REVIEW: STORM SIREN BY MARY WEBER.

Title: Storm Siren
Author: Mary Weber
Series: Storm Siren #1
Edition: Hardbound
Publication: August 19th 2014 by Thomas Nelson
Source: Bought from Fullybooked
Pages: 333
Genre: Fantasy, Romance

Synopsis:
In a world at war, a slave girl’s lethal curse could become one kingdom’s weapon of salvation. If the curse—and the girl—can be controlled.

As a slave in the war-weary kingdom of Faelen, seventeen-year-old Nym isn’t merely devoid of rights, her Elemental kind are only born male and always killed at birth — meaning, she shouldn’t even exist.

Standing on the auction block beneath smoke-drenched mountains, Nym faces her fifteenth sell. But when her hood is removed and her storm-summoning killing curse revealed, Nym is snatched up by a court advisor and given a choice: be trained as the weapon Faelen needs to win the war, or be killed.

Choosing the former, Nym is unleashed into a world of politics, bizarre parties, and rumors of an evil more sinister than she’s being prepared to fight . . . not to mention the handsome trainer whose dark secrets lie behind a mysterious ability to calm every lightning strike she summons.

But what if she doesn’t want to be the weapon they’ve all been waiting for?

Set in a beautifully eclectic world of suspicion, super abilities, and monsters, Storm Siren is a story of power. And whoever controls that power will win.

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Was just so tempted to DNF at around 100 pages due to lack of events. There was literally nothing going on until about 200 pages in. World building was lacking, too. I appreciate the map but then that's it? What I don't understand as well is that Nym was a slave with Storm's power (sounds so intriguing) but the story didn't elaborate her history as a slave and as an Elemental. She was full of loathing and guilt for things she clearly didn't intend to do and then no backups in the story or anything. It was so focused on developing a very awkward romance between Nym and her trainer, Eogan. The enemy was attacking them already but Nym and Eogan was just non-stop bickering but still throwing hints that they have a thing for each other. I understand that the pressure of suddenly being the hero (by saving their kingdom from a war that I have no clue how started) is hard for her to accept but she could have focused on her training and used the opportunity to control her powers. But nah, she was just furious and jealous all the time. Plus, Eogan is a little manipulative, like whenever Nym is trying to explain herself, he would always flip the table and make Nym believe it's her fault. Like, wtaf.

I don't have anything good to say because for me, the story line is impressive but the execution failed. I had high hopes for this but meh. I don't recommend. Better try reading something else and save time.

"I think some have to fight harder to choose good over evil because the evil's got it out for them. And maybe it's because those're the ones evil knows will become the strongest warriors, recognizing true wickedness when it rears its head."

REVIEW: THEY BOTH DIE AT THE END BY ADAM SILVERA.

Title: They Both Die at the End
Author: Adam Silvera
Series: Standalone
Edition: Kindle
Publication: September 5th 2017 by HarperTeen
Source: eARC provided by the publisher via Edelweiss
Pages: 384
Genre: Contemporary, M/M, LGBTQPIA+, Romance

Synopsis:
On September 5, a little after midnight, Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to give them some bad news: They're going to die today. Mateo and Rufus are total strangers, but, for different reasons, they're both looking to make a new friend on their End Day. The good news: There's an app for that. It's called the Last Friend, and through it, Rufus and Mateo are about to meet up for one last great adventure and to live a lifetime in a single day.

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I am a huge mess right now! I have been pacing back and forth and I just cannot wrap my mind around how gooooood this book is! It is definitely one of the best books of the year! This is my second Silvera book and HE DOES NOT DISAPPOINT!

LIKE WTH JUST HAPPENED? My heart is racing right now because this book gave me so many things at once. There is the beauty of knowing you have one last day to live so you get the chance to literally live it to the fullest, there's the chance of becoming the person you always wanna be even for just a day, there's the ability to say proper goodbyes to people who meant so much to you and there's this opportunity for you to touch people's lives in more meaningful ways. You get to live the next several hours left pushing past your boundaries and making the most out of it without the fear of regrets later. I mean, if that's not beautiful, I don't know what is! What happened to Rufus and Mateo is etched in my heart so so deeply that it pushes me to get out of my comfort zone. This story just pushed me so hard that now I want to be out there leaving marks.

Mateo and Rufus' story is absolutely one story that will leave you on edge and holding your breath. The anticipation is so high I am both nervous and scared. Once you read it, it stays in your system and I swear, I would babble about this one for a long, long time. Their friendship breaks the stereotype that you have to know a person this long in order to build trust and all that bullshit because M and R had a day and theirs had even more history than some of my friendships combined. It's so special, nurturing, welcoming and free. I want more friendships like this.

They way the story was told is another thing that blows my mind. It's an alternating POV between M and R and several more surprise POVs which soooo kickass because of how they are interrelated. Words are failing me right now but this damn book should be made in to a movie and I wanna see this Number #1 in NYT BestSellers List because THIS IS ONE HELL OF A GRIPPING BOOK I WILL FOREVER BOOK PUSH TO YOU ALL. (That is if you aren't convinced yet that Silvera delivers, but I know you are BECAUSE THIS IS ADAM SILVERA, PEOPLE)

I think Adam is really the Evil Queen in disguise. He loves ripping our hearts out and enjoys swimming in his reader's tears.

They Both Die at the End is one of those books that will change you because you certainly won't be the same person after reading. A gripping story of two lives crossing paths at the very end, it all in all teaches you to live to the fullest, love hardcore and seize every fucking moment as if every day is your last day.

Thank you HarperCollins International for the eARC!

"But no matter what choices we make - solo or together - our finish line remains the same … No matter how we choose to live, we both die at the end."

"Entire lives aren't lessons, but there are lessons in lives."

"Maybe it's better to have gotten it right and been happy for one day instead of living a lifetime of wrongs."

"People have their time stamps on how long you should know someone before earning the right to say it, but I wouldn't like to you no matter how little time we have. People waste time and wait for the right moment and we don't have that luxury. If we had our entire lives ahead of us I bet you'd get tired of me telling you how much I love you because I'm positive that's thepath we were heading on. But because we're about to die, I want to say it as many times as I want--I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you."

BLOG TOUR REVIEW: HOW TO DISAPPEAR BY SHARON HUSS ROAT.

I would like to thank my amazing friend, Hazel of Stay Bookish, for allowing me to be a part of this blog tour! I really enjoyed How To Disappear and hopefully you would, too!

Title: How to Disappear
Author: Sharon Huss Roat
Series: Standalone
Edition: Kindle // Paperback
Publication: August 15th 2017 by HarperTeen
Source: eARC provided by the publisher via Edelweiss // ARC loaned by Hazel
Pages: 384
Genre: Contemporary, Mental Illness, Romance

Synopsis:
Vicky Decker has perfected the art of hiding in plain sight, quietly navigating the halls of her high school undetected except by her best (and only) friend, Jenna. But when Jenna moves away, Vicky’s isolation becomes unbearable.

So she decides to invent a social life by Photoshopping herself into other people’s pictures, posting them on Instagram under the screen name Vicurious. Instantly, she begins to get followers, so she adds herself to more photos from all over the world with all types of people. And as Vicurious’s online followers multiply, Vicky realizes she can make a whole life for herself without ever leaving her bedroom. But the more followers she finds online, the clearer it becomes that there are a lot of people out there who feel like her— #alone and #ignored in real life.

To help them, and herself, Vicky must find the courage to face her fear of being “seen,” because only then can she stop living vicariously and truly bring the magic of Vicurious to life.

In this beautiful and illuminating narrative, Sharon Huss Roat shines a light on our love of social media and how sometimes being the person you think you want to be isn’t as great as being the person you truly are.

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Vicky is an invisible girl in her high school who is only getting through the day with the help of her best friend, Jenna. She has social anxiety and it is so hard for her to go out and be around people. Jenna moved to another state and Vicky is having a hard time adjusting to life without her. It started getting worse when Jenna butt dialed her and mentioned to her new friends that Vicky is pathetic. But Jenna dumps her but Lipton enters the picture. Vicky then started photoshopping herself in different photos and uploading them on Instagram under the handle @vicurious. This helped her find her people and it helped her a little bit to cope. She never thought she'd gain more than 2 million followers and that she'd finally be seen. She started feeling a little bit okay until Jenna texted her and implied she's suicidal.

First 50% of the book is where the build-ups happened. It was excruciating because there are moments I couldn't really understand what Vicky wants. She wanted to be seen but she's trying so hard to be invisible and she clearly shuts everyone out. It was also excruciating because I feel like it's started dragging and that I am starting to also get tired of Vicky and her mother to be honest. I powered through holding on to the fact that Lipton is there, and that I wanted to really know how the events would unfold.

I only started to connect to her through those small moments I can identify with what she's going through. It is at times frustrating but by watching her tell her story, I gained focus. It's hard when your brain is not functioning the way it's designed and it's harder when the people around you add to the pressure and keeps pointing out what is wrong with you. Vicky was alone in her battle and she's always at war with herself. I am just so glad she found her people even just from social media because I know she did feel accepted in there. I loved how her huge following didn't get to her head and that she welcomed help at the end. The most important thing is when she confronted her mother. I also felt like a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders. It was a relief and very crucial that family is there for us.

How to Disappear is a battle against invisibility, bullying, name-calling, slut-shaming, peer pressure, depression and anxiety. It is also an eye-opener for those who are clueless as to what is really happening in our heads. It implies such a strong message: You are not alone in this fight, I see you.

Thanks you Hazel and HarperCollins International for the galleys!

"I cringe at the pictures of cut marks, of blood dripping down pale arms or thighs slashed and raw. Of too-thin bodies, and mascara-stained cheeks. People are liking their photos, which feels wrong. Is that what they want--positive reinforcement of their suffering? Or maybe it's just acknowledgement. To be seen. They expose their deepest paint for a handful of little red hearts."

"Joy attracts and misery repels."

"But the kissing? This is something worth living for."

REVIEW: THE SECRET HISTORY OF US BY JESSI KIRBY.

Title: The Secret History of Us
Author: Jessi Kirby
Series: Standalone
Edition: Paperback
Publication: August 1st 2017 by HarperTeen
Source: ARC provided by the publisher
Pages: 288
Genre: Contemporary, Romance

Synopsis:
A near drowning…a coma for days…and then…

Olivia wakes up to realize she doesn’t remember. Not just the accident—but anything from the last four years. Not high school. Not Matt, the guy who is apparently her boyfriend. Not the reason she and Jules are no longer friends. Nothing.

That’s when it hits her—the accident may not have taken her life, but it took something just as vital: her memory. The harder she tires to remember things, the foggier everything gets, and figuring out who she is feels impossible when everyone keeps telling her who she was.

But then there’s Walker. The guy who saved her. The one who broke her ribs pumping life back into her lungs. The hardened boy who keeps his distance despite Olivia’s attempts to thank him.

With her feelings growing for Walker, tensions rising with Matt, and secrets she can’t help but feel are being kept from her, Olivia must find her place in a life she doesn’t even remember living.

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The Secret History of Us is my first ever Jessi Kirby book and I am so happy and grateful that I was given a physical ARC. Been meaning to read her Things We Know by Heart for some time now but didn't have the time to read back then. I decided to pickup The Secret History of Us instead because the synopsis is promising and that it is the most recent book. I am happy to report that it did not let me down.

Walking up from coma left Olivia disoriented. She couldn't remember. Then it was revealed that has amnesia, the last 4-5 years of her life she couldn't remember. She's trying to learn to accept her new reality but it's sometimes overwhelming for her. Matt claims that they have been in love for a while but Olivia couldn't remember. She pushes herself to remember Matt, her bestfriend Paige and her family but she just can't. But she couldn't shake this connection she feels for Walker - the guy who saved her from the accident.

This story is so heavy that at times I needed to put it down to breathe. I cannot imagine how hard it is for someone to go through this, to almost die, to lose their memory. Walking this journey with Olivia, I can feel her emotions and struggles. What I absolutely adored in this story is how love finds its way back to you. It's like the movie The Vow all over again!

The Secret History of Us is a story of losing and finding; of forgetting and remembering; of endings and beginnings. This one captured my heart and it is such a source of hope for those who are feeling empty and alone.

Thank you HarperCollins International Sales for the physical galley!

"Because that's the worse. That's worse than growing apart, or falling out of love, or even lying. Being with someone because you feel guilty is worse."

REVIEW: THAT THING WE CALL A HEART BY SHEBA KARIM.

Title: That Thing We Call a Heart
Author: Sheba Karim
Series: Standalone
Edition: Paperback
Publication: May 9th 2017 by HarperTeen
Source: ARC provided by the publisher
Pages: 288
Category: Contemporary

Synopsis:
Shabnam Qureshi is a funny, imaginative Pakistani-American teen attending a tony private school in suburban New Jersey. When her feisty best friend, Farah, starts wearing the headscarf without even consulting her, it begins to unravel their friendship. After telling a huge lie about a tragedy that happened to her family during the Partition of India in 1947, Shabnam is ready for high school to end. She faces a summer of boredom and regret, but she has a plan: Get through the summer. Get to college. Don’t look back. Begin anew.

Everything changes when she meets Jamie, who scores her a job at his aunt’s pie shack, and meets her there every afternoon. Shabnam begins to see Jamie and herself like the rose and the nightingale of classic Urdu poetry, which, according to her father, is the ultimate language of desire. Jamie finds Shabnam fascinating—her curls, her culture, her awkwardness. Shabnam finds herself falling in love, but Farah finds Jamie worrying.

With Farah’s help, Shabnam uncovers the truth about Jamie, about herself, and what really happened during Partition. As she rebuilds her friendship with Farah and grows closer to her parents, Shabnam learns powerful lessons about the importance of love, in all of its forms.

Featuring complex, Muslim-American characters who defy conventional stereotypes and set against a backdrop of Radiohead’s music and the evocative metaphors of Urdu poetry, THAT THING WE CALL A HEART is a honest, moving story of a young woman's explorations of first love, sexuality, desire, self-worth, her relationship with her parents, the value of friendship, and what it means to be true.

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That Thing We Call a Heart is a book I absolutely enjoyed. Here I was able to meet two amazing Muslim-American characters who have one thing in common: their friendship. Shabnam is the hopeless romantic in the duo while Farah is the rational and more adventurous one. What I adored in these two characters was the friendship dynamics we don't get to always see in books. How Shabnam felt excluded when Farah decided to wear a headscarf while Farah felt rejected by bestfriend because of her decision. I don't encounter these things all the time and it's amazing to feel enlighted about how other cultures value their traditions. Their friendship was bridged by their love for each other and I am so glad they made their differences work for them.

The book showcases a glimpse of how rich Pakistani culture is. One part of it is the Urdu Poems! They are so beautiful I kept reading the verses over and over. It isn't just romantic but the depth/technicalities of it are breathtaking. But it truly broke my heart when Shabnam made one but only to find out that the person didn't deserve it. Because damn, that was a knife in the heart. I was also starting to fall in love with Jamie in this story because his character was so well-intentioned at first. But sometimes, even being well-intentioned is just a facade.

The family dynamics also had me hooked. Shabnam's dad is the type who could care less (he's just really not that good in expressing himself) and the mother is the sentimental type and cares too much (which is what moms do). I hated how Shabnam treated her mother because Muslim or not, it was just an awful thing to scream at your mom. But she tried to make up for it and I am absolutely touched by how little things started changing for them at the end.

That Thing We Call a Heart is a story of discoveries you'll gladly follow along with. Enjoyable yet heartbreaking at times, this book knows it's ways to the heart.

Thank you so much, HarperCollins International Sales for the ARC!

"It's easy when you're climbing something. Don't look down, or even too far ahead. Focus on where you are in that moment."

BLOG TOUR REVIEW: ELIZA AND HER MONSTERS BY FRANCESCA ZAPPIA.

It's been a while since I joined a blog tour and I'm happy to be a part of this one! Thank you so much, Precious of Fragments of Life for hosting and HarperCollins International for the galley!

Title: Eliza and Her Monsters
Author: Francesca Zappia
Series: Standalone
Edition: Paperback
Publication: May 30th 2017 by HarperCollins
Source: ARC provided by the Tour Host/Publisher
Pages: 400
Genre: Contemporary, Romance

Synopsis:
Eighteen-year-old Eliza Mirk is the anonymous creator of Monstrous Sea, a wildly popular webcomic, but when a new boy at school tempts her to live a life offline, everything she’s worked for begins to crumble.

In the real world, Eliza Mirk is shy, weird, smart, and friendless. Online, Eliza is LadyConstellation, the anonymous creator of a popular webcomic called Monstrous Sea. With millions of followers and fans throughout the world, Eliza’s persona is popular. Eliza can’t imagine enjoying the real world as much as she loves her digital community. Then Wallace Warland transfers to her school, and Eliza begins to wonder if a life offline might be worthwhile. But when Eliza’s secret is accidentally shared with the world, everything she’s built—her story, her relationship with Wallace, and even her sanity—begins to fall apart. With pages from Eliza’s webcomic, as well as screenshots from Eliza’s online forums, this uniquely formatted book will appeal to fans of Noelle Stevenson’s Nimona and Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl.

PURCHASE THE BOOK HERE:

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When I read Made You Up, I wasn't expecting anything at all and just went through with the story's flow. As you may know, I like books surprising me and Made You Up did. Zappias' writing is simple so it's quite easy to fly through the words and her story is full of twists and turns that keeps the reader hooked. Eliza and Her Monsters absolutely delivered.

If you are a fan of Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell (which I didn't enjoy, oops), this book is for you. Let me start by saying ELISA AND HER MONSTERS IS WAAAAAAY BETTER AND COOLER. Monstrous Sea deserves a separate novel and I will one hundred ninety nine point nine percent buy it! This book screams nothing but amazing and I am so so glad to have been given a copy of it for review!

Eliza is so relatable especially to those introverts (and anxious lol) out there like me. Most of the time, I also prefer to just stay at home to read and journal over socialize outside with real people. Eliza is like that. Hiding her true identity behind LadyConstellation who created an online sensation comic book, her life revolves in drawing characters for Monstrous Sea. Her friends are online people and her time pretty much is devoted to her art. But it all changes when Wallace came in to the story as a transferee to her school.

I loved how the story moves along with the graphic novel. The illustrations, chats and letters in the book give so much life to it and I just can't get enough of it. The execution is how it should be: no confusion at all between the main story and the sub-story. Sub-story didn't overtake but instead lifted the main one to its glory. Major character development only happened at the latter part but in between, Zappia made sure all her characters were given sufficient voice to convey their message. It wasn't tiring to watch them all grow and the reading experience is soooo enjoyable and addictive.

What made Eliza and Her Monsters stand out in my opinion is that characters didn't suppress their feelings. They are not afraid to say they are mad or sad, hurt or loved. The way they discover and put names to their emotions and experience are things that are truly validating and speak volumes that it is okay to be different and it is okay to make mistakes. Plus, you wouldn't predict when the twist will happen. It's like riding a roller coaster, you just die in anticipation at the top waiting for the drop.

I have discovered another name to put in to my list of Auto-Buy Authors. Intense, adorable and swoony, Eliza and Her Monsters is such a precious book that needs to be devoured right away and deserves a spot on your glorious bookshelves. It is so good you CANNOT shut up about it!

Thank you Precious and HarperCollins International for the galley!

"The doubt itself is a stupid thing, without sense of feeling, blind and straining at the end of a long chain. The monster, though, is smart. It's always watching, it unchains the doubt and lets it run wild. Even when I know it's coming, I can't stop it."

"He never stops beings scared, but he doesn't let it stop him from doing what he has to do."

"What's the point of being alive if you don't do what makes you happy?"

"The things you care most about are the ones that leave the biggest holes."

"Broken people don't hide from their monsters. Broken people let themselves be eaten."

"I learned years ago that it’s okay to do this. To seek out small spaces for myself, to stop and imagine myself alone. People are too much sometimes... I take a moment of silence and think: I am here. I am okay."

REVIEW: THE UPSIDE OF UNREQUITED BY BECKY ALBERTALLI.

Title: The Upside of Unrequited
Author: Becky Albertalli
Series: Standalone
Edition: Kindle
Publication: April 11th 2017 by Balzer & Bray
Source: eARC provided by the publisher via Edelweiss
Pages: 336
Genre: Realistic Fiction, Romance, YA, F/F, Contemporary

Synopsis:
Seventeen-year-old Molly Peskin-Suso knows all about unrequited love—she’s lived through it twenty-six times. She crushes hard and crushes often, but always in secret. Because no matter how many times her twin sister, Cassie, tells her to woman up, Molly can’t stomach the idea of rejection. So she’s careful. Fat girls always have to be careful.

Then a cute new girl enters Cassie’s orbit, and for the first time ever, Molly’s cynical twin is a lovesick mess. Meanwhile, Molly’s totally not dying of loneliness—except for the part where she is. Luckily, Cassie’s new girlfriend comes with a cute hipster-boy sidekick. Will is funny and flirtatious and just might be perfect crush material. Maybe more than crush material. And if Molly can win him over, she’ll get her first kiss and she’ll get her twin back.

There’s only one problem: Molly’s coworker Reid. He’s an awkward Tolkien superfan with a season pass to the Ren Faire, and there’s absolutely no way Molly could fall for him. Right?

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The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli proves that she deserves to be in everyone's Auto-Buy Authors Lists. Simon VS set the bar quite high for me and it took a while before I joined the the fandom and it was an amazing book! I should have read it sooner!

This one filled me with extreme emotions. It resurrected my old feelings and made me love Molly so much. I was thin in high school (AND fat now) but Molly is so easy to relate to! Her voice is the kindest I've ever read and I loved it so much that she tries to think good of others all the time. Molly have also encapsulated her flaws in a way that people would be able to see themselves in and for me, Becky just represented fat people in a flawless way and I couldn't ask for anything more because Molly (I LOVE THIS GIRL), Becky (AND THIS GIRL) and Upside (AND THIS BOOK) have all star qualites.

Let's not forget the different types of love in this book! I have encountered M/M parents before and I think this is the first one I read F/F parents and OMG THEY ARE FABULOUS! Not only because they are F/F but because #lovewins (fuck yeah!) and Becky just gave us the perfect family! Thank you, Becky. Thank you for making the Upside world such a better place and I wanna live in it. Also, thank you for Reid's family, their circle of friends who are all equally brilliant and OMG for Cassie and Reid! Can I ask them to adopt me? PLEASE, BECKY?

Fat rep? Check.
Family dynamics? Check.
LGBTQPIA+? Check.
Mental Illness rep? Check.
So many other important things like self-worth? Check.
Fluffy romance? Cheeeeeeeeeeck.
Did I miss anything? Check. LOL

The Upside of Unrequited is a book worth picking-up and re-reading just right after. It's THE book you will easily definitely identify with and it has all the kind of feels you are thirsty for!

Thank you HarperCollins and Edelweiss for the eARC!

"ven if he likes me, I’m not sure he’d like me naked. I hate that I’m even thinking that. I hate hating my body. Actually, I don’t even hate my body. I just worry everyone else might. Because chubby girls don’t get boyfriends, and they definitely don’t have sex. Not in movies—not really—unless it’s supposed to be a joke. And I don’t want to be a joke."

"Something like that. But you know, there's an upside here. Because when you spend so much time just intensely wanting something, and then you actually get the thing? It's magic.” All of a sudden, I feel like crying. In a good way. In the best way. Because I know exactly what she means. It's butterflies and haziness and heart eyes, but underneath all that, there's this bass line of I can't believe this. I can't believe this is me. I can't quite articulate the sweetness of that feeling. It's finding out the door you were banging on is finally unlocked. Maybe it was unlocked the whole time."

REVIEW: SPINDLE FIRE BY LEXA HILLYER.

Title: Spindle Fire
Author: Lexa Hillyer
Series: Spindle Fire #1
Edition: Paperback
Publication: April 11th 2017 by Harper Teen
Source: ARC provided by the publisher
Pages: 368
Genre: Retellings, Romance, Fantasy

Synopsis:
A kingdom burns. A princess sleeps. This is no fairy tale.

It all started with the burning of the spindles.

No.

It all started with a curse…

Half sisters Isabelle and Aurora are polar opposites: Isabelle is the king’s headstrong illegitimate daughter, whose sight was tithed by faeries; Aurora, beautiful and sheltered, was tithed her sense of touch and her voice on the same day. Despite their differences, the sisters have always been extremely close.

And then everything changes, with a single drop of Aurora’s blood—and a sleep so deep it cannot be broken.

As the faerie queen and her army of Vultures prepare to march, Isabelle must race to find a prince who can awaken her sister with the kiss of true love and seal their two kingdoms in an alliance against the queen.

Isabelle crosses land and sea; unearthly, thorny vines rise up the palace walls; and whispers of revolt travel in the ashes on the wind. The kingdom falls to ruin under layers of snow. Meanwhile, Aurora wakes up in a strange and enchanted world, where a mysterious hunter may be the secret to her escape…or the reason for her to stay.

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Spindle Fire is more like a Sleeping Beauty and Alice in Wonderland crossover retelling. You can get the Alice feel in the world building which is absolutely stunning. I appreciated how Hillyer took over Sleeping Beauty story and put her own surprising twists in it that are all still original. The story kept me devouring the pages until the very cliffhanger-y (but perfect) end.

Aurora is alluring but she has no sense of touch and cannot speak for these senses are tithed to the faeries. Aurora have given enough of her senses already so her sister Isbe's eyesight was tithed instead of Aurora's youth. Malfleur cursed the child but Violette tried reversing the curse. Instead of death, Aurora would be in a deep sleep and only a true love's kiss could awaken her. Isbe's blindness made her senses hightened. The siblings loved each other and have compensated the disability by being there for each other and by communicating using finger taps. On the day when Prince Philip and his brother would visit Aurora (to plan for their wedding), the princes were murdered. Aurora and Isbe then overheard the council that they will move Isbe to a convent because Isbe is no longer needed. Isbe ran away and Aurora tried to search for her. But she got lost and only seeked refuge in a cottage in the middle of the forest. Here, she saw a golden spinning wheel and accidentally pricked her finger. She was overwhelmed by the pain and woke up screaming. She realized she had her senses back and she was rescued by Heath. Apparently, she's in a dream-like place called Someil. While one the other side, Isbe learned everything about the curse and convinced Gil to rescue her sister. But the sleeping sickness is spreading fast. She has to convince the youngest brother of Prince Philip to marry Aurora and she's confident he's the one who could save her. After traveling to land and sea, they failed. Aurora didn't wake up when the prince kissed her. Isbe was so broken hearted about it and.... (LOL)

Okay, it's a little bit challenging to write a summary for Spindle Fire haha because it was like two parallel universes. Universe A is where Isbe is and Univers B is where Aurora is. Their stories are being narrated at the same time so while Isbe is trying to save her sister, Aurora is trying to unlock Belcoeur's history and trying to save people trapped in a dream world called Someil. The curse put her there. That alone is kind of mind blowing. But what I truly adored here are the sibling's relationship, the back story and THAT FREAKING ENDING.

Malfleur and Belcoeur's story would be something I'd be thrilled to read. I wish Hillyer would right like a separate novel for these two. They have so much difference as siblings but deep in my heart, I know, they still love each other. And OMG really, I cannot fathom the pain they went through because of that Blackthorn guy.

I loved the familiarity of Sleeping Beauty and I also absolutely loved Hillyer's take on it. But there were times (a lot) I got confused, like, whose head I am in right now? There were a ton of POVs that I truly got confused especially along the middle part. The back story and the plot twists were squeezed and forced to happen in 368 pages? I don't mind reading 400 pages especially if the story asks for it and Spindle Fire felt like it had to be longer. And I wish though that Hillyer focused MORE on the siblings up and down relationship instead of the romance? It could have developed at the second book. I mean, there's so much info dump in here but the development lacked and execution was rushed.

Spindle Fire is surely a refreshing take on Sleeping Beauty! Enchantingly dangerous, Spindle Fire is packed with loyalty and courage you wouldn't find anywhere else but in your family. Fans of retellings would definitely enjoy this!

Thank you, HarperCollins International Sales for the galley!

"Light too can be a curse. It can illuminate things no one should ever have to witness."

REVIEW: LITERALLY BY LUCY KEATING.

Title: Literally
Author: Lucy Keating
Series: Standalone
Edition: Paperback
Publication: April 11th 2017 by HarperTeen
Source: ARC provided by the publisher
Pages: 256
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Fantasy

Synopsis:
A girl realizes her life is being written for her in this unique, smart love story that is Stranger Than Fiction for fans of Stephanie Perkins.

Annabelle’s life has always been Perfect with a capital P. Then bestselling young adult author Lucy Keating announces that she’s writing a new novel—and Annabelle is the heroine.

It turns out, Annabelle is a character that Lucy Keating created. And Lucy has a plan for her.

But Annabelle doesn’t want to live a life where everything she does is already plotted out. Will she find a way to write her own story—or will Lucy Keating have the last word?

The real Lucy Keating’s delightful contemporary romance blurs the line between reality and fiction, and is the perfect follow-up for readers who loved her debut Dreamology, which SLJ called, “a sweet, quirky romance with appealing characters.

PURCHASE THE BOOK HERE:

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Been on a reading slump these past several weeks that I just cannot get into anything that I read. I was not really into any contemporary but I decided against it so I picked up Literally. This was my first Lucy Keating book and was excited to start it. Now I have mixed feelings.

Annabelle's life is perfect until one day, everything in her world starts to shatter. Her parents announced they are separating and they are selling their home. It shocks her when author Lucy Keating visits their school and told her class she's writing a new book which sounded so much alike AB's life. AB's even more shocked when Lucy confirms she's a fictional character in Lucy's book.

Bulleted thoughts/Questions:

• Well. There are a lot of inconsistencies in the story which irk me so much.
• How Ava easily believed her when she told her she thinks they are all a fictional character, meaning she doubted their existence?
• AB is a bit girl-hating
• She has OCD but nowhere in the book it was acknowledged?
• Ava is against the sidekick trope but... she's just a sidekick all throughout the story
• Will was just too fucking perfect
• Wait - is this paranormal or fantasy? HAHA because I couldn't really tell
• If Lucy acts God and they hated it, then why did AB act God-like at the end?
• How did they fight the author?
• Logistics of this? Is Lucy continuously writing? Thinking? Drafting?
• I don't mind the love triangle in this story because I think it's cute
• Elliot is a douche though.
• How can the author not know anything in the bathroom?
• Will knowing he's a fictional character is awkward
• Good concept though but I felt like there are a lot of areas in need of improvement/development
• I didn't get anything from the story? Like, what did I just read, really?
• Graduation speech was so lame
• This is a two-star rating for me but slated it to three because can we just talk about Elliot for one minute please? 

Literally is another hit or miss type of story. If it wasn't for the intriguing bookish plot (and Elliot), I don't know if I would have even finished this. It's something that doesn't stick well and somethiing I wouldn't talk about much either.

Thank you, Harpercollins International Sales for the ARC!

"I think you have to try your best to find your best self, and the person who makes you your best self."

"I don't do this because it was my plan; it was my plan because I love it. But I'm determined no to stick to it too closely. I have no idea what surprises the future will hold. Now my plan is to follow my dreams. My plan is to surprise myself, and write my own story. I hope, whatever age you are, each one of you chooses to do the same"

REVIEW: BLOOD OF WONDERLAND BY COLLEEN OAKES.

Title: Blood of Wonderland
Author: Colleen Oakes
Series: Queen of Hearts Saga #2
Edition: Paperback
Publication: January 31st 2017 by HarperTeen
Source: Gifted ARC
Pages: 336
Genre: Alice in Wonderland, Retelling, Fantasy

Synopsis:
The queen will rise.

Dinah has been exiled from Wonderland. The vicious father she always feared has framed her for the brutal murder of her brother and turned the kingdom against her.

Now hiding in the lush and mysterious Twisted Wood with only her war steed at her side, Dinah is faced with a choice. She could leave Wonderland forever or return and fight her father for her throne—a fight she knows would only result in bloodshed.

When a chance encounter with one of her father’s long-lost enemies brings Dinah more allies than she ever could have imagined, war starts to feel inevitable. But before Dinah can lead her people into combat, she must confront certain truths about her heart and her destiny—no matter how dark those truths may be.

Revolution is rising in Wonderland.

Dinah’s battle has begun.

PURCHASE THE BOOK HERE:

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Blood of Wonderland is one of my most anticipated releases this year and it is also my second one for 2017. I love Queen of Hearts and any other Alice in Wonderland retelling. Splintered set the bar quite high but this series didn't disappoint.

Blood of Wonderland took of right where Queen of Wonderland finishes. Dinah is running for her life after she was setup by her father and she ends up in a magical forest. Then she gets helped by a Spade. She's training and meets up with this character who reveals such mind-blowing secrets I really could wrap anything into.

Dinah is not the type of character you usually see in books. I loved that fact that she's described as plain because plain is beautiful. It is seldom that I encounter main characters that are not described as you know, magazine models. And her development is amazing to watch. She developed on her own which proves we don't need a man to be the best versions of ourselves.

Oakes owned this retelling by twisting the characters using her voice and it is really a fascinating thing to be able to point out the author's tone in all this. The consistency of the story is fluid and the plot twist is just insane! And the romance? AFTER I READ IT, I HEARD MY HEART SHATTER ON THE FLOOR. Like, I was kind of expecting it but damn, man! The ache was real!

Blood of Wonderland is a sequel time worthy. It's so gritty it makes Alice retellings even more fantastic!

Thank you JB for the ARC!

"I am the Queen of Hearts, she thought, and I will take my throne."