The Forgotten Fairytales (Forgotten Fairytales, #1)
I'm a big Once Upon a Time fan, so why wouldn't I add this to my TBR?
The Fine Art of Pretending
3.5/5*
The Fine of Art of Pretending is a cute contemporary that is told from the dual perspective of Alyssa (Aly) and Brandon who have been best friends since elementary school. When Aly decides to launch Operation Sex Appeal, Brandon agrees to pretend to be her boyfriend; a decision that could shatter their friendship.
I loved the dual perspective throughout this book. Both Aly and Brandon have their own distinct voices, so it's very easy for the reader to distinguish between the two. Recently, I've come to really appreciate authors who tell their stories through more then one narrative, as I feel the readers are given both sides of the story, rather then the traditional one sided, one voice tale.
As characters, Aly and Brandon are just your typical teenage, high school protagonists. Both of them struggle with your average everyday worries that come with being a senior; dating, friends, clothes and fitting in. Rachel Harris has done an amazing job writing these characters. As a reader, they felt so real and solid; none of the issues in the book were unbelievable or unrealistic. All teenagers, at some point, go through the issues written about in The Fine of Art of Pretending.
The Fine of Art of Pretending, overall, was a quick and easily accessible read with likable protagonists and a lighthearted story-line. Though not a five star read, it was an enjoyable, fluffy, contemporary that's just right for those long summer days.
Poison Study
After hearing so many raving reviews about this book and the series itself, I decided to finally cave; picking up the book from my bookshelf, where it has resided for quite a few years. Though I knew vaguely what the premise of Poison Study was, I didn't expect to love it as much as I did, let alone class it as a new favourite.Yelena is one of the most memorable main characters I've ever come across. Like, EVER. About to be hanged for murder, she's given the choice of becoming the food taster for the Commander, which she snaps up immediately, much to the chagrin of General Brazell, who's son she killed. Headstrong, fearless and highly adaptable, she's soon being pulled in to the political world of Ixia, where her friends and enemies mingle together and not all is as it seems.
The well written and highly detailed plot was one of my favourite aspects of Poison Study. The amount of action, romance and danger kept me engaged throughout and it's easy to see that Maria V. Snyder took her time writing this book, due to the details and description within her writing.
Now, on to the love interest; Valek. I must admit, I wasn't a huge fan of him when he was first introduced. However, as the story progressed and he began to fall for Yelena, I began to fall for him too. Though outwardly he's insensitive and hard, when he lets his guard down he becomes a giant teddy bear with a big heart. I'm hoping we see more of him in the next two Study books, so that I can see his relationship with Yelena progress.
To add to this, Yelena is gaining magical abilities, which are forbidden in Ixia; not to mention that she has no idea how to control them. In Poison Study, we only learn the bare minimum about magic but I'm sure we will learn much more in the second book, entitled Magic Study.
I can't believe how long it took me to finally pick Poison Study from my bookshelves, especially as I loved it so much once I'd finished it. The characters, plot and world make for a superb young adult fantasy story and I seriously can't wait for Magic Study!
Uncommon Criminals
CHARACTERS:Once again, I found the characters in Uncommon Criminals to be very likable and easy going. I must admit though, the lack of character development was an issue for me. I really wanted to see the the characters evolve some more; especially Kat but, alas, I was highly disappointed.
The minor characters were a huge source of comic relief within Uncommon Criminals, which was pleasant to read. These moments also made for great entertainment in between the main plot line. A light reprieve is always appreciated.
PLOT:
Uncommon Criminals had a plot that basically lacked any originality throughout. Unfortunately, the plot of the story also lacked the intensity you would more than likely expect from a novel with thieves. It wasn't engaging enough to keep my mind occupied for any lengthy period of time, which was quite a let down after all the favourable reviews I'd read.
ENJOYMENT:
My enjoyment of Uncommon Criminals dwindled more and more as I continued reading through the novel itself. They were enough parts within its pages to entice me to read to the end, but I certainly wasn't jumping up and down about this novel.
OVERALL:
Personally, I found Uncommon Criminals to be a light, easy read, more suited for those looking for something in between bigger and more substantial books. Though the characters were likable, I found the lack of character development to be it's main downfall, which hindered my reading experience and enjoyment of the second installment of the Heist Society series.
Slated
Slated has been recommended to me numerous times since it was first published back in 2012. It’s been gathering dust for practically as long as that; peeking out at me, begging me to finally give it a chance. At long last, I did and soon found myself deeply engrossed within its pages.Slated is set against the backdrop of a richly developed dystopian world where criminals are Slated, basically given them a second chance at life. The concept of Slated is what initially drew me to first read the novel. It just seems like something that could actually happen within our near future, for better or for worse, which is a terrifying thought.
Kyla is one of the strongest and most likeable main characters I've read in quite a while. The authors portrayal and characterisation of her was written wonderfully and her daily struggles were believable and easily relatable. Her character progression throughout Slated was also one of my favourite parts to the novel as she really grew into herself as the novel progressed and things became darker.
Though not developed particularly well, Kyla's love interest Ben was among my favourite side characters within Slated. He was warm and gentle and was such a great friend to everyone around him, but especially Kyla. I really wish he'd had a bigger part to play within Slated though, as I think his story line could have gone further then it did.
Slated itself was set in futuristic England, which was a nice change from all the books that are set within the States. The writing style of Ms Terry was easy to read and the words practically flowed from the pages as they were read. Due to this, I never found myself bored or wishing for it to end; in fact I was terribly down in the mouth when turned the final page.
Overall, Slated has become one of my all time favourites due to the writing style of the author, plot and the unforgettable main character. I can't wait to begin Fractured, the second in the trilogy, in the New Year and look forward to loving it as much as I did the first.
Obsidian
Intrigued by the many raving reviews that had suddenly began popping into my subscriber box, I picked up Obsidian expecting the novel to blow my mind with it's premise and characters. Unfortunately, I was quite disappointed; Obsidian, though highly enjoyable, is a young adult rip-off of one of the most well known series, Twilight.The main character of the Lux series is Katy, who has just moved to a new town. The first thing that attracted me to her was that she's a book blogger; I mean, how cool is that!? Our secondary characters are Daemon who, I have to say, was a douche throughout the whole novel and his sister Dee who is the complete opposite and reminds me of Alice from Twilight.
The only original part of Obsidian is that Katy's new friends, Daemon and Dee, are aliens. The rest of the novel read like Twilight, except there's no blood-sucking vampires or secondary character deeply if love with our MC, yet I suspect that may come in the later novels.
Why, may you ask, have I rated Obsidian four stars when all I've done was moan about how like another book it is? Well, though the comparisons are huge, I did really enjoy Obsidian way more then I ever did Twilight. I found the characters to be way more likable then the ones in the above mentioned book, while also finding that I was reading Obsidian as a guilty pleasure rather then something to be taken seriously.
Overall, Obsidian is a highly enjoyable novel. Though flawed, Obsidian has enough likability to keep me engaged throughout whilst making m ponder on picking up the next books in the series.
The Ask and the Answer
3.5/5After reading The Knife of Never Letting Go, I knew I needed to read it's sequel, The Ask and the Answer. Picking up right where The Knife of Never Letting Go ends, the sequel is action-packed, intense and highly addictive.
Todd and Viola remain two of my favourite characters in recent years. I was once again drawn into the wonderful world Ness has created because of the voices he's given to these two characters. The world building of this series just seems to get better and better. There's layers and layers that kept being peeled away through The Ask and the Answer, and I can't wait to see where the author takes it in the final book.
Overall, a highly satisfactory sequel to The Knife of Never Letting Go. I'm desperate to finish the series soon, and have high hopes for the third and final book, Monsters of Men.
My Life Next Door
This year seems to be dedicated to reading every young adult contemporary book I can get my hands on and My Life Next Door was no exception. Huntley Fitzpatrick has written a wonderful debut that is realistic and charming.Samantha and Jase have lived next door to one another ever since his family moved in several years ago. Ever since then, she's spent her time watching the chaotic and ever growing Garrett family from afar. Then one day, Jase Garrett unexpectedly climbs up onto her balcony and starts a conversation with her; thus begins My Life Next Door.
As a main character, I loved Samantha and not just because she shares my name. Though she's the daughter of a snobby politician, she's unlike her mother in every way possible. In fact, she's the complete opposite; friendly, kind and unassuming. Then there's Jace. Jace comes from a loving family that includes eight children. He's the third eldest and loves coming from a family as large as his. Though money is tight, he adores his siblings and parents and soon Samantha finds herself being sucked into their daily life - and falling head over heels for Jase.
The relationship that Samantha and Jase had throughout My Life Next Door was one that many would be jealous of. As a couple, they're adorable and their shared scenes are ones that make you smile with happiness when you read them. It's a very sweet first romance and easily something you can fall into.
Overall, My Life Next Door is a cute, contemporary standalone. If you're looking for a good summer read or just something light and fluffy, My Life Next Door is your ticket.