3.5 Stars Archives - Page 9 of 16

Book Review: Hotel for the Lost by Suzanne Young

Dec 28, 2016

Hotel for the Lost by Suzanne Young

Pages: 304
Publish date: October 4th, 2016
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1481423010
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – Dymocks

Stay tonight. Stay forever.

When Audrey Casella arrives for an unplanned stay at the grand Hotel Ruby, she’s grateful for the detour. Just months after their mother’s death, Audrey and her brother, Daniel, are on their way to live with their grandmother, dumped on the doorstep of a DNA-matched stranger because their father is drowning in his grief.

Audrey and her family only plan to stay the night, but life in the Ruby can be intoxicating, extending their stay as it provides endless distractions—including handsome guest Elias Lange, who sends Audrey’s pulse racing. However, the hotel proves to be as strange as it is beautiful. Nightly fancy affairs in the ballroom are invitation only, and Audrey seems to be the one guest who doesn’t have an invite. Instead, she joins the hotel staff on the rooftop, catching whispers about the hotel’s dark past.

The more Audrey learns about the new people she’s met, the more her curiosity grows. She’s torn in different directions—the pull of her past with its overwhelming loss, the promise of a future that holds little joy, and an in-between in a place that is so much more than it seems…

And the 13th chapter will only add to the mystery behind the 13th floor of Hotel Ruby…and ultimately, what it means for Audrey.

Welcome to the Ruby.

Hotel for the Lost:

I received a review copy of Hotel for the Lost by Suzanne Young from Simon and Shuster 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 Hotel for the Lost before I picked it up. The synopsis intrigued me and it sounded like something that I was going to like – and I did.

Hotel for the Lost follows protagonist Audrey, her brother Daniel and their father when they come to rest at Hotel Ruby as they make their way to their grandmothers. The past couple of months has been hard on their trio. Audrey’s and Daniel’s mother has passed and the whole family is grieving. So when they arrive at Hotel Ruby, Audrey is relieved and wanting to take some time.

I wasn’t a massive fan of Audrey as a protagonist. I wasn’t able to connect with her or feel her raw emotions from losing her mothers. It was like this barrier between Audrey and the reader. Her grief was evident throughout the book, however, I just wasn’t able to feel it. Audrey was also dealing with a recent breakup that she kept on going back to throughout the book. She keeps on referring to the breakup, even though she is adamant that she wasn’t in love with him. It became a drag after a while.

I did, however, love how much she cared for her family. Even though there was a lot of tension with her father. The reader is able to see that she still cares for him. However, I wanted to see a good father/daughter relationship as we don’t see it much in YA. Though, I did understand his grief and the way that he acts is somewhat understandable.

Daniel and Audrey’s relationship was a classic brother/sister one. I loved the banter between the two and even though Daniel acted like a moody teenager, so did Audrey. They both had their differences, but the reader is able to see that they love each other.

I like the friendships that Audrey builds in Hotel for the Lost. Even though most are the staff of Hotel Ruby, they find a connection and bond easily. Though I did feel they bonded a little too quickly. In saying that, Hotel for the Lost is set over a couple of days.

That was one of the reasons the romance in Hotel for the Lost was hard to love. Though I did find both Audrey and Elias adorable. Elias is a charmer, he was an interesting character that did take the spotlight at times.

The storyline of Hotel for the Lost was predictable. I knew what was going to happen before it did, and I wasn’t entirely surprised by the ending. It was like I was having deja vu throughout the whole book, but I didn’t hate it. I wanted to keep on reading and find out if I was right or not.

The writing style of Suzanne Young in Hotel for the Lost was simple, but I also enjoyed it. I didn’t have to stress over what I was reading. It flowed easy and the dialogue was realistic.

Overall, I enjoyed reading Hotel for the Lost. It was a fast-paced, thrilling read that did keep me on the edge of my seat. Hotel for the Lost explores the notion of family, death, grief, friendship and standing up for yourself. If you are in the mood for a thrilling, entertain and emotional read then Hotel for the Lost is for you.

Have you read Hotel for the Lost? What did you think of it? Are you planning on reading it? Have you read anything else by Suzanne Young? Let’s Chat!

Book Review: The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi

Dec 17, 2016

The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi

Pages: 352
Publish date: December 1st, 2016
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
ISBN: 1489219552
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – Dymocks

Fate and fortune. Power and passion. What does it take to be the queen of a kingdom when you’re only seventeen?

Maya is cursed. With a horoscope that promises a marriage of death and destruction, she has earned only the scorn and fear of her father’s kingdom. Content to follow more scholarly pursuits, her whole world is torn apart when her father, the Raja, arranges a wedding of political convenience to quell outside rebellions. Soon Maya becomes the queen of Akaran and wife of Amar. Neither roles are what she expected: As Akaran’s queen, she finds her voice and power. As Amar’s wife, she finds something else entirely: Compassion. Protection. Desire…

But Akaran has its own secrets—thousands of locked doors, gardens of glass, and a tree that bears memories instead of fruit. Soon, Maya suspects her life is in danger. Yet who, besides her husband, can she trust? With the fate of the human and Otherworldly realms hanging in the balance, Maya must unravel an ancient mystery that spans reincarnated lives to save those she loves the most…including herself.

The Star-Touched Queen:

I received an ARC of The Star-Touched Queen Roshani Chokshi from Harlequin Teen Australia in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

I have been wanting to read The Star-Touched Queen for quite some time, but up until recently, it hadn’t been published here in Australia. Then I received a review copy and I was hanging out to read it. However, I did put it off as I was waiting for the release date to be a little closer. And after reading The Star-Touched Queen, I am a little disappointed.

The Star-Touched Queen follows protagonist Maya, daughter of the Raja and holder of a terrible horoscope. It is said that her marriage will follow with death and destruction. The kingdom not only feared her but hold a hatred that is cemented deep into her life. Her life changes when her father arranges a marriage of political convinces, that will hopefully bring some peace to the kingdom.

I have a love/hate relationship with Maya. For the most part, I truly enjoy her as a protagonist. She had this strength about her, that was somewhat empowering. Nearly everyone in her kingdom hated her or feared her, yet she didn’t let it get to her. It was great to see her stand up for herself. As the novel goes on, we get to find out who Maya truly is and she becomes even stronger. However, at times I felt like Maya’s voice shifted and she started acting and thinking, younger than she seemed to be. It was like she was a child all of a sudden.

I didn’t seem to care for the other characters in The Star-Touched Queen. There wasn’t the connection that I love to have with side characters, especially if they have interactions with the protagonist.

The romance was lacklustre for me. I didn’t feel much of a connection and I felt that it was totally insta-love. Amar is, I don’t know how to explain him. I am not totally sure that I liked him as a character per say, but I did, however, enjoy finding out his story. As The Star-Touched Queen went on, I was able to see the chemistry and tried to get over the ‘insta-love’ vibe that it was giving me.

Now to talk about the plot – the first half of the book I was good, everything seemed to flow and make sense. And then part two happen and I had no idea what was going on. It was like the whole novel changed and I was totally confused. The reader is thrown into this whole different world and we aren’t really given an explanation until the end. Even then things weren’t really explained.

In saying all this Roshani Chokshi writing in The Star-Touched Queen is absolutely stunning. I was swept away in the words and sentences that are beautifully weaved together. It’s such a different atmosphere in YA, but it was perfectly done. The world of The Star-Touched Queen is variant and colourful and that is how I felt the writing was as well. They bonded together so well.

In terms of world-building, like the plot, I was a little confused. At the start, I was able to understand what was happen, where we were and how the world worked. But when I got into part two, I was again confused.

The Star-Touched Queen is one of the first, if not the first book that I have read on Indian mythology and I enjoyed it. I love history and the concepts of mythology so it was great to dive into this diverse world that not many people talk about.

Overall, I liked The Star-Touched Queen. It’s not my favourite book out there, but it’s defiantly not my most hated. The concept was interesting, Maya was intriguing and the writing was exquisite. I was swept up into a world of magic and finding out who you really are. And although I was slightly confused, I would want to read more into this world and books from Roshani Chokshi.

Have you read The Star-Touched Queen? Did you like it? Did you have the same problems as me? Are you planning to read it? Let’s Chat!

Book Review: Heartless by Marissa Meyer – Blog Tour

Nov 21, 2016

Heartless by Marissa Meyer

Pages: 464
Publish date: 8th November 2016
Publisher: Pan Australia
ISBN: 1925479471
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

A girl who has a talent for cooking magical confections that can alter a person’s emotions catches the eye of the King of Hearts, who wants her for his bride. She will do anything to avoid this fate, particularly as she finds herself falling in love with the mysterious new court jester…

Heartless:

I received an arc of Heartless by Marissa Meyer from Pan Macmillan Australia in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

When I heard that Marissa Meyer was writing an Alice in Wonderland retelling, I was excited. I had high hopes for Heartless because The Lunar Chronicles are one of my favourite science fiction/retelling series. However, my expectations were not exceeded. At all.

Heartless follows protagonist Catherine, who loves baking and making confectionaries. But, when she catches the eye of the King of Hearts – she wants out. She will do anything, but marry him including falling in love with his court jester. When everything starts to fall on top on Catherine, she must choose between following her heart or doing what is ‘right’.

To say that I am disappointed with Heartless would be an understatement. It took me nearly a month to read through it and that’s very rare for me – I could never get into it. Most of the time I was bored and by the end of the book, I was rushing to finish the book. I didn’t want to DNF it hoping that it would get better, that something will spark in the book for me.

The whole book I didn’t connect with Catherine at all. I found her selfish and even childish at time. Half of the book was her complaining about her life and what she has to do. However, I understand that she wanted to be her own person and wanted to own her bakery. And I commend her on that but, she acted like a three-year-old when she didn’t get her way. Nevertheless, I did like when she stood up for herself.

I did really like the cooking parts of Heartless. I love cooking myself, so being able to see this in a book was fun and exciting. The food was described remarkably well and left me hungry.

After finishing Heartless I am still not sure why she doesn’t like the King of Hearts. Yes, he is a little strange and not very ‘manly,’ but there aren’t reasons why she despises him. From the get go, she has no intention of marrying him, and acts like him is a disease. If Heartless was contemporary, I might not have this problem. However, it’s set up like the 1800’s when people married up, so it was hard to get through.

I also wasn’t a massive fan of the romance in Heartless. It was unquestionably instalove. They see each other once and she already wants to be with him. In saying that I really enjoyed Jest as a character. He was charismatic, magical and knew the right things to say. I enjoyed getting to know him.

One of the things that I loved about the Lunar Chronicles was the friendships – they were exceptional. However, in Heartless that was not the case. Obliviously this a different story, but friendships are so important in books for me. And even though there was somewhat some, it was enough. There was no spark.

I did, however, love the world of Heartless. It was everything that you could imagine an Alice in Wonderland retelling would be. I loved all the hints to the original world. The characters, who they would become, sayings and everything in between. There were parts that put a smile on my face. I loved that it was effortlessly intertwined with one another.

Nevertheless, I felt that Heartless was too long. With over 450 pages, I was bored at times. There were some good scenes here and there, but I felt that everything else was filler. Yet, I really enjoying the last 100 pages or so.

The ending of Heartless was intense. I didn’t know what was going to happen next or who was going to die. Catherine went from being Lady Pinkerton to being the Queen of Hearts.

Overall, I liked Heartless. Although, my expectations were not achieved. Heartless is about love, betrayal and finding out who you are. Heartless is about believing in yourself and becoming who you are destined to be.

Have you read Heartless? What did you think of it? Are you going to read it? Have you read Marissa Meyer’s other books? Let’s Chat!