Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton Review

Publisher: Faber and Faber (4th February 2016)

I'd heard a lot of hype about this book so I started it with high expectations. It was original, exciting and romantic - everything I wanted it to be!

The premise of a Western meets the Arabian Nights gave this a fresh slant. I loved the fantastical elements set against the Western setting and all of the action associated with this genre. The world building was just brilliant and gave a lot of scope for sequels.

All of the characters in this book were really compelling! Amani was a great MC, with a huge amount of guts and principles that drove the plot. Even the most minor characters were well-drawn and realistic, which was helped by the witty, believable dialogue.

Last but not least was the romance. The relationship between Amani and Jin was perfectly paced: It held out just long enough to keep my attention, though unlike some books there was plenty of chemistry and romantic moments.

This is a brilliantly written, compelling book and I can't wait for the sequels!

If you liked the sound of this, now try:

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh (reviewed here http://www.yaundermyskin.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Renee%20Ahdieh)

Snow like Ashes by Sara Raasch

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir (reviewed here http://www.yaundermyskin.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Ember%20in%20the%20Ashes)

In Place of Never review

Author: Julie Anne Lindsey

Publisher: Kensington Publishing

Release Date: 2nd February 2016

This was an ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Can the truth set her free?…
 
A part of Mercy died the summer her sister tragically drowned. Now Mercy has a chance to discover if Faith’s death was an accident—or murder.  Her first step is to confront the lead suspects: a band of traveling gypsies—the last people who saw her sister alive. But Mercy finds an unexpected ally in Cross, the soulful musician in their ranks. He’s a kindred spirit, someone who sees into her heart for the first time in, well, forever. Yet stirring up the past puts Mercy in danger… 
 
Suddenly someone is shadowing Mercy’s every move, making her even more determined to uncover the facts. With Cross by her side, she is ready to face it all, even if that means opening up to him, knowing he may one day leave her. What she discovers is a truth that rocks the foundation of her small river town—and a love worth risking everything for… (Publisher's Blurb)

I'm a huge fan of books about travelling performers so I was really excited about this. There were a lot of interesting elements, including a compelling story about loss and a love story. This book was thoroughly addictive and I ended up reading it really quickly!

Books about coping with grief are a difficult sell for me. Sometimes I find them too painful to read and it can be difficult to come across as sincere. Loss was handled beautifully in this book and it felt very genuine. The subject of self-harm in relation to this was also dealt with in a sympathetic though realistic manner

The mystery element was also intriguing and well-paced. I found it hard to predict what was going to happen on Mercy's journey to find out what happened to her sister.

It's no secret that I love YA romance and this one totally won me over! Cross and Mercy's relationship was believable and really sweet. The relationships in this book in general were interesting, including the interactions with Mercy's father and the close relationship that developed between Mercy and her younger sister. 

The only part of this that I was less keen on was that a couple of plot cliches and clumsy dialogue pulled me out of the narrative, though overall I enjoyed the plotting and writing style.

This was a really enjoyable read and I will definitely look out for more by Julie Anne Lindsey.

If you liked the sound of this, now try:

-The Accident Season by Moira Fowley -Doyle

-The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge

The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge - Costa Book of the Year Review

Publisher: Macmillan (2015)

'Faith's father has been found dead under mysterious circumstances, and as she is searching through his belongings for clues she discovers a strange tree. The tree only grows healthy and bears fruit if you whisper a lie to it. The fruit of the tree, when eaten, will deliver a hidden truth to the person who consumes it. The bigger the lie, the more people who believe it, the bigger the truth that is uncovered.


The girl realizes that she is good at lying and that the tree might hold the key to her father's murder, so she begins to spread untruths far and wide across her small island community. But as her tales spiral out of control, she discovers that where lies seduce, truths shatter...' (Publisher's blurb)


I started reading this book a couple of days before it won the Costa Book of the Year 2015. It's so exciting that a children's book has won this award and I can't think of a more deserving recipient!


It's a long time since I've read a book with such an original premise. Although this has the feel of a deliciously dark fairy tale, there was no point when I felt like the plot borrowed from anywhere else. The tension accumulates as Faith unearths more clues about her father's disappearance and makes for a thrilling read.


Faith is a really interesting main character. As a girl in a past when women were deemed inferior, she's often ignored. This enables her to listen in on conversations and subtly spread her lies. I love it when a character feels so real and at the same time her every attribute is entangled in the plot.


Another part of this that I loved was the writing style. The settings in particular were described with language that was somehow both clear and poetic. Take this as just one example: 'The mist flattened everything and sucked out all colour. Trees became intricate smoke-hued doilies. Buildings were featureless outlines, eiderdown grey.' So beautiful and evocative!


This book was also incredibly well-researched. The references to the theory of evolution adding a fascinating element and the many historical details created an impression of realism. My favourite (and most morbid) aspect of this was when Faith encountered a local boy whose photographer father was often hired to take pictures of the dead.


Everything about this book was so wonderfully creepy and well-executed that I can't think of a bad thing to say about it. I'm really looking forward to reading more by Frances Hardinge!

If you liked the sound of this, now try:

-The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan (for something dark and terrifying)
-The Accident Season by Moira Fowley-Doyle (for an intriguing and unpredictable mystery)


 

The Shadow Hour by Kate Riordan - ARC review

  

Publisher: Penguin

Publication date: 25th February 2016

Harriet Jenner is just twenty-one when she walks through the gates of Fenix House. Reeling from a personal tragedy, she doesn't expect her new life as a governess to be easy. But she certainly does not foresee the spell Fenix House will cast.

Almost fifty years later, Harriet's granddaughter Grace follows in her footsteps. For Grace, raised on Harriet's spellbinding stories, Fenix House is a fairy tale; a magical place suspended in time.

But the now-faded grandeur of the mansion soon begins to reveal the holes in Harriet's story and Grace finds herself in a place of secrets and shadows. For Fenix House hides truths about her family, and everything that she once knew is about to change. (Publisher's Blurb)

Mostly I read Young Adult these days, though I was intrigued by the premise of this when I discovered it on Twitter. I was optimistic about the historical, mysterious feel to the blurb and this book absolutely lived up to it!

Often when a novel has alternating viewpoints, I find myself rushing to my favourite character. Both Grace and Harriet had compelling story lines and I loved trying to work out the connections between their stories. All of the characters were interesting in their own ways and it was great to spot some of them in both narratives.

The writing style of 'The Shadow Hour' felt enviably effortless. The alternating first and third person narratives were both executed brilliantly. Kate Riordan's descriptions of Fenix House between the two time periods were suitably creepy and reminiscent of various Bronte novels. The historical aspects seemed well-researched and the modern sensibility behind this made it feel dark and gritty.   

I'm guilty of having quite a short attention span when it comes to books, generally preferring YA because I can finish them in a few days. This book was addictive, with really suspenseful chapter endings that insisted I read on. There was no point in this that my attention wandered and I raced through the 500 pages!

At this point I usually try to think of something I didn't like but I have absolutely no complaints about this book! It comes out tomorrow and I would recommend it to anyone who wants an intriguing mystery that will keep them reading all night!

If you liked the sound of this, now try:

The Girl in the Photograph by Kate Riordan (which I haven't read but also sounds brilliant!)

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs - review

Publisher: Quirk Books (7th June 2011)

'A mysterious island.


An abandoned orphanage.


A strange collection of very curious photographs.


 
It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive. 

A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.' (Publishers' Blurb)

This book came out to incredible critical acclaim and spent more than a year on the NY Times Bestsellers list. All of that attention is very much deserved, because 'Miss Peregrine's Home' is exceptionally well written and beautiful to look at. I often read E-books but this is definitely one where I needed the paper copy.

Basing a book around a series of found photographs is such a unique idea! They add a sense of this being someone's secret scrapbook or journal. The photographs themselves are fascinating and very well-selected, enhancing the story and creating a unique reading experience.

The premise of this is as unique as the format. I loved the idea of Jacob visiting Miss Peregrine's Home to find out more about his recently deceased grandfather. This felt like a mystery, historical fiction and a fantasy mashed together and yet somehow this worked really well. These different elements created a tense, well-paced plot. 

My other favourite part of this was the characters. Without giving too much away, there were a lot of characters in this and yet they all felt well-developed and believable. I especially liked Jacob and loved reading a book solely from a male point of view. Issues surrounding his mental health were also dealt with in a very sensitive but real way.

The only downside of this for me was that I would've like to know more about the villains of this world. They were introduced and their motivations were made clear, but I was intrigued to know more. This will possibly happen later in the series, which I will definitely be continuing with. It isn't often that I read a book so entirely fresh and unpredictable and I would highly recommend it.





If you liked the sound of this, now try:

-Silver in the Blood by Jessica Day George (which I reviewed here: http://yaundermyskin.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/silver-in-blood-by-jessica-day-george.html)
-The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich (which I reviewed here: http://www.yaundermyskin.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/the-dead-house-by-dawn-kurtagich-review.html)
-The Illuminae by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman

The Selection by Kiera Cass - Review

Publisher: Harper Collins Children's Books

Thirty-five beautiful girls. Thirty-five beautiful rivals…

It’s the chance of a lifetime and 17-year-old America Singer should feel lucky. She has been chosen for The Selection, a reality TV lottery in which the special few compete for gorgeous Prince Maxon’s love.

Swept up in a world of elaborate gowns, glittering jewels and decadent feasts, America is living a new and glamorous life. And the prince takes a special interest in her, much to the outrage of the others.

Rivalry within The Selection is fierce and not all of the girls are prepared to play by the rules. But what they don’t know is that America has a secret – one which could throw the whole competition… and change her life forever. (Publisher's Blurb)

I don't know why it took me so long to read this book, because I absolutely adored it! It only took me a couple of days to read and I've since read this second and third book in the series. This is a testament to how addictive and compelling these books are!

I really liked how this created a fresh take on the dystopian by tapping into the obsession with celebrities and the media. It's been a while since the premise of a dystopian has hooked me in like this one!

That is enhanced by Kiera Cass' amazing writing style. The pacing was perfectly balanced between action, romance and introspection, which kept me interested long after I should have gone to sleep...

The romance deserves a paragraph of its own. Sometimes love triangles grate on me but this one was meaningful and contributed to the conflict throughout. Maxon was a great love interest, with his own challenges and issues rather than being just more two-dimensional eye candy. I liked America as an MC and overall felt that she was a strong and sassy lead. 

My only quibble with is that sometimes it felt like there was too great an emphasis on wealth and appearance. I get that this is escapism (and it really does this job terrifically well!) Sometimes there were moments when America was thinking about how pretty she felt etc. when she had more important things to worry about.

Another great part of this book is that America's competitors felt like relatable girls in a stressful situation, when they could easily have been portrayed as just bitchy obstacles to America's relationship with Maxon. By the end of this there was a real feeling of sisterhood and camaraderie between the girls and I loved that!

This was a super enjoyable read and I'll definitely check out the fourth and fifth book in the series.





If you liked the sound of this, now try:

-Matched by Ally Condie
-The Chemical Garden Triology by Lauren Destefano

My True Love Gave to Me edited by Stephanie Perkins - Review

Since I've been feeling festive since about Halloween, I decided to give this book of twelve short stories a go. Another plus is that many of my favourite YA authors contributed to this including Jenny Han, Rainbow Rowell and Laini Taylor among others

The best thing about this book is that the stories are all so different! Yes there's the unifying themes of love and Christmas running through them, but I loved how many variations there were. Some stories had a supernatural or fantastical element and others were more contemporary and this made for a very moreish read.

Though there wasn't a bad story in the bunch for me, these were a few of my favourites: 'Midnights' by Rainbow Rowell, 'The Lady and the Fox' by Kelly Link, 'Angels in the Snow' by Matt De La Pena and 'The Girl Who Woke the Dreamer' by Laini Taylor.

In these stories in particular, I marveled at how well-developed the characters were in such a few pages. The only problem is that I'd like a whole book dedicated to them!

My only regret is that now I've finished I need a break from all things Christmas-related. I'm sure I'll get over it after some Stephen King or Star Wars.

This was a really fun read and I will definitely seek out the authors in here that I was previously less familiar with.

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

 

I missed a week on the blog for two reasons. Firstly, it was my birthday and I was busy crying over Mockingjay Park 2/ wandering around Christmas markets. Secondly, I discovered Raindbow Rowell. I might be the last YA fan in the world to do this, but I felt compelled to review this book because I loved it so much! Since reading Eleanor and Park, I have inhaled Fangirl and I'm working on Attachments. 

Rainbow Rowell is officially my new favourite contemporary author. I’ve never read a book that so accurately captures what it’s like to be a teenager and made me so invested in what happened to these characters. Somehow this book weaves together the weird, funny and heart-breaking things that people think and say in a really honest way. 

These characters feel like living, breathing people I knew at school. I saw aspects of people I liked (and those that I didn’t) in all of them. I think they were so believable because the most minor of characters didn’t feel like stereotypes. Even peripheral mean girls were the heroes of their own stories (and didn’t they know it?) 

On the face of it, the plot sounds quite ordinary. Two people meet on a bus and slowly a relationship grows from tentative roots. Yet the way it was described was just beautiful, showing how the simplest of actions or words can gradually build into a real connection between two people.

I'm not always a fan of setting a book in a random time period, as it can feel a bit forced. Even though I only vaguely remember the eighties, there was no moment that I remembered this was written in the 2000s. Everything from the (sometimes dubious) fashion choices to the music and the way people talk felt really authentic and deliberate.

I loved this book so much that I felt its absence when I finished. Rainbow Rowell is an amazing author and I plan to read everything she ever writes!

If you liked the sound of this, now try everything by the following authors:

-Simon Elkeles

-John Green

-Sarah Dessen

I'm sure there are more but I'm off to finish Attachments! I'll add them to the comments if I think of any after my Rainbow Rowell binge read.

The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich - review



Publisher: Orion Children's Books

Through excerpts from diary entries, police reports and transcripts of videos, the book describes the run-up to 'the Johnson Incident', when three high school pupils died and twenty were injured. The diary entries belong to Kaitlyn Johnson, who is conscious only during the night, while her counterpart Carly lives in the day. 

This is a terrifically original premise and writing style. At first I thought the book's piecemeal nature might feel jarring or pretentious, but it was incredibly well-suited to the plot and characters. The writing is electrifying and felt throughout like you were given an insight into the lives of real people.

The question that hung over this gave me a lot to think about: whether Kaitlyn was real or a personality disorder resulting from trauma. From the start, Kaitlyn was portrayed as an unreliable narrator, who had suffered trauma and struggled with mental health. I enjoyed picking through the evidence to work out the truth about her.

This book was really dark and overall I liked how unflinching it was about tackling difficult issues. Despite that, I would've liked more moments of lightness in contrast. Using Kaitlyn as the main narrator worked well in a lot of ways, but sometimes felt consistently bleak.

It's a long time since I've read a book that kept me guessing and truly messed with me like this. It reminded me of my early experiences of reading Stephen King in the best possible way, and I'm looking forward to reading more by Dawn Kurtagich.






If you like the sound of this, now try:

Slasher Girls and Monster Boys - a book of short stories which I reviewed at http://www.yaundermyskin.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/slasher-girls-and-monster-boys-review.html 
Carrie by Stephen King
Horns by Joe Hill

Nameless (Tales of Beauty and Madness) by Lili St. Crow - Review

When Camille was six years old, she was discovered alone in the snow by Enrico Vultusino, godfather of the Seven-the powerful Families that rule magic-ridden New Haven. Papa Vultusino adopted the mute, scarred child, naming her after his dead wife and raising her in luxury on Haven Hill alongside his own son, Nico. Now Cami is turning sixteen. She's no longer mute, and keeps her faded scars hidden under her school uniform only opening up to her two best friends, Ruby and Ellie and to Nico, who has become more than a brother to her. But her past is now coming back to haunt her. (Publisher's Blurb)

I've been on a bit of a fairy tale bender recently, rereading the Brothers' Grimm and any retellings that I can lay my hands on. Fairy tales are such great source material, because they are truly disturbing and contain flat characters with a lot of potential for development.

This was a modern take on Snow White (usually not my favourite fairy tale because of the lackluster heroine). In this I loved the world that Lili St. Crow created, with compelling magical realism and other fairy tale characters making fun cameos. 

There was a mounting sense of unease throughout, as Cami gradually unearths her back story and finds out who she is. The traditional fairy tale aspects were also melded effectively with modern and magical elements.

My one quibble was the romance. I like my romances slow-burning and building to something really explosive. For me, the relationships in 'Nameless' had tonnes of potential (and some great love interests) but didn't really go anywhere.

This was an enjoyable, well-paced read, and I'll definitely be checking out the other books in the series (so much for keeping out of my overdraft!)





If you liked the sound of this, now try:

Cinder by Marissa Meyer (the first in the amazing Lunar Chronicles)
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore - Review

Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books

The Palomas and the Corbeaus have long been rivals and enemies, locked in an escalating feud for over a generation. Both families make their living as traveling performers in competing shows. The Palomas swimming in mermaid exhibitions, the Corbeaus, former tightrope walkers, performing in the tallest trees they can find. Lace Paloma may be new to her family's show, but she knows as well as anyone that the Corbeaus are pure magia negra, black magic from the devil himself. Simply touching one could mean death, and she's been taught from birth to keep away. But when disaster strikes the small town where both families are performing, it's a Corbeau boy, Cluck, who saves Lace's life. And his touch immerses her in the world of the Corbeaus, where falling for him could turn his own family against him, and one misstep can be just as dangerous on the ground as it is in the trees. (Publishers' Blurb)

This book is right up there with the best YAs I have EVER read. The plot and lyrical writing style utterly engrossed me, yet I tormented myself by reading it in short stints so it would last longer. 

The premise of this is just brilliant, very Romeo and Juliet with the two warring families who descend on the same town once a year where the rift between their families began. Star-crossed love stories done well are the best kind as far as I'm concerned! This one was gut punchingly, heart wrenchingly riveting all the way through, with no pointless falling out/ will they or won't they needed.

A particularly amazing aspect of this was that the descriptive writing style managed to provide a gorgeously evocative reading experience, at the same time as making the teen speak feel authentic and not at all annoying. I can't remember reading another book that does this so well since 'Daughter of Smoke and Bone' (one of my all time favourites).

The beautiful writing set against the subtle supernatural elements made the whole thing feel magical. There was a Shakespearean, fairy tale thread through it, and I loved that I had no idea how it would end.

The alternating third person viewpoints also worked really well for the book, allowing the families to be set apart at times and overlap at others. This allowed the layers of the family history and mythology to peel away as the story progressed.

In case you couldn't tell, I really adored this book! If you read one more YA novel before the end of this year, make it this one.

I swear I'm not getting soft, but here comes another five stars...

]

 

If you liked this, now try:

-The Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

-The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

Blood and Salt by Kim Liggett - Review

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Hardcover: 352 pages

"Romeo and Juliet" meets "Children of the Corn" in this one-of-a-kind romantic horror. "When you fall in love, you will carve out your heart and throw it into the deepest ocean. You will be all in blood and salt. " These are the last words Ash Larkin hears before her mother returns to the spiritual commune she escaped long ago. But when Ash follows her to Quivira, Kansas, something sinister and ancient waits among the rustling cornstalks of this village lost to time. Ash is plagued by memories of her ancestor, Katia, which harken back to the town's history of unrequited love and murder, alchemy and immortality. Charming traditions soon give way to a string of gruesome deaths, and Ash feels drawn to Dane, a forbidden boy with secrets of his own. As the community prepares for a ceremony five hundred years in the making, Ash must fight not only to save her mother, but herself and discover the truth about Quivira before it's too late. Before she's all in blood and salt." (Publishers' blurb)

I really liked the premise of this! There's something about cults that repulses and fascinates me, the idea that your mindset can be twisted into thinking it's right. This book definitely wasn't afraid to delve into dark subject matters, from the brutally described deaths to the unsettling cult traditions.

There was also an interesting supernatural element to this, especially in the flashbacks of Ash's ancestor Katia. This plot unravelled alongside the present day story, and the two wove together in an interesting way.

My favourite part of this book was the building tension, in the romantic side story and the quest to save Ash's mother. By the end, I was reading this at crazy speed because I really wanted to know what happened!

The only downside of this was that it took me a while to get into. For some reason I didn't engage with the voice and the writing style immediately, though I did get into the flow as the tension started to increase.

Overall, I found this a really unique concept and a very tense, creepy reading experience. If you're feeling the post Halloween slump, this is a perfect read to keep the scares going!

If you liked the sound of this, now try:

The Accident Season by

The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore