Book Reviews Archives - Page 61 of 115

Blog Tour: The Secret Science of Magic by Melissa Keil

Apr 2, 2017

The Secret Science of Magic by Melissa Keil

Pages: 328
Publish date: April 1st, 2017
Publisher: Hardie Grant Egmont
ISBN: 9781760127763
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon AU – Booktopia – Angus & Robertson Bookworld

The unsolvable problem: If Sophia is a genius, why can’t she crack the puzzle of what to do with her life?

Fact: Sophia is smart. As in, certified-child-prodigy, breezing-through-uni-subjects-even-though-she’s-only-in-year-twelve smart. This terrifies her, because geniuses have a tendency to end up as recluses and weirdos – and with her current social ineptness, she’s halfway there already.

Truth: Joshua is good at magic tricks, ignoring most things about year twelve, and not thinking at all about life after high school.
Fact: Sophia can’t even talk to her best friend Elsie about her anxieties, because Elsie is firmly focused on her own future – and on plans that will mean leaving Sophia behind.
Truth: Joshua has had a secret crush on Sophia since forever, but he doesn’t have forever to act on it.
Fact: There are some things no amount of genius can prepare you for … and the messiness of the real world is one of them.
Truth: Timing is everything.

The Secret Science of Magic:

Now, I thought I would have a little fun with my stop on The Secret Science of Magic by Melissa Keil blog tour. So kick back and relax, today you are getting a review and a cupcake recipe!

I received an arc of The Secret Science of Magic by Melissa Keil from Hardie Grant Egmont in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

The Secret Science of Magic by Melissa Keil follows protagonist Sophia and Joshua. Two very different people who come together in their last year of high school in unforeseeable circumstances that might just work out to be the best thing for them both.

Sophia is a genius – a maths genius. She is her last year of high school, but breezing through university courses. However, genius’ tend to be recluse and weirdos, who either excel or fail. And Sophia feels like she is on the path to failure. With everything building up in her – she doesn’t need any more trouble.

Sophia was an interesting protagonist and while not easily relatable. I could connect to her on other levels. I adored that The Secret Science of Magic had a focus on leaving high school and deciding what you are going to do next. It’s what so many people have to go through and it hit hard. The anxiety that Sophia feels throughout the book was just so spot on. That was me 3 years, it’s still me today. And I could feel it deep inside me.

Josh was totally adorable. He has had a crush on Sophia for quite a couple of years, and with the end of high school looming – he knows that he has to tell her. But instead of just saying it to her face, he decides to woo her – with magic! I love illusionist and magicians. I find them fascinated and I love working out how things are done – so I found a kinship with Josh. He is also awkward and funny.

The romance was adorable. I loved how Sophia and Joshua were both so unsure about what to do, but they fit with each other so well. Sophia, I think needed someone like Josh not just as a love interest, but as a friend. Someone who understood her even when she at her worse.

Friendship is also another big aspect of The Secret Science of Magic. Sophia only really has one friend when this book starts – and Sophia feels like she is losing her. High School is hard enough, but only having a certain group of friends or friend and then they are off once it ends – that hurts – a lot.

I spoke about this before, but I loved that anxiety was presented in The Secret Science of Magic. It’s so hard leaving school and going into the big wide world and Sophia feels it. But, it’s not just about school, but about life. And when everything that was planned out for you is gone – how do you go on? I really felt the anxiety that Sophia presents within the book. Obvious I am not a genius, so not that part – but everything that comes with it.

Overall, The Secret Science of Magic is an adventure. It’s a beautiful story of coming of age, growing up, and learning. It’s about letting go, and not just finding yourself, but believing in who you can become. It deals with the notion of first love, leaving high school, friendship, family and so much more. It’s one of those books that you pick up and just fall in love.

[yumprint-recipe id=’3′] And that is it for my stop on The Secret Science of Magic Blog Tour. I had so much fun! Have you read The Secret Science of Magic by Melissa Keil? What did you think of it? Have you read any other books by Keil? Don’t forget to check out the rest of the tour!

Book Review: Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray

Mar 31, 2017

Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray

Pages: 480
Publish date: April 1st, 2017
Publisher: Hot Key Books
ISBN: 9781471406362
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – Dymocks

Noemi is a young and fearless soldier of Genesis, a colony planet of a dying Earth. But the citizens of Genesis are rising up – they know that Earth’s settlers will only destroy this planet the way they destroyed their own. And so a terrible war has begun.

When Noemi meets Abel, one of Earth’s robotic mech warriors, she realizes that Abel himself may provide the key to Genesis’ salvation. Abel is bound by his programming to obey her – even though her plan could result in his destruction. But Abel is no ordinary mech. He’s a unique prototype, one with greater intelligence, skill and strength than any other. More than that, he has begun to develop emotions, a personality and even dreams. Noemi begins to realise that if Abel is less than human, he is more than a machine. If she destroys him, is it murder? And can a cold-blooded murder be redeemed by the protection of a world?

Stranded together in space, they go on a whirlwind adventure through Earth’s various colony worlds, alongside the countless Vagabonds who have given up planetary life altogether and sail forever between the stars. Each step brings them closer – both to each other and to the terrible decision Noemi will have to make about her world’s fate, and Abel’s.

Defy the Stars:

I received an arc of Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray from Allen and Unwin in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

Claudia Gray was one of the first authors that I read when reading YA, and when I heard about this new series I couldn’t wait to pick it up. And I wasn’t disappointed. The characters were intriguing, the plot kept me on the toes and everything else just worked.

Defy the Stars follows young protagonist Noemi who is a fearless soldier of Genesis. Genesis is a colony planet of a dying earth, but as the citizens of Genesis growing, Earth settlers want to destroy it. In the midst of war, Noemi meets Abel, a robotic mech warrior from earth. And she releases that he might hold the key that she needs to save her home. But, there is something different about Abel, something unique and oh they are in for an adventure.

Noemi was an interesting protagonist and I really enjoyed her. I liked her strength and the power that she holds. Noemi doesn’t have much of a family, but those that she has – she cares so much for them. She would do anything for them. But, I also liked as the Defy the Stars goes on we find out more about her, and she learns more about herself. I really enjoyed her character arc, and even though it wasn’t a dramatic change, but it’s also the first book in the series.

Abel – I loved him. Abel is a robotic mech in many ways, but not like others. He has emotions, feelings, intelligence. His personality that is entertaining and fun, but he also is innocent. He lived alone for a long time so when Noemi arrives – it’s a shock to his system. I loved his hesitation, I liked that he fought with himself, and I also loved his strength.

At first, Defy the Stars was hard for me to get into. Not because it wasn’t good. But, because I am not a massive science fiction fan. I took me about 80 -100 pages to get into it. However, after that I was in I couldn’t stop.

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Because it’s science fiction, world building is very important for the book. As the novel goes on we find more and more about the world of Defy the Stars. It’s complicated yes, but also intriguing. I was taken by the world and I wanted to know more as the novel went on. Obvious we didn’t find out a lot in this book, but it also works. It leaves room for more and all the information wasn’t dumped onto the reader.

Defy the Stars is intense. You don’t know what is going to happen next, you don’t know who to trust. You just want to turn page after page because you want to know how it’s going to end – what is going to happen.

There wasn’t really a romance in this book, however, there is friendship. I liked that even though Noemi and Abel are so different. But, as the novel goes on and they spend their time together – they get to know other. I liked the banter, the secret looks and how they worked so well with each other.

Overall, Defy the Stars is a fun, heart-stopping and heartbreaking at times. The characters were interesting, the world intriguing and the plot kept me on the edge of my toes. Defy the Stars explores the notion of family, friendship, believing in yourself and standing up for what you believe in. It explores humanity, intelligence and war. It’s a fun, exciting read and I cannot wait to read more in this series.

Have you read Defy the Stars? What did you think of it? Are you planning on reading it? Have you read other books by Claudia Gray? Let’s Chat!

Book Review: The Impossible Story of Olive in Love by Tonya Alexandra

Mar 30, 2017

The Impossible Story of Olive in Love by Tonya Alexandra

Pages: 304
Publish date: April 2017
Publisher: Harlequin Teen Australia
ISBN: 9781489220479
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon US – Amazon AU – Dymocks

Shakespeare was an idiot. Love is not blind. Love is being seen.

Plagued by a gypsy curse that she’ll be invisible to all but her true love, seventeen-year-old Olive is understandably bitter. Her mother is dead; her father has taken off. Rose, her sister, is insufferably perfect. Felix, her one friend, is blind and thinks she’s making it all up for attention.

Olive spends her days writing articles for her gossip column and stalking her childhood friend, Jordan, whom she had to abandon when she was ten because Jordan’s parents would no longer tolerate an ‘imaginary friend’.

Nobody has seen her — until she meets Tom: the poster boy for normal and the absolute opposite of Olive. But how do you date a boy who doesn’t know you’re invisible? Worse still, what happens when Mr Right feels wrong? Has destiny screwed up? In typical Olive fashion, the course is set for destruction.

And because we’re talking Olive here, the ride is funny, passionate and way, way, way, way dramatic. This story is for anyone who’s ever felt invisible. This story is for anyone who sees the possible in the impossible.

The Impossible Story of Olive in Love:

I received an arc of The Impossible Story of Olive in Love by Tonya Alexandra from Harlequin Teen Australia in exchange for honest review. This has no way influenced my thoughts and feelings of the book.

The Impossible Story of Olive in Love was one of my of my most anticipate books of the year and I cannot begin to explain how disappointed I was. I disliked this book, a lot. It had so much potential, but the protagonist just ruined it all.

The Impossible Story of Olive in Love follows protagonist seventeen-year-old Olive, who is invisible to everyone but her true love. Plagued by a curse that a gypsie cast upon the female of her family, Olive has been invisible her whole life. No one has been able to see her, but they can hear her – and that makes life difficult. However, there is one up to this curse – she can be seen be her true love. But what if the only person that can see her, isn’t what she expected.

I cannot even begin to explain how much I disliked Olive as a protagonist, even a character really. From the first chapter, I knew that we were never going to get along. Throughout the novel all she did was complain, she was immature and for being invisible only thought about herself. And then she meets her ‘true love’ and becomes infatuated. But, she also treats him life shit. I also felt that Olive had no character arc – at all. She learnt a whole lot – and she just ended up where she was at the start.

The romance was one of the worse things about The Impossible Story of Olive in Love. It’s basically ‘love at first sight’ and ‘instalove’ mushed together. Tom was very interesting and I really enjoyed him as a character alone. But, as a love interest, I didn’t sit right. Tom is quiet a couple of years older than Olive and while it’s not a big difference, Olive is still underage.

My heart broke for Tom, he is infatuated by Olive, but she just treats him life crap most of the time. While I understand Olive hesitation – it was taken way too far. Tom was I felt, a character that could be easily influenced, but he was intrigued by Olive and only he could see her. And for a good chunk of the relationship – she hasn’t even told him that she is invisible.

The family aspects of The Impossible Story of Olive in Love like most of the book was hard to like. Olive lives with her older sister as her father has gone on an ‘adventure.’ Like most of her relationships, Olive doesn’t appreciate her sister. Most of the time I just wanted to scream at her. Her father, let’s just not talk about him.

Throughout The Impossible Story of Olive in Love we see Olive interact with her gossip blog that she sister is the face of. I enjoyed this aspect of the novel somewhat. I like when a protagonist does a similar thing that I do – was that was interesting. But, like I said her relationship with her sister is very shaky.

While I didn’t enjoy the characters and relationships, I did enjoy the plot. It’s what kept me going. I was intrigued by the curse, and the way everything around it works. We find out some interesting information about that has to do with her parents. However, I was left hanging for me. I felt that the ending didn’t exactly leave with me satisfied.

Overall, The Impossible Story of Olive in Love wasn’t for me. Olive as a protagonist didn’t sit well with me, as well as the romance. The plot was intriguing and I kept reading for that alone. I was hoping that there would be some resolution, but I was left disappointed. The Impossible Story of Olive in Love explores the notion of love, family and friendship.