for great scenes of them creating their app together or at least something related to the whole reason they were together in the first place. However, for some reason this incredibly random talent show became a major plot point. I did not understand how a talent show was in any way related to creating an app or how winning said talent show would make you more likely to win the overall program. I liked that Bollywood dancing was featured and I liked that it allowed for Rishi's brother to become more involved in the story, but I saw absolutely no relevance in relation to the rest of the story and it did take up a large chunk of the book. I just didn't understand it.

Overall, I enjoyed the cute summer love story aspect of the book but it didn't meet my expectations. All of the aspects I was excited about, such as the arrange marriage plotline, the main character with a passion for coding, or them creating an app, just fell flat and I was left a little disappointed. I would definitely read more from Sandhya Menon in the future but I didn't fall in love with this book like I hoped I would.

Review | With Malice by Eileen Cook

With Malice by Eileen Cook
Published On: June 7, 2016
Published By: Hot Key Books
Genre: Mystery
Pages: 293
Format: Paperback
Source: Gift
Rating: ★★★

Amazon | Goodreads

Eighteen-year-old Jill Charron wakes up in a hospital room, leg in a cast, stitches in her face and a big blank canvas where the last six weeks should be. She discovers she was involved in a fatal car accident while on a school trip in Italy. A trip she doesn’t even remember taking. She was jetted home by her affluent father in order to receive quality care. Care that includes a lawyer. And a press team. Because maybe the accident…wasn’t an accident. 
As the accident makes national headlines, Jill finds herself at the center of a murder investigation. It doesn’t help that the media is portraying her as a sociopath who killed her bubbly best friend, Simone, in a jealous rage. With the evidence mounting against her, there’s only one thing Jill knows for sure: She would never hurt Simone. But what really happened? Questioning who she can trust and what she’s capable of, Jill desperately tries to piece together the events of the past six weeks before she loses her thin hold on her once-perfect life.

When this book was first published it was everywhere. Everyone was talking about it, anticipating it and raving about it - there was a fair amount of hype surrounding it. Unfortunately, this book didn't live up to the hype for me. Perhaps my expectations were too high and because of that I was left a little disappointed. It wasn't a bad book by any means, but it was just OK.

Given Jill's injuries and her amnesia surrounding the accident, there is obviously a lot of confusion and mystery regarding what actually happened. Add a very unreliable narrator into the mix and you have a really great combination. The mystery was what kept me turning the pages, particularly as it was never really known what was real and what was not. It definitely kept me on my toes and made for a very quick read.

While receiving part of the story of the accident and the friends time in Italy from an unreliable narrator, part of the story is also told through police interviews transcripts and blog posts. Not only is this a huge bonus for me as I love when the story is told through various medium, it adds to the confusion and mystery as much of this side of the story is very biased. This is very interesting as little pieces of information are uncovered in these sections but the bias, particularly of the blog posts, leads you to question each piece of information. I never knew what to believe.

Though the mystery is the primary element to the story, there is an underlying element of friendship. We have this now apparently very complicated friendship between Jill and Simone but also an incredibly different kind of friendship between Jill and Anna. To me, this really emphasised how different friendships can be and how situations can bring the most unlikely people together. I really enjoyed this aspect and think it was a nice message beneath all of the mystery.

One thing I did find particularly interesting about this book was the lack of romance. Though there is a relationship as part of the story, there is no romance. I rarely read books without an element of romance in them so this made a very nice change for me. I enjoyed the focus remaining on Jill's situation and trying to understand the accident without including a romance to distract from that.

With a mystery like this, the ending and how the mystery is resolved is a crucial factor for me. If I don't like the ending, it often ruins my enjoyment of the book. In this case, I really don't know how I feel about the ending. It was not at all what I was expecting but at the same time it was very shocking. Part of me does like the way things ended, however there is also part of me that finds it a little frustrating.

Overall, this is a decent YA mystery novel but nothing particularly special. I personally don't think there is much in this book that hasn't been done before but, even so, everything was done well. It was an enjoyable, fast-paced read, and if it's your thing you may love it, but for me is was average.

Mini Review | Chasing Nikki by Lacey Weatherford

Chasing Nikki by Lacey Weatherford
Series: Chasing Nikki #1
Published On: February 29, 2012
Published By: Moonstruck Media
Genre: Contemporary
Pages: 322
Format: eBook
Source: Bought
Rating: ★★★

Amazon | Goodreads

Chase Walker used to be a good kid-charming, athletic, and with a bright future ahead, but that was before travesty struck his life, sinking him into deep despair. Caught up in a world of drugs and alcohol, he doesn't notice time slipping away until he's arrested for underage drinking one night. Fed up with watching her son destroy his life, Chase's mom relocates him to live in a small ranching community with his ex-military grandfather. Chase is far from happy about the situation until he meets, Nikki, the cute cheerleader who won't give football players like him the time of day. Chase enjoys a good challenge though and sets out to claim Nikki for his own. He soon discovers she's more than a pretty face-she's a balm to his troubled spirit also. But when tragedy strikes Nikki's life too, suddenly Chase finds himself put to the ultimate test. Can he trust Nikki, and all that she's taught him? Will it be enough?

This was not what I expected.
I went into this book expecting your typical bad boy gets moved to a new town and falls in love with a good girl and sorts his life out kind of story. That's exactly what I got for the first half of the book and I was enjoying that. Then suddenly it all changed and turned way deeper and more emotionally draining than I had prepared myself for. That wasn't a bad thing, it just wasn't what I was expecting.

Chase is your average bad boy.
He's been in trouble with the police and a reputation as a player and all round bad guy that followed him to his new town. He has the troubled past and controlling grandfather to rebel against, but there's something more to him. You can see even before he gets Nikki's good influence that there's a good guy underneath the bed boy exterior. His interactions with him mother and grandmother melted my heart and when his romantic side appeared it made me root for him even more.

The relationship was adorable.
Chase and Nikki just seem like the type of high school couple than you can see still together 20 years down the line with a family of their own and just as happy as they were at 17/18. I was rooting for them from the start and I loved the fact they never had a huge blow-out argument over something stupid like I'm used to reading about. I loved the way Nikki supported Chase through his struggles as well, even when he didn't really want help.

I loved the family aspect.
There was an emphasis on family in this book, specifically as both main characters had lost their fathers. I really enjoyed seeing the different family dynamics and how they evolved. Chase's developing relationship with his grandfather and how football brought them together was a nice addition to the story. I also liked seeing Nikki's family and her close relationship with her mother, which reminded me of my relationship with mine, and with her younger siblings. I've mentioned many times in reviews that I love kids in books, whether that be younger siblings or character's children, and the kids in this book were adorable.

This was emotionally impactful in ways I wasn't expecting.
Grief played a major role in this book and I found it interesting to see how each person dealt with the grief differently. In particular you have Chase who really doesn't cope well with grief and turns to drugs and alcohol, and at one point considers taking his own life as he can't handle his feelings. It definitely affected me and there were some tears shed towards the end of the book.

There was a downside to this book.
While I enjoyed the story and liked the characters, I didn't so much enjoy the way this book was written. I think the writing itself just let the book down a little. It didn't flow particularly well and felt a bit scattered a times. I didn't think the time jump worked very well, it just seemed as though a whole summer was cut out so that we could get to the interesting stuff quicker. I can understand why it was done but I think it could have been done better and in a way that made the story flow nicer. Also, a lot of the  dialogue felt quite cringey and awkward to read, and at times didn't feel like realistic teenage conversation. Some of the football talk went completely over my head as well, but that's more my fault than the book.

Overall, this books has its really great points but I feel the writing let it down. It was in no way a bad book, but it's flaws meant I found it to be a decent, average read. I would recommend it if you're looking for a not-so-light contemporary romance that suddenly gets very deep and emotional.

Review | How I Lost You by Jenny Blackhurst

How I Lost You by Jenny Blackhurst
Published On: October 9, 2014
Published By: Headline
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Pages: 352
Format: Paperback
Source: Bought
Rating: ★★★

Amazon | Goodreads

They told her she killed her son. She served her time. But what if they lied? 
I have no memory of what happened but I was told I killed my son. And you believe what your loved ones, your doctor and the police tell you, don't you? 
My name is Emma Cartwright. Three years ago I was Susan Webster, and I murdered my twelve-week-old son Dylan. I was sent to Oakdale Psychiatric Institute for my crime, and four weeks ago I was released early on parole with a new identity, address and a chance to rebuild my tattered life. This morning, I received an envelope addressed to Susan Webster. Inside it was a photograph of a toddler called Dylan. 
Now I am questioning everything I believe because if I have no memory of the event, how can I truly believe he's dead? If there was the smallest chance your son was alive, what would you do to get him back?

I seem to have been stuck in a bit of a rut when it comes to mystery/thriller novels recently. Everything I read just seems to be average and I'm waiting for something to blow me away. I was so hoping this would be the one to do that, especially as the synopsis was so intriguing, but sadly not. This was another decent, average mystery/thriller novel. It wasn't bad but it wasn't amazing, it didn't blow me away as I had hoped.

It started off well, I was completely sucked in from the first few pages and just had to know what was happening. However, as the book went on I started to lose interest. I'm not sure if this is because I was didn't have much time to read so ended up having to read this over the course of a month, which could easily make me lost interest. I think it could be a combination of that and the book itself, I did find it a bit slower towards the middle.

A stand-out difference with this book, for me, was the main character. More often than not in these kinds of books, the main character is not a likeable character at all, that's what I've come to expect when I pick up a book like this. That wasn't the case with this book though, I actually found myself liking our main character Susan/Emma. While she isn't a typically likeable character, considering she was convicted for killing her child, and I got the impression the author was trying to make her an untrustworthy, suspicious character, I was rooting for her through everything.

I really didn't like the flashback chapters. Although I can completely see why they were there and the purpose of them, I just didn't like them. I found them a distraction from the main story and it would often result in me putting the book down because I didn't care about what was happening then. Maybe if they had been incorporated differently I would have liked them more.

The main reason this book was just average for me and not anything special was because it was quite predictable at times. There were a lot of little twists and reveals that I could definitely see coming and wasn't shocked or surprised in any way by them. For a lot of the book I found that I was sure I could see something coming and was hoping to be proven wrong, but it didn't happen. There were some things that I didn't see coming at all, but even then I wasn't so much shocked as confused.

While a lot of aspects of this book were predictable, the ending definitely wasn't. I did not predict the main reveal at all. I obviously don't want to say too much because of spoilers but I seem to always work out what happened or who done it, not this time. However, again it didn't shock me. When everything was revealed there was no gasp of surprise, I had more of a 'yeah, that makes sense' reaction.

I also had some issues with the epilogue. I obviously can't go into details but there were some things that I don't think were dealt with very well. I understand why the author did what she did with the epilogue, but considering how certain things were done I think it would have been better not to have included it.

Overall, this was a decent book. It didn't blow me away and I'm finding now that it is a bit forgettable. I only finished it a few days ago and was struggling to remember details of the book as I was writing this review. The premise of the book was great and it initially really drew me in so I do think this author has potential. I definitely wouldn't rule out reading more from her.