The Sunday Post #18

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted at The Caffeinated Book Reviewer in which book bloggers recap their week and look at what’s to come.

My boyfriend came to visit on Friday and just went home today so I was busy all this weekend and haven’t done any blog hopping. I’ll try and catch up next week! However, it was lovely seeing Mark as we’re currently doing long-distance after uni ended. It’s difficult but we’re managing it!

Anyway, that’s my little update. Here were the posts this week:

• It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #2 + Update On My Week-Long Absence
• Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Horror Novels On My Wishlist
• Halloween Read-A-Thon Review: The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich
• Stacking the Shelves | Sequels and ARCs

I finished my last book in the Halloween Read-A-Thon, The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich, which was sadly a bit of a disappointment. After that, I started my ARC of Gilded Cage by Vic James. I’m only a few chapters in but I’m really liking it. The atmosphere is great and the characters are intriguing, not to mention the opening was especially good.

After that, I was planning to start A Darker Shade of Magic but An Ember In the Ashes has been looking at me from the bookshelf. I’m really tempted to start that instead. However, I’ve had A Darker Shade of Magic longer.

I also got Gemina (The Illuminae Files #2) this week and whilst I’m itching to read it, I’m going to be patient and read some books I’ve had for longer first. Whether I can actually be that patient is another thing entirely!

Instead of music this week, I’m going to post a film trailer! Specifically, the new teaser for Guardians of the Galaxy 2. I am so so excited for this film, and even more excited for the Avengers Infinity War films when the Guardians will meet up with the Avengers. That’s going to be one strange encounter.

Enjoy and Happy Halloween!

Stacking the Shelves | Sequels and ARCs

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme from Tynga’s Reviews where you showcase the books you’ve received or purchased.

This week, I’ve added three books to my TBR and I’m very excited.

First off, I retweeted a publisher’s tweet on Twitter to win an ARC of what sounds like an insanely good dystopian crime thriller and, lo and behold, I won!

Wildfire publishers sent me an ARC of Yesterday by Felicia Yap, due to be released August 2017, as well as a lovely personalised card and a chocolate! Clearly Wildfire understand that the way to my heart is through both books and chocolate. Anyway, check out the synopsis for Yesterday here:

How do you solve a murder when you can only remember yesterday?

There are two types of people in the world. Those who can only remember yesterday, and those who can also recall the day before.

You have just one lifeline to the past: your diary. Each night, you write down the things that matter. Each morning, your diary tells you where you were, who you loved and what you did.

Today, the police are at your door. They say that the body of your husband’s mistress has been found in the River Cam. They think your husband killed her two days ago.

Can you trust the police? Can you trust your husband? Can you trust yourself?

My two other books are Gemina (The Illuminae Files #2) by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff, and Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein:

I am so so so excited for Gemina and it’s been staring at me since I got it. I desperately want to read it but I’ve had so many other books waiting in my TBR for ages that I just don’t know what to do! If you haven’t read Illuminae yet then what have you been doing?! Hands down one of the best books I’ve ever read. Check out my review here.

Rose Under Fire is another YA WWII novel from Elizabeth Wein. I read Code Name Verity a few years ago and I loved it, especially because Wein writes strong women traversing the horrors of the Second World War. I’ve always found WWI and WWII fiction so interesting and Wein’s books are a definite welcome addition to the genre.

Have you read Rose Under Fire? Or have you even managed to read Gemina? What did you think? Do you like the sound of Yesterday? Let me know in the comments below!

Halloween Read-A-Thon Review: The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich

The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich

Genre: Horror / Young Adult

Publisher: Orion, 2015

My Rating: 

Synopsis: Twenty-five years ago, Elmbridge High School burned down. The blaze killed three and injured twenty, and one pupil, Carly Johnson, disappeared. For two decades, little was revealed about what became known as the Johnson Incident.

Until now.

A diary has been found in the ruins of the school. In this diary, Kaitlyn Johnson, Carly’s twin, tells of the strange and disturbing sequence of events leading to the incident.

But Kaitlyn doesn’t exist. She never has.

My Review

This review is part of the Halloween Read-A-Thon hosted by Lauren @ Wonderless Reviews! I also reviewed I Am Legend here.

I really wanted to like this novel for two reasons:

1. I was lucky enough to meet Dawn Kurtagich and get this book signed.
2. I’m trying to give YA Horror a go, instead of just sticking to clearly adult Horror.

But however hard I tried, I just couldn’t enjoy this book as much as I wanted to.

I’ve seen mixed reviews for it. Some people have loved it, others just couldn’t get to grips with it, like me. It’s a novel with a promising premise, a truly unique one, and that definitely drew me in at the beginning. Carly and Kaitlyn are what some in the novel call “two souls in one body”. Carly manifests in the day, Kaitlyn at night. The sceptics, however, say that Carly is the real person and Kaitlyn a product of Dissociative Identity Disorder, an “alter” personality created by a traumatic event. It starts strong, dropping little hints about Carly and Kaitlyn’s life, creating unsettling details. But, for me, the first time I knew that this book had perhaps gone slightly astray was when a scene tried to shock me quite early on. I felt there hadn’t been enough build-up to warrant this sudden reveal of something scary and, as such, it didn’t freak me out.

I’ve read a fair few horror novels in my time that have genuinely terrified me, making my heart race as I read them, and keeping me up at night. However, The Dead House never managed this. And that’s what we read horror for, right? To feel scared. If you’re not scared, then the book isn’t doing its job. I think this book could perhaps be scary for some, as some reviewers have said, but it wasn’t scary enough for me. Is this because it’s Young Adult? Are the publishers trying to tone it down a bit? I’m not sure. After all, I’ve heard that Kurtagich’s second novel The Creeper Man is much scarier than The Dead House, and this novel did contain a fair amount of gore. It was the suspense and terror that was lacking.

So, why wasn’t I scared? Why couldn’t I get into this novel? Well, like I said, there was a “shock” scene too early on that killed the suspense trying to be created. But overall I think it was because the plot was quite muddied. There were a lot of different events that didn’t seem to correlate with one another. I won’t go into too much detail as I don’t want to give anything away, but all these interweaving sub-plots never satisfyingly tied together. From the beginning of the novel, we aren’t sure if this is a psychological horror or a paranormal horror. That ambiguity is there for a reason, yet neither side really explains its case coherently.

Honestly, I’m having trouble putting this into words because I’m still a bit confused about the entire plot. There was the diagnosis of Dissociative Identity Disorder and both Carly and Kaitlyn’s denial of that, there was a strange ghostly girl, there were random murders, there was a fictional Scottish magical mysticism known as “Mala”. Even though this all did intertwine, it just never felt right. Nothing quite clicked into place; there was no “aha!” moment. It just felt confused.

Also, I never warmed to the characters. It may seem like this book will be equal parts POV of Carly and Kaitlyn, but really it was just Kaitlyn. I never quite learned who Carly was and didn’t much care. I’m not sure if that was on purpose, however. Kaitlyn I would warm to and then grow distant from. It was a lot of back and forth and I couldn’t quite make up my mind about her. I know she was going through some tough stuff but I couldn’t connect, especially towards the end of the novel where some of her actions felt forced.

The other characters I wasn’t that bothered about. I think they all went to slightly unbelievable lengths to help Kaitlyn with her predicament. They were more pawns to get the plot moving than real people. The only one I warmed to a little was Carly and Kaitlyn’s school friend Naida. She was interesting, especially with all her Mala beliefs. That was perhaps the most exciting aspect of the novel, the Mala rituals and mysticism. However, it also got a bit tangled up by the ending. The climax was messy and a little rushed. I saw the big reveal coming, although I didn’t believe in it. It was another plot point that didn’t feel like it fit properly and the writing, whilst it started well, got harried towards the end.

So, sounds like this should be a one star review after I’ve been slagging it off so much! In actuality, it did have plus points. I really enjoyed the format in which it was written, with the diary entries, camera footage, interviews and files. I thought the changes between the formats were good and made me want to keep reading, to see what happened next. There were also interesting anecdotes from whoever supposedly compiled all this evidence together. Some of these could be quite unsettling at times.

I also obviously enjoyed the premise. Despite my grievances, I wanted to know what happened and there was no chance of me ever DNFing it. The novel showed a lot of promise. If it had been better organised and executed with more skill, it could have been really great. However, this is of course Kurtagich’s first novel so those are things I’m willing to overlook. I will definitely be picking up her second novel, The Creeper Man, because I’ve heard it’s much better and I’m keen to see if she’s improved.

Overall, it certainly wasn’t the scariest horror I’ve ever read, not to mention it was a messy plot and the characters were a bit bland, but I would recommend it to those who perhaps are scared quite easily yet want to see if they can get into horror slowly, or just get into the mood for Halloween.

And that concludes my part in the Halloween Read-A-Thon! I only had two horror novels to read but, if you’re still taking part, I hope you enjoy it! And thanks again to Lauren for organising it and making those great graphics!

Have you read The Dead House? What about The Creeper Man? (Or And The Trees Crept In for the US version). Did you enjoy them? Do you agree with my review? Disagree? Let me know in the comments below!

 

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Horror Novels On My Wishlist

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week’s theme is all centred around Halloween, one of my favourite times of the year (and also my Dad’s birthday). I’m a big fan of horror so I decided to do this week’s Top Ten Tuesday Halloween theme on 10 horror books I’m dying to buy.

If you want to see what horror books I’ve read and enjoyed, I did a post a few months ago and you can check it out here.

So, here are 10 Horror Books On My Wishlist:

The year was 2014. We had cured cancer. We had beaten the common cold. But in doing so we created something new, something terrible that no one could stop. The infection spread, virus blocks taking over bodies and minds with one, unstoppable command: FEED.

Now, twenty years after the Rising, bloggers Georgia and Shaun Mason are on the trail of the biggest story of their lives – the dark conspiracy behind the infected. The truth will get out, even if it kills them.

I know this isn’t a proper terrifying horror novel, but I’m starting this list off easy. I’ve seen a fair few people raving about Feed and I’m a massive zombie fan but, for some reason, I’ve just never got round to picking this series up. However, I know it’s more of a unique twist on the zombie apocalypse so I’m really intrigued to give this book a go.

Goodreads | Amazon UK

The lives of the Barretts, a suburban New England family, are torn apart when fourteen-year-old Marjorie begins to display signs of acute schizophrenia.

To her parents despair, the doctors are unable to halt Marjorie’s descent into madness. As their stable home devolves into a house of horrors, they reluctantly turn to a local Catholic priest for help, and soon find themselves the unwitting stars of The Possession, a hit reality television show.

Fifteen years later, a bestselling writer interviews Marjorie’s younger sister, Merry. As she recalls the terrifying events that took place when she was just eight years old, long-buried secrets and painful memories begin to surface and a mind-bending tale of psychological horror is unleashed.

I can’t remember who, but I saw a blogger review this and enjoy it and since then it’s been on my wishlist. Possession stories can be hit and miss, yet if Stephen King likes it, I’m sold.

Goodreads | Amazon UK

What if you only had 3 minutes to save your own life and the clock is already counting down…Three minutes. Nessa, Megan and Anto know that any day now they wake up alone in a horrible land and realise they’ve been Called. Two minutes. Like all teenagers they know that they’ll be hunted down and despite all their training only 1 in 10 will survive. One minute. And Nessa can’t run, her polio twisted legs mean she’ll never survive her Call will she? Time’s up.

I’ve been so hyped for this since its release and I can’t wait much longer! I’ve only seen glowing reviews of this book so I have very high hopes. It sounds like it has fantasy elements too. A horror-fantasy? What could be better?

Goodreads | Amazon UK

Oskar and Eli. In very different ways, they were both victims. Which is why, against the odds, they became friends. And how they came to depend on one another, for life itself. Oskar is a 12-year-old boy living with his mother on a dreary housing estate at the city’s edge. He dreams about his absentee father, gets bullied at school, and wets himself when he’s frightened. Eli is the young girl who moves in next door. She doesn’t go to school and never leaves the flat by day. She is a 200-year-old vampire, forever frozen in childhood, and condemned to live on a diet of fresh blood.

I enjoyed the American film adaptation of this book, but I know that both the Swedish film and the Swedish book are much scarier, so I’m really keen to give both a go. The Scandi’s really know how to make something creepy.

Goodreads | Amazon UK

For sixteen-year-old Dan Crawford, the New Hampshire College Prep program is the chance of a lifetime. Except that when Dan arrives, he finds that the usual summer housing has been closed, forcing students to stay in the crumbling Brookline Dorm formerly a psychiatric hospital.

As Dan and his new friends Abby and Jordan start exploring Brookline’s twisty halls and hidden basement, they uncover disturbing secrets about what really went on here . . . secrets that link Dan and his friends to the asylum’s dark past.

Because Brookline was no ordinary mental hospital, and there are some secrets that refuse to stay buried.

There is something particularly terrifying about asylums. However, this has always confused me a little because people seem to think that the patients are the scariest part, which is actually just really discriminatory. In fact, it’s the horrific ways in which the mentally ill were treated that’s the most terrifying.

But anyway, I digress, this still sounds like a chilling read.

Goodreads | Amazon UK

Summer. Massachusetts.

An old Silver Wraith with a frightening history. A story about one serial killer and his lingering, unfinished business.

Anyone could be next.

We’re going to Christmasland …

I loved Joe Hill’s latest novel, The Fireman (check out my review here), so I’ve been looking forward to trying more of his work. (Even more so when I found out he’s actually Stephen King’s son!)

I saw a review on Amazon label this as “horror-fantasy”, which I wouldn’t have guessed from the blurb as I thought it was more about serial killers, but I’m even more intrigued now.

Goodreads | Amazon UK

When sisters Silla and Nori escape London and their abusive father, Aunt Cath’s country house feels like a safe haven. But slowly, ever so slowly, things begin to unravel.

Aunt Cath locks herself in the attic and spends day and night pacing. Every day the forbidden surrounding forest inches slowly towards the house. A mysterious boy appears, offering friendship. And Nori claims that a man watches them from the dark forest – a man with no eyes, who creeps ever closer. . .

I just finished Dawn Kurtagich’s first YA horror The Dead House this morning and I’ll hopefully have the review up tomorrow. So, you’re thinking that if The Creeper Man is on my wishlist, then I must have loved The Dead House, right?

Well, it was okay. I think it got a bit confused if I’m honest. I’ll go more in depth in my review tomorrow, so look out for that, but I know that The Creeper Man is supposed to be better so I’m willing to give Kurtagich another try.

Goodreads | Amazon UK

Danny is only five years old, but in the words of old Mr Hallorann he is a ‘shiner’, aglow with psychic voltage. When his father becomes caretaker of the Overlook Hotel, Danny’s visions grow out of control.

As winter closes in and blizzards cut them off, the hotel seems to develop a life of its own. It is meant to be empty. So who is the lady in Room 217 and who are the masked guests going up and down in the elevator? And why do the hedges shaped like animals seem so alive?

Somewhere, somehow, there is an evil force in the hotel – and that, too, is beginning to shine . . .

We’ve had Stephen King’s son, now here’s Stephen King himself.

And I know what you’re thinking: I’m a horror fan and I haven’t read any Stephen King?! I know, I know, but for some reason I’ve just never picked up one of his books. That’s not because I don’t want to; on the contrary, I really want to. It’s just I’ve never got round to buying one. And what better place to start than with what most would describe as King’s best horror: The Shining. 

I confess to not even having seen the film either, but I do obviously know all the iconic scenes, “Red rum” etc. I’m really looking forward to getting my hands on this sometime in the future.

Goodreads | Amazon UK

Drip…drip…drip… In five days, she will come…

Roberta ‘Bobbie’ Rowe is not the kind of person who believes in ghosts. A Halloween dare at her ridiculously spooky boarding school is no big deal, especially when her best friend Naya and cute local boy Caine agree to join in too. They are ordered to summon the legendary ghost of Bloody Mary: say her name five times in front of a candlelit mirror, and she shall appear… But, surprise surprise, nothing happens. Or does it?

Next morning, Bobbie finds a message on her bathroom mirror – five days – but what does it mean? And who left it there? Things get increasingly weird and more terrifying for Bobbie and Naya, until it becomes all too clear that Bloody Mary was indeed called from the afterlife that night, and she is definitely not a friendly ghost. Bobbie, Naya and Caine are now in a race against time before their five days are up and Mary comes for them, as she has come for countless others before…

This has got great reviews since it was released so this is one I’m definitely excited to get. I find paranormal horrors the scariest and this one sounds right up my street.

Goodreads | Amazon UK

Whoever is born here, is doomed to stay until death. Whoever comes to stay, never leaves.

Welcome to Black Spring, the seemingly picturesque Hudson Valley town haunted by the Black Rock Witch, a seventeenth-century woman whose eyes and mouth are sewn shut. Blind and silenced, she walks the streets and enters homes at will. She stands next to children’s beds for nights on end. So accustomed to her have the townsfolk become that they often forget she’s there. Or what a threat she poses. Because if the stitches are ever cut open, the story goes, the whole town will die.

The curse must not be allowed to spread. The elders of Black Spring have used high-tech surveillance to quarantine the town. Frustrated with being kept in lockdown, the town’s teenagers decide to break the strict regulations and go viral with the haunting. But, in so doing, they send the town spiraling into a dark nightmare.

I saw a blogger review this a little while back and I’ve been looking forward to reading it someday ever since. I think it’s such a unique and interesting premise how the town has become used to the haunting and that they’ve shut themselves off from the world. Definitely excited about this one.

Goodreads | Amazon UK

And there you have it! Ten horror novels from my wishlist.

I haven’t actually read a lot of YA horror but, as you can see from this list, I’m trying to rectify that. However, after The Dead House not being as scary as I hoped, I’m a little sceptical of YA horror. Can it really be as scary as adult horror? Do the publishers allow that? 

Do you have any horror recommendations? Have you read any of these books? Let me know in the comments below! And keep an eye out for my review of The Dead House!

 

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #2 + Update On My Week-Long Absence

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a meme hosted at The Book Date where bloggers look at what they’re currently reading and what’s up next in their TBR!

So, why did I disappear for a week? Well, I fell ill and didn’t feel up to blogging. That’s basically it. Not all that dramatic, but it did mean I couldn’t go and visit my boyfriend this weekend, and I missed meeting Garth Nix, my favourite author! So it was a pretty crappy week last week.

I’m back now though and determined to do a bit of blog hopping this week to catch up on what everyone has been up to.

Anyway, what have I been reading?

What I Read Last Week

As part of Lauren’s Halloween Read-A-Thon, I read and reviewed horror classic I Am Legend. Whilst it was quite different to the Will Smith film adaptation, I thought the book was actually better overall. Check out my review here!

I Am Legend: 

What I’m Currently Reading

I’m still reading my second and final book for the Halloween Read-A-Thon, Dawn Kurtagich’s YA psychological horror The Dead House. It’s been a week since I started it and I’m plodding on, partly because I was ill and didn’t read for three days, and partly because I’ve been a little underwhelmed.

To put it simply, it’s just not scary enough and I think the plot is currently a little all over the place. I have about a quarter of the book left to go so I’ll have to see how it all wraps up. It’s certainly not a bad book, but there’s definitely room for improvement.

Up Next

I had actually been planning on reading V.E. Schwab’s A Darker Shade of Magic but I’m putting that on hold as I remembered I still have an ARC of Gilded Cage to read. I grabbed a physical copy at YALC this year and I was so excited.

The e-book is due for release this December and the paperback in January so I better get round to reading and reviewing to help you guys decide on whether you want to give it a go! I’ve heard great things from other ARC reviewers so far so I have high hopes for this book.

Have you read any of these books? Did you enjoy them? Or do you want to read them? And how has everyone’s week been? I’ve missed the book blogging community!

 

Halloween Read-A-Thon Review: I Am Legend by Richard Matheson

I Am Legend by Richard Matheson

Genre: Horror / Sci-Fi

Publisher: Gollancz (Originally published 1954)

My Rating: 

Synopsis: Robert Neville is the last living man on Earth… but he is not alone. Every other man, woman and child on the planet has become a vampire, and they are hungry for Neville’s blood.

By day he is the hunter, stalking the undead through the ruins of civilisation. By night, he barricades himself in his home and prays for the dawn.

How long can one man survive like this?

My Review

This review is part of the Halloween Read-A-Thon hosted by Lauren @ Wonderless Reviews! If you want to find out more about what I’ll be reading, check out my sign-up post here.

I’d been wanting to read I Am Legend for quite a while after seeing the film adaptation with Will Smith a few years ago. However, I had heard that the film was very different to the novel. I really enjoyed the film so I was a little apprehensive about what could be different. Oddly, it was one of those times where I was worried the book wouldn’t be as good as the film, when normally it’s the other way around! Thankfully, whilst the book and film are very different, I still thoroughly enjoyed the novel.

The two are only really similar on a basic level. The main protagonist is a man called Robert Neville, who believes himself to most probably be the last man alive in an America ravaged by a vampiric virus. And that’s pretty much it, if I’m honest. From here on out, the two take different paths.

Whilst the vampire-zombies of the film adaptation are these vicious, naked and hairless ex-humans with no semblance of humanity left, the vampire-zombies of the novel are a little different. They still hold a basic sense of humanity (in a feral way) in that some of them can speak a few words, still wear clothes, and like to stand outside Robert Neville’s house trying to goad him out. Most notably, the women do this by prancing about naked.

Sounds a bit funny, right? This book is actually full to the brim with dark humour. I felt a lot of sympathy for Neville’s plight, and his episodes of hysteria, but he was also quite funny. As I mentioned, some of the vampires are still able to speak, albeit simple things. I say “some”, but really the only one who does is Ben Cortman, Neville’s neighbour and workmate. Every night, the vampires come to his house, and every night Ben Cortman stands there and shouts, “Come out, Neville!”

Above the noises, he heard Ben Cortman shout as he always shouted.

“Come out, Neville!”

Someday I’ll get that bastard, he thought as he took a big swallow of the bitter drink. Someday I’ll knock a stake right through his goddamn chest. I’ll make one a foot long for him, a special one with ribbons on it, the bastard.

It’s just really quite funny, but also sad and distressing at the same time. Neville is hounded every night by a man who was once his friend and is now a vampire out for his blood. It becomes a sort of pitiful running joke throughout the book that made me laugh but also made me quite sad.

Whilst there’s a lot of dark humour, underneath it all is the realisation that Neville is a lonely and tortured man. After all, this is a horror. Whilst it has its moments of comic relief(ish), it’s also terrifying, especially the opening line:

On those cloudy days, Robert Neville was never sure when sunset came, and sometimes they were in the streets before he could get back.

It was such an unsettling opening line to read. It’s simple yet effective, and that’s what Richard Matheson’s writing is all about. It’s unsettling and without flourish, the kind that gets under your skin before you know it. He doesn’t need big chase scenes or the threat of death to scare you; it’s not your typical jump-scare horror. Instead, he ramps up the tension through Neville’s mental state. Sometimes Neville is doing okay, he’s getting on with things. Other times, he’s completely falling apart and making mistakes and rash decisions. You sit there thinking ‘what are you doing?!’ and praying that he makes it back to his house before sunset. I thought his character development was really excellent and the main highlight of the book.

The only reason I deducted half a star for this book is that I would have liked it to be a little longer. It’s quite a short book and didn’t take me long to read, and there were a few more questions I wanted answers to. Other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed it. A quick yet effective read. If you enjoyed the film, then I urge you to read the book; I think the premise is handled more effectively in the novel, and with more subtlety. And if you’re a big fan of all things zombie like I am, then read this! It’s well known that I Am Legend is the precursor to the modern zombie craze.

Have you read I Am Legend? Or seen the film? Did you enjoy it/them? Let me know in the comments below!

The Sunday Post #17

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted at The Caffeinated Book Reviewer in which book bloggers recap their week and look at what’s to come.

I’ve missed a few Sunday Posts recently but I’m back to update you all! I’ve been working and sorting out my life, looking at what I want to do career-wise. Of course, I want to be a published author someday, and I’m getting closer to finishing my book with only ten chapters left to go! (And then the inevitable editing). However, I need to do something in the mean time in case I never manage to get published, so I’m thinking of training to be a secondary school English teacher. I’ll just have to see how it goes.

However, I did discover recently that I am one of the shortlisted authors for the HG Wells Short Story Competition in the 21 and under category which is so amazing! My story will be published and I’ll be finding out who won at an awards ceremony in November. Even if I don’t win, I’ll still be over the moon that I’ve been shortlisted. I haven’t had anything published or won any writing competitions since I was 16 and it’s just so great to get back into it and for my work to still be doing well!

Anyway, enough about me. Here are the posts from this week:

• It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #1
• Waiting On Wednesday: Scythe by Neal Shusterman
• Review: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

This week, I finished Six of Crows and I adored it, especially Nina, one of my favourite characters I’ve come across in a while, and the Peaky Blinders feel to Kaz and the criminal underworld.

Now I’m onto my books for the Halloween Read-A-Thon and I just started I Am Legend today. I’m really enjoying it so far. It’s quite different from the film, but I expected that. There’s something more sinister about the zombie-ish vampires in the book, which I didn’t quite think was possible.

After that, I’m onto my second book of the Halloween Read-A-Thon, which is YA psychological horror The Dead House. I’ve heard mostly good things about it so fingers crossed!

In terms of my blog, I’m having a bit of writers block with my posts, I think because I’ve just been worrying about my career path. Hopefully I’ll be able to overcome that soon so bear with me!

This week, one of my favourite bands Kings of Leon released their 7th album and I’m loving it. They’ve definitely gone back to their roots here, which is great because I really love their earlier stuff before they got big, especially Because of the Times. However, they still have that polished, anthemic quality of their later work, so there’s something for everyone here in WALLS. The main single ‘Waste A Moment’ is of course great, but I’m really loving songs like ‘Find Me’, ‘Over’, ‘Eyes On You’ and ‘Wild’. Basically, I just love the whole album. Check it out below:

Review: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Genre: Fantasy / Young Adult

Publisher: Indigo

My Rating: 

Synopsis: Criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker has been offered wealth beyond his wildest dreams. But to claim it, he’ll have to pull off a seemingly impossible heist:

Break into the notorious Ice Court (a military stronghold that has never been breached);

Retrieve a hostage (who could unleash magical havoc on the world);

Survive long enough to collect his reward (and spend it).

Kaz needs a crew desperate enough to take on this suicide mission and dangerous enough to get the job done – and he knows exactly who: six of the deadliest outcasts the city has to offer. Together, they just might be unstoppable – if they don’t kill each other first.

My Review (Spoiler-free)

I was hoping Six of Crows would live up to its insane hype. Did it? Definitely.

I read Shadow and Bone (although my early edition is called A Gathering of Shadows), the first in the Grisha trilogy, when it was originally released. I liked it, but I didn’t like it enough to immediately pick up the sequel. As a result, it fell to the wayside and I just never got round to finishing the trilogy. Then along came Six of Crows. I saw so may rave reviews, saw so many people gushing about it, that I decided to give the world of the Grisha another go.

Bardugo’s writing has certainly improved. Smooth, decorated with emotional flourishes, but not pulling any punches when it came to some of the more gory aspects, I loved every minute of it. Bardugo keeps the plot moving along at a steady pace and there isn’t a single word that feels unnecessary. And whilst the plot itself was unique and interesting, a kind of mashup between Ocean’s Eleven and Peaky Blinders in a world of magic, it was the characters that definitely stood out for me.

They’re all unique and diverse. Perhaps Wylan fell a little bit by the wayside, never getting a chapter dedicated to himself which I would have liked to have seen, but other than that they’re all exceptionally crafted. My favourites, however, were Kaz, Nina and Jesper. Kaz in particular was very complex and, as I’ve mentioned before, is basically a teenage Tommy Shelby from Peaky Blinders – both dress in smart suits, both have their hair shaved at the sides (which is a staple for the Shelby brothers), both are very good with words, and both have a troubled, traumatic past that affects them in the present. Oh, and they’re both gangsters, of course. If you love Kaz, go watch Peaky Blinders now, I can’t recommend it enough; I’d be very surprised if Bardugo wasn’t watching the show when writing Six of Crows. However, that’s of course where the similarities end; Kaz is his own person (although it was hard not to read his dialogue without a Brummy accent). I really liked learning about his childhood and discovering more about his habits and quirks. Whilst his choices were perhaps sometimes hard to swallow, you can see what drove him to it.

The standout character for me, however, was Nina. I really loved Nina. She was witty, headstrong, loved to eat and didn’t care who knew, and powerful yet compassionate. My favourite chapters were definitely hers, whether it was discovering more about her or learning more of her relationship to Matthias. Their journey together was one I really enjoyed finding out more about.

There are also a fair few twists and turns in this book and, I have to say, I didn’t see any of them coming. Normally, these things can be quite obvious, especially in YA. I don’t know if some authors just think readers of YA are dumb, but I can assure you we’re not. Thankfully, Bardugo isn’t one of those authors. All the twists caught me by surprise and kept me reading.

As for the world-building, I really enjoyed it, and it made me consider going back and trying the Grisha trilogy again. However, and this is a big however, I’m 99% sure there is a mahoosive spoiler in Six of Crows for that series. So now I’m a little bummed. I’m not going to mention what it’s about because even hinting at it will probably spoil it for those who haven’t read the first trilogy. You find out early on that this book takes part after the events of the original trilogy, so I can’t complain too much for skipping that trilogy and going to Six of Crows, but it was still a bit disappointing; I didn’t expect such a major spoiler. Anyway, you have been warned.

So, overall, a seamless story with excellent, complex characters. If you haven’t picked up this series yet, then do it! It certainly deserves all the hype it gets. I’ll probably wait a little bit until I get Crooked Kingdom, allow myself to digest this book first. In the meantime, I still have the last episode of series 3 of Peaky Blinders to watch…

Have you read Six of Crows or the Grisha trilogy? Or are you planning to read them? Let me know in the comments below!

 

Waiting On Wednesday: Scythe by Neal Shusterman

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Breaking the Spine where you showcase which books you’re looking forward to being released.

So, this week I’m waiting on the first book in a new YA dystopian series called Scythe by Neal Shusterman:

UK Release Date: 29th November 2016

I think that cover is really striking but, at the same time, what is it supposed to be? I think it’s a woman in a dress with a scythe blocking her or acting as her head. Or maybe it’s someone in a hooded cape, standing side on? It’s like one of those optical illusions. Either way, it’s nice to look at, especially because there’s something a bit early-20th Century about it.

Anyway, I know what you’re thinking, not another YA dystopian series! However, I am a sucker for all things dystopian so this doesn’t bother me. Besides, this one sounds pretty unique. I haven’t read Shusterman’s Unwind series, or any of his other books for that matter, but I know Unwind was popular so hopefully this series will be good too.

Synopsis for Scythe:

In a world where disease has been eliminated, the only way to die is to be randomly killed (gleaned) by professional reapers (scythes).

Citra and Rowan are teenagers who have been selected to be scythe’s apprentices, and despite wanting nothing to do with the vocation they must learn the art of killing and come to understand the necessity of what they do.

Only one of them will be chosen as a scythe’s apprentice. And when it becomes clear that the winning apprentice s first task will be to glean the loser, Citra and Rowan are pitted against one another in a fight for their lives.

Are you looking forward to Scythe? Have you read Shusterman’s Unwind series? Did you enjoy it? Let me know in the comments below!

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #1

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a meme hosted at The Book Date where bloggers look at what they’re currently reading and what’s up next in their TBR!

I decided to find a Monday meme I can get into and this one looks the most interesting and seems a great way to discover new books.

So, anyway, what am I reading?

What I Read Last Week

Technically I read Radio Silence the week before but hey, I’m including it anyway.

Whilst Radio Silence was a bit hit and miss for me, Nevernight was amazing. Check out my reviews for them here:

Radio Silence: 

Nevernight: 

What I’m Currently Reading

At the moment I’m about halfway through Six of Crows and I’m reeeeally enjoying it. It definitely lives up to its hype!

Also, there are some pretty big similarities between Kaz Brekker and Tommy Shelby from Peaky Blinders. Whenever Kaz talks I’m having trouble not reading it in a Brummy accent. I mean, Kaz is a ruthless gangster but very good with words like Tommy, wears a sharp suit like Tommy, and even has dark hair shaved at the sides just like Tommy, and all the Peaky Blinders to boot. If Leigh Bardugo wasn’t watching Peaky Blinders when writing Six of Crows then these are some really uncanny similarities. However, it’s not a problem, because I love Peaky Blinders and these similarities make me enjoy Six of Crows even more.

Up Next

I’m taking part in the Halloween Read-A-Thon so my next books are horror classic I Am Legend and YA psychological horror The Dead House. For more details on the Read-A-Thon check out my post here.

After that, I’m thinking of reading A Darker Shade of Magic. I’ve seen a lot of love for this series and V.E. Schwab so I think it’s finally time I start it.

Have you read any of these books? What are you reading this week? Let me know in the comments below!