Review: The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White

Publication: September 25th 2018
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Pages: 304 pages
Source: Bookmobile
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Retelling, Horror, Historical Fiction, YA
My Rating: ⛤⛤⛤⛤

Published two hundred years after Mary Shelley’s immortal Frankenstein, Kiersten White seeks to retell the story we all know and love from an unlikely new perspective.

Elizabeth Lavenza owes everything to the Frankenstein’s for bringing her into their home and away from the cruel life she used to live, but mainly she owes her life to Victor. He is the reason she was brought in by the Frankenstein’s, to keep him happy, to be his Elizabeth, and Elizabeth is more than happy to be his. Being Victor’s is better than being poor, or on the street, or being abused as she was as a child. But Elizabeth hasn’t heard from Victor in two years and she doesn’t hold the same affection in Judge Frankenstein’s eyes as she does Victor’s. So Elizabeth must save herself by saving Victor, but will she be able to?

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Review: A Room Away From The Wolves by Nova Ren Suma

Publication: July 31st 2018
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Pages:  384 pages
Source: Library
Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Young Adult, Thriller, Contemporary
My Rating: ⛤⛤⛤

“But when there’s one speck of truth in the lie, no matter how tiny, it can make all of it seem real,” (Suma, Nova Ren 233).

I had a lot of hopes for this book and I wouldn’t say I’m exactly disappointed by it, but I’m not all that satisfied with it either.

Review: The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas

Publication: July 31st 2018
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Pages:  384 pages
Source: Library
Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Young Adult, Thriller, Contemporary
My Rating: ⛤⛤⛤

“Pain isn’t supposed to teach you anything. It only exists to hurt you,” (Thomas, 5).

I’d been looking forward to reading The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas for a while. It was the cover that got me, I love me some minimalism and the beige with the cheerleading skirt and splashes of blood sold me on it before I even knew what the story is about.

Review: Toil & Trouble – Anthology

Publication: August 28th 2018
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pages:  480 pages
Source: Library
Genre: Fiction, Short Story, Anthology, YA, Paranormal
My Rating: ⛤⛤⛤

“You understand the truth, though, don’t you? The most terrifying thing in the world is a girl with power. That’s why they watch us burn,” (“Why They Watch Us Burn, May, Elizabeth 392).

This anthology has been popping up on my bookstagram for quite a while and as a lover of all things witchy and feminist and anything that combines the two, I was excited to get my hands on it. I remember reading a lot of paranormal YA anthologies when I was in high school and was excited to see how much they’ve changed since then

Library Loot

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Linda from Silly Little Mischief that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library.

Hooray, all of my holds are coming in which means I have more Library Loot to talk about! Good for my blog, not so much for my TBR pile. I only got one new book this week, The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas, which looks like a creepy read and one perfect to finish off October with.

Review: Bright We Burn by Kiersten White

Publication: July 10th 2018
Publisher: Delacorte
Pages:  416 pages
Source: Bookmobile
Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Fiction
My Rating: ⛤⛤⛤⛤

“‘We are not delicate flowers. We break our backs with the washing and the tilling of soil and the bearing of children. We can beat an enemy as handily as we beat a rug'” (White 122).

What a fantastic end to a truly amazing trilogy! Somehow Bright We Burn completely flew under my radar, maybe everyone on bookstagram was just too excited for White’s most recent release The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein, which don’t get me wrong I’m also pumped for. But I thought it was so strange that I hadn’t heard anything of this book, I had to search it on Goodreads before I learned it came out this past July!

Review: The Loneliest Girl in the Universe by Lauren James

Publication: July 3rd 2018
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages:  305 pages
Source: Bookmobile
Genre: Fiction, YA, Sci Fi
My Rating: ⛤⛤⛤⛤

“Now I know that there are just some things so terrible you can’t cry about them, because if you start, you will never stop,” (James 191).

I saw this book on bookstagram and it peaked my interest with it’s beautiful cover and interesting title. Yes, it’s another title with “girl” in it; I don’t know if that’s a trend the publishing industry is ready to give up on any time soon. But I learned its science fiction, and since I hadn’t read a sci fi novel in a while and so much of the book already intrigued me I decided to check it out.

Review: Neverworld Wake by Marisha Pessl

Publication: June 5th 2018
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Pages:  327 pages
Source: Bookmobile
Genre: Fiction, Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller, Psychological, Science Fiction, Fantasy
My Rating: ⛤⛤⛤

“No one ever heeded a warning sign when it came,” (Pessl 5).

I fell in love with Marisha Pessl’s writing when I read her book Night Film. It was a strange and addicting read and I knew I had to keep her on my radar. And there she came on my bookstagram, through one account and then another. As soon as I saw that she had written a new book and her first for YA, I knew I had to read it and was lucky to get on the hold list at my library at just the right time.

Library Loot

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Linda from Silly Little Mischief that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library.

Time for another Library Loot bookworms! I’ve actually been doing a pretty good job of finishing my library books in a pretty timely matter. Let’s see if I can keep it up (and reach my Goodreads Reading Goal for 2018!). This week I got two books The Loneliest Girl in the Universe by Lauren James and The Mere Wife by Maria Dahvana Headley.

Review: House of Many Ways by Diana Wynne Jones

Publication: June 1 2008
Publisher: Harper Collins Children’s Books
Pages:  327 pages
Source: Bought (Amazon)
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, YA, Fiction, Children’s
My Rating: ⛤⛤⛤⛤⛤

Well, I’ve done it. I’ve finished the Howl’s Moving Castle series and don’t know how I’ll ever recover. House of Many Ways is the perfect end to Howl, Sophie, and the many new characters we get to meet adventures and a good farewell to Ingary. It felt very final, though Jones did talk before her death about more Howl stories she wanted to write. Still, I’m happy it ended with House of Many Ways in true Jones fashion: magic, humour, and sweetness all rolled into one magnificent book.