Book Reviews Archives - Page 59 of 115

Book Review: The Pearl Thief by Elizabeth Wein

Apr 22, 2017

The Pearl Thief by Elizabeth Wein

Pages: 416
Publish date: May 5th, 2017
Publisher: Bloomsbury
ISBN: 1408866617
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – Dymocks

Before Verity . . . there was Julie.

When fifteen-year-old Julia Beaufort-Stuart wakes up in the hospital, she knows the lazy summer break she’d imagined won’t be exactly like she anticipated. And once she returns to her grandfather’s estate, a bit banged up but alive, she begins to realise that her injury might not have been an accident. One of her family’s employees is missing, and he disappeared on the very same day she landed in the hospital.

Desperate to figure out what happened, she befriends Euan McEwen, the Scots Traveller boy who found her when she was injured, and his standoffish sister Ellen. As Julie grows closer to this family, she experiences some of the prejudices they’ve grown used to firsthand, a stark contrast to her own upbringing, and finds herself exploring thrilling new experiences that have nothing to do with a missing-person investigation.

Her memory of that day returns to her in pieces, and when a body is discovered, her new friends are caught in the crosshairs of long-held biases about Travellers. Julie must get to the bottom of the mystery in order to keep them from being framed for the crime.

The Pearl Thief:

I received an earc of The Pearl Thief by Elizabeth Wein from Bloomsbury Australia via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

I was really looking forward to The Pearl Thief. I’ve been wanting to read Code Name Verity for some time. But when I heard there was going to be a prequel, I thought it was the best way to start. Sadly, I was disappointed. It wasn’t what I expected to be and with so much hype around this world and the author I was looking for something more. While it wasn’t what I was expecting, I also didn’t hate it and enjoyed aspects of the book.

The Pearl Thief follows fifteen-year-old Julia Beaufort-Stuart who after waking up in the hospital is trying to fill in the gaps. In the meantime, she meets some new people and they take her on a journey that changes her life and who is really she. With her memory coming back in pieces, will she be able to remember what happened to her before it’s too late?

I’m not entirely sure how I feel about Julia as a protagonist. There were parts where I did enjoy her as a character. I loved when she was able to stand up for herself and others. She has this allure about her that I did enjoy, especially for a girl of her time. However other times I found her; bland. I am not how to put it, but I wasn’t interested in her story at times. She just wanted to kiss everyone. And while at times this isn’t bad, she doesn’t even remember what got her to the hospital.

The romance aspects of The Pearl Thief were enjoyable. Although Julia did kiss a fair few people throughout the short span of the book. There was one relationship that I really did enjoy. I don’t want to spoil it overly, but it was something different, especially for a historically based novel.

The notion of family was a big aspect of The Pearl Thief. Not as much as the interaction of family, but what it means and where you come from were. I really enjoyed Julia’s interaction between her brothers. I loved that they cared for one another, and would do a lot of each other. But, we also saw how money and family status influence what happens in the world and how you are treated.

The mystery elements of The Pearl Thief were totally there. I didn’t guess what was happening at all – which is fantastic. I didn’t know what was going to happen next. Or what was going to trigger Julia into remembering something about the incident. It was really good.

I also liked the plot of The Pearl Thief, however, I felt that parts were far to dragged on and I was totally bored. There were pages that I wanted to skip and find out some more or for something to happen. I did enjoy the incorporation of pearl finding – that was a nice touch.

Overall, The Pearl Thief was just an okay read. It explores the notion of a girl in her time and where she stands. It explores family and friendship and standing up for what you believe in. There was the mystery, romance and beautiful friendships. I hope that I will be able to read more of Wein’s books soon and hope that the hype stands true.

Have you read The Pearl Thief? What did you think of it? Are you planning on reading it? Have you read anything else by Elizabeth Wein? What did you think? Let’s Chat!

Book Review: The Ship Beyond Time by Heidi Heilig

Apr 17, 2017

The Ship Beyond Time by Heidi Heilig

Pages: 400
Publish date: March 9th, 2017
Publisher: Hot Key Books
ISBN: 1471406164
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – Dymocks

Nix has spent her whole life journeying to places both real and imagined aboard her time-traveling father’s ship. And now it’s finally time for her to take the helm. Her father has given up his obsession to save her mother—and possibly erase Nix’s existence—and Nix’s future lies bright before her. Until she learns that she is destined to lose the one she loves. But her relationship with Kash—best friend, thief, charmer extraordinaire—is only just beginning. How can she bear to lose him? How can she bear to become as adrift and alone as her father?

Desperate to change her fate, Nix takes her crew to a mythical utopia to meet another Navigator who promises to teach her how to manipulate time. But everything in this utopia is constantly changing, and nothing is what it seems—not even her relationship with Kash. Nix must grapple with whether anyone can escape her destiny, her history, her choices.

The Ship Beyond Time:

I received a copy of The Ship Beyond Time by Heidi Heligi from Allen & Unwin in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

The Ship Beyond Time was one of my anticipated sequels of 2017 and it didn’t disappointed. It was just as magical, adventuress, and swoon worthy as The Girl From Everywhere.

The Ship Beyond Time follows protagonist Nix as she travels across seas and times. After the events of The Girl From Everywhere, everything is a little strained abroad the ship. Nix and her father have come to somewhat of a standstill. Nix and Kash have amazing spark, but they holding back on one another. And Nix needs to decide where her next adventure will take her crew.

I love Nix as a protagonist. She is everything that I look for when picking up a book. She is tough and ready to fight, but she also has these insecurities that don’t make her invincible. I loved Nix’s voice, the reader can understand her perfectly and she immediately captures the reader’s attention.

Kash, Kash, Kash. Can I please have him? I spoke about how much I enjoyed Kash as a character in my review of The Girl from Everywhere. And my love for him didn’t change. I loved his smoothness – if that is world. He can come into any situation and just know the right thing to say. I loved that Kash spoke so many different languages and even though he didn’t like speaking about his childhood – tried to stay close to his roots.

The romance between Nix and Kash. My heart. They are both so adorable together. I loved the slow burning love, the hesitation (most of the time). I loved that they knew so much about each other, and slowly their feelings changed. The reader is able to see how much they care for one another, even if they don’t see it themselves

Family is a big theme throughout both The Girl from Everywhere and The Ship Beyond Time. While Nix and her father have a very hard relationship, we do see their love for one another – in their own way. We don’t just see the family dynamics of those blood related, but the whole crew. I love that they all treat each other like family and grow together. I do wish there was more focus on the crew in The Ship Beyond Time though.

At times I felt that the plot was a little too slow for my liking, but then it picked up and took me on another ride. I love the whole concept of this series, how using maps they travel through time and worlds even. Another thing that I really enjoyed was how history was intertwined. I am a history buff, so seeing this even though it was altered was such fun.

Overall, The Ship Beyond Time was a fantastic read. I was taken from the first page and didn’t want to stop there. It explores family and love. It’s about coming of age and discovering who you are. With its poignant writing and characters that are just fabulous, you want to be on their journey.

Have you read The Ship Beyond Time? What did you think of it? Are you planning on reading it? Have you read The Girl from Everywhere? What did you think of that? Let’s Chat!

Mini Reviews: Unconventional Families and Baseball Romance

Apr 16, 2017

Today, I thought I would share a couple of mini reviews for books that I’ve read recently. Sometimes I can’t write a full review for a book simply because I don’t have a lot to say. Both of these books share some of the same themes of family, friendship and coming of age.

The Whole Thing Together by Ann Brashares

Pages: 304
Publish date: April 25th, 2017
Publisher: Delacorte Press
ISBN: 0385736894
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

Summer for Sasha and Ray means the sprawling old house on Long Island. Since they were children, they’ve shared almost everything—reading the same books, running down the same sandy footpaths to the beach, eating peaches from the same market, laughing around the same sun-soaked dining table. Even sleeping in the same bed, on the very same worn cotton sheets. But they’ve never met.

Sasha’s dad was once married to Ray’s mom, and together they had three daughters: Emma, the perfectionist; Mattie, the beauty; and Quinn, the favorite. But the marriage crumbled and the bitterness lingered. Now there are two new families—and neither one will give up the beach house that holds the memories, happy and sad, of summers past.

The choices we make come back to haunt us; the effect on our destinies ripples out of our control…or does it? This summer, the lives of Sasha, Ray, and their siblings intersect in ways none of them ever dreamed, in a novel about family relationships, keeping secrets, and most of all, love.

The Whole Thing Together:

I received an e-arc of The Whole Things Together by Ann Brashares from Delacorte via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

I hadn’t heard much about The Whole Things Together when I picked it up. There weren’t many reviews on Goodreads, but it seemed like something that I would enjoy reading. It seemed like a summer book that explored family, friendship and romance. And it was those things, but it just wasn’t my read.

The Whole Things Together follows protagonist Sasha and Ray who have shared almost everything but have never met. They share siblings, but they are not related by blood or even by marriage. It’s all a little confused actually.

The family tree per say – just confused me the whole book. I couldn’t remember who was related to who. Who was from which family? Who was blood-related? I forgot half the time who was who just by their name. There was just far too many characters to keep track of, especially because they all come from the same by different families.

Because of this, it was hard to get to know the protagonist and even the characters. I was just trying to keep track of everything the whole point and I couldn’t connect.

However, I did like the notion of these families coming together for different reasons. Some beautiful and happy, while others were heartbreaking and torn me. It was nice to see a family who is normally very apart come together.

Overall, The Whole Things Together is a poignant novel that just didn’t hit the right spots for me. With far too many characters and storylines to keep track off. I was confused most of the time. It explores the notions of romance, family and finding yourself.

Swinging At Love (Suttonville Sentinels #2) by Kendra C. Highley

Pages: 240
Publish date: March 13th, 2017
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
ISBN: 1682814491
Purchase: Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

Outfielder Tristan Murrell has a problem. As the number two slugger for the Suttonville Sentinels, his team is counting on him to make their very first run at the state championship. But he has a secret–his swing has totally deserted him. As in, he can’t hit anything. He needs to fix the issue, and fast, but how?

Ballerina Alyssa Kaplan has a problem, too. The shiny new sports complex in town has left her family’s batting cage business on the verge of going under. Nailing her audition for a prestigious dance company is everything, but there’s no way she’s letting her some shiny big-box company destroy her family’s livelihood.

Tristan needs a miracle. So does Alyssa. And maybe, just maybe, Tristan’s secret weapon might be the girl of his dreams…

Swinging At Love:

I received an e-arc of Swinging in Love by Kendra C. Highley from Entangled: Crush via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

I am not sure why I picked this one up. I read book 1 in this series and really didn’t like it. But, this one sounded more like my thing and thought I should give it a go. And even though I liked it more than The Bad Boy Bargain, I still didn’t love it.

Swinging in Love follows protagonists Tristan and Alyssa who come together and are in for one hell of a ride. Tristan is an outfielder for his baseball team, but something is wrong. His swing is off and if he doesn’t fix it – he will be off the team. Alyssa gave up softball for ballet and she is great at it. But ball is still in her blood and with her father’s batting cage falling to pieces, so is she.

I enjoy the romance aspects of Swinging in Love. Tristan and Alyssa were adorable together and I like how they had some downfalls, but they were there for each other. However, I felt that both protagonists didn’t have a great arc and I wanted more from them as a whole.

Family was a big theme in Swinging in Love. While Alyssa’s family would give up anything for each other. Tristan’s was a lot harder to get around. I really enjoyed seeing these two different views on families. And that is what we need in YA. Yes, some families are great, while there are others that have trouble.

Overall, Swinging in Love was an okay read. I read it over a couple of hours, but I didn’t really get anything out of it. I didn’t feel that the protagonists had a great enough character arc. And while I loved the romance and family aspects, the story feel flat for me.

Have you read any of these two books? What did you think of them? Are you planning on reading these books? Have you read any books by these authors before? Let’s Chat!