Tag Archives: Young Adult

Catwoman: Soulstealer by Sarah J. Maas

July 27, 2020Book ReviewDC Icons, Fantasy, Sarah J. Maas, Superheroes, Young Adultskyebjenner

Catwoman: Soulstealer (DC Icons, #3) by Sarah J. Maas

Title: Catwoman: Soulstealer
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Fantasy, Superheroes, Young adult
Dates read: 28th – 29th June 2020
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Penguin
Year: 2018
5th sentence, 74th page: I gotta work.

WHEN THE BAT’S AWAY, THE CAT WILL PLAY.

Two years after escaping Gotham City’s slums, Selina Kyle returns as the mysterious and wealthy Holly Vanderhees. Batman is off on a vital mission and Gotham is at the mercy of the new thief on the prowl. Joined by the cunning Poison Ivy and notorious Harley Quinn, she wreaks havoc across the city.

Selina is playing a desperate game of cat and mouse. But with a dangerous threat from the past on her tail, will she be able to pull off the ultimate heist?

I knew that this was going to be an amazing story. A beautiful, iconic superhero who is also a little grey and a seriously sexy, kick ass chick. One of my favourite authors. And a greatly descriptive novel. I knew it would be phenomenal and brilliant. Yet, I still didn’t quite expect how fantastic this would actually be. How flawless. How amazing. How completely, totally and utterly unforgettable.

So I may not have lots and lots of knowledge about the DC comics and superheroes. I know bits and pieces, and Batman seems to be getting a lot of attention in remakes and retellings lately. But I feel like, just having read this, I know so much more. The underbelly of Gotham City and the strength of Catwoman just sing from the pages. I love that Maas is able to write a story that is seriously dark, but maintain all of those wonderful aspects of hope that most superhero stories have.

I loved the romance that filtered throughout this story. You know from the very beginning that Selina and Luke are going to end up together in some format. But the journey to get there was rife with difficulties and horrors. Moments which make you just want that happily ever after all the more. That makes you reach for it and hope that there is a nice moment at the end of all of the battles. Particularly when the release of the joker hangs over the whole storyline – it makes the fleeting moments of courtship so much more fun.

Joining Catwoman with Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy was not something that I expected. I’m not sure if it’s something that comes about in any of the other stories, or if it’s done in this fashion. But it was certainly something that I loved. After all, they’re three strong, powerful, intelligent and independent women. Even if they may be a little off-kilter with their moral compasses and morals. They may actually be my favourite trio of protagonists that I’ve had the pleasure of meeting in a long, long time.

All throughout this novel I knew that Catwoman had some kind of motive for her actions. I figured she wasn’t just a narcissistic thief. And that there was a reason for all of the mayhem that she was causing. I guessed bits and pieces of it, but it wasn’t until that grand reveal at the end that everything clicked into place. Which, for me, is one of the reasons why I love a Sarah J. Maas book so much.

<- Batman

Superman ->

Image source: Goodreads

Ink, Iron, and Glass by Gwendolyn Clare

July 25, 2020Book ReviewGwendolyn Clare, Historical fiction, Ink Iron and Glass, Steampunk, Young Adultskyebjenner

Title: Ink, Iron, and Glass
Author: Gwendolyn Clare
Series: Ink, Iron, and Glass #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Historical fiction, Steampunk, Young adult
Dates read: 29th June 2020
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Square Fish
Year: 2018
5th sentence, 74th page: So, that left only one option available to her: she would have to scribe a laboratory for herself.

Our best weapons are words.

A certain pen, a certain book, and a certain person can craft entirely new worlds through a branch of science called scriptology. Elsa comes from one such world that was written into creation, where her mother – a noted scriptologist – constantly alters and expands their reality.

But when her home is attacked and her mother kidnapped, Elsa is forced to cross into the real world and use her own scriptology gifts to find her. In an alternative Victorian Italy, Elsa finds a secret society of young scientists with a gift for mechanics, alchemy, or scriptology – and meets Leo, a gorgeous mechanist with a smart mouth and tragic past. She recruits the help of thse fellow geniuses just as an assassin arrives on their doorstep.

In this thrilling debut, worlds collide as Elsa unveils a deep political conspiracy seeking to unlock the most dangerous weapon ever created – and only she can stop it.

Wow. This was just… wow. And I don’t even remember when I bought it. Or why I didn’t read it straight away. Because… seriously… wow. This was awesome, powerful and brilliant. It was filled with all of those wonderful steampunk moments, and the aspects of young adult stories that I already know that I love. The fact that it is based in historical Italy, instead of Victorian London like many steampunk stories… that just added to the feeling of “wow”. I should really find a better word, but this one just seems to work so well…

One of my favourite things about this novel is probably just how powerful Elsa is. Most of my books feature a female lead who is powerful. But there is something so much… extra about her. Something which definitely drew me in from the very beginning. Add that to the creation of different worlds and realities… and the access to these realities is through a portal in a book… I found this to be one of my favourite worlds that have been built in a long time. There was something so eerily and beautifully familiar about all of it… whilst being completely new and refreshing.

I love that there are three main affinities for the “mad children”. And one of those is Alchemy… I’m still a little vague as to exactly what alchemy encompasses. But I do love that Skandar is the creation of one such “mad boy”. He may be my favourite, quirkiest creature yet. Definitely the most unique, a squidlike cuddle monster who can also attack and kill others… I may be a little ghoulish and blood-thirsty. But it was an idea and execution that I particularly enjoyed. And it kind of helped to make some of the more serious moments… less serious.

Leo and Elsa are a great couple in this. I love the way they fall for each other and the constant banter that they have. Their histories are intertwined and their futures even more so. And although there are moments in which you’re not entirely sure if they’re going to actually make it… you really just can’t help but hope for the best. Or at least, that’s what I’m hanging out for in the next book… when I have enough money to actually buy the next book…

<- More Gwendolyn Clare

Mist, Metal, and Ash ->

Image source: Goodreads

Unremembered by Jessica Brody

July 25, 2020Book ReviewJessica Brody, Romance, Science Fiction, Time Travel, Unremembered, Young Adultskyebjenner

Unremembered (Unremembered, #1) by Jessica Brody

Title: Unremembered
Author: Jessica Brody
Series: Unremembered #1
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Romance, Science fiction, Time travel, Young adult
Dates read: 29th June 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Square Fish
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: Especially given you… well, celebrity status.

When Freedom airlines flight 121 went down, they didn’t expect to find anyone. Alive, that is.

But there was one survivor. Which is why a sixteen-year-old girl discovered floating among the wreckage – alive – is making headlines across the globe.

Even stranger is that her body is miraculously unharmed and she has no memories of boarding the plane. She has no memories of her life before the crash. She has no memories period.

Crippled by a world she doesn’t know, plagued by abilities she doesn’t understand, and haunted by a looming threat she can’t remember, Seraphina struggles to piece together her forgotten past and discover who she really is. Her only hope is a strangely alluring boy who claims to know her from before the crash. Who claims they were in love. but can she really trust him? Can she trust anyone?

I’ve had this book sitting on my shelf for quite a while. Ever since I read Unstolen. It looked kind of cute and intriguing. But honestly, that was the extent of my thought process. It was always a book that I’ll get to at some point. And then I needed a book with a title starting with a U for a reading challenge… and wow. This is not just good. It is ridiculously good. I actually couldn’t believe how much this pulled me in. And just how quickly.

Alright, so this is a bit of a teeny little romance. Which is why I gave it one less star than I probably would have otherwise given it. I do tend to find that star-crossed lovers can get a bit of an overbearing trope. And for the majority of this novel, that was kind of how I felt about that main relationship. But then… but then it really started to develop. As more of Sera’s history was revealed, her relationship with Zen became less and less irritating and more and more developed. And now? Now I can’t wait to see how that will develop in the next two books in this trilogy. Started out a bit eh, but the relationship quickly built upon itself and developed into a great aspect of the storyline.

I knew that there was a time travel aspect to this novel. After all, it says so on Goodreads. But this wasn’t quite the time travel that I was expecting. There is surprise after surprise throughout this novel that makes you constantly reconfigure and question the whole time travel angle. And at the very ending? You’re still kind of questioning things. Still wondering if you have all of the information about time travel locked away into your brain. And what you’ve probably missed… it makes for a seriously intriguing and great way to tell a time travel story.

Aside from the teeny / young adult storyline and the very unique take on time travel… I absolutely adored how Brody is able to play with the idea of memories and thoughts all the way throughout this story. In each and every moment, you’re questioning what is real and what is manufactured. And how memories can be stored. How much influence memories actually have on our personalities… it’s a fascinating realm to play with and Brody did an absolutely fantastic job of making you think through each and every sentence.

<- More Jessica Brody

Unstolen ->

Image source: Goodreads

To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo

July 24, 2020Book ReviewAlexandra Christo, Fairy tales, Mermaids, Retellings, Young Adultskyebjenner

Title: To Kill a Kingdom
Author: Alexandra Christo
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Fairy tales, Mermaids, Retellings, Young adult
Dates read: 27th – 28th June 2020
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Year: 2018
5th sentence, 74th page: “Have you known for a while?” Sakura asks.

I have a heart for every year I’ve been alive.

There are seventeen hidden in the sand of my bedroom. Every so often, I claw through the shingle just to check they’re still there. Buried deep and bloody.

Princess Lira is siren royalty and revered across the sea until she is cursed into humanity by the ruthless Sea Queen. Now Lira must deliver the heart of the infamous siren killer or remain a human forever.

Prince Elian is heir to the most powerful kingdom in the world, and captain to a deadly crew of siren hunters. When he rescues a drowning woman from the ocean, she promises to help him destroy siren kind for good. But he has no way of knowing whether he can trust her…

I’ve had this book sitting on my shelf for a while, and I kind of figured that it was just going to be another cute little retelling. I was excited to read it, but wasn’t desperate to. And then I read this. And honestly… WOW! This is an AMAZING Little Mermaid retelling. I honestly just can’t get it out of my head. It’s dark, it’s fun and it’s weirdly sweet…

Probably one of my favourite things about this novel / retelling is that Lira is completely predatory. She isn’t the nice, sweet, innocent mermaid of the Disney stories. Or even the kind of sad sack from the original Hans Christian Andersen story. Instead, she is tough, hungry and completely powerful in her own right. I also love that she is seriously sarcastic and aggressive in so many, many, many ways. Which, of course means, she fits perfectly with Elian. He’s also a pretty intense predator, and a pirate. Although, in this battle, I think it’s actually Lira that I found more intimidating and powerful… just as it should be.

Although this is a really nice little romance, it’s definitely not going onto my romance shelf. It’s a little unromantic in many places, and although it does still follow that fairly typical YA romance pattern… there is something a little extra about it. Something that doesn’t give me romantic feelings, but rather, happily ever after, big smile feelings…

The world building, characters and story line of this novel is just phenomenal. It made the story completely impossible to put down and forget about. Impossible to forget and stop thinking about. What makes that fact really horrible… this is a standalone. I would love to find out more about how Elian and Lira get along in the new world that they’ve created. Find out more about Lira’s cousin… there are so many more stories I want told from this world!!!

<- The Crooked Place

More Alexandra Christo ->

Image source: Goodreads

I Hope You Get This Message by Farah Naz Rishi

June 29, 2020Book ReviewContemporary, Farah Naz Rishi, LGBTQI, Science Fiction, Young Adultskyebjenner

I Hope You Get This Message by Farah Naz Rishi

Title: I Hope You Get This Message
Author: Farah Naz Rishi
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, LGBTQI, Science fiction, Young adult
Dates read: 23rd – 27th May 2020
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Harper Teen
Year: 2019
5th sentence, 74th page: Derek had been crushing on Mia Jimenez – a junior and the current president of the Video Game Club – since day one of their freshman year.

Seven days. Seven days. The Earth might end in seven days.

When news stations start reporting that Earth has been contacted by a planet named Alma, the world is abuzz with rumors that the alien entity is giving mankind only few days to live before they hit the kill switch on civilization.

For high school truant Jesse Hewitt, though, nothing has ever felt permanent. Not the guys he hooks up with. Not the jobs his underpaid mom works so hard to hold down. Life has dealt him one bad blow after another — so what does it matter if it all ends now? Cate Collins, on the other hand, is desperate to use this time to find the father she’s never met, the man she grew up hearing wild stories about, most of which she didn’t believe. And then there’s Adeem Khan. While coding and computer programming have always come easily to him, forgiveness doesn’t. He can’t seem to forgive his sister for leaving, even though it’s his last chance.

With only seven days to face their truths and right their wrongs, Jesse, Cate, and Adeem’s paths collide even as their worlds are pulled apart.

Holy crap. This book was amazing. It was brilliant, funny and completely impossible to put down! I absolutely adored this novel. And just. Wow. At first I was actually kind of pissed off at the open-ended nature of the ending. But, the more I’ve thought about it, the most I’ve realised just how amazing it truly is.

I really loved the idea that we are not actually the dominant race in the universe – that really, we’re just a genetic experiment. Kind of like sheep. Or cattle. Or something else that we figure is just something to play with and watch. Without really wondering too much about our hopes, dreams and desires. It kind of helps to put you in your place and remind you that the universe is filled with mysteries – of which we know nothing about.

There aren’t many stories that so seamlessly follow the lives of three separate characters. Yes, they eventually all join up and you find the common threads (like the common threads we constantly find in our own lives). But it’s the fact that even when they are completely separate, the characters are each so beautifully distinct and unique. It is impossible to get any mixed up and you fall completely under the spell of each and every one of them. They are all just so wonderful and intense, with their own somewhat difficult and tragic battles to face.

This is a fantastic story that you just won’t be able to put down. There is a great SciFi aspect to it that is enthralling – the transcripts from Alma that are the discussion of our continuation. But there is also the beauty in humanity. There are the absolute best of humanity throughout this story, and the total dickheads, Rishi doesn’t try and pretend that humanity is filled with the good… but rather a mix of both good and bad. This is a wonderful story that still kind of made me hope at the end. And it’s definitely a fantastic book to be reading at this time in the world… with all of the insanity surrounding us.

<- Farah Naz Rishi

Science Fiction ->

Image source: Goodreads

Billy Thunder and the Night Gate by Isobelle Carmody

June 8, 2020Book ReviewFamily, Fantasy, Isobelle Carmody, Young Adultskyebjenner

Billy Thunder and the Night Gate: Isobelle Carmody: 9780141300986 ...

Title: Billy Thunder and the Night Gate
Author: Isobelle Carmody
Series: The Gateway Trilogy #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Family, Fantasy, Young adult
Dates read: 10th – 15th May 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Puffin Books
Year: 2002
5th sentence, 74th page: Covering it over, she thought is was much better in sotires, where no one ever seemd to have to go to the toilet or eat or bathe.

Rage Winnoway’s mother has been asleep since she had a terrible accident. In a quest to find healing magick, Rage and her animal friends travel through a strange gateway to Valley, a land of mythical beasts, talking dogs and streets that change shape.

But Valley is no paradise. Harsh guardians rule a sinister black city, and fugitive witch folk work forbidden magick.

Rage desperately wants to go home, but the one person who can help her, a wizard, has disappeared. Her only guides are the treacherous firecat and an enchanted hourglass…

I first read this book when I was a lot younger. And it’s been a long time since I’ve had the pleasure of picking it up. But now that I have… wow. It’s just as good as I remember. I picked up so many new nuances and moments throughout. And, having had the pleasure of actually talking to the author for an interview once, I can also see a bit more of her personality through the pages. All of which I found exceedingly pleasurable and wonderful. Fun and still impossible to put down, even if I did know exactly what was going to happen…

As a child, I related a lot to Rage and her loneliness. That, and her extreme attachment to her dogs. As an adult, I really haven’t changed. I still feel like I don’t quite belong with the rest of my friends, and don’t actually have that many friends. And I have a super strong connection to my dogs. The main difference between then and now? I’m happy with that reality. I have managed to collect a few true friends that I enjoy spending my time with… and the rest of it? I’m more than happy in the pages of a great book like this with my dogs fighting for primo-lap space.

One of the things that I have always found characterises Carmody’s writing is the use of a message in her writing. In the case of this novel, it is that sometimes rules aren’t that good. Sometimes you need to break the rules and stand up for yourself if the situation asks for it. The other message is about love and family. Not leaving those you love behind and staying loyal and true to those whom you love. Both are integral, unforgettable aspects of this storyline and you walk away feeling like being yourself is enough. And that you should always try to stick around for the ones that you love.

There is nothing so good as returning to a well-loved story from your childhood. Except, maybe, returning to a well-loved story from your childhood and discovering that you love it just as much as an adult. After all, it can be a little crushing when your memories don’t quite hold up to the reality. That is certainly not the case for this novel. Whether your young or old, male or female, if you like fantasy… you’ll love this.

<- More Isobelle Carmody

The Winter Door ->

Image source: Amazon

That’s Not What Happened by Kody Keplinger

April 5, 2020Book ReviewContemporary, Kody Keplinger, Young Adultskyebjenner

Image result for book cover that's not what happened

Title: That’s Not What Happened
Author: Kody Keplinger
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Young adult
Dates read: 25th February – 6th March 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Hodder
Year: 2018
5th sentence, 74th page: She was young, only twenty-three, and very pretty with golden-blonde hair that fell in loose waves to her shoulders.

It’s been three years since the Virgil County High School shooting. Three years since my best friend, Sarah, was killed in a bathroom stall. Everyone knows Sarah’s story.

But it’s not true.

I know because I was there when she died. This might be my last chance to set the record straight … but I’m not the only survivor with a story to tell about what did – and didn’t – happen that day.

And the fake Sarah story is important to a lot of people, people who don’t take kindly to what I’m trying to do. The more I learn, the less certain I am about what’s worse: the guilt of staying silent or the consequences of speaking up …

This is a seriously intense book. Wicked, brilliant. But fairly intense. Mostly because of the subject matter that it deals with – school shootings in America. I finished this. Put it aside, and then just said “WOW”. There are no other words for it…. Just…. Wow.

I’ve always been grateful / happy to be an Aussie. And this kind of just completely drove that home. Partly because in all of my school days we had TWO lockdown drills. And that was it. Actually, we had more bushfire drills than lockdown drills. There have been no mass shootings since 1996 (since before I even went to school). And then reading a story which features the survivors of such a thing… the pain, the horror…. I just can’t imagine it. And for that I’m glad.

I’m not a huge fan of the media, never really have been. And I’m honestly banned from watching the news when anybody else is around because I frequently yell at the TV… very loudly. Which meant it was really interesting reading a book which featured the ways in which the media gets it wrong. And the consequences of that. The different stories that can come out of one moment… regardless of how and why they started, but everyone has their own story – one which might not necessarily agree with others. But everyone’s story does deserve to be heard. At least, that was the strong, very strong message I got from this. It started out being driven by the truth, and then it started to be more about the loss of a voice in the frenzy of the media.

Although it wasn’t a driving factor of the storyline, I really liked that this story had an asexual lead. Other than Sherlock Holmes, I haven’t had the privilege of this kind of character. And even in Sherlock, it’s not out and out admitted. This is completely out in the open, honest and realistic as to the experience. Yet, there isn’t a big deal made out of it – it’s just an aspect of this character that you come to love and treasure.

If you’re anything like me, you probably won’t be able to put this down. It is intriguing, engaging and absolutely soul wrenching. Yet, there is a lightness and relatability to it that I really wasn’t expecting for this subject matter. I also loved that it was written in a slightly different format to most of the novels that I read. A format that really told the story brilliantly.

<- Secrets and Lies

Run ->

Image source: Pan Macmillan South Africa

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

March 27, 2020Book ReviewContemporary, Contemporary romance, Death, John Green, Young Adultskyebjenner

Image result for book cover the fault in our stars

Title: The Fault in Our Stars
Author: John Green
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance, Death, Young adult
Dates read: 12th – 14th February 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Penguin Books
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: Um, Support Group Hazel?

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.

INSIGHTFUL, BOLD, IRREVERENT, AND RAW, The Fault in Our Stars brilliantly explores the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love.

I knew as soon as I grabbed this book that it was going to be sad. I mean, it was all over the media how tragically beautiful it was a while ago. What I didn’t expect was that I would finish it and feel like my heart could have possibly grown ten sizes. Kind of like the Grinch. It was that moment of painful WOW that I just sat there in shock.

There is a great sense of honesty throughout this story. A lot of stories which talk about illness (let alone cancer), especially in a child talk about how wonderful and accepting the child is. How they’re an inspiration. Ya da ya da ya da. What happens in this story is that there is no sense of god-like hope and wonder to the child. Hazel isn’t always optimistic, but she is brutally honest. And I love this honesty. I’ve been around people with cancer and terminal illness… they’re dying, they don’t have this ray of sunshine all the time and it was so damn nice to read a story that was so freaking honest about that fact.

We all remember our first love. Whether it was the forever love, or puppy love. That first person is special. I love that this is a story about falling in love, even under the worst of circumstances. And then what happens when you lose the one person you love? That was the part I found hardest – imagining either myself or my partner going through the loss of each other. Imagining a world in which that one person you love above all else is gone… and yet, it didn’t feel completely sad. There is a gratefulness to the fact that they got to love one another. Even if it was just for a short period.

Even days after reading the book (I had to take a breath and a pause because of all the feelings)… I still don’t have words for how majestically powerful this story is. It will hit you in the heart, very potently. But not in the way that necessarily leaves you sobbing in the corner. Don’t get me wrong, you will sob. But you’ll also remember all of the wonderful, happy, joyful and loving things in life. It will remind you to live.

<- An Abundance of Katherines

Looking for Alaska ->

Image source: Amazon

The DUFF by Kody Keplinger

February 12, 2020Book ReviewBook to Film, Contemporary, Contemporary romance, Hamilton High, Kody Keplinger, Young Adultskyebjenner

Image result for book cover the duff kody keplinger

Title: The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend
Author: Kody Keplinger
Series: Hamilton High #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Book to Film, Contemporary, Contemporary romance, Young adult
Dates read: 10th January 2020
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Poppy
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: I just needed to deal with it myself before I sprang it on her and Jessica.

Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper may not be the prettiest girl in her high school, but she has a loyal group of friends, a biting wit, and a spot-on BS detector. She’s also too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush, who calls Bianca the Duff – the designated ugly fat friend – of her crew.

But things aren’t so great at home and Biance, desperate for a distraction, ends up kissing Wesley. Worse, she likes it. Eager for escape, Bianca throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with him.

Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out Wesley isn’t sucha bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she’s falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.

I read this in one sitting. Literally. I thought I’d pick up a book and just enjoy an easy read for an hour or so. But then, I couldn’t put it down. And forgot to eat. And went to bed really late. I have GOT to stop doing that. I also read this while I was watching the movie. Which is also amazing. Actually, I’m not entirely sure which version I loved more. They are really nothing alike. Except for the fact that there’s a Bianca and Wesley… and the use of the term DUFF.

I love that this story is all about accepting oneself. Realising that all of us feel like the “DUFF” in one way or another. And taking that, and making it work for you. After all, everyone has their own insecurities and we should work to build each other up. Like the girls in this novel. Actually, although this is a romance and centres on Wesley and Bianca, it’s the girl relationships that I love the most. Normally, they’re all about bringing each other down. But this is about support, jealousy and all of those wonderful things that a real friendship entails. Believe me, I’ve been best friends with the same girl since I was like, two… we get jealous when the other spends more time with other people, we get annoyed at each other, but at the end of the day, we love each other and support each other no matter what. That’s the friendships that Bianca has with Jess and Casey in this novel.

This is kind of a coming of age story, but it’s a lot more adult. I’m not sure if I’m kind of old, but the idea of having sex at fourteen seems a bit intense. And the fact that this whole relationship starts in sex… when they’re in high school. I don’t know, I’m used to that plot line in my adult romances, not in a young adult one. It still works brilliantly, but it does make me question a few things about society today. And make me fear having children… what will it be like when they get to their teenage years?

Bianca doesn’t have good coping mechanisms in this story. Which is pretty much what this entire story is about. My coping mechanisms are just as bad, maybe not quite as destructive…but withdrawing into myself and refusing to communicate with others? Yeah… I understand that a little too well. Keeping things to yourself is often not the best way to go, and I hope that someone reads this and realises that they need to readjust their coping mechanisms. I know I definitely considered it.

<- Lying Out Loud Review

Shut Out Review ->

Image source: Fantastic fiction

The Young Elites by Marie Lu

January 3, 2020Book ReviewFantasy, Marie Lu, Science Fiction, The Young Elites, Young Adultskyebjenner

Image result for book cover the young elites

Title: The Young Elites
Author: Marie Lu
Series: The Young Elites #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Fantasy, Science fiction, Young adult
Dates read: 3rd December 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Speak
Year: 2014
5th sentence, 74th page: On a strange impulse, I reach out and close my hand tightly around the rose’s stem.

A decade ago, a deadly blood fever swept through the nation. Most of the infected perished, but some survivors were left with strange markings, rumored to signify powerful gifts for those who possess them. And though their identities remain secret, this group of survivors has come to be called
The Young Elites.

The Inquisition Axis seeks to destroy them. The Dagger Society aims to find them before the Inquisition Axis. And Adelina Amouteru just wants to be left alone. But two truths will soon surface:
Adelina’s powers are far from ordinary…
And she is not to be crossed.

This is a seriously intense, wonderful and amazing story. It also made me cry. Not heaps… but a bit. Enough that you know there are some serious heart-string pulling moments. Which is surprising because I thought this would be a great story with a girl coming into her superpowers. Rather, it was far more dark than I had anticipated. So dark in fact that I felt a little uncomfortable whilst reading it. Which is the kind of story that I absolutely adore.

As a forewarning to those who want to read this story… the ending to this story is kind of tragic. There were multiple heart-rending moments throughout this story… but it was the way in which it ended that truly made me have super feelings. It wasn’t what I expected at all to be fair. I thought there’d be a much happier ending. But, ultimately, the story becomes about sister bonds which makes me love this even more.

Ultimately, this story is about trying to find love and acceptance. Trying to fit in in a world that doesn’t necessarily want you. And to find those people who will actually love you, no matter who and what you are… sadly, it takes a long time to get to that point… mostly, there are a lot of characters who are using the lead. Alright, in a lot of ways it’s for a good cause… but it’s so incredibly hurtful.

I found this book almost impossible to put down. I knew that it was going to be good, because the Facebook group I’m in has suggested this multiple times. What I didn’t expect is to basically give up on doing anything productive because not only could I not stop reading this… the times when I did pause left me thinking about this… obsessively. I can’t believe I have to wait until next year to buy the next two books in the trilogy!

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Earth and Skye

The ramblings of a bibliophile.

Tag Archives: Young Adult

Catwoman: Soulstealer by Sarah J. Maas

Ink, Iron, and Glass by Gwendolyn Clare

Unremembered by Jessica Brody

To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo

I Hope You Get This Message by Farah Naz Rishi

Billy Thunder and the Night Gate by Isobelle Carmody

That’s Not What Happened by Kody Keplinger

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

The DUFF by Kody Keplinger

The Young Elites by Marie Lu