“But I’m not afraid anymore because heaven and hell are not destinations. They are decisions.”
This was such a solid three star read? It had really
“But I’m not afraid anymore because heaven and hell are not destinations. They are decisions.”
This was such a solid three star read? It had really good build up and suspense, and some concepts I loved in the second half. But I felt it was overly long and got too bogged down in it's concepts by the end. I felt like the author was trying to explain what he was getting at over and over and not nailing it. That said, I did mostly have a fun time reading this...more
I really love that N.K Jemisin is writing out of her goddamn mind. Like you can just tell she had so much fun with this and I found her passion endearI really love that N.K Jemisin is writing out of her goddamn mind. Like you can just tell she had so much fun with this and I found her passion endearing.
I really liked this, the worldbuilding was great and her concepts are always incredible. Once I got through the beginning, which dragged, I was hooked.
That said... idk I didn't LOVE it. Maybe it's because I don't have the same fondness and attachment to NYC that this book demands. It was still really great though! I'll read the sequel...more
“The president tried to take credit for it, calling it “the greatest miracle in the history of miracles. There’s never been a bigger miracle than t
“The president tried to take credit for it, calling it “the greatest miracle in the history of miracles. There’s never been a bigger miracle than this one,” but everyone knows by now that he’s full of shit.”
So if you don't know, Shaun David Hutchinson is one of my favourite authors of all time and I have read everything he's written! I was so excited to dive into this, which released in Feb but I didn't have time to get to yet. I ended up having so much fun reading this! I didn't like it as much as We Are the Ants (my ultimate fave) but it probably sits alongside At The Edge of the Universe as my second fave Hutchinson book!
This book is about .. lots of things. It follows Dino, who's ex-best friend June has recently died. While preparing her body for burial (Dino's family own a mortuary), June suddenly rises from the dead and the two are suddenly forced to confront the truths behind their ruined friendship.
Like most Hutchinson books, this had such a whacky premise and I LOVED it. The book focusses a lot on how people remember and think about people who have died in their head after they've died, and how that's not necessarily how they were in life, and I think the zombie-esque plot of this book was such a funny and interesting way to explore that.
This was also hilarious! And super gross! June is undead but she isn't alive .. and so there's a lot of err, gross body stuff. Like June decaying from the inside, and having no organs, and her skin ripping off. And it's so gross but also kind of funny. And I guess a realistic way to look at what would happen if your week dead friend suddenly rose from the grave.
A good friend will bury your body, a best friend will dig you back up.
As this book opens, we start to learn more about Dino, June and why they're no longer friends. This includes some things to do with Dino's new boyfriend, Rafi. (Who is A LITERAL ANGEL I WOULD DIE FOR !!!! and also trans !!).
One thing I really liked about this was the focus on friendship. This focusses on friendship in a way none of Hutchinson's other books have and I really liked it. Dino and June definitely have a complicated relationship and there is a lot of animosity and unresolved feelings to work through. But I really related to a lot of aspects of their relationship - including the jealousy over your friends getting new partners (and leaving you behind), and also the question of what to do with a friend who suddenly doesn't seem so friendly when you come out to them. This book spent a lot of time exploring what the cost is of keeping people around who don't bring out the best in you and I think it did so in a really clever and fun way. Hutchinson is really great with people and relationships in his writing and it shone here.
Dino and June are both really complicated characters and honestly - I kinda didn't like either of them. But I also don't think I needed to. Ultimately, they are both really just lost teens still finding themselves and this book is about how thats normal! and okay! and we get less shitty as we get surer of ourselves !!
I do think though this could have been longer because we could have had more to explore their relationship. A lot of the end felt rushed to me, and like big decisions were made in one discussion. That said, I still really liked the end of this and thought it had more closure than some of his other works.
I also loved the general discussions and themes in this book. I cannot cover them all but: family dynamics were great as always. Discussions around queer relationships were GREAT as always. The inclusion of a lot of queer community in this was nice and I loved Rafi's entire crew.
"Love is gradual and sneaky. It grows like weeds between the cracks of a hundred average moments."
But the reason's I didn't rate this higher: I also thought the middle of this was kind of boring and dragged a little bit. I also thought some of it was a little repetitive where it wasn't needed, and then too brief where we could have had more. I also would have really liked more at the end to give more closure to the story!
Despite that, this is a whacky book that has a lot of hidden meaning and thoughtfulness between all the weird. Shaun David Hutchinson is so underrated! I will continue to love and support him because I think he is writing some of the most unique, authentic and engaging YA in the market right now, with so many relevant and important discussions about being gay and the queer community, amongst other things. If you're looking for a zombie book with more depth than pure zombies, or a book that focusses on the intricacies of friendship, or a book that deals with grief in a unique way, I definitely recommend.
does anyone else feel like YA fantasy has been kinda dropping the ball lately? Because I'm here to report yet ANOTHER one has let me down and I don't does anyone else feel like YA fantasy has been kinda dropping the ball lately? Because I'm here to report yet ANOTHER one has let me down and I don't know who to blame at this point.
“Beware the woods and the dark, dank, deep. He'll follow you home, and he won't let you sleep.”
Sawkill Girls is a fantasy horror set on Sawkill Island - where an unusual and alarming amount of young girls go missing without a trace. No bodies, no word, no clues. When Zoey's best friend becomes the next missing girl - she decides it's time to find out what is happening on Sawkill once and for all.
We follow three main characters, whose lives on the Island begin to intertwine as they confront the islands hidden secrets, and the evil that lurks in the shadows.
🌲 Zoey Our main character - Island inhabitant who lost her best friend and wants to know what happened. Notoriously called out Val for stealing her best friend, and will do anything to find out what happened to her. She is asexual, black, and attracted to both girls and boys. Her father is also the town sheriff, and her ex Grayson plays a role in the book.
🌲 Valerie/Val The islands queen bee who comes from a long line of wealthy women who live on the island. She has a secret and is part of a dark family legacy she cannot escape. She is also sapphic, but doesn't have a label.
🌲 Marion A new comer to the island. She moves to Sawkill with her sister, but soon becomes embroiled with the mystery of Sawkill Island. She becomes friends with both Zoey and Val, and is part of an f/f relationship in this book.
“Tragedy had touched Sawkill, again and again and again, but after each girl’s disappearance, once a respectable amount of time had passed, everyone seemed to stop caring.”
First of all, there is plenty to like here. Sawkill Girls is the spooky, atmospheric horror book that is perfect for cuddling down in bed with around Halloween. Legrand did a good job at constructing atmosphere here, and bringing a creepy aesthetic to the book - which included moth infested rooms, dark things crawling in the woods, scattered human body parts, demon children and plenty of blood, gore and trauma. There were parts of this book which genuinely creeped me out, especially those involving demon entities, and I really liked that this book managed to creep me out a little.
I also really enjoyed the romances and relationships in this. The f/f relationship is WONDERFUL and I really loved how literally every character in this was sapphic. The romance was sweet and while it wasn't a major part of the story, it was there just enough to keep me happy and satisfied. The secondary relationship between Grayson and Zoey, which isn't really a romance but is more a friendship where they used to be exes was also GREAT. I love seeing exes in books because I feel it is so rare, and I adored their dynamic and friendship SO much.
But for me what just didn't work was the characters, and part two.
The characters were enjoyable to read about, but I didn't find myself particular invested in them. This may be because of the audiobook narrator, but I often found myself mixing them up and forgetting which one was which, and what their story or role was. Marion and Zoey especially I was getting mixed up.
I also think part two of this book relied a lot on me being invested in and believed in their frienship as a trio which .. I wasn't feeling so much. While I think it was there, it didn't pull me in to the degree I would have liked, and I didn't feel convinced by what Legrand was putting down in this.
I also found part two extremely predictable. While I loved the set up in part one, and the mystery elements, the second part didn't really stick the landing for me. The major plot points were obvious, and some felt a little cliche. There was really only one scene in part two I REALLY REALLY LOVED and the rest I just enjoyed, but didn't feel particularly strongly on.
“Decades of dead girls. Poor girls and rich girls. Black and brown and white girls. All of them Sawkill girls.”
That all being said, I think this is a book many could love. Even though I'm giving it a three star (which still means I liked it) I would 100% recommend it. This did have a really enjoyable set up and some great, creepy, atmospheric writing and scenes. The romances were wonderful, and there wasn't anything wrong with the plot - it just didn't grab me as much as I needed to rate it higher. But if you like creepy books - and if you liked books like Strange the Dreamer or even The Raven Boys I think you could definitely like this !
Yeah, I'm obsessed. I thought I would like Rebecca but I loved it more than I ever expected. Fasci
“Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.”
Yeah, I'm obsessed. I thought I would like Rebecca but I loved it more than I ever expected. Fascinating characters, an intriguing plot and mystery which unfurls so neatly, gothic elements, a perfect ending and so gripping I flew through it even though it's a classic. Definitely one I will return to in the future.
Also I'm an official Rebecca de Winter apologist. Diversity win! The mean ex wife haunting me is bisexual :)...more
“I am all in a sea of wonders. I doubt; I fear; I think strange things, which I dare not confess to my own soul.”
I liked this a lot! I had a lot o
“I am all in a sea of wonders. I doubt; I fear; I think strange things, which I dare not confess to my own soul.”
I liked this a lot! I had a lot of fun reading it. It's got a lot of tension, mystery, build-up and even some humour I wasn't expecting. I love the gothic, so obviously I loved the atmosphere of this and all the different gothic elements. These editions have such excellent footnotes and appendixes too which I really liked reading as well.
Definitely, Dracula is one of the easiest classics I've read in terms of style, but I found it nice to be sucked into the story and involved in the atmosphere rather than having to actively analyse and try to interpret the writing.
Now, can we just talk about how Mina is underrated and had the potential to be a bad bitch had she just been allowed to embrace the dark side
This has been on my list for a while so I'm glad I've finally ticked it off. ...more
my friends were like, read this science mermaid book with a cute f/f romance its so good !!!
.. little did I know I'd be lying in my bed terrified out my friends were like, read this science mermaid book with a cute f/f romance its so good !!!
.. little did I know I'd be lying in my bed terrified out my mind about getting eaten and/or drowned by a fucking SIREN !! thanks pals !!
“Do I think they found mermaids? Yes. Of course I do. And I think the mermaids ate them all.”
So as I said, a lot of my friends really love this, hence why I knew I needed to read it. I mean .. killer mermaids, a government cover-up, an f/f relationship and horror elements set in the Marianna Trench?? Sign me up!
The other reason this was on my radar is because of the author. Mira Grant is the pseudonym used by Seanan McGuire for her adult books. Seanan McGuire is the same author who wrote Every Heart A Doorway AKA a book/series I ADORE.
So all in all there were soo many reasons for me to read this, and as expected, I enjoyed it so much!
Into the Drowning Deep is a paranormal horror with one of my favourite premises of all time. Seven years ago, Imagine, an entertainment company, sent the Atargatis to the Marianna Trench, tasking it's crew with filming a "mockumentary" about mermaids. It was lost at sea with all hands. Now, in the present day, Imagine is sending a new vessel to the Trench - equipped with the latest tech and filled with specialised scientists. Their job? To prove everyone on board the Atargatis really was killed by mermaids.
“It was beautiful, in its own terrible way. So many monsters are.”
Lets get the big thing out the way first like I said THIS BOOK WAS HECKIN SCARY. If you don't like the thought of creepy shit living in the deep ocean, and being isolated on a boat days away from land and rescue .... well. There is soo much in here that genuinely gave me the chills. I don't always find horror books scary or creepy but this one DEFINITELY got me a few times. Especially that scene when [redacted] goes into the challenger deep. (IF YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW)
One huge strength of Grant's that shone here is her ability to balance the outlandish with the realistic. Whilst we are dealing with mermaids here, I loved the heavy science focus and the look at mermaids not so much as mythological figures, but as highly intelligent animals who have evolved on a completely different trajectory to humans. This approach to mermaids was something I haven't seen before, and I definitely enjoyed this perspective.
There was also some thematic stuff I wasn't expecting in here but I loved! There is a huge focus on conservation and the cost of environmental destruction. This was approached in a really great way, looking at the moral and ethical dilemmas surrounding this themes. I wasn't expecting this book to be so heavy on that, but it added a depth I really appreciated.
[image]
lets talk characters!
we follow six main characters -
🔬 Victoria Stewart Out for answers and possible revenge because her sister was part of the Atargatis crew. She is also bisexual! I loved Tory, she takes no shit and she was such a strong, well written character because her motivations were so believable and sympathetic.
🔬 Olivia Sanderson Imagine's face of entertainment, tasked with filming every single thing that happens on the trip. She stole Victoria's sisters job so there is some immediate tension there. She is autistic and also super geeky and cute and I love her.
🔬 Dr Jillian Toth Worlds leading expert in Sirens and Mermaids and not dealing well with the fact she thinks she sent an entire boat full of people to their death. SHE WAS MY FAVOURITE CHARACTER. Absolute science queen, who is more than happy to look a killer mermaid in the eyes if it means getting the scientific breakthrough she's been looking for.
🔬 Hallie, Heather and Holly Wilson deaf twins Heather and Holly, who have very different hobbies. One who is into science (organic chemistry) and one who is into deep sea dives into the Mariana Trench to try and find the bottom. And their older sister Hallie, who acts as their sign language interpreter. I loved both these characters and Hallie's plot line was probably my favourite of all the subplots!
“Humanity was cruel, and if you were prepared to try to find a bottom to that cruelty, you had best be prepared for a long, long fall.”
This is such an epic, fun (but terrifying) book. Once the action gets going it never lets up, it feels like the horror and the gore and the action just keeps coming and coming and coming. One thing Grant does excellently here is build up the tension. The beginning of this book is ominous and spooky - a flash of mermaid tale, something not quire right in the water, the dark of the ocean becoming more and more pronounced. She sets up the atmosphere perfectly. You know that scene in the movie, where they're on the boat and the music cuts out, and all you can hear is the dark water lapping against the wood of the boat .. and you just Know something is coming?? Imagine all that build up, and picturing that exactly, the tension rising and rising until BAM. You are thrown into an all out bloody confrontation. It is horrifying and also excellent.
But I did have some issues Mainly, the ending. For me, the action just seemed to cut out too quick and the book ended very abruptly. I felt many of the subplots were left unresolved and that really frustrated me. (view spoiler)[WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MERMAID HALLIE WAS STARTING TO COMMUNICATE WITH??! (hide spoiler)] I also hated the Wilson family because their names were SO SIMILAR. I kept getting them all mixed up which was frustrating. Finally, there were two characters I felt the narrative was trying to get me to sympathise with and I just .... did not. Which kinda impacted my investment in their plot lines.
But despite those gripes this was a hugely enjoyable novel and I truly hope the sequel happens because I want those plot points wrapped up! I don't tend to read horror much so this felt so unique and fun to me. I adored the spin on mermaids, making them deadly deep sea creatures out for human blood, and the characters really completed this action packed, murder mermaid horror story. Highly recommend !...more
Don't try and play me Henry,,, I know Freud and I trust his psychoanalysis and those ghosts are PROJECTIONS OF THenry James voice: the ghosts are real
Don't try and play me Henry,,, I know Freud and I trust his psychoanalysis and those ghosts are PROJECTIONS OF THE GOVERNESS DESIRE.
Anyway I personally don't like the governess (I ain't saying she a goldigger but) Also little Miles deserved better. RIP lad x
For some reason I can never take classics seriously when I need to review them. I'm gonna do this again later OK. Truly this is a complex and interesting classic...more
I'm only doing a mini review of this book because I've reviewed all the other books inthe series and don't really have anything much extra to add so I'm only doing a mini review of this book because I've reviewed all the other books inthe series and don't really have anything much extra to add so I'll just sum it up?
book/series summary This book is basically about a apocalyptic version of London where a disease has turned all the adults into zombies. It's basically Gone meets The Walking Dead. Each book follows certain groups of kids and their quest/mission which depends on which characters you're following. This book follows The Kid and Small Sam after the events of The Dead and catches up with the Cathedral kids who haven't been in the series since book one. Also Shadowman and Saint George feature heavily.
WHAT I LIKE
💀 zombies. I love the zombies in this series because they actually have character arcs and change as the series progresses. I like the way the zombies function and how the lore surrounding them is pretty consistent
💀 world so I love the way the world is split up into different crews of kids. The Tower of London crew is my favourite but I also really love the Natural History Museum kids. Basically, every prominent building has a group of kids who have taken up residence there, and what is interesting is that each group has it's own rules, culture, laws and ideas about what to do in the world. Some are looking for a cure, some are just living day to day lives, some are looking for power, some live in lowkey anarchy and the difference between each group is really interesting. Also, PSA the kids living in IKEA had the smartest idea of everyone js.
💀 narrative structure its kind of hard to explain, but the narrative structure is my favourite thing about this book and series and why it stands out as a genuinely way better series then most zombie books. So basically, Book one follows a group called the Waitrose crew who are brought to Buckingam Palace by a kid called Jester. Book two then skips back in time to explain how the Buckingham Palace crew ended up there. Book three is set at the same time as book one, but follows a completely different set of characters. This book is set right after the events of book two.
Why I love this structure is that the world feels really alive. When you're following a group of characters, you know one of the other groups is also up to something we will get to later. It feels less like a series moving forward and more like a series moving forward and outward. It's kind of hard to explain but I love it. I also love how this structure allows plotlines to weave together and overlap, and so we see different events from different perspectives and contexts. I love the narrative strucutre and it's why this series stands out to me so much even in it's low points.
WHAT I DON'T LIKE
💀 repetition this book was kind of boring to me (because i've already read it so it's not really the book fault), but also by this book it felt like a lot of the plot had been used and reused. There's only so many times being chased by a zombie can freak me out. This one felt a little out of ideas
💀 crew I love The Kid but I don't love the other characters this book follows. Small Sam and Ed are okay but my real favourites from the Tower of London like Jordan Hordern and Dognut weren't in it as much. I LOVED SHADOWMAN'S ROLE IN T HIS BOOK THOUGH
💀 boring? This particular book in the series is more of a filler/explanation book then the previous ones so it wasn't as thrilling as it's predecessors
“We was half stupid, a third lucky, and three-quarters ferocious.”
Anyway, overall I really enjoy this series and I will hopefully be finishing it this year. Even though it's a seven book series it's plotted and crafted so well that never felt daunting. I genuinely love some of the characters in this series and god the plot structure is just so freakin clever and good ...more
Today I did something I have never, ever ever ever done
I cried on a train, in front of REAL PEOPLE. I ..... expressed a real emotion?
Why Patrick Ness Today I did something I have never, ever ever ever done
I cried on a train, in front of REAL PEOPLE. I ..... expressed a real emotion?
Why Patrick Ness (and Siobhan Dowd). w h y
Anyway this book is undoubtedly beautiful. The main characters situation really made me feel, as in, sharp shocks that felt like I'd been slapped in the face or punched in the stomach because of how much I felt
And even though this book is small, it is so big. It has so much to say in just the right amount of words, in just the right way. The art throughout is haunting and beautiful, the story pulls you forward, keeps you tuning pages, until that awful but beautiful bitter sweet ending that really had me tearing up like a goddamn baby
Full review to come. I am beyond moved, breathtaking truly and I cannot WAIT for the movie....more
“I’m fighting and I’m winning and I’m living. The full package.”
I loved this series when I was in late primary school / early highschool. Then I
“I’m fighting and I’m winning and I’m living. The full package.”
I loved this series when I was in late primary school / early highschool. Then I stopped reading it, fell behind, forgot everything. In 2016 I restarted it, vowing to finish the series once and for all, AND NOW I'VE DONE IT. YIPEE!! I FEEL SO ACCOMPLISHED.
so I really love this series overall like, by no means is it perfect. But it makes me happy. I just really love the characters and the concept and the world. I've mentioned it in like, every single review of these books, but the timeline and communities are soo well done here. The entire series isn't exactly in chronological order (the first book is set 50% into the timeline) and that makes it really interesting. Also, Charlie Higson put a lot of time into developing politics and tension and culture between each different group which super sets it apart from most dystopians like this.
I think there was alot of wasted potential in terms of The End. The book before set up all these new exciting characters and groups, gave them extensive background, and then doesn't even capitalise off of it. I was waiting for certain characters to appear but it didn't even happen until 25 pages before the end. This would have been much better if they were there from the start. And to be honest, that was the biggest letdown of this book.
On one hand, I DID love the moments where did see certain characters come together. And the reappearance of some favourites who weren't in the last couple books made me happy. Also, one of the characters was confirmed as being gay and I REALLY liked the scene where it happened. It was done very well and I just love that character so I was happy for them. They deserved a boyfriend though ://
One problem this book had was stagnation. The entire first half was leading up to the big battle but I don't think it developed tension enough so it was kind of boring. The second half was INTENSE though and made up for it. The major problem with this book though was it's abrupt ending. Ok, I'll admit the Sam/Ella bit got me (THIS WHOLE SERIES HAS JUST BEEN ABOUT THEM TRYING TO REUNITE AND THEY DID IM CRYING) but there needed to be an epilogue or something. We have no idea how these characters bounce back from this massive, life changing event and a flash forward would have massively serviced this book. There are things I NEED TO KNOW and I DON'T KNOW THEM. I also think this book didn't kill enough major characters, which is weird but yeah. This book got me hooked on it's 'HE JUST KILLED THAT CHARACTER' moments and while one death in particular hit me hard, I think overall, considering the sheer size of this battle, they all felt way too safe.
Okay, overall I'm super glad I finished this series. I'm not gonna say it's the MOST QUALITY series I've ever read but heck, I had an absolute blast reading it. Super entertaining. Makes me want to read ALL the dystopian/apocalyptic books. And I genuinely think, beside maybe the Gone series, this is the best dystopian worldbuilding I've ever seen. I just wish it hadn't left me hanging so bad. I want to know more, I want to see more character interactions, I want to know how they bounced back from this !
Characters I would die for - Achilleus: my son, deserves the world. THE CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT *kisses fingers*. Highkey exists to retell the Iliad in the dystopian setting am I here for it uhh hell yeah - Jordan Horden: UNDERRATED. I love him !!! Too smart, too good. A Tower of London legend - Jester: a snake but still deserved better. Got me emo. - Maxie: MY GIRL. Everyone should pay more attention to her. Badass in charge - ED. MY BABY. MY BOY. - Small Sam and The Kid; TOO PRECIOUS TOO PURE. I love The Kid so much!!! and their friendship?? makes me sob. Iconic - Patrick: WHEN THEY TOOK HIS DOG AWAY AND HE CRIED? I CRIED TOO!
This is more of a 3.5 star but I HAD A FUN TIME OKAY ITS GETTING ROUNDED UP...more
But to sum up: this is a series following a whole bunch of different kids living in the zombie apocalypse and it's so good. It's set in London and has kind of a non-linear time line and so each book sort of interconnects like a puzzle and it's so interesting. I've been trying to finish this series for ages and FINALLY I am here. One.More.Book.To.Go
This probably wasn't my favourite one just because it followed the characters I don't care about as much. But I still really enjoyed it, especially seeing all the new groups of kids. I thought the Ascot races situation was really interesting and so was the Windsor kids culture and set up. Also, I know the Arno spoiler AND I AM EXCITE.
The last part of this book was easily the best, it was so exciting. I did like how so many characters and events from the past were brought up. Seeing Malik, Go Girl and Sophie again was really cool. I also liked there were more plot reveals and a few exciting twists in this. Some things I did not expect to happen did AND THE CLIFFHANGER KILLS ME. But the first part and some sections in the middle were kind of slow.
Overall I'm really enjoying finishing up this series and I cannot wait to read the last book. These books definitely do have some issues - ie. some dodgy representation, use of ableist and homophobic slurs. But I still enjoy them for being fun, easy reads with some cool plotting and expansive worldbuilding in a dystopian...more
guys this series has majorly fucked me up AND I REALLY WANT MORE OF Y'ALL TO READ IT ITS SO GOOD AND CLEVER
So here we have a complete list of why you guys this series has majorly fucked me up AND I REALLY WANT MORE OF Y'ALL TO READ IT ITS SO GOOD AND CLEVER
So here we have a complete list of why you should!
But before I get into that some quick facts. 1: the series is about a future world where all the adults are either dead or zombies who want to eat children! 2: it's set in London 3: the series covers different groups around London and each books intertwines with the others so neatly 4: It's got some great diversity 5: IT WILL LITERALLY FUCK YOU UP SO GOOD AND YOU WILL CRINGE BECAUSE THERE IS SOME SERIOUSLY HORRIBLE AND DISGUSTING THINGS GOING ON
ok. Here is my list of why you should read The Enemy series
• Charlie Higson is very clever. What I mean is, the way this series is intertwined together is honestly just really clever writing. Let me explain, book 1 follows a group called the Holloway Crew. Book 2 jumps back in time a little and follows a group called the Tower of London kids - when book 2 is midway through, the beginning of the events of book 1 begin. Book 3 follows another crew, who are doing something at the same time as the final events of book 2 are happening. Book 4 follows the crews from 2 and 3 when their stories clash together. Book 5 follows the Holloway crew again - the end of their story in book 1 begins when the events at the end of book 4 start. Confused? YOU SHOULD BE. But the way these books are written is their greatest strength. It gives this world incredible depth and complexity and makes it feel very real. Even tho events are happening in a logical order, they're also happening at the same time and it definietely gives you that feeling of the butterfly effect - like things are happening because of these characters consequences to the other characters you've met in different books. Also, it's just really fun when you see the actions of character and know what they're doing is going to effect others. For example, book 1 is basically about a boy called Jester coming to see the Holloway Crew. In book 3, one of the characters sends Jester to go "find other kids", thus setting off the events that will lead to the beginning of book 1. It's kind of hard to explain, but you need to know these books are not simple zombie stories they are really really clever
• Diverse! There are so many characters who are diverse and strong good characters. Many of the leaders of the groups of kids, who are in great power positions, are poc! or have disabilities ! or are lgbt+ ! It's great !! There is black characters, hispanic characters, brown characters, fat characters, mentally ill characters, characters with learning disabilities, characters with physical disabilities, characters who are gay, characters with no gender, and much much more. It's GREAT
• IT'S BRUTAL. Seriously, you never know who's going down next. And that keeps you on your toes, but also some of the things that happen to these characters are genuinely horrifying and I've been shocked by some of the scenes of horror. I'm not shocked by horror in books much!!! But honestly you never know who's gonna get rekt next it's like rickroll just when u think someone is safe they dead.
• Very clever society building. So, one of the premises of this story is that the kids have banded into different crews. You got the Buckingham Palace Kids, the Holloway Kids, the Museum of Natural History Kids, the Parliament House Crew, the Squatters, the Ascot kids, the Tower of London Crew, the Cathedral Kids and SO MANY MORE. Each different group has it's own unique culture -- they call the zombies different things (ranging from sicko, to grown-up, to oppoe) they have their own goals and ambitions (some just want to be fair to the kids, some want to hunt zombies, some want to create democracies, some want to study science and cure the disease) and this all makes each different unique and interesting to follow. The groups are all separate, but they are also all forced to mingle, interact and see things from each others perspective. The groups are also all aware of each other and that creates some fun conversations about characters from other crews and books which are just really fun to read.
• Good balance of themes. Action doesn't overshadow trauma and horror, and there are good deep conversations about things like the human condition which make it feel more deep. There is also relationships that aren't annoying or overbearing, there is cute friendships and familial relationships. There is a good balance of the current plot, like what each crew it up to - and the overarching plot pertaining to the disease and why people got sick and are now zombies.
• Basically. It's good,,,,, it's all good. I couldn't rec them harder they are so fucking clever and well thought out why won't more people read them !!!!!!!!!
READ THIS SERIES OKAY. READ IT AND CRY WITH ME I'M SO FUCKED UP...more
“Magic has nearly killed him, but in the end it had saved him. Just like in the stories”
Ninth House is a book I think the entire community has bee
“Magic has nearly killed him, but in the end it had saved him. Just like in the stories”
Ninth House is a book I think the entire community has been looking forward to. I had really high expectations for this. I have enjoyed all of Leigh Bardugo’s books, but I was interested to see how I would enjoy her writing in an adult context. I really love adult fantasy and dark academia so I thought this would be a hit, but I was still a little apprehensive.
Ninth House is almost exactly what I expected from Leigh Bardugo. Compelling and complex main characters. A long drawn out mystery with heaps of plot twists. Dark themes, but also themes around speaking out, finding your voice and female empowerment.
That is what made it good – but it’s also what made it only a four-star. As much as I enjoyed this, it didn’t have that extra ba-boom spark that I really look for in a Leigh Bardugo book. In all fairness, though, my expectations were high. I felt like I was in a dream reading Crooked Kingdom when that came out and I’ve been chasing that high ever since. It’s hard for things to measure up.
“That was what magic did. It revealed the heart of who you’d been before life took away your belief in the possible. It gave back the world all lonely children longed for.”
Ninth House is led by Galaxy ‘Alex’ Stern, a new freshman to Yale who’s inducted into Lethe house under mysterious circumstances we learn about later. Lethe is basically a group of people who watch over the secret societies that, literally, practice dark magic. Alex is mentored by Daniel Arlington, referred to as ‘Darlington’, who is a perfect man I adore – and who also has gone missing at the start of the book.
The narrative flips between two timelines. The winter, following Alex after the disappearance of Darlington as she investigates the murder of a student called Tara. And then the previous spring, following the events leading up to Alex getting admitted into Yale and her tutelage under Darlington.
One thing that immediately drew me into this world was the dark atmosphere, the setting and the worldbuilding. The start is definitely a little slow, but I really liked the way the narrative started to explore the different secret societies and they’re magic. We’re introduced to these houses alongside Alex, via Darlington, and I loved this setup. Alex and Darlington’s relationship and the spooky build-up to the action was excellent. I really love dark academia, so giving me that with a literal dark magic twist was right up my alley. I enjoyed the dark underbelly feel of this, that idea that there is magic lurking just under the surface and some people never see it.
Alex, we quickly learn, can see ghosts – and this is one of the core aspects of her characterisation. Alex is a tough-nut, she’s been through a lot and she’s come out the other end a little uncertain and with a lot to work on. But I really liked her cynical, tough narration and interior monologue that drove the action forward. She’s tough and loyal and I loved that her friendship with the girls she lives with, with her mother and her relationship with Darlington were so important. I noticed often throughout this book how female friendship and connections, shown most through Alex’s friendships, was so important.
“And maybe he wanted her to be the kind of girl who dressed as Queen Mab, who loved words and had stars in her blood.”
I also liked the theme of empowerment and moving on from abuse that was prominent in this book. It reminded me strongly of themes Bardugo has explored before, but in a fresh way. Themes around giving the voice back to the abused and disempowered are ones I think I’ll always enjoy. I like how Bardugo explored this in front of the backdrop of Yale University. Privilege permeates spaces like universities and academia and Ninth House unravels the way these spaces treat groups as expendable, especially when money and influence are involved. I thought Bardugo did well at drawing out these ideas and exploring them through a character like Alex really helped crystallise these concepts.
But more then anything, this book is a mystery. We’re following Alex as she tries to solve both Tara’s murder and Darlington’s disappearance. I think Leigh Bardugo didn’t quite nail some of the mystery elements here. The mystery, for me, took a little bit too long to develop and become serious. There didn’t feel like there were really high stakes until too late into the book. The reveal was also a bit disappointing for me, and I thought Bardugo could have done more to implant the threads and then draw them together at the end more firmly. This is something she has done incredibly well in the previous series, but here I didn’t feel like she planted the seeds at the beginning of the book, so the payoff wasn’t as satisfying. With that said, I always found this book easy to pick up and compelling. I could always feel the momentum and the drive behind the plot and characters that made me keep picking this book up.
“What do you want?” Belbalm had asked her. Safety, comfort, to feel unafraid. I want to live to grow old, Alex thought as she pulled the curtains closed. I want to sit on my porch and drink foul-smelling tea and yell at passersby. I want to survive this world that keeps trying to destroy me.”
Ninth House was Bardugo’s first toe-dip into the adult fantasy world and sometimes in this book it showed. The writing and mystery weren’t as expertly craft as in some of her previous works. With that said, she transported me to a dark setting with a seedy magic underbelly I loved. The focus on secret societies and dark magic was right up my alley. Alex was a compelling main character to follow with a lot of depth to explore and I thought she was an excellent vehicle for exploring the themes in this book. The next book doesn’t come out until 2021 which is just too far away, but I’ll definitely be picking it up when it does come out.
content warningsrape of a child, sexual assault under influence of a magical drug, drowning, heavy violence, gore, drug addiction, overdosing, death, suicide, blackmail, self-harm, and forced consumption of human waste.
Read if you liked: The Secret History, If We Were Villains, Sawkill Girls
“I ought to be thy Adam, but I am rather the fallen angel...”
Frankenstein is one of those classics I seemed to know a lot about without ever actu
“I ought to be thy Adam, but I am rather the fallen angel...”
Frankenstein is one of those classics I seemed to know a lot about without ever actually reading it or seeing any adaptations of it. But the story of the monster created by Frankenstein is such a well known one, and I have wanted to read this classic for a long time to actually get the full story.
Frankenstein follows Victor Frankenstein, a young man who attends university to study science, discovers the secret of life, and uses the knowledge to animate a corpse made up of various body parts. Frankenstein and his creation then engage in a cat-and-mouse game for the next 300 pages, both inexplicable drawn to eachother, despite their repulsion and horror toward eachother.
“I could not understand why men who knew all about good and evil could hate and kill each other.”
First of all, I have to put in a note about my main girl, Mary Shelley. I love her. I love that she penned this story while hanging out with Percy Shelley and Lord Byron and won their scary writing competition. She also lost her virginity on her mums grave (which is hardcore) and kept her dead husbands calcified heart in a box for years and years. She is, literally, the coolest, and I think that is important to note.
But that aside, I very much enjoyed the character dynamics in this. Shelley draws interesting parallels between Victor and the monster, as well as parallels between Victor as God, and the monster as Adam or Lucifer, in Paradise Lost. I liked the comparisons here, and how this book forces you to consider the line between god and monster. The romanticism was strong here (obviously, since this is The romantic text) but I love the romantics and the literature they produced (except Wuthering Heights which can choke) so I enjoyed seeing how romanticism had influenced the story.
Discussions around morality and humanity were also central here. The positioning of the Monster as inhuman, and Victor as human, became more and more blurred as the story progresses. The monster himself was more of a sympathetic character than I expected, but it added an interesting dynamic. And one I hadn't really gleaned through the popular representations of Frankenstein's Monster.
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I also really liked the writing. Although at times I think it did err on long-winded, overall I think the prose was quite beautiful and again, Shelley utilised literary and biblical allusions really well in Frankenstein. I found this so easy to read, for a classic the writing was fairly straight forward and understandable.
The reason I give this a three star rather than four is because I just found the book didn't draw me in as well as some other classics. I often was checking the page number I was on. I think this was a combination of the slow moving plot and writing when it became longwinded and drawn out. I also just found some of Victor's thought process infuriating, and overall he was an extremely annoying character which sort of took me out of the story at times. So while I did find this interesting, and enjoyable, it just didn't click with me like some other classics have.
Overall, Frankenstein is definitely worth reading though. It's a classic take on humanity and what makes a person truly human, with interesting character dynamics and straightforward language. It is also worth reading, just to put respect on the good sister Mary's name. I had a fun time with this one, but I don't know if I would ever reread it.
“Accursed creator! Why did you form a monster so hideous that even you turned from me in disgust?”
“...the smell that came out of the lorry was disgusting. Sour and rotten. 'Jesus, who's died?" he said. 'About four-fifth's of the population of th
“...the smell that came out of the lorry was disgusting. Sour and rotten. 'Jesus, who's died?" he said. 'About four-fifth's of the population of the world' said Justin. 'Very funny”
HOLY FREAKIN HELL these books are so much better then I actually remember them being the first time. I cannot believe this !!
WHAT IS THE ENEMY? It's The Walking Dead meets the Gone series. In the near future, the entirety of the population over 15 is either dead, or diseased and now "zombies" (or sicko's as the kids call them) who are looking to eat all the kids they can
AND ITS FREAKIN WILD. Ok it sounds like trash (it kinda is sometimes) BUT ALSO ITS SO GOOD
psa ! The third one, THE FEAR, is definitely the best so far! Especially because all the different groups are now meeting and interacting and merging together When Brooke met up with Maxie and Blue I yelled !!!!!!
ANYWAY
REASONS WHY THE FEAR + THIS WHOLE SERIES IS THE BEST
→ It's got lots of different storylines, which all merge up together. LIKE BASICALLY all the kids move into different areas of London - you got the Buckingham Palace Crew, London Tower Crew, Natural History Museum Crew, Parliament House Crew .... and then they all meet up, and all their stories combine and it's BEAUTIFUL. It's so beautiful. Also, they all shit talk the other crews which is a good laugh for me, the reader, who knows them all individually and loves them all.
→ The timeline. So you'll be following one crew, but while you're following them other crews are making deals and working together. You'll switching perspectives and realise what's going on behind other crews backs. I love how it seems like the world is always active and things are happening no matter which characters you're following at that time
→ The zombies. They are. freakin. terrifying. SO SCARY. The zombies are organised !! they make plans !! they ambush kids !! some of them use knives and things !! some of them even talk a bit !! yikes yikes yikes. Also there are different zombie groups and like, sub groups within the zombies so they are actually really interesting !!
→ The setting. The books are all set in London, and the fact the kids are living in iconic London places is so cool !! I love it !!
→ Fast paced af. Literally so much happens, and not all fights between kids and zombies. There is a lot of politics between the different groups of kids, lots of little fights between them and exterior plots, like discovering cures for the sickness or some religious stuff going on which means it's actually alot more complex then kids fighting zombies
→ The different groups of children. Love how they all have different cultures, ideologies, beliefs. Love how each group is v different ! Love how there is lots of politics and drama between the groups and there are even people who don't fit into groups, some kids who are good and want an organised world, some who are anarchists, some who are loners. Some who drift. It's very cool getting to know them all !! I love the diversity
SOME OF THE LETDOWNS
→ The characters can be a bit boring and plain. Not all, some of them I love so much !! But some of them are boring and not very deep. The characters do go through character growth, but this is more about the plot and so the characters suffer a little because of it
→ Lack of diversity. Anytime there is a character that is a "minority" they die. It's so annoying. In all of these kids its a bit urggh most of them are white and straight. Like why god WHY. I'm annoyed the diverse characters are always killed off. It's not good enough imo
→ Rep of women can be a bit iffy at times. There are some great female characters (Jackson, Courtney, Nicola) but in general the way that women are talked about and portrayed is a little stereotypical and blergh at times. I don't like it how the women are stereotyped really badly into "mothers", "bitches", "weaklings" u know it's the worst
HEY THO ! These books get better and better with each one, and after book3 we are caught up with the events at the end of The Enemy which is exciting !!
I'm coming up to the books I've not read yet (I had to reread the series to finish it because I couldn't remember) and I'm excited to see where it goes from here
I really recc these books ! They are fun and read really quickly, and are actually alot more complex then they let on. ALSO THE NEW COVERS ARE THE BEST
“If we make our own history, if we tell stories that bring us together, we'll be stronger. It'll give us something to believe in. The sickos can't do that – they're no better than animals – but we can. Every battle we win we have to tell the story over and over, so that we can win more battles. People love stories. They've told stories since even before they could write. Myths and legends, stories of heroes and villains, gods and monsters. Real things happened, the story got told and then the stories became legends. That's what we've got to do – tell our own heroic stories.”
“He was a different person now, and not a better one, Oh, he could fight, he could swat sickos like flies; he was a bloody hero, wasn't he? He was
“He was a different person now, and not a better one, Oh, he could fight, he could swat sickos like flies; he was a bloody hero, wasn't he? He was Death himself. Riding a bike. But in the end, all he was doing was adding to the score of the dead. Was that all a hero was, then? A killing machine without a heart?”
WARNING ! ZOMBIE GIFS AHEAD
This series literally has me shook I can't believe I read these when I was little they are so violent ??? like SO violent ?
It's basically the book version of The Walking Dead, except only adults become zombies. Which means the world is now run by 15 year olds who are trying not to get eaten by the adult zombies. Oh, also the zombies are smart, and they make traps and ambushes for the kids ,,,, its fuckin intense and TRUST I would be dead in this world I would be so dead
(actually I'd be a zombie bc I'm over 15 but SHUT UP I would somehow not get the sickness ok I hate adult life)
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THE DEAD offers a differing story of the events in THE ENEMY, explaining the story of the London Tower kids and how they established themselves following the apocalypse. and hoNESTLY the kids from the London Tower are sooo much more interesting then the Waitrose kids.
I like how THE DEAD starts to develop the storyline outside of just ZOMBIES and killing. The addition of Matt, Archie and The Acolytes was really interesting!! I remembered alot of this storyline from when I first read these books but I liked to explore that since I'm pretty sure it's going to become more important later.
I really enjoyed the characters in THE DEAD and thought they were more realistic and interesting. I liked Jack and Ed's dynamic and thought theirs was a pre realistic portrayal of things tbh. I liked that they weren't always the best of friends ahaha. And I also really liked the development of Justin and Jorden Horden
I JUST WISH THERE WERE MORE GIRLS !!!!!! plsss like Brooke was in it a bit but then she disappears and Frederique is just annoying and I'm like ?? where my girls at #yeah the girls I WANT THEM
Also, I wish the perspectives didn't just randomly change mid paragraph because I CANNOT KEEP UP WITH THAT SHIT its so confusingg
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but like, overall these are pretty darn good. I mean, ok they're zombie books and I'm trash BUT THEY ARE PRETTY AMUSING OK ...more
“If a wolf attacks his sheep, the shepard kills the wolf, but he eats the sheep when he's hungry.”
The Enemy is one of those books I really, really
“If a wolf attacks his sheep, the shepard kills the wolf, but he eats the sheep when he's hungry.”
The Enemy is one of those books I really, really liked when 14/15. I read all the series that was out at the time, and then I had ..... THE READING SLUMP™. So I lost track of the series and now four or so years on I was like, hmmm, maybe I should check those books out again
Two things strike me about thse books:
1:THEY ARE SCARY AS FUCK !!! JFC !!
2: They're not /as good/ as I remember. But still pretty good.
Basically, it's about a group of kids living in a supermarket at the end of the world. All the adults have become diseased and ... started ... eating the kids !! and it's hectic.
THINGS I LIKE ABOUT THIS: → fucking terrifying. These books are so, so gory and awful. You got kids getting eatin all over the place, you got kids fighting eachother. You got cannibalism, you got psycho monkeys, you got disease and death and blergh just about everything other thing you can think of. I mean these books are brutal, you think your fave is safe because they're a ""main character"" but oooohh no. Charlie Higson definitely understands the concept of "kill your darlings"
&& Aside from the fact it's gory, the actual ""zombies"" themselves are INSANE These are not just lumbering critters who you might run into, ooh no. These bad boys are INTELLIGENT. THEY !! LITERALLY !! MAKE !! PLANS !! AND !! AMBUSH !! KIDS !! AND !! THEY !! ARE !! SO !! SCARY !!. Not to mention some of it is told in the POV of a zombie, shudders They make the Walking Dead zombies look like fluffy little bunnies. Like, these books are scary as all hell I am worried about Past Me
→ Worldbuilding. Because, I know what you're thinking. Another zombie book? Another kids alone without adults book!? yeah, yeah I get you fam but listen these bring something new to the table.
First of all, they're set in London. And along with the setting comes the general annoying propriety that is associated with Brits. You got kids from posh boarding schools, Kings and Queens, and it's full of British slang. It was a new twist to the tired, typical American setting and I liked it. (plus, the "hideouts" of the kids are something else, since this is London, hub of ridiculous and over the top architecture - the hideouts are real neat I mean, they're hiding out in Buckingham Palace its amazing. ( So on a side note, how come Rick & Co from the walking dead haven't tried to shelter from zombies in the white house !?!)
But aside from that, the development of the kids, the different groups and cultures that have sprung up in these groups is good worldbuilding. Each different group of kids has it's own customs, traditions, languages and while they're not /too different/ they all still have their quirks and its just interesting. The expansion of the world just in one book was great.
→ ACTION. So much action, on every page. These are quick books because they're so fast paced and the pace never lets up. Something is going down on every single page and it's great.
THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE AS MUCH:
→ Yeah, the characters. Just a bit of a letdown. They're not awful, not by any means. These characters pass, but they're nothing special. I don't feel any of them are particularly complex or well developed. They exist to propel the story but I just wanted MORE. I wanted more from them, I wanted more about how the apocalypse if effecting them, how they feel, what they stand for. Don't get me wrong because we do get it, I just wanted much MORE to really develop them.
And on another note with characters, I wanted to mention diversity because I felt, for a book written in 2010 when diversity wasn't so much of a big deal it's pretty good. I would have liked to see more anD I COMPLETELY FORGOT FROM THE FIRST TIME I READ IT THAT AKKIE KISSES JOHN AND I THINK IT WAS A /JOKE/ AND HE WAS JUST ESTABLISHING HIMSELF AND I DON'T REMEMBER IT BEING A THING LATER ON BUT I WISH IT WAS BECAUSE WHEN HE DID THAT I WAS LIKE ?!?! #GiveAchilleusABoyfriend
→ Representation of women. I just, eh eh eh. I don't wanna say too much about it but it was a bit disappointing that there are very very female characters in this and the ones that are there are often given the "mothering" role and while Maxie is the leader of the Waitrose kids by the end, no one really respects her and I just eh eh eh. It was okay, but it was kinda off too.
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
Anyway, overrall I'd give this a 3.5 I think these books are genuinely terrifying, and a great addition to a genre thats overcrowded, especially in recent years with the rise in popularity of The Walking Dead. Regardless, I'm glad I reread this and while it wasn't as great as I remembered, it was still pretty good. ...more
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