Tag: #review

Rebel Springs by Morgan Rhodes

5 Comments

rebel spring

Rebel Springs by Morgan Rhodes

Published: July 15th 2014 by Razorbill

Auranos has been conquered and the three kingdoms—Auranos, Limeros, and Paelsia—are now unwillingly united as one country called Mytica. But alluring, dangerous magic still beckons, and with it the chance to rule not just Mytica, but the world. . . .

CLEO is now a prisoner in her own palace, forced to be an ambassador for Mytica as the evil King Gaius lies to her people MAGNUS stands to eventually inherit the new kingdom but is still obsessed with his feelings for his adopted sister, Lucia LUCIA is haunted by the deadly outcome of her breathtaking display of magic that allowed her father to capture the kingdoms JONAS watches at the palace gates, a troop of rebels behind him, waiting for him to tell them how he plans to overtake King Gaius When Gaius announces that a road is to be built into the Forbidden Mountains, formally linking all of Mytica together, he sets off a chain of cataclysmic events that will forever change the face of this land.

Since the final book in this series was recently published, I thought it was probably a good time to return to this series! Whilst I found the plot enjoyable, there were other aspects of this book that I really struggled with which were ultimately a let down.

As mentioned, I enjoyed the plot. Despite the jumping between various PoVs (characters who are located a various different places on the continent(?)), the plot was extremely easy to follow and it was interesting watching all the various points start to come together as the characters begin to have similar goals – albeit for different reasons. I liked the magical aspect of this book and the mystery that surrounds the watchers, the kindred etc.

I enjoyed the various different PoVs! I feel that Rhodes did a great job of making each voice unique and, in doing so, the voices didn’t bleed together. I could easily put the book down mid chapter (which I try not to do) and come back and remember who’s PoV I was reading because the voices are unique. They all have their own personalities and each one brought something different to the story.

I am so intrigued by the prince of Kaesia. We don’t get to see a lot of him in this book, but he is such a mysterious figure and I cannot wait until we find to more about him and what is role will be in the bigger picture! I am also low key ready to jump aboard a particular ship if the canon develops – that is all I am saying.

I struggled with the romance element of this book. A lot of it felt forced and I wasn’t really getting any of the feels from the characters who were claiming to be into Cleo. I liked the fact that Cleo and Magnus’ relationship is one that will probably grow and develop as the series continues because it is a slow burn that I will probably enjoy more. I honestly don’t understand why everyone keeps flinging themselves at Cleo because there hasn’t really been a build up of emotions before declaring love – I feel like Cleo needs to arm herself with a bat so she can keep them all away!

Despite the fact that I enjoyed the plot, I am relatively sure I have already figured out the complete end game based off of the prophecy – I just don’t know whats going to happen to actually get there. Everything clicked into place when the prophecy was revealed and I wish that there was more of a mystery to the plot – it was a little to predictable in this sense.

Another aspect of this book that I don’t really understand is the skepticism of magic. A big portion of the book is the characters denouncing the existence of magic and them being skeptical about it… despite the fact that IT IS IN FRONT OF THEIR EYES!! This literally makes no sense to me. They have seen magic and that it exists, but they still refuse to believe it? This elicited a lot of eye rolling from me.

All in all, while I enjoyed the plot and there were intriguing aspects, there were still some flaws that I felt could have been addressed. I am looking forward to picking up the next book in this series and finding out how things will play out to the ultimate end goal. I gave this book 4/5 stars.

Mercy Rule by Tom Leveen

3 Comments

MR

Mercy Rule by Tom Leveen

Published: February 20th 2018 by Sky Pony Press

Danny’s parents yanked him from the art school that let him wear a kilt and listen to bands that no one’s heard of. Now he’s starting sophomore year at the public high school–the one with the gymnasium at the heart of the building and the glorified athletes who rule it all. The smart thing would be to blend in, but Danny has always been about making statements.

Brady just wants to get out. Go to college, play football, maybe reach the NFL. He definitely wants to stop waiting for his deadbeat mother to come home, sleeping on park benches, and going to bed hungry. But first he has to lead the team to the championships. It all adds up to a lot of stress. So who can really blame him when he and the football team turn their aggressions on the new freak? Even the quarterback needs to blow off steam sometimes.

Coach turns a blind eye to his players’ crimes–because this year, they’re going to States. But maybe if Coach had paid more attention they could’ve caught it before it all happened. Maybe it could’ve been avoided.

Maybe.

With quick cuts between a large cast of unforgettable characters, and razor-sharp plotting, Tom Leeven takes readers on a countdown to an inevitable, horrifying act. This gripping novel offers an intense, smart perspective on the tragic, toxic mindsets behind the celebrated American sport and the monsters it creates.

This has been a highly anticipated read of mine since I discovered it at the end of last year on GR. I was so excited to grab my copy when it released – but I’m left with mixed feelings. I loved the idea behind this book and the different societal issues it represents, but I feel like it could have been better. There’s a lot I want to say and I don’t want to give out spoilers, so some parts might seem a little vague.

What I liked about this book was the fact that it focused on the build up toward the crime that was committed. It showed off a variety of different reasons as to why the character did what they did (I don’t want to give away who). Leveen also did a great job of showing the signs of what wa going to happen and who was going commit the crime from the beginning.I liked the fact that the characters never saw the signs, but w as outsiders (readers) do because that’s how it usually happens in real life. I often read book based on this subject matter and it usually focuses on the event itself or the aftermath, so it was a refreshing change to focus on what happens before hand and the fact that everyone processes things in a different way.

I also feel that Leveen did a great job in showing a variety of different issues that led up to what happened at the end. A lot of boson this subject matter focus on one particular issue and call it a day – which I don’t think is a fair representation. Leveen managed to intertwine every aspect of a persons life to really show how far someone gets pushed before they do the unthinkable – drugs, mental issues that were not properly dealt with and cared for, familial issues, school issues etc.

I have mixed feelings about the multiple POV’s. I liked the fact that Leveen used multiple POV’s to really represent what was going on. He showed the idea that everyone is different and that everyone has a different breaking point. The multiplePOVs managed to paint a bigger picture and really show what was happening and why the character ultimately does what they do. I liked the idea that, whilst a lot of the issues (not all, but most) seemed like mundane issues to me, they aren’t to someone else – again reinforcing the idea that everyone reacts to things differently. I also liked the idea behind having POVs from characters who didn’t have anything to do with the character because it reinforced the ending and the way in which people can et caught up in things that have nothing to do with them though no fault of their own.

Having said that, I also feel that there were too many POV’s. Whilst I liked the idea of showing what the crime can really do to other people and the way in which it weaved itself into the aftermath etc. I would have liked to have had the focus completely on the person who committed the crime – both from their POV (which we got) as well as the POVs from the people who interacted with him, both good and bad. I feel that the other POV s who had nothing to do with the end game, and only really came into play when everything was said and done, distracted from the character and the snowball effect that was going on.

The multiple POVs also served to keep the reader as an outsider looking in. I liked the fact that this book had me sympathising with the characters – including the person who committed the crime. I felt sorry for all of them a one point or another and there were times where I would laugh with them etc. Having said that, I was still an outsider looking in as opposed to really connected to the characters as I usually am. Usually this would bother me, but I liked the effect it had on me as a reader. It represented what a lot of us actually are when things like this happen in real life – we’re outsiders looking in, we relate to the people who have gone through something that horrific and we sympathise with them. What this book does which we don’t usually consider, is show us the other side. I sympathised throughout the book with the person who committed the crime. I felt angry for them and I was upset with everything that was going on. I felt conflicted when they did what they did because I know that its wrong and its something that I wouldn’t wish on anyone… but I also understand why they did what they did and how the ended up at that point.

The book also left me feeling like I had failed the character themselves. Whilst I saw the signs from very early on and knew what was going to happen by the end based on those signs, it never clicked who the character actually was until the end. I feel like I should have maybe guessed it before it was revealed. I loved the way that Leveen weaved this story and the way in which he kept the true characters identity hazy until the very final pages. It brought the story together a lot more.

I also liked the way in which sports was added into the story. I liked the way in which the wrong doings of those in the sport – including the coach – wove into what happened at the end. It really highlighted a societal issue that still goes on today in the idea that sports people really do get away with a lot more because of their status and the idea that people don’t want to ruin their futures. Having said that,I would have liked maybe more of an explanation to the Mercy Rule and the way in which it contributed the story. WhilstI googled and it was also explained in the book at some point, I still don’t really understand what it has to do with the story itself.

All in all, I enjoyed this book. This book intertwined a lot of different factors and reasons and really showed the snowball effect of what a persons actions can do to another person. I liked the psychology behind everything that was going on and the way in which sports was woven into the story. It really showed the idea that people in sports have a lot more influence that most and that they should be role models to people because of the amount of ‘power’ they have in every day lives. This book had me thinking about it long after it was over. I gave this book 4.5/5 stars.

 

December Wrap Up

4 Comments

Hey guys! I hope you all had a great Christmas and New Years! This wrap up post is going to be a little longer than usual because I am also including my favourite and least favourite reads of 2017, along with all the usual things I include! I also want to mention that I managed to complete my Goodreads Reading Goal! I actually surpassed it by one book (91/90) books, so I think I will set myself 95 books for 2018 and see how it do. How did you guys get on with your goals? Will you be setting new ones?

Read:

Started:

Bought:

ARC’s Acquired:

Goodreads Monday:

Special Posts:

Book of the Month:

GS

Golden Son by Pierce Brown

Published: January 6th 2015 by Del Ray

Amazon: Golden Son

As a Red, Darrow grew up working the mines deep beneath the surface of Mars, enduring backbreaking labor while dreaming of the better future he was building for his descendants. But the Society he faithfully served was built on lies. Darrow’s kind have been betrayed and denied by their elitist masters, the Golds—and their only path to liberation is revolution. And so Darrow sacrifices himself in the name of the greater good for which Eo, his true love and inspiration, laid down her own life. He becomes a Gold, infiltrating their privileged realm so that he can destroy it from within.

A lamb among wolves in a cruel world, Darrow finds friendship, respect, and even love—but also the wrath of powerful rivals. To wage and win the war that will change humankind’s destiny, Darrow must confront the treachery arrayed against him, overcome his all-too-human desire for retribution—and strive not for violent revolt but a hopeful rebirth. Though the road ahead is fraught with danger and deceit, Darrow must choose to follow Eo’s principles of love and justice to free his people.

He must live for more.

I am absolutely loving the Red Rising series (I am reading Morning Star at the time of writing this) and this book just had me completely shaken. The ending was absolutely shocking and I just sat and stared at my kindle for about 20 minutes just wondering what I had just read! I highly recommend this series if there is anyone out there who hasn’t jumped on the band wagon yet!

Favourite Books of 2017:

I’ve narrowed this list down to my top 10 books, because there were really a lot of amazing books that I could have included in this list!

  • Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff – I was a little hesitant to pick this up because of the size and the layout, however, I had this finished extremely quickly and went and got Gemina because I absolutely loved it!
  • Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff – This book was even better than Illuminae and I had it finished in 1 sitting in a couple of hours. I also went and pre ordered Obsidio as soon as I had finished (the wait has been killing me).
  • Warcross by Marie Lu – Another book I was hesitant to pick up because I haven’t liked any of Lu’s previous woks. I bought this on a whim when I was in the bookstore and I am so glad I did because this book had me completely hooked! I cannot wait for the sequel.
  • Red Rising by Pierce Brown – I actually had this book on my TBR for the longest time, but I never really felt the need to pick it up… I decided to pick it up this month because of the release of Iron Gold in January, and I feel like I should be kicking myself for not picking it up sooner!
  • Golden Son by Pierce Brown – I picked this up as soon as I finished Red Rising and this book just had me hooked from the beginning to the end. There’s stabby betrayal in every corner and I loved it!
  • A Bond of Blood and Fire by Karen Tomlinson – This is one of my all time favourite series and I was lucky enough to be a beta reader for this book! There is action from the beginning to the end and I really feel that this book is really extremely underrated!
  • Hoax by C. L. Stone – This is the 5th book in the Scarab Beetle series by this author and I found it to be a quick and fun read! I love the world she has created and I cannot wait for the next book in this series.
  • A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas – Where would this list be without the Queen? There are a lot of mixed reviews for this instalment of the ACOTAR series, but I personally really enjoyed this instalment.
  • Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor – Laini Taylor is an auto buy author for me, so I pre ordered this before hand and got the Blue Sprayed edged copy. The writing is absolutely beautiful and the story even better!
  • Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo – This was a fast paced duology that had me constantly wanting to know what was going to happen next! Can I also just say Kaz Brekker? ❤

Least Favourite books of 2017:

So, I think it would be fun to also include my least favourite books of this year! I do just want to mention, though, that these are my own opinions, and I you did like these books, I’m glad you did! They just weren’t for me! Like My favourites, I’ve narrowed this list to 10. All links lead to my full reviews.

  • Shooter by Caroline Pignat – I feel like I waited a really long time for this book and it just fell completely flat for me. It didn’t focus enough on what should have been the main part of the story (the school shooting) and it focused on really petty things the characters kept bringing up.
  • The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee – I was extremely excited to read this book because it was pitched as Pretty Little Liars meets Gossip Girl – which are both series that I love. However, this book fell completely flat for me because I feel like it just meandered it’s way through without a huge amount really going on.
  • Hunted by Meagan Spooner – Again, this was a highly anticipated release for me because I love beauty and the beast! However, this book was extremely repetitive and there wasn’t a whole lot going on plot wise.
  • Bright Smoke, Cold Fire by Rosamund Hodge – Romeo and Juliet is one of my favourites, so I was excited to get to this retelling. However, I mostly felt confused because I didn’t really understand what was going on and I feel that there wasn’t sufficient world building and plot to really keep me interested in what was going on.
  • Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon – I didn’t really get that far with this book before I DNFed it. It was basically Twilight rewritten by a different author. It felt very repetitive and I feel the Fallon basically plagiarised Twilight.
  • Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt – This book looked extremely creepy and I was really excited to read it. However, it fell completely flat both plot wise and horror wise. Nothing was really happening and I felt like it was really going nowhere fast.
  • The Switch by A. W. Hill and Nathaniel Hill – I actually received a review copy of this via Netgalley, so I feel a little bad for not liking this as much as I thought I was going to. The book was very repetitive and rehashed the same points of inter dimensional travel every time he switched to a new reality. I ended up DNfing this book by the 3rd or 4th switch.
  • First We Were IV by Alexandra Sirrowy – This was a highly anticipated read for me. I actually really enjoyed the beginning of this book – it was interesting and really had me hooked. However, I feel that the author lost her way a bit with this book because it really fell into a bit of a tangent by the middle and it felt confused and lost.
  • The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson – This book. I literally do not understand why there is so much hype surrounding it. There was nothing going on plot wise to really keep me interested and the romance aspect of the book really fell flat for me as well.
  • All Rights Reserved by Gregory Scott Katsoulis – This was yet another highly anticipated read that really did nothing to tickle my fancy. I was expecting a lot from this book because of the subject matter, but I feel that the execution was lacking – which is a shame because it had a huge potential to be something amazing and unique!

So, that was my year (and month) in books in a nutshell! Have you read any of the books on my Favourites or least favourites? Did you agree with any of my choices, or would you have picked differently? Leave me links to your wrap posts so that I can check them out! I hope everyone has a great 2018 ❤

Find Me Here:

Instagram/Twitter/Goodreads/Litsy @ Lauren’s Page Turners

Pretty Dead Girls by Monica Murphy

4 Comments

PDG

Pretty Dead Girls by Monica Murphy

Expected Publication: January 2nd 2018 by Entangled Teen

Beautiful. Perfect. Dead.

In the peaceful seaside town of Cape Bonita, wicked secrets and lies are hidden just beneath the surface. But all it takes is one tragedy for them to be exposed.

The most popular girls in school are turning up dead, and Penelope Malone is terrified she’s next. All the victims so far have been linked to Penelope—and to a boy from her physics class. The one she’s never really noticed before, with the rumored dark past and a brooding stare that cuts right through her.

There’s something he isn’t telling her. But there’s something she’s not telling him, either.

Everyone has secrets, and theirs might get them killed.

Note: I received an ARC copy of this from Entangled Teen via Netgalley. This in no way influences my opinion. 

I had seen this book floating around a little on Goodreads before I found it on Netgalley, so when I saw it, I knew I wanted to read it. I loved the cover and the premise sounded extremely promising because Whodunnits are absolutely my kind of thing. Overall, this book was a quick and relatively enjoyable read, with a few minor issues along the way.

The plot of this book was definitely fast paced. We knew who was being targeted, but we didn’t know why and by who. My guess as to who was doing it changed multiple times throughout the book and not one of my guesses was right – so kudos to the author for keeping me blind for so long! Whilst I enjoyed the plot ad playing the guessing game, I felt like the reasoning behind the murders was a bit lacking? I don’t feel that it kept up with the rest of the book and it felt a little anticlimactic after everything that had happened!

I also have mixed feelings about the characters. Whilst I liked our MC, she was definitely a little snotty in places (mostly to the younger Larks). However, I feel like the author tried to make Penelope out to be someone that she wasn’t. Whilst she was sometimes snotty to the juniors, I could understand her reasoning at the time, but the author then tried to make her out to the the Queen B – but her actions throughout the story never really indicated that she was really in that position. There was definitely a bit of a personality crisis in the middle of the book where the MC is concerned and I feel that definitely distracted from the story a bit.

I also felt that the interactions between the characters wasn’t always befitting that their relationship was supposed to be. We’re constantly reminded that Dani and Penelope are best friends, but its not really shown in a huge way that they are best friends throughout the book – more like reminded. They never really acted like best friends toward each other, more like casual friends. We are also told that, whilst they have their issues, Penelope was friends with Gretchen and Courtney, but their interactions also claim the opposite. They are pretty bitchy toward each other throughout the book, and this isn’t really resolved at the end even after the things that Penelope did for Courtney.

I did enjoy the slow build relationship between Penelope and Cass. They didn’t really liked or trust each other at the beginning and I loved the way that their relationship developed throughout the book. It wasn’t and insta love, or really a huge slow burn, but something more in the middle that is befitting of teenagers in high school. I enjoyed watching the relationship and how they overcame the issue of trust and struggling to really believe that the other isn’t the killer.

Having said that, I don’t feel that the secrets that Cass revealed throughout the book were all that shocking. I was expecting something huge and it just wasn’t? The secrets actually never really had a huge impact on the plot line itself because of who it turns out to be, so I feel these were added for a shock factor, which didn’t really deliver.

I did enjoy the )extremely) short chapters in between which were written from the killers perspective. They were written in such a way so that the identity was never revealed, which kept me guessing right up until the end. I enjoyed getting that little snippet throughout the book because it was refreshing reminder of the fact that the killer is there and watching.

I do, however, believe that the identity of the killer was a bit anticlimactic. We didn’t really get to see all that much of them throughout the book, so it was a bit of a ‘really?’ moment when they were revealed. It didn’t seem very realistic and we only got a very short explanation of why they were doing what they were doing. I would have much preferred It to have been someone we had been reading about from beginning to end, someone that I would have related to as a reader before finding out that they betrayed the characters and my trust. I feel that other characters would have been a more appropriate fit (just not the person that they suspected it to be) and would have ultimately led to a better ending if it had been someone different.

All in all, I have very mixed reviews about this book. Whilst it was mostly enjoyable, I had some issues with the characters and the overall ending of who did it and why. It is a quick and easy read, and I read this in one sitting! I gave this book 3/5 stars

Find me here:

Instagram/Twitter/Goodreads/Litsy @ Laurens Page Turners

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

11 Comments

red rising

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

Published: January 28th 2014 by Del Rey

Amazon: Red Rising: Red Rising Series 1

“I live for the dream that my children will be born free,” she says. “That they will be what they like. That they will own the land their father gave them.”

“I live for you,” I say sadly.

Eo kisses my cheek. “Then you must live for more.”

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 already 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.

Read Red Rising, they said.  It’ll be fun, they said. Well, I can say that I have read it and I feel like I need therapy. I will be sending Piecre Brown the bill. This book was absolutely FABULOUS! I cannot even believe it took me this long to pick this up because I really should have picked it up sooner and I didn’t… what even is my life?!?

I will start with the one bad thing I have to say about this book, and that is the fact that it was a little slow to start and it takes a few pages to really wrap your head around what is actually going on and where they are etc. As soon as I got my head around that, I was completely hooked! I had already been kicked in the feels by around page 50 (I cried in the corner) and I knew that it was going to be a complete rollercoaster ride.

The world building of this book was out of this world (see what I did there?) I think that might have been whatI needed to get my head around – the fact that it was set on Mars! I loved the idea of colonising Mars and the way that it was written and done. The book definitely did a great job of showing a futuristic setting and world with a very backward way of thinking and colonising etc. The hierarchy itself was extremely interesting and I would have loved to find out more about how the colours came about. I also loved the way that Brown weaves in historical aspects, like Pluto and Cicero and the Romans, into what is a futuristic sci fi world.

As soon as the book really got started and I managed to get my head around the setting etc. the plot was amazing. It was a fast paced, pretty bloody affair and I had no idea what was going to happen next. I loved the lessons that were being taught to the students and the way in which it was being taught – the school is pretty ruthless! Brown did a great job of showing the evolution of mankind in various situations and whether they evolved to be better people or whether they succumbed to their more basic and primal instincts. Nothing was done without a reason in this book and it all came about to teach another lesson to Darrow and the other students – which also helped with the world building and understand the society that is currently in control on Mars and how they came to be there. It was easy to get lost in the plot itself – especially because I had no idea what was going to happen next, or who was going to die etc. The author did a great job of making the reader forget completely why Darrow was there and what he was there to do – until something happened and the reasoning hits the reader in the face!

I loved Darrow as a character! He wasn’t perfect and had a lot of flaws, which makes him all the more relatable to the reader. He was pushed into doing something that he didn’t really want to do and he tries to keep the memory of what happened at the beginning so that he doesn’t lose himself. He makes a lot of mistakes throughout the book, from which he learns as the events of the plot unfold. It was interesting to watch Darrow try and navigate himself through an unfamiliar world, without becoming the people he hates. He struggles to consolidate the fact that not all Golds are evil with everything that happened at the beginning and everything that the Golds have done to the Reds.

I loved the fact that you never knew who you could trust. Some people that Darrow trusts end up betraying him, others that he doesn’t trust, stick by him etc. It made it difficult to really size up the characters as to who to like and who not to like. Sevro was a character who I was expecting to hate throughout the book, but as the book continues, I grew to like and understand him, despite his rough outer edge. On the other hand, Cassius was a character who I expected to like throughout the book and it turned out completely different after certain things happen. I loved his character development and the hypocrisy he shows throughout the book because of his brother and what happened. I’m interested to see what role he plays later in the series! This book was very much a character development based book and was complimented by the amazing plot, which helped to shape the characters into the people they are by the end of the book!

All in all, I absolutely LOVED this book! The plot kept me on my toes and had me crying within the first 50 pages! I loved the character development within this book and I cannot wait to see where Darrow ends up! I gave this book 4.5/5 stars!

Find me here:

Instagram/Twitter/Goodreads/Litsy @ Lauren’s Page Turners

First We Were IV by Alexandra Sirrowy

4 Comments

FWWIV

First We Were IV by Alexandra Sirrowy

Published: July 25th 2017 by Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers

Amazon: First We Were IV

It started for pranks, fun, and forever memories.
A secret society – for the four of us.
The rules: Never lie. Never tell. Love each other.
We made the pledge and danced under the blood moon on the meteorite in the orchard. In the spot we found the dead girl five years earlier. And discovered the ancient drawings way before that.
Nothing could break the four of us apart – I thought.
But then, others wanted in. Our seaside town had secrets. History.
We wanted revenge.
We broke the rules. We lied. We told. We loved each other too much, not enough, and in ways we weren’t supposed to.
Our invention ratcheted out of control.
What started as a secret society, ended as justice. Revenge. Death. Rebellion.

I added this book to my TBR a while back, before its release, because it looked like something that would be right up my alley. I loved the premise and this was a highly anticipated read for me. Unfortunately, this book fell flat in a lot of ways for me and I ended up DNfing.

I loved the beginning of this book! It started out at the end, with one of them dead – we don’t know which one and we don’t know why or how it happened, just that it did. This immediately created an air of mystery and I just wanted to know what happened and how they got to that point. We find out about the dead girl not long after that and it added even more mystery because we never find out what happened to her at the time of her death. I was looking forward to seeing what had happened to the girl and why she ended up where she did.

However, this book fell off into a tangent it didn’t need to go in. It felt extremely long winded after that and it didn’t focus on the main points of the story – namely the murder. The creating of the secret society and what they were there to do etc. took too long and it felt like not even the characters really knew what direction they wanted to take with it.

I feel that, because the plot itself went off on a bit of a tangent, I struggled to pick this book up and really get into it. I often found myself putting it back down and doing other things because I didn’t feel like the book was going anywhere all that fast. The pacing of the book itself needed to be speeded up a little and something interesting needed to happen plot wise for me, as a reader, to remain invested in the story.

I also didn’t feel a connection to or between the characters. Whilst they were supposed to be best friends (and outsiders), I didn’t get the feeling that they were as close as they thought they were and the friendship between them often felt forced rather than natural. I personally didn’t feel a connection the characters, either, so it didn’t really bother me when things happened to them. I wasn’t emotionally invested in the characters themselves and, at the point of DNF, I didn’t really care which one of them died.

Whilst this book had a promising beginning, it definitely went off on a tangent and lost its way a bit – which is a shame because this was a highly anticipated read of mine! I gave this book 1.5/5 stars.

Find Me Here:

Instagram/Twitter/Goodreads/Litsy @ Laurens Page Turners

The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson

4 Comments

TKOD

The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson

Published: July 8th 2014 by Henry Holt

Amazon: The Kiss of Deception: The Remnant Chronicles 01

A princess must find her place in a reborn world.

She flees on her wedding day.

She steals ancient documents from the Chancellor’s secret collection.

She is pursued by bounty hunters sent by her own father.

She is Princess Lia, seventeen, First Daughter of the House of Morrighan.

The Kingdom of Morrighan is steeped in tradition and the stories of a bygone world, but some traditions Lia can’t abide. Like having to marry someone she’s never met to secure a political alliance.

Fed up and ready for a new life, Lia flees to a distant village on the morning of her wedding. She settles in among the common folk, intrigued when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Deceptions swirl and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—secrets that may unravel her world—even as she feels herself falling in love.

I have had this on my TBR for years now. I have always heard amazing things about this book and this series as a whole and I was extremely excited when I picked this up. However, this book turned into a complete DNF for me and I just don’t understand the hype surrounding this book.

I think my biggest issue with this book was that I had absolutely no connection to the characters whatsoever. I didn’t feel anything toward any of them and therefore didn’t really care if they lived or not. I didn’t really feel any connection between Lia and either Rafe or Kaden. I struggled to really like these characters, but their personalities fell completely flat for me and I didn’t really feel like there was any defining personality trait for any one of the characters.

The plot was definitely lacking throughout this book. Lia runs away and doesn’t really do anything else throughout this book (or at least to where I read up to). I struggled to keep focused on the book and often found myself putting the book down to go and do something different. The assassin wasn’t doing much assassinating; the prince wasn’t exactly jilted considering his own feelings about the wedding and, honestly, the plot is basically Lia working in a pub instead of doing her actual duties as a royal/first daughter.  The plot definitely needed a kick start to life with something interesting and it just didn’t happen.

I also wasn’t really feeling a connection between any of the characters. I feel like a lot of what was happening was insta love, with some “romantic” drama in between that didn’t really add much to the story itself. The emotions themselves weren’t actually there for me, which made the book even harder to get through.

All in all, I was pretty disappointed with this book and I don’t really understand the hype surrounding this. I struggled to pick this book up and often found myself going and doing other things. I gave this book 1/5 stars

Find me Here:

Instagram/Twitter/Goodreads/Litsy @ Lauren’s Page Turners

November Wrap Up

19 Comments

Hey guys! I hope you all had a great November. I decided to fill this post out as the month went on rather than all at once at the end of the month and it has definitely helped! This post hasn’t taken nearly as long as it wold have done if I had done it all at once and I think I am definitely going to keep filling out my Wrap Up posts throughout the month. Looking back over the month, I definitely need to go onto a book buying ban until at least the new year! I feel like I had a great reading month and I am well on my way to completing this year’s Goodreads Reading Challenge with 87/90 books read so far.

Read:

fullsizeoutput_5a5

Physical Books read this month! Missing is The Crown’s Fate by Evelyn Skye because I traded it for another book with someone 

Bought:

fullsizeoutput_5a4

Physical books bought this month! I found a website that is similar to Book Outlet but for Germany and I may have gone a little wild!

ARCs Acquired:

Goodreads Monday:

Special Posts:

Book of the Month

I’ve decided to add a new feature to my monthly wrap ups and that is the Book of the Month. This will be my favourite book read during the month! So, this months book of the month is a from an author I wasn’t expecting to love because I disliked all of her previous works!

WC

Warcross by Marie Lu

Published: September 12th 2017 by G. P. Putnam’s son book for Young Readers

My Review

Amazon: Warcross

For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn’t just a game—it’s a way of life. The obsession started ten years ago and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down players who bet on the game illegally. But the bounty hunting world is a competitive one, and survival has not been easy. Needing to make some quick cash, Emika takes a risk and hacks into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships—only to accidentally glitch herself into the action and become an overnight sensation.

Convinced she’s going to be arrested, Emika is shocked when instead she gets a call from the game’s creator, the elusive young billionaire Hideo Tanaka, with an irresistible offer. He needs a spy on the inside of this year’s tournament in order to uncover a security problem . . . and he wants Emika for the job. With no time to lose, Emika’s whisked off to Tokyo and thrust into a world of fame and fortune that she’s only dreamed of. But soon her investigation uncovers a sinister plot, with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire.

This has been a fantastic month for me and I cannot even believe that it is nearly the end of the year already! In other news, I have already put the Christmas decorations up (bar the tree) and the house is looking pretty festive!

How has your month been? Feel free to let me know in the comments and feel free to add your links to monthly wrap ups so I can see what you guys have been up to!

Find me Here:

Instagram/Twitter/Goodreads/Litsy @ Lauren’s Page Turners

 

Traitor to the Throne by Alwyn Hamilton

7 Comments

TTTT

Traitor to the Throne by Alwyn Hamilton

Published: February 2nd 2017 by Faber and Faber

Amazon: Traitor to the Throne (Rebel of the Sands Trilogy)

This is not about blood or love. This is about treason.

Nearly a year has passed since Amani and the rebels won their epic battle at Fahali. Amani has come into both her powers and her reputation as the Blue-Eyed Bandit, and the Rebel Prince’s message has spread across the desert – and some might say out of control. But when a surprise encounter turns into a brutal kidnapping, Amani finds herself betrayed in the cruellest manner possible.

Stripped of her powers and her identity, and torn from the man she loves, Amani must return to her desert-girl’s instinct for survival. For the Sultan’s palace is a dangerous one, and the harem is a viper’s nest of suspicion, fear and intrigue. Just the right place for a spy to thrive… But spying is a dangerous game, and when ghosts from Amani’s past emerge to haunt her, she begins to wonder if she can trust her own treacherous heart.

Despite the fact that I loved book 1, this sat on my shelf for quite a while before I actually picked it up! I definitely should have picked this book up sooner, because I really enjoyed this instalment! I cannot wait for the final book in this series!

I think my favourite aspect of this book was the fact that we got to see things from the perspective of the Sultan (obviously through Amani). It was easy to see why he thought he was doing the right thing and it was easy to feel like Amani was doing the wrong things by supporting the rebellion. I could understand some of the decisions he was making throughout the book and why he felt the need to make some of the decisions that he did. However, toward the end, I felt snapped back into reality of who he was after the decisions he made and the things he did to the camp. I have mixed feelings as to whether he is redeemable or not.

I loved Amani’s character development throughout this book and the way she overcame certain things. She definitely questioned her loyalty throughout the book and whether she was doing the right thing or not. Despite her doubts, Amani remains loyal throughout, which is definitely a sign of a strong character. I didn’t feel the same pull between Amani and Jin throughout this book as I did throughout book one and I don’t feel like they are the right ship for this book. I am hoping this either changes in book 3 or something else happens to convince me, because, at the moment, I feel unconvinced about it.

I loved the plot twists in this book. There were a couple spread out – especially toward the end and they made this book fun to read. I was not expecting the ending to happen the way that it did and I was left completely shocked at both the twists that came about (I don’t want to give away too many spoilers). When I realised exactly what had happened, I definitely nearly threw the book clear across the room, I was that upset!

All in all, I really enjoyed this book and the character development that happened throughout. I would have liked to have seen more of Jin and I would have liked to have been more convinced of the ship. However, the plot itself was fast paced and made this book difficult to put down! I gave this book 4/5 stars.

Find me Here:

Instagram/Twitter/Goodreads/Litsy @ Lauren’s Page Turners

Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano

5 Comments

PR

Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano

Published: March 10th 2015 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Amazon: Perfect Ruin (The Internment Chronicles, Band 1)

On the floating city, you can be anything you dream – a novelist or a singer, a florist or a factory worker… Your life is yours to embrace or to squander. There’s only one rule: you don’t approach THE EDGE. If you do, it’s already over.

Morgan Stockhour knows getting too close to the edge can lead to madness. Even though her older brother, Lex, was a Jumper, Morgan vows never to end up like him. There’s too much for her at home: her parents, best friend Pen, and her betrothed, Basil. Her life is ordinary and safe, even if she sometimes does wonder about the ground and why it’s forbidden.

Then a murder, the first in a generation, rocks the city. With whispers swirling and fear on the wind, Morgan can no longer stop herself from investigating, especially once she meets Judas. Betrothed to the victim, Judas is being blamed for the murder, but Morgan is convinced of his innocence. Secrets lay at the heart, but nothing can prepare Morgan for what she will find—or whom she will lose.

I added this to my TBR a while back (I think some time after I read Wither, which was a few years back). I really enjoyed Wither and I was definitely excited to check out more of this author’s work. However, this book fell flat for me and I ended up DNfing it about half way through.

Whilst the plot itself had a lot of potential, I feel like the execution of it left a lot to be desired. I often found myself putting the book down to go an do something else and I really had to force myself to sit and read it for the amount of time that I did. The plot itself was relatively repetitive, as well as the writing, and I didn’t feel like it was going anywhere in particular.

Another issue I had with this book was the fact that I didn’t feel any connection with the characters themselves and, so, I didn’t really care what happened to them or what was going to happen to them throughout the series. I struggled to pick this book back up when I put it down because I didn’t feel that connection that I feel is necessary for a reader to have in order to enjoy the book.

I feel like the world building lacked a little as well. I liked the idea of the floating city and the edge and what could happen to you if you get to close to the edge etc. but I don’t feel like it was executed well. We weren’t given enough information as to why the city is floating and why the things that happened to the people who got too close to the edge happened. I feel like I would have maybe enjoyed this book a little more had the world building been there and the explanations as to why certain things were the way they were.

All in all, whilst I feel like this book had a lot of potential, it definitely fell short for me and my expectations. I found this book relatively boring and the world building was lacking. I gave this book 1/5 stars