Book Reviews Archives - Page 65 of 115

Book Review: This Beats Perfect by Rebecca Denton

Feb 17, 2017

This Beats Perfect by Rebecca Denton

Pages: 288
Publish date: February 2nd, 2017
Publisher: Atom Books
ISBN: 034900272X
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – Dymocks

Amelie Ayres has impeccable taste in music. Bowie. Bush. Bob. So when she finds herself backstage at The Keep’s only UK gig she expects to hate it; after all, they are world’s most tragic band. In fact, she feels a grudging respect – not (obviously) for their music, but for the work that goes into making them megastars. And when lead singer, ‘Maxx’, is not dressed up as a cross between Elvis and a My Little Pony, he is actually rather normal, talented and has creative struggles not too dissimilar to her own.

But the next morning she wakes up rolls over and discovers a million new @’s on social media. Overnight a photo of her backstage has made her a subject of global speculation. Suddenly the world needs to know #Who’sThatGirl? – but for all the wrong reasons.

All Amelie wants is to play her music. She’s got the guitar, the songs, the soul and, in the safety of her bedroom, she’s got the voice. But when it comes to getting up on stage, she struggles with self-doubt.

This Beats Perfect:

I received an ARC of This Beats Perfect by Rebecca Denton from Hachette Australia in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

I didn’t really know what to expect when I started reading this book. I wasn’t expecting much, I just felt like a good read for summer. But, I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome. I sat by the pool for a couple of hours and finished with a smile on my face.

This Beats Perfect follows protagonist Amelie Ayres a music lover, who isn’t into your ‘typical’ teen music. But, when she’s allowed backstage at The Keeps only UK concert, it’s not what she expected. She doesn’t love their music, but respect them as musicians. And then she finds herself connecting with lead singing ‘Maxx’ over creative struggles. However, before all this – she is thrown to the sharks – or the media with the hashtag of #Who’sThatGirl. And boy bands, fans, new girls and social media don’t really mix.

I really enjoyed Amelie as the protagonist of This Beats Perfect. She has this love for music that is so strong, but her nerves always get the better of her. She feels like she home with the music and you can feel it while reading. The passion that she has shines through, but also the anxiety that comes with it. It’s nice to see anxiety presented in this way, as I don’t see it much in YA. Amelie is totally relatable, and the reader feels for her the whole way through.

I really liked the sense of family and friendship throughout This Beats Perfect. I adored Amelie’s relationship with her dad. Even though he was always away for work and her parents weren’t together – it worked. They cared for each other and nice to see. The friendships that Amelie has before and builds throughout the book were also really nice to see. It’s getting g more and more comma to have these amazing friendships in YA nowadays and I am loving it.

The romance in This Beats Perfect was a little shaky for me. I really enjoyed them together but felt it moved a little too fast. They had some beautiful scenes together and I loved how Amelie and Max connected through music and what they believe in. It was nice and different to see.

I’ve read so many books (mostly on Wattpad) about girls and boy bands – but this was something different. There was something more than the girl and boy falling in love. It’s about finding yourself.

Something that would have been love the book, even more, if there wasn’t as many characters. This Beats Perfect felt overcrowded. I kept on forgetting who was who, what their jobs were. There was just a little too much.

Just a quick note, I really don’t like the cover – at all. It seems so outdated to me. The ARC cover, on the other hand, I loved.

Overall, I was so surprised with This Beats Perfect. It was fun, addicting and put a smile on my face. It explores the notions of finding yourself, loving what you do and finding those who will stand by you. It’s about family, friendship and those you love.

Have you read This Beats Perfect yet? Did you like it? Are you planning to read it? Are there books similar to this one that you love. Let’s Chat!

Book Review + Giveaway: The Edge of Everything by Jeff Giles

Feb 11, 2017

The Edge of Everything by Jeff Giles

Pages: 400
Publish date: February 9th, 2017
Publisher: Bloomsbury Australia
ISBN: 1408869071
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – Dymocks

It’s been a shattering year for seventeen-year-old Zoe, who’s still reeling from her father’s shockingly sudden death in a caving accident and her neighbors’ mysterious disappearance from their own home. Then on a terrifying sub-zero, blizzardy night in Montana, she and her brother are brutally attacked in a cabin in the woods–only to be rescued by a mysterious bounty hunter they call X.

X is no ordinary bounty hunter. He is from a hell called the Lowlands, sent to claim the soul of Zoe’s evil attacker and others like him. Forbidden to reveal himself to anyone other than his victims, X casts aside the Lowlands’ rules for Zoe. As X and Zoe learn more about their different worlds, they begin to question the past, their fate, and their future. But escaping the Lowlands and the ties that bind X might mean the ultimate sacrifice for both of them.

The Edge of Everything:

I received an ARC of The Edge of Everything by Jeff Giles from Bloomsbury Australia, in exchange for an honest review. This has no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book. Plus stay to the end to win 1 of 2 paperbacks of The Edge of Everything.

The Edge of Everything was one of my most anticipated debuts for this year and I am sad to say that I was disappointed. I wasn’t that it was bad or that I didn’t like it, it just wasn’t what I was expecting.

The Edge of Everything follows protagonist Zoe who has by far had a horrible year. Her father dies in a freak caving accident and her neighbours disappear from their home. Then during a blizzard, strange things start to happened. When she meets X, everything around her changes. X, isn’t an ordinary bounty hunter, residing from a hell called the lowlands. His got 2 jobs, take souls of those who hasn’t been the best of people and not let anyone see him, but that person. But everything changes when he meets X.

It’s been a couple of weeks since I finished The Edge of Everything and I’m still not too sure if I liked the protagonist. Both were hard to really enjoy. Even though Zo, was seventeen I didn’t feel it. She has this childish nature about her, that wasn’t sitting with me well. I loved the way she adores her brother, it was beautiful to see.

I liked X, much more than I did Zoe. His whole life his lived in the Lowlands and he knows nothing about the human world. I adored X, reaction, and interaction with the human world. I had a little laugh here and there. X has had a horrible and harsh upbringing and I liked that we didn’t see this angry person, but someone that is confused.

The Edge of Everything had a very good sense of family. At the start of the novel, we find out the horrible death of Zoe’s father. We know that they haven’t found his body, and this tears the family apart. They haven’t had a great time to grieve and it’s hurting them. However, I loved Zoe’s relationship with her brother. It was beautiful to see and just warmed my heart. I had a sense that her brother was on the autistic spectrum, but it wasn’t really focused upon. And although X doesn’t know who his family is, I liked the sense of family, even comradery.

The romance was my least favourite part of the book. It was pretty much non-existent. However, it was sweet at times, but it went from just meeting to ‘love.’ I think they both work well with each other. Zo and X are completely different, but they were adorable together. X is totally blaza to whatever is going on. I am hoping that the next book will build on their relationship and not jump right into it.

The world of The Edge of Everything was very unique. It’s horrible and intense. And every though we do find out about it in the book, I feel like there is so much more. X lives in a world of disgust and not knowing who you are.

The writing style of Jeff Giles wasn’t also my favourite in The Edge of Everything. I found it too simplistic and felt that at times I was being talked down upon. The world has many layers, I don’t know why the writing couldn’t.

The ending of The Edge of Everythingnonetheless was intense and I loved it. It was actioned packed and I had no idea was on earth was going to happen next. Those last couple of chapters were probably some of my favourites.

Overall, The Edge of Everything was an exciting read. It explores the notion of family and grief. It explores finding out who you are and where you belong. It’s intense, fast-paced and will keep you on the edge of your seat. There is magic, bounty hunters, exploring caves and so much more.

Have you read The Edge of Everything by Jeff Giles? What did you think of it? Where you as excited as I was to read it? Are you planning to continue the series? For those who haven’t read it are you planning to? Let’s Chat!

And now to the giveaway. You can have the chance to win 1 of 2 paperbacks thanks to Bloomsbury Australia! Check out all the information below. Nevertheless, this is only open to Australia residents.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Review: A Thousand Letters by Staci Hart

Feb 9, 2017

A Thousand Letters by Staci Hart

Pages: 282
Publish date: 9th of February
Publisher: –
ASIN: B01NB0MXYL
Purchase: Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

Sometimes your life is split by a single decision.

I’ve spent every day of the last seven years regretting mine: he left, and I didn’t follow. A thousand letters went unanswered, my words like petals in the wind, spinning away into nothing, taking me with them.

But now he’s back.

I barely recognize the man he’s become, but I can still see a glimmer of the boy who asked me to be his forever, the boy I walked away from when I was young and afraid.

Maybe if he’d come home under better circumstances, he could speak to me without anger in his voice. If I’d said yes all those years ago, he’d look at me without the weight of rejection in his eyes. Maybe if things were different, we would have had a chance.

One regretted decision sent him away. One painful journey brought him back to me. I only wish I could keep him.

A Thousand Letters:

I received a copy of A Thousand Letters by Staci Hart from InkSlinger PR in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

I’ve tried to write this review with as little spoilers as I can, but there a few that will pop up.

I picked up A Thousand Letters on a whim, I saw it popping up on my twitter timeline and then I got an email about it. It was a spare of the moment pick and I am glad that I did. A Thousand Letters is an emotional and heart wrenching read – so be prepared.

Seven years ago Elliot made a mistake, a mistake that has haunted her. It’s torn her apart. She hasn’t spoken or seen Wade since that last moment. But when he returns, their past comes back and all the emotions reach the surface.

Elliot was a really easy protagonist to get along with. I loved how much she cared, even when so many people around her didn’t. Seven years before not only did she break Wade’s heart, but her own and since then her life hasn’t been the same. Throughout A Thousand Letters the reader is able to see how Elliot is both suffering and needs to let it go. Elliot is very close to Wade’s. She has grown up with him, and his father cares for her so much. His one of the only people that believe in her.

Wade was difficult to get along with. I understand why he acted the way that he did for a lot fo the book, but it was also hard to go along with yet. Wade has a lot of issues. And for the first time in seven years his seeing Elliot again. But, it’s not all good. He is on leave from the army because his father isn’t good health wise. It was heartbreaking, and all over emotional. Wade is one of those guys that holds all of his emotions in and then cracks – and he does it a few times in A Thousand Letters.

The romance was hard not to fall for, but at the same time it anger me to the core. Seven years ago Elliot and Wade had fallen in love and then he asked her to marry him. There were a few reasons why she said no, but not loving him wasn’t one of them. I think Wade’s reactions were, difficult. He doesn’t think about what she says and he blurts it all out. Throughout the book, we see both Wade and Elliot struggling with their feelings and seeing each other after all this time. Wade did some questionable things throughout the book, but there love for each other was also beautiful.

A Thousand Letters has a big sense of family and friends. Some bad and some good. It was really nice to see the balance between families that care and the ones that don’t. I loved that Wade’s family cared so much for Elliot, she was a part of the family.

And although I really enjoyed reading this book, I did feel there was slightly too many characters. It’s hard keeping up with so many people, trying to remember who they are and how they are related.

Overall, A Thousand Letters is a heartbreaking read and will leave you an emotional wreck. It’s about family, friends and second chances. It’s about forgiveness, letting go and falling in love.

Have you read this book? Are you planning on reading it? Let’s Chat!