ARC Book Review Archives - Page 6 of 9

Book Review: Any Other Girl by Rebecca Phillips

Dec 23, 2015

Any Other Girl by Rebecca Phillips

Pages: 272
Publish date: January 26th 2016
Publisher: Kensington
ISBN: 1617738832
Purchase: Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

After a disastrous, reputation-destroying party at the end of junior year, Kat Henley has a new plan. When it comes to boys—especially other people’s boys:

Don’t touch.
Don’t smile.
Don’t charm.

In the past, drawing attention to herself helped distract people from what really makes Kat different—having two gay parents. But it’s also cost her friendships. Kat can’t afford to lose any more of those, especially not her cousin, Harper. They’re spending one last summer together at the lake, where they run into an intriguing newcomer named Emmett Reese. After years of trying to prove she’s just like everybody else, Kat has found someone who wants her because she’s not. A boy who could be everything she wants too—if Harper hadn’t liked him first…

Any Other Girl:

I was received an e-arc of Any Other Girl by Rebecca Phillips by Kensington Books in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feeling about the book.

I didn’t realise that when I asked to review Any Other Girl that I have already read a book by Rebecca Phillips, it wasn’t until I started reading that I noticed that the writing style and characters was similar to something that I have read before – and then it clicked. Rebecca Phillips is the author to Faking Perfect which I read at the start of the year and I enjoyed. You can check out my review for that here.

Once I figured out that I had previously read a book by the author, I was even more excited to read Any Other Girl, but I didn’t like it as much as I like Faking Perfect. However I still did like it.

Our protagonist, Kat Henley has a reputation – one that she doesn’t realise she has but after a disaster of a party at the end of her junior year she has a plan. A plan that when it comes to boys, especially those that aren’t hers:

Don’t touch.

Don’t smile.

Don’t charm.

Kat doesn’t mean to flirt, it’s just in her nature. She likes to draw attention to herself so they don’t pay attention to what makes Kat different – having two gay parents. But this has come at a price and Kat has finally had enough. She cannot lose anyone else.

I truly loved Kat. She was out there, had a pretty amazing style and didn’t care what people thought about her, but then she realised that her over friendly manner of treating boys, was also losing her friends.

Kat is the type of person that loves to touch, but not in a bad way. It’s how she shows her affection, even if it’s just a friend. She holds this presence that has most boys falling on their feet and makes those with girlfriends feel uncomfortable. She doesn’t mean to do this, it just happens and she loses many people because of this.

The reader gets to see Kat grow so much throughout Any Other Girl and that is what I loved most. The character development of Kat was incredible throughout. The readers can see her smile, break down, fall and get back up.

I truly loved most of the characters in Any Other Girl. I loved Kat’s parents. Her Dads were just awesome. Harper her cousin who is also going through some stuff of her own, was sweat – I enjoyed her.

Emmett. I have a love/ hate relationship with him. He is charming and nice but there was parts where I want to hit him across the head. He tires so hard to live Harper but it just doesn’t work and I understand that but when he keeps on pushing Kat, I just wanted to yell.

Any Other Girl is a heart-felt novel that deals with, self-image and what it means it be you. How trying to someone isn’t why people love you. First love and how it doesn’t also run smoothly. And what it’s like to carry burdens for those we love, even if it means being someone else.

Any Other Girl deals also with what it’s like to be a teenage with two gay parents – how it can hurt the child just as much, maybe even more with how awful some people can be in the world.

I quite liked Rebecca Phillips writing, it’s easy to read and understand but is also beautiful and tell a strong story. Phillips is excellent at capturing the life of a teenage, and how they thing and feel.

I really enjoyed Any Other Girl. It’s a beautiful novel that takes us on a journey through thick and thin, what it’s like to be family and teaches us to be ourselves.

Book Review: An Inheritance of Ashes by Leah Bobet

Sep 14, 2015

An Inheritance of Ashes by Leah Bobet

Pages: 336
Publish date: October 6th 2015
Publisher: Clarion Books
ASIN: B00QPIO73M
Purchase: Amazon UK – Amazon US

The strange war down south—with its rumors of gods and monsters—is over. And while sixteen-year-old Hallie and her sister wait to see who will return from the distant battlefield, they struggle to maintain their family farm.

When Hallie hires a veteran to help them, the war comes home in ways no one could have imagined, and soon Hallie is taking dangerous risks—and keeping desperate secrets. But even as she slowly learns more about the war and the men who fought it, ugly truths about Hallie’s own family are emerging. And while monsters and armies are converging on the small farm, the greatest threat to her home may be Hallie herself.

An Inheritance of Ashes

I received a copy of An Inheritance of Ashes by Leah Bobet in exchange for a review from Clarion Books via NetGalley. This has no way influenced what I think of the book.

An Inheritance of Ashes is one of those slow burning books. It takes a while to get to the main action, however I think it worked in its favour. It is such a beautiful book, the writing is captivating and the storyline is quite interesting.

I love my fantasy books, if you didn’t know that by now and An Inheritance of Ashes is a fantasy book that is quite enjoyable.

It’s really hard to explain what An Inheritance of Ashes is about without giving too much away and confusing you. The storyline isn’t that confusing, but trying to explain it might be.

An Inheritance of Ashes follows sixteen-year-old protagonist, Hallie and her sister Marthe who are trying to maintain their family farm while a strange war is ending. Marthe is pregnant and awaiting the return of her husband and as time goes on she is losing hope. Hallie hires a veteran as an extra pair of hands to help with the farm, on the other hand everything isn’t what it seems.

In reality I quite enjoyed Hallie as a character as she was fun to read about, nevertheless I felt like there was this disconnection between her and the story. I don’t know why, I felt that she was somewhat bland in a way. I enjoyed reading her, but I felt that she had no real character arc. She rather stayed the same the entire book.

Marthe, I have a love/hate relationship with her. I understand that she is pregnant and she doesn’t know if the father of her baby will ever be back, but gosh she was mean. I truly hated the way that she treated Hallie, like she was nothing. That she could boss her around and nothing came from it. It was all too much for me. I wanted to give her a slap across the head. And towards the end when she finds out what Hallie is keeping from her – holy moly – like seriously. I couldn’t stand it. But then I realised what she was going through, what she had gone through and it made me sympathise with her a little bit.

I felt that the world building lacked… a lot. I was so confused at times to what was going on. Then there are these ‘Twisted things’ that just pop up and aren’t given any explanation of what they are and what they do. Also the war with the gods was confusing. I was asking all these questions and the answers didn’t come clear. Who are these gods? What are these gods? Why are they fighting these gods? Some answers at the end of the book, but I was still confused about the world.

I really enjoyed the romance. It was the slow burning kind and that is nice to see in a young adult book. Normally everything is all rushed and it’s so unrealistic. But it was really well done.

I overall enjoyed the book, I didn’t love it and I didn’t ate it. I thought that it could have been done better and that would have made it a truly wonderful fantasy read. The characters weren’t very likable but you didn’t hate them all. If you are looking for a quick fantasy read; then you might want to try An Inheritance of Ashes.

Have you read An Inheritance of Ashes? What did you think of it? Are you going to read it?

Book Review: Anya and The Shy Guy by Suze Winegardner

Jul 14, 2015

Anya and the Shy Guy by Suze Winegardner

Pages: 200
Publish date: July 14 2015
Publisher: Entangled: Crush
ASIN: B00ZOGRDD2
Purchase: Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

It’s always the quiet ones…

Anya Anderson doesn’t just need a big break, she needs any break. Living on the streets doesn’t leave a girl many options, so when she scores a gig reporting on the Seconds to Juliet tour, she jumps at the chance to earn enough money to sleep somewhere safe. And the paycheck will get bigger—and keep her off the streets for good—if she can dig up dirt on Will Fray, the irritatingly hot “shy guy” of the band.

Problem is, Will Fray isn’t who everyone thinks he is. In fact, he’s not Will at all. Matt, Will’s identical twin, is actually the guy onstage, reluctantly covering for his brother while he’s in rehab. To make matters worse, Matt’s being shadowed by a cute reporter with troubled eyes determined to get the scoop. On him. And he’s having trouble finding the willpower to keep his distance…

But if the secret gets out, it won’t just be his head on a platter—it’ll be the whole band’s.

Anya and The Shy Guy:

I received an e-arc of Anya and the Shy Guy by Suze Winegardner from Entangled Publishing: Crush via NetGalley in exchange for a review, this has in no way influenced my thoughts on the book in any way.

This is the 4th Book in the Backstage Pass Series from Entangled Publishing: Crush, and the 3rd book I have read in this series. I missed reading the 3rd in the series somehow, but I will get to it hopefully soon. From all the books that I have read in the series, Anya and the Shy Guy is probably my favourite. It may have to do with the fact that I started reading it before I headed to the 5 Seconds of Summer concert and finished it when I was home.

Anya the female protagonist of Anya and the Shy Guy was someone that I really enjoyed reading. I don’t know what it practically was, but I liked being in her perspective on her journey finding more about herself and the people around her. Anya has suffered more than enough; being homeless since she was fifteen and not really have knowledge of the ‘outside’ world, so when she goes on tour with Second to Juliet she struggles.

Anya has been hired by a magazine to dig some dirt on Will Fray the ‘shy guy’ from Seconds and Juliet, but there is a problem. One big problem, Will Fray isn’t, Will Fray it’s his identical twin Matt.

Matt (the male protagonist) is taking Will’s spot in the band while he is in rehab recovering from pain killer abuse. Matt is quite similar to Will except for one thing – his not shy. While Matt struggles to act like Will would, react when he hears ‘Will’ and remember the words of the songs that he has to sing on stage nearly every night, he must also keep his identity not only from his band members, but their manager and now, Anya.

Like Anya, I really enjoyed Matt in Anya and the Shy Guy. He was interesting and mysterious, but also the reader is able to see him break down, as the pressure starts to build.

I enjoyed the writing style of Suze Winegardner in Anya and the Shy Guy, more than the other books in the series. It was more refreshing and didn’t have too many cliché responses like the other books. There were still some here and there, but I found it more toned down from the other books.

Furthermore, I really enjoyed the banter between Anya and Matt. While they tried to shy away from each other because of all the secrets that they both hold, they are drawn to each other and they both have to do their jobs. Anya find some dirt of Will Fray and Matt has to keep his brother being in rehab a secret.

The romance like the other books in the series moves fast. If you don’t like fast moving romance, then Anya and the Shy Guy might annoy you. But If you don’t mind a fast past plot and romance, then I am sure you will love it. I am not the biggest fan of fast moving romances, but occasionally I just need a cliché romance.

I loved seeing the other boys throughout the book and it’s awesome to see the interaction of the boys from different perspectives. What the boys think of each other, how the different girls seem them together. It’s fun and different.
I also like the friendships that build throughout the book. It creates the book into something that isn’t solely focused on the love side of it but Anya and the Shy Guy has a combination of friendship, family and love.

If you like a fun, fast paced, but emotional read that will have you screaming and giggling at times, then Anya and the Shy Guy is the book that you need. Suze Winegarnder’s writing style is clever and entertaining, while her characters and plot keep the reader engaged.