The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa - Review

MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

I was so excited when I received my latest book purchase from Booktopia and The Iron Daughter was the first book I read from that haul. I was really looking forward to the second instalment in The Iron Fey series because I just devoured The Iron King and I was so excited for more Meghan and Ash action. So you could understand my disappointment when I read that Ash was back to his icy self. Because the book was with parts I didn't imagine, I just wanted to finish the book and move onto the third book. Which I felt was a let down. 

The last time we saw Meghan Chase she was on her way to enemy territory to fulfil her contract with Prince Ash. So now she has entered the Winter Court and is Queen Mab's prisoner. Meghan is alone and scared and not to mention in doubt with the relationship between her and Ash because since arriving in the Winter Court Ash has abandoned her. Meghan tries to convince Queen Mab of the vicious Iron Fey, but she has no luck. So when the Scepter of the Seasons is stolen, Queen Mab blames the Summer Court and this leads to her announcing war against the Summer Fey. With the near future war, Meghan escapes the Winter Court with the help of her friends to retrieve the Scepter of the Seasons, return it to Queen Mab and stop the looming war between Winter and Summer before its too late. 

My favourite part of The Iron Daughter would have to be the very end when Ash stands up to Mother and declares his love for Meghan. This part was nothing special but because the was hardly any Meghan/Ash scenes in this book and because I'm team Ash ;) this scene seemed to stand out for me. This scene also gave me an insight in to The Iron Queen with Ash and Meghan exiled from the Nevernever and this excites me because maybe finally we'll get more Meghan/Ash scenes in the next book. 

Even though I felt this book was a let down in The Iron Fey series, I would still say to anyone who have started this series to keep reading because I have a feeling things will get a lot more interesting. Overall I rate The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa 3 out of 5 stars. 

★★★

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green - Review

CONTAINS SPOILERS

Oh my, oh my, oh my. This book tore me to pieces and broke my heart. I started The Fault in our Stars after finished Looking For Alaska and I just didn't get the whole hype surrounding that book. However I decided I'd give John Green one last chance and picked up TFIOS... I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I finished the book in four days and right from the first chapter I was hooked, my addiction to this book was something I had never experienced before and I guess it started my interest into Young Adult Realistic Fiction novels. 

The Fault in our Stars is about a girl named Hazel, a 16 year old who has stage four Thyroid Cancer. Thanks to the tumour-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel's cancer has always been terminal. She regularly attends Cancer Kid Support Group but finds it unimaginably boring until the day a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly turns up. 

The Fault in our Stars is not a "cancer" book. There is Hazel, who is refreshingly real, she has this way of saying things which would normally sound horribly sad, but John Green writes her words so it almost sounds humorous. One of my favourite quotes from Hazel is "I didn't tell him that the diagnosis came three months after I got my first period. Like: Congratulations! You're a woman. Now die." and another favourite quote is "my lungs suck at being lungs." Then there is Augustus, who desperately wants to leave a lasting impression on the world, and oh boy did he ever (in the real world). This book is extremely real and raw, especially in relation to the diseases. There is not one ounce of sugar coating in this book because cancer is ugly and unpleasant and John Green makes the readers see this. 

I can't even tell you what my favourite part of this book is, so I'll tell you about the moment I knew this was my favourite book. I always thought Hazel was the one who was going to die and I had prepared myself for that before I first started to read the book. What I did not expect was that Augustus was the one who was going to die. Screw you John Green! I got this feeling deep in the pit of my stomach that something was going to happen right before Hazel, Hazel's mum and Augustus left for Amsterdam, then as the book moved on, this feeling I was feeling kept resurfacing until it was confirmed and I read the line that broke my heart "I lit up like a Christmas Tree, Hazel Grace...". Then from that moment onwards I was in and out of streams of tears and I've never been the one to cry throughout a book. 

I don't even know who to recommend this too because you all should of read it by now. And if you're saying that you haven't, then what have you been doing with your life. Go out and bloody buy this book and get to it!! Overall I rate this book 6 out of 5 stars, because it is that incredible! 

★★★★★★

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher - Review

MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

I remember what I thought when I read the blurb of the book, it was "I must get my hands on this book!". Thirteen Reasons Why was my most anticipated book to read. My friend and I decided to read it at the same time, so I had to wait until she got the book which took months. So by the time we started reading it, I had this overly built up excitement and high expectations for the book. Now it wasn't that I didn't find this book interesting, because I did, it was just that when I finished the book I was left feeling... nothing really. 

Thirteen Reasons Why is about a boy named Clay Jensen and one day he returns home to find an unknown box with his name on it lying on his front porch. When he opens it he discovers thirteen cassette tapes recorded by the one and only Hannah Baker. His old classmate/crush who committed suicide two weeks earlier. On these tapes Hannah explains the thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life, and Clay is one of them. He has no idea why but if he listens, he'll find out how he made Hannah's list.

Ever since I read Thirteen Reasons Why there was something I just couldn't get out of my head, and that was a main point made throughout the book. This being that you will never know how much of an impact you may have on the lives of others, and even though your actions may seem like nothing to you, they could mean a hell of a lot to others. I found this point to be really reflective and that is why I like to read books like Thirteen Reasons Why, The Perks Of Being A Wallflower, The Fault In Our Stars, A Walk To Remember, etc. because they make you look at the world and your life. 

There is a YouTube channel with the recorded tapes which are in the book, you can find them here: http://www.youtube.com/user/Hannahsfriend13/videos

There is also a blog companioning to the novel, you can find that here: http://hannahsreasons.blogspot.com.au

I would suggest Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher to anyone because not matter what the negatives are with the book there is also a solid point which is relative to every day life and I think everyone should learn it. Overall I give this for 3 out of 5 stars. 

★★★

Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover - Review

MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

Once I finished Hopeless by Colleen Hoover, I added Losing Hope straight away in my shopping cart. But of course, at the time Losing Hope was still not out, so I had to wait until end of October for the paperback copy to come out in Australia. Whilst I adored Hopeless, I still had questions unanswered, which I think Colleen Hoover meant to create. So I hoped they would be answered in Losing Hope and I was right! 

Losing Hope is Hopeless but through Dean Holder's eyes, however it is not a recap of Hopeless through Dean's perspective, it is a different story told in the same time line but with lots of new material through out it as well. It complements Hopeless, but the main focus is on Dean's life and how it changed after he found his sister dead. As the reader, you got to go through the whole "Hopeless" journey, but with Dean and his struggles like how he forgave himself for the guilt created by letting down the two most important people in his life; Les and Hope.  

I believed that after the emotionally roller-coaster Hopeless left me on, I would be able to breeze through Losing Hope with the occasional bump in the emotion-coaster, nevertheless I was wrong. 

The first chapter, yes the very first chapter, smacks you in the face with Les's suicide and unlike in Hopeless, you come to discover that Holder was the person who found Les and with these particular siblings relationship you learnt about in Hopeless, this new found revolution just broke my heart and brought me to the brink of tears. 

I loved how we got introduced to a new character, Daniel, Holder's best friend. This answered my question "Did Holder even have any friends?". I also enjoy how we got to see more with Breckin, even though he was a minor character, I still thought he was hugely important in the story. I enjoyed how through out the story you got introduced to things but with a new perspective, for example the e-reader "Breckin" gave Sky for her birthday, which actually Holder bought for Sky and gave it to Breckin. 

What I REALLY enjoyed about Losing Hope was Holder's journal entries (or letter's written to Les). I found this part of the story really compelling. Through these journal entries you got to see how Holder felt and dealt with events presented throughout the book. Oh boy, and then when you found out that Les's had written Holder a letter, all I wanted to do was flip through all the pages and find what she wrote. When I eventually did reach the part where Holder read Les's letter, I thought it a was beautifully written part and in some strange ways, brought closure to me. 

I would recommend Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover to everyone who has read Hopeless and for those of you who haven't read Hopeless I would suggest to hurry up and do so, because I promise you, you will not regret it! Overall, I give Losing Hope 5 out of 5 stars. 

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

The Host by Stephenie Meyer - Review

MAY CONTAINS SPOILERS

I was first introduced to Stephenie Meyer in 2009 when I saw the Twilight movie and got hocked . I think the day after I viewed the movie, I went to Target and purchased the first book in The Twilight Saga and the rest was history. At that time I was 12 and I thought The Twilight Saga was the greatest creation ever, but today I would rather scratch my eyes out then to sit through a Twilight movie, let alone read the books again! They are such a bore to me now. So you could see why I was quite sceptical to start reading The Host. However earlier this year I made an impulse purchase and bought The Host and now reviewing this book, I'm so glad I did!

As much as I like to picture characters in my head, I also like it when there is a movie made off from the book so I have a clearer face to picture in head as I read the book. I find knowing what the characters look like whilst reading the book make me enjoy the movie more because the characters look exactly how I pictured them. This was the case with me whilst I read The Host because the movie had already been made by the time I was reading it and I know what the main characters looked like from trailers. Two characters I did not see in these trailers and I got the picture were Jamie and Pet (Wanda's new host). However when I watched the movie this morning and I was more than thrilled with who were cast to play these characters. Especially Wanda's new host, I thought she was so small and petite, just how she is described in the book. 

Earth has been invaded by a species called Souls, they take over the minds of human hosts whilst leaving their bodies intact. Since this species has arrived the world could not have been anymore perfect; there are no wars, no hunger, no unnecessary pain or illnesses. The Souls are a kind, caring and intelligent race. But do these good qualities justify what the Souls have done to the human race? There is only a handful of humans left on Earth and the Souls call them Rebels. The book follows Wanderer or Wanda as she is called later in the book, a Soul who was put into Melanie Stryder's body, a rebel human that was caught. However Melanie refuses to fade away, showing Wanda visions of the man Melanie loves, Jared and her brother, Jamie. Wanda slowly realises that she is falling in love with these humans and decides to set out and try to find them with Melanie's help. Along this journey things don't go exactly as they planned, but the only thing left for Wanda and Melanie to do is to keep moving forward.

This picture above, slightly leads into my favourite part of The Host and this being the Wanda and Ian relationship. When Wanda/Melanie were found by Jeb and the other boys out in the desert and taken back to the caves, I never ever pictured Wanda and Ian to have a connection. I always thought Jared would find a way to love both Melanie and Wanda, so he could be with the woman he loves. But this just didn't satisfy me. 

However it wasn't until Melanie bought it to Wanda's attention that Ian may be interested in her, that I even thought of an idea such as that. I jumped straight into the "Team Ian" bandwagon, even though there was no real love triangle to choose from, just different relationships to love. I was so hocked on Wanda/Ian that I caught myself smiling at the little things that happened between them both.

I loved how Ian could see Wanda for her she truly was and not just a soul inside a humans body and how he defended and protect her against any one, even his own brother. And I loved how Wanda finally found a placed and someone to who she belonged to. At the end of the book my heart was breaking because I thought the Wanda/Ian relationship was going to end when Wanda choose to give Melanie her body back. So I was so happy when everyone went against Wanda's decision and found a new host for her.

I would highly recommend The Host by Stephenie Meyer for anyone who is the slightest bit interested in reading this book to defiantly do so. I know this would not be every ones cup of tea, but it is defiantly a enjoyable read and one everyone should at least try once.  

Overall I give it 4 out of 5 stars. 

★ ★ ★ ★

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi - Review

May Contain Spoilers

I was scrolling through Goodreads one day when this cover jumped out at me. I didn't really care if the book wasn't any good, all I knew was that the cover was beautiful and I had to buy it. Once I read the blurb I was more intrigued because this book sounded like books I was normally interested in. Also as I researched more into this book I discovered that it was a part of a trilogy and the covers were just as beautiful. So you could see why I was dying to read Shatter Me.

Juliette hasn't touched anyone in 264 days. This is because inside her she has this curse gift, that bring death pain to anyone she touches. The last time she touched someone she was only trying to help and  it was an accident. No one knows why Juliette's touch is so fatal, so the Reestablishment lock her away in an asylum, so there are no other casualties caused by her curse gift. However one day Juliette gets a roommate and its soon discovered that this roommate is in the army and the Reestablishment have plans to use her as a weapon in a near future war. Juliette now has to make a choice to become a weapon or to become a warrior and fight for her freedom. 

One of my favourite things about Shatter Me is Tahereh Mafi's way of writing. It was sort of unusual because of the use of strike outs and numbers. I found this way of writing to be very interesting because through the strike outs you got to see self-doubt Juliette felt. An example of this is on the back of the book where is says 

I have a curse.

I have a gift.

I'm a monster.

I'm more than human.

My touch is lethal.

My touch is power.

I am their weapon.

I will fight back. 

Another one of my favourite things in Shatter Me was the end of the book. I have to admit was did not get interested in the book until the last few chapters when you find out there was this underground community filled with people who have gifts, just like Juliette. I'm not quite sure why this particularly information drew me in because it is quite stereotypical throughout dystopian stories. 

I would recommend Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi to everyone who enjoys dystopian stories like The Hunger Games. Overall, I enjoyed this book and I give it 3 out of 5 stars.
★ ★ ★

Matched by Ally Condie - Review

May Contain Spoilers

I first bought this book way before I truly got into reading and since then I never got around to reading it. This was because I was reading so many trilogies/series at the time, that I thought I should finish them all before I started a new trilogy. What drew me in about this book was the whole trilogy's book cover. I thought they were smartly thought out and set a theme to the story even before you read the summary. 

Imagine if you lived in a world where everything is decided for you, like what you eat, where you live, when you die and even who you love. Well this is the world portrayed in Matched. The officials (Government) who run the society leave nothing for the citizens to decided and this is believed to be a more equal and controlled way of life. At the Match Banquet, an event where the people who choose to be matched find out their ideal match, Cassia discovered that her 'ideal' match is her best friend Xander, of course she is overjoyed. However when she views the microchip given to her after the Match Banquet, another boys face appears on the screen and its some she knows as well - Ky Markham. Cassia thought that the Officials never made mistakes, yet somehow she had been matched with two boys. After learning that it was intact a mistake and Xander was Cassia's only Match, Cassia tries to move on but she can't deny these new feelings she has for Ky and they only seem to be growing stronger each passing day. Now Cassia is torn between a life of planned and predicted outcomes or a life of true love and dangerous decisions. 

My favourite part of Matched would have to be the whole way of life in the society. In this future Earth, the Government have figured a way from cancelling out sickness and early deaths to even a way that every person in the society get their own right amount of food and nutrition to suit their body and lifestyle. I found the whole structure to be an interesting aspect to think about. I understood the necessity that made this way of life become something imaginable and in some ways I could see why the whole structure worked. But on the other hand I couldn't wrap my head around why the Government could destroy everything that has been created  that wasn't useful for them. Everything in this world was electronic so no one knew how to write with a pen or pencil. The Government also chose only 100 poems, songs, etc. to be kept and stored for this new world to enjoy. I found this entire concept to be changeling and very smart to think of, so I top off my hat to Ally Condie.

If you like dystopian stories without a sappy love story then I would recommend this story to you. Overall I give Matched by Ally Condie 3 out of 5 stars. 

★ ★ ★

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin - Review

MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

When I received The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, I had no idea what to expect, for the reason that the synopsis was very vague. But what truly stood out for me was the eerie yet exquisite cover and its title which left me dumbfounded. I got the feeling that The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer would be very different compared to most YA's out today. And oh boy, I was right! It is a very dark and chilling story, which resulted sometimes in myself receiving shivers shooting up my spine.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer is about a girl, Mara Dyer, who has just survived a horrific freak accident, one where her three closest friends weren't so lucky and to make matters worse she can't remember a single thing from that night. So to help cope with the stress, she convinces her family to uproot their lives in Rhode Island and move to Florida. However the past has a way of following you no matter where you run. So when Mara starts to remember what happened that night and question whether or not she had some involvement in this freak accident, the last thing she expected was to fall in love.

My favourite part in this book happens to be at the start of the book in the first chapter when Claire, Rachel and Mara were using the Ouija board and Rachel asks how she will die. The spirit then moves the piece under the girls hands to M, A, R and back to A then it stops. This scene happens to be the moment I know I would love this story, and because of that it is my favourite part. This scene sets the whole mood for the book, which is dark and eerie. It also shows the relationship between the three girls. 

I would recommend The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer to anyone who like dark stories which are different to your typical YA books out today. It is a great story which you will devour yet will still have unanswered questions at the end. Overall I give this book 4 out of 5 stars

★ ★ ★ ★

Born At Midnight by C.C. Hunter - Review

MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

I came across Born At Midnight at the start of this year when I was going through a very paranormal genre stage. Firstly I noticed the cover and thought it was GORGEOUS, there was just something about it that intrigued me. Then I read the blurb and the whole idea of there being a "camp" for supernatural creatures sparked my imagination and really interested me because that concept was totally different compared to all the other paranormal stories I've read.  

Born At Midnight is about a girl, Kylie Galen, who's not having the best month so far, her grandmother passed away, her parents are getting a divorce, her boyfriend dumped her and she is being forced to see a psychologist after she told her parents that a guy is stalking her. Problem is, she's the only one that can see him. Then things only get worse for Kylie when she is busted at a party with drugs and alcohol, so her parents decide to ship her off to Shadow Falls Camp, a camp "supposedly" for troubled teens. Kylie quickly realises that this camp is actually a camp for the supernatural; vampires, werewolves, fairies, shape-shifters, etc. And they thinks she's one of them.

In this book, supernaturals can read a persons brain pattern. This is to figure out if that person is supernatural and if so what type of supernatural they are, however Kylie is different because for some unknown reason, no one is able to read her brain pattern. They insist that she is one of them and that she was brought to the camp for a reason, nevertheless Kylie still believes their wrong and she sets out to get to the bottom of things. As time passes by, one thing is becoming more clear and that is that Shadow Falls is exactly where Kylie belongs. 

My favourite part in Born At Midnight is when Lucas is taking Kylie to a creek where there are dinosaur tracks. During this walk there are a few sexual tension moment, however its not until they reach the creek until something happens. As their making their way across the creek Kylie slips on the rocks and gets wet, due to this they both get the giggles. Then she slips again, but this time taking Lucas down with her, and they end up having another moment but this time it results in to kissing. This is my favourite part because it is the first moment where Kylie lets her guard down with Lucas and isn't scarred of him. But I particularly liked this part because I'm "Team Lucas!!"

If you like stories with paranormal genres then I would highly recommend Born At Midnight by C.C. Hunter because it is a supernatural story, yet it has a different element to it with the whole Shadow Falls camp which makes it that bit more interesting. Overall, I give it 3.5 out 5

★ ★ ★ ★

Hopeless by Colleen Hoover - Review

MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

One day I browsing on Booktopia and adding books to my shopping cart, when two particular book covers caught my attention, it was Hopeless and Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover. I'm not sure what it was about these covers that caught my attention, however they drew me in and I'm glad for it. Obviously I added Hopeless to that particular shopping cart, so once it arrived I got to reading it straight away and I honestly couldn't put it down! 

Hopeless is about Sky, a senior in high school, meets Dean Holder, a guy who has a reputation and right from their first encounter he terrifies and captivates her. Seeing Holder sparks memories from Sky's troubled past, a time she's tried so hard to keep buried. Sky is determined to stay away from Holder, although his persistence and mystifying smile begin to brake down her resistance and the bond between them grows immensely. However Holder has been keeping secrets from Sky and once their revealed, Sky's life is changed forever. Courageously facing these harsh revelations, Sky and Holder hope to heal their emotional wounds and find a way to live and love without boundaries.

My favourite part in Hopeless is in the chapter on page 205, it's right after Jake's little brother integrates Holder about being a hypocrite and calls Sky a slut. Sky forces Holder get out of the cafeteria before a fight breaks out and takes him to his car, where he breaks down in front of her, letting all this built up anger towards his sister suicide out. I particularly like this part because you get to see Holders vulnerable side and it made me feel sorrow for him and what he must of gone through when Les died. 

I really enjoyed Hopeless because it is a true and honest story. Colleen Hoover covered some very heavy subjects, these being sexual assault , suicide and abduction. However she covered these subjects with such grace that the story didn't come across confronting. I would recommend Hopeless by Colleen Hoover to adults or mature young adults because of these subjects. This novel will leave you breathless, mesmerised and remembering your own first love. Overall, I give Hopeless by Colleen Hoover 5 out of 5 stars! 

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa - Review

CONTAINS SPOILERS

Recently I've finished reading The Iron King by Julie Kagawa, which is the first book in The Iron Fey series. This book is a fantasy as it contains faeries or fey as they are referenced to in the book. The Iron King was one of the most fantastic magical stories that I've read so far. It contained great adventures and action scenes but also contained a bloom of a romance, which I love!

The Iron King is about a girl named Meghan Chase, who believes she has a normal life but always thought something was off in her life every since her father mysteriously disappeared before her eyes when she was six years old, and she also happens to see strange creatures every now and then from the corner of her eye. This "normal life" begins to fall apart on her sixteen birthday, when she discovers that her brother, Ethan, was replaced by a changeling and taken to Nevernever. With the help from her best friend, Puck, who she finds out to be a powerful summer fey and was sent to Earth by Meghan's true father, Oberon the King of the Summer Fey, to protect her,  she dives into the fey world. Meghan finds out that something terrible is happening in the Nevernever, something that no fairy creature dares to face, and if she wants her brother back, she must stop it.  Along this journey she finds help from her best friend, Puck, a grey cat named Grimalkin and a Winter Fey prince who also wants to kill her, Ash.

At first I was a bit sceptical of this book because I thought the start of the story was cliche and predictable in the sense that Meghan's brother been kidnapped and how she must go on this journey to save him. However once she enters the Nevernever that opinion faded, as the fey world was a world I've never pictured before and the description of the faeries not having wings was a new experience for me. This story had all the creatures that children grew up with stories told about them or watched in the movie "Labyrinth" with David Bowie and had the stereotypical courts and ruling. However, I enjoyed this aspect because you already had this basic background knowledge on the fairy world, but you also got introduced to some new concepts; like the new species of fey which is slowing rising due to the rise in technology, this new species of fey is called The Iron Fey. I also enjoyed the linking to William Shakespeare's story A Midsummer Night's Dream, with the characters Oberon, Titania and Puck. In middle school I had to study A Midsummer Night's Dream, so I already knew the background story with Puck being a trickster, Titania begin a total bitch and Oberon being very arrogant. I thought this linking was very clever and I definitely didn't expect it!

My favourite part of the book was in chapter seventeen, just after Meghan has a nightmare about Ethan. She wakes up screaming that she must go now and save her brother. Ash comes in and grabs her hand and holds it to his chest and shakes some sense into her by saying that she has no plan, she'll only just kill the four of them plus her brother. However after that moment ends Ash still holds her hand, Meghan tries to pull it back gently, but Ash doesn't let go, so she looks up and finds Ash's face inches from her own. Ash then brushes a tear from Meghan's check. This part is my favourite because it was the first moment where I pictured Meghan and Ash falling in love and developing a relationship and since then I've shipped them together so much, swooning at every cute moment they have throughout The Iron King.

If you like fantasy stories filled with action and romance, then you'll enjoy this book. It is beautiful written and an easy to imagine story. I thoroughly look forward to reading the next books in the series. Overall, I give The Iron King by Julie Kagawa 4 out of 5 stars.

★ ★ ★ ★