Book Review: Crossfire by Malorie Blackman

Rating:★★★★★

My songs: All I Ask by Adele (Cover by Samantha Harvey)

These songs are personal to me, they remind me of this book (they may be songs that were popular during the time that I read this, with lyrics that relate to this book or it might just be random)

Synopsis: Years have passed since the love between Sephy – a Cross – and Callum – a Nought – destroyed their world and changed their families and society forever.

Society appears to be very different now. For the first time ever, a Nought Prime Minister – Tobey Durbridge – is in power. Race and class don’t divide people anymore. But things are never really that easy.

Because Tobey’s just been framed for murder, and the only way to free himself is to turn to his oldest friend – Callie-Rose.

Their families divisions run deep, and when two young people are kidnapped, their lives and everything they’ve fought for is put in the firing line.

And when you’re playing a game as dangerous as this one, it won’t be long before someone gets caught in the crossfire…

Review: Oh my gosh! That was not what I was expecting! I would class myself as an active member of the noughts and crosses fandom and the build-up to this book has been amazing. But this book was not what I expected!! Continue reading “Book Review: Crossfire by Malorie Blackman” →

Book Review: The Revolution of Ivy by Amy Engel

Rate:★★★★★

Song: Gone 2 Long by PRETTYMUCH

These songs are personal to me, they remind me of this book (they may be songs that were popular during the time that I read this, with lyrics that relate to this book or it might just be random)

Synopsis: Ivy Westfall is beyond the fence and she is alone. Abandoned by her family and separated from Bishop Lattimer, Ivy must find a way to survive on her own in a land filled with countless dangers, both human and natural. She has traded a more civilized type of cruelty–forced marriages and murder plots–for the bare-knuckled brutality required to survive outside Westfall’s borders.

But there is hope beyond the fence, as well. And when Bishop reappears in Ivy’s life, she must decide if returning to Westfall to take a final stand for what she believes is right is worth losing everything she’s fought for.

**Spoilers for the Book of Ivy**

Review: This book I just devoured. I read it in one sitting. There is so much that could happen in this book, the possibilities were endless but this book wrapped up the story as a whole. And boy what a story that was. Continue reading “Book Review: The Revolution of Ivy by Amy Engel” →

Book Review: The Book of Ivy by Amy Engel

My Rating: ★★★★★

Synopsis: After a brutal nuclear war, the United States was left decimated. A small group of survivors eventually banded together, but only after more conflict over which family would govern the new nation. The Westfalls lost. Fifty years later, peace and control are maintained by marrying the daughters of the losing side to the sons of the winning group in a yearly ritual. This year, it is my turn. My name is Ivy Westfall, and my mission is simple: to kill the president’s son—my soon-to-be husband—and restore the Westfall family to power. But Bishop Lattimer is either a very skilled actor or he’s not the cruel, heartless boy my family warned me to expect. He might even be the one person in this world who truly understands me. But there is no escape from my fate. I am the only one who can restore the Westfall legacy. Because Bishop must die. And I must be the one to kill him…

Review: This is one of my top ten books even though I read it pretty recently. I was saving this book for when I went on holiday but I couldn’t wait and read it before I went. It was incredible. I love dystopian YA books that focus on romance as well as the actual book plot and this book balanced them perfectly. Continue reading “Book Review: The Book of Ivy by Amy Engel” →

Book Review: Riches to Rags by Casey L. Bond

My Rating: ★★★★★

Synopsis: Most girls dream of being princesses, but one princess just wants to be a normal girl. Ella Carina, crown princess of Aelawyn, knows brutality and lies—she’s seen the way her father rules. Princess. Possession. To her father, the words had the same meaning. She was only as valuable as the alliance formed with her betrothal. Her freedom comes from an unlikely place: an attack on the castle. When the conquering King offers to protect her from the betrothal her father arranged for political gain, she consents. Hiding her within a peasant family is the only way to keep her and her secret safe. In this simpler life, Ella flourishes and catches the eye of the local Blacksmith’s son. For once, she can be herself and make her own choices, but the life of a princess—even one kept secret—was never meant to be easy. Trevor, crown prince of Galder has been searching for Ella, but not because of their betrothal. She is in grave danger from the very people who hid her away. His plan is to show her the truth and help her to safety. Nothing goes as planned. When Trevor finds her, it’s to discover she’s fallen in love with a peasant. Now he has two goals: help her regain her throne… and show her that she belongs with him

Review: I feel like not enough people know about this book! It is incredible! This is a Cinderella retelling and honestly might be the best one I’ve read. This book intrigued me and to be honest I thought it was going to be predictable and basic but it truly was something else. Continue reading “Book Review: Riches to Rags by Casey L. Bond” →

Book Review: The Until Midnight Series by Erin Bedford

So I’m going to review all 3 books in this trilogy in one review because why not. Obviously, there are spoilers in review for book 2 and 3 for the previous book(s). My reviews are also going to be a tad shorter than usual.

Until Midnight

My Rating: ★★★★★

Synopsis: This fairy tale has no happy endings only dark beginnings. They call them the Crimson Fold. High up in their castle they look down on my little world and wield a silent control. That is, until the invitations are sent out. I never dreamed I’d be selected. They tell me it’s a privilege. I should be honored. But the fear in their eyes doesn’t lie. If I refuse to go, my family will be shunned. If I go, my life and my body will no longer be mine. It’ll be theirs. At midnight it will be over. At Midnight I’ll be his.

Review for Until Midnight : Oooh!!!!! This book was amazing! This is my first time ever entering the vampire genre (books and films, I’ve never read or watched them as they are always mainstream and I don’t want to follow the crowd). This book mainly focuses on vampires near the end but don’t worry we have a lot of drama before that! Continue reading “Book Review: The Until Midnight Series by Erin Bedford” →

Book Review: Callum & Harper by Fisher Amelie

My Rating: ★★★★ and 1/2 or 4.5

Synopsis: Life sucks for orphans Callum Tate and Harper Bailey. Kicked out of their foster homes because they suffer the ‘eighteen disease’ with nothing but a hundred dollar check from the government and a pat on the back, they’re forced to rely on a system that failed them miserably. So they sit. They sit inside Social Services, waiting for their social workers to call their names and offer them the miracle they know will never come but they sit anyway because they have nowhere else to go, no other options on their very literal and figurative empty plates. But as they sit, they notice the other. Although captivated, they each come to the conclusion that life is complicated enough without throwing in a boiling tension that can’t ever be acted upon because they’re both too busy thinking about where their next meal will come from but when their names are called and both are placed on a year long waiting list for permanent housing, suddenly relying on each other seems like a very viable plan B. And, oh, how lovely Plan B’s can be. Well, except for the psycho from Harper’s past that haunts her and, oh, yeah, there’s the little issue that neither of them knows they’re in love with the other. Needless to say, Callum & Harper’s life just got a bit more complicated.

“One day, you and I are gonna’ wake up and be alright. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow but one day. One day. I promise you.” – Callum Tate

Review: This book killed me. I don’t know how I didn’t die from heartbreak! Callum and Harper was so emotional but also shows the strength in the main characters. There was definitely a lot of suspense and tension in this book but my almost heart failure was worth it. Continue reading “Book Review: Callum & Harper by Fisher Amelie” →

Book Review: Wither by Lauren DeStefano

My Rating: ★★ and 1/2 or 2.5

Synopsis: By age sixteen, Rhine Ellery has four years left to live. She can thank modern science for this genetic time bomb. A botched effort to create a perfect race has left all males with a lifespan of 25 years, and females with a lifespan of 20 years. Geneticists are seeking a miracle antidote to restore the human race, desperate orphans crowd the population, crime and poverty have skyrocketed, and young girls are being kidnapped and sold as polygamous brides to bear more children. When Rhine is kidnapped and sold as a bride, she vows to do all she can to escape. Her husband, Linden, is hopelessly in love with her, and Rhine can’t bring herself to hate him as much as she’d like to. He opens her to a magical world of wealth and illusion she never thought existed, and it almost makes it possible to ignore the clock ticking away her short life. But Rhine quickly learns that not everything in her new husband’s strange world is what it seems. Her father-in-law, an eccentric doctor bent on finding the antidote, is hoarding corpses in the basement. Her fellow sister wives are to be trusted one day and feared the next, and Rhine is desperate to communicate to her twin brother that she is safe and alive. Will Rhine be able to escape–before her time runs out? Together with one of Linden’s servants, Gabriel, Rhine attempts to escape just before her seventeenth birthday. But in a world that continues to spiral into anarchy, is there any hope for freedom?

Review: Oh this book messed me up… some parts of it irritated me so much. There are part where I was shouting (in my head) “IT MAKES NO SENSE!!”. This book is also intense (and I mean intense, there is kidnapping, child brides and probably some Stockholm Syndrome). I feel like this is probably for the older tier YA readers because it will probably scar younger teens. Continue reading “Book Review: Wither by Lauren DeStefano” →

Book Review: The Blood Spell by C.J. Redwine

My Rating: ★★★★ and 1/2 or 4.5

Synopsis: Blue de la Cour has her life planned: hide the magic in her blood and continue trying to turn metal into gold so she can help her city’s homeless. But when her father is murdered and a cruel but powerful woman claims custody of Blue and her property, one wrong move could expose her—and doom her once and for all. The only one who can help? The boy she’s loathed since childhood: Prince Kellan. Kellan Renard, crown prince of Balavata, is walking a thin line between political success and devastating violence. Newly returned from boarding school, he must find a bride among the kingdom’s head families and announce his betrothal—but escalating violence among the families makes the search nearly impossible. He’s surprised to discover that the one person who makes him feel like he can breathe is Blue, the girl who once ruined all his best adventures. When mysterious forces lead to disappearances throughout Balavata, Blue and Kellan must work together to find the truth. What they discover will lead them to the darkest reaches of the kingdom, and to the most painful moments of their pasts. When romance is forbidden and evil is rising, can Blue save those she loves, even if it costs her everything?

Review: I rarely read books set in the past or historical fiction books ( I’ve only ever read 2, The Beast’s Heart by Leife Shallcross and Riches to Rags by Casey L. Bound) but this book was incredible. If I could find more historical fiction books like this, I would definitely read more of this genre. This book was a retelling of Cinderella (fairy tale retellings are one of my favourite kind of books) but it had so much more than the basic story. Continue reading “Book Review: The Blood Spell by C.J. Redwine” →

Book Review: Delirium by Lauren Oliver

My Rating: ★★★★ or 4 stars

My Songs: It’s Time (Acoustic) by Imagine Dragons

These songs are personal to me, they remind me of this book (they may be songs that were popular during the time that I read this, with lyrics that relate to this book or it might just be random)

Synopsis: In an alternate United States, love has been declared a dangerous disease, and the government forces everyone who reaches eighteen to have a procedure called the Cure. Living with her aunt, uncle, and cousins in Portland, Maine, Lena Haloway is very much looking forward to being cured and living a safe, predictable life. She watched love destroy her mother and isn’t about to make the same mistake.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena meets enigmatic Alex, a boy from the “Wilds” who lives under the government’s radar. What will happen if they do the unthinkable and fall in love?

Review: This book is a journey. It is in my top ten books even though it only has a 4-star rating. When I first read this book, I was entranced and I loved it so much but after rereading it I realised that this book isn’t as amazing as when I first read it. The story is one that has stuck with me for ages so that is why it is my top ten. There is one thing that kind of let this book down otherwise it was incredible. In this book, love is a disease; when you turn 18 the government forces you to get an injection that stops you from feeling love and any other strong emotions. Magdalena (or Lena) is soon reaching the age where she is injected with the ‘cure’. She then meets Alex, an outlaw who is against the government system and lives in the ‘Wilds’. Alex and Lena meet however Alex doesn’t tell Lena that he is from the Wilds. When Lena is told, she is at first hesitant however she and Alex soon start growing closer eventually falling in love. She must keep her relationship with Alex a secret all the while figuring out whether she should have the ‘Cure’ or become an outlaw. Continue reading “Book Review: Delirium by Lauren Oliver” →

Book Review: Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman

My Rating: ★★★★★

Songs: Young, Dumb & Broke by Khalid, Never be the Same by Camila Cabello

These songs are personal to me, they remind me of this book (they may be songs that were popular during the time that I read this, with lyrics that relate to this book or it might just be random)

Synopsis: Sephy is a Cross – a member of the dark-skinned ruling class. Callum is a nought – a ‘colourless’ member of the underclass who were once slaves to the Crosses. The two have been friends since early childhood. But that’s as far as it can go. Until the first steps are taken towards more social equality and a limited number of Noughts are allowed into Cross schools. Against a background of prejudice and distrust, intensely highlighted by violent terrorist activity by Noughts, a romance builds between Sephy and Callum – a romance that is to lead both of them into terrible danger.

Review: There is no doubt about it, this book changed my life. I found this book in my library and when I saw it I thought ‘Oh I’ve heard about this book before, should I read it?’. I hadn’t read a book for around 2 years before I read this and this book is what converted me into a bibliophile. Malorie Blackman’s words captured my heart and shattered it. This book was so moving and so emotional that I was literally distraught for about 2 weeks after I read it. Shockingly I didn’t cry, which to this day I still don’t know why I didn’t. Continue reading “Book Review: Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman” →