Time for a book that has been collecting dust on my shelves! Well, it doesn't have dust to it at all but it did stay on my shelf for way too long. Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger was a book I should've read immediately! It was absolutely amazing and thrilling at the same time introducing me to a new concept I hadn't crossed paths with.
Vane Weston the miracle kid! Vane should've died with his parents in the storm when he was still a child, but instead he woke up and got another chance at life. What Vane didn't know is that he controlled his fate all along. Without memories, Vane touches in the dark to why he's the only one to survive in a tornado category-five. What he doesn't know is that there has been someone around all along that has the answers. He even sees her in his dreams...
Audra doesn't seem real, and she absolutely isn't a human. She's a sylph and controls the wind, bends it to her needs and whispers to it while controlling it. She has sworn to protect him all along. It isn't until the wind reveals their location that they're forced to run from the treat that's been searching them for years. Only unlocking Vane's memories will give the answers and will safe their lives...
Let's jump in immediately and start with Vane! All his memories are totally wiped, he explains what happened to him and how he absolutely can't remember anything anymore. It's because of his explanation that we get a clear view on how he's feeling about all the memory loss: bad. Vane feels as if he hated his parents or as if they didn't love him and he therefore erased his memories after they died. Although he's living a good life with a new pair of parents who love them and new friends, you can feel he's really suffering from all that he has lost after the storm. The storm also made him question why he lived and others didn't.
When Audra comes along, she immediately bombards him with secrets, pieces of his memories that he has lost and also that there is danger. This will lead to the training of Vane. During his training, other fascinating characteristics of Vane will come to the surface, such as his lack of concentration and his weaknesses. It'll bring a few funny moments, especially if you read the chapter with his thoughts. He's a pretty funny guy but knows when things need to get serious. Even after all the things he discovered, the reader will develop some form of respect because he takes it all in so easily and won't let anyone hurt his family and friends in the valley.
This training will give us a much clearer view on, as I already mentioned, his weaknesses too and this is a facet I was very keen on. Especially because we then get to see how he will turn them into strengths. We really discovered Vane and also saw him grow in a very strong young man that would do anything to find out the truth about his past but at the same time will do anything to protect his loved ones. This character was absolutely great.
At the other side of Vane we find Audra, the sylph. A sylph is a mythical creature that can control the winds. She can bend them, she will send them, she will do all sorts of crazy with them. The first thing we notice about Audra is that she keeps a lot inside. We don't form a very clear view of her at the beginning because she doesn't want to share. She speaks in riddles and it's for the reader to find out what she means. Other things we immediately will see with this character is her toughness. She's been training her whole life to protect Vane from everything, even girls! She takes her job very serious but there is a certain reason for her to be this serious.
The guilt. Further in the story, Audra will have to come clean about certain things and we get a clearer view on what it is that's really weighing her down. The thing really drags on her and doesn't make her enjoy life at the fullest. Also, her mother gives her a very hard time because of what happened with her father and this will affect her a lot more. This creates a whole new side of Audra as she suffers from the past and guilt is really eating her away. I loved to see her open up this much, but I also loved how strong she was and how she had the upper hand in this book.
What I was absolutely keen on was that Audra and Vane are totally opposites of each other. They did share a past together and Audra's been in his life from the very beginning until now but Vane just never really knew (with his memories wiped and so on). He did dream a lot of her but never thought she was real until the treat presents itself and she stops hiding to train him. I just loved the fact that they didn't agree on everything and that it took Audra all her frustrations to get him to concentrate. All the encounters they'll make will have the seriousness of Audra but also the cockiness and hilarity Vane has in his characters. These two will mend together and influence each other a lot. It creates a funny vibe to the story but still the trill of training and getting stronger for the end battle. These two characters also share the same kind of loss and therefore will bond together much more easily after they get used to each others traits.
There aren't a lot of characters that'll be very important for the story to understand. These two will really create the story on its own and other characters are nice bystanders that do come around a few times but not that much. I personally didn't think this was a problem because I never got bored by Audra and Vane but others might feel these two are not enough to base the whole story on. As I said, a few will come around such as the mother of Audra which will be important near the end, as well as the parents of Vane and a few friends but it's not as if they came around each few chapters.
As for the plot, it wasn't boring to me. The biggest part of the book will all be about training but during this training we of course will get to know a lot of stuff that'll make our heads spin! What I was fond of in the beginning was that Audra knew everything and held all the cards. The book alternates between a chapter in the head of Audra and then a chapter in the head of Vane, this causes us to be confused in the first few chapters of Audra. She talks about all these things in riddles and we don't understand what she talks about at all. When Vane and Audra finally meet and she finally starts to explain we'll finally understand her better. I absolutely loved it for me to be lost in those first few chapters because it made you feel like Vane. This was a great asset!
What I just thought in general that was a great asset to Let the Sky Fall is the whole "windwalker-I'm-a-sylph" kind of thing. It was a very refreshing creature to find in a book. I haven't come across anything like it, you might have if you did make sure to comment it so I can look into it because the whole controlling wind thing... it's amazing! The author had this big thought around it and had four winds that each had their own whispers and languages, it also had its own characteristics and so on Shannon Messenger sure knew where to go with it. She did it big and it was fantastic.
The plot really explains each and every wind and what is so special about them. It'll also make sure that during the training you will know how they control wind which I thought was really cool to understand. It wasn't just "she send a blast of wind", Audra and Vane will make sure you know what kind of winds or forms of winds (such as a pipeline,...) work and how they created them. I really loved discovering this new concept in this book!
So mainly, as I already said, the book concentrates on the training and learning about the whole system but during this training will also see the characters grow. We'll find out memories from the past, we'll understand why Audra doesn't let her guard down, how Vane will become strong and so on. It might seem boring, more than half of a book as training but during these moments we'll learn so much it's just interesting to read.
Also the characteristics of the characters will create a laughable and funny vibe it is hard to think it's boring. If that isn't enough, I kind of start to ship them! But we'll soon learn that my ship is sinking to the bottom of the earth after we learn certain things... or not? Who will tell? They just had a very comfortable vibe hanging around them too. It just made things easy to read, you felt at ease just like the other two characters and I was really up for that.
And then... the moment we all waited on! The treat has been located! After being at ease and comfortable you'll be ready for battle! Audra becomes very strong and serious, even Vane knows when it's time to get tough. The ease will drain away and you'll be in the storm yourself. The comfort you were in will turn into this thrill of defeating the stormers, the enemies. The reason they're attacking is because they want Vane. He's a very important character, even more important once you understand why they need to win this battle. But all will get clear while you read it, believe me!
I was just very fond of the battle scene because of the storm that was created by the author. You're really dragged into it, you'll feel everything like the characters are experiencing it. You know what would be a nice asset? If you could actually feel the wind rage! I mean, the descriptions are great and I loved how well you felt the thrill through the characters. It was a very nice scene, although I would've liked some more action. The more the better! I'm not disappointed, I just wanted more.
But the plot will take a few unexpected turns after that and these will make up for it. The reader might think things are over at the end of the battle but they're not. There will be plot twists and these will create an ending I never expected at all. All this time we were blinded by the heavy emotions that we could've never see this coming. Speaking of the surprising factor! All of this will conclude into a very swoony, awh-kind-of ending and will be open for discussion! It was, to be fair, a more open ending, I still had so many questions but they will not be answered until the next book. Was I disappointed? Also that is up for discussion. All I know is that I want the next book!
It's fair to say I really was fond of Let the Sky Fall. The author creates a very new concept for me with the characters controlling the wind and whispering to it and this was something I absolutely grew to adore. The characters were also very well written and also total opposites of each other which create funny, laughable moments but will also make sure that the characters will develop a lot! The plot was very comfortable and easy to read, mainly concentrating on training and, as a reader, discovering all there is to the sylphs alongside Vane only to end with a ball of thrill, fighting, the wind raging and a few unexpected plot twists. Let the Sky Fall ends in a more open ending which I'm not sure I'm all that pleased with but it does certainly lead to go and want the next book! I really enjoyed it a lot and really recommend it to everyone who's open for controlling the wind and discovering a whole new world.
"Come to me swiftly, carry no trace. Lift me softly, then flow and race."
Remember when I said I didn't enjoy The Elite as much as I enjoyed The Selection? Guess what, I finished the third and last book in the Selection trilogy and I'm without words. This didn't only overthrow Elite, it overthrew the Selection! The One by Kiera Cass was my absolute favorite in this series, and also the cover is the one I absolutely would pick out of all three.
If you haven't read the Selection series at all, I highly recommend for you not to read on. This is the third and last book in this series which means changes and developments have taken place and you will be exposed to spoilers! If you haven't read the first book, The Selection, and are interested in reading that book: I wrote a review on that one which you can find HERE. If you read the first book and would like to know my opinion as to why I didn't enjoy The Elite as much as The Selection, you can also read that review HERE.
Determined to win her true lover's love, America throws in everything to win The Selection. When she first entered the competition, she never thought she'd end up this close to the crown and grow to adore the palace and all that comes with it. To have the future she wants to have, she'll have to go under more pressure to get what she really wants: the love of her life. Yet the treat of the rebels is still lurking around and ready to overthrow everything that they've ever known. As she finally discovers what she stands to lose, America also discovers how much she needs to fight for what she truly desires.
She's back! Remember when I said I wanted Americas determined side back instead of her grumpy, angry one? Well, The One made sure we'd see America grow back into herself. Although we still see America's struggling with her doubts and insecurities (which will less), we also see her grow into a strong woman again. If all, this competition really changed her and this experience will play in her favor because we haven't seen everything she's capable of.
I was absolutely amazed to see the big changes America makes during this book. She won't only stand for what she thinks is true and fair, she'll also stand for the ones she absolutely loves. Although she made me doubt during the Elite, America will make you change your mind once again.
As for Maxon, I said I didn't enjoy him in The Elite. Also he will show major changes! If you wanted to see a bit more of the Maxon from the first book in this trilogy, I can guarantee you that that will most certainly happen. This time around, we'll also see him struggle a lot with finding the right words and do go by his father. The day he'll become king is something that still frightens him because he thinks he might not live up to his fathers wishes. In The One, Prince Maxon will concentrate on his insecurities but also on finding the right princess to help him with these.
I have to say, in the Elite I really didn't like him and America because of their temper, but this book will show you that they'll only become stronger because of them and both will find a way back to your hearts desires. I was really fond of these characters during the whole trilogy, just a bit less in the second book. They did really make up for it in The One.
Another, and last, character I really want to discuss is Celeste. Celeste is the meanest girl you could ever imagine in this competition. I never liked her, and I thought I never would but during this book she'll surprise you a lot. It might not make you love her, but you will come to understand her and that's a great asset to the book. Not only will we grow to understand Celeste, but also the other girls left in the Elite. We finally will get to know the girls on a more personal level and see that without the gowns and jewelry, they're just girls trying to find the Happily Ever After. I really loved that in this book and it was a great asset to plot and the characters!
Speaking of the plot, as I already said in my review of The Elite, it has much in store for us. Although this time around, the book mostly takes it turns to two things that need to be solved: the rebels and the competition. The rebels have been a problem since book one and it isn't until book two that we start to find possible motives for why they do the things they do. This time around, the plot will go deeper into this and will not only create suspense, it'll also create a lot of action. This action that takes place was actually something I never saw coming in this book series, but it did and I'm really happy about that.
The action only makes sure we grow to understand the danger even more but also grow to understand their motives more and how to solve this problem. If all, it also makes the reader very excited because there's something else than the palace surroundings and the safe rooms. Although I really loved the book creating the safe rooms and adored to see what all happened with an attack in the palace, this action and danger is something very refreshing I did really enjoy.
The sad thing is that I find we didn't really knew the outcome. Of course, we knew the attacks, we had the action and we had possibilities of how to solve things but the plot won't go deeper into how it really ended, if it ended at all. That's something I really missed in the plot!
Now, the other big chunk of the plot concentrates on the competition. The Selection will come to and end, ladies and gentlemen! Building up to the moment where the Prince will decide, the girls do get some little tasks but The One won't really concentrate any longer on if they're fit to become the princess. They won't bother with too many assignments! Did I think that was a pity?
Well no, because as a replacement, the plot will now focus more on the girls and the queen. I loved to see more of the queen because we haven't seen much of her! I was also very fond that the plot concentrated itself more on the girls because we really saw them bonding and realizing that although it was a competition, they're all normal girls. They all lived up, together, to the moment of truth and as a reader you'll really appreciate all the little things the girls will go trough and will do together. If all, it'll give them more understanding about each other and that was a great thing to experience too as the reader.
During these big parts of the plot, the storyline will also cover little things such as the bond between the main character and her long lost lover from the past but also on the bond between America and Maxon. Also, unexpected things will happen and families will arise from the dark again. The One will really go back to the core of how things were in the first book, The Selection, only to intensify things more. This of course includes for us the feels. Also in this book, they'll be closely ready to give you everything you need to enjoy the book even more.
These little things also cover aspects that will surprise you during the plot. There will be a few moments during the development of the plot you'll come across changes you never expected to come. This is something I absolutely see as a great asset to the book and it contributes to the feels we'll already be feeling.
By coincidence I also had After the One, or as Goodreads calls it the Epilogue! It came with my box and even tough it's not a very long one I did really love to read it. We get to see a bit more about what is happening now at the palace. The Epilogue will concentrate on the events of two years later. If you want to have a nice but little taste of that, I do recommend it because it was swoon worthy and adorable!
As a conclusion to this review about The One, and also to this trilogy, I can say that this book was my absolute favorite. We will get surprised in this book, heartbroken from time to time, angry and frustrated but we'll also receive a big portion of action, adoration and understanding between the characters. As a reader, you'll really live up to the end of the Selection and the (possible) end of the rebellion together with really swooning for the little moments and things in this book. Also, you'll be surprised a lot with things you never expected to come which is also a very great asset to The One. Again, there's a very strong plot and the characters will be on their best behavior only to see them change in to even better ones during the development of the book. I couldn't wish for a better end of this trilogy!
"35 girls entered the Selection. Only 1 can win. The time has come for one winner to be crowned."
A while ago, I posted my review about the first book in this series. I said that I doubted if it would be as great as I imagined and it turned out it was amazing. This summer, I therefore started to read the second book in this series but it took me a little while to finish it caused by my reading slump. Eventually I finished it beginning of September but the review is only here now, sorry guys! The book I'll be reviewing today is The Elite by Kiera Cass.
If you haven't read the Selection series at all, I highly recommend you not to read on because this is the second book in the series. You will be exposed to spoilers since there have been many developments and changes since the first book and already know how certain things have turned out since book one. If you are interested in reading the first book, I recommend reading the review on the first book The Selection by Kiera Cass HERE.
Still running in the competition, America is having a battle with herself. She's confronted with a long lost lover as well as with her growing feelings for the prince. She's all over the place and is losing her territory during the Selection. Because of her many doubts if she'll be able to become a princess, she's turning her back on herself and other people that are quiet important for her. Above that, the treat of the rebels is still lingering while all
America wants is some peace of mind and a clear view on what she really wants.
This book wasn't as good as the first one, I'm just going to say it. It took me quiet a few pages before I started to enjoy the book and that really bothers me a bit. Especially because the part where I started to enjoy the book, was really good! Maybe it was the slower build up in the beginning or not that excitement of being chosen to be in the Selection, I honestly have no words for why I was less into that part. And then of course came that reading slump to irritate me so it did take me a while to finish the book.
During the part I was eagerly excited about again, I did see huge changes in America. She wasn't as determined anymore as in The Selection and she started to neglect during the competition. As said in the synopsis, America is confronted with someone she loved a lot in the past and this brings out many of her insecurities and also brings many doubts to what position she's in and who to love now.
These doubts will affect the surroundings and I wasn't eager on how many of the people around her reacted on this. It's a very new thing to see in America, these doubts if she'll be good enough to be the princess but also her doubts in her love interests. If that isn't enough, she'll be put under a lot of pressure in the competition she's doubting was ever a good idea.
This all will lead to this character to become very fierce in her reactions, do things that'll end up wrong and her being very insecure and doubting about herself which again will lead to frustrations. I don't know if I liked this side of America as much as I loved her determination to stay herself during this competition. Especially because she got angry at the prince for things she did too and that were things that unnerved me with this character. I do appreciate the fact that we see this side of her because we all have a moment where we'll doubt and get insecure or struggle with the situation and need to solve it. And that's something the author visualized amazingly during the read.
As for Maxon, the prince, I absolutely did not enjoy him. As I said, the feelings America is having will affect her surroundings and it sure did affect Maxon. Also, he became very impatient, had a lot of frustrations and did things that'll boost the feels the reader is already feeling. I just wished he would show more concern towards America, but the author chose to show us his other side that's always under pressure. I did like to see this side because he's a prince and that way we get to see what he has to go through but I did want to see his compassion a bit more during this book.
Marlee, oh one of my favorite characters! She's in for a bumpy ride this time around. As I said in the review of The Selection, she has this mysterious vibe hanging around her near the ending of the book that suggest she's keeping secrets. You can be sure that The Elite will cover this again and make you question even more, only to find out what's happening to this amazing character. Marlee's personality is still very kind and caring which I still appreciated a lot in her. It isn't until certain events start to happen that I truly understood this character and began to love her even more. I hope to see her in the next book!
This time around I want to cover the maids of America too because they left such a great impression! I did already like the maids because they were always there for America and always supported her and made sure that she was all nice and clean. It isn't until this book though that we see how much they really, really care about America and how great their bond actually is. I absolutely loved to see them because they brought so much joy and light to the book and to America when she needed it. Yet we did also find out that each of them is having a hard time dealing with their position as a lower cast and I'm eager to find out how others will respond to this.
As for the remaining girls: I hated each and every one of them. It might be because I'm team America all the way, it might be because their personalities are just not my thing. The author writes this way that you'll either grow to love one of them or hate one of them and that's such an asset to the book. You'll feel as if you're the prince and need to pick someone. You'll begin with weighing off pros and cons about each girl and start deciding for yourself who is or isn't appropriate and who you would want to be the next princess.
This said, let's move on to the plot! The plot again, holds a lot in store for us! As I have mentioned before the treat of the rebels is still lingering and I was still very eager about this. It's about time we would found out their motives or feel even more thrill when they arrive at the castle and everyone needs to hide. Again The Elite will make sure you feel the thrill of hiding yourself and we'll also have a bright person trying to figure out why they're always attacking and what they're looking for.
This was also a great asset to the plot because as a reader you get new information and you automatically start to form theories together with the character. You'll try to find their motives and might bump onto a very big possibility of this "why". Still, we don't know anything for sure and I hope that the last book will cover this part.
Also this time the rebels will be more fierce and this will make sure some girls come under a treat, this causes a lot of feels developing with the reader such as a bit of fear, tension and a bit of stress because you don't know how they'll get out of the situation and if they'll make it out alive and well.
The plot in this book will also take turns to the whole doubting of America about her current love situation. Someone from her past is back, someone she loved fiercely all the while she's also having growing emotions towards the prince in this competition. This will make sure we're in for a ride filled with bumps. We'll see a lot of emotions caused by this event and it will affect everyone that has to do with this. We'll see the pressure it brings, we'll see the frustrations it brings and the heartbreak each time she even thinks about these things. For short, the feels around this part of the plot will be everywhere and the reader sure is all over the place. You'll experience so much during these events and grow frustrated, heartbroken, you'll smile again and then get angry. This was absolutely great! Especially because the characters are caving under their pressure and this will affect things even more.
Another thing that is beginning to form is the idea of the world and how it's all looking now. We'll get a closer look on how things became as they were, we'll zoom in on the casts and we'll also get more information about the king. America will enfold some of the history of the country and this was something I enjoy a lot because it explains so much and explains how things became as they were. Not being a fan of the casts, the reader will be brought a possibility of getting them away but not everyone agrees with this. This said, America will be in store for very harsh feelings from some persons but also for very supportive people and support coming from people we didn't expect.
It's also because we get this closer look on it all, we'll finally start to unravel the king and who he actually is. We've never seen his personality or his reactions but during this book you'll find out a lot. Is he really the composed person he shows us to be? Is he different from what we always thoughts? You'll sure find out!
Lastly, the competition. It's of course still important in this book and it will be different from the first book. This time around the remaining girls will be given assignment that has to show Maxon who is capable of being a princess. These assignments bring us, the reader, a whole new exciting part and I was very eager to read this parts because I just loved to see how the girls acted and how they would get this act together.
I can conclude that I didn't enjoy this book as much as I did The Selection. The characters each show us a different side of them and grow very frustrated and insecure in this book. At some point, they really annoyed me because they were really running in circles without trying to solve anything. Yet the plot does make up a lot for their behavior and it will all change once you're in that flow. The plot will also make sure you're covered for the feels and the ending will leave you breathless and excited for the next book. Although I didn't like the beginning and sometimes the character's behavior, I still enjoyed the book because of its strong plot and therefore still give it a 4 out of 5.
"35 girls came to the palace only 6 remain."
It's been a while since I have done a book haul, so I thought it was about time to do one! Also, I bought these books in September, which means I'm running late with this post but doing it anyway! Beginning of September, I was still home because I didn't have any school until the 20th so I had time to kill with reading. Yet we all know what happens when a bookaddict becomes bored... yep, you start checking out books!
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
Now my eyes fell on a book I've been looking at for a while: Me Before You, and it wasn't until this time around that I saw there was a huge discount on it! So of course I wanted to buy it but there was one problem: they don't charge extra money when you have €20 euros in total... and I had a book on discount...
Of course you could say, so? Pay extra! But if you use my "bookaddict theory", you'll see why that is a bad thing! Either you buy 1 book and pay! Or you buy 2-3 books and get it for free. Oh, god this is actually such illogical theory! Obviously I pay more with the latter... but hey, it works for my bookmind so why not?! The conclusion of all this is just that I bought Me Before You (along with some more books). This book also turned into a huge movie, which I adored, but for the ones that don't know the story here is the synopsis of the book!
Lou Clark knows lots of things. She knows how many footsteps there are between the bus stop and home. She knows she likes working in The Buttered Bun tea shop and she knows she might not love her boyfriend Patrick.
What Lou doesn't know is she's about to lose her job or that knowing what's coming is what keeps her sane.
Will Traynor knows his motorcycle accident took away his desire to live. He knows everything feels very small and rather joyless now and he knows exactly how he's going to put a stop to that.
What Will doesn't know is that Lou is about to burst into his world in a riot of colour. And neither of them knows they're going to change the other for all time.
I've heard a lot of good things about this book and I also watched the movie. I know, I should've read the book first and I planned to but I just really wanted to see the movie and I didn't have the book until now so it just happened...? Anyway, I'm expecting a lot! I have pretty high expectations, it's something I haven't experienced in a while so I hope it won't disappoint me. Although I highly doubt that!
"You only get one life. It's actually your duty to live it as fully as possible."
Dash and Lily's book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Another book I bought to get to my €20 total, was a book that was recommended to me by a friend. Her exact words were: "I LOVED this book omg! I didn't know if I was going to like it that much but OH MAN!" which means my expectations became a bit higher!
Apparently it's set in winter which would make it the perfect winter read but, well it's fall and getting colder so I think it'll also make the perfect fall read! Also, if you didn't know the book, I'll tell you a little bit about it:
Lily left a notebook full of dares onto the shelves in a bookstore and she hopes that that way, a boy will get to it. And not just any boy but really the right guy! It's filled with dares that he needs to do and the guy who found it is Dash. The only question remaining is: is he the right guy? Or is this just a lovely time of doing the dares, sharing dreams and then wrap it up and they'll forget about it?
Who knows right? I'm really excited for this read because I think it sounds pretty romantic to leave a book with dares behind for someone to find! Above that, my friend loved it a lot which can only mean good things since we're into the same kind of books. I'm really looking forward into reading this! "
"I want to believe there is a somebody out there for me. I want to believe that I exist to be there for that somebody."
The Twelve Days of Dash and Lily by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Guess what? I still needed €2 euro to get no charge! And then I started to think ahead! Also this year I wanted to have a great Christmas read and look what I found?! This book didn't get published until October so that meant I only needed to hold myself for 2 months instead of 3 before reading it. This adventure concluded itself with me preordering the book!
Now I'm not going to tell you the synopsis because it's the second part in the series about Dash and Lily so who knows? Is this a book where they're together? Apart? Finding each other again? Dead? The latter maybe is a bit over-dramatic, although I don't know! I'm really leaving things in between because I don't want to spoil you guys, but when Christmas is there and the atmosphere is cold and not enjoyable, I'll be here with a review to warm y'all up or make you all colder because it was bad. (I'm hoping the former!)
And that's how I had a price over €20 euros but with two books that were on a discount and one book that I would've bought anyway for the Christmas time! Yet a bit later, I got another discount! And it was only usable until the beginning of October so I bought books... again.
The Distance From Me to You by Marina Gessner
This time there's a book that contains adventure! It's also a book that has been standing on my "books I want list" for a very long time, I think over a year. When I was in the bookstore in Ghent I had seen it in Dutch and I really felt like it was time to get it. And I got it...
McKenna Berney is a lucky girl. She has a loving family and has been accepted to college for the fall. But McKenna has a different goal in mind: much to the chagrin of her parents, she defers her college acceptance to hike the Appalachian Trail from Maine to Georgia with her best friend. And when her friend backs out, McKenna is determined to go through with the dangerous trip on her own. While on the Trail, she meets Sam. Having skipped out on an abusive dad and quit school, Sam has found a brief respite on the Trail, where everyone’s a drifter, at least temporarily.
Despite lives headed in opposite directions, McKenna and Sam fall in love on an emotionally charged journey of dizzying highs and devastating lows. When their punch-drunk love leads them off the trail, McKenna has to persevere in a way she never thought possible to beat the odds or risk both their lives.
I really love books like this. I would never go on a trip by myself like this character but in a way I do but then through a book ;-). I'm really curious to where this book will lead, especially because they'll get off the trail. Will it make them closer? Or will they irritate each other? Who knows! The book just really caught my attention as well as with the plot as with the cover.
"Wild meets Endless Love"
When We Collided by Emery Lord
Another book that had caught my attention by its cover! It has 3.85 on Goodreads which to my opinion still is a lot so I have some expectations. The theme in this book is also something I'd totally read...
Two teenagers both meet in summer. Their summer changes forever. Neither of them expected anything like this and also didn't expect to meet a person like this. Yet things will not always go as smoothly, the past will catch up and old wounds will be opened. Meeting one another will change their lives forever.
Past catching up? Old wounds reopened? YES! That is my thing... I really love to read books like this because most of the time people get stronger out of it. I don't know if the book here will show us the same but I will see. Since it is my theme I am having a bit higher expectations than I already had.
"Two teens find that when you collide with the right person at just the right time, it will change you forever."
This concludes my belated book haul! Of course, each of these books will receive a review and so we will see if they were worth it or not. If you still have book recommendations, don't hesitate to drop them in a comment!
Time for a very realistic read! Lately, I read a lot of paranormal things such as wolves and people who can make a world collapse by their tears and so on. I was also in a little reading slump and decided to open up a new book that could get me out of it: How Hard Can Love Be? By Holly Bourne was the book that got me out of the slump and also made me crave to the summer holidays again!
Amber will finally see her mother after two years of radio silence. She's a bit scared of what she'll come across because she knows how her mother is. Tired of not talking or seeing her, Amber wants to create that mother-daughter bond again but this acquires flying to America. Once there, she needs to help out at the summer camp that's being run by her stepfather and mom. What Amber didn't count on was her mother not being that cooperative when it comes to creating a bond. In fact, her mother totally shuts down and Amber can't do anything but open up to another person she never expected to find here.
This book really is one of those more realistic ones and also one that I really, absolutely enjoyed! But before I go into that a little more, we'll dig in with the characters. First off is Amber. The first impression I had from her was that she had a difficult life. Her father has a new family and her mother has a new family but neither of those make her truly happy. Her stepmom is awful because she manipulates her dad so he's always on her side, and her stepdad took away her mother across the ocean. For short, she's not living the idealistic life we all would want.
Another thing that you might come across is the fact that she's very bitter and angry all the time, but later in the book she'll explain to the readers and herself why it is that she always seems to bite towards people. Although Amber is a very bitter person at times, you can see how insecure she actually is. She blames herself a lot for her mothers departure. Although she will tell you many times how much she hates Kevin, her stepfather, for taking away her mom, she will give little hints where you can guess she's actually blaming herself and questioning herself. She's also determined that no one will ever love her, this insecurity will be taken care of in the book. This side of her really makes you warm up to her and makes you willing to understand her.
Yet that's not all to Amber! She's also a feminist. This book will take a closer look to this side where many of us might be interested in these days. Feminism will play a role in it and it will shine through in this character. More about the feminism side of this book will come later. I just really adored this side of Amber because it showed the reader how passionate she really is about this. She's also a very passionate and creative person because of her art skills, which don't surface in the book as much as I wanted it to. That aside, I really enjoyed this character, she'll make sure you know you can't fool her but all the while she's very insecure and hides her feelings for others while being open about her passion for feminism and art.
A few more characters I'd like to discuss are Lottie and Evie, this book is from a series of three and the other two books are each about one of these characters. Lottie and Evie are Amber's best friends and are also part of the Spinster Club. The Spinster Club is their way of being able to express how they feel about what's happening with women, and so again the topic feminism will be led into the book. What I adored a lot is that you really get to know Lottie and Evie throughout the book. I've read books where the best friends of a character won't resurface the plotline once the main character is on its way to adventure. How Hard Can Love Be? will make sure these best friends come back frequently and that way you really get to know them.
Each of them is really unique. Lottie is someone that loves big words and is a real blabber mouth (if that's the English word?). In other words, she says what she thinks and this can cause her to get very excited which does make you smile a lot. Evie, on the other hand, is very calm and really thinks things through, there's also something going on with Evie but this book doesn't get into much detail. If you'd want to know more about these characters, I recommend reading the other books in the Spinster Club-series!
What I adore so much about them was that they were always there for Amber. They are in England and she's in America yet if Amber was in trouble and needed girly advice, they'd wake up immediately and help her out. They were always ready to give advice and worry when needed, I really appreciated that in these characters. They'll also provide a lot of entertainment that makes the reader laugh and truly enjoy it.
A few people from the Camp Amber's working at that I'd like to discuss are: Kyle, Whinnie and Calvin. First of Kyle, Kyle's a nice guy. And believe me when I say you'll read that sentence a lot in this book, but it's the truth. He's always there to help out, he tries to help Amber out when she steps foot on American ground and he's always nice. I really loved this character because of how nice and understanding he really was but throughout the book, yet also his mask will fall off. Kyle might be nice and handsome (from all the descriptions we got) but he does doubt himself a lot. I adored to see this side even more, he was a nice guy all the time and then it's really nice to see him open up to the other characters and say how he feels! He'll also worry a lot about the situation between Amber and her mother which will make sure that Amber opens up to him which she never expected to happen but it did...
Whinnie on the other hand is a character that made me laugh a lot. She's easy going and very sweet and she'll give you wise advice because of Whinnie the Pooh. Believe me, it'll all get clear when you read it and it might sound ridiculous now but actually, while you read it: it's not. The things she said really made sense and it felt as if I was getting a secret message from the author, or well Whinnie the Pooh. Whinnie is one of my favorite characters because she was so easy going. Other characters didn't need to pretend with her, they could be just them and she'd gladly accept that. She's also a very supportive character which I enjoyed even more.
Lastly, Calvin. I'm keeping it short with this character but I found that he deserved a special spot in this review too. Calvin is one of the kids at camp but he's a sturdy kid and gets laughed at and excluded from groups. We might not see a lot of him in this book but I did see him grow! Amber really took care of him, even if she risked him getting in love with her but it also made Calvin become a lot more open which I loved to see. He shows everyone not to hide when people laugh at you or exclude you, life goes on and so do you. I loved this little fellow!
Now the plot! The biggest question you'll get in the beginning of the book is "what's going on with her mother?". Amber is all being secretive about what has happened that made her mother run away but it doesn't take long before the author presents us flashbacks. Yet these flashbacks only make you create scenarios that might be possible but not make you any wiser, for now. How Hard Can Love Be? will really take you onto a trip to memory lane and let you discover together with Amber how and when things went wrong and who's fault this actually is, if it's anyone's.
This also means the plot will concentrate a lot of Amber's repressed feelings towards her mother and her questions to why she never called or came to visit. I enjoyed this in the plot because this gave you a purpose with the character: find out how to deal. The character has many thoughts to share with you which I was a great fan of. The whole story with her mother will also show certain developments in Amber and we'll see her change as will her mother.
Yet her mother will not give answers easily and you will get frustrated with her. This creates a lot of feels but also a lot of tension you desperately want to get away from which you will. The moment her mother excludes Amber more than she already has, Amber will find new horizons that will open up to her and will make her become happy again: her camp mates.
The plot really describes the camp and its activities very well. It's not just a scenery so you can visualize it, it'll play a role and that's what I really loved. The camp gave it a very new and refreshing touch while it was dealing with family drama. You'll get to know some kids, you'll get to know their routine and their activities and of course their staff. The staff will open up to Amber and although she's very hesitant about it in the beginning she'll adapt fully.
It's also them and especially the Nice Guy that'll look after her when she's having a breakdown because of her mother. This then causes that she's going to see a lot more of America than originally planned and this makes sure we often get a little pause from the camp scenery which is always a pro to the plot in my opinion.
What I was also very keen on in this book were the alternations between "Amber in America" and "Amber in England". The book has to cover a difference in language and a difference in culture which it'll do amazingly. You'll learn differences in words and those situations will create funny moments where you can really laugh and enjoy it. What I also mean with these alternations is that we see her friends she met in America but we'll also see her friends from England, which as already said, I absolutely craved for.
Lastly, a little bit more on the feminism topic. The girls, Amber, Lottie and Evie, are very passionate about it and are real feminists. I really loved it that the plot made time for their Spinster Club meetings because it also dips you under in that topic aside from differences in culture and family drama. You'll get a clearer view on the topic and will be part of discussion through Amber's eyes. I really loved it that the author took time to really incorporate it in the book instead of making it a little detail of the main character and move on from it.
For short, the plot will alternate between many things in the book. It'll try to solve the family drama and try to explain how to deal with things like this, It'll give you time apart from that and give you a brewing love story with many doubts and will give you a good dose of feminism which is a very nice addition to it. You'll begin with questions and get them answered but you'll also create feels and fall head over heels.
Before I jump to my conclusion, I'd also like to point out the "Situations that are destined to fail.", before each chapter there's a sheet with this on top and a few key words that introduce the following chapter. I was really keen on it because it was a nice touch-up and made you want to read on because it was so secretive! It also links to the character's insecurities and her finding her way to become more confident so it'll lead to "Situations that won't fail if you don't let them."
As a total, we can conclude that this book contains absolutely amazing characters that'll each come to struggle with their insecurities and find a way to overcome those. They're also very passionate which makes sure the book gets an extra boost and the plot won't make it boring at all. How Hard Can Love Be? is a book that really makes you crave the summer and a camp full of friends. I totally recommend it!
"Failure is never getting hurt. Because that means you've not done anything you cared about."
When I was on my holiday, I found out my niece had the same book with her as I did. Together we decided to read the book together so we could discuss the book and see how we liked it! We finished it together in three days and now that I'm back, I'm writing my thoughts down in this review about the book we read together: Teardrop by Lauren Kate.
If Eureka knows one thing it's that she should never, ever cry. Not even when her mother died in a car accident, not when her heart gets broken, not when she's having a hard time. Never. Now her mother is gone, Eureka's having a very hard time living her life. Her stepmom sends her off on many appointments to go talk to someone but nothing really helps. It isn't until a boy comes around, Eureka starts to ask questions about what has happened the night of the car accident. Even more so, she discovers that they're coming for her.
This is only my second book written by Lauren Kate. The first book I read by her was Unforgiven, and then I remember myself saying I really wanted to read some more of this author. I guess the time has finally arrived to make true to my promise!
First off, Eureka! Eureka gave a very stoic impression at first. She never really showed any emotion, she never cried. It was really weird to read those few pages where she explained everything that happened but there was never the part where she teared up on the fact that her mother died. It's from that moment on, I started to ask myself questions. Especially because the back of the book says she should never, ever cry. Alarm bells were ringing because, well why would she never cry?
Further more Eureka explains she needs to see doctors because she tried suicide after her mom left. Which does show us that her mother was a very important person to her and that's a thing I enjoyed reading about. Eureka would make us see her mother as she saw her by retelling old stories or give more information about her mother. This information is really important because it'll help us out later in the book with discoveries that we made.
The further we go into the book, the weirder it gets for Eureka and we can really notice that she's not feeling at ease. This is the first big change in this character after being really stoic. And many changes follow with this character until she grows to a very strong teenager that won't let the bad overthrow her again. These changes in this character are incredible because it shows her evolution in one big and fluent line.
As for the boy that came to tell her they're coming for her. He's all mystery! My niece and I really wanted to know more about him, especially because we know what he did when things went south for Eureka and her mother. But the author really wants us to be patience and makes Ander return only a couple of times in the book.
From the few times we see him, I did notice a difference with the people he grew up with. He will believe what he wants and he's determined that things can change. This character will really convince you that you don't need to follow the others but can stand for your own ideas and be okay with those. Other than that I also noticed that this character is really protective but has a very gentle and sweet side to him, even though most of the times I felt like he was a stalker and could be a potential bad guy. I really enjoyed his presence in the book but I really did miss him a lot. I wish we could have seen a bit more about this character, but not all might agree with this because him not being around a lot does create more mystery.
Now, we don't know much about Ander or his relatives but we do know a lot more about Eureka. Eureka has two friends that will be important in this book. First off, we have Cat! In the beginning I was not really fond of her, she was at times too enthusiastic and it felt like you couldn't trust her with a secret but as the story developed itself more you get to know her much better. Eventually, I can conclude she really grew on me. She's just very eccentric and she did prove herself to be this awesome best friend Eureka could count on. Next to being eccentric she's also a very supportive friend.
Another friend of Eureka is Brooks and oh my, I can say I was totally sold to him from the beginning. Brooks has a very mysterious air having around him and you just want to get close to him. So I agree with all the girls in the book that want Brooks close, he's absolutely amazing. Yet I began to doubt Brooks a lot and he'll also create a lot of mystery and suspense that has to do with the bigger story of the book. Eventually Eureka begins to doubt Brooks and that's the moment you know as a reader, your intuition might have been correct, or not?
Brooks is a very funny guy but also very protective when it comes to Eureka. He'll always support her and he knows how to handle her now she's so down after her mother died. I was really keen on that aspect of Brooks. Yet also he changes a lot in this book and grows to become hot and cold all the time. We don't know what's going on with Brooks, so this makes sure we have another mystery to solve together with Eureka!
Lastly her family, as I said, we will get to know her mother through many flashbacks and stories but her mom seems to have two faces nearing the middle of the book. I can't say much about it just mark my words. The flashbacks and the stories are an asset to the book and I'm also glad her mother is put into the book a lot because it creates more clues to a possible explanation.
As for her father... he's great! I absolutely adored him! He's also having a hard time, even though he was divorced you can really see he's suffering too. Eureka's dad also has a hard time with getting through Eureka. He really tries and that's what I absolutely appreciated in him but after all, it seems he doesn't have much luck.
Together with him comes Rhoda, the stepmother and can I say I absolutely hated her! I don't know what it is, but in each book the parents are so well written you just hate them! The power of a writer: writing it so well you can feel the same as the main character! Absolutely brilliant! She really pushes people to do what she wants and that's what really irritated me most with her. She doesn't know what's best for everyone but she does act as if she does. As I said I'm not fond of her at all but I do want to congratulate the author on writing her as brilliant as Lauren Kate has.
Lastly and also very briefly, the twins! Rhoda and Eureka's dad have twins and they're absolutely adorable, yet they won't be spared from all the danger that's coming. Not only Eureka has melted because of them but also Brooks. I really enjoyed the twins because they bring more life and more feels (such as worry, anxiety, love,...) to the story.
Now the plot. In the beginning, Eureka will give you a lot of information. This information only creates a lot of questions but not a lot of answers. If you read the back of the book really well, you even start with questions but by then nothing will be explained since even Eureka doesn't know anything about that... yet.
The plot will take major turns when Ander comes around and when Brooks starts to act strange and all hot and cold. This will create more mystery not only in the story but also with the characters. This is a great asset to Teardrop because it makes it so much more than it already was. Next to these plot twists there's also a lot that has to do with Eureka's mother and Eureka who's being followed by Ander.
As a reader you'll really start to question everything you come across because you don't have much to work with. You'll have to use your intuition to try and solve things because Eureka will have a moment of disbelieve and just go on with her life.
The mystery around who Ander is and what's going on with Brooks will also feed the question: who is Eureka really? And why does she never cry? It really takes a while before we get new answers and before Eureka will start to act but when she does, the story has a lot in store for you.
There will be betrayal, more questions, mystery, there will be funny moments and moments you don't trust people but there'll also be thrill and tension, anxiety and murder. I can't tell you how much this book will do to you. It really starts slow and you might have to wait long on some answers but this will only cause the book to go out with a bang and give you everything it has, that's what I was really keen on in Teardrop.
If that isn't enough there will be a big plot twist at the end but if I have to give one remark on this book, it'll be the ending. It was good, don't get me wrong but there were some details I didn't really find as spectacular as the big things that were happening. This is only a little remark, nothing big because the end battle still really surprised me!
Another thing I want to say is that the people who want to get Eureka, for whatever reason you will find out during your read, are only seen three times in the book. In the beginning, once in the middle and than at the end. I really missed that a lot because they are important to this story and its further developments. I hope they come around much more in the next book.
Still, I recommend this book to people who want a mysterious read and who want to investigate some things themselves. The book will make a slow start but will give so much more near the ending. Also the epilogue will clear a lot of things for you which is a great thing and this will also make you want to read the following book. The characters are great and each very different from each other. You get background information to events form the past that will guide you in the future which is again a great asset. I think we can conclude that Teardrop is really a good book that's really worth to look into further if you're interested!
"Can everything you love be washed away?"
Vane Weston the miracle kid! Vane should've died with his parents in the storm when he was still a child, but instead he woke up and got another chance at life. What Vane didn't know is that he controlled his fate all along. Without memories, Vane touches in the dark to why he's the only one to survive in a tornado category-five. What he doesn't know is that there has been someone around all along that has the answers. He even sees her in his dreams...
There aren't a lot of characters that'll be very important for the story to understand. These two will really create the story on its own and other characters are nice bystanders that do come around a few times but not that much. I personally didn't think this was a problem because I never got bored by Audra and Vane but others might feel these two are not enough to base the whole story on. As I said, a few will come around such as the mother of Audra which will be important near the end, as well as the parents of Vane and a few friends but it's not as if they came around each few chapters. 
It's fair to say I really was fond of Let the Sky Fall. The author creates a very new concept for me with the characters controlling the wind and whispering to it and this was something I absolutely grew to adore. The characters were also very well written and also total opposites of each other which create funny, laughable moments but will also make sure that the characters will develop a lot! The plot was very comfortable and easy to read, mainly concentrating on training and, as a reader, discovering all there is to the sylphs alongside Vane only to end with a ball of thrill, fighting, the wind raging and a few unexpected plot twists. Let the Sky Fall ends in a more open ending which I'm not sure I'm all that pleased with but it does certainly lead to go and want the next book! I really enjoyed it a lot and really recommend it to everyone who's open for controlling the wind and discovering a whole new world.
