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Book Review: Strange The Dreamer by Laini Taylor

Mar 12, 2017

Strange The Dreamer by Laini Taylor

Pages: 544
Publish date: 28th March 2017
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
ISBN: 1444788973
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – Dymocks

The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around – and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared that his dream chose poorly. Since he was five years old he’s been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, but it would take someone bolder than he to cross half the world in search of it. Then a stunning opportunity presents itself, in the person of a hero called the Godslayer and a band of legendary warriors, and he has to seize his chance to lose his dream forever.

What happened in Weep two hundred years ago to cut it off from the rest of the world? What exactly did the Godslayer slay that went by the name of god? And what is the mysterious problem he now seeks help in solving?

The answers await in Weep, but so do more mysteries – including the blue-skinned goddess who appears in Lazlo’s dreams. How did he dream her before he knew she existed? And if all the gods are dead, why does she seem so real?

Strange The Dreamer:

I received an earc of Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor from Hachette Australia via NetGalley for review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

Strange the Dreamer was one of my most anticipated books of the year and I wasn’t disappointed. The world is magical and intriguing, the characters are addicting and the writing just pulls you right in. When you start you are in for a ride and it’s breathtaking.

Strange the Dreamer follows Lazlo Strange and Sarai. Both from very different worlds, very different situations. They have been brought up to believe very different things and I was intrigued by both of them.

Lazlo is the guy that wins my heart. I adored his love for books and learning and finding out more. Lazlo is very innocent and I loved seeing that, it’s rare that we see a male character in YA that is obvious to the world and how things work. His lived with monks his whole life, and things like girls and the outside world are way over his head. But, as Strange the Dreamer went on, the reader is able to see Lazlo grow. He doesn’t just start to trust and believe in himself, but others around him. Lazlo character development throughout the novel was excellent and I am hanging to see where his character goes.

Sarai was hard to connect with at first, but as the novel went on and more is revealed, I began to love her. Sarai much like Lazlo is very innocent in a way. Yes, Sarai has witness some horrible events and being brought up without an ‘adult’ it’s hard for her. But, like Lazlo, she lacks human interaction. What I also loved about Sarai is that she isn’t the ‘strong’ protagonist, but she also isn’t the damsel is distress either – she had to hold her ground.

I don’t think that Laini Taylor can ever go wrong with the worlds that she builds. At first, it’s always hard to grasp, but as the novels go on, everything falls into place. With so many layers, I don’t know how she can’t get lost, however as a reader you are dropped in and taken to another place and it doesn’t feel wrong. I love how we don’t find out everything out at once, however, it was ever so slightly info-dumpy in the first couple of chapters – nothing major.

I loved the many aspects of the world and how we didn’t miss out on much because we are with two protagonists in different sides of this world. We meet lots of characters that all have different stories to tell. This was sometimes a little hard to come around – because there were so many characters. However as the novel went on, I figured out who was who most of the time.

One of those characters was Minya – and holy she was crazy. But, so intriguing all at the same time. In saying that, the whole ‘family’ was intriguing all I wanted to do is find out more.

The romance side of Strange the Dreamer wasn’t exactly my favourite as it was a little instalovey, but holy was it good. I didn’t just fall in love with Lazlo and Sarai individually, but together. My heart. I loved that they were innocent but explored at the same time. I loved how they interacted and how beautiful it was.

At first, I found Strange the Dreamer to be a little slow, not heavily, but just enough that I wanted a little jump start. But as soon as things started to pick up, I was absorbed and couldn’t stop myself from reading.

Not only does Strange the Dreamer have a beautiful world and characters, the writing is exquisite. You are not only taking to a different world, with the book, but the writing carries you along the way.

The ending. I don’t want to talk about it. Can I forget that it has happened? Can I believe that everything will be a-okay in the next book? Probably not and I cannot wait.

Overall, Strange the Dreamer was addicting. It explores the notion of family, friendship and finding out who you are. With a world that is built with layer upon layer, you will be begging to find out more. With its beautiful writing and characters that will take you by storm, it’s an adventure you want to be on. Strange the Dreamer is poignant, heart-stopping and you will not be able to put it down.

Trigger Warning: Just a little warning for the book, there is mention of rape and suicide. Nothing overly graphic, but there is some scenes where it is talked about.

Have you read Strange the Dreamer yet? What did you think of it? Are you planning on reading it? Have you read other Laini Taylor books before? Let’s Chat!

Book Review: Off the Ice by Julie Cross

Mar 5, 2017

Off the Ice by Julie Cross

Pages: 320
Publish date: 28th February 2017
Publisher: Entangled: Teen
ASIN: B00Z7C1I0M
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

All is fair in love and hockey…

Claire O’Connor is back in Juniper Falls, but that doesn’t mean she wants to be. One semester off, that’s what she promised herself. Just long enough to take care of her father and keep the family business—a hockey bar beside the ice rink—afloat. After that, she’s getting the hell out. Again.

Enter Tate Tanley. What happened between them the night before she left town resurfaces the second they lay eyes on each other. But the guy she remembers has been replaced by a total hottie. When Tate is unexpectedly called in to take over for the hockey team’s star goalie, suddenly he’s in the spotlight and on his way to becoming just another egotistical varsity hockey player. And Claire’s sworn off Juniper Falls hockey players for good.

It’s the absolute worst time to fall in love.

For Tate and Claire, hockey isn’t just a game. And they both might not survive a body check to the heart.

Off the Ice:

I received an e-arc of Off the Ice by Julie Cross Entangled: Teen via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

Off the Ice is one of those books that I wasn’t sure if I was going to like. I asked to review it on a whim because I felt like some romance. But, it just didn’t hit the spot and I was left disappointed.

Off the Ice follows protagonist Claire O’Connor whose return to her hometown in unforeseeable circumstances and Tate Tanley is thrust into the spotlight when he is unexpectedly called to take over as his ice hockey team’s goalie. The last time these two were together, secrets were revealed, but then Claire left for university.

I didn’t really like this book. There I said it. I was expecting more and was left dry. Recently I’ve loved reading about hockey players, I blame Elle Kennedy for that. So I was super excited to start this one, but as Off the Ice went on, I become more and more disappointed.

I’m not too sure how I feel about Claire. I liked her determination and her grit, but there was something that just didn’t sit right with me. I loved that Claire has left her life at university doing what she loved, to come back for her family. To be there for her father. But, then at times all she did was complain that she was there and that her life was ‘ruined.’

Tate again wasn’t a protagonist that I loved. I think I liked him more than Claire, but he again didn’t sit right with me. I felt for Tate, he’s a character that hides all his emotions, wants to help everyone else, but when it comes to helping himself. He didn’t. It was frustrating at times, but overall I understood why.

The reader knows that secret that Claire finds out before she leaves for university, and it’s heartbreaking. One of the things I liked about Off the Ice was that Julie Cross was able to interview the secret and really make it work. However, it was also really angsty at times and was just too much to make a smooth story.

The romance in Off the Ice was okay. Claire and Tate were totally adorable at times, but again the angst really put me off it. I liked that Claire was older than Tate as we don’t see that too much in YA. It’s part of what made me enjoy the romance side. Claire and Tate balanced each other out, and it was great to see how their relationship worked.

The family aspects of Off the Ice were another reason why this book wasn’t my favourite. Both Claire and Tate don’t have great home situations. Claire’s father is very sick and it’s put a damper on how the family works. Claire’s had to leave university, her family doesn’t want her to give it up, but she wants to be there. It’s all a bit of a mess.

Overall, I didn’t like Off the Ice that much. There were parts here and there which I enjoy the romance. However, it was a little too angsty for me. Off the Ice explores the notion of family, friendship, love and finding yourself. It’s about standing up for what you believe and that sometimes you need to look after yourself, before others.

Have you read Off the Ice by Julie Cross? What did you think of it? Are you planning on reading it? Have you read her other books. Let’s Chat!

Book Review: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Mar 3, 2017

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Pages: 432
Publish date: April 6th, 2017
Publisher: Walker Books Australia
ISBN: 1406372153
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – Dymocks

Sixteen-year-old Starr lives in two worlds: the poor neighbourhood where she was born and raised and her posh high school in the suburbs. The uneasy balance between them is shattered when Starr is the only witness to the fatal shooting of her unarmed best friend, Khalil, by a police officer. Now what Starr says could destroy her community. It could also get her killed. Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, this is a powerful and gripping YA novel about one girl’s struggle for justice.

The Hate U Give:

I received a review copy of The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas from Walker Books Australia in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

I don’t know how this review is going to go, I don’t know if I’ll be able to express my thoughts right. If what I am feeling is going to come across. I loved this book and I don’t even know how to start expressing how powerful, poignant and brilliant The Hate U Give is.

The Hate U Give follows sixteen-year-old protagonist Starr who lives in two worlds. The poor neighbourhood where she was born and raised and the posh school that she attends. And she likes to keep them very apart. But, that balance is thrown when she is the only witness to a fatal shooting that kills her best friend, by a white police officer. When what she can say can cause chaos not only to her community but to her family Starr has to come to some decisions on what is wrong and what is right.

I loved Starr as the protagonist. She is raw and real and captured me from the get-go. I was thrown into her world and I was intrigued. Starr lives these two lives. The one with her family, in the place she has lived most of her life. But, then she goes to school in a totally different place. I don’t think Starr put on a persona in any of those lives, however, she did let certain traits come out in different ways. Throughout The Hate U Give, my heart broke for Starr, I just wanted to give her a massive hug. Being a teenager is already hell, but having such a burden, such an experience, just.

I loved this novel for many reasons, but something that stood out well and true was how real it was. How raw. I had to read The Hate U Give slowly. At first, I was flying through it, but when I reach the 80-page mark – I was a mess. The tears were flowing and they weren’t going to stop. So I read a couple chapters each day. But, it didn’t matter how many I read – I still cried.

The Hate U Give is so important not just for Americans, but everyone else in the world. It explores how injustice legal systems are. How people are prejudice, how they see someone just by the colour of the skin. By how they look. It’s not only heartbreaking in the book, but because it’s real. Because it’s happening, yesterday, today and tomorrow.

And even though I hated seeing Starr struggling with the decisions that she had to make, I also loved seeing it. Because like the whole book – it was real.

I’d ask him if he wished he shot me too

I loved the sense of family in The Hate U Give. While conventional at times, Starr’s family warmed my heart. They shared so much love between them, even if they didn’t always show it at times. They were there for each other when they need them most.

I also loved the romance, even though most of the foundation of the relationship has been built before the book, I adored seeing it grow. The Hate U Give explores the notion of interracial couples and how they are perceived. It was hard and heartbreaking, but gosh did it put a smile on my face.

Overall, if I could give this more stars I would. The Hate U Give is a brilliant and powerful story. It’s heartbreaking, poignant and so so true. It’s a book that everyone should read, and understand. The Hate U Give explores family, friendship and what is right. I wanted to cry, scream and hurt. So I beg you please pick up this book, read it, take it in and understand.

Have you read The Hate U Give? What did you think of it? Are you planning on reading it? Are there any other books that explore that matter that you have read or want to read? Let’s Chat!