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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: PERFECT by Cecelia Ahern (featuring a guest post by Cecelia!)

Title: Perfect (Flawed #2)

Author: Cecelia Ahern

Published: April 6th, 2017

Publisher: Harper Collins Children’s Books

Find the Author: Goodreads 


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

The thrilling, shocking and romantic sequel to the bestselling YA debut FLAWED is finally here. When we embrace all our flaws, that’s when we can finally become PERFECT…


Celestine North lives in a society that demands perfection. After she was branded Flawed by a morality court, Celestine’s life has completely fractured – all her freedoms gone.


Since Judge Crevan has declared her the number one threat to the public, she has been a ghost, on the run with the complicated, powerfully attractive Carrick, the only person she can trust. But Celestine has a secret – one that could bring the entire Flawed system crumbling to the ground.


Judge Crevan is gaining the upper hand, and time is running out for Celestine. With tensions building, Celestine must make a choice: save only herself, or risk her life to save all the Flawed. And, most important of all, can she prove that to be human in itself is to be Flawed…?

Review

I am a HUGE fan of Cecelia’s books, and have been since the day I read Where Rainbows End many years ago. Since then, her writing style has remained one of my all time favourites. I’ve always thought she fitted the Adult fiction world so flawlessly, but after reading Flawed last year, I knew she was a total contender to be a hit author in the YA league as well. I was so over the moon to be invited to be part of the Perfect tour that I actually did a small happy dance. 

Where we left off in Flawed, Celestine had a perfect life. She never put a foot out of place and was so well loved by everyone. So when she makes an impulsive decision when she encounters something she can’t ignore, the remnants of her life turn upside down. She could now be found flawed and imprisoned. Now in Perfect, Celestine knows that the society she lives in, the one that requires absolute perfection, has turned her back on her after she was found flawed by the court. Everything in her life she knew like the back of her hand has been totally shattered. With a target on her back after being deemed a threat to their society, Celestine has gone on the run with the only person she can trust, Carrick, but that’s just the beginning of what’s going to happen to her life. Her secrets could bring an end to the entire Flawed reality, and faced with the options of rescuing herself or the entire Flawed, she knows that there’s a thin line between being Flawed and just human. 

Perfect delivers an incredible follow up to Flawed. Not only does Cecelia’s writing soar beautifully, but my expectations were exceeded and blown away. Celestine is a fresh, brave and intricately foolproof character. I love how not only did the story take some turns that surprised me (emotionally and powerfully), but the love triangle was effortlessly done. The romance in YA literature, especially utopian and dystopian, can sometimes be cliche and come undone, but Cecelia knows her way around a gorgeous romance highlight to a story and she wrote it brilliantly. 

Overall, Perfect was the perfect (pun intended) end to this duology. I thoroughly found it engrossing and a unique turn on the dystopian genre. Celestine was such a memorable character and until I picked Perfect up after reading Flawed last year, I forgot just how much I loved reading about her. Cecelia never fails to impress! 5 stars. 


 

Tips for World Building by Cecelia Ahern

I wrote Flawed in 6 weeks which is the fastest time I’ve ever written a novel. I felt so passionately about the story, it just flooded out. However I wrote it without there being a very strong sense of place.  I understood my character and the story but the first draft had no real feeling for where it was set.  During the editing process I went on a city break to Prague with my husband and as soon as I set foot in the city I realised I had found my world for Flawed and Perfect. While my novels are set in a fictional country named Humming, in the capital city Highland, the city has a history and aesthetic very similar to Prague. I loved that it had darkness but also a fairy tale quality.  It had so much history, it had experienced great turmoil and also had great beauty. From the medieval palace to the baroque bridges, its town square with the astronomical clock that reveals the Walk of the Apostles on the hour, ending with the figure of death ringing the hour, to its fairytale houses surrounding the palace, I knew I had found a place that fit Celestine’s town. A place that had suffered in the past, a modern city rich with history, that was dark and light, and had many stories to tell.



Cecelia Ahern was born and grew up in Dublin. She is now published in nearly fifty countries, and has sold over twenty-five million copies of her novels worldwide. Two of her books have been adapted as films and she has created several TV series.

What did you think of the Flawed series?


Let me know in the comments, by using #PerfectlyFlawed on social media and don’t forget to stop by all the stops on this tour! I’m so honoured to be part of it.


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: “The Here And Now” by Ann Brashares


*NO SPOILERS REVIEW*


Title: The Here And Now

Author: Ann Brashares

Published: Janurary 1st, 2015

Publisher: Hodder Children’s Books

Find the Author: Goodreads


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

TIME TRAVEL AND FORBIDDEN ROMANCE FROM THE BEST SELLING AUTHOR OF THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELLING PANTS

Thrilling, exhilarating, haunting and heartbreaking, The Here and Now is a twenty-first-century take of an impossible romance.
There are rules.
Never reveal where you’re from. Never be intimate with anyone outside the community. And never interfere with history.
Seventeen-year-old Prenna James emigrated to New York when she was twelve. But Prenna didn’t come from a different country, she came from a different time – a future where a mosquito-borne illness has mutated into a pandemic, killing millions and leaving the world in ruins.
Prenna and the others who escaped to the present day must follow a strict set of rules. Prenna does as she’s told, believing she can help prevent the plague that will one day ravage the earth and take the lives of her younger brothers. But everything changes when she falls for Ethan.
She might be able to save the world … if she lets go of the one thing she’s found to hold on to.


The Sisterhood of The Travelling Pants series are some of my favourite literary gems from before I started blogging and the movies (including a third in the making!) are some of my most favourite ones to watch with my friends when we marathon fun, girly films. So taking all this into account, I was so excited to start what Ann Brashares had written next – and considering it was a time-travelling novel – it looked like it was exactly perfect for what I love to read. 

Prenna, the narrator and our main character, is a seventeen-year-old normal girl. Except when she was twelve, she emigrated to New York . . . from the future. In her future, Prenna’s time had become deadly. A mosquito-borne illness had become extremely deadly, spreading like wildfire, killing millions of people, leaving her time in great danger. Not everyone could escape from the future, but those who did into the present day banded together, following a set list of rules not to be broken, including never revealing where they are from and they can never interfere with history, let alone be involved intimately with anyone outside their community. This gave an intense, dramatic feel to the book and even though I hadn’t really connected with Prenna at this point, I still loved the uniqueness of the futuristic world Ann had created. 

As the novel grows, we start to see the romantic connection between Prenna and Ethan who have a sort of prior history to their actual first meeting. Still, Prenna does as she’s told by the community believing she can make a difference to the world. But with Ethan, it complicates things for her and the choices she thought she had already made to save the world she loves. It’s a tragic love between them and was very much a wrong place, wrong time and forbidden type of romance that’s as exciting as it was moving and saddening. I didn’t connect with Prenna until near the end where I could see many sides of her and completely understand her character, but when I did, I really saw how much her character had developed and that’s a thing I love about novels like this. 

Equal parts drama, romance and time-travel, The Here And Now was an absorbing, Sci-Fi novel that even though it was short at under 300 pages, was engaging and fateful simultaneously. For anyone who has read Ann’s previous writing and loves the way she creates memorable characters and plots, this is definitely for you. 

   


 Fans of Ann’s Sisterhood series and for Sci-Fi fans looking for a sweet and memorable quick read. 

 What did you think of The Here And Now? 

Did you think it lived up her Sisterhood series?

Let me know in the comments!

happy reading!
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Book Review: “Day 21 (The 100 #2)” by Kass Morgan

Title: Day 21 (The 100 #2)

Author: Kass Morgan
Genre: Young Adult – Science Fiction / Dystopia
Release Date: September 25th, 2014
Published by: Hodder Paperbacks


I received this from Hodder in exchange for an honest review. As always, my reviews are fair and non-bias. 
                                                                       

In this pulse-pounding sequel to Kass Morgan’s The 100, secrets are revealed, beliefs are challenged, and relationships are tested. And the hundred will struggle to survive the only way they can – together.

Now a major TV series on E4. In this pulse-pounding sequel to Kass Morgan’s The 100, secrets are revealed, beliefs are challenged, and relationships are tested. And the hundred will struggle to survive the only way they can – together.


It’s been 21 days since The 100 landed on Earth. They’re the only humans to set foot on the planet in centuries… or so they thought. Facing an unknown enemy, Wells attempts to keep the group together. Clarke strikes out for Mount Weather, in search of other Colonists, while Bellamy is determined to rescue his sister, no matter the cost. And back on the ship, Glass faces an unthinkable choice between the love of her life and life itself.

Kass Morgan’s name is on my favourite YA Authors list and I don’t see it moving anytime soon. I was won over by the amazing The 100 when I read it in August last year and it quickly crept up as being one of my favourite TV show adaptions, too! I was enthralled by everything The 100 and with the arrival of Day 21, it was a happy day for a girl who loves to read. 


I thought The 100 couldn’t be beaten in this series – but Day 21 went and did it, knocking it right off the shelf (pun intended). In The 100, it set the scene for the second book to swiftly pick back up on all the chaos and heart-racing action.
It’s been Day 21 days (like the book title) since the Hundred stepped onto the unknown surfaces of Earth. But the drama doesn’t just happen on Earth, there’s still a ton of anarchic things happening on the ship. We get the story through the eyes of the narrators from the last novel; Clarke (my favourite), Bellamy, Wells and Glass, and it’s actually refreshing to get to see everything in a panoramic style, so that none of the action with each different character goes missed. Even when the POV’s changed, I was still gripped to the increasingly action packed storyline that became hard to put down. 
The plot picks up right from where The 100 ended, but before long, wars with a new unfamiliar enemy stir up and the Hundred are faced with more dilemmas and commotion than previously. Their loyalties are tested, Bellamy for his sister’s safety, Glass for the love of her life; Luke, whereas Wells is the foundation of keeping the group stable and Clarke is the determined and courageous girl she has been from the first book, trying to find Mount Weather at what ever the cost. 
Overall, Day 21 is an addition to The 100 series that is unmissable, breathtaking and out of this world. The rollercoaster of the ship, the newfound land of Earth and characters that burst out of the pages with lively and electrifying personalities, make this series a 5 star one by far. If you haven’t started The 100 series, you’re missing out on something heart-stopping and thrilling on your bookshelf. Kass Morgan has written yet another stunning dystopian novel that’s sure to be on everyone’s shelf this year. 5 stars and more. 
And with that ending – I can’t wait for book three! 



Clarke’s POV moments have always stolen the book for me, but I loved getting to see the action on the ship in Day 21, and the incredible POV of Glass really crept up on me as a new favourite.


YA Dystopia and Science Fiction fans! And of course, for fans of the show!


Have you read Day 21?


What did you think?


Tell me in the comments, on twitter or by using the hashtag #Day21 or #the100



happy reading!

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Book Review: “Red Rising” by Pierce Brown

Title: Red Rising

Author: Pierce Brown 
Genre: Young Adult – Dystopia/Fantasy
Release Date: September 25th, 2014
Published by: Hodder & Stoughton 


I received this from Hodder & Stoughton in exchange for an honest review. As always, my reviews are fair and non-bias. 

Darrow is a Red, a member of the lowest caste in the color-coded society of the future. 

 Like his fellow Reds, he works all day, believing that he and his people are making the surface of Mars livable for future generations. Yet he spends his life willingly, knowing that his blood and sweat will one day result in a better world for his children. 
But Darrow and his kind have been betrayed. Soon he discovers that humanity reached the surface generations ago. Vast cities and sprawling parks spread across the planet. Darrow– and Reds like him– are nothing more than slaves to a decadent ruling class.
Inspired by a longing for justice, and driven by the memory of lost love, Darrow sacrifices everything to infiltrate the legendary Institute, a proving ground for the dominant Gold caste, where the next generation of humanity’ s overlords struggle for power. He will be forced to compete for his life and the very future of civilization against the best and most brutal of Society’ s ruling class. 
There, he will stop at nothing to bring down his enemies . . . even if it means he has to become one of them to do so.

This book definitely intrigued me right from it’s synopsis. I’m a HUGE dystopian fan, so I’m always looking out for new ones in the genre – and Red Rising looked like it fitted everything I look for in my dystopia literature.
Dystopian books seem to be literally everywhere at the moment with all the success of YA books turned-to-film like Hunger Games, The Maze Runner and Divergent, and I won’t be the only one to say how I would immediately go and see Red Rising on the big screen. 
Darrow, our main character, is a Red, a helldiver – an extremely dangerous type of miner on Mars, unlike the Golds, who are better than them in the society. He married his childhood sweetheart at sixteen and like all the Reds around him, he works everyday, making the surface of Mars ready for the future population to live on. He does this because ultimately, he knows it will someday benefit his future children and not just his future family, but others. It’s not long before he finds out that everything he knows – and everyone around him – has been a massive lie. Mars is already habitable and has been for a very long time. Now, he is thrust into being the one to save the Reds – he must become the best Gold he can, whilst pervading their system. He has to be the best he can be – better than all the rest – to attack them from the inside of their own region. But the Golds are lethal, treacherous people, who kill or be killed.
Red Rising is a thrilling ride of dark, gritty and remarkable characters and plot. Pierce Brown has created a dystopian world full of phenomenal twists and a roller-coaster of betrayal and a mystic, enigmatic tale. He created a magnificent hero of Darrow, a character that just joined my top favourites in a series – competition for Katniss and Tris!
Overall, Red Rising is perfect for fans of The Hunger Games and The Maze Runner – they would join the already growing fans of the series and tear them from the shelves. This is definitely going to be the next big thing in YA literature!



The quote that stuck with me was definitely:

“Love and war are two different battlefields.” 

Fans of YA and Adult dystopia and fantasy. If you’ve finished The Hunger Games, Divergent and The Maze Runner, PICK THIS UP! 

Have you read Red Rising?


What did you think?


Tell me in the comments, on twitter or by using the hashtag #RedRising

happy reading!

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Book Review: “Multiversum” by Leonardo Patrignani

Title: Multiversum (Multiversum #1)

Author: 
Genre: Young Adult – Dystopia/Fantasy
Release Date: September 11th, 2014
Published by: Scribe UK


I received this from Scribe UK in exchange for an honest review. As always, my reviews are fair and non-bias. 

A spellbinding adventure and a captivating tale of first love…


Alex and Jenny are sixteen. He lives in Milan; she, in Melbourne. For the past four years, they have glimpsed each other at random moments, while they are both unconscious — a telepathic communication that occurs without warning.


During one of these episodes, they manage to arrange a meeting. But on the day, though they are standing in the same place at the same time, each of them cannot see the other. This leads them to a startling discovery: they live in different dimensions. In Jenny’s world, Alex is someone else. And in Alex’s world, Jenny died at the age of six.


As they try to find each other, the Multiverse threatens to implode and disappear, but Jenny and Alex must meet — the future of the Earth depends on it.

When I was first introduced to Multiversum, I was so thrilled to get the chance to read a translated YA novel from Italian – not to mention how the genre plays right into my favourite things to read – so I couldn’t wait to get started reading. 


Multiversum opens right up into the world of Alex and Jenny, seemingly ordinary teenagers if it wasn’t for the fact that they could communicate in random moments telepathically, their voices intertwining in each others minds at any given moment. Although they can just barely utter a few words through these moments together – the far from nice experiences – one time, they manage to exchange their locations and place of meeting, and from there, it takes Alex and Jenny on a roller-coaster of an adventure neither of them were expecting.
Alex is just your regular teenager from Milan. He likes sports, particularly basketball – and is even team Captain – and spends his nights hanging out with his best friend. Jenny is like Alex too, a champion swimmer and smart student from Melbourne. But when they try to meet, a disaster strikes when they discover that in each others worlds, Jenny has died in Alex’s and in her world, Alex is someone different. 
Now startled with this evidence and the constant struggle of trying to reach each other through the Multiverse with no one believing their claims of knowing each other and discovery of living in different dimensions, everything they know and are begins to shatter beneath them. 
Multiversum is quite a page-turner, and although in places I got a little lost within their complex world, it was an addictive read. Alex and Jenny are lively and play off each other amazingly and I loved their relationship – the friendship and romantic element – and their story was very compelling. The different dimensions that they lived in was a highlight of the book for me, particularly because it was a unique, enthralling addition to their story unlike any books similar. 
Overall, Multiversum is not to be missed for Fantasy fans who want a little extra spark in their novels. A brilliant, read-worthy novel that I’m extremely looking forward to continuing in the series! 

I loved how Multiversum began and even though the endings are usually my favourite parts like cliff-hangers and happy endings, the introduction to their worlds was by far my favourite.

YA Fantasy, Dystopian or Science Fiction fans will love this without a doubt, especially if you’re looking for something different. 

Have you read Multiversum?


What did you think?


Tell me in the comments, on twitter or by using the hashtag #Multiversum

happy reading!

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Book Review: “Shatter Me” by Tahereh Mafi {a.k.a. one of the best books EVER.}


Title: Shatter Me (Shatter Me #1)

Author: Tahereh Mafi 
Genre: Young Adult – Dystopia
Release Date: November 15th, 2011
Other Books by Author: Unravel Me, Destroy Me, Ignite Me 
Published by: Harper 
Purchase at: Amazon, B&N, Book Depository

I bought this book myself! As always, my reviews and opinions are completely my own and not bias in any way.


Juliette hasn’t touched anyone in exactly 264 days. 
The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal. As long as she doesn’t hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color. 
The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war – and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she’s exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

As soon as I finished the Divergent series in October/November time, I was looking for a new Dystopian series to sink my teeth into. I heard literally so many amazing things about Shatter Me on Instagram and Twitter, where the series had a huge following, so I picked it up easily, knowing it was quite clearly loved everywhere. 

There are so many pretty incredible things about Shatter Me that would take up pages and pages of writing and adoration complete amazement for the characters and I won’t even be able to describe how much I loved Tahereh’s writing style, so I thought that I would sum them up with a three main things that I loved about the plot, to start; 
Juliette and Adam – I love how Tahereh made their relationship based on a previous meeting in their earlier childhoods, because when they reconnected and when they talked, I could really tell that they really knew each other like an old friend. Not to mention how protective they both are of each other. Juliette is such a gentle, caring person, but when it comes to Adam, she will fight to the death. She broke through a wall to save him, because she loves him and that really did show.
Juliette and Warner – Okay, I’m not even sure why they worked, but they just did. From early on, I could tell in little flickers of information that Warner held a candle for Juliette, but as soon as I knew she could touch him, like Adam, I was like; I knew it! They weren’t “right” for each other. Juliette was kept in an Asylum that Warner was kind of in charge of, and instead of letting her go or even caring more, he kept her and wanted to use her as a weapon, and still, when that incident happened near the end of the book with Warner and Juliette, for a moment, they were “right” for each other. And then, if you read the book, YOU know what happened to him. 
And Omega Point – this place baffles me so much. I was so glad that a place like that existed, but never in my wildest dreams of reading this book did I imagine what happened within those Rebel walls that it contained people with those sorts of abilities. So, that element was a HUGE surprise for me. 

Juliette was such a strong person on the inside (and out), that her narration, even when she was feeling vulnerable and weak, lit up the pages like fireflies. I couldn’t really compare Juliette’s narration to anything I’ve read before, but she had a very bold personality alike Tris (from Divergent), that ultimately made me hooked and commanded to continue reading constantly. 
Adam, who I was certain I might hate after the first few chapters in the Asylum with Juliette, turned out to be my second favourite character of the book. I’m definitely hoping that him and Juliette do get a chance at things in book two (no spoilers please!) because they did have something I just can’t explain that was just, to put it simply; beautiful. 
As for Warner, he was in my opinion, a broken person. I think that he had been through a lot that we haven’t maybe seen yet and that he did have some sort of fascination with Juliette that came across in two different ways in alternate chapters; strange and adoring. It was nice getting to have a peak into his imagination in the back of Shatter Me with the journal/log entries. I do really want to see his character explored a little more and yes, even though I am team Juliette/Adam for now, I want to see how things with him and Juliette would’ve played out. 
Kenji! He was quite the character. He reminded me a lot of Patch from Hush, Hush, just because of his charisma and how I can imagine him making a joke of everything, not forgetting that he hit on Juliette multiple times with Adam around, and would risk her deadly touch. He was just a real fun character to have as a sort-of sidekick and the ending chapters for me when a secret of his was revealed, I was totally taken aback! In a really good way. 

I can’t put into words how brilliant enchantingly phenomenal Shatter Me truly is. I can’t wait to start Unravel Me as soon as I can, but will say that even after that last page was closed, I’m still thinking about it! Tahereh really does know how to write a story to get hooked on. Time to join the fandom for this one, I guess! Big fan. 




Have you read Shatter Me?

What did you think? 

Tell me in the comments or at @LittleMemoirs on twitter!

happy reading!
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Book Review: “Pawn” (The Blackcoat Rebellion #1) by Aimée Carter



Title: Pawn  (The Blackcoat Rebellion #1)

Author: Aimée Carter
Genre: Young Adult – Dystopian
Release Date: January 3rd, 2014

Other Books by Author: The Goddess Test (The Goddess Test #1),  Goddess Interrupted (The Goddess Test #2)

Published by: Mira Ink


With thanks to Mira Ink for the eBook galley copy of this novel! As always, my reviews are non-bias and fair.

Are you more than the number on the back of your neck? 

For Kitty Doe, it seems like an easy choice. She can either spend her life as a III in misery, looked down upon by the higher ranks and forced to leave the people she loves, or she can become a VII and join the most powerful family in the country. 
If she says yes, Kitty will be Masked—surgically transformed into Lila Hart, the Prime Minister’s niece, who died under mysterious circumstances. As a member of the Hart family, she will be famous. She will be adored. And for the first time, she will matter.

There’s only one catch. She must also stop the rebellion that Lila secretly fostered. The same one that got her killed…and one Kitty believes in. 
Faced with threats, conspiracies and a life that’s not her own, she must decide which path to choose—and learn how to become more than a pawn in a twisted game she’s only beginning to understand.

I have been dying to get my hands on Pawn for quite some time. Dystopian novels are very rarely dull for me, and I get on with them like a house on fire. So I was super happy when I got a Galley from Mira Ink to read Pawn and all it’s enthralling enticements!

Pawn will always be a favourite of mine – the first book I read of 2014, too! Not to mention in just a few days I read it all (and insomnia-fueled nights…). 

I was surprised with every new turn of events and it wasn’t at all predictable or similar to anything out there…

It’s so clear to me that my favourite thing about Pawn is it’s unique telling of Dystopia at it’s best. The futuristic United States was so believable and well-detailed that it truly seemed like that could actually exist. As with all Dystopian novels, there is something that makes that world different to our own present day one, and Aimée Carter’s novel focuses more on the Society and Political aspects, where you’re given a number from a test on your 17th birthday. 5 or over is really good, 2 and 3 are ordinary, and 1 is…well, one. 
Kitty, our narrator, get’s offered a seven, which means that she would have to become a different person all together. She would be Masked. She would become Lila Hart, the Prime Minister’s niece who died suspiciously. Kitty would have everything rich and famous, not to mention loved and above all, she would be at the top of Society and not looked down on by the higher ranks as a three. 
I was drawn into Pawn and couldn’t take my eyes away. I’ve read many Dystopian novels over this past year (and the rest, ha ha) but this one was special. Not only did it make me envious that this wasn’t my book, but it made me think about the plot and mystery even when I had put the book down and the last pages were read. 
That’s what I call a five-star read. A game changer. 

Kitty was the lead character and of course I liked her best. She was smart, wise and headstrong, all the best things we like in our lead heroines. Even when she was Lila, she was still the Kitty we loved at heart. Seeing her personality stay the same was one of my favourite parts of the transformation between Kitty and Lila. How often can you actually get to walk in someone else’s shoes? It’s such an original plot. 
Aside from being newly rich and loved, Kitty still had a boyfriend; Benji. He was sweet and so loyal to her. Even when she had to let him go and leave him behind, they were reunited soon after and I was pleasantly surprised that the romance in the book was very subtle and didn’t divide the Dystopian setting. Just a hint of romance. 
Though, Lila had a fiancé, which meant Kitty now had a fiancé. And his name was Knox. There was some unmissable chemistry between him and Kitty, that I wasn’t sure would possibly develop into something else…but I’m hoping for Kitty and Benji, because they were the sweetest. I can’t wait to see what happens with these characters and the rest when the series continues! Definitely one to watch. 

This is an unmissable, stunning dystopian novel with the unique and unpredictable aspects that everyone loves.  In a league of it’s own, truly.

Recommendations: for anyone who loves YA Dystopia or Post-Apocalyptic novels will love this. If you’re looking for your first dystopian read, then Pawn is also a great starting point and will set a huge bar that so many can’t beat. If you’re a fan of Aimée’s other novels and love her writing style, then you’ll definitely want this one on your shelf!


Have you read “Pawn“?

What did you think? 

Tell me in the comments or at @LittleMemoirs on twitter!
happy reading!
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Start of the Year: Book Survey 2014

Welcome to 2014…and to a ton more reads this year! I thought I’d kick off the year with a little book survey on Pretty Little Memoirs to set the mood for my anticipations for the year of books! 

Feel free to take part by copying the picture (or making your own) and don’t forget to leave your link in the comments so I can stop by! 



1. My most highly anticipated read of 2014

It’s most definetely got to be Isla and the Happily Ever After. I’ve been dying to read this for soooo long. It’s release date was changed a few times so I’m praying it’s going to be released in March like Goodreads says, because I just love Stephanie’s books. *fingers crossed*


2. The top three books I’m looking forward to this year that I’ve featured on my blog (either in saying or in a Waiting on Wednesday post, etc)

Isn’t it obvious that these are just all going to be AMAZING?! Jenny Han, Veronica Roth and Amy Plum? Incredible x3.

3. Anticipated 2014 Contemporary

I am beyond excited for Huntley Fitzpatrick’s What I Thought Was True. My Life Next Door set a very high bar, so I’m in high anticipation for this one.


4. Anticipated 2014 Dystopian

I just started this series (with the reviews to come soon this month!) so I’m going to race to get this when it’s out. Tahereh Mafi has just become one of my top favourites so quickly.


5. Most anticipated new (to me or completely new) author of 2014

I’ve seen this one around for so long, and I just need to find out what it’s like already!


6. The last in a series I’m reading this year

AHH. I am counting the days!

7. Looking back on 2013; favourite author I’m looking forward to reading more of

I read Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour in Summer 13′, and I got Second Chance Summer recently, too, and ultimately fell for Morgan’s writing style and addictive characters.

8. A series (new or old) that I must start this year

I totally missed this series while everyone was loving it, so feeling Christmas-y, I got myself the six-series pack and am planning something in the challenge-ish side of things for Vampire Academy. Oh, and that film trailer! I will be in line so fast for it.


9. A standalone book that I missed out on / haven’t read (and everyone loves)

How did I not read this?! 


10. Book that set a high level for being amazing, that I’m looking for a book to outdo

Katie is up there with my very favourite authors, and I’ve been addicted to the Pushing The Limits series ever since book one. Crash Into You just blew me away, and I can’t wait for the series to continue with Take Me On this year!


11. Three things I hope happen on my blog this year (book-related or not)

1. Lots of challenges – like I said up with my Vampire Academy feature, I want to take more reading risks! That’s how favourites are found, when I’m least looking for them.

2. All the anticipated releases knock the others off the shelf – I love it when a series is constantly trumped with every new addition, so with a lot of series coming to an end or expanding this year, I’m hoping they’ll all blow the competition away.

3. Newfound everything – I’m just looking forward to finding new blog’s that I love, new music, new books, new everything. 

12. Best thing I learnt about books from 2013

The best thing I learnt was that there is no limit to how creative and imaginative a novel can be and that you can’t know when a book is going to sneak up on you and be like I’m your new favourite! Sky’s the limit.


So, if you feel like picking your anticipations for 2014 or just joining in for fun, post your link in the comments so I can visit your blog!


happy reading!

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Review: “Allegiant” by Veronica Roth {SPOILER VERSION}

*Spoiler Version – to see the spoiler-free version, click here. *





Title: Allegiant (Divergent, #3)
Author: Veronica Roth
Genre: Young Adult – Dystopian
Release Date: October 22nd, 2013

Other Books by Author: Divergent, Insurgent, Free Four, The Initiate, The Transfer, The Traitor 

Published by: Katherine Tegen Books (USA) Harper Collins, (UK)


I bought this book myself. As always, my reviews are non-bias and fair.




The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories. 

But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love. 

Told from a riveting dual perspective, Allegiant, by #1 New York Times best-selling author Veronica Roth, brings the Divergent series to a powerful conclusion while revealing the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent.

 I’ve loved Divergent and Insurgent and so reading Allegiant was ultimately always going to happen. I started reading this a few weeks after it’s release date (*it was spoiler-central everywhere in October and most of November*) because I wanted to wait until everything online had died down. And also because I was reading a few things at that time, so when I finally picked it up…there were a lot of thoughts to process!

*Another warning: this WILL be a spoiler version! If you haven’t read Allegiant, please click > here < to read the non-spoiler version*


I had read a few spoilers online but didn’t take anything into consideration when I started reading Allegiant. I wanted to read it for myself and not take anyone else’s word for it, although I did see that Veronica had to explain the ending because of some really bad reactions to the conclusion, so I ultimately knew something bad had upset some of the fans at the ending of the series. That being said, this is Veronica’s series and I’m 100% sure she wouldn’t just be reckless with characters for effect unless it was her initial plan all along, so I didn’t take that to heart, even though it maybe would come as a shock if a favourite character of mine had died or something. 

 My favourite book from the series (even after reading all three, now) would be Divergent. It was the book that made me fall for the series, so it will always be my number one. And although Insurgent packed a punch with it’s action-packed plot and discoveries, Allegiant will be my second favourite. I was so excited when they left the confinement of Chicago and went to the Fringe. It wasn’t just exciting for the characters, but because this was a revelation; they had no idea that the world just didn’t work like that. Seeing the characters also out of their comfort zone was intriguing, like Tris on the aeroplane or Christina and Uriah’s new found friendship. 
I was so intrigued in the concept of Natalie, Tris’s mother, having come from the Fringe and been sent into the city posing as a Dauntless to save Divergent’s lives, because the system was stopping them from living. Then she quit her mission, sort of, by stopping full communication with the outsiders, because she fell in love with Tris’s father. But she never stopped fighting for the lives of the Divergent. She was brave, too.
Tobias’s mother, Evelyn, was initially the enemy, but I’m glad that when things wrapped up, that that relationship could be repaired. Mended, you could say. I’m also so happy that Tris forgave Caleb. I know all the things he did in Insurgent and betraying her in Divergent, were really terrible, but knowing that she would die for him, *which she…did* meant so much for their brother/sister bond. 
Then there was Tobias being lead astray by Nita. I knew right away that she wasn’t a very reliable character when she asked him to hide things from Tris. And what happened with the explosion and trauma at the Fringe was just to prove all the trouble she had roped Tobias into. It not only put Uriah into a coma, but it destroyed Tris and Tobias’s relationship for the most of the middle of the novel. I was really pleased that they patched things up and were stronger than ever at the end, because of the inevitable. 
But the highlight of the novel for me would always be how Tris changed Chicago, and more, with her legacy. She helped the Divergent. She stopped wars. In her sixteen years, she did so much to help others and risked her life for them every time she took her bravery to the next level. She will always be one of the best characters I’ve ever read about and it was truly amazing to have read her story.

 Tris was…herself. Brave, selfless, hasty and curious. She had changed a little from Insurgent, because I think seeing outside of Chicago had changed her. She could see growing up somewhere else, and a new beginning. But she put all that aside to save the people she loved, most importantly Tobias, and her brother Caleb. I was distraught when she died toward the end. Seeing the way Tobias, Caleb and Christina were afterwards was so heartbreaking. Tobias had lost the last person he could trust and the love of his life, Caleb had betrayed a sister that he loved and just barely got his forgiveness, and Christina had lost her last best friend. But what came of this was a new-found friendship for Tobias and Christina, and that was really amazing to see. 
Having the split point-of-view’s was interesting. There was a slight distinction between the two voices but I can understand how some people say they sound alike. But Tris and Tobias were a lot alike, so that’s how I understood it. It was definitely great to see how Tris through someone else’s eyes. One of my favourite quotes that Tobias said about Tris was in a short chapter towards the end about when he first saw her jump first in Divergent. About how her eyes were so stern, so insistent. Beautiful. THAT was a tear-worthy chapter. 
I was so sad to see Tori die so early on, even after her brother wasn’t dead after all, and he was safe inside the Fringe. It was devastating, alike Uriah dying and seeing Zeke and Hana say goodbye to him. The, well, I guess it was a sort of farewell to Tris, on the zip-line when Tobias faces his fear to spread her ashes…that was *beautiful*. 
And when Tris is dying, that moment when she sees her Mom…I was just so happy and sad, simultaneously. She had finally finished what her mother had started, saved so many lives and the city. She had been the bravest, most selfless of all.  Another cry-worthy scene. 


This finale to the Divergent series was incredible. I cried, I laughed, I smiled. There was so much going on and a lot to take in inside one book, but it was entirely worth the ending for Tris to have this massive legacy and to have read this journey. Of course, everyone would say if they could change the deaths of the characters, they would, but I think they made the book what it is. You can’t have all these brave people risking their lives in a city in ruins and not have any of them die. It’s unrealistic. So, thank you; Veronica. For making this book real, amazing and without a doubt the book of the year. 
*See below to check out what I listened to when I read Allegiant!*



Have you read Allegiant?

What did you think? 

Tell me in the comments or at @LittleMemoirs on twitter!
happy reading…and BE BRAVE.
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Book Review: “Aberrant” by Ruth Silver

  

Title: Aberrant (#1)

Author: Ruth Silver
Genre: Young Adult – Dystopian
Release Date:  September 23rd 2013
Published by: Patchwork Press
With thanks to Patchwork Press for the eBook galley copy of this novel! As always, my reviews are non-bias and fair.


AUTHOR SITE | TWITTER  | GOODREADS

In the future dystopian
society of Cabal, the government instills equality for all and offers
its citizens the perfect system. There is food, shelter and jobs for
everyone. The one requirement is to follow the rules without question,
including the government’s match in marriage and “The Day of the
Chosen”, a lottery that randomly selects families to conceive children
as natural means hasn’t existed in generations. Following her eighteenth
birthday, Olivia Parker accepts her requirement to marry her childhood
best friend, Joshua Warren, and is eager to start her work assignment
and new life when it all comes abruptly to an end as she’s arrested and
thrown in prison. 
The only crime committed, her existence. Olivia is
unlike the rest of the world born not from “The Day of the Chosen.” The
truth haunts the government and puts her life in grave danger as one
simple fact would destroy the perfect system.

With Joshua’s
help, Olivia breaks free of prison and is forced on the run. Together
they set out to find the promised rebel town in search of a new home and
new life together. Their situation seems less than promising as they
reach the town of Haven. New rules and customs must be adhered to in
order to stay. Leaving would mean most certain death in the large
expanse of the Gravelands. Time is running out as the government mounts
an attack to destroy Olivia and bury her secret with her. Thrown into a
world unlike their own, they must quickly adapt to survive.

Unique dystopian premises always catch my eye and Aberrant sounded like mix between The Hunger Games and maybe with a dash of Divergent in there somewhere with the whole “perfect system” element, so I was super eager to read this.

 The world that Ruth Silver created in Aberrant had me hooked instantly. 
The beginning was a very light and steady introduction to the dystopian world, the characters; Olivia; the main character and Joshua; her childhood best friend and future “match” to be married to when she turned eighteen. But unknown to her, Olivia isn’t like the others and is quickly thrown in jail for being brought into the world differently to everyone else and not from the Day of the Chosen. Joshua soon helps her escape and together they go on the run for answers and seek refuge in a new beginning together. 
The rules in each town, like Haven and Cabal alike, are very different. So when Olivia and Joshua reach the town of Haven, the system is quite different to get used to and to stay, they have to adapt to this new way. But they are forced to stay knowing that the government is plotting to destroy her and then her secret and Olivia will be gone forever, so you’ll see just why Aberrant is so addictive once you know how these surprising elements keep creeping up and mixing up the appeal with every new unveiling.

I can’t imagine living in a world where everything is selected for me; like absolutely everything–things that make us individuals. It was believable and unpredictable, fast-paced and enthralling in addition. There was strength in the core of the plot, with it’s captivating premise and overall package of promise and connectivity to the characters was great, too.

 Olivia was the main character in Aberrant, and although the story is very much about her and how this secret of who she truly is being released into the public knowledge, I couldn’t connect with her fully. I was still mesmerized by the plot and it’s structure, and although Olivia was a perplex and interesting character, on a level of 1 to 10 I probably connected with her around a 6, which is still understanding her to some level. Nevertheless, her and Joshua were a great team of characters that I felt is quite rare to read of in a book.

 Overall, Aberrant is a quick-paced and surprising novel for fans of all the best Dystopia out there at the moment, including Ally Condie and Suzanne Collins. I was very impressed and loved reading Aberrant. It was one of those books that is just really easy to get into and leaves you with a feeling that you’ve read an amazing story at the end. 
Loved it.

 

Have you read Aberrant?

What did you think? 
Tell me in the comments or at @LittleMemoirs on twitter!
happy reading!
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