Six of Crows Review and Signed UK edition giveaway

Author: Leigh Bardugo
Publisher: Orion Children's books

I'm posting this on my mobile from the middle of Scotland, so I'm sorry if the formatting is weird. I was too excited about this giveaway to delay posting! Details to follow under the review.

This is the best book I've read since starting my blog. It's set in same world as the brilliant Grisha series, but you don't need to have read them to follow this one.

A young criminal genius has put together an crew of misfits to rescue a scientist for a tidy sum of money. The only problem is that he's being held in the Ice Court, which has never been breached before. Leigh Bardugo describes it as Game of Thrones meets Ocean's 11 (or Guardians of the Galaxy  if she's talking to a younger audience). 

There were so many great things about this book. At first I thought there might be too many characters, but they all turned out to be distinctive and fleshed out with their own stories. My favourite was Inej, an ex-circus performer wrestling between her commitment to the gang and her desire to see her family again. She felt like a unique, utterly believable character that I hope to see more off!

This book was also insanely well plotted! For once I had no idea where it was going, and Kaz's twisty, ingenious plan was exciting and well thought-out.

I really liked the writing style too. The third person viewpoint allowed for depth of each character, with flashbacks used well to explore their histories. It was also super witty and beautifully descriptive.

This is usually where I say what I didn't like, but I genuinely can't think of anything! This is a really well plotted, amazingly written book. You should definitely buy it, or hope to win the giveaway!

*****

All you need to do to enter the giveaway is retweet/ facebook the link to this blog post (I trust ya) and subscribe to my blog by putting in your email address somewhere to the right.

Good luck!

If you liked the sound of this, now try:

- The Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo
- The Sin Eater's Daughter by Melinda Salisbury

Philip Pullman at the Durham Book Festival - on Northern Lights, fairy tales and his hatred of CS Lewis and Tolkien

'Northern Lights' came out when I was about ten, and it was my first ever book obsession. I've read the trilogy several times, and every time I've got a little more out of them. 

Yesterday I had the pleasure of watching Philip Pullman being interviewed as part of the wonderful Durham Book Festival. I've written up an overview of the discussion below. Apologies for anything that I've paraphrased horribly, as I've put this together from notes typed on my phone!

Very early on, Pullman made it very clear that it he doesn't think an author should tell the reader what to think. When writing, he is the dictator or tyrant of his world, and has powers of life and death over it. This becomes a democracy when the book is made, because you can take what you like from it.

I really enjoyed hearing about Pullman's literary influences. He's obviously stupendously well-read, and discussed his physical reaction to reading Milton as a teenager. Both Paradise Lost and Northern lights are about the coming of experience into the world of innocence. This is also a subject that William Blake deals with, the idea that your life story begins when you realise you were born into the wrong family (Pullman's words!) Pullman not only read aloud the Milton quote from Northern Lights, but could recite chunks of Milton from memory! Amazing.

An amazing experience was when I realised that even Philip Pullman has struggled over his writing. He redrafted the beginning of Northern Lights many times before writing the words 'Lyra and her daemon'. I loved the idea that this revelation surprised him, and he had to read his own writing back to work out what a daemon was. When asked what his daemon would be, he said it would be some kind of bird that steals things (because that's what authors do!)

At two points Pullman read aloud from 'His Dark Materials' (the scene in 'Northern Lights' where Lord Asriel shows the photograph of dust, and the one in 'The Subtle Knife' where Lyra and Will meet). His readings were absolutely mesmerising, and I'd highly recommend watching if they ever turn up on Youtube.

Philip Pullman's relationship with religion has been discussed at length in the media. The way he explained it was really interesting; that he has no argument with the big problems and answers brought up by religion, but only takes issue when religious people get political power. He was brought up as a Christian and it formed his mind, so he writes about Christianity because he knows it.

I was also really interested in Philip Pullman's take on fairy tales. Because fairy tales weren't written, there is little development of the character and settings, or use of dialogue. The characters have no psychology, and just act rather than thinking about things. He loves the power of simple and uncluttered stories, and has written a version of Grimms' Fairytales that I will definitely check out!

A particularly humorous moment was when Philip Pullman mentioned that his great regret is that CS Lewis died 'before he could have a go at him, and I'm ruder about Tolkien' (paraphrased). Pullman described his problem with Tolkien is that there are few women and no hints of sexuality. He also hated the ending of the Chronicles of Narnia, and felt that it betrayed the characters and readers. He disliked the treatment of Susan in the books, because she was kept out of Narnia for growing up in a normal, healthy way!

My final revelation - Philip Pullman is writing a new book set in the same universe! How didn't I know this? 'The Book of Dust' will apparently feature Lyra and other characters from the series, but is neither a prequel nor a sequel (if I remember that right - I was very busy freaking out at the time!)

I hope you enjoyed my fangirl ramblings! If anyone reading this hasn't yet discovered 'His Dark Materials', you should do so immediately and thank me later.

I'll leave you with a picture of the book signing at the end of the event. Although you can't see my face very well, you might notice the expression of giddy excitement...

Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson - YA book review

Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Hardback release date: 22nd September 2015

'Lee Westfall has a strong, loving family. She has a home she loves and a loyal steed. She has a best friend—who might want to be something more. She also has a secret.

Lee can sense gold in the world around her. Veins deep in the earth. Small nuggets in a stream. Even gold dust caught underneath a fingernail. She has kept her family safe and able to buy provisions, even through the harshest winters. But what would someone do to control a girl with that kind of power? A person might murder for it.

When everything Lee holds dear is ripped away, she flees west to California—where gold has just been discovered. Perhaps this will be the one place a magical girl can be herself. If she survives the journey.' (Publisher's blurb)

This is the second YA Western that I've reviewed recently, and if they're all as good as this one I hope there'll be a lot more.

Leah is a great YA heroine. She's super strong and self-reliant, which is demonstrated when she dresses as a boy to keep safe in a hostile environment for women. I love it that she has romantic feelings and desires, but she isn't defined by them like some YA main characters.

This book also balances using detailed historical research of the time period, without this weighing down the narrative. The sacrifices that people made to seek gold felt very real, as did the daily struggles of their journey.

The writing is also really evocative, conjuring up clear images of the heat and the changing climate as the wagon trail moves westwards towards California.

My favourite part of this book is the supernatural element. Leah's ability to sense gold is described vividly, in terms of how it works and how it makes her feel. Introducing this power in the context of the California Gold Rush is sheer brilliance, and it made this feel quite different from a lot of historical fiction that I've read.

The only downside in my opinion surrounds the overarching plot conflict. Every once in a while Leah's Uncle was mentioned, the ruthless relative who wants her for her abilities. This was the impetus for Leah leaving home, and I felt there could have been more of a building sense of threat linked to him. Could there have been wanted posters everywhere maybe, or heartless outlaws in pursuit of her?

This was a small issue amidst a lot of things that I loved about this book. The characters, setting and historical details were delivered so well that I'm really excited about the next book in the series.







If you liked the sound of this, now try:

-Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman (which I reviewed at the link below) http://yaundermyskin.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/vengeance-road-review-and-giveaway-by.html
-Silver in the Blood by Jessica Day George (also reviewed at this link) http://yaundermyskin.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/silver-in-blood-by-jessica-day-george.html
-A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

Return to the Secret Garden Review and Giveaway - Blog Tour

 

Author: Holly Webb

Release Date: October 1^st 2015

Genre: Historical MG

Publisher: Scholastic UK

Format: Hardback and E-book

‘It's 1939 and a group of children have been evacuated to Misselthwaite Hall. Emmie is far from happy to have been separated from her cat when she is sent to a huge old mansion. But soon she starts discovering the secrets of the house - a boy crying at night, a diary written by a girl named Mary, and a garden. A very secret garden...’ (Publisher’s blurb)

I was so happy to join this blog tour, because I adored ‘The Secret Garden’ as a child! It was one of those classics that drew me into a different world, and ever since I’ve loved visiting the gardens of old castles and stately homes (sadly I’ve never found a secret one though). The sequel is a beautifully written, delightful book that a new generation of children will love.

I don’t often review middle grade books, but I really enjoyed this one. I was pleased that it felt in keeping with the original book, as I feel quite protective of my childhood favourite! The writing style was lyrical and descriptive, creating a world and characters that felt very real.

Reading it reminded me of what it was like to be a child; that feeling of being so curious and excited about the world. Emmie’s narrative voice was perfect, both childlike and very evocative of the World War 2 time period.

Probably my favourite part of the book was the threads linking it to ‘The Secret Garden’. Without giving too much away, there were many allusions to the first book, such as wonderfully written excerpts from Mary Lennox’s diary.

I’d be hard pressed to say something I didn’t like about this book, even though I’m long past the target age range! The only issue some readers might have is that there isn’t masses of action, but I’d argue that’s the point of the book. I wanted to get wrapped up in the dream world of the secret garden again, and felt no desire for explosions or battles with mythical creatures (well, no more than usual).

I would highly recommend this book to people who loved the original, and anyone who wants to be immersed in a world that is somehow whimsical, and yet true to the pain and beauty of reality. Please go out and buy this book for yourself, or somebody else who will love it!

If you liked the sound of this, now try:

Goodnight Mr. Tom by Michelle Magorian

Tom’s Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce 

The lovely people at Scholastic are giving away a copy of The Secret Garden by Francis Hodgson Burnett and a copy of Return to the Secret Garden by Holly Webb to one lucky blog tour follower! [UK AND IRL ONLY]. Please click on the link below to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/320ab7e460/

The Book of Ivy Review

Author: Amy Engel

Published: November 4^th 2014

Publisher: Entangled: Teen

This is one of those books that is impossible to stop reading. I found myself yanking it out of my bag whenever I had a spare minute, and reading it until my eyes hurt at night. So what made it so compulsively readable?

I think it has a lot to do with voice. Ivy’s narrative sucked me in immediately, as it had that ring of authority that makes it seem like Ivy and her problems are real.  

The plot was also really tightly structured, so I didn’t experience any dips in interest. The tension levels stayed high and kept on building, and I think that’s a big part of what kept me reading so feverishly.

The third and best thing I loved was the romance! Anyone who knows me/ has read any of my blogs will know this is my absolute favourite part of YA: a teasing, slow burning love story that holds out on you until the last possible moment. And all I can say about the love interest, Bishop, is thank you, Amy Engel. Thank you. 

The only problem with this book for me? As soon as I started reading, I knew where it was going. That wasn’t a major issue, because I enjoyed it a lot anyway. I’ve read so much YA that it takes some major outside the box thinking to surprise me.

Despite that one little niggle, this is a really promising series and author that I’ll be looking out for. Fortunately the sequel ‘The Revolution of Ivy’ is out next month, so we don’t have long to wait!

If you liked the sound of this, now try:

-The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

-The Chemical Garden Trilogy by Lauren Destefano

-The Matched series by Allie Condie

Queen of Shadows Review

Author: Sarah J Maas
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's


‘Bloodthirsty for revenge on the two men responsible for destroying her life, and desperate to find out if the prince and his captain are safe, Celaena returns to Rifthold, the seat of so much evil. She has accepted her identity as Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen. But before she can reclaim her throne, there are dark truths to learn and debts to be paid. Aelin must stay hidden beneath her assassin's hood and draw on her mortal strength as Celaena to prevent the King of Adarlan from tearing her world apart. Only then can she fight for her people. (Publishers’ blurb)

This is one of my favourite YA series, and the fourth book is a brilliant addition. The first book 'Heir of Fire' has been described as a cross between 'Game of Thrones' and 'The Hunger Games', and that lofty comparison is greatly deserved.

The world building in this series is staggering. Sarah J Maas has managed to create a world with a rich culture and mythology, without bogging the narrative down with backstory.

And the romance… I love a slow-burning, gradually building relationship more than just about any aspect of YA, and this one is amazing! Aelin and Rowan are my favourite two characters, and the close friendship and love between them feels utterly real and beautiful.

Another interesting aspect of this series is the witch Manon’s viewpoint. She is brave, brutal and merciless, and yet I found myself rooting for her. I looked forward to her storyline, because her ambiguous heroism/ villainy was very intriguing and quite different.

This leads me onto the narrative viewpoint. I loved the use of the third person in this book, because it gave an insight into the several unique and interesting main characters.

I only really had one issue with this book, and I’m not sure it’s a genuine problem. I felt like it was a bit long, and as a result of this my reading pace slowed way down in a few places.

I look forward to reading a lot more books by Sarah J Maas, and if you haven’t already started this series it really should be your next purchase!

If you liked the sound of this, now try:

-Need by Carrie Jones

-The Mortal Instruments/ Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare

-A Court of Thorns and Roses (also by Sarah J Maas)

-The Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

-The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

The Rest of Us Just Live Here Review

Author: Patrick Ness
Publisher: Walker Books


I'm really excited about this! It's one of those rare books that I miss now I'm not reading it. The idea of writing about everybody who isn't 'chosen' is super original, and the book had a strong voice throughout.

I think you could open a Patrick Ness book at any page and know that he wrote it. His style is so honest and convincingly teenage that it really sets his books apart. 

The characters are also enviably brilliant and unique. They feel like real people: flawed, lovely, annoying and likeable. Even the minor characters feel well-developed, like each of them has a story worth telling.

Another interesting feature was that each chapter started with a brief description of what the chosen ones (or 'indie kids') were getting up to, then the chapter was about how the main characters perceived those events. Admittedly it took me a while to work out that this was going on, but I appreciated it when I did.

I also admired the treatment of mental health. Several characters face challenges in this regard, and a perfect balance was struck between treating these issues respectfully but being realistic at the same time.

My only issue with this book (and it is a minor one) is tangled up with what I liked about it. I loved how the characters weren't the obvious heroes that have to battle the big evil. The problem was that sometimes the indie kid introduction to a chapter stirred up my interest, and I wanted to read more about them. 

This is a moving, unique book that I'd recommend to absolutely everyone!

The edition I read was beautiful, with yellow edged pages, the author's signature and a limited print (see the picture above). You can buy it at Waterstones.



If you liked the sound of this, now try:

-Watching Buffy and Freaks and Geeks
-Because you'll never meet me by Leah Thomas (a YA that I've previously reviewed).
-Before I fall by Lauren Oliver

Vengeance Road Giveaway - and the winner is...

Thank you to everyone who took part in the Vengeance Road giveaway!

The winner is Land of Isolated Creatures, from my comments section. I'll be in touch with you shortly.

Please keep an eye on my blog and Twitter @yaundermyskin, as I'll be posting a giveaway about once a month. Next month's is particularly amazing, and may even be signed if I manage to pull it off!

Happy reading everyone. New review to follow shortly...

Vengeance Road Review and Giveaway by Amy at YA Under My Skin

Author: Erin Bowman

Publisher (hardback): Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Publication Date: 1st September 2015

Keep reading to find out how you can win a hardcover copy of this amazing book!

I love Westerns, so this was an easy sell for me. A kickass heroine on a journey of redemption? Gorgeous cowboys tagging along to hunt for gold? Yes please! I was really excited about this one, and it didn’t disappoint.

A main selling point of this is how original the premise is. I love the idea of a YA Western, and the historical aspects were handled really well. I’ve read quite widely around this time period, and this book seems incredibly authentic and well-researched.

The plot of this book is really gripping too. Although it’s based on the revenge story arc, there are diverting romances and conflicts with Native Americans that keep it feeling varied.

Another strength is that the minor characters feel like heroes of their own stories. The Colton boys have their own motivations driving them forward, and are well-developed characters as opposed to tag-alongs for Kate.  They also meet a native American girl called Liluye, who is really likeable at the same time as feeling authentic for the time.

Only one part of it took some getting used to for me. Sometimes, especially early on, I found the ‘Western speak’ a little jarring. Maybe this was because I couldn’t get the accent right in my head, which left it ringing false on occasion.

Aside from that, I can’t recommend this book strongly enough. It struck me as very well-researched and authentic, and is a welcome new branch for YA.

If you liked the sound of this now try:

Deadwood - an awesome TV series that was made between 2003 and 2006 (though if you really don't like swearing you should steer clear)

For a chance to win, simply leave a comment below or retweet my twitter link to this blog (which can be found @yaundermyskin). Give me your email address or twitter handle, so I can contact you if you win!

The winner will be notified by Sunday 20th September. Good luck!

An Ember in the Ashes Review by Amy at YA Under My Skin

Publisher: Razorbill

Author: Sabaa Tahir

Publisher’s synopsis:

‘LAIA is a Scholar living under the brutal rule of the Martial Empire. When her brother is arrested for treason, Laia goes undercover as a slave at the empire’s greatest military academy in exchange for assistance from rebel Scholars who vow to save her brother from execution. ELIAS is the academy’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias is considering deserting the military, but before he can, he’s ordered to participate in a ruthless contest to choose the next Martial emperor. When Laia and Elias’s paths cross at the academy, they will find that their destinies are more intertwined that either could have imagined and that their choices will change the future of the empire itself.’

This is another great dystopian debut, with an interesting world and a good balance of action and romance.

I loved the alternating first person narrative, as it gave an insight into the two very different sides of this society. Laia was a particularly interesting character, as she experienced a lot of self-doubt when it came to her brave, borderline foolhardy mission to infiltrate the empire’s military academy. This made her feel believable and relatable, as I find some self-sacrificing heroines too selfless to be true! She seemed like a ‘normal’ person without powers or superior ability and battle, and I liked that a lot. 

I also enjoyed Elias’ character arc. It was interesting that he’d been raised with a conformist, military background, and came to question it.

Another compelling aspect of this book was that the war and revolution were described in very real, brutal terms. In my opinion, a book about these violent subject matters should tackle them head-on, in a realistic way. Otherwise, what’s the point?

One thing I liked less was that I was confused by gender roles in the book. Women were considered to be massively inferior, and rape was a commonplace experience for female slaves (with very little being done about it). Yet the military commander and one of their best soldiers were women. This struck me as a bit contradictory. I also felt that this series covered little new ground when compared with similar books in the genre.

Even though the subject matter of this felt quite familiar, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I hope the sequel comes out soon!

If you liked the sound of this, now try:

-The Throne of Glass series by Sarah J Maas

-The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen.

-The Divergent series by Veronica Roth

Slasher Girls and Monster Boys Review by Amy at YA Under My Skin

Slasher Girls and Monster Boys edited by April Genevieve Tucholke

Publisher: Dial Books

Kindle release date: Out now!

Hardcover: 13^th October (Just in time for Halloween...)

The fabulous authors included (in order): Nova Ren Suma, Carrie Ryan, Cat Winters, Leigh Bardugo, Megan Shepherd, Danielle Paige, April Genevieve Tucholke, Jonathan Maberry, Jay Kristoff, Stefan Bachmann, Marie Lu, A.G. Howard and Kendare Blake.

I started reading Point Horror books when I was 9 or 10 (which probably explains a lot). For me, this book felt like the best kind of childhood flashback.

I’m not usually a short story reader, but I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this collection. Part of it was to do with the amazing selection of authors (Marie Lu and Carrie Ryan – in the same book?!)

All of the stories left me at least unnerved, and at best were downright disturbing and terrifying. I felt like the authors pushed into some dark, twisted places, and I loved that! Only a couple of stories were less engaging, retreading familiar horror movie ground.  

I’ll give a quick rundown of my favourites, but I’d hate to ruin them by saying too much!

-My favourite by a long lead was Carrie Ryan’s story ‘In the Forest Dark and Deep’, based on elements of Alice in Wonderland. ‘The Forest of Hands and Teeth’ by Carrie Ryan is one of my favourite books, and I loved the dark depths that this story went to. Two trembling thumbs up!

-I also really enjoyed Marie Lu’s story ‘The Girl Without a Face’. It has an unusual narrative style, and a very unpredictable plot.

-My next top pick was ‘Sleepless’ by Jay Kristoff. This was an inventive take on the potential for horror surrounding internet chatrooms.

-Another story that I really enjoyed was Stitches by A.G. Howard. I’m not going to say anything except how wonderfully strange it was!

This book is a must read for horror adrenaline junkies. You weren’t planning to sleep tonight, were you?

If you liked the sound of this, now try:

-Absolutely anything by Stephen King

-…or Neil Gaiman

-Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake

-The Forbidden Game by LJ Smith (the author of ‘The Vampire Diaries’)

-Go old school and track down some Point Horrors

The Wrath and the Dawn Review by Amy at YA Under My Skin

Author: Renee Ahdieh

Publisher: Hardcover published by GP Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Inspired by 'A Thousand and One Nights', the story follows sixteen year old Shahrzad. She has agreed to marry Khalid, the Caliph of Khorasan, who takes a new bride each night and executes her at sunrise. She crafts a plan to stay alive, so she can avenge the young girls who have died, including her best friend. Each night, she will tell Khalid a story so tantalising that he couldn't possibly kill her without knowing what happens next.

This is the best YA romance I've read since... well, I can't remember the last time I read one this good! A main part of this was because of Shahrzad: the fierce, intelligent and all around awesome heroine. She is so resourceful and brave in a spectacularly dire situation, that I was on her side straight away. Also, it goes without saying that we need more diversity in YA (and books in general), and the Middle Eastern setting and characters were so refreshing!

Now to my favourite part: the romance. It isn't often that I'm so completely invested in a relationship, and even though I could see where it was going I really, really enjoyed watching it unfold! The relationship between Shahrzad and Khalid was painful, complicated, and drawn out long enough that it was especially satisfying! 

I also loved Renee Ahdieh's writing style. The sumptuous descriptions evoked the exotic setting, and made for an immersive reading experience. Her metaphors felt fresh and boundary pushing, and devoid of eye-rolling cliches.

There were a couple of aspects that I would've liked more of, the first being the stories. I really enjoyed the tales that Shahrzad told Khalid early on, in her efforts to keep his interest and stay alive. As soon as their relationship developed, the stories disappeared and I wanted to see more of them. I was also really intrigued by the touches of magic, and wanted to know more about the developing powers of certain characters.

All I can say is that I want more of this world, and these characters. I need to know what happens next! I can't recommend this book highly enough, and I'm very excited about the sequel due out next year.

If you liked the sound of this, now try:

-An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

-The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

-Need by Carrie Jones