Splintered by A.G Howard | A Review | #reviewfriday

If I were to say Alice in Wonderland what would you think of? A cute blonde girl and her little adventure? Well brace yourself because A.G Howard  is going to change (perhaps, forever) the way you think of it.

Splintered by A.G Howard

Title: Splintered

Author: A.G Howard

Genres:  Young adults, fantasy, romance.

So, a few days ago I was watching videos of people's library tours and, among the sea of books in this girl's library, one captured my attention: Splintered.

So I went and looked for it on Goodreads and read the plot. It took me a few times to understand it but when I got it I rushed to get the book. What can I say? I love original and weird things and this book is definitely both. 

Now that I talked about my first impression let's get to the real stuff, shall we?

• The story is original even if the author took a very well known story.
• This book is full of details like every good written book should be.
• The characters have defined personalities and are not dull.
• Romance and fantasy are well balanced and make you crave for more, more and more.
• It is a mind blow until the very last page and will make you want to devour the other two books in no time. (like I'm doing now)

Alyssa’s character can be really hard to get and makes many mistakes of that make her seem like any other human. That’s normal, you would say, but if you pay attention you’ll notice that the author probably spent a good amount of his time studying how a peoplewould react, what decisions they would make or hoe they would express their emotions. And so it is for every other character in story.

That’s probably one my favourite parts in a supernatural or fantasy story, when the writers create surreal creatures and think them through: details, behaviour and culture included; creating new worlds that will make you stick your nose between the pages and never get up to study or work.

So if you decide to read this book you’ll notice that some characters are really hard to understand and, until the very end, you will not understand what is going on in their little brains.

The writing style is very lucid yet intricate but if you’re not a native English  speaker or you have just started reading in English, then I suggest you keep Google Translate or Wordreference as your reading buddy. To be honest, in certain scenes I was confused and had to read the them a few times to understand what was happening, not because I didn’t understand the words but because a few points weren’t crystal enough. If you’re a native speaker or are already comfortable with the language you can just chill in your cozy seat and enjoy this good read.

All I’m going to say about the end is that left me surprised and honestly I expected it to end in a very different way but I understand the author’s decision and I am satisfied with it because not everything can happen in the first book.
Personally I ship Alpheus (Alyssa and Morpheus) and I really recommend you this fantastic book.

My rating is 4 / 5

About the reviewer

The name's Naila, I'm a reader, fangirl and Wattpad writer. I'm from Italy and have an endless list of fictional husbands. One of my hobbies is creating ship names. You can find me on Instagram, Wattpad, and Goodreads 

If you also want to contribute to our community through articles,short stories,  reviews e.t.c about books please click on the guest writer tab above. 

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The Selection Series by Kiera Cass | Flash Review

The Selection series by Kiera Cass consists of a trilogy centered around the protagonist America Singer and then a duology following it which focuses on her daughter. Today, I will be focussing on just America's story.

The Selection trilogy by Kiera Cass

Something I really loved about this series was how well the love triangle was written and how well the angst was portrayed. I could completely empathise with America, Maxon and Aspen. The first book was where Cass's talent really shone and it's my favourite among the three. The second book was good, the plot progressed and so did character development. But, book three was a huge letdown.

The theme of death was not handled well. Everything was too rushed. The plot just fell apart. The ending and the explanation was so boring, it made me feel betrayed. I felt that all the build up was for nothing. I almost threw the book away in frustration.

If you are looking for a good romance with a strong love triangle, then I recommend this series. But, if you want a lot of action, twists and turns, then this is not the book series for you.

I rate the first two books four stars together and the third book two stars. I gave it two stars because all the characters were well written.

So, average rating for the series is: 3/5

Which as the last book you finished?
For me it was The Confession by John Grisham. Currently, I'm reading The One by Sarah Crossan.

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#Junkie - Gear Shark Series #Review Friday

Hello Folks, this is me Hira and I have with me a new book with me for this week's #reviewfriday!

 I know that many of you guys have been waiting excitedly for a new gay romance after Inia's review of Escapede and I might just have something you would like.

Title: #Junkie

Author: Cambria Hebert

Genre: MM romance

Gearshark series is a spin off from Cambria's  Hastag series and Junkie is the first book from it. I am sure a lot you guys must be familiar with Hashtag series. But  don't worry if you are not, the story can be read as separate...I myself read Hashtag series only after I finished this one.

Before I talk about the book, as usual let me explain how I came across it. One word-Zoe. I was lounging at her place, talking random stuff and then suddenly she pulls out this cover. At first I couldn't believe it was a book cover (she was showing me the kindle version). The cover looked so good and I felt that it was so innovative. Notice how the title GS kinda resembles GQ? I think this one deserves a place in cover love, right guys?

Anyway back to my story, I was fascinated by the cover. But not fascinated enough to actually read it- I was swamped with work and had a huge list of books to finish off. But then she bursts it to me that it was an MM romance. I was further intrigued but still vary because I didn't often like the way gay romances were portrayed in mainstream books. But my decision changed the moment she revealed that it was a college frat boy romance. It had been exactly what I had been in the mood for. So I put aside my work and decided to lose myself in this one (I regretted that later but still it was so worth it.) 

Drew Forrester is an Indie car racer about to make it big in the racing world. He lives for the adrenaline, the head rush of a race. His veins are filled with oil not blood.  Trent Mask is the president of  Alpha Omega, and Drew's best friend. But is that all he is? The story starts with them as best friends but soon it becomes evident that both of them want something more, but the world around them might not be the  most accepting one.

Trent lived with his brothers in the frat house, to admit that he is gay even to himself takes him the longest time. And then the other dilemma, the only man he had ever loved, could Drew ever return his feelings? Things get even more complicated as the sexy daughter of Drew's new sponsor arrives on the scene. Trent knows she is everything Drew likes...or is she?

To be honest I read the story expecting a lot of angst and turmoil, but found it overall very chill. Neither Trent nor Drew have the stereotypical gay image- with one being a Footballer and Frat President and the other being the fastest racer on the Indie track.

At some portions, I found the story dragging because the author was overcompensating with explanations. I also felt there was also an information dump at some points. But that said, this is Ms Hebret's first MM romance and Zoe tells me that she has never read nor written anything of this genre prior to #Junkie.  If that't true then kudos to her, because while it might not be the best MM romance I have read, it still managed to create an impact on me. The author managed to make me invested in the story of Trent and Drew. 

I think this is the perfect kind of book to pass time during a long journey, or when you are jobless or when you have job but wants to procrastinate (the last one is me). Also warning- #Junkie is not a standalone. It's second and third parts are also out, so you won't have to worry of cliffhangers. 

Rating:  3/5

I hope you have fun reading it...tell me about it after you have finished. Also, have a great weekend folks...I know I am gonna sleep my way through mine :P

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Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo | A Review | #reviewfriday

At first, I was going to do a review of just Crooked Kingdom, then I thought why not include Six of Crows too. Since it's a duology it will be easier to compare and review the books(Oh yes, I'm going to compare them).

Title: Six of Crows, Crooked Kingdom

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Genre: Epic Fantasy

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone...

A convict with a thirst for revenge.

A sharpshooter who can't walk away from a wager.

A runaway with a privileged past.

A spy known as the Wraith.

A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes. 

Kaz's crew are the only ones who might stand between the world and destruction—if they don't kill each other first.

I am not icluding the blurb of the second book because I don't want to spoil the stoy for you.

Where should I start? The cover? Duh. I design book covers for a living, It's the first thing I notice in a book and often it's the reason why I buy books. Most of the time I buy books falling hard for the covers (despite others warning me that I won't like the story) and end up getting disappointed. But, this turned out to be a different case entirely. The cover was beautiful, the details gorgeous. I love how the cover is so symbolic. 

I am not a big fan of the font, but it's okay. I found the hardcover version with its white font better looking than its counterpart with the red font. As for the book, Six of Crows ended up setting a new benchmark for me. It's hard for me to enjoy other books now, because I know how great a story and its writing could be now. It's like being a peasant after having been a King. 

Leigh's writing is subtle, nothing is in your face, not the emotions, not the characters and definitely not the plot. I feel like the characters are independent and do whatever they want. They do not hold back on account of repulsing the reader. I know I'm talking as if they are real, but the way the six of them are written, they feel very real. I like the fact that they do not do a monologue on how unfair life has been to them, how fate toys with them and how they are being downtrodden by the powerful. They don't curse fate, they bargain with it. They overcome insurmountable odds to get what they want and they use their goddamn brains to do that and are not rescued by some super powerful characters that appear out of nowhere just for that.

The plot is brilliantly crafted in both books. I kept thinking "Oh no, they are done for this time" but they find ingenious ways to sail over that hurdle too. But their victory is never perfect. Someone always sacrifices something in order for them to stay alive. I love how the relationships progress with the story, it makes you root for them so hard. I ended up shipping everyone with everyone *grins*

I'm a very picky reader but Six of rows won me over so completely that now I keep recommending the book to everyone I meet. It's that good. You should definitely try it if you haven't.

I'm going to rate the books independently at the end, because one was stronger than the other.

Crooked Kingdom was my most awaited book of the year along with Magic Binds. I bought it the day it released and inhaled it in one sitting. It was so good and yet so sad. Sometimes I feel like I should have expected the ending, Then again it's Leigh Bardugo, anything can happen.

It took me a while to gather my thoughts after finishing it. Even though I really liked the book I could sense a tiny bit of disappointment in me. I wasn't content. The book was really well-written then why was I so disappointed. Then I realized, it was too perfect. I wanted the characters to suffer more before they achieved their final goal. I am a sadist, I know. Kaz and the others do suffer, and I am just nitpicking on the dtils, but I wanted them to fail more. They were too intelligent. This might probably be the first time, I am asking the characters to do more dumb stuff. 

The writing was really powerful, like the previous book. The descriptions well done (neither rare nor overcooked). And the task herculen as always. I guess I was only 94% satisfied because I was comparing it to Six of Crows, which was so great it ruined me for others.

You would probably understand how I feel when you look at my ratings.

Six of Crows- 5/5

Crooked Kingdom- 4.5/5

I think this the first time I have give a book five stars in this blog. Summing up, this is a duology I would definitely recommend. You will be missing out on a lot if you don;t give it try.

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Honeymoon in Paris by Jojo Moyes|| Review Friday

Before I begin, yes, I went back to Jojo Moyes. This novella was too cute to pass up. Honeymoon in Paris serves as a prequel to The Girl You Left Behind, and it is sugar,spice, and all things nice .

Title: Honeymoon in Paris

Author: Jojo Moyes

Genre:  Novella, historical-fiction, romance

This prequel does exactly what a good prequel should do; it sets up the back story of the characters presented in The Girl You Left Behind. We see the stories of two women, Sophie and Liv, united by the space they are in, and separated by a hundred years.

Set in the time preceding the first world war, Sophie is a provincial girl who is swept up in the glamour of Paris while still retaining her rustic charm. And it is exactly this quality that enamours her to the painter Edouard Lefevre. A whirlwind of a romance and a wedding later, they are blissfully enjoying their honeymoon phase.  A century later, in the contemporary age, we see Liv Halston and her husband David who have come to Paris for their honeymoon. We already see the parallels in the lives of these two women.


The twist in the tale happens when the women begin to doubt their relationship with their significant other, Sophie because of the entry of an ex-flame, and Liv because of her husband's excessive involvement in his work.

While Liv roams about in Paris all by herself, she comes across a painting of a seemingly irate wife, one that was painted by Edouard and featured Sophie. And it is this painting that causes both the women to rethink the state of their relationship.

A simple enough tale to predict the ending of, this novella's appeal lies in it's simplicity. The shifts between the past and the present are seamless and noteworthy.  The way reality is depicted to be 'real' and not always a bed of roses resonates through this work.

This is definitely one of those breezy, light reads but with enough substance to be remembered for more than just that. Honeymoon in Paris has definitely piqued my interest to read The Girl You Left Behind, though with the impending first world war as the setting, I am not sure if I should as angst is not my cup of tea. But perhaps, this one might be worth a shot.

Rating:5/5

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Fifty Shades Of Grey by E.L. James | Review | #reviewfriday

I am so excited to review this book finally.

Name: Fifty Shades Of Grey

Author: E.L. James

Genre: Erotic Romance

So, unless you live under a rock in a remote island, you would have definitely heard of the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy. The name itself might make some of you excited and the others shudder. Personally, I am in the category of people who cringe into the next century when I hear the name Fifty Shades of Grey. The trailer for the movie of the second part of the trilogy, Fifty Shades Darker, just got released and that gave me war flashbacks to the time I attempted to read the trilogy. Attempted is the operative word since I didn’t even make it to the end of the first book. In celebration of the trailer release, I have decided to make this week’s review a DNF one of Fifty Shades of Grey where I will be basically telling you guys why I didn’t manage to make it halfway through this notoriously hyped book.

Remember that time when you couldn’t go a day without hearing something about FSOG?  It was either in the news for breaking some sales record or the other or it was being discussed and pages from it being read aloud in interviews and talk-shows by celebrities, random people on the streets, politicians, you name it. Whenever I visited my favourite bookshops, there would always be about 10 copies of the book displayed in the front of the shop. Apparently they sold off like hot cakes. Okay then.

One day I decided I needed to know what all this hype was about and got hold of an e-book  version of FSOG.  I knew the author originally wrote the story as a fanfiction for Twilight. Now, I’m someone who lives and breathes fanfiction. I have read fanfictions that would put novels of established authors to shame. Some of the fanfictions are better written, have more thrilling plotlines, better humour and way better sex scenes than any published novels I have ever read. So I would never judge a book solely on the basis that it was initially written as a fanfiction. In fact, I would have supported the hell out of it. But FSOG is not a remotely supportable book, I’m sorry to say. I would go as far as to say that I’m ashamed of it ever being linked to my beautiful fanfiction world. It is fanfics-turned-books like these that give the vast amount of good fanfictions out there a bad name and reinforce all prejudices against them.  

   

The novel starts off unpromisingly. Meet the lovely (that’s sarcasm at its peak) protagonist, Ms. Anastasia Steel, damsel-in-distress extraordinaire. One paragraph into the book and I got tired of her whining and insecure ramblings. The fact that FSOG is written in the 1^st person doesn’t help matters either. It makes it feel like she is directly moaning to me about how unfair her life is. Keep in mind I hadn’t even finished the first chapter and I was already annoyed by the protagonist.  I prefer my protagonists to be strong, independent women who don’t need no man but I understand it’s a bit irrational to expect such women in erotic romance novels whose entire plot depend on the woman not being self-sufficient and needing a man for validation. But Ana becomes a particularly desperate specimen on her first meeting itself with the hero of the novel.

     

Meet Mr. Christian Grey, part-time business tycoon, part-time sexual-deviant and full time megalomaniac. Their chance meeting happens when Anastasia steps in for her friend, who had conveniently fallen ill, and agrees to conduct an interview with Mr. Grey for an article. Ana shows up for the interview in her full naive, hapless, bumbling glory and literally face-plants into his office. Smooth. Actually that was a smooth move because it probably triggered Mr. Grey’s saviour complex and immediately attracted him to his newest prey. He is definitely amused by Ana and gives her a leering once-over that makes her “flush crimson”. Their dynamics throughout the entire first meeting scene made alarm bells go off in my head. He makes her uncomfortable and awkward but she’s still completely enamoured by him. Why? Because he’s “freaking hot” and apparently that is enough of a redeemable quality for her to overlook how condescending and predatory he was throughout their first interaction. She’s insecure about her looks, her abilities, everything. She believes he’s superior to her in all aspects and seems about ready to lick his Gucci boots if he asked. The power imbalance that arises in such a situation provides the perfect backdrop for a spectacularly abusive relationship, which of course is what it ends up being.

 I made it to about 1/10^th of FSOG before I gave up. By then, the sexual tension between Ana and Christian had reached suffocating levels with all the intense stares he keeps giving her and her responding hot flushes. And he was becoming more and more of a patronizing jerk, well on his way to upgrading to an abusive boyfriend.

  

Before I waved the rest of the novel goodbye, I was curious enough to want to check up on the infamous sex scenes in the book; the sex scenes that had taken up the world by a storm and was apparently so hot people started taking tips from those to spice up their own sex lives. And.... I have no idea how people could stand to read it without cringing, let alone get actually turned on by this sorry excuse of an erotic novel. The sex scenes weren’t sexy, neither the scenarios nor the acts. The BDSM scenes, which are what made everyone go crazy, are so horrifically and incorrectly portrayed that these scenes bordered on being considered actual abuse. While practising BDSM, full consent and understanding between all parties involved is required with a complete knowledge of the risks and safety issues engaging in these sexual acts pose. Half of these requirements are NOT met in the BDSM scenes in the novel. Most of time Ana has no idea what’s going on and there are several instances of dubious consent throughout.   

   

You would think this book couldn’t get any worse. But wait, I haven’t yet mentioned what irked me most about FSOG. The language. It has a well-deserved place in my Top 5 Worst-Written Books of All Time list. E.L James’ writing induces the same feelings in me that fingernails on chalkboard would. I’m pretty sure Anastasia seemed more annoying than she really was because of the author’s ridiculously written dialogues and monologues. Most of E.L James’ descriptions and word usages were toe-curling(from embarrassment). She has given Anastasia a very limited vocabulary consisting of mainly 5 usages :  Holy, holy hell, oh my..., holy crap, holy shit. Riveting stuff, I know. These words are incorporated into every scene of every situation diligently. I have to hand it over to James for her ability to express wide-ranging emotions with just “holy hell”, though. “Holy hell, I have an assignment tomorrow”, “Holy hell, I am coming”, “Holy hell, someone I know just died”.  See, very effective. Most of the cringe-worthy dialogues come in during their sexy times. Allow me to quote a scene:  [“Does this mean you’re going to make love to me tonight, Christian?” Holy shit. Did I just say that? His mouth drops open slightly, but he recovers quickly.“No, Anastasia it doesn’t. Firstly, I don’t make love. I f**k… hard.] *APPLAUSE*

   

I can go on and on about every single thing wrong with Fifty Shades of Grey but I guess I better stop now. I hate this book with a passion even though I never completed it. I did watch the movie though (just for Jamie Dornan) and I am glad to say everything I mentioned in the review without fully reading the story did turn out to be true. Theirs is very much an abusive relationship, no matter how romanticised it is by some people. Fifty Shades of Grey is a terribly written book, with a terrible plot and terrible characters and I won’t recommend anyone ever read it.

Rating: TT/ 5

 (TT - Truly Terrible)

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Scarlett- A Gone with the Wind Sequel | A Review | #reviewfriday

                                “TOMORROW IS ANOTHER DAY.”

I remember sitting shocked as one of the best reads of my life ended like this. Never in a million years did I expect Margaret Mitchell to end the novel at such a cliffhanger. I was literally left gaping at the back cover of Gone with the Wind as Rhett left Scarlet. 

In an interview with Yank magazine, Mitchell later said that she had no clue of what happens after that. She quoted, "For all I know, Rhett may have found someone else who was less—difficult.” That messed me up even more. I couldn't imagine such an ending and was very very pissed, thus began my journey in search of a good sequel. I remember the hours spent surfing through fanfiction sites to no avail...and then came my hero. 

Super Dad to the rescue. He found me not one but two sequels!

The first one called Scarlett, was written by Alexandra Ripley and was more widely accepted and truth be told I found it a much better and believable sequel than the other one- Rhett Butler's People.

Book: Scarlett

Author: Alexandra Ripley

Genre: History, Romance Novel.

While the book noway near matches the original brilliance of Gone with the Wind, I very much felt that it was an brilliant attempt. The story starts off from where the first book ended and takes us back to Tara along with Scarlett. In the sequel, much of the story is told from Scarlett's point of view which goes a long way in making her a more likable character.

While old settings like Tara, Atlanta etc are revisited, Ripley also brings in a lot of new places and settings. Rhett's hometown of Charleston is brought to life as Scarlett chases after her lost husband in true Scarlett fashion. The novel also gives you a peek into Rhett's family and past life, something which Mitchell just glossed over in Gone with the Wind. Savannah is another place which comes to life under Ripley's pen-as Scarlett visits her mother's family there. New characters are introduced, new plot lines develop, romantic rivals for both Rhett and Scarlett emerge, unprecedented situations, unexpected friendships, misunderstandings and misgivings, the novel brings it all to the table.

*Spoilers Ahead*

With the new plot lines and characters, the novel also brings in much needed closure for characters like Ashley, Wade, Ella and even India. The book also introduces Scarelett as well as the readers to the Irish side of her family. She meets her great multitude of cousins in Savannah and learns more about her father's ancestry and heritage, ultimately she decides to visit Ireland to see her father's land.

The one thing I absolutely loved about the novel was 'Cat'. While I had found the character of Bonnie too selfish and self-centered (Like mother, like daughter), Cat was a combination of the best parts of Rhett and Scarlett. Also it is Cat that makes Scarlett grow up and makes her see the world with different eyes. Of all her kids, Cat's the only one who pulls out all the maternal instincts in Scarlett.  

The other major new character that is introduced is Fenton, (or I should say Lord Fenton.), an arrogant man whom at first reminds Scarlett of Rhett. Fenton soon becomes so enraptured with Cat and proposes marriage to Scarlett to have offspring's of the same caliber. While he is obviously a bigger cad than Rhett, I had almost wished for the marriage to happen because if anyone could take down Fenton a notch, it was Scarlett. Also I genuinely enjoyed the dynamic between him and Cat and somehow felt that he would have made her a good father. By then Rhett was already married and expecting a child so I had pretty much given up on a happy ending- so don't blame me for wanting Cat to have a great Dad.

While the beginning and the ending are both gripping, the novel fails to retain the reader's interest through the middle parts of the story. Scarlett's stint in Ireland is largely uninteresting. The novel is written though the course of almost five years, so a lot of things happen and at many times, the reader is pretty much left with a sense of hopelessness since the conflicts seem too un-resolvable. Rhett got remarried- I almost gave up right there (Glad I didn't though).

*Spoiler Ends*

I wouldn't say Scarlett is a perfect sequel, but it was good enough to give me the closure which I desperately needed. While the book did not receive much critical appreciation, it was certainly a commercial best seller and I can certainly see why it was so. If we do a comparison, Scarlett is eons ahead of Rhett Butler's People- which I can only describe as 'confusing' at best. Maybe I will talk about it some other time. But right now, for all the Gone with the Wind lovers, I would recommend Scarlett as a must read. It truly manages to hold onto the beauty of the old world which Mitchell created without losing the complex layers which made the prequel an evergreen novel.

Rating: 4/5

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Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden || Review Friday

I was having another one of my insomniac nights. My roommate was out of town and I had even gotten tired of Youtube. That was when I noticed  Memoirs of a Geisha lying on her table. It was not the first time I had noticed the book, but I had always put it in my to-be-read-sometime-in-the-future list. But that night, I took the book and turned the first page. When the sun came up, a golden glory of light on the horizon, I was still reading.

I wouldn't say Memoirs of a Geisha is perfect. I had a few problems with it, which I will list later. But, it is definitely one of the most page-turning books I have read in the past few months. Considering that I'm a fan of fast paced urban fantasy novels, the fact that a non-fantasy book gripped me so hard is a proof of its author's talent.

Title: Memoirs of a Geisha

Author:Arthur Golden

A literary sensation and runaway bestseller, this brilliant debut novel presents with seamless authenticity and exquisite lyricism the true confessions of one of Japan's most celebrated geisha.

In Memoirs of a Geisha, we enter a world where appearances are paramount; where a girl's virginity is auctioned to the highest bidder; where women are trained to beguile the most powerful men; and where love is scorned as illusion. It is a unique and triumphant work of fiction - at once romantic, erotic, suspenseful - and completely unforgettable

Notice that I haven't mentioned the genre, there is a reason which I will explain later.

Memoirs of a Geisha is rich in details, has a tight plot and a wide variety of characters that you can hate or empathize with. The writing is not extremely ornamental, but what amazes me is that it manages to capture each emotion, each character quirk, each detail of the kimono so perfectly. 

The author has made Sayuri, the lead protagonist, a character you can root for. Her ambitions, desires, worldview everything is interwoven into the story so deftly, that at no point of time you are left to wonder whether she is real or not.

Remember I had mentioned the genre. It's because when I read the translator's note, it made it appear as if the Arthur was just translating everything for Sayuri. But, in the acknowledgement section, the first line itself is that Sayuri is not real. I had some friends tell me that this is not a real memoir, but others are saying that it is actually based on a real person even though she wasn't credited. Even the blurb itself is confusing, they are saying it's a book of true confessions and in the same page they are saying it's a work of fiction. I am leaning towards the fiction side.

A problem I had with the book was that despite it being realistic in all other aspects, when it came to the hero it ended up being a cliche. He was too perfect. My heart broke for the second lead. I am not mentioning who they are because it is part of the climax and I don't want to deprive you of the suspense.

Excluding that single glitch this novel, for me, was a masterpiece. A novel I would proudly recommend to anyone.

Rating: 4.5/5

Woah, I think that's the highest rating I've given so far. 

So far I am at 58/100 in my reading goals. What about you? Which was the last book you read or is currently reading? Which is that one book you will recommend to anyone?

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An Abundance of Katherines by John Green || Review Friday

And I'm back with another John Green book! Why do I still keep going back to his books? Well, even though the last one turned out be a miss, I still appreciate the way he writes. And this did help in redeeming him from utter damnation in my eyes. (As you can see, dramatic is something I'm definitely not!) Let's get down to business now. 

Title: An Abundance of Katherines

Author: John Green

Genre: Young Adult

The book is aptly titled, for you do find too many Katherines to keep track of (19, to be exact), as Colin's 'type' of whom he finds attractive isn't just restricted to their hair colour or any other physical attrubute; his 'type' is a Katherine. All of his ex-girlfriends have been named Katherine. The story starts with him being dumped for the 19th time, perdictably, by the 19th Katherine aka K-19, and he decides to go on a road trip with his best friend Hassan to mend his broken heart. (Yes, road trips and realizations through said road trips feature a lot in Green's works. )

While at a pit stop, he and his friend somehow find themselves in a decrepit town called Gutshot. Then he ends up working for someone there, and falls in love with that person's daughter. And at least with this relationship, he has progressed alphabetically, for his new girlfriend's name starts with an L, Lindsey. And for Lindsey, he is the second Colin that she has had as a boyfriend.  (The other Colin does make a minor appearance though, and Colin and Hassan call him TOC- The Other Colin.) Oh, the irony of it all!

With the plot skeleton taken care of, let's now get to what actually makes this story interesting- math. Oh you heard that right, MATH! Colin is a child prodigy who loves anagramming, reading, and learning languages. Colin really wants to prove that he's not just a child prodigy, so he begins working on a big complicated math equation to figure out what went wrong with his relationships, and he calls it the Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability. (The math in here is real, people! There's even an appendix by mathematician  Daniel Bliss explaining all the mathematical formulae that Colin uses to come up with his theorem.) He tries to predict the future of his relationship with Lindsey with the theorem, but all that goes for a toss with the revelation that with K-3 (#3 Katherine), he was in fact, the dump-er and not the dump-ee.

Then comes the usual philosophical stuff, John Green style, with Colin realizing that  he doesn't have to really hold on to his prodigy status anymore, and that relationships can't be unraveled by logic.

The novel ends with Colin, Lindsey and Hassan driving off into the sunset. La Fin.

Do I like the book and will i recommend it? Well, it's definitely worth a read. It's engaging and a quick page turner, and leaves you satisfied in the end.

Rating:4/5

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Queen of Shadows (#4 Throne of Glass series) by Sarah J. Maas || Review Friday

Zoe here, and let me warmly welcome today's guest reviewer, the wonderful Isha. We had met on Pentatwine's Instagram through a mutual friend and we hit it off with a  common love for books. She is a huge Throne of Glass fangirl and is eagerly waiting for the fifth book in the series. So, she decided to write this review for all the Sarah J. Maas fans out there who are eagerly waiting for Empire of Storms. After reading this review, I'm convinced the next book is gonna be epic.

So, without further ado, I'm handing it over to her..

Title: Queen of Shadows

Series: Throne of Glass

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Genre: Epic Fantasy

Queen of Shadows is the fourth book in Sarah J. Maas’s awe-inspiring Throne of Glass series. Celaena Sardothien is back. And this time, not as Celaena, but as Aelin Ashryver Galathynius ( I finally learned how to pronounce it). Yes,she has finally embraced her identity as Aelin, the queen of Terassen.

In the previous book, Celaena received training from prince Rowan and finally mastered her powers. And that makes her even more powerful and badass. Word has spread that Aelin, more commonly referred to as the Fire-breathing Bitch Queen, is back.

The encounter between Chaol and Celaena was awesome – don’t accuse me of spoilers, everyone knew that was happening- and Chaol was quite irritating throughout the book. He didn’t trust Celaena at all, and accused her of doing ‘stuff’ – not gonna tell you- that we obviously know Celaena is NOT going to do. And in the end, he basically got into his head to do the very same thing he was preventing Celaena from doing. (Ugh, men , I tell you!). 

And then we are introduced to some very  interesting characters from Celaena’s life before being captured. And some characters from the time before she became an assassin.

SPOILER ALERT

[Spoiler start] 

Close your eyes if you don't want to know. But it is only two words. 

Arrobyn Hamel.

[Spoiler closed]

Manon Blackbeak  was an awesome character. There were times when I loved her even more than Celaena. In the previous book, nobody wanted to read the witch chapters, but I promise you, in this book, you would not be able to wait to get to them.

And Aedion. *internal fangirling*

Somebody has to rescue Aedion, guess who?

And poor Dorian. He needs rescuing from his ‘evil Dorian’ state. To all the celorian shippers out there ( that includes me too) ,you are going to get a shock in the end.

And one more thing, figure it out if you can, there is a very surprising development concerning Rifthold.

The book was amazing and I have never seen so much progress in a single book. The second half of the book was shocking. The book went from ‘barely any progress at all’ to ‘each and every mission accomplished!’

Celaena’s character has developed so much. You can actually see the queen in her. And before the fangirl in me starts to come back and I give you guys some major spoilers, I should wrap the review up.

It is by far, my favourite book in the series. And guys, Empire of Storms is coming out on 6^th September, it is SO close, I can’t wait for it!

So read it, and share your thoughts. I know you are going to love it.

Rating: 4.5/5

Zoella: If you would also like to write for us, please click on the guest writing tab above. Looking forward to hearing from you.

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The Raven Cycle series by Maggie Stiefvater | #reviewfriday

I don't do reviews often, I like to talk about them than actually write it. But, once in awhile, a book comes along that pushes you out of your shell and makes you yell to the whole world "you've got to read this. This series was one such series for me. It comprises of The Raven Boys, The Dream Thieves, Blue Lily Lily Blue and The Raven King. It isn't my favourite series, I probably wouldn't even reread it. But, this book has one specialty which makes me recommend it to everyone.

Series: The Raven Cycle

Author: Maggie Stiefvater

Genre: Fantasy

Age Demography: Y.A

This series was a strong contender in our Cover Love Series. I think we have already featured the third and fourth book. They have such pretty covers. Made me want to buy the books just because of it. Okay, enough babbling about the covers, let's get right on with the review. But, first here is what goodreads says about The Raven Boy's story. 

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue never sees them--until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks to her.

His name is Gansey, a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can't entirely explain. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul whose emotions range from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She doesn't believe in true love, and never thought this would be a problem. But as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she's not so sure anymore.

I read this series after falling in love with her standalone Y.A fantasy The Scorpio Races(it's AMAZING). So, I had high expectations.While, I believe that she has delivered her promise, I am unable to fall in love with the books. It might be because I'm used to kickass Urban Fantasy, and this is comparatively slower. I also don't love the ending very much, although it was packed with drama, it fell a little flat for me. But, I still recommend this series to everyone, you know why?

It's because of the characterization. Stiefvater should be crowned the queen of writing the most life-like characters, she is that good. Even if you may not identify with all the characters, you will still be able to understand them, which I feel is a huge accomplishment. Also, none of the characters felt like they were thee just to enhance the greatness of the lead pair, Gansey and Blue. All of them had their individual aspirations, turmoils, and forbidden dreams. I ended up deeply caring for each one of them, even Noah I love it when a fantasy novel makes you believe it is true, simply because you want the characters of the novel to really exist. Stiefvater has done exactly that.

Her writing is beautiful, she manages to capture entire descriptions in a single sentence, painting the scene so vividly that it remains etched in our mind. Kudos for that.

One thing I respect about both Maggie Stiefvater and David Leviathan is that they don't classify people according to their sexuality. They just write it as if it's no big deal, which is exactly how it should be. Anyone read Everyday by David Leviathan? You should.

A complaint I have about this book is that, although it's a page turner, the pace is slow. I am a bit prejudiced here because most of the novels develop at breakneck speed. So, comparatively speaking, this one had good speed, but it's not fast enough for me.

Rating: 4/5

Which book are you reading now? I am in a reading slump currently, got any recommendations for me. I am a Ilona Andrews and Six of crows fan. Anyone here waiting for the second book of Hidden Legacy or Crooked Kingdom.

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