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Top Ten Books I Wish Had More Action

Feb 7, 2017

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week they post a new Top Ten list that members at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone join as you please. This week’s topic is: Top Ten Books I Wish Had More Action.

This week was half freebie, where we got to choose what we wished had more/less of something. I picked action, I looking picking up a book and turning page after page because everything is happening. So here are a list of books that I wished had more action.

And I Darken by Kristen White: This was one of my favourite books that I read last year. But, many people didn’t like it and I understand why. It’s very character driven and there did need to be more action. Full Review

Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake: Much like And I Darken – this book is very character driven, but at times it really let it down and I was waiting for something big to happen. Full Review

Who’s Afraid Too? by Maria Lewis: I really enjoyed reading this one, but like I said in my review I needed a little more action. More at the edge of my seat – what is going to happen next. Full Review

Caraval by Stephanie Garber: This is one of those so/so books. The concept was interesting, I enjoyed the characters – but the payoff wasn’t the best. I think there needed to be a little more action at certain moments and more intensity. Full Review

The Edge of Everything by Jeff Giles: I enjoyed reading this one, I didn’t love it. But, I did feel that there was action missing. It’s like it was off the edge of a cliff just handing – not going anywhere. Full review coming soon.

Long Way Home by Katie McGarry: Again another one that just needed a little push. There was action, plenty of it, it just needed that little bit more. Full Review

Heartless by Marissa Meyer: One of my most disappointed books that I read last year. It was slow, and nothing really happened until the last 50 of so pages. Full Review

Moon Chosen by P.C Cast: This is one of those books that I liked and disliked all at the same time. And one of the things I disliked was how character driven it was – plus it was way too long. Whole chapters could have bene removed and action added in. Full Review

Firewalker by Josephine Angeline: Now I really enjoyed this book, a lot. But, I felt that it is the weakest in the series. Especially the first half. I was left hanging for more. Full Review

The Crown’s Game by Evelyn Skye: This wasn’t my favourite book out there. I was just expected so much more and I got pretty waited and dresses. I was expected literally fighting to the death – and that happened sorta. Full Review.

And that is it for this week. Do you agree with any of the books that I have mentioned? Do you disagree? Let’s Chat!

I love talking so talk to me over on my twitter @angel_reads, Facebook, instagram and Goodreads. You can also follow Angel Reads on Bloglovin and via email (in the sidebar)

Book Review: No Virgin by Anne Cassidy

Feb 6, 2017

No Virgin by Anne Cassidy

Pages: 183
Publish date: November 3rd, 2016
Publisher: Hot Key Books
ISBN: 1471405788
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

My name is Stacey Woods and I was raped.

Stacey is the victim of a terrible sexual attack. She does not feel able to go to the police, or talk about it to anybody other than her best friend, Patrice. Patrice, outraged, when she cannot persuade her to go to the police, encourages Stacey to write everything down. This is Stacey’s story.

No Virgin:

Trigger Warning: There are scenes that include rape, assault, and the aftermath.

I received a copy of No Virgin by Anne Cassidy from Hot Key Books (Allen and Unwin) in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

Firstly I want to say, that I have struggled to write this review. Everything that I seem to have wanted to say just didn’t come out right. On the other hand, this book is powerful, heartbreaking and raw to the core.

No Virgin follows protagonist Stacy as she deals with the aftermath of being raped. It’s a heartbreaking journey that’s raw and will slap you in the face. The book begins with Stacy after she has been sexual assaulted, she’s in a bathroom. Her mind reeling with what has happened. She gets up, walks out and is faced with her rapist, he gives her money for a cab and she leaves. Nevertheless, The lead up to her assault is told after her best friends suggest she writes her thoughts, how she feels.

Stacy is a very shy protagonist. She keeps to her best friend, doesn’t tell her family much and also does what she has to, to get through high school. I had a real hard time connecting with Stacy. I am not entirely sure what it was, there was something that separated us. However, I did like Stacy’s passion. All she wants to do is work in the fashion industry, and she has figured out things on her own.

There isn’t much of a relationship between Stacy and her family. She lives with her mum, fourteen-year-old sister and her sister’s kid. However, this family is pretty dysfunctional. Her sister is nowhere near a mother to her son, relying on others around her including Stacy to look after him. It’s hard to see this, to witness someone so young looking after a baby. It’s like the world is on Stacy’s shoulders. All these people need her, but there isn’t many there for her. However, from the little that we do see, her father does try.

The rape scene was… hard to read. I had to step back, put my book down and breathe. I had to try and centre myself. It’s not for the fainthearted. Nevertheless, it was also heartbreaking.

What I liked most about the book was how Anne Cassidy dealt with the aftermath. Stacy wasn’t sure what she wanted to do. How she was supposed to deal with what did happen. If she was going to report him. If she need help. And there is no doubt there are other people that feel this way too.

I always like to read books that explore difficult topics. They are heartbreaking, hard to read and most of the time, take a lot out of me. But, we need books that deal with rape because it’s real. Things like this happen in the world that we live in. And if teens are blind to it, or don’t know it’s going on – they won’t know how to deal with events like this when they do happen.

Overall, No Virgin is under 200 pages, and nevertheless, it packs a punch. It has so much in it, but nothing overtakes. There is the time before and then everything after. It’s hard, raw and real. However, No Virgin is not for everyone. It’s not sugar coated and so it shouldn’t be.

Have you read No Virgin? How did you feel about it? Are you planning on reading it? Also, have you read other books by Anne Cassidy? Let’s Chat!

Book Review + Q&A: Freeks by Amanda Hocking | Blog Tour

Feb 4, 2017

Freeks by Amanda Hocking

Pages: 336
Publish date: February 9th, 2016
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
ISBN: 1509807659
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

Welcome to Gideon Davorin’s Traveling Sideshow, where necromancy, magical visions, and pyrokinesis are more than just part of the act…

Mara has always longed for a normal life in a normal town where no one has the ability to levitate or predict the future. Instead, she roams from place to place, cleaning the tiger cage while her friends perform supernatural feats every night.

When the struggling sideshow is miraculously offered the money they need if they set up camp in Caudry, Louisiana, Mara meets local boy Gabe…and a normal life has never been more appealing.

But before long, performers begin disappearing and bodies are found mauled by an invisible beast. Mara realises that there’s a sinister presence lurking in the town with its sights set on getting rid of the sideshow freeks. In order to unravel the truth before the attacker kills everyone Mara holds dear, she has seven days to take control of a power she didn’t know she was capable of—one that could change her future forever.

Freeks:

I received an arc of Freeks by Amanda Hocking from Pan Macmillan Australia as part of the Freeks Blog Tour. This has no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book. Stay to the end for a quick Q&A with Amanda Hocking!

I hadn’t read an Amanda Hocking book before this one, they never really caught my attention enough. But, after reading Freeks I might give them a try.

Roll Up, Roll Up to Gideon Davorin’s Traveling Sideshow where everything is not what it seems. Freeks follows protagonist Mara, who has always longed for a normal life. But instead, travels with her mother as she performs in this marvellous show. It wouldn’t be too bad if she was actually in the show, but with no special talent. She is left to do the dirty work.

Mara was an interesting protagonist. She isn’t what I’m used to reading and I couldn’t put my figure on why, but I really enjoyed her. She knows what she wants, and even though she is in a world that isn’t exactly normal she doesn’t let things stop her. I felt for her, though. Mara just wants to live a normal life. Go to school, have friends and have a normal job where her mother and she aren’t living from town to town.

It was hard to strive through Mara’s free nature. How she just walks into a party that she was invited too, even though she knew no one. How she stays at a guy’s house, and she only met him. However, this is the life that Mara has lived most of her life, it’s what she is used to. She’s in a town for a couple of days, hangs around and then she is gone. But something is different this time.

The tension and suspense in Freeks is fantastic. Because this world is rich of necromancy, magical visions, and pyrokinesis, the reader has now idea what is going to happen next. And with people disappearing and weird attacks, no one in the traveling show is safe. It was strange the outcome of the attacks, but it seemed to work in a weird way. It’s like, okay, I get it, sorta.

The romance, hmm. I don’t know how I feel about it. If the book was set over a longer period of time, I would have loved it. It would have worked so well. However, Freeks timeframe is about a week and the romance just moved way to face. Gabe was so adorable and charming. I enjoyed reading about him. But, everything was on high alert. I wanted to step back and take everything in.

There is a real depth of friendship and family in Freeks. A lot of the show have been together for a couple of years and they care about each other. But, the reader is also able to see that sometimes families do break. Especially when they are faced with turmoil. Mara relationship with her mother was strange. Her mother’s abilities sometimes get the better of her and she can snap. That’s when Mara has to step back and away. And although I can understand how and why her mum is like this, I felt for Mara. There were times where she needed her, she needed her mother to hold her, and she wasn’t there.

There are also some strong friendships throughout the book that shined. It was great to see that friendships aren’t all about age and school. It’s not about girls being friends with girls and boys with boys.

Overall, I enjoyed Freeks. Is it my favourite book out there? No. But, while I was reading I was immersed into this world and captivated by the characters. Freeks explores the notion of family, friendships, new relationships and believing in yourself. It’s about standing up for what is right, and where you want to be in the world. Freeks is a fasted paced read, that you could read when you want a little magic.

Apart from reading this intense read I also had the amazing chance to have a quick Q&A with Amanda Hocking and this is how it turned out!

What did you love most about writing the characters in Freeks?

I loved their nomadic comradery. Mara and her fellow travelers are so accepting and understanding of each other. There’s a lot of love and compassion amongst the characters.

If there was one novel/series you wished you had written, what would it be?

Oh gosh, there are so many amazing books that I wish I’d been able to write. It’s hard to pick just one. But I do really wish I had been writing for the Netflix TV series Stranger Things. Does that count?

Who are your biggest influencers right now?

Jim Henson is my hero, so I think he influences both my approach to creativity and life in general.

But as far as contemporary authors go, I would say Courtney Summer, Claudia Gray, and Neil Gaiman are some of my authors, and I would say they different influence and inspire me.

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Have you read Freeks by Amanda Hocking? Did you enjoy it? Are you planning to read it? Have you read other books by her, where do you think I should start?