Harper Collins Australia Archives

Book Review: The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee

Oct 10, 2016

The Thousandth Floor

Pages: 437
Publish date: August 30th 2016
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 0008179972
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – Dymocks

Welcome to Manhattan, 2118.

A thousand-storey tower stretching into the sky. A glittering vision of the future, where anything is possible – if you want it enough.

A hundred years in the future, New York’s elite of the super-tower lie, backstab and betray each other to find their place at the top of the world. Everyone wants something… and everyone has something to lose.

As the privileged inhabitants of the upper floors recklessly navigate the successes and pitfalls of the luxury life, forbidden desires are indulged and carefree lives teeter on the brink of catastrophe. Whilst lower-floor workers are tempted by a world – and unexpected romance – dangling just out of reach. And on the thousandth floor is Avery Fuller, the girl genetically designed to be perfect. The girl who seems to have it all – yet is tormented by the one thing she can never have.

So when a young woman falls from the top of the supertower, her death is the culmination of a scandal that has ensnared the top-floor elite and bottom-floor. But who plummeted from the roof? And what dark secrets led to her fall?

Friends will be betrayed and enemies forged as promises are broken. When you’re this high up, there’s nowhere to go but down…

The Thousandth Floor:

I received a review copy of The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee from Harper Collins Australia in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

I feel like I am in the minority regarding this book. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it. The concept of the world was fascinating and intriguing, and the plot pulled me in. However, the characters and points of view weren’t as strong.

The Thousandth Floor follows five protagonists, all from the same world of New York 2118 yet they all want something, and have something to lose. It’s a world where reputation, image and who your friends are means everything. The Thousandth Floor is the elite from Gossip Girl of the future.

When someone falls from the highest floor, we are thrown back to what lead up to it. Through the whole novel we ask how someone was able to floor, who was the person that fell. I liked the use of this concept – the reader already knows that someone is going to die, but we don’t know who. As we get to know the character we become more nervous as the novel goes on.

Although I was a fan of the way The Thousandth Floor was set out, I wasn’t a big fan of the five points of view. I felt that I was getting too many thoughts going on my head, too many stories to keep up with. In saying this, each voice was distinct and even without knowing who the reader is with, we are able to know who it is.

Avery Fuller genetically designed to be perfect, living on the thousandth floor seems to have everything, but she’s not. I really enjoyed Avery as a character, her arc was fantastic and as the novel goes on we see her grow, change and realise that she need to be perfect.

Eris Dood-Radson story is heartbreaking. She doesn’t know what to do, her whole life is flipped on its head and everything is falling to pieces. Eris was an easy character to get along with. At times I wanted to shake her, but most of the time I felt like she needed a hug.

Rylin Meyer is not from the elite, but is swept up into the world of luxury and romance. However, she is brought back to reality and is torn between doing what is right and what people are telling her to do. I truly enjoyed Rylin’s story, it was sweet and again heartbreaking at the same time. She is the girl from the wrong side of the tracks, taken on a magical adventure.

Watt Bakradi is a tech genius and is the holder of many secrets; most not his own. He is the eyes and ears. He knows everything about everyone. Watt was an interesting character, swept up into the world of the elite that is sometimes hard to get out of.

All Images are from Pinterest

Then we have Leda Cole, who has just came back from a rehabilitation centre and is hiding more than one thing. I disliked Leda a lot. I understand that she had some pretty horrible things going on it her life – but at times the way that she acted, just hit me the wrong way.

At times I felt like the story dragged along too much, and we wanted to know who it was that fell. But then everything else happened around it and it kept on getting further away.

Overall, The Thousandth Floor isn’t just about the glitz, glamour and the life about the elite. The reader is taken on a journey of family, friendship, heartbreak and death. We delve into the minds of young adults in 2118 – where not everything has changed.

There is so much more I could talk about, but I am going to leave it there. Have you read The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee? Did you like it? Are you planning on reading it? 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: Flawed by Cecelia Ahern

Jul 24, 2016

Flawed by Cecelia Ahern

Pages: 402
Publish date: April 2016
Publisher: Harper Collins Australia
ISBN: 9780008126360
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

Celestine North lives a perfect life. She’s a model daughter and sister, she’s well-liked by her classmates and teachers, and she’s dating the impossibly charming Art Crevan.

But then Celestine encounters a situation in which she makes an instinctive decision. She breaks a rule and now faces life-changing repercussions. She could be imprisoned. She could be branded. She could be found Flawed.

Flawed:

I received a review copy of Flawed by Cecelia Ahern from Harper Collins Australia in exchange for an honest review, this has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

I have seen this book around for a while, however I am not the biggest fan of dystopian, and I’ve just not had the best luck with it, so picking it wasn’t high on my list. In saying all this, I quite enjoyed Flawed and cannot wait to read the sequel.

Flawed follows Celestine North as her perfect life turns on its head. An instinctive decision changes everything Celestine knew, and what people thought of her. She breaks a rule of this new world and has to suffer the consequences.

I enjoyed Celestine as a protagonist, but I didn’t love her. She lives in a world where she is seen as perfect, where you are punished for sometimes simple mistakes. She has a notion of how the world works and she cannot see otherwise. However, as the Flawed goes on she witnesses a different side to this world and her opinions change.

I loved seeing Celestine grow, her character development was something that I adored about the book and cannot wait to see where she goes. Like I said at times she could be naïve and all I wanted to do was scream – however I understood why.

What happens to her is horrible and my heart broke. She now lives a very different life and she doesn’t have too many people on her side. I did want to see her a little more vulnerable though, Cecelia Ahern could have taken that a little further.

One of the things that I loved about Flawed was the family relationship. It’s not every day that you see a good family bond, especially in YA, so I loved seeing it. Her parents; if I could hug them, I would – they were brilliant. They stood by her and did as much as they could.

I loved seeing the interactions between them all; at times the younger members of the family were a bit…I don’t even know how to explain it, supportive, but it overall the relationship was okay.

Another thing I loved about Flawed was the world – I was fascinated, intrigued; it was a horrible world where people get published for the most simple of things, but it was done so well.

If you have done wrong, you are tried and if found guilty you are punished by a branding, an F. There are five brand placements and each mean a different thing;

The temple, for bad decisions.

The tongue, for lying.

The right palm, for stealing from society.

Over the heart, for disloyalty to the guide.

And

The sole of the right foot, for stepping out of line with society.

Apart from the branding they are treated like outcasts. They have to follow certain rules, they cannot live a normal life – they are flawed.

The romance in Flawed wasn’t exactly my favourite and we don’t see too much of it. At the start of the novel she is with Art Crevan, it seemed like a stable relationship, however I didn’t feel the spark. I felt like there was something missing.

Then there is Carrick and we don’t see too much of him, but Celestine feels something and she is intrigued and pulled into his direction.

Cecelia writing in Flawed was great, it was easy to read and follow. The world building was done okay, however at times I was confused because there was a lot of characters to follow.

Overall, Flawed was an intriguing read. With a world that marks people for being flawed and follows a system that is flawed itself, a protagonist that needs to hold on, Flawed is a captivating read and I cannot wait for more.

Have you read Flawed yet? Did you enjoy it? Are you going to read it? Have you read read any other Cecelia Ahern books? Let’s Chat.