Tag: review

Books, Contemporary, Young Adult/ Teen

BOOK REVIEW: Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

by ZaheerahLeave a Comment on BOOK REVIEW: Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

you can find the book at:

GoodReads
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Author Website

goodreads summary:

This innovative, heartfelt debut novel tells the story of a girl who’s literally allergic to the outside world. When a new family moves in next door, she begins a complicated romance that challenges everything she’s ever known. The narrative unfolds via vignettes, diary entries, texts, charts, lists, illustrations, and more.

my review:

Rating: ★★★

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

Nicola Yoon’s debut Everything, Everything was nothing like I expected it to be, and I was impressed. Madeleine (Maddy) has spent her whole life in confinement. She has never been to a regular school and does not have real friends because she cannot go outside and it is extremely difficult for her to make her mother allow anyone to come inside. Maddysuffers from SCID, a disease that means that she’s allergic to the outside world; even a minute outside could break Madeleine’s weak immune system.

Though Madeleine dreams about the outside world, she is as happy as she can be in her home filled with books. But then a new family moves to the house next door and Madeleine gets increasingly intrigued by Olly, the boy next door. Through online chat, they connect and Madeleine starts to think that maybe she would rather have a couple of days in the dangerous outside than a lifetime in the protection of inside.

Madeline was an enjoyable character to read about. I understand her since it was her first love in a lot of ways I justified her actions as she doesn’t know anything else. She just wants to live her life while she can. I assumed Olly was going to be an irritating, ‘bad boy who lives next door’ but I’m glad I was wrong. He was caring, funny and, overall, a decent male character. Character development was clear in each and every character.

There isn’t a lot to say about the setting as its mainly all in Maddy’s house but it was great to see things through the eyes of someone that lived in her house for seventeen years without leaving it.

The writing style was also great, and inside there are illustrations, IM chats, and it was really cute! With EE I was most excited to see how Yoon uses short chapters, consisting of instant messages, emails as well as illustrations to tell the story of Madeleine and Olly. The illustrations, made by Yoon’s husband, are beautiful and I have a feeling my Fire HD screen did not do justice to them, which means I definitely need to get my hands on a physical copy of this novel.

However, there were a few plot inconsistency and things that irked me but they’re all spoilers

  • Why did no one question that fact she never had a proper diagnosis? Considering the high expensive equipment she needs, it just doesn’t seem plausible that any doctor would allow this to happen.A girl with a rare disorder like Maddy’s couldn’t possibly go unnoticed. 
  • Why do the nurses that always looked after Maddy never thought anything was wrong, I presumed they were trained to know how to take care of a patient in that situation?
  • Like at one point Maddy runs out of the house to Olly (because his father is abusing him) and she’s out there in seconds. But, previously, we’ve been told there’s this whole airlock thing on the door that one must go through.

Overall, I really enjoyed the first 3/4 of this book, but towards the end and its change in narrative, it felt rushed and was slightly odd, if I’m honest.

Books, Contemporary, Young Adult/ Teen

BOOK REVIEW: The Fixer by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

by Zaheerah3 Comments on BOOK REVIEW: The Fixer by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

you can find the book at:

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Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Author Website

goodreads summary:

When sixteen-year-old Tess Kendrick is sent to live with her older sister, Ivy, she has no idea that the infamous Ivy Kendrick is Washington D.C.’s #1 “fixer,” known for making politicians’ scandals go away for a price. No sooner does Tess enrol at Hardwicke Academy than she unwittingly follows in her sister’s footsteps and becomes D.C.’s premier high school fixer, solving problems for elite teens.

Secrets pile up as each sister lives a double life. . . . Until their worlds come crashing together and Tess finds herself in the middle of a conspiracy with one of her classmates and a client of Ivy’s. Suddenly, there is much more on the line than good grades, money, or politics, and the price for this fix might be more than Tess is willing to pay.

my review:

Rating:
★★★★★

A review describes it as a cross between Veronica Mars and Scandal, and it is entirely accurate. I have watched both shows (well, a couple of episodes of Scandal), and I can definitely see the inspiration. The high school life of VM and the Scandal theme, though aimed at a younger crowd.

 

Tess Kendrick is a very independent individual. She never intended to become her high school’s Fixer, in fact, she tries to escape. The more she tries to avoid it the more she gets trapped in the political lives of DC’s most important people and their children. Reading about her solving issues and thinking through puzzling problems gives you quite the ride of a read. I am looking forward to seeing Tess’ sister’s character get more developed, the big plot twist towards the end gives us new insight into her character that I certainly wasn’t expecting. I loved Tess’ little gang. Asher is sweet, and  I loved him from the very first time he appeared on the page, who then ends up becoming Tess’ main confidant and partner in crime. Vivvie started off as this adorable, bubbly character who stuck by Tess’ side because she didn’t have anyone else to hang out with, but soon enough the bonds of trust build and they become fast friends. I think she might be my favourite character out of the gang,  Henry, on the other hand, he ended up that character that was way too mysterious, and became too bland for me to be interested. However, I did feel sympathetic towards him due to the circumstances.

There is no romance in this title as it mostly focuses on the political issues, but I’m glad it didn’t because romance in this situation tends to be over the top and too much. The Fixer is one of my favourites reads so far this year, it keeps you engaged whether it be through problem-solving, kick-ass main character who takes matters into her own hands, or through the decent dialogue. Some of the secrets of the book are maybe a little easy to decipher if you pay attention to the right things, but that doesn’t detract from the overall enjoyment.

Books, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Young Adult/ Teen

BOOK REVIEW: A Whole New World by Lis Braswell

by ZaheerahLeave a Comment on BOOK REVIEW: A Whole New World by Lis Braswell

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

you can find the book at:

GoodReads
Amazon
Barnes and Noble (unavailable at the moment)
Author Website

 

 

 

my review:
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
I had to think about this one and then decide how I was going to write it, but overall – it didn’t live up to it’s potential – mostly because the first 30% was literally a rushed version of the first 30 minutes of the original movie before the original material finally kicked in. The characters – old and new- were underdeveloped and the conflict didn’t emphasise what the actual stakes in the real story were. It had some good moments but, overall, not so good.

This action-packed book had a sufficiently built world, easily visualised, but what was lacking was characterisation. It was fast-paced yet, but I wanted it to be slower. There were also more than a handful of new roles in this story: friends and enemies but they were as flat as a board, leaving me feeling no sympathy for them in their crisis.

In this book, I didn’t really root for anyone apart from Morgiana—a kick-ass, witty female friend of Aladdin. She was my favourite character. Aladdin is supposed to be the charming, “diamond in the rough” street rat – who excels at thieving. Seriously—every time he tries to steal something he gets caught. I suppose it could be for narrative tension/suspense, but it felt sloppy. Jasmine is even worse. She starts off as a self-absorbed princess and doesn’t really lose that. Yes—she’s savvy; she’s a quick learner; she’s reflective—and she has moments where I can see what the author was trying to do – make her into a Katniss-type revolutionary leader. But it didn’t work right.

The relationship between Jasmine and Aladdin irked me so much. Yes, it happens in the film, but in this book, you could replace their name with anyone other YA couple, and it works. The whole romance felt very modern, very contemporary as if they were just two American teens with crushes on each other. It didn’t even sound anywhere near accurate. Even if they’re both orphans and impoverished street rats, I would still imagine that there are cultural customs and traditions in place – behaviour that’s inappropriate between two young, unmarried people.

As like the film, Jafar is our evil villain and even more so in the adaptation, and that REALLY irritated me. He doesn’t seem to have a backstory – there’s no reason why he is the way he is, and ultimately this drives him mad. I get that he’s supposed to be the villain, but again, this just seems to be “the easy way out.” It’s all right to have a good power-hungry dictator as your villain – but when there’s no reason, it just seems simplistic and sloppy.

The ending was typical. There’s a plan – a weak one – and our main characters band together to save the day. Of course. Despite the tension the author attempts to depict, there’s never really any doubt that Jafar’s going to lose and they win. Her best attempt at dramatic tension results in Jasmine being tempted by the dark magic – but luckily she has Aladdin there to draw her back to the light. It all resolves relatively quickly.

What really disappointed me was that this was such a fantastic opportunity to represent the cultural diversity that is so lacking in children’s and YA novels – to tell a Middle Eastern/Arabic tale with accurate cultural customs and beliefs – to show readers something probably unfamiliar to them in an appealing way. Since it’s based on Aladdin, it is already going to attract readers, it was a perfect opportunity to do so.

Books, Historical Fiction, Mythology

BOOK REVIEW: Helen of Sparta by Amalia Carosella

by Zaheerah1 Comment on BOOK REVIEW: Helen of Sparta by Amalia Carosella

you can find the book at:

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Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Author Website

goodreads summary:

Long before she ran away with Paris to Troy, Helen of Sparta was haunted by nightmares of a burning city under siege. These dreams foretold impending war—a war that only Helen has the power to avert. To do so, she must defy her family and betray her betrothed by fleeing the palace in the dead of night. In need of protection, she finds shelter and comfort in the arms of Theseus, son of Poseidon. With Theseus at her side, she believes she can escape her destiny. But at every turn, new dangers—violence, betrayal, extortion, threat of war—thwart Helen’s plans and bar her path. Still, she refuses to bend to the will of the gods.

A new take on an ancient myth, Helen of Sparta is the story of one woman determined to decide her own fate.

my review:

Rating:
★★★★☆

Helen of Sparta begins long before the infamous Trojan War, this novel details the supposed abduction of Helen by Theseus, King of Athens, with Helen as a willing participant.
Helen carries a heavy weigh on her shoulder. A princess to Sparta, but also a daughter of Zeus. Hated by her mother but also an heir to inherit the throne. Helen’s gifts from Zeus not only give her beauty but dreams that foresee the future. In a recurring nightmare, she envisions the Trojan war and the death of her family when she is married to a childhood friend. Determined to escape her fate, Helen makes plans to flee to Athens with King Theseus. Finally feeling freedom, the gods continue to punish Helen for her actions; however, Helen still continues to forge her own future.
Carosella offers a fresh take on Greek mythology from Helen’s point of view. I was captivated by the mix of historical fictions and mythology, along with Helen fiery determination to not be the damsel in distress. Helen’s world is brought to light with the power of the gods and the brutality of the history. Overall, Helen’s story is packed with well-developed emotions and an intense plot. With a somewhat abrupt ending, I am hoping there is a second one in the making.
However, while some characters are well written, some are very flat, and I find myself questioning the irrationality of some of their actions. For example, I struggled to understand why a princess was so often alone or wandering the palace unescorted especially when many men were lusting after her. More than once she is told off for it yet she keeps doing it. She has maids and servants, and there’s no reason she wouldn’t have one with her to see her back to her room.

Although I did feel sorry for  Theseus, I didn’t find him inspiring. Theseus has little depth and serves only as a protector. The most prominent criticism I’m reading from other reviews is that the ending is a cliffhanger, but I didn’t feel this to be the case. The conclusion was supposed to show the reader why Helen later makes the choice she does, igniting the Trojan War. But a sequel would be excellent. [EDIT 29/01/2018: I’m a legit fool and didn’t realise there would be a sequel to this. ]

So there’s definitely some right elements to the story since I was compelled read to the end, and it’s well written, but unfortunately, some of the characters let it down.

Books, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Young Adult/ Teen

BOOK REVIEW: End of Days by Susan Ee

by ZaheerahLeave a Comment on BOOK REVIEW: End of Days by Susan Ee

you can find the book at:

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Amazon
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goodreads summary:

End of Days is the explosive conclusion to Susan Ee’s bestselling Penryn & the End of Days trilogy.

After a daring escape from the angels, Penryn and Raffe are on the run. They’re both desperate to find a doctor who can reverse the twisted changes inflicted by the angels on Raffe and Penryn’s sister. As they set off in search of answers, a startling revelation about Raffe’s past unleashes dark forces that threaten them all.

When the angels release an apocalyptic nightmare onto humans, both sides are set on a path toward war. As unlikely alliances form and strategies shift, who will emerge victorious? Forced to pick sides in the fight for control of the earthly realm, Raffe and Penryn must choose: Their own kind, or each other?

my review:

Rating:
★★★☆☆

It begins right where World After left off—Raffe with Penryn in his arms, flying, and Paige sitting on Beliel’s body which is being carried by scorpion-tailed locusts. While Word After left me disappointed, I’m not gonna lie so did this. While WA was good for the last 30%, this whole book was a mix of really good/really disappointing.

The character development in this book is very profound. Penryn has always been an independent and strong female character, but in this final installment, Susan Ee takes her badass quality to a whole new level. Raffe, on the other hand, has always been a fierce believer but in this book, the battle between his responsibilities and his heart gets tougher. He’s not just an archangel; he’s a warrior. The story, pacing, and my overall excitement gives this book 3 stars. However, there were many disappointing scenes.

The romance in this series has always been subtle yet powerful. I really enjoyed their relationship because of their intense chemistry, but at some parts, I was disappointed. Especially when they’re lying in bed together, it turned a bit too desperate for me. She moved his hand so it would be on her nipple?????? I didn’t find it at all sexy or steamy but slightly creeped out at Penryn’s actions and Raffes response.

Penryn used to be smart but lost most of it as the story progressed. She let herself be manipulated and used for the most pathetic of reasons. She was seriously a TSTL character with Beliel, she knew he was manipulative, but she still let herself be tricked by him, all so she could spy on more of Raffe’s memories. Her actions probably resulted in the deaths of dozens of humans, those hellions she released must have killed a few people when they escaped, but that thought never crossed her mind.
Also, why was Paige the chosen one when it came to the locusts? How could she control them? Where did that power and ability to come from? Did Doc engineer it that way? If so, how? And why Paige? I felt like it was only put in to have that whole dramatic moment where Penryn was told her sister would be their savior.

That one page where Layla comes back on her side was way too convenient. One minute she was happy with being evil and then she turns back around to coincide with Raffe and Penryn needing help. I felt like a better ending would have been Raffe returning back to heaven, taking all the angels with him, as he initially promised with Penryn.

Overall, an unsatisfying ending to what could have been a decent series.
Books, Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult/ Teen

BOOK REVIEW: Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone

by Zaheerah2 Comments on BOOK REVIEW: Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone

you can find the book at:

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Amazon
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Author Website

goodreads summary:

If you could read my mind, you wouldn’t be smiling.

Samantha McAllister looks just like the rest of the popular girls in her junior class. But hidden beneath the straightened hair and expertly applied makeup is a secret that her friends would never understand: Sam has Purely-Obsessional OCD and is consumed by a stream of dark thoughts and worries that she can’t turn off.

Second-guessing every move, thought, and word makes daily life a struggle, and it doesn’t help that her lifelong friends will turn toxic at the first sign of a wrong outfit, wrong lunch, or wrong crush. Yet Sam knows she’d be truly crazy to leave the protection of the most popular girls in school. So when Sam meets Caroline, she has to keep her new friend with a refreshing sense of humor and no style a secret, right up there with Sam’s weekly visits to her psychiatrist.

Caroline introduces Sam to Poet’s Corner, a hidden room and a tight-knit group of misfits who have been ignored by the school at large. Sam is drawn to them immediately, especially a guitar-playing guy with a talent for verse, and starts to discover a whole new side of herself. Slowly, she begins to feel more “normal” than she ever has as part of the popular crowd . . . until she finds a new reason to question her sanity and all she holds dear.

my review:

Rating:
★★★☆☆

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

This is the first book I’ve requested from NetGallery, and I’m so glad that they accepted. I’m not a big fan of contemporary YA novels- to be honest, they bore me. But I’ve enjoyed Tamara Ireland Stone’s previous novels,so when I read the description for this, it sounded interesting. And it was.

The main character Sam was diagnosed with OCD as a child, and she’s been hiding it from her friends ever since- worried that her ‘perfect’ friends would find out that she isn’t like them. She keeps it well hidden, trying to be as ‘Normal’ as possible.Tamara Ireland Stone does a decent job of making Sam real. Her portrayal of OCD felt truthful, and it was obvious that she spent some time researching the topic and taking great care in depicting the struggles that Sam must go through. The novel was engaging and I felt an intensity I truly didn’t expect. Her relationship with her therapist as one of my favourite through the book. She’s a strong presence in Sam’s life, and is such an amazing character.

Sam also meets Caroline who introduces her to the Poet’s Corner. A place hidden beneath the school where a small group of students meet, sharing their burdens in the form of poems. This gives Sam an outlet, and soon becomes more confident and comfortable here. It felt right seeing her happy when she spends so much of her time miserable.

I loved the development between Sam and AJ, but I didn’t like their story. Sam used to bully AJ. This wasn’t just childish jokes, it was extreme bullying to a point where he just stopped speaking and wasn’t until he found music/poems as a way to speak again. This is probably the reason it didn’t get a 5 from me. The way it dealt with the issue of bullying was completely false. Sam may not be a bully, but she does so out of peer pressure.. Bullying is a very serious issue, and this book does not give weight to it. It glosses over the fact that Sam was a bully, peer pressure or not, it was still unacceptable. She feels bad about it, but there is never any feeling of sincerity upon her reflection into it.

Overall, Every Last Word seems like a typical contemporary book but it was enjoyable.