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4 stars

Book Review: “The Antidote” by Shelley Sackier




The Antidote

Author: Shelley Sackier

Published by: HarperTEEN on February 5th, 2019

Rating: ★★★★

Genre: Young Adult // Fantasy

Similar Books I’ve Read: These Rebel Waves

Disclosure: I received this book from the Publisher/Author in exchange for an impartial review. This is an unpaid/unsponsored post.

Magic is not allowed, under any circumstances — even if it could save someone’s life. Instead, there are herbal remedies and traditional techniques that have been painstakingly recorded in lieu of using the mystical arts. Fee knows this, so she keeps her magic a secret.
Except her best friend, Xavi, is deathly ill. He’s also the crown prince. Saving him is important, not only for her, but for the entire kingdom.
Fee’s desperation to save her friend means she can barely contain the magic inside her. And after the tiniest of slips, Fee is thrust into a dark and secretive world that is as alluring as it is dangerous.
If she gives in, it could mean she can save Xavi. But it also means that those who wish to snuff out magic might just snuff her out in the process.

First Thoughts  

I’ve only read a few books this year, but I already know that I’m currently obsessed with YA Romances. I don’t even know why I am, or what book did it, but I just haven’t wanted to stray towards Fantasy reads at all lately. But when I got The Antidote, it just kept coming back up in my TBR and after the lovely Publishers sent me the gorgeous ARC, I just couldn’t resist seeing if this would win over my heart’s genre dilemma (didn’t mean for that to rhyme).

My Review 

You know you’re in for one heck of a story when there’s magic, and that magic can’t be used. So, in this case, it’s totally forbidden in The Antidote. Instead of magic and all it entails, they use herbal remedies (I guess our version of behind the counter remedies and prescription things) and special ways they incorporate into their lives instead of using magic. Fee (or Ophelia, as she was born), our main character, is loyal to the system and keeps her own magic buried within since a contagion forced half the kingdom away and separated her from her betrothed love and left her, and the future king, Prince Xavi, who were infected, behind. 

Fee’s best friend Xavi is on his death bed, struggling for life because of the way they were infected,  and knowing this, Fee’s own magic is playing games within her. Xavi is the prince and due to be the future king, so the stakes are a thousand times greater that he lives. Keeping him alive is all that Fee wants, and because of this, her magic ventures out during a momentary slip. Everything she knew about magic – and the secret world it has masked – is thunderous, throwing her life into a dangerous darkness. But to fully give in to everything magic holds would be worse than anything she could think of. She could save Xavi, but at the risk of her own life by those who forbid magic, deciding whether it’s truly worth the sacrifice, Fee stands on uneven ground that’s quaking under her footsteps.

Overall, watching Fee – and this entire world, characters and plot – grow over the course of the chapters, I was enthralled by this twisted fairytale of bonds, true love, magic, a dash of sassiness and high stakes. It did take me a while to get used to Fee’s character, because she is so determined in her ways and stubborn, but in the end, it kind of just made me love her even more. Whilst there were some slow moments, it was still a super amazing read. I still have my soft spot for YA Romances, but The Antidote is definitely up there with incredible YA 2019. Four stars!


Have you read The Antidote?


You can buy it:

Amazon | Book Depository


I definitely recommend you add to your Goodreads and browse it at your local Library!


happy reading!

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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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Blog Tour & Review: One Small Thing by Erin Watt

Title: One Small Thing

Author: Erin Watt
Published: June 28th, 2018
Publisher: HQ Young Adult
Rating: ★★★★
Find the Author: Goodreads 

Disclosure: I received this ARC in exchange for an impartial review. As always, my reviews are fair and unbiased.



Beth’s life hasn’t been the same since her sister died. Her parents try to lock her down, believing they can keep her safe by monitoring her every move. When Beth sneaks out to a party one night and meets the new guy in town, Chase, she’s thrilled to make a secret friend. It seems a small thing, just for her.
Only Beth doesn’t know how big her secret really is…
Fresh out of juvie and determined to start his life over, Chase has demons to face and much to atone for, including his part in the night Beth’s sister died. Beth, who has more reason than anyone to despise him, is willing to give him a second chance. A forbidden romance is the last thing either of them planned for senior year, but the more time they spend together, the deeper their feelings get.
Now Beth has a choice to make—follow the rules, or risk tearing everything apart…again. 


 

First Thoughts…

Ah, YA Contemporary Romance. My constant and ever-loving genre. It’s no surprise as soon as I was offered to be on Erin’s tour and read the lovely One Small Thing, I was SOLD. I’ve heard of Erin’s books a lot in the blogger world and I think this is one of few she has in this contemporary setting. The blurb was enough to sell me in so many ways. I’m a sucker for stories that can make me feel something and I could already feel attached to this story before getting past the first page.

My Review…

Beth’s life has been so different, but losing your sister can do that to a person. Her Parents have kept her sheltered now, trying to be over protective and keep her safe. Letting her hair down is a thing of the past, until one night, she sneaks out to a party. When she meets Chase, a new guy in town, he lights up a part of her world that had become darkened by being kept away. He’s her secret friend, somehow despite the small insignificance of it all, it’s enough to keep her going. But what she doesn’t anticipate is that Chase’s secrets are about to out-do hers. 
Chase is fresh out of juvie. But even though he wants to start over and move on, he can’t, because he has actions that need facing up to – his part in Beth’s sister’s death. And when Beth finds out Chase’s secrets – and the ways that she shouldn’t want to be anywhere near him – it shocks them both when she decides to give him a second chance, out of the blue. It starts as a friendship, but what blooms from that is a forbidden and dangerous romance that neither of them planned, threatening their reputations, the rules Beth lives by and staying faithful to her Sister’s memory.
Overall, One Small Thing was one small thing that made my day a whole lot brighter. Not only was Beth’s despair and grief oh-so-believable, but the romance, despite myself not understanding some of her actions sometimes and picking Chase of all people, was easy and flowed so naturally for them both through the words on the pages. But it’s more than just about grief, but forgiveness and acceptance, and learning how to be happy again, despite things that pull you into the darkness, a perfect sum that Erin captures blissfully in her writing. There’s something so much bigger than just a fluffy YA book about One Small Thing – it holds more weight, in meaningfulness and the after-effects of loss and recovery. Four very large (not one small!) stars.

Erin Watt is the brainchild of two bestselling authors linked together through their love of great books and an addiction to writing. They share one creative imagination. Their greatest love (after their families and pets, of course)? Coming up with fun-and sometimes crazy-ideas. Their greatest fear? Breaking up.

Have you read any of Erin Watt’s books?


What makes you pick up a book – the cover or the blurb?


Thank you so much for stopping by my day on Erin’s tour!


happy reading!

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Book Review: The Guilty Wife by Elle Croft

Title: The Guilty Wife

Author:  Elle Croft

Published: January 25th, 2018

Publisher: Orion

Find the Author: Goodreads 


Disclosure: I was sent this book for review by the publisher. As always, my reviews are fair and unbiased.


Add To Goodreads

WIFE. MISTRESS. MURDERER.
If you were being framed for murder, how far would you go to clear your name?
The debut psychological thriller that reads as Apple Tree Yardmeets Behind Closed Doors, by way of Double Jeopardy.
I’m not guilty of murder.
Bethany Reston is happily married. But she’s also having an affair with a famous client.
And no one can ever know.
But that doesn’t make me innocent.
When Bethany’s lover is brutally murdered, she has to hide her grief from everyone.
But someone knows her secret. And then one day the threats begin.
With an ever-growing pile of evidence pointing to her as the murderer, the only way she can protect her secrets is to prove her innocence. And that means tracking down a killer.
An incredibly taut, tense game of cat and mouse – with a twist you’ll never see coming.

First Thoughts… When I read Adult fiction, it’s got to be a killer-read. I can’t take any of that bland, non-existent storyline and same old, same old. I need action! Characters! An epic plot! So when I was approached to read The Guilty Wife, I was intrigued. Thrillers are definitely a genre that is popular at the moment. I own a lot of them, but never seem to get that gel with any of them, so I went into the book with an open mind.

My Review… I wasn’t expecting to like The Guilty Wife this much. But, sitting here after finishing the last few pages and reeling from a story with more twists and turns than a roller-coaster, I can say it blew my expectations out of the water. Bethany Reston is a married woman who runs a photographer studio, living in London, happily it would appear from the surface. Peaking underneath the wobbly surface, she is having an affair with a client of hers. A suave billionaire – who also happens to be married. Oh, and now, he’s dead. 

See, Calum (the dead billionaire Bethany was having an affair with) had no intentions of leaving his wife for Bethany. But that doesn’t make Bethany guilty, from a shallow perspective. But as the mistress? That does make her a suspect in the spotlight. But the further that Bethany has to hide her grief from everyone in secret, the more the mystery unravels. Throughout the bustling plot, many suspects and intricate mystery that wove itself through a modern mystery, I was totally engrossed by the compelling story Elle Croft had written. Bethany knows that to protect herself from the spotlight and evidence crawling back to her, she has to prove her story is the truth. The only way she knows to clear her name is to catch the killer. But catching a murderer? Not as easy (or safe) as it may seem…

Overall, this book totally changed my perspectives on trying something new to read. I was so surprised how I didn’t know who was guilty or not, and the things I didn’t see coming (even though I’m usually so good at that!). I did get a little lost toward the end when the plot started unraveling, but as a whole, The Guilty Wife is a must-read for Thriller-lovers and a true great read. I can see myself recommending this to a lot of my friends and family that love this genre for it’s originality and surprises around each corner! Huge four stars. Loved.



Have you read The Guilty Wife?

What did you think?

Let me know on Twitter, Facebook or in the Comments! 

happy reading!

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Book Review: Renegades by Marissa Meyer

SPOILER-FREE REVIEW

Title: Renegades 

Author: Scott Reintgen

Published: November 7th, 2017

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Find the Author: Goodreads 


Disclosure: I was sent this book for review on NetGalley. As always, my reviews are fair and unbiased.

Secret Identities. Extraordinary Powers. She wants vengeance. He wants justice.


The Renegades are a syndicate of prodigies—humans with extraordinary abilities—who emerged from the ruins of a crumbled society and established peace and order where chaos reigned. As champions of justice, they remain a symbol of hope and courage to everyone…except the villains they once overthrew.


Nova has a reason to hate the Renegades, and she is on a mission for vengeance. As she gets closer to her target, she meets Adrian, a Renegade boy who believes in justice—and in Nova. But Nova’s allegiance is to a villain who has the power to end them both.

First Thoughts

Since Renegades isn’t quite out yet and I have a lot of friends and PLM Readers who haven’t read it yet, I’ll make this review spoiler-free! Back on to my first thoughts…I’m totally guilty of owning the Cinder series from Marissa and not read it yet. I have read parts of her writing over the years from excerpts and book previews, and know that she’s regarded very highly in the YA world. So, I have high expectations!


Review

I love a good superhero TV show or movie, but they are extremely hard to get right in literature (not including comics). But when I started reading Renegades, it had some of the best story-building and I loved that it had a ton of diversity (something Bloggers have been pleading for writers to actually write about and make them Mains). I got a ton of Superhero vibes from the characters that reminded me of some Marvel vigilantes and heroes we see on the big screen, and in Renegades, the powers and abilities are dynamic and sheer-brilliant. 

Nova has a striking, affecting voice and her motivation for retribution made for great storytelling. When Adrian was introduced, who is a Renegade, he doesn’t want revenge, but justice. The secondary characters are also winning in their own league, but for me, I really liked Nova the best. The characters personalities clash because of their overall motivations (just as apposing heroes/villains do) but the action is the best part toward the end of the book when the story really speeds and we can get a sense of where the next book will pick up and continue the epic tale. I was hoping that the action would pick up a tiny bit sooner, just because I like it to around the middle of the book, but I understand that a lot of world-building was needed to get a sense of what Renegades is all about. 

Overall, I loved Renegades. The suspense, diversity, strong female presence and unique theme (I haven’t read a book like this ever) made for a sparkling and spectacular weekend read for me. If you’re a superhero fan and you’ve loved Marissa’s previous writing, I think you’re hugely going to love what Renegades has to offer. 


Rating & Recs

For fans of YA Fantasy and the Cinder series.


Have you read Renegades?


What did you think?

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

happy reading!

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Book Review: “Once And For All” by Sarah Dessen

Title: Once And For All

Author: Sarah Dessen

Published: June 6th, 2017

Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers 

Find the Author: Goodreads 


I bought this book myself and was not gifted in any way! As always, my reviews are fair and unbiased.

As bubbly as champagne and delectable as wedding cake, Once and for All, Sarah Dessen’s thirteenth novel, is set in the world of wedding planning, where crises are routine. 


Louna, daughter of famed wedding planner Natalie Barrett, has seen every sort of wedding: on the beach, at historic mansions, in fancy hotels and clubs. Perhaps that’s why she’s cynical about happily-ever-after endings, especially since her own first love ended tragically. When Louna meets charming, happy-go-lucky serial dater Ambrose, she holds him at arm’s length. But Ambrose isn’t about to be discouraged, now that he’s met the one girl he really wants. 


Sarah Dessen’s many, many fans will adore her latest, a richly satisfying, enormously entertaining story that has everything—humour, romance, and an ending both happy and imperfect, just like life itself.

First Thoughts

Sarah Dessen is a staple author for those books that make you feel all the feels. I’ve read a few of her books before I started blogging a few years ago, and since then, collected her releases. But Once And For All just appealed more to me than anything else when I saw it in Waterstones. It just had one of those gorgeous covers and intricate, delicious sounding blurbs that I couldn’t help but fall in love with. So ultimately, I had to feature it. I finished it a few weeks ago but because of some busy IRL stuff, my blogging schedule has been all over the place. So I’m back with a bang!

Review

Let me just start by saying that this is THE novel you want on a summer vacation, cooped up on a beach somewhere or at a Lake House, absorbed in another beautiful Sarah Dessen world (or maybe to take along to a destination wedding?). I finished it in three sittings, mainly because I was busy, but I would have devoured it in one sitting if I had the time, trust me. 
Despite the happy cover, our main character Louna doesn’t have a bright and beautiful life. Her story is hard-hitting and emotional, working at a wedding planning business and keeping everyone’s special day the best day of their lives. She wants everything to go smoothly, but it doesn’t always, and the stress that she was under definitely echoes though the pages to me as a reader. Bonus; I loved Louna’s relationship with her mother and business partner. They had this chemistry all together as a dynamic and it was just so realistic, you know? Like I could honestly believe every word. 
But, enter Ambrose. He’s Louna’s love interest and the kind of boy that’s your typical bookish boyfriend material. He’s charming, suave and kindhearted through and through. After Louna’s bad relationship in the past, she’s forced to feel like she needs to distance herself from Ambrose – so they become friends instead. In fact, they begin caring for each other in ways Louna feels bittersweet about. She can’t help but remind herself he’s got female attention all the time and enjoys it, but this changes the more that they spend time together. He becomes more attentive and drops the annoying act, and they click and spark like a wildfire together. Something inside Louna tells her that she can open her heart back up to love, in many forms and ways, if she believes that she deserves a little happiness, too.
I love, love, loved Once And For All. Although at times I felt it was slow, or a tad predictable (it’s not hard to be in YA romances, though) I can’t deny that this was such a pleasantly sweet book that I fell head over heels for. Overall, you will definitely benefit from reading this! Sarah Dessen has truly outdone herself with characters, words and romance to make your heart soar with love.

Rating

Perfect For

YA romance and contemporary fans!

What do you think of Once And For All? 


Have you read it?


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



happy reading!

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Book Review: “Dreamfall” by Amy Plum

Title: Dreamfall

Author: Amy Plum

Published: May 2nd, 2017

Publisher: HarperTEEN  

Find the Author: Goodreads 


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

Cata Cordova suffers from such debilitating insomnia that she agreed to take part in an experimental new procedure. She thought things couldn’t get any worse…but she was terribly wrong.
Soon after the experiment begins, there’s a malfunction with the lab equipment, and Cata and six other teen patients are plunged into a shared dreamworld with no memory of how they got there. Even worse, they come to the chilling realization that they are trapped in a place where their worst nightmares have come to life. Hunted by creatures from their darkest imaginations and tormented by secrets they’d rather keep buried, Cata and the others will be forced to band together to face their biggest fears. And if they can’t find a way to defeat their dreams, they will never wake up.


First Thoughts

When I got this in the post, you can surely say that I was FREAKING OUT. Amy is one of my favourite authors and her Die For Me series is still one of my epic loves. If you haven’t read it, go check out my reviews for them and go get it! You won’t regret it – I swear. So upon reading a little and book stalking Dreamfall online, I really got into the sound of it. Recently, when it came to the top of my TBR, I was more than excited to start it. 


Review

Dreamfall is the first in a new duology by the amazing Amy Plum. I’ve always been significantly intrigued by dreams and nightmares and the whole lucidness of remembering them, controlling them and knowing what dreams and nightmares actually mean, so Dreamfall ultimately sounded like it was going to gel with me completely. 

Cata is our predominant narrator, a sixteen year old girl with severe insomnia and other forms of mental anxieties (but we also meet Fergus and other patients soon). She suffers greatly with nightmares and it’s noticeably distressing for her and reading about it, as I also suffer with severe insomnia and anxiety disorders, with occasional nightmares: but Cata and the other teens are very different to just your typical sleep disorders. They want out of it – and so they move to a clinic where experimental doctors confine that they have a cure. First, the teens are hooked up to these weird things that I would run from, and they begin their cure – but it goes terribly wrong, and suddenly their worst fear comes true and they are stuck in the nightmares, completely helpless. Without a way out, they have to face their deepest and darkest fears and things that have scared them for this long, to find a way to return to their reality. 

I was expecting something completely different when I started Dreamfall – something much more Die For Me, but I was surprised by a twist in this different tale. The characters are intricate and very well written and Cata and the other characters were written on point. While I didn’t love it as much as I was hoping to, it was still a fierce horror with science fiction aspects that made this a genre I couldn’t put my finger on – something unique and almost life-like. I totally believed the genuine terror of the characters, and Amy (queen of YA Fantasy romance?) wrote a little something between Cata and Fergus that I’m hoping to see more of in the next book. 

Overall, Dreamfall is a series I’ll definitely be continuing. I was on the edge of my seat at the cliffhanger so I’m desperate to read the next instalment! If you love intrigue, steady pace and a plot to make you keep a night-light on, this is your next read. Huge love for this.


Rating


Perfect For

YA Horror fans.

Have you read Dreamfall?


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


happy reading!

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Book Review: “Carve The Mark” by Veronica Roth


Title: Carve The Mark

Author: Veronica Roth
Release Date: 17th January 2017 
Publisher: Harper Collins
Links: Goodreads

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


**Reader discretion is advised as it has come to my attention this book might offend certain readers. This did not change my review.**

On a planet where violence and vengeance rule, in a galaxy where some are favored by fate, everyone develops a currentgift, a unique power meant to shape the future. While most benefit from their currentgifts, Akos and Cyra do not—their gifts make them vulnerable to others’ control. Can they reclaim their gifts, their fates, and their lives, and reset the balance of power in this world?
Cyra is the sister of the brutal tyrant who rules the Shotet people. Cyra’s currentgift gives her pain and power—something her brother exploits, using her to torture his enemies. But Cyra is much more than just a blade in her brother’s hand: she is resilient, quick on her feet, and smarter than he knows.
Akos is from the peace-loving nation of Thuvhe, and his loyalty to his family is limitless. Though protected by his unusual currentgift, once Akos and his brother are captured by enemy Shotet soldiers, Akos is desperate to get his brother out alive—no matter what the cost. When Akos is thrust into Cyra’s world, the enmity between their countries and families seems insurmountable. They must decide to help each other to survive—or to destroy one another. 




First Thoughts
Veronica has to be one of my top five Favourite YA authors of all time, so when I was offered the chance to read an ARC of Carve The Mark I was over the moon. I had heard amazing things about what Veronica was writing next and with Divergent being such a huge success, I had extremely high hopes. 

Review
From the get-go, I had the feeling that Carve The Mark was a mix of Star Wars meets The 100 with some kind of drama mixed in to give it an intriguing edge. Cyra and Akos were the POV’s of the book and while I thought that the gender reversal of the gentler characteristics given to the male and strength to the female was refreshingly powerful, I had heard from some readers on Instagram that the book could potentially be offensive toward POC readers because of the race of certain tropes in Carve The Mark – so I would advise discretion to readers who might be offended by these elements, but I also stress that Veronica probably didn’t mean/want to offend any readers with her story.
Though it is slow-paced, I loved that it was because it gave way for the elements of the story to come to light and build a strong plot to carry it through powerfully. I had Shatter Me and Divergent vibes at certain points (which was a huge YES from me!) and the way that the characters powers projected through the pages was dynamic and brilliant. Cyra was my favourite character and she was a strong-willed and minded character (and I love those). Akos was one of those characters that I could picture on the big screen, though I couldn’t relate to him as much as Cyra. The way that they weave into each others lives with their special powers called currentgifts is enrapturing. They could either help each other survive or give in and fight – but the need to survive in their world is strong and they ultimately decide that they’re going to need help if they want to live.
The character development for both Cyra and Akos throughout the story was compelling and with the spaceships, planets and stars, Carve The Mark was a gem among the diamond-like solar system. The Sci-Fi elements meets drama made for a story worth jumping into and getting lost in the pages. With enthralling enemies, raw and well-written characters and the hope for more of the believably magnificent story when Carve The Mark returns in this duo-logy, I am in awe at the way Veronica’s writing has evolved and grown. 
Overall, Carve The Mark is a story worth waiting for. With brave and bold characters, a story set in the stars and a lively plot to keep you hooked, you’ll be turning the pages faster than you think. Though it didn’t live up to Divergent (because that will forever be the best), I still thought that it was in an epic league of it’s own. Amazing!
Have you read Carve The Mark?

What did you think?

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

happy reading!

Speed Review: “The New Guy (and Other Senior Year Distractions)” by Amy Spalding

Title: The New Guy (and Other Senior Year Distractions)

Author: Amy Spalding

Published: April 5th, 2016

Publisher: Poppy

Find the Author: Goodreads


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



A ridiculously cute, formerly-famous new guy dropping into your life? It’s practically every girl’s dream.

But not Jules McCallister-Morgan’s.

I realize that on paper I look like your standard type-A, neurotic, overachiever. And maybe I am. But I didn’t get to be the editor of my school’s long-revered newspaper by just showing up*. I have one main goal for my senior year-early acceptance into my first choice Ivy League college-and I will not be deterred by best friends, moms who think I could stand to “live a little,” or boys.
At least, that was the plan before I knew about Alex Powell**.
And before Alex Powell betrayed me***.
I know what you’re thinking: Calm down, Jules. But you don’t understand. This stuff matters. This is my life. And I’m not going down without a fight.
—-
* Okay, I sort of did. But it’s a sore subject.
** I mean, I guess everyone knows about Alex Powell? Two years ago, you couldn’t go anywhere without hearing about viral video boy band sensation Chaos 4 All. Two years ago, Alex Powell was famous.
***Some people think I’m overreacting. But this. Means. War.

Filled with romance, rivalry, and passive-aggressive dog walking, Amy Spalding delivers a hilariously relatable high school story that’s sure to have you falling for The New Guy.

definition: a “speed review” is a meme on Pretty Little Memoirs, specialized for short reads, galley copies, reviews for lovereading.co.uk or novellas!

When I’m looking for a feel-good, YA Contemporary to get me out of a reading rut, I turn to my NetGalley shelf. I know I should read more eBooks but I’ve always preferred books in hand, you know? The feel of turning the pages and new book smell. But The New Guy (and Other Senior Year Distractions) drew me away from that and actually got me out of a Galley rut.

Jules McCallister-Morgan knows exactly what she wants and she’s not afraid to fight for it, either. Journalism is her great love, among striving to attend an Ivy-league school. When formerly major-famous Alex joins her school and she’s picked to give him a tour, she plays dumb to his viral famous nature. But just as quick as they became close, a wedge is driven between them. Knocked off her course, charismatic and snarky Jules fights her way to the top in this sweet, charming YA book. 

I was totally won over by The New Guy. Not only did it deliver what it promised, but there was a kick-ass heroine and brilliant character development too. It wasn’t overly complicated to get into and was a fun, great read. I love that reading it was a breeze and it was funny and smart and all the things a YA novel should be. How close Jules was to her Mom’s and Alex and Jules’s back-and-forth’s were some of the great highlights and I loved how Amy wrote their personalities so relateable. Definite four-star novel with poise and charisma. 

Have you read The New Guy (and Other Senior Year Distractions)?

What did you think?

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

happy reading!
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Book Review: “TimeBomb” by Scott K. Andrews

*NO SPOILERS REVIEW*


Title: TimeBomb

Author: Scott K. Andrews

Published: October 9th, 2014

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Find the Author: Goodreads


I received this for review from Hodder for review. As always, my reviews are fair and un-bias.




New York City, 2141: Yojana Patel throws herself off a skyscraper, but never hits the ground.

Cornwall, 1640: gentle young Dora Predennick, newly come to Sweetclover Hall to work, discovers a badly-burnt woman at the bottom of a flight of stairs. When she reaches out to comfort the dying woman, she’s knocked unconscious, only to wake, centuries later, in empty laboratory room.

On a rainy night in present-day Cornwall, seventeen-year-old Kaz Cecka sneaks into the long-abandoned Sweetclover Hall, determined to secure a dry place to sleep. Instead he finds a frightened housemaid who believes Charles I is king and an angry girl who claims to come from the future.

Thrust into the centre of an adventure that spans millennia, Dora, Kaz and Jana must learn to harness powers they barely understand to escape not only villainous Lord Sweetclover but the forces of a fanatical army… all the while staying one step ahead of a mysterious woman known only as Quil.

Time travel novels are becoming something brand new on my shelf, not to mention already taking over so much space over the other genres. Scott K. Andrews novel is heavy on the time-travel – in an amazing way – and the time spaces that the book covers are propelled into the past and future at the strike of a match. So I was definitely eager to get started on a new thrilling adventure. 
There’s Jana, a girl from New York in 2141 who gets pulled to the present day after she jumps off the top of a skyscraper, Dora; a young servant who finds herself pulled forward in time when she tries to help a dying woman who is severely hurt at the place she works, and then there’s Kaz; a young boy that finds both of them where Dora works. They all have different outlooks on what the world is at their current “times” they existed, like who was king and what the future and past is. They wonder why they were drawn together, but soon find themselves delving deep into a complex and mysterious world. Knowing they can only do this together, they band together to uncover the truth of what brought them to the same time and why. 
TimeBomb was a fast-paced, astounding novel that races in time, weaving into mystery and what lies within time itself. As the first book in a trilogy (yay!), we aren’t given all the answers just yet so some things were left a little complex, but that’s what I love about it – there’s still so much to the story that is out there and I’m excited to learn what this means for the characters. My favourite character was Jana who stood out to me a little more than the other characters and I felt like I connected with her more than Dora or Kaz, although they were each in turn interesting and far from standard characters. TimeBomb was filled with enigmatic, thrilling parts and I wasn’t bored at all reading it – my attention was fixed on the rushes through time and the fast-paced action that followed. 
Overall, TimeBomb is a novel you don’t want to miss, time-travel fans. It’ll leave you wanting to race through time to read the whole trilogy before it’s out. 
       

Time-travel fans and dystopia fans will love this change of genre!


What did you think of TimeBomb?

Who was your favourite character?

Let me know in the comments!

happy reading!
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Book Review: “Cursed” by Jennifer L. Armentrout

*NO SPOILERS REVIEW*

Title: Cursed

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Published: May 9th, 2013

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Find the Author: Goodreads

I received this for review from Hodder & Stoughton for review. As always, my reviews are fair and un-bias.




Dying sucks
…and high school senior Ember McWilliams knows firsthand.
After a fatal car accident, her gifted little sister brought her back. Now anything Ember touches dies. And that, well, really blows.
Ember operates on a no-touch policy with all living things–including boys. When Hayden Cromwell shows up, quoting Oscar Wilde and claiming her curse is a gift, she thinks he’s a crazed cutie. But when he tells her he can help control it, she’s more than interested. There’s just one catch: Ember has to trust Hayden’s adopted father, a man she’s sure has sinister reasons for collecting children whose abilities even weird her out. However, she’s willing to do anything to hold her sister’s hand again. And hell, she’d also like to be able to kiss Hayden. Who wouldn’t?
But when Ember learns the accident that turned her into a freak may not’ve been an accident at all, she’s not sure who to trust. Someone wanted her dead, and the closer she gets to the truth, the closer she is to losing not only her heart, but her life.
For real this time.

As a HUGE fan of Jennifer’s other standalone books and series, I was waiting for the moment when Cursed was next in my TBR pile. Mysterious and curiously eerie, Cursed was a different turn from Jennifer’s other novels and toward gifted characters out of the shadow of mythology and something other than what I’m used to with her writing (in a good way). Ember is our heroine in this novel, and after dying in a horrific car accident, is brought back to life by her little sister, who happens to be specially gifted. 
But with coming back to life, Ember got some side effects. Anything Ember touches…dies. 
Ember feels outcast by her new ability, but tries to control it being the sole guardian for her young sister, and because she’s changed into something different than solely “normal”, she has a no-touch policy for everything in place. Everything feels weird for Ember and she finds herself shunned from everything she used to know. 
But then Hayden shows up and changes everything she thought she knew about herself, her gift and her sister’s gift. He tells Ember that he’s been watching her and keeping an eye on her gift, curious and hidden away. Even though Ember thinks he’s a little crazy, she’s more than interested when he says he can help her control her power. Except if she wants that, then she also has to trust his adopted father, who “collects” children like her sister and her. People with gifts far stranger than she could have imagined – although she does find common ground there. 
But then there are more unveilings, like her “death” and how it’s far from an accident. Someone wanted her dead – and still does – and there might not be someone she can trust, even though it’s hard to resist Hayden’s claims. And charm.
Heart-stoppingly brilliant, addictive and thrilling, Cursed is a standalone book by one of my favourite authors that I wish was a series so I could read and read MORE about these characters! I was fascinated by how different Ember was from Jennifer’s previous heroines and how Cursed kept my attention throughout. Although it’s not my favourite book from Jennifer, it sure is one of the best. 
If you’re a fan of books “out there” with unique and interesting plots that weave between the normal and supernatural, Cursed is definitely the book for you. It was for me.

 The Hayden/Ember moments or the ending! This is a spoiler-free review, but believe me, this book is worth reading for the plot and conclusions itself!
 What did you think of Cursed? 

Did you think it was one of Jennifer’s best novels?

Let me know in the comments!

happy reading! (and happy 2015!)
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