Review: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

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Title: Throne of Glass (ToG #1)
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Format: eBook

Goodreads Synopsis:

In a land without magic, where the king rules with an iron hand, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She comes not to kill the king, but to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she is released from prison to serve as the king’s champion. Her name is Celaena Sardothien.

The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. But something evil dwells in the castle of glass–and it’s there to kill. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena’s fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world.

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Review: A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas + Feyre/Rhys Playlist

Warning: If you’ve not read A Court of Thorns and Roses or A Court of Mist and Fury then I would highly recommend not reading this as it has spoilers for both. However, if you’ve read both then this is a spoiler-free review.

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Title: A Court of Wings and Ruin (ACOTAR #3)
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Format: eBook

Goodreads Synopsis:

A nightmare, I’d told Tamlin. I was the nightmare.

Feyre has returned to the Spring Court, determined to gather information on Tamlin’s maneuverings and the invading king threatening to bring Prythian to its knees. But to do so she must play a deadly game of deceit—and one slip may spell doom not only for Feyre, but for her world as well. As war bears down upon them all, Feyre must decide who to trust amongst the dazzling and lethal High Lords—and hunt for allies in unexpected places.

Review: A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab

Spoiler Warning: If you haven’t read A Darker Shade of Magic this review will contain spoilers for it as its the second book in the series. Also, there are possible minor spoilers for A Gathering of Shadows in this review as well – read at your own discretion.

You can read my review for A Darker Shade of Magic here.

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Title: A Gathering of Shadows (Shades of Magic #2)
Author: V.E. Schwab
Publisher: Tor Books
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Format: eBook

Goodreads Synopsis:

It has been four months since a mysterious obsidian stone fell into Kell’s possession. Four months since his path crossed with Delilah Bard. Four months since Prince Rhy was wounded, and since the nefarious Dane twins of White London fell, and four months since the stone was cast with Holland’s dying body through the rift–back into Black London.

Now, restless after having given up his smuggling habit, Kell is visited by dreams of ominous magical events, waking only to think of Lila, who disappeared from the docks as she always meant to do. As Red London finalizes preparations for the Element Games–an extravagant international competition of magic meant to entertain and keep healthy the ties between neighboring countries–a certain pirate ship draws closer, carrying old friends back into port.

And while Red London is caught up in the pageantry and thrills of the Games, another London is coming back to life. After all, a shadow that was gone in the night will reappear in the morning. But the balance of magic is ever perilous, and for one city to flourish, another London must fall.

Review: A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

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Title: A Darker Shade of Magic (Shades of Magic #1)
Author: V.E. Schwab
Publisher: Tor Books
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Format: eBook

Goodreads Synopsis:

Kell is one of the last travelers–magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel universes connected by one magical city.

There’s Grey London, dirty and boring, without any magic, and with one mad King–George III. Red London, where life and magic are revered–and where Kell was raised alongside Rhy Maresh, the roguish heir to a flourishing empire. White London–a place where people fight to control magic and the magic fights back, draining the city to its very bones. And once upon a time, there was Black London. But no one speaks of that now.

Officially, Kell is the Red traveler, ambassador of the Maresh empire, carrying the monthly correspondences between the royals of each London. Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they’ll never see. It’s a defiant hobby with dangerous consequences, which Kell is now seeing firsthand.

Fleeing into Grey London, Kell runs into Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She robs him, saves him from a deadly enemy, and finally forces Kell to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure.

Now perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, they’ll first need to stay alive.

ARC Review: RoseBlood by A.G. Howard

Thank you to Amulet Books and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All quotes are from the ARC and subject to change. 

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Title: RoseBlood
Author: A.G. Howard
Publisher: Amulet Books
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Retelling, Romance
Format: eARC

Goodreads Synopsis:

In this modern day spin on Leroux’s gothic tale of unrequited love turned to madness, seventeen-year-old Rune Germain has a mysterious affliction linked to her operatic talent, and a horrifying mistake she’s trying to hide. Hoping creative direction will help her, Rune’s mother sends her to a French arts conservatory for her senior year, located in an opera house rumored to have ties to The Phantom of the Opera.

At RoseBlood, Rune secretly befriends the masked Thorn—an elusive violinist who not only guides her musical transformation through dreams that seem more real than reality itself, but somehow knows who she is behind her own masks. As the two discover an otherworldly connection and a soul-deep romance blossoms, Thorn’s dark agenda comes to light and he’s forced to make a deadly choice: lead Rune to her destruction, or face the wrath of the phantom who has haunted the opera house for a century, and is the only father he’s ever known.

Standalone Sunday | The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

Standalone Sunday is a weekly feature created by Megan @ bookslayerReads that features a standalone novel that you loved or would recommend. Be sure to check out her blog and original post by clicking on the above link!

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Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan’s life. Having missed her flight, she’s stuck at JFK airport and late to her father’s second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon-to-be stepmother Hadley’s never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport’s cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he’s British, and he’s sitting in her row.

A long night on the plane passes in the blink of an eye, and Hadley and Oliver lose track of each other in the airport chaos upon arrival. Can fate intervene to bring them together once more?

Quirks of timing play out in this romantic and cinematic novel about family connections, second chances, and first loves. Set over a twenty-four-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver’s story will make you believe that true love finds you when you’re least expecting it.

– Goodreads Synopsis (x)

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight is literally a book that questions if fate is real, how likely you are to meet someone again, and above all else if love at first sight exists. It’s also set over a twenty-four hour period. Sound a bit instalovey? It never felt that way once to me. I’m not big on the trope but the way in which this book was done never broached the cliches of the trope because the character’s never professed their undying love for each other. It was more the development of an attraction in a very cute and unique way.

Hadley and Oliver both meet by coincidence (or is it fate) when Hadley misses her flight to London. He offers to watch her luggage but instead they end up walking together and talking a lot. Somewhere along the way they end up separated again only to find themselves seated together on the plane. They spend the majority of the flight, again, talking. It’s been a while since I read it but I remember their interactions throughout this being so cute. I couldn’t get over it! At the airport in London, Hadley loses track of Oliver and feels sad about it because in a way between the flight and before that they had become friends. She realizes she doesn’t even know his last name, however, and that there’s a big chance she’ll never see him again. Given the fact that she’s rushing to her father’s wedding she kind of puts it to the back of her mind after a while. Does she see Oliver again though? In a city so big is there possibility for them to stumble upon each other again? You’ll have to read to find out.

I love how the author played on fate and the question of love at first sight. And although the book was set in such a short span of time it felt like it was longer, which I attribute to fantastic characters and the author’s writing. There’s great character development in this book. Not as fine tuned as a longer one would be but perfect for what it was. It’s just an all around cute, fluffy, quick read for anyone who needs a pick me up. I highly recommend it! 

Also, it’s being made into a movie and I heard that Robert Sheehan is playing Oliver. You have no idea how excited I am for that because I love this book and Robert is one of my favorite actors. 😍

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Have you read The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight? Did you like it? If you participate in Standalone Sunday be sure to link me to your post so I can see it. 😊

 

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Standalone Sunday | Chasing Brooklyn

Standalone Sunday is a weekly feature created by Megan @ bookslayerReads that features a standalone novel that you loved or would recommend. Be sure to check out her blog and original post by clicking on the above link! 😊

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Restless souls and empty hearts

Brooklyn can’t sleep. Her boyfriend, Lucca, died only a year ago, and now her friend Gabe has just died of an overdose. Every time she closes her eyes, Gabe’s ghost is there waiting for her. She has no idea what he wants or why it isn’t Lucca visiting her dreams.

Nico can’t stop. He’s always running, trying to escape the pain of losing his brother, Lucca. But when Lucca’s ghost begins leaving messages, telling Nico to help Brooklyn, emotions come crashing to the surface.

As the nightmares escalate and the messages become relentless, Nico reaches out to Brooklyn. But neither of them can admit that they’re being haunted. Until they learn to let each other in, not one soul will be able to rest.

-Goodreads Synopsis (x)

Chasing Brooklyn is probably one of my all time favorite books. It’s not your typical book because of the fact that it is written in verse. I’m a sucker for books written in verse but haven’t come across very many so when I do they always stick with me.

This one, in particular, is a contemporary romance with quite a bit of paranormal aspects. It’s about this girl, Brooklyn, who is dealing with a lot of grief in her life. She lost her boyfriend in a car wreck and then his best friend, who she was friends with too, died of a drug overdose because of his grief. On top of the depression and grief she’s going through she starts having horrific nightmares, seriously they even freaked me out, that begin to bleed into her waking hours. Then comes along Nico, Lucca’s older brother, who begins to receive messages as well – desperate ones begging him to help Brooklyn. Is Nico able to help her? Is Brooklyn able to get rid of the terrible nightmares? You’ll have to read to find out.

This book is powerful. It may have a bit of a fantastical way of conveying its message given the slightly unrealistic paranormal aspect but it works so perfectly. It’s about grief and how sometimes it can become extremely unhealthy and about how to learn that it’s okay to move on and then begin to move on once you have. Plus, there is a cute romance which isn’t a cure all. The romance doesn’t fix the character’s problems. It’s told in alternating perspectives from Brooklyn’s to Nico’s which I enjoyed a lot. Plus, even though it’s really short and written in verse the way the author conveyed everything made it feel like so much more. If you love powerful stories, romance, and books written in verse then I highly recommend it! 

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Have you read Chasing Brooklyn? Did you like it? If you participate in Standalone Sunday be sure to link me to your post so I can see it. 😊

 

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Standalone Sunday | This Lullaby

Standalone Sunday is a weekly feature created by Megan @ bookslayerReads that features a standalone novel that you loved or would recommend. Be sure to check out her blog and original post by clicking on the above link!

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She’s got it all figured out.

Or does she? When it comes to relationships, Remy’s got a whole set of rules.

Never get too serious. Never let him break your heart. And never, ever date a musician.

But then Remy meets Dexter, and the rules don’t seem to apply anymore.

Could it be that she’s starting to understand what all those love songs are about?

-Goodreads Synopsis (x)

 

 

This Lullaby was the first book I read by Sarah Dessen, which led to me reading several of her other books. It’s been a long time since I last reread it, over a year, so I apologize if this is a tad all over the place. However, I love this book. The main character Remy is a tad anti-relationship and she has reason to be that way, which I won’t spoil. At least until she meets the adorable Dexter who is almost the complete opposite of her. Not to mention he happens to be in a band. This book is full of an incredible cast of characters who are each flawed in their own ways, no one is perfect. It’s a book about learning that it’s okay to be vulnerable and it’s okay to take chances. Overall it’s a great book with a great message. If you love YA contemporary romances then this book is perfect for you. I highly recommend it!

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Have you read This Lullaby? Did you like it? If you participate in Standalone Sunday be sure to link me to your post so I can see it. 😊

 

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Standalone Sunday | The Sky is Everywhere

Standalone Sunday is a weekly feature created by Megan @ bookslayerReads that features a standalone novel that you loved or would recommend. Be sure to check out her blog and original post by clicking on the above link! 😊

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Seventeen-year-old Lennie Walker, bookworm and band geek, plays second clarinet and spends her time tucked safely and happily in the shadow of her fiery older sister, Bailey. But when Bailey dies abruptly, Lennie is catapulted to center stage of her own life – and, despite her nonexistent history with boys, suddenly finds herself struggling to balance two. Toby was Bailey’s boyfriend; his grief mirrors Lennie’s own. Joe is the new boy in town, a transplant from Paris whose nearly magical grin is matched only by his musical talent. For Lennie, they’re the sun and the moon; one boy takes her out of her sorrow, the other comforts her in it. But just like their celestial counterparts, they can’t collide without the whole wide world exploding.

This remarkable debut is perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen, Deb Caletti, and Francesca Lia Block. Just as much a celebration of love as it is a portrait of loss, Lennie’s struggle to sort her own melody out of the noise around her is always honest, often hilarious, and ultimately unforgettable.

-Goodreads Synopsis(x)

Of course for my first Standalone Sunday post I had to feature The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson because of the fact that it is my favorite book. I say a lot that this book or that book is one of my favorites but this one is the top of the top. I’ve shamelessly recommended it so many times on my blog and to people in real life. It’s about life and grief and learning to live after having lost someone you were really close to. It’s also about family, one that isn’t all that typical. Plus it has these great poems that the main character writes that are used as a flashback of sorts. I laughed and cried while reading this book. It’s just perfect and I’ll continue to shamelessly recommend it haha.

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Have you read The Sky is Everywhere? Did you like it? If you participate in Standalone Sunday be sure to link me to your post so I can see it. 😊

 

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ARC Review: Lost Stars by Lisa Selin Davis

I received this eARC via the publisher from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

All quotes are from the ARC and subject to change.

Side Note: I’m officially still in spam jail. My comments are only going through on a few blogs and for everyone else they are being stuffed into your spam folders. So, if you guys could pretty please check your spam folders for my comments and approve them to get me out of spam jail I would greatly appriciate it. ♥♥♥

Now, on to the review!

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Title: Lost Stars
Author: Lisa Selin Davis
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers

Release Date: October 4th, 2016
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Format: eARC

Goodreads Synopsis:

Before her older sister, Ginny, died, Carrie was a science nerd, obsessively tracking her beloved Vira comet. But now that Ginny is gone, sixteen-year-old Carrie finds herself within the orbit of Ginny’s friends, a close-knit group of seniors who skip school, obsess over bands (not science), and party hard.

Fed up with Carrie’s behavior, her father enrolls her in a summer work camp at a local state park. Carrie actually likes the days spent in nature. And when she meets Dean, a guy who likes the real Carrie—astrophysics obsessions and all—she starts to get to the heart of who she is and who she wants to be.