arc review

ARC Review: What I Thought Was True

08:00

What I Thought Was True
By Huntley Fitzpatrick

Series: None (stand alone)
Source: Netgalley
Format: eARC
Page count: 496
Published (UK): 7th April 2016 by Electric Monkey
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, 
What if everything you set yourself up to be was wrong?

 From the acclaimed author of My Life Next Door comes a swoony summertime romance full of expectation and regret, humor and hard questions.

Gwen Castle has never so badly wanted to say good-bye to her island home till now: the summer her Biggest Mistake Ever, Cassidy Somers, takes a job there as the local yard boy. He's a rich kid from across the bridge in Stony Bay, and she hails from a family of fishermen and housecleaners who keep the island's summer people happy. Gwen worries a life of cleaning houses will be her fate too, but just when it looks like she'll never escape her past—or the island—Gwen's dad gives her some shocking advice. Sparks fly and secret histories unspool as Gwen spends a gorgeous, restless summer struggling to resolve what she thought was true—about the place she lives, the people she loves, and even herself—with what really is.

A magnetic, push-you-pull-me romance with depth, this is for fans of Sarah Dessen, Jenny Han, and Deb Caletti.


**I received a free eARC through Netgalley. This does not affect my honest opinion**

I really enjoyed Huntley Fitzpatrick’s debut book, My Life Next Door, so when I saw this was available for request on Netgalley, I was so excited! I’m really pleased all her books are being published in the UK, because I know many people will enjoy them. Sadly, I believe this is definitely her weakest one. Where My Life Next Door was easygoing and relaxing, What I Thought Was True was boring and confusing. This one highly disappointed me.

The thing that let the book down the most was the pacing. The start was really slow, which made me reluctant to read on to find out what would happen next, and I didn’t connect with the characters instantly either. This shouldn’t have been at all confusing, but the way the flashbacks were laced in the story meant I became confused to what was happening in the past. A whole array of characters were suddenly introduced, but we hadn’t seen them before, so I was at a complete loss as to who was who, and what was going on. 

Gwen, the main character, made the book bearable. She had a great sense of humour, and she stood up for herself when people weren’t giving her the respect she deserved. I liked how she refused to change herself for Cass (who I definitely didn’t like) and stayed true to herself.

I wouldn’t recommend this book. If you’re looking for a light, summer contemporary romance, there’s plenty of others out there, or you could try Fitzpatrick’s other books. This one was too long and slow paced, even if the ending did give full closure. I found it too hard to get into, which is not what I’m looking for in a book like this. 

3.5 stars

Review: Rebel of the Sands

07:30

Rebel of the Sands
By Alwyn Hamilton
Series: Rebel of the Sands #1
Source: Netgalley
Format: e-ARC
Published: 4th February 2016 by Faber & Faber
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance,

"Tell me that and we'll go. Right now. Save ourselves and leave this place to burn. Tell me that's how you want your story to go and we'll write it straight across the sand."

Dustwalk is Amani's home. The desert sand is in her bones. But she wants to escape. More than a want. A need.

Then a foreigner with no name turns up to save her life, and with him the chance to run. But to where? The desert plains are full of danger. Sand and blood are swirling, and the Sultan's enemies are on the rise...


**I received a free e-book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does in no way alter my opinions**

I’ve been wanting this book for so long, so when I saw it on Netgalley, I was so excited to read it!! I’d heard pretty much only good things before reading, so my expectations were pretty high. It did disappoint me a bit, but I still enjoyed the book, just not as much as I hoped I would. It was extremely well written, but some things let it down (for me).

 The main fault I had was the pacing. I really liked the opening - it was fast and very exciting, but after that, it dipped for a bit. There were lots of exciting action scenes, which were written so well, but there was also a lot of world-building at the start which took a long time. This book took me ages to get into, and it never had me completely hooked. There were just some really slow points that let it down. 

 I really loved the protagonist, Amani. Right from the start, I was rooting for her - she was so badass, and amazing at fighting, right from the first page. I loved how she was really emotionally strong as well; even when going through really tough circumstances, she didn’t crack or become irritating to read about. I liked the way she was flawed too! Amani wasn’t perfect, but that’s what made her feel more real, and made me care about her even more. 

 The romance was executed very well too. I liked the way it was slow-burning throughout novel - the love interest had an instant connection with Amani, but they weren’t involved romantically straight away too. There was no insta-love at all!

 The love interest was a really interesting character. I liked him, and liked him with Amani, because he was so caring and selfless. He genuinely cared for Amani and put her first, but didn’t try to hinder her when she was being such a badass. He was a strong character too, and I enjoyed reading about him!

 I loved the setting. Although at the start the world building became a bit info-dumpy, I found it so interesting, because the culture is so different to what we have in modern society. Most dystopian settings have some resemblance to today, but I found it much harder to see in this book. I liked the beautiful descriptions of the deserts, and the rich language and specialist terminology made the book so much more unique. 

 Overall, I’d really recommend this if you’re prepared to sit through lengthy descriptions, to get to a stunning setting. The characters are so likeable, and the plot is so original, so even if you get bored with the slow pacing, it’s still a really interesting book. It’s a really unique and diverse read!

2 Stars

ARC Review: Blood, Ink & Fire

08:00

Blood, Ink & Fire
By Ashley Mansour

 Source: Netgalley
Release date: 1st December 2015
Genres: Young Adult, Dystopian

Imagine a world without books…
In the future, books are a distant memory. The written word has been replaced by an ever-present stream of images known as Verity. In the controlling dominion of the United Vales of Fell, reading is obsolete and forbidden, and readers themselves do not—cannot—exist. But where others see images in the stream, teenager Noelle Hartley sees words. She’s obsessed with what they mean, where they came from, and why they found her.

Noelle’s been keeping her dangerous fixation with words a secret, but on the night before her seventeenth birthday, a rare interruption in the stream leads her to a mysterious volume linked to an underworld of rebel book lovers known as the Nine of the Rising. With the help of the Risers and the beguiling boy Ledger, Noelle discovers that the words within her are precious clues to the books of the earlier time—and as a child of their bookless age, she might be the world’s last hope of bringing them back.

Blood, Ink & Fire is a gripping, evocative tale that asks, who would we be without books?


 **I received a free ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion**

 When I began this book, I really wasn’t sure if I was going to like it or not. I hadn’t read many reviews before hand, so I was unsure. Though, the concept was really intriguing, so I was really hoping for it to be great - it’s a book for book lovers, and sounds beautiful, but sadly it left me really disappointed.

 The main thing that let it down was the pacing. I got really bored in the middle, and wasn't fully engaged with the story at all. Some parts felt way too rushed, yet at others it was painfully slow. The ending was really disappointing too - it felt incredibly rushed, and gave me no closure at all. I won’t be reading the sequel (if there is one) as I didn’t enjoy the book, which makes me feel even more let down, as it just didn’t explain anything!

 One thing I did like was all the family themes explored. A large section of the plot was defined by Noelle’s love for her family, and it was refreshing! There’s slowly starting to be more family themes in YA, but for now, I’ll take what I can get! ☺

 Something that I really didn’t like in this book was the romance. Noelle’s involvement with Ledger was cringe-worthy and unnecessary anyway, but an added love triangle? No thanks! To be fair, it wasn’t huge, but I was confused as to why it was added in. I didn’t enjoy any aspects of the romance, and it just distracted from the plot. 

 I really liked the protagonist, Noelle! She wasn’t perfect, but she definitely had her fist-pump worthy moments. She was flawed, but real depth was shown, and I liked how determined she was. I enjoyed reading about her, even if I wasn’t convinced by all her decisions!

 Overall, I wouldn’t recommend this book. It had its moments, but I was so disappointed, and I didn’t enjoy it. There were some beautiful quotes, but it was too oddly paced for me, and too many aspects that let me down to give it a higher rating. I’m really disappointing, because I thought it had so much potential!

4.5 stars

ARC Review: All the Rage

08:00

All the Rage
By Courtney Summers

 Source: Netgalley
Release date: 28th January 2016
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Mystery,

Kellan Turner is not the golden boy everyone thinks he is and Romy Grey knows that for a fact. But when she speaks up, she is branded a liar. Telling the truth has cost her everything, because no one wants to believe a girl from the wrong side of town.

But when news of Kellan assaulting another girl gets out, the cost of staying silent might be more than Romy can bear. All The Rage examines the shame and silence inflicted upon young women in a culture that refuses to protect them.


**I received a free ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion**

 When I began reading this book, I knew it was going to be a heavy read by reading the synopsis, but I never realised just how greatly this book was going to affect me. It covered so many important topics, and dealt with them so well. It’s a book I’d recommend to so many people, because it’s brutally honest, and I think so many people would really benefit from reading it.

This might be the hardest book I’ve ever read. I wasn’t addicted, and in places, I didn’t want to read on. Some of the themes horrified me, and it was a struggle to read on in places, because of how harshly it’s written. It’s relentlessly miserable, with shocks around every corner - there was never time for a breather, which is one of the reasons it was a really tough read. I’d recommend having a light, easy contemporary for after this one!

I didn’t like the writing style, but it didn’t bother me too much. I didn’t really like Romy as a lead - of course, I felt bad for her, but I felt she wasn’t shown as likeable. This might have been intentional, but I just wasn’t feeling it! I know she was going through a horrific time, but I had trouble connecting with her and some of the other characters.

So much happens in this book, so I don’t want too say much in case of spoilers! One thing I will say: you need to read this book. It is excellent, and I’d highly recommend - there’s so many important themes, and I think it’s so worth it. This is one of the rare books that I think have actually changed me, so it’s a must read! 

2016 releases

ARC Review: My Life Next Door

08:00

My Life Next Door
By Huntley Fitzpatrick

 Source: Netgalley
Release date (UK): 7th January 2016
Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary,

"One thing my mother never knew, and would disapprove of most of all, was that I watched the Garretts. All the time."

The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, messy, affectionate. And every day from her rooftop perch, Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them . . . until one summer evening, Jase Garrett climbs up next to her and changes everything.

As the two fall fiercely for each other, stumbling through the awkwardness and awesomeness of first love, Jase's family embraces Samantha - even as she keeps him a secret from her own. Then something unthinkable happens, and the bottom drops out of Samantha's world. She's suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself?

A transporting debut about family, friendship, first romance, and how to be true to one person you love without betraying another.


**I received an e-ARC version of this book for an honest review - this does not affect my opinion**

I really didn’t expect to enjoy this as much as I did! It’s been out across the pond for a while now (I’m British), and I’ve heard loads of good things, so when this popped up on Netgalley, I was super hyped! Also, I read this with some of my best friends on Instagram (Jennifer and Stephanie), so it made me enjoy the book even more as we were doing a buddy read. It was a pleasant surprise that I enjoyed it as much as I did!

This book has a really cute, summery feel to it, and I think that’s one of the reasons I liked it so much, even though I did read it in the middle of winter! It was an easy, light read, which was just what I needed, because before reading this, I was worried that I was falling into a slump. This is definitely one to pick up if you’re in a reading slump, because it’s addictive and so sweet ☺.

Another thing I really enjoyed in this book was all of the family themes. YA Contemporary is a genre with mainly non-existent parents, but families played a key role in this book. I loved the Garretts so much, and all of my favourite scenes were at their house! All of the secondary characters felt so real, so I loved reading about everyone.

I did have a few problems with the book though - one of these being the way it ended. I didn’t like how some plots just weren’t rounded up, especially the one with my favourite character, Nan. There is a companion novel though already released in America (a lovely person on Goodreads told me it’s out in June 2016 in the UK), so I’m hoping these will be rounded up in that. I’m definitely going to try and pick it up!
Overall, if you’re a fan of the genre, I’d highly recommend reading this! It’s a really sweet book, and though there are tense moments, it’s a great feel-good, summer read. All of the characters are so likeable (except for Sam - I wasn’t sure about her...), and it’s a really interesting story. It’s the perfect summer read, and I'm really excited to pick up the companion novel in the summer too.

13 Minutes

ARC Review: 13 Minutes

20:57

13 Minutes
By Sarah Pinborough

 Source: Netgalley
Release date: 18th February 2015
Genres: Young Adult, Thriller, Mystery, 

I was dead for 13 minutes. I don't remember how I ended up in the icy water but I do know this - it wasn't an accident and I wasn't suicidal. They say you should keep your friends close and your enemies closer, but when you're a teenage girl, it's hard to tell them apart. My friends love me, I'm sure of it. But that doesn't mean they didn't try to kill me. Does it?


I’ve read one of the author’s other books - The Death House - and I really enjoyed it, so when I saw this up for request on Netgalley, I knew I had to read it. The cover is so intriguing too, so it really caught my attention! Thankfully, I wasn’t disappointed - this was a really good book, and I enjoyed it so much! I’d really recommend it to fans of thrillers, when it comes out in February next year.

There were so many plot twists, it was unreal. Every chapter, I thought things might finally settle down for a while, but nope! Each page held something as equally shocking and sinister, so I was never bored. It never went the way I thought it would, so was relentlessly entertaining, which me even more hooked. I'd recommend going in knowing as little as possible too, because then the twists are even more surprising.

I also thought the characters were really well developed. I knew from the start that we couldn’t trust anyone, but even while knowing this, I was constantly surprised on the direction all of the characters went in! I really liked Becca (the protagonist) throughout, and although she wasn’t always the ‘hero’, and the strongest, she made the right decisions, and I really cared about her story.

The ending really shocked me. I definitely wasn’t expecting that! Though, I was really happy with the way it turned out, and I’m glad we were given full closure. It made me really satisfied to finish the book - any longer and it would have felt dragged, but any shorter I would have felt that things were wrapped up too quickly. Overall, this is a really good book, that I enjoyed immensely.

5 Stars

ARC Review: Beautiful Broken Things

19:16

Beautiful Broken Things
By Sara Barnard

 Source: Netgalley
Release date: 11th February 2016
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Mental Illness, 

Goodreads Synopsis:
Best friends Caddy and Rosie are inseparable. Their differences have brought them closer, but as she turns sixteen Caddy begins to wish she could be a bit more like Rosie – confident, funny and interesting. Then Suzanne comes into their lives: beautiful, damaged, exciting and mysterious, and things get a whole lot more complicated. As Suzanne’s past is revealed and her present begins to unravel, Caddy begins to see how much fun a little trouble can be. But the course of both friendship and recovery is rougher than either girl realises, and Caddy is about to learn that downward spirals have a momentum of their own. 

I don’t even know where to begin with this book. I expected (and desperately hoped!) that it would be amazing, but I really didn’t imagine it could be so hard-hitting and emotional. I had no idea that it would destroy me in the ways it did, and shatter my poor heart into a million pieces. I am beyond words (though I will try to make a decent review!), because this book has rendered me utterly speechless.

This is one of those books where I can never words say just how amazing it is. I don’t know if I’ll be able to encourage you enough to go and buy this book when it comes out, because I just loved it so much. Loads of people have said that a book you love is always the hardest to write a review for - this one definitely takes the lead for hardest review! You just need to read the book.
There’s no romance at all, which I loved. As soon as I heard it would be a book entirely on female friendships, I requested it from Netgalley straight away. It’s so refreshing to see a book that doesn’t need romance to make it interesting. This was probably my favourite element because I hate romance it was so original, which was one of the reasons it was so hard-hitting. It captured the essence of true friendship so realistically so it’s definitely the best portrayal I’ve ever read.
I raced through this book, because I was enjoying it so much. There were parts in which I was welling up, and parts when I was breathing heavily because of how nervous I was, but overall, it was such a fun read. Sure, the ending wasn’t fun at all (I am broken!), and there were plenty of chapters that were tough, but it wasn’t all doom and gloom. There were lots of fun scenes, which really made me smile, and love the characters even more. There was loads of light-hearted bits to balance out all of the sadness, which just made me adore it even more.

It was perfectly paced, and beautifully written. When this book comes out in February, I’ll definitely be buying a physical finished copy because the cover is so pretty it’s such an exquisite book. I definitely want to read this again, and I know that everyone will love it when it’s released. I know this enchanting story will stay with me for a long time (que major book hangover), and it’s become one of my all-time favourites. I’d highly recommend (as you can tell by this gushing review!) picking this up next February - don’t forget about it, because it’s truly amazing!

3 Stars

Review: Fans of the Impossible Life

12:37

Fans of the Impossible Life
By Kate Scelsa

 Source: Netgalley, ARC
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Coming of Age, LGBT+, Romance, Mental Illness, 

 Goodreads Synopsis:

 This is the story of a girl, her gay best friend, and the boy in love with both of them.

Ten months after her recurring depression landed her in the hospital, Mira is starting over as a new student at Saint Francis Prep. She promised her parents she would at least try to act like a normal, functioning human this time around, not a girl who sometimes can’t get out of bed for days on end, who only feels awake when she’s with Sebby. 

Jeremy is the painfully shy art nerd at Saint Francis who’s been in self-imposed isolation after an incident that ruined his last year of school. When he sees Sebby for the first time across the school lawn it’s as if he’s been expecting this blond, lanky boy with a mischievous glint in his eye. 

Sebby, Mira’s gay best friend, is a boy who seems to carry sunlight around with him like a backlit halo. Even as life in his foster home starts to take its toll, Sebby and Mira together craft a world of magic rituals and secret road trips, designed to fix the broken parts of their lives. 

As Jeremy finds himself drawn into Sebby and Mira’s world, he begins to understand the secrets that they hide in order to protect themselves, to keep each other safe from those who don’t understand their quest to live for the impossible.

 My review:
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley
I expected this book to be amazing. From the first line of the synopsis (This is the story of a girl, her gay best friend, and the boy in love with both of them), I expected there to be a bisexual love triangle with lots of romance. I was disappointed because there was barely any romance - more friendship and self-discovery. I enjoyed the characters, and the plot was okay, but the writing style really let this book down for me.
The characters were all instantly likeable. Everyone was funny and charming on the surface, yet were well developed and had lots of depth. They all had their own private problems, and were all fighting their own personal battle.


I liked the dynamics between each character. They all had different relationships - my favourite was Mira and Sebby. The author had captured the essence of being best friends so it felt very realistic. Their relationship was unusual yet very special.


My main problem with the book was the writing style. It was very disjointed and chucky because it constantly switched between Mira (3rd person), Jeremy (1st person), and Sebby (2nd Person). It got a little confusing at times - I would have been able to enjoy the book much more if everything was in 3rd person.


This book tried so hard to be meaningful and beautiful, but in my opinion, it really wasn’t. There were too many themes explored (bullying, suicide, depression, mental health, homophobia, drugs, friendship), and I thought it got too crowded. Because it was so busy, it wasn’t able to fully explore most of these themes. This made me feel like the book wasn’t as important as it would have been, if it delivered a strong and poignant message about just a couple of themes.


I found the ending frustrating. It didn’t give enough closure, and I was left feeling confused. I really cared about the characters, so I was very disappointed for it to leave us wanting more. It was too ‘poetic’, and tried too hard to be beautiful, and left to the reader’s interpretation. Just a few more pages would have rounded off this book so much better.

I thought this book was a very fun contemporary. At many points, I was smiling and laughing with the characters: I enjoyed the book a lot. The writing style mainly let it down for me, and the way it tried too hard, but it definitely had potential to be a very important book. I'd recommend for fans of The Perks of Being a Wallflower, or I'll Give You the Sun.

 Rating: