Books – Page 55 – as told by zaheerah

Book Review: Hello, I Love You by Katie M. Stout

January 5, 2016April 10, 2018by ZaheerahLeave a Comment

you can find the book at:
GoodReads
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Author website

my review:

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

In an attempt to escape her music royalty family, Grace Wilde transfers into a Korean boarding school and finds herself falling for a K-Pop star.

If you want a novel with proper representation of Korean culture mixed with likeable characters, I suggest you don’t even bother putting this book on your TBR list. Why? Because this has none of that.
Continue reading “Book Review: Hello, I Love You by Katie M. Stout” →

Books, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Young Adult/ Teen

Book Review: The Awakened by Sara E. Santana

January 3, 2016April 10, 2018by ZaheerahLeave a Comment

you can find the book at:
GoodReads
Amazon
Author website

my review:

NOTE: I’ve already posted this review when I was apart of The Awakened Blog Tour but I wanted to post it again because the review is buried underneath so much blog tour stuff.

Rating: ★★★☆☆

~ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review~

Zoey Valentine’s life revolves around avoiding her irritating next door neighbour, Ash, and surviving the constant self-defence classes her police officer father makes her take. That is until the zombie apocalypse hits the USA, and the entire country is thrown into a frenzy. What seemed like an unusual illness, is actually turning everyone into a zombie-like state. Except, they’re much faster than the usual. When Zoey learns that the US government decides to bomb every major city, including her home city NYC, she finds herself on the run with her father and Ash in a desperate dash for survival.

This book was really great, in some sense, was really guessable in certain scenes but the way Santana writes makes it a really interesting read with a great cast of characters, each different in their own unique way. I enjoyed the doses of humour and heart within the novel and alongside Sara’s writing style which is easy to follow and compelling to read. She has the makings of a decent storyteller with this fast-paced debut novel.

Anyone who actually read my reviews knows that no good book ever goes unscathed. What really dragged this down was mainly due to certain aspects I personally didn’t like.

I think I’m the only person so far that didn’t like Ash? No offence, but he’s so irritating! Despite he does change in the end, and he ends up with Zoey. But, honestly, I didn’t find it cute that Ash was just terrible to Zoe since she was little. And Zoey knows it but yet she was still attracted to him? If I was being bullied by a boy and would in no way have some sort of attraction to him. Honestly, I would have ditched him the minute the apocalypse started. Despite Zoey telling him explicitly, she doesn’t want to be near him, he continues to flirt with her despite having a girlfriend and she’s already said no? And then when another survivor lowkey flirts with her, he gets annoyed? I just thought that behaviour was problematic and he should’ve backed off a bit.

Also, what was going on with her dad? I honestly hate it when adults assume boys teasing girls means he likes her? Her dad wanted them to get together despite Zoey CONSTANTLY telling him he’s been bullying her at a young age and the way he puts Ash on a higher pedestal than his own daughter was extremely worrying. He does kind of admit it in the end and apologise, but overall, the only character I found myself rooting for was Zoe. The romance in this novel was a bit off to me. Ash and Zoey literally pick the worst moment to get all hot and steamy, especially towards the end.

Kindle Edition, 317 pages

Published by Oftomes Publishing (first published December 1st 2015)

ASIN: B017AD8K9W

Books, Science Fiction & Fantasy

Book Review: Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel (Themis Files #1)

December 25, 2015July 3, 2016by ZaheerahLeave a Comment

you can find the book at:

GoodReads
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Author website

my review:

Rating: ★★★★☆

~ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review~

When a young girl fell into a hole, no one expected to find her lying down on a large metal hand. Year later, that same girl is now helping to find, all over the planet, the missing pieces. Each uncovered from under the earth. They don’t know who put them there or the reason why. But through series of transcripts, conducted through an unknown voice, we follow a group of scientists and military personnel trying to assemble the pieces and uncover its strange powers.

I think this book maybe the weirdest I’ve read this year. But I liked it. I’ve been told its in the same format as World War Z and Illuminae, and now I’m seriously considering bumping those two up my TBR list. The format itself makes it so interesting to read, and I’m loving this format! The premise is also fantastic. I love the idea of us humans scrambling over this gigantic robot which is thousands of years more developed than us in terms of tech. There’s so much political, moral and ethical drama when they realise its potential as a weapon against alien forces.

However, although the science behind was so interesting to read. I did find myself dropping at some parts because the science jargon became too much, and felt so overwhelming. There was also a huge case of telling than showing, and I think that just maybe because of the format, we don’t experience any of this with them (aside from a few scenes where it done over the phone) and only know what happens after it all actually happens.

Overall, what a book! Such a wild science fiction novel with an ending that made me so mad that I’m reading an ARC. I need the sequel now!

Kindle Edition, 320 pages

Expected publication: April 26th 2016 by Del Rey

ASIN: B015F0JSTS

Books, Contemporary, LGBTQIA, Young Adult/ Teen

Book Review: Seven Ways We Lie by Riley Redgate

December 22, 2015July 3, 2016by ZaheerahLeave a Comment

you can find the book at:

GoodReads
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Author website

my review:

Rating: ★★★★☆

~ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review~

When a rumour of a teacher-student affair surfaces in Texan high school, this ordinary school becomes much more peculiar when everyone tries to find out who it could possibly be.

Seven Ways We Lie is a really fun and interesting take on a high school contemporary novel. I liked the use of each character representing a different deadly sin. I didn’t really know what to expect from this but, in the end, I really did enjoy this. The first half was sort of confusing due to the different POVs and it did take me a while to learn who was saying what without having to go back to the chapter title. But Redgate did a good job developing the characters and carrying a story with seven different perspectives however I felt like she lost some along the way.

For this review, I’m going to go through each character and their storyline, since I enjoyed some more than others.

Juniper – I had mixed emotions about her. But I did feel sorry for her in the end. Her parts were told in a poem-style, which I didn’t enjoy that much. It was nice but I just don’t think someone would think in poetry all the time

Claire – Oh my, it was so hard to like her but I did understand her. Claire endlessly compares herself to other, always jealous and anxious. And her self-esteem was constantly lowered by the people around her. But her actions within the novel really pissed me off, and although I understand where she’s coming from, what she did makes me wary of her.

Lucas – I was really interested by Lucas. I think this is the first time I’ve read a book with a pansexual character. But I felt like his character was wasted in this novel. And looking back on the book, it focuses more on the others rather than him and I wanted more of him.

Valentine – Similar to Lucas, I felt like he had no proper basis, aside from him being the one who realised the teacher-student relationship, but I quite like them together.

Matt – Matt is that weird kid that smokes pot and has a ridiculously huge crush on Olivia. The scenes with his younger brother were really cute, but I didn’t like how stalkerish his crush with Olivia started out with, but the storyline with his family was interesting to read.

Olivia & Kat – I’m putting these two together since they’re twins. After their mother walks out of them, Olivia and Kat separate themselves from the close family they once were. Olivia becomes subjected to rude comments because of her sexual choices. (there’s a scene where she received a unsolicited picture from a boy, and honestly, her reaction was so funny and I liked how she called the boy out on it) She’s a top favourite, and the way she cared for her sister, despite her distancing, I found admirable. Kat spends her time with practising for the school play or ditching school to play games all day. She doesn’t know how to let go of her anger, and that I can relate to.

Although, I have to say the description makes it seems like the teacher-student relationship is the main focus of the plot but really it’s one of the many sub-plots. Towards the end I felt like we’re steered into rooting for the teacher, but the relationship felt so unhealthy. Though from the way the story unfolds, it’s pretty clear there’s no abuse of a teacher position towards a student, but they were still the responsible adult and, in my opinion, they should’ve known better.

Overall, it’s an entertaining debut, with witty dialogue and complex characters. Riley Redgate is an author to watch.

Hardcover, 352 pages

Expected publication: March 8th 2016 by Amulet Books

Books, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Young Adult/ Teen

Book Review: Secrets in Phoenix (Phoenix Holt #1)

December 18, 2015April 10, 2018by ZaheerahLeave a Comment

You can find the book at:

GoodReads
Amazon
Barnes & Noble (unavailable)
Author website

my review:

Rating: ★★★☆☆

When fifteen-year-old Sophie is sent, alongside her twin brothers, to a remote village and enrolled in a strange boarding school by their Great Aunt Ness, they never expected to find a hidden room which reveals that the residents of Phoenix Holt are anything but ordinary. And neither is her family.

I have to say I was extremely impressed with this one from Lapore. She seems to have this ongoing thing with witches in her novel, and since she has so many, I went in reading thinking it was going to be waay similar to How I Found You. But it wasn’t. And I certainly preferred this one than How I Found You.

It was a fun and energetic read from Lapore as we follow Sophie and her polar opposite twin brothers Sam and Todd in a journey to Phoenix Holt from their home of Port Dalton. I really enjoyed her writing style, it’s simple yet descriptive that you’re not overwhelmed by the language. What I really enjoyed were the moments between all three siblings, they played pranks, treated each other like crap, but at the end of the day showed that they cared for each other. It was just a nice difference compared to other YA I’ve read recently where siblings don’t exist or just distant to the storyline.

However, I wish there was a better development between Sophie and Jaxon. I know it would develop in the next novels, but it felt quite plain although I did enjoy Jaxon’s past which was really interesting. I also did have an issue with the boarding school. It was boys only, but it was never addressed why? Since the reason behind them being there is a massive spoiler, I won’t say, but it was confusing as to why no girls were there.

Overall, an interesting novel about witches, family and just the beginning of what Gabriella is capable of doing with this world.

Kindle Edition, 240 pages

Published October 13th 2015 by Oftomes Publishing

ASIN: B015L0GPD4

book tags, Books

The Seven Deadly Sins – Book Tag

December 12, 2015May 21, 2016by ZaheerahLeave a Comment

Hi everybody! Sorry you haven’t seen much of me for a while, my life’s been busy. I have my extended project essay due soon and I’ve decided to start my revision really early this year. But I will be making an effort to do more in the next year, especially when I finish my A-levels. I’ve got a couple of new reviews coming, and hopefully more stuff like this tag!

So, since I haven’t been doing much lately, I’ve decided to do this tag. I found it on 4evercrazyforya

1. Greed~ What is your most inexpensive book? What is your most expensive book?
The majority of the books I buy come from charity shops (thanks british heart foundation) or Amazon with those £00.01 books with like £2 shipping. So the most inexpensive book I’ve ever bought would most likely be The Boy in the Smoke by Maureen Johnson which was only £1 because it was sold for World Book Day.

Since most of my books are second hand or given to me as gifts, I think the most expensive book that was given to me was a hardback copy of My Sister Jodie by Jacquel
ine Wilson which was around £12.00? I remember asking my dad to buy it for me when I was ten-ish.

2. Wrath~ What author do you have a love/hate relationship with?
Cassandra Clare
I liked the idea of The Mortal Instrument but I hated how the stories played out. I knew who Clare was from her fan fiction writing days and that partially put me off the entire series. The entire series really irritated me. Especially with the portrayal of gay relationships, people of colour and women.

3. Gluttony~ What book have you devoured over and over again with no shame?
The Name of The Star by Maureen Johnson.
I don’t even know why with this book. I just really liked it and have re read it so many times!! I loved how Maureen used the story of Jack the Ripper in this novel and created a really interesting ghost novel! Jack the Ripper is such a huge mystery and I loved learning about it in History during secondary school so when Charlieissocoollike and other youtubers were promoting this book in the UK stores at the time, my sister bought it for me. It’s one of my favourite and, despite its few minor flaws, I will read it again and again.

4. Sloth~ What book have you neglected reading due to laziness?
The Fifth Wave – I don’t even understand why it’s taken so so long to read this? I really like what i’ve read so far. Ever since I got my Kindle, I’m just just got used to reading with that instead because I liked to read on bus home from college and it’s easier carry a kindle than a paperback copy. Also this copy is an ARC. I found it in a charity shop, and I was really excited so i just bought it!

5. Pride~ What book do you talk about most in order to sound like an intellectual reader?

I’m not sure about this one? I usually talk about books to my friends and we’re all interested in YA novels. And loads of people don’t see YA as an intellectual read. But if I had to choose one, it would probably be any Paulo Coelho or Khaled Hosseini book.

6. Lust~ What attributes do you find attractive in male characters?
Honestly that’s the problem I have with males in young adult novels. Authors romanticises them waay too much and they always seem to follow the same pattern. I especially hate that those “mean to the protagonist but doesn’t something vaguely nice so all is good.”It does work in some instances but sometimes they’ve done something so horrible I see no way to forgiving them and I find myself rolling my eyes so much and yelling at the main character to get herself the hell away from him? So basically my favourite attributes are when they are decent people, and funny. At the moment, my favourite male characters are Peeta Mellark from The Hunger Games or Alex Colby from How To Say I Love You Out Loud or Minho from The Maze Runner.

7. Envy~ What book would you most like to receive as a gift?
The Illustrated Edition of Harry Potter because, oh my god, look how good it looks!!!

I’m not sure who to tag because I don’t know if they’ve already completed this tag. But if you want to do this tag, be sure to comment with yours so I can read it!!

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