Book Review: The Sin Eaters Daughter by Melinda Salisbury

Title: The Sin Eaters Daughter

Author:  Melinda Salisbury

Publisher: Scholastic

Release Date: March 1^st, 2015

ISBN: 1407147633 

Rating: 4/5

Cover Impressions: Green is my favourite colour so I love it.             

I received  an early review copy of this book from Scholastic in exchange for an honest review and was excited to read it because the whole kill with a single touch thing sounded like Shatter Me which I love. Thank you Sophia *waves*.

prince, and rule the kingdom. But the favor of the Gods has it's price. A deadly poison infuses her skin. Those who anger the queen must die under Twylla's fatal touch.

Only Lief, an outspoken new guard, can see past Twylla's chilling role to the girls she truly is. Yet in a court as dangerous and the queen's, some truths should not be told...

Review: Our story starts off with Twylla who is the Daunem Embodied, she is the daughter of two Gods who ruled over the sun and the darkness. The Sin Eater's Daughter. She is gifted (or cursed) with the killing touch. A tool to queen and country and engaged to Prince Merek of Lormere.

I love Twylla. Not because she was bad-ass and daring but because she was realistic, which is great to see, some YA books have female protagonists who are ready to face anything, anytime, have amazing weaponry and fighting skills without any experience and appear to be perfect. Twylla is not, which is awesome. But by the end of the book she is even more awesome because she goes through so much character development, Twylla really grows into herself and starts to take action.

I also love Lief (the love interest), although at first he was a little annoying with his perfectness, again, as with Twylla he blossomed towards the end with his love and protectiveness.

The plot for this story made my head hurt – in a good way. You expect one thing to happen and then BAM something entirely different takes its place, opening up an entirely new story line and inducing a completely different set of events than the ones you first envisioned happening. It was a roller coaster ride to say the least.

Overall, I give this book four out of five stars and I can’t wait to see what the sequel has to offer.

Book Review: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Title: A Court of Thorns and Roses

Author:  Sarah J. Maas

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Release Date: May 5^th, 2015

ISBN: 1619634449 

Rating: 5/5

Cover Impressions: Pretty, *goes into a trance.*             

 I received an advance reader copy of A Court of Thorns and Roses from Bloomsbury Publishing and I was so excited to read it because I love Throne of Glass Series, thank you very much Charile and Emma.

Synopsis: When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world. As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

Review: Where to start? The world in which A Court of Thorns and Roses is set  is wonderful; intricately crafted and well thought out with an awesome history and tons of cool legends to go with it. The map at the front of the book (which looks like the UK and Ireland I swear) is great, it really helps the reader to visualise the location of each setting which was described in the book.

Feyre was an amazing character, she reminded me quite a bit of Katniss Everdeen fromThe Hunger Games actually, probably because she had known hardship and would do anything to keep the people she loves safe. She always put her family first, never shied away from a challenge and persevered when faced with difficult situations. I liked how well rounded she was and how she stood up for what she believed in, be it something as simple as wearing pants instead of a dress or saving the lives of the people she loved.

Speaking of love, the romance in this book was scorching. Let’s just say that I imagined Tamlin as a cross between Ian Somerhalder, Marlon Teixeira and Johnny Depp and leave it at that.

I loved reading about the other characters too such as, Feyre’s sisters, Lucien and Rhys. The writing was of course to-die-for, because it was written by Sarah J. Maas herself, as were the vivid descriptions.

Overall, I give this book five out of five stars. Sarah J. Maas has done it again, she’s delivered a story filled with phenomenal characters, a luscious setting, searing romance, heart-racing action, and inspiring themes. I can’t wait for the release of Queen of Shadows later this year, the amazing cover of which is to the right. --->

I'm Back!

Hey Guys,

Happy New Year everyone!

Just  a quick note to say that I'm back. Sorry for the absence, I had exams, but they're over now *happily sings*.

I'll be posting quite a few reviews in the next few weeks so I'll see you then.

Liv. :D

Book Review: The Sleeper and the Spindle by Neil Gaiman

Title: The Sleeper and the Spindle

Author: Neil Gaiman

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Release Date: October 23^rd, 2014

ISBN: 1408859645

Rating: 5/5

Cover Impressions: Ahhh it’s beautiful. *Dies.* The dust jacket is transparent and you can see the picture behind it and there are vines woven up the sides and the colour scheme is perfect… *dies again.*

I received a copy of The Sleeper and the Spindle from Bloomsbury in exchange for an honest review so here goes:

Synopsis: On the eve of her wedding, a young queen sets out to rescue a princess from an enchantment. She casts aside her fine wedding clothes, takes her chain mail and her sword and follows her brave dwarf retainers into the tunnels under the mountain towards the sleeping kingdom. This queen will decide her own future – and the princess who needs rescuing is not quite what she seems.

Review: The Sleeper and the Spindle is a fairy tale retelling, incorporating the well-loved stories of Snow White and Sleeping Beauty but with the spins and twists that we’ve all come to expect from Gaiman’s amazing work.

I loved this book so much, not only the magical story, but also the astonishing illustrations by Chris Riddell. In studying them I was able to feel more connected with the story. I could literally stare at them all day, every day, for weeks.

At a short 72 pages, The Sleeper and the Spindle appeals a very broad audience, where both younger readers and older fans can indulge in the metallic sheen black and white sketches which appear on every page.

Overall I give The Sleeper and the Spindle   there was a good ratio of words to pictures in this book, and everything balanced out perfectly. I love how instead of there being the stereotypical 'Prince Charming' there is a Queen who wants to save a city, with the aid of three dwarves. This book was incredible.

Can’t wait to get your hands on it? Read an excerpt now:

Book Review Hollow City by Ransom Riggs

Title: Hollow City

Author: Ransom Riggs

Publisher: Quirk Books

Release Date: January 14th 2014

ISBN: 1594746125

Rating: 4.5/5

Cover Impressions: I love, love, love the photography.

I received a copy of Hollow City from Quirk Books in exchange for an honest review so here goes:

Synopsis: Having escaped Miss Peregrine's island by the skin of their teeth, Jacob and his new friends must journey to London, the peculiar capital of the world. Along the way, they encounter new allies, a menagerie of peculiar animals, and other unexpected surprises.

Review: It was exciting to see the children travel to London, as the first book was set in a very closed environment, it was interesting to see how thy interacted with the outside world. The world building was great with more loops and other interesting thinks such as peculiar animals.

I love learning about the characters and I feel that Riggs’ characterization is so good. It was good to explore the personalities of Jacob, Emma, Olive and so many others further and connect with them more. The loop really contributed to this, having to live the same day over and over again makes it seem like the children are actually adults trapped in children’s bodies.

My only problem with Hollow City wasn't really a problem, just something I don’t really understand and therefore can’t particularly endorse, I love both Emma and Jacob exclusively, but I still feel that their relationship is completely unneces
sary to the series and doesn't really add anything to it either.

The vintage photographs in Hollow City are just as bizarre and outlandish as the ones in the first book, taken from private collections; they each raise questions to the reader about the lives of those in them. I admired Riggs’ ability to craft a story out of them; they were dark and sometimes nightmarish, but managed to add a whole other dimension to the story which I loved.

Hollow City is incredibly fast-paced with an interesting story that fans of Miss Peregine’s Home for Peculiar Children will absolutely love. With plenty of unexpected twists, Hollow City is quite frankly one of the best sequels I've read to date and it definitely surpasses its predecessor which is unusual to say the least. Overall, I give it four and a half out of five stars and I can’t wait to read the final book in the trilogy when it comes finally comes out, I can’t wait.

Book Review: Miss Peregine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Title: Miss Peregtine's Home for Peculiar Children

Author: Ransom Riggs

Publisher: Quirk Books

Release Date: June 7^th 2011

ISBN: 1594744769

Rating: 4/5

Cover Impressions: I like the use of black and white photography; it ties in really well with the story.

I read Miss Peregtine’s Home for Peculiar Children on my kindle a while ago and when I heard that Quirk Books were going to send me a copy of the next book in the series, Hollow City, I thought I might as well throw a review on here:

Synopsis: As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

Review: From the very start, I was at ease with the way the book was written and was in love with how Riggs conveyed words. I never knew that such simple sentences could be so haunting and beautiful. The way Jacob's character was portrayed was really good, I found him easy to relate to and admired his curiosity, relentlessness and his peculiarity.

The idea of ‘the loop’ was really interesting as were the hollowgast's and I liked reading about the different powers that the children possessed.

I didn't really latch on to Jacob’s romantic attraction to Emma because all I could think about was that she had previously been involved with his Grandfather and this reminded me of JacobxRenesmee, which I hated.

 I especially enjoyed Miss Peregtine’s Home for Peculiar Children because of the way it incorporated unusual antique photographs into the narrative, this ensured a unique and extraordinary reading experience and I loved it.

This book follows a very realistic story which combined with Riggs’ incredible and vivid writing you feel like you've fallen through time, right into his world of wonders. I love the characters, they're all very special, in every aspect, and their fear mixed with their bravery makes them seem that much more realistic, overall I give it four out of five stars.

Book Review: How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff

Title: How I Live Now

Author: Meg Rosoff

Publisher: Penguin

Release Date: November 30^th, 2004

ISBN: 0553376055

Rating: 4/5

Cover Impressions: I love that behind the stylized outlines of trees and butterflies (which are beautiful), there is a drawing like a child has crossed out their work, a large swirling pattern which indicates that not all may be as it seems.

I picked this up off my shelf after buying it some time ago, primarily because my cousin and I watched the DVD for the first time last week. I know, I know – never watch before you read but I couldn't say; “just wait there for a couple of hours so I can read this book”, so I watched it with her and when we were done I read the book. The film was good but of course the book was better (as per norm).

Synopsis: Fifteen-year-old Daisy is sent from Manhattan to England to visit her aunt and cousins she’s never met: three boys near her age, and their little sister. Her aunt goes away on a business trip soon after Daisy arrives. The next day bombs detonate as London is attacked and occupied by an unnamed enemy. As power fails, the farm becomes more isolated. Despite the war, it’s a kind of Eden, with no adults in charge and no rules, a place where Daisy’s uncanny bond with her cousins grows into something rare and extraordinary. But the war is everywhere, and Daisy and her cousins must lead each other into a world that is unknown in the scariest, most elemental way.

Review: Can I firstly say that I LOVED the writing in this book. I have heard some people hating on it purely because it is a little out of the ordinary (no speech marks are used, what the characters are saying is just stated instead). Having never read a book like this before, I however thought that it was unique and I felt that it added significantly to the story.

I liked the voice of fifteen year old daisy. After her Dad remarried to a woman she despised and with their baby on the way, she was shipped to London. Throw in some great but abnormal cousins, an eating disorder and a war and you’re going to end up with a character whose perspective is extremely interesting to read about, being inside her head was funny, unusual and thought provoking. I liked reading about Daisy’s family, especially her cousin Piper. The war is like a character itself, making brutal appearances in the lives of Daisy and her family, it made the characters stronger, forced them to grow up before their time.

After the family is split up, they quest to find each other once again. Traveling through a country terrorized by the effects of modern war, Daisy fights for what she wants. I really liked the world in which How I Live Now was set in, where adults are making the wrong decisions for the wrong reasons, children are making decisions for only one reason, no one can be trusted and there is no well-defined adversary.

Overall I give this book four out of five stars, it is a touching mix of how far people will go for those they love, how strong the bonds of family can be and the ultimate test of survival, a great coming of age read.