Queen of Contemporary

You can find more reviews at Queen of ContemporaryIf you’d told me a few months ago that Crown of Midnight would be even better than Throne of Glass, I wouldn’t have believed you. Throne of Glass has been a firm favourite of mine since I read it and so I didn’t know anything could surpass it. But, obviously, Crown of Midnight did.Crown of Midnight starts a little bit ahead of where Throne of Glass let off and we’re instantly brought back to Erilea and the life of our heroine, Celaena Sardothien. Following on from the events of Throne of Glass, Celaena is working harder than ever.It was so easy to immerse myself in the world that Maas has created. The world building is so thorough and in-depth that it’s easy to think that you are actually living in Erilea. Imagine my disappointment when I lifted my head up to find that I was sat in my living room!Celaena is as kick ass as ever and she’s definitely one of my favourite female protagonists ever. In this novel, we really get a sense of who she is and also learn a lot about her life before Endovier and the castle. I think this novel is really important to her character development. I wish I had read the novellas before reading this, but I’m going to be putting the time in now to catch up with them because I’d really like to know more about Celaena’s life before Endovier.This book sees a lot of the love triangle that we saw hints of in Throne of Glass, and Celaena does make a decision. This book certainly sees a lot of heartbreak! At times I could feel myself wanting to shake the book because some of the scenes were so destroying. For both teams, actually.The plot has been so carefully created that everything flows at just the right pace. I can’t fault Maas’ timing and precision because everything was perfect.Crown of Midnight has left me wanting more of the amazing writing, the fantastic characters, and the action-packed and gripping plot lines. It really is going to be torturing waiting another year for the next book.

You can read more of my reviews at Queen of ContemporaryHey, Fangirl? I love you. And I mean, really love you. I think you may even be one of my favourite books of the year so far, and that’s saying something because I’ve read some really amazing things so far this year. The only other book of Rowell’s that I read previous to picking this up was Eleanor & Park, which has quickly become one of my favourite books and so I was thrilled when I was offered this to review. I was extremely lucky as I know a lot of far more experienced bloggers who were declined the chance to review this.Fangirl is about a girl called Cath who has a twin sister called Wren. Wren and Cath are both starting their freshman year in college and so are experiencing very big changes. Wren has decided that she doesn’t want to room with Cath and has separated herself from Cath.Cath is a major Simon Snow fan, a fictional book that isn’t unlike ‘Harry Potter.’ You name it- t-shirts, posters, her own fan fiction account- and Cath has got it. She has immersed herself in the world of Simon Snow.Told over a period of a year, Fangirl tells the story of Cath getting used to her new life and also brings up old struggles.Cath was a very easy character to relate to. It’s not very often that I can say I empathise with a character, but I did with Cath because we are very alike. At times I wondered if Rowell was writing about my own life. Cath loves reading. Do I? Check. Cath loves writing. Check. Cath would rather stay in and read or write than go out. Check. Cath has quickly become one of my favourite female characters.As always, Rainbow Rowell has delivered on the romance side and I kept wanting MORE. More of those adorable scenes, please! I just ate them up.There are a lot of subjects broached including mental health issues and alcohol abuse. I thought both things were dealt with in a mature manner and in a way that the reader could understand, even if they had no history of either things.I really want more of Fangirl. I’m already imagining different scenarios and what could possibly happen after the novel’s end. It was such an amazing and beautiful book and I’m so glad that I requested it because it made me realise that it’s okay to be your own person and to do what you want. As long as you’re happy. Rainbow Rowell is definitely one of my favourite authors and I’ll read anything she writes.

You can read more of my reviews at Queen of ContemporaryI haven’t read anything quite like After Eden before and I loved it!When new boy Ryan starts at the local school in Perran, Cornwall, it’s evident that there’s something different about him. I mean, who doesn’t know what pizza is? The novel follows the story of Eden Anfield and her friends and explores the subjects of relationships, friendships…and time travel.Although a little predictable in places, After Eden was enjoyable and I zoomed through it; I couldn’t put it down! Eden was a likeable main character and I found her easy to read about. She’s definitely a character who I wouldn’t mind reading about again.Regarding the romance in the book, I found myself veering towards “Team Connor.” I just thought that Eden and Connor were a better pairing than Eden and Ryan. Ryan was different to a lot of the many male characters out there now though so it was quite a nice change and I didn’t dislike him in any way, it’s just that I thought Connor and Eden should end up together.I learnt a great deal from this novel and astronomy plays a huge part. I don’t know a lot about the stars but I’ve always enjoyed learning about the solar system in science so it was really nice to read about and it was obvious that Douglas knew what she was writing about.I’ll definitely be reading the next book because I do want to know what happens to Eden, Ryan and Connor. This is book that I would be sure to recommend.

ACTUAL RATING: 3.5 crownsThis is the start of my new rating system which is why the rating is a lot lower than most I've read this year. Full review to come!

You can read more of my reviews at Queen of ContemporaryI cannot believe that I’ve waited this long to read this series. I’ve had this on my shelf since January but still haven’t bothered to pick it up until now. I am so angry with myself because I should have read them ages ago, especially as it’s now one of my favourite books of all time! We first meet Harry when he is eleven years old. I don’t normally read books with protagonists as young as that but it really worked with the third person narration. Harry is treated appallingly by his aunt and uncle, them favouring his cousin Dudley. In their eyes, Dudley can do no wrong. One of the best things about this book was the world building. I immersed myself in the wizarding world and felt so comfortable learning about it. I loved Diagon Alley and Hogwarts. The depth that Rowling has gone to to create such a world is amazing. I was blown away by the attention to detail.I loved all of the characters. Even the ones you’re supposed to hate (Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle etc.) did something to me and they’re such an important part of the story. And I love Hagrid. And Dumbledore. And Professor McGonagall. AND GINNY WEASLEY! I’ve even named my guinea pig after her!I’ve already started reading the rest in the series and they get better and better. I definitely know why so many people have raved about them because THEY NEED TO BE RAVED ABOUT.

You can read more of my reviews at Queen of ContemporaryI read this book with Rebekah from Reflections of a BookwormEleanor & Park blew me away. Having wanted to read this since I saw John Green’s review a while back, I finally decided to cave in and buy it. I’m so, so glad I did because this is now one of my favourite books of all time.Set in 1986 Omaha, Eleanor & Park will take you back to the past and make you aware of how different life was then. I really loved the mentioning of books, video games and music because it gave the reader a connection to the characters and their lives.Eleanor was a character that I really felt for. Her life was so hard and she really didn’t deserve the treatment that she got. Her way of life was something that we’re not used to nowadays. She was neither living without food or water, nor living in luxury. She didn’t have commodities like a toothbrush or a telephone and so her life wassomething that we couldn’t even fathom in today’s society.Park was incredibly cute and quirky. I thought he was a welcome change to the normal male characters that we’re used to seeing in YA fiction because he wasn’t a bad boy, nor was he sad or lost. He was simply discovering himself and I thought it was nice to see such a difference.This book lacks huge drama (there’s no quest to overthrow a tyrannical leader, no weird and mystical creatures to kill) but this makes it even better. It was easy to fit into Eleanor and Park’s lifestyle and even easier to just lose yourself in the words. The romance was slowly built up and very subtle. It was very true to real life.This book tackles body image and how people view themselves. It’s something that I’d like to see more of in YA fiction because it’s such an important topic. This was a sweet and compelling read. I’m definitely going to be reading the other books by this author because this one has captured my heart.

The Drowning is very different from Ward's first trilogy, Numbers, in many ways, but it is also very similar. The thing I love the most about this author is that we know what to expect and my expectations were very high for The Drowning. Those expectations were, however, were low compared to how much I actually loved this book.After an accident that killed his brother, Carl has been left with amnesia. This meant that the reader gets to know the world that Carl lives in at the same time he does. I'm very fond of amnesia stories for this very reason because there's so much opportunity for world building. And world building we are given! I felt so sympathetic towards Carl. With his mother being an alcoholic, something I didn't think was addressed enough in the book, his life was incredibly difficult. There are so many scenes within this novel when I just wanted to pull Carl out of the book and give him a hug. He really didn't deserve the life he led. This book was so, so spooky and haunting. It made a shiver run along my spine and I kept looking over my shoulder. The supernatural twist added is something that I really liked, even if I was a little creeped out at times (that was a good thing, though!). I must warn you now of the following: Do not read this book in the bath or shower. You may be scarred for life. Water plays a really big part in this book, hence the name The Drowning, and so I don't think you'll ever see a lake in the same light again. I really enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to anyone who likes something a bit spookier than your normal light and fluffy reads. Ward has created a world that I both fear and want to go back to add the same time. A copy was received from the publisher for review. This affected my review in no way.

I loved The Look. I've been wanting to read this since I heard that the author, Sophia Bennett, had written an new one so I was super excited when I got home one day to find it sat in my living room. There may have been squealing involved.I've come to expect amazing covers from Chicken House and I definitely wasn't disappointed with this book. Covers aren't something I usually discuss in my reviews but I can't not mention it in this one because, yes, it has gorgeous blue edging. I was actually a little bit sad to read it because I didn't want to damage the cover but I did because, obviously, using my magical powers, I knew that the content inside the book would be even better than the cover, and that's saying something.A major theme in You Don't Know Me is social networking and I think this is something that needs to be mentioned more in books for this age group. It's hard to think of someone nowadays who doesn't have access to Facebook or Twitter or any other means of social networking. I am one of those people who is constantly checking my Twitter feed- something I'm not too happy about!- and so it was nice to see the consequences of these websites laid out in front of the reader. I was appalled at some of the events that took place and, like with other books, my faith in humanity was somewhat crushed.This was very much a character driven novel and I loved all of the characters. Written from Sasha's point of view, it was easy to become familiar with the way that Bennett writes and Sasha was very easy to like. I did feel sorry for her; if I was her, I wouldn't have acted the way that she did. That isn't to say that she was unrealistic, because this book was anything but. Jodie, Nell, and Rose, Sasha's best friends, were also extremely well-written and I couldn't help but fall in love with them a little bit. These are four girls, counting Sasha, that I would want to be friends with if they weren't fictional!You Don't Know Me has quickly become one of my favourite UKYA books. It is instantly recognisable as written by Sophia Bennett because only she could write something like this. It was a book that I thoroughly enjoyed and I'll definitely be recommending it to all of my friends.Thank you to Chicken House for providing me with a review copy

Read this in one sitting! It was brilliant!Full review to come.

You can read more of my reviews at Queen of ContemporaryEven pre-release, this book has been spreading around the blogosphere like wildfire. So many of my Goodreads friends have added this to their wishlists and this makes me really happy because I loved this book.West Ryder is a vlogger. With 1, 135, 789 followers, it’s only natural that he’d feels some sort of emotion for them. But what he feels for Harper Knight isn’t something that would be considered normal. Who is this girl, and why is he so fascinated with her?Where do I start? This was such a fun and quirky book and I finished it really quickly. It may have caused an argument or two, me not wanting to put it down and my parents forcing me to sleep.I loved the interacting between West and Cat. It was clear how much their friendship meant to each other and I felt comfortable reading about them both. Although a little predictable in places and with a few cheesy lines, I really enjoyed Click to Subscribe and will definitely be looking out for more by the author.

A copy of this book was provided for review via NetgalleyTo say that I loved The Elite would be the understatement of the century. I had my theories as to what would happen in this novel but there were so many surprises and so I was just so pleased with everything that had happened.Sometimes in YA, sequels can be a bit of a disappointment but, in my opinion, this was miles better than The Selection. There was more action, more character development and, most importantly, more Maxon.It's no secret that I was strictly Team Maxon when reading The Selection but in this novel we get to see more of Aspen and I actually grew to really like him. I'm actually really torn now between Aspen and Maxon because I think they'd both be perfect for America but I would like to keep Maxon for myself so I'm hoping that science will develop soon and it will be possible for book characters to travel to our world.With the competition whittled down to six girls- the Elite- the book is a lot more focused on them and we get to see a lot more of the characters. There were quite a few scenes that were key to character development and we're given subtle hints for the next book in the trilogy. My parents got very annoyed with me when I read this because I couldn't put it down. I wanted to read through the night but sadly had school the next day so couldn't. I would have done, though!The Elite will make you gasp, shout at your book/Kindle and also cry. I know I had to pull myself together because I was about to go to school and didn't want to be seen with a tear-stained face! I was also very close to throwing my Kindle out of the window because some scenes were so painful and sad. I have no idea how I'll last a year without the third Selection book; I know it certainly won't be easy! I love these books so much because they're fun, refreshing and a really great read so I'll be buying the third as soon as it comes out.

DNF REVIEW:I received this for review from the publisher via NetgalleyI must first of all say that I did not finish this book, through choice of my own, so my review will not be a reflection of the entire novel, only the part that I did read. I had high expectations for Hidden, mainly because I know a few people who had really enjoyed it but, sadly, this wasn't the case for me. Maybe it's because I had such expectations that I didn't like it, but I guess we'll never know.From the start, it is evident that Ebony is different. Even she knows it, but she doesn't know why. Why can she run faster than everybody else? Why does she have violet eyes? Why does she have the ability to heal? These were questions that were answered fairly early on in the book so the reader isn't left guessing, something that I really liked about the novel.Narrated by Ebony and Jordan, both of our protagonists, we got to see this book from a multiple perspective. I liked that because it meant that we got to see a larger part of the story rather than a tiny part if there were only one narrator. I haven't read a lot of books featuring insta-love but this is one of the few that I will be adding to my insta-love shelf. I've now found that insta-love bugs me and I won't be reading another book with insta-love featured in it for a long time. I loved the concept of this novel and, although I've read quite a few books with a similar plotline, this one had many unique aspects. I found the characterisation very poor and wanted to scream at Ebony and Jordan on numerous occasions. Jordan irritated me more and more as the book progressed. This was one of the reasons why I put the book down. Whenever I pick up a book I want to be able to relate to the characters and feel something towards them, whether it be sympathy or hate for an antagonist. I didn't, however, feel any of those things for either Ebony or Jordan. I don't think I'll be reading anything else written by this author because I think I'm slightly too old to be reading this thing. It felt forced to me and I wasn't comfortable with reading it. I do understand, however, why it may appeal to other people. This book was sent to me for review by the publisher via Netgalley

I loved this so much. I'll definitely be reading the sequel. Go Crewel!Full review coming soon!

I must first of all say that I did not finish this book, through choice of my own, so my review will not be a reflection of the entire novel, only the part that I did read. I had high expectations for Hidden, mainly because I know a few people who had really enjoyed it but, sadly, this wasn't the case for me. Maybe it's because I had such expectations that I didn't like it, but I guess we'll never know.From the start, it is evident that Ebony is different. Even she knows it, but she doesn't know why. Why can she run faster than everybody else? Why does she have violet eyes? Why does she have the ability to heal? These were questions that were answered fairly early on in the book so the reader isn't left guessing, something that I really liked about the novel.Narrated by Ebony and Jordan, both of our protagonists, we got to see this book from a multiple perspective. I liked that because it meant that we got to see a larger part of the story rather than a tiny part if there were only one narrator.I haven't read a lot of books featuring insta-love but this is one of the few that I will be adding to my insta-love shelf. I've now found that insta-love bugs me and I won't be reading another book with insta-love featured in it for a long time.I loved the concept of this novel and, although I've read quite a few books with a similar plotline, this one had many unique aspects.I found the characterisation very poor and wanted to scream at Ebony and Jordan on numerous occasions. Jordan irritated me more and more as the book progressed. This was one of the reasons why I put the book down. Whenever I pick up a book I want to be able to relate to the characters and feel something towards them, whether it be sympathy or hate for an antagonist. I didn't, however, feel any of those things for either Ebony or Jordan.I don't think I'll be reading anything else written by this author because I think I'm slightly too old to be reading this thing. It felt forced to me and I wasn't comfortable with reading it. I do understand, however, why it may appeal to other people.This book was sent to me for review by the publisher via Netgalley

There have been a lot of mixed reviews for this novel so I was a little dubious when starting it. 35 girls have been chosen. Which one will win the prince's heart? When America Singer signs up for The Selection, a competition to become the bride of Prince Maxon, heir to the throne, she doesn't expect to be chosen.Being Selected means leaving her old life at home, and the boy who has stolen her heart. But is it the end for America; or has the adventure just begun?I don't think you could really classify this novel under one sole genre. It has a lot of dystopian elements but some aspects felt so real that it could have been set in the present. I found it very similar to The Hunger Games but could also see that it had a unique storyline so I wasn't all that bothered by it.I do wish there had been a little more worldbuilding at the start but there was plenty in the rest of the novel that compensated for this. The novel is written in America's point of view and I thought she was a very strong character. She didn't really want to be at the palace but she was selfless and stayed because of her family. She thought of others before herself but still had a feisty side that we saw on occasion. She wasn't perfect by any means but her background enabled her to have a quality that the other girls lacked.I really loved Maxon. At first I thought he was a little weird but after a while I began to accept him for who he was and then couldn't get enough of him. He was so awkward but so cute and he is definitely one of my favourite book boyfriends of all time! I think it was nice that the girls got to know him in his natural environment. It was good to see that he was just a normal boy because living in such a way that he did could really turn a person into a spoiled brat.The other girls were also very strong characters but I tended to be able to tell who was going to go before it was even written.I loved the whole concept of this novel. It had twists and turns that made me want to read on and already we are getting clues about the larger plot running in all three novels. The Selection was a novel that took me by surprise and I really don't know how I'll be able to wait until The Elite comes out. It's a novel of despair and fairytales and one of my favourite books of all time.

It is safe to say that I really wasn't expecting to enjoy Tempest as much as I did. I thought that my rating would probably be a four so when I rated it 5 stars once I'd finished it I was very happy. I didn't know a lot about the plot, but the little information I did know intrigued me. Jackson has a secret: he is a time traveler. I haven't actually read any books about time travel before and so I was a little apprehensive, but I actually found the concept interesting and thrilling. We first meet Jackson in 2009 where he likes to carry out time-traveling experiments with his friend, Adam. There is also the small issue of his girlfriend, Holly, who doesn't know about his gift.As an exciting character, I enjoyed reading the novel from Jackson's point of view. I don't know what I expected, but I really didn't think it would be told from his view. I realise that this was a bit stupid of me as it really couldn't have been written in anyone else's. Throughout the novel, Jackson really transformed and even though I liked him from the first page, I loved him at the end. He was so calm and focused and was admirable for that reason. I wouldn't act like that if I was in that situation! Holly was a generally sweet character who I enjoyed learning about. The thing I most liked about her was her maturity and ability to stay cool in difficult situations (she was definitely in a few!). What set her apart from other YA characters was the fact that she was natural. Some authors make their characters perfect in every way but the characters in Tempest were true to real life. Adam was likable and, although not one of the main characters, he felt just as important as Jackson and Holly, and also had his own role. This novel kept me constantly on my toes, anticipating the plot line and it made me think: Is being normal so bad? Would I really want the pressure that Jackson had?I really can't wait to read Vortex as the ending of Tempest left me shocked. Why are authors so cruel to us?! How am I going to cope now, not knowing what happens?!