Pretty Little Memoirs - a YA Book Blog

Where The Storyline Continues. . .

2016

👕 Review: #OOTD by Laura Hickman
Title: #OOTD

Author: Laura Hickman

Published: September 27th, 2016

Publisher: Laurence King Publishing

Find the Author: Goodreads 


I received this book for review on my blog! As always, my reviews are fair and unbiased.



What’s your outfit of the day?

Whether you’re a boho babe, a rock chick or a seventies sister, show off your #OOTD by coloring in these chic black and white fashion fashion flat lays – giving each outfit your own personal style.

Including real pieces by independent designers and many timeless fashion trends, this book is perfect for every fashionista and coloring enthusiast.

Let me just say, I will be totally biased because I love fashion. I scroll Instagram for the OOTD (which means outfit of the day) of all my favourite icons and celebrities. My style is a mix of boho meets edgy and opening the pages of Laura’s #OOTD colouring book, my wishes came true. Inside, there are stunning designs, outfits, different trends and styles no matter what your signature look is. 
I had the pleasure of getting this for review, but if I had seen this in my local bookstore, it would have been coming home with me. Not only do I get to colour (one of my favourite hobbies) but I get to mix two of my favourite hobbies by Laura’s craft of merging colouring and fashion effortlessly. One of my favourite designs (below, half coloured in so you can see the chic monochrome design) is with a laptop, candle, pen, headphones, glasses and daily planner, which ultimately looks like my day-to-day life when I’m blogging away. I love that the drawings are so vivid and realistic, equally paired amazingly with ebullient and fashion-forward highlights. 
Overall, I literally can’t stop thinking of when I get to colour in this again (right after this review, most likely). It’s perfect for girls and guys who love to colour, are addicted to fashion and obsessed with the #OOTD trend. I highly recommend it as a gift also! At this time of year, that family member of yours or your best friend who loves style and fashion will adore this. Five stars completely. 


Everyone who loves fashion.  

Have you heard of #OOTD by Laura Hickman?


What did you think?


Let me know in the comments or on twitter @LittleMemoirs! Don’t forget to scroll that #OOTD tag on Instagram to get some major fashion envy. 


happy reading!

post signature

Review: “Nordic Wilderness” by Claire Scully

Title: Nordic Wilderness

Author: Claire Scully

Published: October 31st, 2016

Publisher: Laurence King Publishing

Find the Author: Goodreads 


I received this book for review on my blog! As always, my reviews are fair and unbiased.


 Untouched nature, deep blue fjords, impenetrable forests, rugged cliffs, wolves, owls, and bears – journey into the wild landscape of the Nordic Wilderness with this new coloring book by artist Claire Scully. Discover the species that populate the region and bring the wild beauty of the North to life with your own colors. With some perforated foldout pages that provide scope for panoramic coloring, this irresistible book offers the perfect escape from everyday life.

Nordic Wilderness is a breath of fresh air. When I open the pages for the first time, I can almost reach into the pages and let myself be taken away by the vast lively nature and intricate, beautiful illustrations. I was over the moon to see that the Northern Lights were in Claire Scully’s colouring book. For years, I have always wanted to go to Iceland to see them and when I was colouring away fireside, I felt one step closer to the tranquillity of it all.
I was amazed at the panoramic pull-out pages and they were by far my favourite quality about Nordic Wilderness. It was lovely to see such a unique spin on the colouring books that are on the market! I think that with the autumnal and even winter nature that surrounds Nordic Wilderness, it’s perfect for the upcoming and current season. I’ve spent the past few nights with my pencils by my side in awe of it’s true beauty.
Overall, if you’re looking for a gorgeous and unique colouring book that you’ll be instagramming pictures of like crazy (like I was) then Nordic Wilderness is your new best friend. I can’t recommend it highly enough. 5 stars by far. Check out more about the book below and my pictures!

 EVERYONE. 

What do you think of Nordic Wilderness?


Let me know in the comments or on twitter @LittleMemoirs! It’s out TODAY!


happy reading!

post signature

What to Read this Halloween 🎃

Halloween Season is upon us again. 

It felt like just the other day that I was donning cat ears and whiskers as a little furry kitten for Halloween. This year, I’m deciding to get the help of my Sister and try something a little different. Enter the Corpse Bride idea. Tim Burton films are iconic and except for the task of trying to find a Coraline costume which was my first choice, I settled for the easier Corpse Bride costume. There are plenty of those zombie-esque bride costumes around this year and I managed to find one, get some face make-up and a ghoulish wig to pair it with. 

But that’s just the physical stuff. 

First, you need a killer read to dive into on those dark, Autumn nights by candlelight and eerily carved Pumpkins. Below, I’ve listed my personal favourite dark reads for those stormy or too-quiet nights. Don’t forget to stop by my Instagram page on Halloween weekend and on the day of the Pumpkin for my Halloween look!


The Devil You Know by Trish Doller


I read The Devil You Know this month (review to come!) and let me tell you: it delivers. With an eerie Halloween feel and cover to match the story lived up to the hype. 

Scary? No
Thrilling? Yes
Halloween feel out of 10: 6


The 100 Society by Carla Spradbery



When I read The 100 Society back last year, it was one of the first horror/mystery novels I actually loved. It’ll forever go down as one of my favourite books with a killer storyline. 

Scary? Yes
Thrilling? Yes
Halloween feel out of 10: 8

Feathers and Flames by Simona Pellegrini


Feathers and Flames was a gem of a novel throughout. If you’re more into the myths and legends types of reads this Halloween, this is your go-to for a race against the clock action packed storyline with a dash of romance. 

Scary? No
Thrilling? Yes
Halloween feel out of 10: 5


Don’t Look Back by Jennifer Armentrout



THIS WAS JUST EPIC. There comes a time when the caps locks just aren’t even enough. Jennifer never fails to amaze me with her writing talents and Don’t Look Back was one epic page-turner I won’t forget. 

Scary? No
Thrilling? Yes
Halloween feel out of 10: 7

Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard



And finally, onto the most Halloween of them all. Pretty Little Liars just ended filming for the TV show forever (crying a river of tears right now, seriously) and this book that started it all (and the amazing book series that followed) will forever be legendary. 

Scary? Yes (ish)
Thrilling? Yes
Halloween feel out of 10: 9

So those are my Halloween reads! I hope you find at least one that makes you want to curl up with a book this Halloween. 

Let me know what costume you’re wearing this Halloween or what your plans are in the comments! 

happy reading! (BOO)

post signature

Blog Tour: Dear Charlie by n. d. gomes

Title: Dear Charlie

Author: N. D. Gomes

Published: October 20th, 2016

Publisher: Harlequin 

Find the Author: Goodreads | Twitter


I received this book for review on my blog! As always, my reviews are fair and unbiased.



Death should never meet the young. But it did. Thanks to my brother, death made fourteen new friends that day. Maybe even fifteen, if you count Charlie.

At sixteen, Sam Macmillan is supposed to be thinking about girls, homework and his upcoming application to music college, not picking up the pieces after the school shooting that his brother Charlie committed.

Yet as Sam desperately tries to hang on to the memories he has of his brother, the media storm surrounding their family threatens to destroy everything. And Sam has to question all he thought he knew about life, death, right and wrong.

School shootings are a huge issue in our society, as sad and devastating as it is. I haven’t read any books as of yet that touched upon the subject, yet alone with care and carefulness so when I heard the great things about how Dear Charlie was written, I knew it was going to be a worthwhile read. 

After Sam’s brother Charlie takes a gun to school, killing himself and fourteen other students, Sam’s entire world tips over and shatters into a million pieces. He struggles in the time that spans after the event, feeling like when Charlie took the lives and his own, he created a void that sucked everything Sam once knew into it with him. He feels alone in the world, pulled apart from his friends and school that he can’t go back to, his thoughts thinking over and over if there were any signs he might have missed that would have helped Charlie. 
N. D. Gomes captures the subjects that Dear Charlie covers beautifully and painfully. Not only does the book delve into Sam’s head, but Charlie’s also. Sam has to recover from the ordeal, inside and out. His Parents are under scrutiny by the media, and also are grieving, causing an even larger wound in their lives. Charlie’s actions cast Sam’s life into a new one that forces him to change and adapt to a different way of life in the following times as he tries to heal emotionally and come to terms with the fact that his brother is gone and that things will never be the same. 
Overall, Dear Charlie is a gripping, eye-opening YA novel that I wish I could put in everyone’s hands. Our world has had some of the biggest disasters because of guns and I am thankful that in YA literature we have a new author to shine a light on the realistic aspects of day to day life in society. I wish that guns never existed in the hands of people who have no business using them or thinking they are entitled to them. Charlie, like many others who have used them, took a gun to school and its a heartbreaking subject, but N. D. Gomes writes it with strength, believable edge and with a memorable story to last a lifetime. Although I found it hard to get through at times because of the enormity of the realistic subject, there is no denying that Dear Charlie is a brilliant book from an amazing author to watch. 


 YA readers who like gripping books with realistic aspects. 


N.D. Gomes was born in Scotland and graduated from the University of Stirling with a BA in Media & Journalism Studies, and went on to receive her Master’s degree in Education in the US. She currently works in a public school system to increase educational opportunities for students with special needs. Previously, N.D. Gomes wrote for the London-based online student political magazine, deAlign and stage-managed student plays at the LeeStrasberg Theatre Institute in New York City where she attended for two years. She currently divides her time between the US and Scotland, but hopes to spend more time at her cottage in Hay-on-Wye in Wales. Dear Charlie is her debut novel.

Have you read Dear Charlie?


What did you think?


Let me know in the comments or at @LittleMemoirs on twitter or using the tag #DearCharlie.


happy reading!

post signature

Review: FUN SCIENCE by Charlie McDonnell

Title: Fun Science

Author: Charlie McDonnell

Published: October 6th, 2016

Publisher: Quadrille Publishing

Find the Author: Goodreads | Twitter | Website


I received this book for review on my blog! As always, my reviews are fair and unbiased.


 Welcome, fellow humans (and others), to the the world of FUN SCIENCE! I’m Charlie, also known across the internet as charlieissocoollike.

In my book, I’ll be taking you on an awesome journey through the cosmos, beginning with the Big Bang through to the Solar System and the origins of life on Earth, all the way down to the particles that make up everything around us (including you and me!).

Expect frequent digressions, tons of illustrations of not-so-sciencey things (NB a microwave flying through space), and pages packed with my all time favourite mind-bending science facts.

So, get ready for a faster-than-the-speed of-light (OK, not quite) tour of all of the best and most interesting things that science has to offer us… and most importantly: WELCOME TO THE UNIVERSE!

(Written by a Science Fan NOT at scientist!)

I’ve always had a love for astronomy, galaxies, the Earth and everything that’s not yet been discovered (underwater city theory?), so Fun Science reignited that love for those things. I’d heard of Charlie on YouTube before and saw some of his videos so I knew that there would be a really distinctive, friendly kind of narrative to Fun Science (even if I wasn’t the best at Science at School).

Fun Science makes learning things cool. This is the first thing that I learn when I delve into the book. We first learn about The Universe, hence everything from 13.8 Billion years ago in time to learn that we, in fact, are all made of the Universe (and how cool are the illustrations? THE BEST). There are big facts, smaller ones, ones you might have heard before and ones that I was kind of surprised to find out about the Universe, the solar system, the big bang and even our brains. It’s these interesting and good-to-know facts and descriptions that make Science actually…fun. 
Being twenty years old and looking back, I did my fair share of Science at school and it wasn’t my favourite subject. Astronomy, on the other hand, was one of my favourite things to learn more about (including reading countless things about stars, other solar systems and comets). Fun Science actually covers some of these things and more, like the nervous system, our bodies and life itself. The strikingly intricate and wonderful illustrations are fun and lively and Charlie’s distinctive voice shines through as he talks up the Universe to the readers.
Overall, Fun Science is just that: it’s everything you thought was hard and unnecessary made fun and actually amazing to read. I’ve already been trying out some of my new knowledge on my friends and family and they’ve even delved into the pages themselves. After reading Fun Science I honestly feel like I’ve just sat through the best Science lesson of my life, complete with jokes and easy to learn and understand facts and not-so-Science things too. A definite five-star firework of a book.

 Readers young and old.

Have you read Fun Science?


What did you think?


Let me know in the comments or at @LittleMemoirs on twitter using the tag #FunScience.


happy reading!

post signature

Blog tour: EVERYONE WE’VE BEEN by Sarah Everett (+Giveaway!)

Title: Everyone We’ve Been

Author: Sarah Everett

Published: October 4th, 2016

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Find the Author: Goodreads | Twitter


I received this book for review on my blog! As always, my reviews are fair and unbiased.



 Addison Sullivan has been in an accident. In its aftermath, she has memory lapses and starts talking to a boy that no one else can see. It gets so bad that she’s worried she’s going crazy.

Addie takes drastic measures to fill in the blanks and visits a shadowy medical facility that promises to “help with your memory.” But at the clinic, Addie unwittingly discovers it is not her first visit. And when she presses, she finds out that she had certain memories erased. She had a boy erased.

But why? Who was that boy, and what happened that was too devastating to live with? And even if she gets the answers she’s looking for, will she ever be able to feel like a whole person again?

From the premise, Everyone We’ve Been sounds like everything I love in a book. There’s a potential mystery boy, the element of an underlying mystery that has to be solved and a sense that there’s a whole lot of adventure lying between the pages. I was lucky enough to be asked to be on the blog tour and I couldn’t wait to get started reading as soon as it landed in my lap.

Addison, or Addie, has been in an accident that will change her life drastically. At first, she’s worried she’s seriously going crazy. She can see a boy no one else can see and I know that realistically, if that were to happen to me, I would be freaking out. In the time after her accident, Addie begins having these dips in memory that can’t be explained, twisted into the fact that this boy that only her eyes can see is forged into them. 
Everyone We’ve Been is told in the before and afters of Addie’s accident which really gives the story another dimension of truth and normalcy. It keeps the plot steadily paced and engrossing and I found that slowly, as the truth of Addie’s accident, her memory gaps and the mystery boy came to light, I began to piece together the puzzle and underlying illusive aspect that seems to tie into her memory loss. Addie was straight away relateable. I love characters that feel like friends and someone you can just get as they tell you their story. The alternating past and present times really captured Addie’s character development and I found that because of this, it made her all the more real to me and I could connect with her so much better and feel like I was on the journey with her the whole way, too. 
Overall, Everyone We’ve Been is a powerful, magnetic story bursting with potential and perfection. I found myself hooked to the pages at two a.m., compelled by the storyline that just seemed to ooze “keep reading me” qualities. Addie was a star character and I was rooting for her the entire way, with each new unveiling of information I found myself falling further into the skillful plot that keeps you guessing. Underneath the beautiful cover there is an even more lively story just waiting to be read and now that I have, I can’t recommend it highly enough. Everyone We’ve Been is one of the best hits of 2016 and I’m so glad that I had the chance to read it. Five stars aren’t high enough.

 Young Adult readers!






Sarah Everett remembers growing up in enchanted forests, on desert islands and inside a magical wardrobe. She would only ever erase her memory of past karaoke performances and certain fashion choices. She was born in west Africa but currently resides in Alberta, Canada where she attends graduate school and writes YA novels. Visit her on Twitter at @heysaraheverett.

Thanks to Random House Children’s Books, I get to give away a FRESH NEW copy of Everyone We’ve Been! OPEN TO USA RESIDENTS ONLY.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


 


Stop by the other days on the Everyone We’ve Been Tour!

Monday through Friday, October 10th – 14th 2016
Monday, October 10: Novel Ink
Tuesday, October 11: A Midsummer Night’s Read
Wednesday, Octboer 12: Addicted 2 Novels
Thursday, October 13: Pretty Little Memoirs
Friday, October 14: Rose Gold Class

Have you read Everyone We’ve Been?

What do you think of it?

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

happy reading!

post signature

Book Review: “The Siren” by Kiera Cass

Title: The Siren

Author: Kiera Cass

Published: Janurary 26th, 2016

Publisher: HarperTEEN

Find the Author: Goodreads | Twitter



I bought this book myself! As always, my reviews are fair and unbiased.



From Kiera Cass, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Selection series, comes a captivating stand-alone fantasy romance.

Kahlen is a Siren, bound to serve the Ocean by luring humans to watery graves with her voice, which is deadly to any human who hears it. Akinli is human—a kind, handsome boy who’s everything Kahlen ever dreamed of. Falling in love puts them both in danger . . . but Kahlen can’t bear to stay away. Will she risk everything to follow her heart?

The Siren was previously self-published; this brand-new edition has been completely rewritten and redesigned.

Kiera Cass is always thought as one of those YA authors who always gets it right. Her books are always in every book store that I visit; the covers striking and the premise intriguing and to date for some obscene reason, I still haven’t been able to sit down and actually READ one of her books. What kind of reader can I call myself?! Anyway, when I saw The Siren in Waterstones when I was on vacation, I thought this is the one. It was a standalone novel from Kiera that had previously been self-published and was about Siren’s, a.k.a. the queens of the deep blue sea (and distant sisters of the Mermaid, obvs). So I was so excited to get started reading…

You may think this is some YA Romance with cliche written all over it, but let me tell you, you’re so wrong. This isn’t a “Love Story” or some hyped-up Disney movie, it’s elements work perfectly together to tell the story of Kahlen, the boy she tries so hard not to fall in love with, but does because he’s, well, the perfect YA boy, and the Siren’s who become her sisters, friends and greatest confidants. Oh, and the Ocean – because the Ocean is a she, and sometimes, she get’s hungry. Sometimes the only thing for that hunger is human lives. 
Kahlen was destined to die, and sometimes, she wonders what life would have been like if she had never been saved and turned into a Siren; beautifully striking, yet deadly and rottenly poison-tongued. She wonders what life would have been like if she had grown up, had a family, and eventually like the end of every life, die. But she never got the chance to do any of that when the Ocean saved her. Now, she’s the Ocean’s favourite. She does as she is told, and when called upon, sings the song that pains her to do so. The song to lure humans to their death so that the Ocean won’t go hungry. She does this with the other Siren’s, the ones who’s faces change over the years as they reach the end of their Siren commitments and are cast into human lives once more. 
Kahlen has always been more reserved, but when she meets Akinli, her world gets a little brighter. He’s charming and boyish and loves the same things as her. They have a slow-burning connection that yes, in a way does remind me of a Disney movie but not in the cliche way. Instead, in the classics kind of way. But she knows that the Siren world is to dark for him to be in. She can’t say those words to him, because she can’t say anything. She knows her tongue is tied with death. For a long time, she pushes him away and tries to keep her distance, the pain seeping through her life that she can’t be with the person that she had grown to love. But soon enough when they meet again, it’s hard to say goodbye and even harder to realise that she can’t possibly understand what will happen.
The Siren was brilliant. It was one of those books that seemed to just fly by. It’s not a huge book, so I expected to finish it quite fast but the more that I started to reach the end, I just didn’t want the story to end. I wanted adventure! More Siren stories! I wanted to know more about this crazy-scary-amazing world that Kiera had created underneath the surface of the water. Ultimately, The Siren is about more than just love. It’s about sisterhood, friendship, a strong connection with our true selves and the power of soulmates. 

 YA readers who love fantasy and mythology.


Have you read The Siren?


What did you think?


Let me know by selecting a choice below or on twitter @LittleMemoirs! I love to connect with book lovers!


happy reading!

post signature

🌷 Blog Tour: The Deviants 🌷

Title: The Deviants

Author: C J Skuse

Published: September 22nd, 2016

Publisher: Mira Ink

Find the Author: Goodreads | Twitter


I received this book for review! As always, my reviews are fair and unbiased.



When you set out for revenge, dig two graves..

Growing up in the sleepy English seaside town of Brynston, the fearless five – Ella, Max, Corey, Fallon and Zane – were always inseparable. Living up to their nickname, they were the adventurous, rowdy kids who lived for ghost stories and exploring the nearby islands off the coast. But when Max’s beloved older sister Jessica is killed, the friendship seems to die with her.
Now years later, only Max and Ella are in touch; still best friends and a couple since they were thirteen. Their lives are so intertwined Max’s dad even sponsors Ella’s training for the Commonwealth Games. But Ella is hiding things. Like why she hates going to Max’s house for Sunday dinner, and flinches whenever his family are near. Or the real reason she’s afraid to take their relationship to the next level.
When underdog Corey is bullied, the fearless five are brought back together again, teaming up to wreak havoc and revenge on those who have wronged them. But when the secrets they are keeping can no longer be kept quiet, will their fearlessness be enough to save them from themselves?

Despite the vibrant pinks and yellows that are more girly and romantic on Pretty Little Memoirs, I LOVE a good dark, thriving thriller, so whenever they arrive in my book mail it’s like an instant connection. 

 As soon as I read the back of The Deviants cover, I knew I would love it. I saw the words Revenge and had an inner happy dance. I was a huge fan of the TV Show Revenge and this seemed to reignite my love for the scheming, slow, yet compelling thriller and mystery type. Ella’s voice is strong and sets a real tone for the novel, reeling me in. Right from Chapter One, which is unlike any opener I’ve read before (and what an amazing hook that was!) so I was immediately trying to piece together Ella’s secrets and the truth behind the Fearless Five’s motives, past and ultimately, future. 
The Fearless Five consist of Ella, Max, Corey, Fallon and Zane. They’re all so different, yet in the weirdest way, so alike. Despite coming from richer or poorer backgrounds, being a bully or in love, they are like magnets to each other. They live in this sleepy-type seaside town which always gives that sort of gritty, perfect setting for a novel like this and it really sets the tone. For a moment, it seems like the novel could potentially be dramatic and surrounding their teenage antics, but in that second, we’re thrown back into dangerous waters with more little secrets that were so long buried, crawling back to the surface. But The Deviants is far from a book about just revenge or fear: it’s about friendship.
Overall, The Deviants was the perfect book – and I don’t use that word lightly when it comes to books. C J Skuse writes with a pulsing heartbeat of a plot, painting a picture of these flawed characters who come together in the strangest ways with secrets that are far from lighthearted. I finished it in just two nights reading, tearing away at the pages, falling further into the sleepy town bursting with a plot that was impossible to quit. The easiest five stars I’ve ever given by far. 

 YA Fans of Mystery, Thrillers and Revenge.

C.J. Skuse was born in 1980 in Westonsuper- Mare, England. She has First Class degrees in Creative Writing and Writing for Children and, aside from writing novels, works as a freelance children’s fiction consultant and lectures in Writing for Children at Bath Spa University. C.J. loves Masterchef, Gummy Bears and murder sites. Before she dies, she would like to go to Japan, try clay-pigeon shooting and have Ryan Gosling present her with the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.

Buy THE DEVIANTS on Amazon

Have you read The Deviants?


What did you think of it? 


Let me know on twitter, stop by the other blog tour stops listed below and use #TheDeviants to get in on the conversation!


Description

happy reading!

post signature

Spotlight: “Just Juliet” by Charlotte Reagan

Title: Just Juliet

Author: Charlotte Reagan

Published: September 21st, 2016

Publisher: Inkitt

Find the Author: Goodreads | Buy on Amazon

I received this book for review! As always, my reviews are fair and unbiased.

The coming out story that will completely change the way you look at love.

Juliet represents the road less traveled. Will Lena take it?
Lena Newman is 17, her best friend’s a cheerleader, her boyfriend’s a football player, and as far as everyone is concerned, her life is sorted. But that’s before she befriends the new girl. Juliet is confident, slightly damaged, drop-dead gorgeous and a lesbian.

Lena realizes that her interest goes beyond just friendship. She sets off on a path of self-discovery where the loyalty of those closest to her will be tested.

“It feels real without being tedious, and heart-warming without being sappy. It’s not all roses, and it’s not all doom and gloom. It’s great.” – Jon

“Just Juliet is the story I wish I could have given to my parents to read when I was 16 so that they knew what I was going through.” – Caro M.

Just Juliet is out TODAY! I will be reviewing it soon here on my blog, so stay tuned! 


What did you think?


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


happy reading!

post signature

🔥 Review//Tour: The Flame Never Dies by Rachel Vincent 🔥

Title: The Flame Never Dies (#2)

Author: Rachel Vincent

Published: August 16th, 2016

Publisher: Mira Ink

Find the Author: Goodreads / Amazon



I received this book for review! As always, my reviews are fair and unbiased. Thank you to Cara at HQ!


For fans of Cassandra Clare and Richelle Mead comes the unputdownable sequel to The Stars Never Rise, a book Rachel Caine, author of the bestselling Morganville Vampires series, called “haunting, unsettling, and eerily beautiful.”

ONE SPARK WILL RISE. Nina Kane was born to be an exorcist. And since uncovering the horrifying truth—that the war against demons is far from over—seventeen-year-old Nina and her pregnant younger sister, Mellie, have been on the run, incinerating the remains of the demon horde as they go.

In the badlands, Nina, Mellie, and Finn, the fugitive and rogue exorcist who saved her life, find allies in a group of freedom fighters. They also face a new threat: Pandemonia, a city full of demons. But this fresh new hell is the least of Nina’s worries. The well of souls ran dry more than a century ago, drained by the demons secretly living among humans, and without a donor soul, Mellie’s child will die within hours of its birth.


Nina isn’t about to let that happen . . . even if it means she has to make the ultimate sacrifice.

The Stars Never Rise was one of my favourite reads last year. I have the whole of Rachel’s Soul Screamers series also (that I LOVED) so when I found out that TSNR was part of a duology, I couldn’t wait to read the companion.

After The Stars Never Rise ended on a note that left us hanging in the air, The Flame Never Dies was a welcome read. I was met by these vibrant characters again and the unique plot that wove Exorcists and Demons together in a different, fast-paced setting that hasn’t been touched upon before, highlighting an edge-of-your-seat story. In The Flame Never Dies, Nina and her younger sister Mellie, who is pregnant, and the group of Exorcists they met in The Stars Never Rise, are in the Badlands on the run from the Church. 
But still, they know that just because they have escaped their grasp doesn’t mean that enemies aren’t on the horizon, because now they have bigger issues, like Pandemonia and the strict evil that controls it.
There is always something extra special about the books Rachel writes. Whether it’s the distinctive voice of Nina, the original take on mythology, or the way reading one of her books sends the readers away to a whole new world; each one is never shy of epic. The Flame Never Dies is high on thrills and low on romance, but that doesn’t stop the connection that binds the characters together through their journey together, or the ties that keep friends and family united. With a plot like a fast heartbeat, there was never a dull moment when it came to Nina, Melanie and Finn, the love-to-hate villains and the end of the Stars Never Rise duo. Each new revelation was exciting and the twists and turns were executed perfectly, keeping me hooked to my eReader for hours. 
Overall, Rachel has written another amazing story that is sure to be a hit with the YA community. I’m in awe at her imaginative story lines that never fail to entertain and enthral. 

Young Adult readers looking for an epic adventure.

NYT bestselling author Rachel Vincent loves good chocolate, comfortable jeans, and serial commas. Rachel is the author of the SOUL SCREAMERS series and can be found online at www.rachelvincent.com or urbanfantasy.blogspot.com. A resident of Oklahoma, Rachel Vincent has a BA in English and an overactive imagination, and consistently finds the latter to be more practical. She shares her workspace with two black cats (Kaci and Nyx) and her # 1 fan. Rachel is older than she looks-seriously-and younger than she feels, but remains convinced that for every day she spends writing, one more day will be added to her lifespan.

@HQYoungAdult   @RachelKVincent   #TheFlameNeverDies

What do you think of The Flame Never Dies?


Have you read any of Rachel’s books?


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


happy reading!

post signature

🌹 UNDER ROSE TAINTED SKIES 🌹

Title: Under Rose Tainted Skies

Author: Louise Gornall

Published: July 7th, 2016

Publisher: Chicken House

Find the Author: Goodreads | Twitter



I received this book for review! As always, my reviews are fair and unbiased.


Agoraphobia confines Norah to the house she shares with her mother.

For her, the outside is sky glimpsed through glass, or a gauntlet to run between home and car. But a chance encounter on the doorstep changes everything: Luke, her new neighbour. Norah is determined to be the girl she thinks Luke deserves: a ‘normal’ girl, her skies unfiltered by the lens of mental illness. Instead, her love and bravery opens a window to unexpected truths …

An important and uplifting debut from a British author, which tackles mental health issues such as agoraphobia and OCD.

As soon as I heard about URTS a few months ago on Twitter, I felt a magnetic pull to find out what it was about and what was beneath the beautiful floral cover. When I saw it dealt with things such as agoraphobia, OCD and anxiety, I was compelled even more. These things are hardly touched upon in the YA community, so many heroines being potrayed so unlike real life. I was excited to get involved anyway that I could and I was over the moon that I got the chance to read URTS and be a part of the tour.

Norah is undeniably honest, this I know from only opening the book just a crack. She talks about her mental health; her agroaphobia, OCD and depression/anxiety so bravely, reminding me in parts of my own struggles with social anxiety and OCD that I still have to this day. Norah’s anxieties and problems affect her every day and the way that Louise captured the qualities of the feelings and thoughts was unerring. Norah is housebound from her illnesses, only ever getting air at her front door on occasions, life outside like a different world completely. It’s there that she meets Luke, who moves in next door. Her anxieties don’t stop or halt when she meets him and love doesn’t conquer all her problems, but he tries to help in different ways, like trying to alter her way of looking at things and her thoughts. She can’t help but feel like he deserves someone “normal”, though. Nevertheless, her poignant and charming narrative of trying to cope with letting someone in whilst going through an inner battle with herself is as vulnerable and honest as a reader can observe.
Not only does Norah feel real, but her story is one I’ll never forget. URTS feels real because Norah’s mental health problems are real world things that can hold us back, shape our lives and try to change who we are. It’s her sheer determination and enthralling, heart-felt voice that reminds me that it’s okay to be different and to not be “normal” and sometimes need help along the way.
Overall, Under Rose Tainted Skies is in a word; phenomenal. It’s powerful, moving, heartwarming and sincere. Norah and Luke’s connection was written beautifully, as was Norah’s courageous journey through the pages. I was overwhelmed at how effortlessly I fell into the story and wrapped around the characters, feeling as if they were my friends and that I knew them. URTS is a breathtaking debut that is going to sky-rocket and it deserves every amazing thing that happens. Louise has written what I can gladly say has been my favourite book of the year so far. Five stars completely.

 Everyone.




Louise is a graduate of Garstang Community Academy, and she is currently studying for a BA (Hons) in English language and literature with special emphasis on creative writing. A YA aficionado, film nerd, identical twin, and junk food enthusiast, she’s also an avid collector of book boyfriends. Her debut novel, Under Rose-Tainted Skies, will be published in July 2016..

The YA community and finding a place! 

by Louise Gornall


Stepping into the world of writing was jarring. Admittedly, I knew nothing when I arrived. A query letter? What’s that? Books have word counts? I just thought you were supposed to stop when you ran out of story. No?


Luckily, I signed up to Twitter and bumped into the lovely Heather Marie, who was also writing books for teens. I think it took just one quick chat with Heather to discover how complex writing YA was, and how dangerously I lacked in direction. 


Cut to four years later, and a vast community of YA writers, several of whom I consider among my best friends, have taught me how to be the best writer I can be. And not just technically with the querying and the word counts and the character building and all that other stuff. The YA community is an amazing source of support, because, real talk, this business is tough. You will be rejected more times than you can count. You will feel crappy and worthless and like you want to quit, at least once a month (if not once a week). And people outside of publishing won’t get it, as wonderful as family and friends can be, if they don’t know shhh about the industry, you can bet your bottom dollar that you’ll be needing support from someone who knows exactly how it feels. That’s just science.


Plus, you know, there are perks to being BFF’s with YA writers, apart from them being lovely human beings, who, for the most part, really understand the importance of pyjamas and junk food, and that’s exclusive reading privileges.

Have you read Under Rose Tainted Skies?


What did you think?


If you were affected by any of the issues in the book, MIND and the Mental Health Foundation are available.

happy reading!

post signature

Blog Tour & Review: “The Problem With Forever” by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: The Problem With Forever

Author: Jennifer L. Amentrout 

Published: June 1st, 2016

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Find the Author: Goodreads

Other Reviews by this Author: Cursed, Don’t Look Back, Half Blood


I received this book for review! As always, my reviews are fair and unbiased.




For some people, silence is a weapon. For Mallory “Mouse” Dodge, it’s a shield. Growing up, she learned that the best way to survive was to say nothing. And even though it’s been four years since her nightmare ended, she’s beginning to worry that the fear that holds her back will last a lifetime.

Now, after years of homeschooling with loving adoptive parents, Mallory must face a new milestone—spending her senior year at public high school. But of all the terrifying and exhilarating scenarios she’s imagined, there’s one she never dreamed of—that she’d run into Rider Stark, the friend and protector she hasn’t seen since childhood, on her very first day.

It doesn’t take long for Mallory to realize that the connection she shared with Rider never really faded. Yet the deeper their bond grows, the more it becomes apparent that she’s not the only one grappling with the lingering scars from the past. And as she watches Rider’s life spiral out of control, Mallory faces a choice between staying silent and speaking out—for the people she loves, the life she wants, and the truths that need to be heard.

Anyone who has read my blog for the past few years knows I can’t go long without a Jennifer L. Armentrout book. Not only does her writing entertain and grip readers, but her plots are always unique and interesting. I was definitely excited to see what kind of book The Problem With Forever would be, stepping away from the Fantasy genre I had always linked Jennifer to.
I thoroughly loved this book. Usually, I save my more praising notes for the end when I wrap up my review, but it had to be said: this book was perfect. The lead character, Mallory, or Mouse as she had been nicknamed, had been through hellish and bad times. Now, since those times had gone she had been home-schooled for years with loving and incredibly caring adoptive Parents, but now it was time to go to school for Senior Year to prepare for College, back into the open world. It was not only a scary experience for her, but for me as a reader, watching her go through this inner struggle. When Mallory gets to school, she doesn’t expect to run into Rider. His face brings back a whole lifetime of memories, mainly the ones of him defending and protecting her back then.
She doesn’t expect to find that the tethered connection isn’t as broken as she thought it was between them and it’s easier to reconnect than met the eye. But Rider’s life isn’t perfect and before she knows it, she’s watching it run away with him and cast him into bad ways. The only way she can help is to step out of her shadow and silence and into the freedom to grasp the life she deserves after her past neglect and childhood terrors. It’s the only way to save herself, Rider, and secure the lives they both so desperately need.
The Problem With Forever is a love story, a friendship, a whirlwind masterpiece and a deep, true-to-life book. It’s everything you want in a book. It didn’t take me long to finish it and it will be with me for a long time yet. Every time I read something new by Jennifer I am blown away and this was truly no exception. I’m wonderstruck (as Taylor Swift says) by this amazing story, these beautifully flawed characters and how effortlessly it has become such a winner in my eyes. Truly beautiful, five-star worthy YA read. Anyone who doesn’t read this is truly missing out on something so special.

 Young Adult readers.


Amazon | Website | Facebook | Twitter | #TheProblemWithForever

# 1 New York Times and # 1 International Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.
Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV. Her young adult romantic suspense novel DON’T LOOK BACK was a 2014 nominated Best in Young Adult Fiction by YALSA.
She also writes Adult and New Adult contemporary and paranormal romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.
 

What did you think of The Problem With Forever?


Check out the other stops on the blog tour to the right of this post!


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



happy reading!

post signature

↑ Top of Page