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YA Mystery

Blog Tour & Review with Extract: Shadow Of The Fox by Julie Kagawa

Title: Shadow Of The Fox

Author: Julie Kagawa

Published: November 1st, 2018 

Publisher: HQ Young Adult

Rating: ★★★★★

Find the Author: Goodreads 

Disclosure: I was sent this ARC by the publisher, reviewing it as an impartial review. This does not sway my opinion of the book. As always, my reviews are fair and unbiased.

A single wish will spark a new dawn. Every millennium, one age ends and another age dawns…and whoever holds the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers holds the power to call the great Kami Dragon from the sea and ask for any one wish. The time is near and the missing pieces of the scroll will be sought throughout the land of Iwagoto. The holder of the first piece is a humble, unknown peasant girl with a dangerous secret. Demons have burned the temple Yumeko was raised in to the ground, killing everyone within, including the master who trained her to both use and hide her kitsune powers. Yumeko escapes with the temple’s greatest treasure – one part of the ancient scroll. Fate thrusts her into the path of a mysterious samurai, Kage Tatsumi of the Shadow Clan. Yumeko knows he seeks what she has and is under orders to kill anything and anyone who stands between him and the scroll.

First Thoughts…

I have always been a fan of Julie’s books, right from the Iron Fey days. I’ve always kept my little Kagawa collection of books close to my heart, because I always know I’m in for one heck of a story-telling ride whenever I pick up one of Julie’s books. So when I got the chance to be a part of Shadow of The Fox’s Blog Tour, I had to do it. It’s Julie Kagawa, YA masterpiece writer! For me, this is definitely a highlight.

My Review…

I’ve always been in love with Fantasy books. Actually, when I started out with my blog, it was the main genre that I focused on. There’s something about one of Julie’s books that totally transforms the atmosphere where I’m reading into the story’s landscape, this time into the world where a single wish has sparked a new dawn. 

The story is split into a few perspectives from different characters.  There’s Yumeko, who is a half-kitsune (anyone remember Kira from Teen Wolf? That’s the kind of way I was basing a Kitsune from, because that’s what she was). There’s Kage Tatsumi, who is a samurai. Only every time he uses his sword (that’s violently possessed by a demon) it hurts him whenever he uses it. On the other hand, Suki, another character, is entirely different from Yumeko and Kage. But giving away too much about the way Suki’s character plays a part in the novel might give away too many spoilers. Yumeko has lived in a temple her whole life, until now. Now she’s willed to protect a precious scroll. The way that Yumeko and Kage interact and their paths cross is unlike any other kind of character clash, but together, this kind of magic happens. They, along with some friends, get deep into a world of things that go bump in the night. There’s demonic danger, thrills and an underlying mystery that I’ll be careful not to tell too much about, because it’s one of those kinds of ones where it’s better unsaid (and you need to read it for yourselves ASAP because it’s a favourite of mine this year!).
Overall, I can’t fault Shadow of The Fox in any way. It was a flawless plot, sometimes uneven pacing, but that really wasn’t a concern of mine because the story itself made up for the pace of the tale. This was just so unbelievably enthralling and mythic-ally magical that I ate it up page by page. I’m really excited to see what comes next from Julie because she never, ever disappoints. Five stars!

 Julie Kagawa was born in Sacramento, California. But nothing exciting really happened to her there. So, at the age of nine she and her family moved to Hawaii, which she soon discovered was inhabited by large carnivorous insects, colonies of house geckos, and frequent hurricanes. She spent much of her time in the ocean, when she wasn’t getting chased out of it by reef sharks, jellyfish, and the odd eel.
When not swimming for her life, Julie immersed herself in books, often to the chagrin of her schoolteachers, who would find she hid novels behind her Math textbooks during class. Her love of reading led her to pen some very dark and gruesome stories, complete with colored illustrations, to shock her hapless teachers. The gory tales faded with time, but the passion for writing remained, long after she graduated and was supposed to get a real job.To pay the rent, Julie worked in different bookstores over the years, but discovered the managers frowned upon her reading the books she was supposed to be shelving. So she turned to her other passion: training animals. She worked as a professional dogtrainer for several years, dodging Chihuahua bites and overly enthusiastic Labradors, until her first book sold and she stopped training to write full-time.
Julie now lives in Louisville, Kentucky, where the frequency of shark attacks are at an all time low. She lives with her husband, two obnoxious cats, one Australian Shepherd who is too smart for his own good, and the latest addition, a hyper-active Papillon puppy.
Julie is the author of the bestselling Iron Fey series. The Iron Knight the fourth title in The Iron Fey series publishes in Jan 2012. The Immortal Rules, the first title in a brand new series publishes in May 2012.
Visit Julie’s website at http://www.juliekagawa.comVisit the Iron Fey website http://www.theironfey.com/Follow Julie on Twitter @jkagawa




Shadow of the Fox
From Chapter 13: Song of the Kodama
There was a shimmer in the darkness, and the hairs on the back of my neck rose. Looking up, I saw a tiny, pale green figure, no larger than my thumb, watching me from atop a root a few feet away. It wore a round mushroom cap on its head, and its eyes were like black pits under the brim.
Tatsumi saw what I was looking at, and his hand went to his sword. “Tatsumi, no,” I warned, holding out a hand. “It’s a kodama, a tree kami. It won’t hurt us.” He relaxed, dropping his hand from the hilt, and I offered the kodama a smile.
“Hello,” I greeted softly, as the tiny kami tilted its head, watching me. “Please excuse us, we’re just passing through. We’re not disturbing your tree, I hope?”
The kodama didn’t blink. It watched me a moment more, then padded forward and hopped onto a stone, staring at me with pupilless black eyes. A faint sound rose into the air, like the rustle of leaves stirred by the wind. I nodded.
“I understand. We will stay to the path, and we’ll be careful not to tread on any new plants or trees. You have my promise.”
“You can speak to the kami.” Tatsumi’s tone didn’t question, though it sounded faintly surprised. “How?”
“The monks taught me,” I replied. Not the whole truth of course; I’d been able to see the spirit world—kami, yokai, yurei and the rest of the unnatural—for as long I could remember. One of the perks—or curses—of being half kitsune. Though the monks did teach me the differences between the myriad spirits in Iwagoto. There were the nine greater Kami, the named deities who were worshipped throughout Iwagoto; Jinkei, god of Mercy, Doroshin, god of Roads, and so on. The lesser kami were minor gods, spirits of nature and the elements; they existed everywhere, in the earth, the sky and all places in between. No one knew how many kami existed in the world; when people spoke of them as a whole, it was common to say “the eight million gods,” and leave it at that.
But besides the kami, many other strange, magical creatures roamed the land. Yokai were creatures of the supernatural; sometimes called monsters or bakemono, they could change their forms or had some amount of magic power, tanuki, kamaitachi and, of course, kitsune being prime examples. Yurei described the many restless ghosts that wandered the mortal realm, zashiki warashi, onryo, ubume and more. There were even some monstrous plants that preyed on humans and a handful of creatures that didn’t fit into any category, so the list of gods, ghosts and monsters was endless. But, even though some yokai were dangerous and some yurei had malicious intent, all were residents of Ningen-do, the mortal realm, and were to be respected.
Unlike the demons—the amanjaku, and terrible oni like Yaburama. They hailed from Jigoku, the realm of evil and corruption, and did not belong in the mortal world at all.
“Master Isao and the others revered the kami,” I went on. “They strove to exist in harmony with all forms of life. The most spiritual among them could see and even speak to the kami on occasion. I sort of had the talent for it, I suppose.”
“Is that why the kamaitachi listened to you?”
“Well…not really. I listened to them.”
From Julie –
I love this passage because it feels very much like a scene from an anime, reminiscent of Princess Mononoke or Spirited Away, two of my favorites.  It’s strange, surreal, and just the tiniest bit creepy, and it also marks the beginning of Tatsumi and Yumeko’s friendship.  
You can buy SHADOW OF THE FOX here:

Amazon | Waterstones | Book Depository 

Have you read Shadow of The Fox? If you have, who was your favourite character?


Let me know in the comments or on twitter @LittleMemoirs!


happy reading!

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Tour, Book Review & Guest Post: The Wolves of Winter by Tyrell Johnson




Title: The Wolves of Winter

Author: Tyrell Johnson

Published: January 2nd, 2018 

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Rating: ★★★★

Find the Author: Goodreads 


Disclosure: I was sent this ARC by the publisher, reviewing it as an impartial review. This does not sway my opinion of the book. As always, my reviews are fair and unbiased.


Station Eleven meets The Hunger Games in this ruthless, captivating story of a young woman’s survival in the frozen wilderness of the Yukon after the rest of the world has collapsed.
As the old world dies, we all must choose to become predators. Or become prey.
The old world has been ravaged by war and disease, and as far as Lynn McBride is concerned, her family could be the last one left on earth. For seven years, the McBrides have eked out a meagre existence in the still, white wilderness of the Yukon. But this is not living. This is survival on the brink.
Into this fragile community walk new threats, including the enigmatic fugitive, Jax, who holds secrets about the past and, possibly, keys to a better future. And then there’s Immunity, the pre‑war organization that was supposed to save humankind from the flu. They’re still out there, enforcing order and conducting experiments—but is their work for the good of humankind or is something much more sinister at play? In the face of almost certain extinction, Lynn and her family must learn to hunt as a pack or die alone in the cold.
Breakout debut novelist Tyrell Johnson weaves a captivating tale of humanity stretched far beyond its breaking point, of family and the bonds of love forged when everything else is lost. Reminiscent of Station Eleven and The Hunger Games, this is a classic and enthralling post‑apocalyptic adventure and a celebration of the human spirit.

First Thoughts…

I was really keen on looking for something that would kick-start a little bit of “Winter” feels on my blog, and when The Wolves of Winter came into my life with thanks to Nina (PR extraordinaire) I was over the moon! It’s totally up my street for genre types and with that gritty kind of dystopian edge, I just knew I had to read it.

My Review…

In the world that The Wolves of Winter takes place in, it’s truly and utterly grim. The old world has died, bringing a savage and unnerving spin on a dystopian landscape. The old world was destroyed by “the flu” and the war of disease, bringing civilization to a standstill of localized panic and shadow existence. Lynn is worried that her family, the McBrides, could possibly be the last ones left on Earth. They’re alone in the whited-out wilderness in Yukon, surviving, not truly living. 
But then Jax arrives. He’s injected into their small community, a fugitive with secrets close to his chest. He knows things that Lynn finds buried into the past and their future civilization as they know it, like how there is still humankind out there controlling the world with a sly hand, supposed to be saving the people from extinction. The organisation was supposed to save them all, but still, they’re trapped. Fighting every day through more discoveries, like wolves, hunting or becoming the hunted by dying in the coldest way.
This story just entirely blew me away with a bitter frost that swept me into a whirlwind gripping novel about identity, a strong female lead and a dystopian land so uniquely built that it never failed to surprise me with the turns it took. Tyrell has written something so brilliantly gritty-meets-gleaming, alike The Hunger Games type of feels, but if it were a frozen tundra. 
Overall, I loved The Wolves of Winter. Although sometimes I got lost in the history and trying to remember the vast detail of the world, it was still one of the most incredible dystopia’s I’ve read in such a long time. It’s almost made me want to dive into more (if it were a series) and get stuck into loving another dystopian series like Divergent and CO. It swept me away, and I just *know* so many people are going to devour this book like me. Amazing four star read!
My name is Tyrell Johnson and I am a writer and editor. I received my MFA in Creative Writing from the University of California Riverside where I studied fiction and poetry. I’m passionate about the outdoors and can often be found on the mountain with my Siberian Husky, or on my mother-in-law’s ranch feeding her horses and a donkey named Jim. Originally from Bellingham Washington, I now live in Kelowna, BC, with my family. The Wolves of Winter is my debut novel.



WHY THE WORLD NEEDS MORE HEROINES
Before writing my novel, The Wolves of Winter, I remember going to the dog park to walk my dog with my then-3-year-old daughter, Finnley. The park is a nice open area: there’s a big field for the dogs to run and a path that takes you down a small embankment right beside the lake. We had just gone down the hill, my dog, a Siberian husky, was splashing in the freezing fall waters when I looked up at the clear sky. It was late morning, but above us was the moon, full as ever.
“Finnley,” I said, pointing. “Look at the moon.”
She lifted her blonde little head, smiled wide, and immediately started running away from the path, into the bushes.
“Come on, Dad!” she yelled.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
And with the excitement only a child can have, she replied: “The moon!”
Every child’s imagination is a wondrous thing that needs to be carefully fostered and encouraged, and reading is one of the best outlets for it. While this is true for both boys and girls, the male hero has dominated literature for the past, I dunno, forever years. And with all that’s going on in our political/social environment today, it’s prime time for the heroine to dominate the spotlight. Here’s a few reasons why:
  1. EMPOWERMENT
Little girls need to know that they can do anything. From an early age, there’s a belief that the world is a large, magnificent thing full of wonder and possibility. As we get older, real life, responsibility, and societal pressures tend to shrink the world into orderly tasks. We lose that sense of immeasurable opportunity. In our history, this is especially true for young women, who’ve had to learn very quickly that their place was either in the kitchen or at the receptionist’s desk, working for men, who, by some God-given right, were smarter and more powerful than them. Obviously, this is both untrue and a horrible mistake. Thankfully, much of the world has realized that. In the developing world, we’ve seen the stats proving that when women are educated, whole families, whole communities thrive. In essence, when women succeed, everyone succeeds! Therefore, more little girls need to find themselves in the books they’re reading. They need to see heroines doing heroic deeds and know that the whole wide world is open to them.
  1. BOYS TOO!
While it’s crucial for girls to see heroines taking charge in fiction, it’s vital for boys as well. Boys should grow up viewing women as just as heroic, just as capable as themselves. From an early age, we need to put men and women on an even playing field so that neither learn to think they’re better than the other. Basically, it comes down to this: if we’re going to change the way women are viewed and respected in our culture, we need to change the way our young boys view our young girls.
  1. THE TIME IS RIGHT!
While we’ve made large strides in the past years, our world is still largely run by men—in business and politics—and women are often still praised for their beauty rather than their capability. But with the world taking notice of the power of women, now, more than ever, we need to create more heroines in our fiction in order to foster our girls’ imaginations and show them that anything is possible. There’s never been a better time than now!
In the end, it was for these reasons that I wrote my own female protagonist in my novel, The Wolves of Winter. I wanted my son to grow up seeing men and women on an even playing field. I wanted my daughter to have more women to root for in fiction. I wanted her to find herself in a book and know that she is strong, powerful, and can do absolutely anything—even fly to the moon.



You can buy THE WOLVES OF WINTER here:

Amazon | Book Depository 


Have you read The Wolves of Winter? Are you into Winter-scape reads?


Let me know in the comments or on twitter @LittleMemoirs!


happy reading!

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Book Review: These Rebel Waves by Sara Raasch

Title: These Rebel Waves (Stream Raiders #1)
Author: Sara Raasch
Published: August 8th, 2018
Publisher: Balzer + Bray (Harper Collins)
Rating: ★★★★★
Find the Author: Goodreads 

Disclosure: I was sent this ARC by the publisher, reviewing it as an impartial review. This does not sway my opinion of the book. As always, my reviews are fair and unbiased.


Adeluna is a soldier. Five years ago, she helped the magic-rich island of Grace Loray overthrow its oppressor, Argrid, a country ruled by religion. But adjusting to postwar life has not been easy. When an Argridian delegate vanishes during peace talks with Grace Loray’s new Council, Argrid demands brutal justice—but Lu suspects something more dangerous is at work.
Devereux is a pirate. As one of the outlaws called stream raiders who run rampant on Grace Loray, he pirates the island’s magic plants and sells them on the black market. But after Argrid accuses raiders of the diplomat’s abduction, Vex becomes a target. An expert navigator, he agrees to help Lu find the Argridian—but the truth they uncover could be deadlier than any war.
Benat is a heretic. The crown prince of Argrid, he harbors a secret obsession with Grace Loray’s forbidden magic. When Ben’s father, the king, gives him the shocking task of reversing Argrid’s fear of magic, Ben has to decide if one prince can change a devout country—or if he’s building his own pyre.
As conspiracies arise, Lu, Vex, and Ben will have to decide who they really are . . . and what they are willing to become for peace.

First Thoughts…

Thank the book Gods that I got an ARC of These Rebel Waves! I was counting the days until it was out, until the lovely (and always amazing) team over at Harper360 sent me a copy! It went straight into my TBR and everything from there was book-bliss! 

My Review…

I don’t read nearly as many YA Fantasy books as I should (and I have shelves of them!) because I’m naturally drawn to Contemporary, but for These Rebel Waves, I got myself all fantasy-ready. I got one of my Fairyloot bookmarks, lit some candles and delved in! We’re introduced to so much so quickly, so it’s really prominent that you’ve got to pay attention. Adeluna, also known mostly as “Lu” thought that war was over and done with, having been a soilder. But she soon learns she can’t hang up her old self yet, because she’s thrown right back into new dangers. After the capture of Vex, Devereux Bell formally, who is one of the island’s biggest and most notable raiders, a new treaty between enemies falls apart. 
There’s a lot of action – and a lot going on that bounces from topic, to magic, to politics – flowing easily from page to page. For me, the magic element was hugely what kept me reading faster and faster. There’s magical plants of sorts, that can heal or hinder, depending on how they’re used. Some are hesitant about these things and others thrive on them, but one that is opposed is prince Benat “Ben”. I found myself drawn to Lu the most, whilst still finding Vex and Ben’s perspectives and journey’s thrilling and their characters developing steadily against the plot. Whilst at times there can be a lot going on pacing wise, once you really get into the book, knowing all the ins and outs, it’s like you’re transported to beside the characters, cheering them on and getting truly invested in their tales.
I was really surprised at how much I utterly fell head over heels for These Rebel Waves. Not only is there LGBT representation in the novel, but the characters skin isn’t your typical “every shade of ivory and pale”, skin tones ranging from very pale to dark (and I can’t say just how much this matters!).
Overall, I just have no words. I can’t think of anything other than phenomenal to describe just how much I became addicted to These Rebel Waves. If you’re looking for a new fantasy read with strong, whip-smart female characters, action, romance and political magic, you’ve found your new soulmate. Huge five stars!! (And I can’t wait for the next in this duology)
You can buy THESE REBEL WAVES:

Amazon | Waterstones | Book Depository 

Have you read These Rebel Waves? Are you looking forward to it?


Let me know in the comments or on twitter @LittleMemoirs!


happy reading!

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Blog Tour & Extract: Jinxed by Amy McCulloch

Welcome to the second day of the JINXED blog tour! It’s my tour stop today and I’m here with an extract from the book. I’ll be reviewing the book really soon, so look out for that shortly! Read on for one of the most unique YA books I’ve come across this year…

Title: Jinxed
Author: Amy McCulloch
Published: August 9th, 2018
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Find the Author: Goodreads 

Disclosure: I was sent this ARC by the publisher, reviewing it as an impartial review. This does not sway my opinion of the book. As always, my reviews are fair and unbiased.

Lacey Chu has big dreams of becoming a companioneer for MONCHA, the largest tech firm in North America and the company behind the  “baku” – a customisable smart pet that functions as a phone but makes the perfect companion too. When Lacey finds out she hasn’t been accepted into Profectus – the elite academy for cutting edge tech – it seems her dreams are over. Worst of all, rather than getting to choose one of the advanced bakus, she’s stuck with a rubbish insect one. 


Then, one night, Lacey comes across the remains of an advanced baku. Once it might’ve been in the shape of a cat but it’s now mangled and broken, no sign of electronic life behind its eyes. Days of work later and the baku opens its eyes. Lacey calls him Jinx – and Jinx opens up a world for her that she never even knew existed, including entry to the hallowed halls of Profecus. Slowly but surely, Jinx becomes more than just a baku to Lacey – he becomes her perfect companion. But what is Jinx, really? His abilities far surpass anything written into his code or built into his motherboard. He seems to be more than just a robotic pet. He seems … real. 

 
PROLOGUE:

She burst through the trees, cradling the monster in her arms.
The whine of a pulse gun sounded in the wood; she ducked and the shot flew over her head, obliterating the trunk of a beech tree in front of her. Panic rose in her throat. They weren’t just out to destroy the monster.
They were going to kill her too.
She kept running, her feet slipping inside the blue plastic overshoes she hadn’t had time to remove before bolting from the lab. She’d known this day would come – she’d crossed the line so far, it was no longer even a mark on the horizon. But she still hadn’t been ready.
How could you ever be ready to lose what you’d been working on your entire life?
The creature vibrated against her chest, a red light pulsing against its hot metal skin like a heartbeat. It wriggled in her arms, trying to escape – as if it too knew what was coming – but she tightened her grip. She just had to make it to the other side of the ravine, to the emergency car that would take them to safety.
The next shot hit her shoulder and she wasn’t sure who screamed louder: her, or the creature. She stumbled, one leg collapsing underneath her as her foot sank into a crevice hidden by a carpet of fallen leaves. She dared to glimpse down and her heart almost stopped: the creature’s metal body was smoking, the acrid stench of burnt electronics filling her nostrils. The pulse guns were doing their job, destroying it from the inside out.
She pulled her foot free and pressed on. The bridge was so close she could feel the rumble of trains as they passed underneath. Yet the heavy booted steps of the men behind her were louder still.
‘Come on, come on,’ said the voice crackling in her ear.
She must have come into range of her partner’s communication device. She forced her legs to pump harder, ignoring the sticky wet stab of pain in her side . . .
Barely had her toe crossed the threshold on to the bridge when alarms started wailing, hidden IP protection sensors blaring from the tree line. Traps sprung from the ground, nets that coiled around her legs, tripping her up. ‘I’m down!’ she screamed into her earpiece. ‘Help me!’
‘Cutting comms, link destruction in process.’ Almost as an afterthought, he added, ‘Sorry.’ And then the line went dead.
Another pulse thumped her in the back, launching her forward and sending the monster flying from her arms. She had no choice but to watch as the smoking hunk of metal disappeared off the side of the bridge. Her assailants ran past her now, flinging themselves at the railing, leaning out over the edge and watching the blaze of sparks sent up as the metal monster hit the electrified track.
It was gone. Her life’s work: destroyed.
The men turned back to her, gun barrels levelling at her head. She closed her eyes and accepted the inevitable.
Down on the tracks below, the monster shuddered with one final pulse of life. As a train thundered down the tracks towards it, it only had the energy for the faintest sound.
It purred.

HOW INCREDIBLE DOES THAT SOUND?!

. . .

Amy McCulloch is the author of The Potion Diaries series (under the name Amy Alward) which has sold in eight languages around the world and was a Zoella Book Club pick in 2016. Her current sci-fi series, JINXED, is out from Simon & Schuster UK in August 2018.
Before becoming a full-time writer and freelance editor, Amy was editorial director for Penguin Random House Children’s Books, where she worked with many YA and MG authors and published the #1 international bestseller GIRL ONLINE by Youtube sensation Zoe Sugg, and its follow-ups GIRL ONLINE: ON TOUR & GIRL ONLINE: GOING SOLO. Previously she was also commissioning editor for HarperVoyager, where she worked with some of the top SF&F authors in the world. In 2013, she was named one of The Bookseller’s Rising Stars of publishing. An adrenaline junkie with a love of adventure travel, she’s never in the same place for long. Other addictions include coffee, ramen and really great books.

You can follow Amy here and add JINXED to your Goodreads here!

Have you heard of JINXED?


What intrigues you most about it? 


For me, it’s partially that cat on the cover (obviously) and that fast-paced “what will happen next” feeling I get reading the extract!


JINXED is out August 9th – don’t miss this firecracker read!


happy reading! 

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Blog Tour & Review: Show Stealer by Hayley Barker (Spoiler-Free)

Hello book lovers and welcome to the deadliest show–I mean, tour, today! I’m kicking off the lovely SHOW STEALER by Hayley Barker, the follow-up to SHOW STOPPER, which you know I loved so much. So stay tuned!


Title: Show Stealer 
Author: Hayley Barker
Published: August 2nd, 2018
Publisher: Scholastic
Rating: ★★★★★
Find the Author: Goodreads 

Disclosure: I was sent this ARC by the publisher, reviewing it as an impartial review. This does not sway my opinion of the book. As always, my reviews are fair and unbiased.

Hoshiko and Ben have been on the run since they burned Silvio Sabatini’s circus down to the ground at the explosive finale of SHOW STOPPER. But Ben’s mother will stop at nothing to track him down and get her revenge: backing him into a corner where he is forced to sacrifice himself to save Hoshiko. The deadliest show on earth has been resurrected and if Ben thought he’d seen into its dark corners as an outsider, the true extent of the horrors that lurk beneath the Big Top are about to be revealed as he becomes the circus’ new star attraction…

First Thoughts…

I got an ARC of Show Stopper before it came out and I just knew after reading it that there would be a huge hype because of how insanely amazing it was and I was right! Hayley’s books have gained this incredible following and rightly so. When I was offered the chance to be on her blog tour for Show Stealer, I jumped at the chance! Getting to be a part of this has definitely been a highlight for me, blog wise, this year. 

My Review…

We’re right back into the action in Show Stealer that first engrossed us last year, back into the lives of Hoshiko and Ben. The story picks up a little after the end of the first, in alternating perspectives. They’re on the run – since burning down Silvio’s circus in Show Stopper – and even a year on, dodging the ruthless chase from Ben’s mother and others trying to find them. With a reward on their heads, it’s more dangerous than ever to get close to anyone else for fear of being turned in. But being backed into a corner by his mother, Ben is forced to sacrifice himself to save Hoshiko once and for all.
Thrown into the spotlight as the new star attraction of the circus – risen from the ashes – the deadliest show on earth is far darker on the inside than as an outsider. The deeper that he gets involved and learns more of the show, the more revelations come to light that changes everything they thought they knew about the circus. 
Wow, wow, wow. Just wow. Have you ever been reading a book and you just have to stop and think “this is amazing, please don’t ever end?” Because that’s how I felt when I was reading Show Stealer. There’s something about the way Hayley writes that’s so hypnotic, and I was reeled in by the darkness of the deadliness, turning pages faster and faster. The pacing is so faultless that putting it down at one a.m. wasn’t on my mind, and I kept reading until the sky was as dark as the turns Ben took in the circus. I finished the book in two sittings over two days (if it was up to me I wouldn’t have put it down in between, but you know, life) and I seriously can’t wait to just binge-read the entire series again. 
Overall, Show Stealer has stolen my heart in the best possible way. Hayley is such a talented and unique author and I am so lucky to have been a part of the Show Stopper – Show Stealer journey over the last couple years. There’s hidden messages in the book that entwine with society and perception (which is one of my favourite things) that makes this a definite highlight of YA Fiction this year for me. If you’re looking for just one series to start this year, make it Hayley’s. You won’t regret this stunning five-star read.

Hayley Barker has a BA (hons) degree from Birmingham University and has taught secondary school English for eighteen years. 

She is a huge YA fiction fan and says being published is the most exciting thing that has ever happened to her. 

Hayley was inspired to write her YA because of her fears about the growing wave of crime and animosity against minority groups in England. She lives in Essex with her husband and two young sons.

It’s the last few days to enter this INCREDIBLE giveaway I’m running for SHOW STEALER!

Have you read Show Stealer/Stopper?


What did you love the most about the series?


Let me know in the comments or on twitter @LittleMemoirs!


happy reading!

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