Almost Sweeter Than Fiction: June 2013

Sunday 30 June 2013

Review: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

By: unknown on Sunday, June 30, 2013

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Published by: Henry Holt and CO

Released: June 5th, 2012

Hardcover, 356 pages

Reviewed by Angela

The Shadow Fold, a swathe of impenetrable darkness, crawling with monsters that feast on human flesh, is slowly destroying the once-great nation of Ravka.

Alina, a pale, lonely orphan, discovers a unique power that thrusts her into the lavish world of the kingdom’s magical elite—the Grisha. Could she be the key to unravelling the dark fabric of the Shadow Fold and setting Ravka free?

The Darkling, a creature of seductive charm and terrifying power, leader of the Grisha. If Alina is to fulfill her destiny, she must discover how to unlock her gift and face up to her dangerous attraction to him.

But what of Mal, Alina’s childhood best friend? As Alina contemplates her dazzling new future, why can’t she ever quite forget him?

Glorious. Epic. Irresistible. Romance.

Review: (May contain spoilers)

I've picked this up before and...well I put it down again. That's probably one of the worst mistakes I've made before. I was actually in a car when I started reading this and I was pretty much about to puke but the DARKLING. Something about evil dudes just attract me, you know? Mysterious, sexy but damn right evil. Okay maybe they're not ALL 100% evil but still.

Alina was a pretty badass character to read about, with her being the Sun Summoner and all. She grew from that weak, pale, girl to what she has become at the end of the book. I have to admit Mal wasn't a very interesting person to read about. Yes, he's sweet and all that but...that's all. The Darkling was a way more complex, layered character.

Learning about the different Grisha was really interesting. Heartrenders, Healers, Squallers, Tidermakers are some of the types of Grisha. They wear different coloured keftas depending on who they are. Genya, a Tailer is a rare but unimportant Grisha but who is also Alina's first friend at the Little Palace.

The plot was brilliant, though I was pretty confused at what the Shadow Fold was at the beginning. It kind of reminded me of Graceling, where some people are born with special powers, in this case they're called the Grisha. Shadow and Bone was one of those books that has you on the edge of your seat the whole time, desperate to know what happens next, giving you no choice but to finish it in one sitting.

5/5 stars :D

Review: Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson

By: unknown on Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Published by: Harper Collins

Released: July 3rd, 2012

eBook, Hardcover, 292 pages

Reviewed by Angela

Before Peter Pan belonged to Wendy, he belonged to the girl with the crow feather in her hair. . . .

Fifteen-year-old Tiger Lily doesn't believe in love stories or happy endings. Then she meets the alluring teenage Peter Pan in the forbidden woods of Neverland and immediately falls under his spell.

Peter is unlike anyone she's ever known. Impetuous and brave, he both scares and enthralls her. As the leader of the Lost Boys, the most fearsome of Neverland's inhabitants, Peter is an unthinkable match for Tiger Lily. Soon, she is risking everything—her family, her future—to be with him. When she is faced with marriage to a terrible man in her own tribe, she must choose between the life she's always known and running away to an uncertain future with Peter.

With enemies threatening to tear them apart, the lovers seem doomed. But it's the arrival of Wendy Darling, an English girl who's everything Tiger Lily is not, that leads Tiger Lily to discover that the most dangerous enemies can live inside even the most loyal and loving heart.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Peaches comes a magical and bewitching story of the romance between a fearless heroine and the boy who wouldn't grow up.

Review: (May contain spoilers)

Oh man. The feels for this book is enough to drown me. Right before I started reading this, I prepared myself to be sobbing at the end. Too bad that preparation wasn't enough.

An interesting part of this book was that it was told from Tinker Bells eyes, though she wasn't a main character. Through Tink's eyes, you could see what was happening and the minor things, too. Tink is very observant, often looking into people and knowing how they feel.

Tiger Lily and Peter Pan's relationship was so sweet to read and when Peter Pan left Neverland, I wanted to punch him so, so badly. Tiger Lily is a very independent person, smart, brave and even better at hunting than the boys. Because of these reasons, she if often frowned upon in her village. She is also the Shaman's adopted daughter, she can't be treated too badly. Her marriage to Giant was horrible. That ugly, smelly stupid oaf. So when Peter Pans steps into her life, she took the chance and fell in love. And we all know how that ends. Not good.

Though the book is based on Peter Pan, it takes some of the parts and creates something new. You get to know some other parts, such as why the croc has a watch inside, or clock. The part I really didn't like about this books was Wendy. I know that's not a very good reason but SHE BUGS THE HELL OUT OF ME. Partly because she stole Peter Pan away from Tiger Lily, she had to come and ruin everything. And Peter Pan being the stubborn person he is, went along with it. Now I know why Tink hates Wendy. You go girl, pull all of her hair out.

Every character has depth, including Captain Hook. We all know him as the sadistic pirate but was he always like that? It tells of Hook's life before Neverland, his dreams of never growing old. Phillip, the Englander was basically like Christopher Columbus in my view. He comes to a new land and tries to convert everyone into being a Christian. Okay maybe Christopher didn't do that. I felt really bad for Tik Tok. How Phillip said he couldn't go to heaven, says he can't wear women clothing, has to cut his hair, blah blah blah, bullshit.

In addition to all those things, Tiger Lily is also beautifully written. Perfect pace and vivid imagery description, just the amount of dialogue between the characters. Ahhhhhh just perfection.

Review: Breathe by Sarah Crossan

By: unknown on Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Breathe by Sarah Crossan
Published by: Greenwillow

Released: October 2nd, 2012

Hardcover, 384 pages

Reviewed by Angela

The world has no air. If you want to survive, you pay to breathe. But what if you can't? And what if you think everything could be different? Three teens will leave everything they know behind in Sarah Crossan's gripping and original dystopian teen novel of danger, longing, and glimmering hope that will appeal to fans of Patrick Ness and Veronica Roth.

National Book Award Finalist Kathleen Duey called Breathe "An amazing story! Sit down. Inhale. Now, while you still can." Ever since the Switch, when the oxygen levels plummeted and most of humanity died, the survivors have been protected in glass domes full of manufactured air. Protected . . . or trapped? Or controlled? Alina's a revolutionary who believes we can save the environment. Quinn's a Premium who's never had to worry about having enough air. His best friend, Bea, is an Auxiliary who's never worried about anything but having enough air. When the three cross paths, they will change everything. Sarah Crossan's thrilling and provocative novel is about passion, about yearning for something better, and about breaking free for the very first time. The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books proclaims it an "action-packed dystopian series opener to watch out for."

(May contain spoilers)

Another dystopian. What can I say. I love dystopian books. But they seemed to get a bit repetitive. I needed one that was new and fresh. This book was not the best I've read. Too plain, not enough background and world building. This wouldn't be too memorable, it would be forgotten soon after. The plot itself is actually quite good. The author put another meaning in it which was the tree element. Letting us know how important they are. Oxygen, air is so natural we often forget about it. But what if we didn't have it? Such a simple thing can effect us so much. SAVE THE TREES. The whole book was like a train ride. A smooth train ride, without many bumps and hills along the way. Not much of a climax and super interesting parts.

Lets talk about the characters. None of them truly appealed to me. Alina and Quinn annoyed me the most. The way Alina treated Quinn, her decisions, just her personality wasn't too great and applause worthy. Now Quinn. Where do I start. I have a best friend who's a girl but I don't like her and I don't notice that she likes me either. Oh hot damn, that girl has a nice ass. I think I'll start liking her now. She treats me like crap but it's okay, I still like her. Now I notice Bea, so I guess I should kiss her. No, just no. Bea. She's not bad to be honest, but she's such a flat character I don't have much to say about her.

So summery of this book. Not too memorable, but hey, I finished it so that's good. It wasn't the best but fans of dystopian would like it. I'm not sure I'll read the next book but I'll keep an eye out.

3/5 stars

Review: Click to Subscribe by L.M. Augustine

By: unknown on Saturday, June 15, 2013

Click to Subscribe by L.M. Augustine

Published: May 9th, 2013

Ebook, 252 pages
Reviewed by Angela

1,135,789. That’s how many subscribers sixteen-year-old West Ryder has on his web vlog series. But he only has eyes for one of them.

As one of the internet’s most prestigious video bloggers, West talks about high school relationships under the name “Sam Green.” As far as he knows, no one from school, not even his best friend, Cat, has seen his videos. But the highlight of the whole thing is Harper Knight, who comments every day at exactly 2:02 in the afternoon. He doesn’t know anything about her aside from the occasional deep philosophical messaging on why pizza tastes so delicious, but as stupid as it sounds, he might be falling for her. So when they finally agree to meet in real life, West’s hope for romance seems more and more in reach. But that all changes as soon as he arrives at their meeting spot and sees Cat walking toward him, wearing the same “I <3 Sam Green” T-shirt Harper promised she’d have on.
To his alarm, West realizes he is falling in love with the best friend who has always been a sister to him.

Review: (May contain spoilers)

If you are looking for a fun, quick, sweet, light, summer read, then you’ve found the one. This book is all of those and even more. I know what you are thinking. It’s another one of those books where the best friends fall in love with each other. Well you are right. That is true. But this is not the typical best-friends-fall-in-love kind of books, something fresh and something you probably never read before. It feels so real, this world. L.M. Augustine really captured the friendship and romantic tension between the two characters. The author wrote the book in a way that you can relate to the characters even if you’ve never been in a position like them. You can understand many of the things that West did, even if they were not always correct. The ending was pretty predictable but that wasn’t the point. The point was how West developed as a person, realizing things he hadn’t before, forgiving or not quite someone, and moving on from his mother’s death. The dialogue between the people is so funny and realistic unlike some books. I highly recommend this, so funny and sweet.

4/5 stars