Book Reviews Archives - Page 74 of 114

Book Review: The Last Good Day of the Year by Jessica Warman

Aug 17, 2016

The Last Good Day of the Year by Jessica Warman

Pages: 278
Publish date: 31 May 2016
Publisher: Bloomsbury
ISBN: 0802736629
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – Dymocks

Ten years ago, in the early hours of New Year’s Day, seven-year-old Samantha and her next door neighbor, Remy, watched as a man broke into Sam’s home and took her younger sister, Turtle, from her sleeping bag. Remy and Sam, too afraid to intervene at the time, later identified the man as Sam’s sister Gretchen’s much older ex-boyfriend, Steven, who was sent to prison for Turtle’s murder.

Now, Sam’s shattered family is returning to her childhood home in an effort to heal. As long-buried memories begin to surface, Sam wonders if she and Remy accurately registered everything they saw. The more they re-examine the events of that fateful night, the more questions they discover about what really happened to Turtle.

The Last Good Day of the Year:

I received a review copy of The Last Good Day of the Year by Jessica Warman from Bloomsbury Australia in exchange for a review, this has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

I picked up The Last Good Day of the Year on a whim. I had heard nothing about it and had never read anything by the author, and I had no idea what to expect. Overall, I liked it the book, but I did have some problems with it.

The Last Good Day of the Year follows protagonist Sam 10 years after the kidnapping of her young sister Turtle when she and her family return to where it all happened. The kidnapper was caught, but as she starts to re-evaluate the weeks leading up to the disappearance and those around her – she starts to think that maybe the kidnapper is still out there.

I love mystery/thriller novels, they are probably one of my favourite books to read apart from fantasy, so I was looking forward to see where The Last Good Day of the Year took me. I loved where it was going until the last 50 pages or so where I didn’t even understand what was going on. I had to re-read it a couple of times and still I don’t know what happened. However, nearly everything leading up to that I enjoyed.

I loved the mystery element of The Last Good Day of the Year. It was captivating and interesting to read. I wanted to know what happened, how everything came to par. I didn’t know what was going to happen next and I was on the edge of my seat. Everyone was unreliable and that is perfect for this type of novel. I was intrigued.

I wasn’t a massive fan of protagonist Sam, I cannot pinpoint why exactly, and there was just something about her that didn’t fit right with me. I wanted to see more character development as well, at times I felt like she was 12 years old. However, by the end, I was quite happy with who she becomes.

The family is another story – I pretty much disliked them all the way through. The mother, I understand that she lost a child – but the way that she treats some of her kids – you would think that after losing one child she would treasure the rest. The father was kind of ‘not there’ for me, I didn’t feel him as a character.

I also wasn’t a massive fan of how the book was set out. Most of the book was set in the present day, however there was quite a few chapters set in the year of the kidnapping and it wasn’t as strong as the rest of the book. Those chapters could have easily been done as flashbacks or summaries. I felt that it jolted the flow of the book being pushed back in time.

Another thing that I did enjoy was the romance, it might have seemed quick. But Sam and Remy have known each other quite a long time and it felt ‘right.’ They had already built a friendship and even though it was rocky, it all worked.

Overall, The Last Good Day of the Year was a compelling read. The tension was perfect and convinced me to feel anxious and on the tip of my toes wanting to find out more. However, I wanted more from the protagonist and author.

Have you read The Last Good Day of the Year by Jessica Warman? Did you like it? Are you going to read it? Have you read any other books by her? Let’s Chat!

Book Review: The Crown’s Game by Evelyn Skye

Aug 9, 2016

The Crown’s Gamed by Evelyn Skye

Pages: 416
Publish date: May 17th 2016
Publisher: Harper Collins Australia (Balzer + Bray)
ISBN: 0062560603
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – Dymocks

Vika Andreyeva can summon the snow and turn ash into gold. Nikolai Karimov can see through walls and conjure bridges out of thin air. They are enchanters—the only two in Russia—and with the Ottoman Empire and the Kazakhs threatening, the Tsar needs a powerful enchanter by his side.

And so he initiates the Crown’s Game, an ancient duel of magical skill—the greatest test an enchanter will ever know. The victor becomes the Imperial Enchanter and the Tsar’s most respected adviser. The defeated is sentenced to death.

Raised on tiny Ovchinin Island her whole life, Vika is eager for the chance to show off her talent in the grand capital of Saint Petersburg. But can she kill another enchanter—even when his magic calls to her like nothing else ever has?

For Nikolai, an orphan, the Crown’s Game is the chance of a lifetime. But his deadly opponent is a force to be reckoned with—beautiful, whip smart, imaginative—and he can’t stop thinking about her.

And when Pasha, Nikolai’s best friend and heir to the throne, also starts to fall for the mysterious enchantress, Nikolai must defeat the girl they both love… or be killed himself.

As long-buried secrets emerge, threatening the future of the empire, it becomes dangerously clear… the Crown’s Game is not one to lose.

The Crown’s Game:

I received a free copy of The Crown’s Game by Evelyn Skye from Harper Collins in exchange for an honest review, this has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

I wasn’t 100% sure that I was going to pick up The Crown’s Game, from the early reviews there were some problems that I normally don’t like in books, but then I was hearing great things about it, so I decided why not.

I am glad that I did, though it’s not my favourite book in the world, but I overall enjoyed it and would read other books in the series.

The Crown’s Game follows protagonists Vika and Nikolai, the only two enchanters left in Russia, as a war is brewing they are both put the test in the ancient magic duel of the Crown’s Game where one lives and the other dies.

I have very mixed feeling about The Crown’s Game. I am not too sure how I feel about it, but I cannot decide if I dislike it more than I like it.

Vika, has lived on a small island her whole life, taught by her father and eager to show her powers off. I enjoyed Vika most out of all the characters, she didn’t annoy me, and was an easy protagonist to get along with, however I felt that she ‘fit in’ to quickly on the mainland for some reason. She has lived on an island for her whole life, with no many people liking her and she just treated the mainland like it was nothing. Her emotions were also great – I enjoy the emotions she felt and at times I wanted to get her a great hug.

Nikolai – I felt nothing for him. I didn’t even feel like her was a protagonist at times. He gave me no sort of emotions, I just wanted more from him. At times I wanted to hit him though, as he was annoying at times.

One thing I was disappointed about was the lack of brutality with the games. I expected more, wanted more. It was all fluffy and artistic and I would totally be good with this if the result of the end wasn’t that one died and one lived.

The romance was also a big letdown for me, I knew it was going to be a love triangle going on and I was prepared for that, what I wasn’t prepared for was the instalove. Both of the love interests didn’t even get to know Vika before they started to fall for her. While Pasha was very vocal with his love, Nikolai was quiet. However, both didn’t even know her.

When there is a love triangle, I normally like the first person that falls for the protagonist and vice versa – but with this, I felt that the love interests didn’t like Vika enough and the same goes the other way.

The ending was a letdown too, things were gearing up and then I was confused and, then it ended. It was kind of a mess for me. Pasha did some things that people might hate – but with the position that he was in and everything he knew just flipped on his head – I don’t blame him.

Nevertheless, I actually enjoyed the world that was created in The Crown’s Game. It was intriguing and different to see. I love any play on an ancient country, it’s one of my favourite settings for books (or movies), that is what first pulled me into this book.

I also enjoyed the writing style of Evelyn Skye. I loved the descriptions of the world, the protagonists surrounding. I loved the imagery that she created and I wanted more of it.

Overall, I enjoyed The Crown’s Game, it’s not my favourite book out there, however, I would read more books in the series. One of my favourite things about the book was the world and writing style. I wanted more from the characters and the romance just wasn’t my favourite.

Have you read The Crown’s Game? Did you enjoy it? Why or why not? Let’s Chat!

Book Review: Burning by Danielle Rollins

Aug 3, 2016

Burning by Danielle Rollins

Pages: 343
Publish date: April 16 2016
Publisher: Bloomsbury Australia
ISBN: 9781408869956
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – Dymocks

After three years in juvie, Angela Davis is now months away from release. She’ll finally get the hell out of Brunesfield Correctional Facility.

And then Jessica arrives… she’s young – only ten years old – so why did she arrive in shackles under the highest security? And why is she being kept in segregation? No one knows what she did to end up there. But there are plenty of rumours.

Pretty soon strange things start happening to Angela and her friends. Could they be down to Jessica?

This little girl might just be more dangerous than anyone expected…

Burning:

I received a review copy of Burning by Danielle Rollins for review from Bloomsbury Australia in exchange for an honest review, this has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

As soon as I read the synopsis for Burning, I knew that I needed to read it. It sounded like something that was going to take me on an adventure and leave me hanging, page after page and it did do that – just not in the way that I expected it.

Burning follows protagonist Angela Davis a few months before her release from her 3 year juvie sentence. She will finally be free from Brunesfield Correctional Facility and able to be with her young brother again – but then ten year old Jessica arrives and everything seems to turn on its head. Strange things start to happen when Jessica is around, new people arrive and it’s no longer safe…for anyone.

Overall, Angela was an easy protagonist to get along with. There were times where she annoyed me, but that was mainly with her not telling us why she was in Juvie for so long and when the truth came out…it was anticlimactic. I loved Angela’s drive to be there for her brother, which is what kept her going all those years.

I like the friendships that Angela builds over the three years and she is not some loner who keeps to herself. I liked that no one was even that close, but they were still there for each other.

One thing I didn’t like about Angela was how quickly she believed in things. She was told things and bam it was true, I also wasn’t a massive fan of how fast she was manipulated – however, because of the setting – I think it worked.

I loved the setting of Burning. It’s very rare that you see a book set in juvie in young adult and I cannot think of any off the top of my head. So in that aspect it was unique. I was intrigued with how the system works, how they were treated and just how long some of the characters had been there.

I quite liked the romance in Burning. It was sweet and didn’t overtake the story. There were just little hints of it here and there. I wasn’t 100% convinced by how it all worked, however, I liked the slow burn of the romance. Plus the guy was very adorable.

Although I liked a few things in Burning, the pace of the book brought it down. Burning was really slow, and at times I was quite bored. I wanted to skip pages and get to the interesting parts that make my heart skip a beat.

Another thing about Burning that was confusing was the genre, I felt Danielle Rollins was trying to throw so much stuff in that it confused the story. It was a thriller, crime, horror (of sorts), supernatural and I could go on. I hadn’t read a Danielle Rollins book before Burning so I don’t know if she does that with her other books.

The ending of Burning – it was intense. You had no idea what to believe, what was going to happen next. The last 100 pages or so, I kept reading and reading. Turning page after page. I need the second book as soon as I can get it.

Overall, I enjoyed Burning. Was is a bad book? No. Is it my favourite? No. Will I read the next book in this series? Yes. Burning reminds us that not everyone is who they seem on the outside, or even who you think them to be, sometimes you need to trust your instincts and run.

Just a think before I finish – I really don’t like the Australian cover, the US cover just works so well with the book.

Have you read Burning? Did you enjoy it? Are you going to read it? Have you read anything else by Danielle Rollins? Let’s Chat!