From the moment I read the prologue and the hints of the quietly funny, intriguing, thought provoking story that was to come, I knew I was going t4.5*
From the moment I read the prologue and the hints of the quietly funny, intriguing, thought provoking story that was to come, I knew I was going to enjoy The Sun is Also a Star. I'm very happy to say I was not disappointed.
The Sun is Also a Star is written in possibly one of my favourite structures to read. It has super short, snappy chapters which I adored and made it almost impossible to put down. The Sun is Also a Star is predominantly written from the perspectives of our protagonists, Natasha and Daniel but there are also the occasional chapters written from the points of view of others, for example, their parents, a secretary, a lawyer etc. Some chapter were written to tell you what happens in the future for a specific character and some about the past of another. Other chapters gave insight into the history and meaning behind certain words, cultures, sciences etc. For example, 'Hair: An African American History'. Not only was I reading a fantastic story, I was learning things I probably never would have, had it not been for this book. I loved it! It was something I don't think I've seen done before and I loved how it helped give an insight into the different cultures and lives of the wide cast of characters.
One of the main things I loved about 'The Sun is Also a Star', was the way it delved into two totally different peoples cultures and backgrounds. Natasha was born in Jamaica to Jamaican parents but moved to the US when she was eight. Daniel was Korean-American, born in the US to South Korean parents. These are both cultures I haven't personally read about or learnt much about before, so I loved learning more and feeling as though I was getting educated and a real insight into different peoples lives and backgrounds, whilst the reading experience also nowhere near felt like a 'lesson'. I think Nicola Yoon did a fantastic job with 'The Sun is Also a Star' in keeping the balance between a wonderfully and culturally insightful read and one that was also relatable in many ways, to people from many walks of life.
I loved all the characters and really enjoyed how we met so many of them and learnt so much about them all from each of their points of view. It was really refreshing to have a small insight into the lives of almost each and every character we came into contact with throughout the story.
Both Natasha and Daniel were strong, independent and smart, whilst also being vulnerable, scared and daunted by what life held for them. Daniel was a poet, a romantic and a believer in fate. Natasha a scientist, with a strong belief in logic and that science can provide an answer for almost everything, especially love. It was so interesting to see both these kinds of brains colliding and bouncing off each other, whilst at the same time learning from each other and expanding their mindset.
Oddly enough, despite this obviously being an emotional rollercoaster of a book, the part that really got to me was the epilogue. It was Irene and her story that tore my heart in two, it got to me big time and I loved that Nicola Yoon didn't forget about her, drop her story or use it playfully. It was heartbreaking and I personally felt that it held a really strong message.
Overall this was a fantastic, thought provoking, diverse, interesting, romantic, adorable, funny, witty and thoroughly enjoyable read. It's definitely going to be a contemporary I recommend for a long time coming.
Thank you so, so much to Penguin of sending me a copy of The Sun is Also a Star in exchange for an honest review. I was incredibly excited to receive it and even more so after enjoying it as much as I did! ...more
I loved this. I loved this. I loved this. It was funny, exciting, page turning, unique and easy to follow! The art style is fantastic, the characters I loved this. I loved this. I loved this. It was funny, exciting, page turning, unique and easy to follow! The art style is fantastic, the characters were fantastic, the plot was fantastic. f.a.n.t.a.s.t.i.c. Ms Marvel needs her own movie please......more
4.5* The only problem that I had with this book is that it made me fall in love with this series all over again and I don't want to it let go... :') I4.5* The only problem that I had with this book is that it made me fall in love with this series all over again and I don't want to it let go... :') I have so much love for all the characters in The Lunar Chronicles and this was such a lovely collection of stories, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
4/5* 'The Keeper'
I loved learning more about Michelle Benoit's past and how she fit into The Lunar Chronicles story! She was such an intriguing character surrounded by mystery in the series, so it was awesome to learn more about her and her relationships with different characters! I also really enjoyed learning about Scarlet's past. It was so interesting to to visit her character at a younger age!!
3.75/5* 'Glitches'
This was sad but really lovely. Once again, it was nice to have a little more added background into how this series came to be!
4/5* 'The Queens Army'.
This was so intense; I felt so much pain for Wolf. I loved seeing a little of how he became who he was in the series and what made him that way! He's such an underrated character and this was kind of heart breaking to read!
3.75/5* 'Carswell's Guide to Being Lucky' - This was utterly adorable and SO Thorne. A cute, fun, little novella.
4.25/5* 'After Sunshine Passes By' ~ this was heartbreaking! I love that Cress's character hasn't changed and that despite everything she's gone through, she still has the optimism of the nine year old in this story!
4.5/5* 'The Princess and The Guard'. I loved this so much. I love Winter, I love Jacin, I love this story.
4.25* 'The Little Android' - this was so, so lovely but so heartbreaking. I loved it. I really enjoyed meeting a new character in this series (unless I'm totally blanking and this wasn't a new character?) It felt like a proper little short story, so enjoyable!
4/5* 'The Mechanic' - awh, we're back to where it all began... this was SO cute! I loved living out this meeting through Kai's perspective!!
5/5* 'Something Old, Something New' - When reading this, I realised that it was the last time I will ever read a Lunar Chronicles story for the first time and my heart hurt... but this was utterly PERFECT. The perfect ending to such a wonderful series. I'm going to miss these characters so much, I don't want to let go but I couldn't have asked for a more perfect ending than this. <3...more
3.75* I think I'm definitely in the minority for this opinion, but I actually really enjoyed this book. :') I'm not sure whether it was because I went3.75* I think I'm definitely in the minority for this opinion, but I actually really enjoyed this book. :') I'm not sure whether it was because I went into it with pretty low expectations (due to it's fairly low average star rating on Goodreads) but I liked it a lot more than I expected too! It was super fast paced and I ended up devouring it in one sitting. Despite it being pretty ridiculous in many ways, I found the plot to be extremely gripping and overall a really entertaining read! I will say that the ending was inconclusive and therefore pretty frustrating and the prologue seemed to have next to no explanation or connection to the rest of the book but nonetheless, I ended up thoroughly enjoying reading this... I'm intrigued to see what the movie will be like! ...more
This was fantastic. As the first book I've ever read written in verse, I wasn't sure what to expect but I enjoyed this so much. Since this was writtenThis was fantastic. As the first book I've ever read written in verse, I wasn't sure what to expect but I enjoyed this so much. Since this was written in verse, I flew through it in just over an hour. One is beautifully written and utterly heartbreaking. I thoroughly enjoyed this (despite my emotions being taken on a total rollercoaster!!!) Highly recommend if you're looking for something unique in both writing style and plot.
Adorable, Christmassy and all in all, a really enjoyable read.
Dash & Lily's Book of Dares is one of my favourite contemporaries, so I was both extremAdorable, Christmassy and all in all, a really enjoyable read.
Dash & Lily's Book of Dares is one of my favourite contemporaries, so I was both extremely excited and slightly apprehensive when I heard it was getting a sequel. This wasn't what I was expecting from a Dash and Lily sequel, it wasn't all sparkles and Christmas magic and honestly, I loved that. I really appreciated that this focused on a side of the holiday season that often gets brushed over, the fact that for a lot of people, it's extremely difficult, emotionally and physically. I really appreciated that we got to see Lily, someone known for her pure love for Christmas, not knowing how to be happy or magically forget all her troubles simply because of the festive season. This so easily could have been a story about someone who was sad, 'getting over it' because of Christmas, but it wasn't and I really appreciated that about it. It still has its adorable Dash and Lily moments and it still gave me all the Christmassy feels but it was also a lot more than that. Book of Dares is still one of my favourites and I do think I prefer it slightly over this one but to me, they're different books. One that delivers all of my Christmas (and essentially life) goals and dreams through its pages, and another that resonated with me in other ways and gave me something I needed to read at exactly the right time. They both now have a sentimental value to them and I'm sure I will continue to read them for many holiday seasons to come. ...more
4.5* I really enjoyed this. It was brilliantly creepy in all the right ways, yet it also has an underlying depth and fantastic message to it which I r4.5* I really enjoyed this. It was brilliantly creepy in all the right ways, yet it also has an underlying depth and fantastic message to it which I really enjoyed! It flowed well and I really loved the art style! Finished it in under an hour and thoroughly enjoyed it, I can't wait to read more from Vera Brosgol in the future! Such a great graphic novel!...more
I adored this completely and utterly. This is possibly one of my favourite books I've read so far this year, everything about it was wonderful. I will have a full review up as soon as I can get my head around and put into words, somewhat coherently, just how much I loved this. I highly recommend it!...more
I finished this a few days ago and am yet to find a way in which to explain how I felt about this book! :') A full review will come very soon but overI finished this a few days ago and am yet to find a way in which to explain how I felt about this book! :') A full review will come very soon but overall I enjoyed the experience of reading this hugely. ...more
I was awake until 3am finishing this. I couldn't and wouldn't put it down. I think it's safe to say I enjoyed it. 4.5* rating for the overall series!!
I was awake until 3am finishing this. I couldn't and wouldn't put it down. I think it's safe to say I enjoyed it. It's amazing how much I've grown to love The Lunar Chronicles, considering I didn't adore the series from the get go. I enjoyed Cinder but didn't love it but from the moment I read Scarlet, I was hooked.
I think what made me love this series so much is the characters, they're all fantastic in so many ways. They're all genuinely so different and individual and I can't help but love them all. Even Levana's character, I just love to hate her. All the characters in this series have such a fantastic depth to them, as do the relationships between them. It's almost impossible not to warm to it all. I loved the subtle cleverness surrounding the 'retelling' element of this series. I would find myself having forgotten that I was technically reading a retelling and then something would happen that would cleverly connect the dots. I absolutely loved it!!
Overall Winter was another fantastic addition and end to this wonderful series. I'm going to miss this series and is characters so much....more
Princess's, pirates, magic and baking. What more could you possibly want in a book? I utterly adored this. Each page warmed my heart and made me stupiPrincess's, pirates, magic and baking. What more could you possibly want in a book? I utterly adored this. Each page warmed my heart and made me stupidly happy. Despite this being a middle grade book, I enjoyed each and every moment. I would have LOVED reading this as a child, just as I loved reading it today at the age of 19. There are so many lovely messages hidden within this one story. Bee's form of magic is such a wonderful concept, a really unique idea that fit flawlessly with the story. I loved watching Bee's various relationship's unfold, especially with Master Bouts. I found myself really warming to the characters and enjoying their development throughout the story. They had a real depth to them that I wasn't expecting from a middle grade novel. There were so many individual stories and messages wrapped in this one book, each as wonderful as the last. Yet, there wasn't ever any confusion or feeling that there was too much going on. The writing in this was gorgeous and the descriptions of the baked goods quite literally made me hungry, every few pages I found myself with a sudden urge to bake. Wonderful characters, brilliant writing and a captivating story. Bakers Magic is simply gorgeous. (A free copy was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you NetGalley.) ...more
This was fantastic and without a doubt one of my favourite anthologies I have now read. I loved the diversity within it. There was not only a 4.75/5*
This was fantastic and without a doubt one of my favourite anthologies I have now read. I loved the diversity within it. There was not only a diverse collection of stories and settings but also races, cultures and sexualities, it was so refreshing to read! I enjoyed each and every story and the little pieces of insight into the characters and lives whose stories were told. I hadn't previously read anything from many of the authors included in this collection but after reading it, I am very excited to check out more of their work!
There wasn't really a single story I didn't enjoy but I think my top favourites were: 'Pearls' by Beth Revis, 'The Legendary Garrett Sisters' by Y.S. Lee, 'The Colour of the Sky' by Elizabeth Wein and 'Bonnie and Clyde' by Saundra Mitchell.
My only 'criticism' of this, which I honestly mean mostly as a compliment, is that a lot of these stories felt like tasters for a novel. I finished a large majority of them simply wanting more because they were fantastic, the characters were great and the stories captivated me. I would absolutely love to be able to see a lot of these stories made into full length novels, they were all so different from the books I've seen being released recently! If any of these stories ever did get made into novels, I have no doubt I would run to my nearest bookshop to buy it asap!!
Here are my mini reviews for each individual story...
3.5/5* - 'Mother Carey's Table' by J. Anderson Coats ~ A great start to the anthology. A story about a women of colour, pirates and magical realism elements, what more could you want?! This was fast paced and interesting, although a little *too* short. I felt the ending was slightly rushed and confusing but other than that, this was a fun read and made me so excited to continue reading more of the stories in this anthology!
4/5* 'The Journey' by Marie Lu. This was fantastic. I've not read anything featuring Inuit culture or folklore before and I now really want to find some. It was interesting, captivating, magical and intriguing all at the same time. I loved the cold, icy Alaskan setting. It was painted beautifully and so clearly in such a short amount of time! I really enjoyed how different it was to the usual settings for books I've read! I would have loved this to have been a full length novel! This is the first I've read from Marie Lu but I'm now even more excited to read more from her, as I've wanted to for a long time!
3.75/5* 'Madeline's Choice' by Jessica Spotswood. I really loved the setting and time period for this story and I learnt something as well which is always a wonderful bonus after reading! Although I liked the ending, it was a little rushed (although I've found that's often common in the short stories I've read!) I would have loved to have found out what happened before and after and delved deeper into the setting and story but overall this was definitely a really enjoyable read!
3.5/5* 'El Destinos' by Leslye Walton. A really interesting concept, with beautifully descriptive writing.
3/5* 'High Stakes' by Andrea Cremer ~ I feel as though there was possibly a little too much going on in this for such a short story as it was quite confusing at times but nonetheless a fun read! I think this could have been such an awesome full length novel, as I think I needed a little more explanation!
3.75/5* 'The Red Raven Ball' by Caroline Tung Richmond ~ I really enjoyed the setting of this, it definitely had a Downton Abby feel to it and I love anything to do with spies, so it's definitely made me realise I need to read more books featuring spies. :') The ending felt a little dramatic and rushed but it was definitely a fun read!
4.75/5* 'Pearls' by Beth Revis ~ I loved this so much. The pacing was brilliant, with a fully rounded story in such a short amount of time. I loved the plot and setting and the fact that it was largely inspired by Annie Oakley. Once again, I would love to have read this as a full length novel, it was fantastic. Definitely the kind of story I was hoping to read when I picked this anthology up.
4/5* 'Gold in the Roots of the Grass' by Marissa Meyer ~ I really enjoyed the 'Wild West' setting for this and the concept for the plot was so interesting. I've not read many books or stories featuring medium's, so this was very intriguing. Marissa Meyer creates fantastic characters and this was no exception to that. I just want to know what happens next. :')
4.75/5* 'The Legendary Garrett Sisters' by Y.S. Lee ~ I loved this a lot, it was so much fun! The story was perfectly paced and the ending wasn't rushed (which I've found quite common in short stories?) I found the setting really interesting and loved the characters. I'm definitely going to have to check out more of Y.S. Lee's writing! Once again, I'd love a full length novel of this!
5/5* 'The Colour of the Sky' by Elizabeth Wein ~ I absolutely adored this. The story was gorgeous, I warmed to the characters instantly and essentially loved everything about it. I want to know what happened next, what happens in Tony's future?! I loved that it was based on real people from history, and people I haven't heard of (but feel like I definitely should have?!) I've heard so many amazing things about Elizabeth Wein's books and have wanted to read them for so long and am now even more excited to do so. This was utterly fantastic.
4.5/5* 'Bonnie and Clyde' by Saundra Mitchell ~ This was SO much fun!! It had an awesome 'Mulan' mixed with 'Robin Hood' kind of vibe to it which I LOVED! It was fast paced with an awesome main character, I loved it! I'm struggling so much with these stories and simply wanting more from them, I'd LOVE a full length novel of this, it was brilliant!!
3.75/5* 'Hard Times' by Katherine Longshore ~ This was a quick, interesting read! I enjoyed the characters, Rosie and Billy slightly more so than Lloyd. I liked the plot, although the characters and storyline could have done with a little more depth as it felt a tad rushed but it's definitely made me want to learn more about the time period. I'm going to have to check out the movies and documentaries the author recommended!
3.5/5* 'City of Angels' by Lindsay Smith. ~ I love reading about Hollywood in historical settings, it fascinates me and this story was no exception! City of Angels was an interesting story exploring women's rights, sexuality and women's roles during WW2 in Hollywood!
3.75/5* 'Pulse of the Panthers' by Kekla Magoon ~ this was really interesting! I would have loved it to have gone into a little more depth and I wasn't too satisfied with the ending but I think that's simply because I was so intrigued and pulled into the story, that I just wanted more!!
3.75/5* 'The World Is Watching' by Robin Talley ~ This was both heartbreaking and heartwarming. I really want to read more about this time, it always interests me so much. This was such an interesting read, terrifying in many ways due to the violence and how truthful it was to the time, but so interesting. It's definitely reminded me that I need to read more into this time in history!...more
4.5* This was fantastic!! I was gripped instantly simply from the prologue. Brilliant characters, an immersive setting and a page turning plot. I enjo4.5* This was fantastic!! I was gripped instantly simply from the prologue. Brilliant characters, an immersive setting and a page turning plot. I enjoyed this a lot. Definitely recommended!!
Impossible to put down! Every single page in 'Killing Sarai' was crazy, intense, messed up and utterly addictive.Impossible to put down! Every single page in 'Killing Sarai' was crazy, intense, messed up and utterly addictive....more
This was exactly what I needed to read. It was just lovely. I loved the characters, I loved the plot and I can't wait to pick up the neSO CUTE!!
4.25*
This was exactly what I needed to read. It was just lovely. I loved the characters, I loved the plot and I can't wait to pick up the next books in this series. So adorable, I really enjoyed it!!...more
4.5* I've never read a graphic novel before but I don't think I could have picked a better one as my first. Nimona was utterly amazing. I adored the c4.5* I've never read a graphic novel before but I don't think I could have picked a better one as my first. Nimona was utterly amazing. I adored the characters; Nimona was a fun, strong character with depth and humour. I loved the humour in this graphic novel, it was witty, sarcastic and I caught myself laughing more than once. The artwork was gorgeous, I loved the way the characters were drawn. I just want more and more from this story and these characters. There were twists and turns throughout the plot, it had me totally gripped. I didn't think I would become so engrossed in a graphic novel, I ended up finishing it in under an hour! If all graphic novels are as awesome as Nimona, I can't wait to explore more of them!! I'm so happy I enjoyed this as much as I did. ...more
4.25* Heart wrenching, disturbing, dark and strangely beautiful. An unforgettable story of family, survival and how the two intertwine. If You Find Me4.25* Heart wrenching, disturbing, dark and strangely beautiful. An unforgettable story of family, survival and how the two intertwine. If You Find Me had me totally gripped from page one. I couldn't put it down. Brilliant. ...more
4.5* When I first picked this up, I said if the rest of this book is as good as the prologue, I think I'm going to enjoy it. I was right and I did. I 4.5* When I first picked this up, I said if the rest of this book is as good as the prologue, I think I'm going to enjoy it. I was right and I did. I absolutely loved it.
Despite the large cast of characters in Falling Kingdoms, I didn't find myself feeling disconnected to them, which is something I rarely find in multiple point of view books. The characters were complex and it was interesting to follow their development throughout the story. I didn't know how to feel about a lot of the characters but in in the best way possible. I couldn't love them but I couldn't hate them. There was just so much to all of them. It was so interesting being able to see all the characters from both their own point of view and from the point of view of others. It made such an interesting read.
Reading Falling Kingdoms was an emotional rollercoaster. Morgan Rhodes definitely doesn't have a problem with the term 'kill your darlings' she was ruthless and broke my heart on more than one occasion.
This book exceeded all my expectations and had me gripped from the prologue. I'm unbelievably excited to carry on with the series. ...more
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