Review: Candy by Kevin Brooks

I would say that my true rating for this book is 3.5 stars, but it deserves to be rounded up rather than down. This novel is fast-paced with a mix of action, romance and a meaningful undertone of the importance of family. The characters all had depth and made me interested enough in their lives so I would want to read on. I think, the reason for me not saying that this book is up there with the best is that I feel like more could have been done with it. Also, some things just seemed a little too easy, whereas in real life, I imagine they would be harder. If you're looking for a quick read with high levels of drama, then I would really recommend this book.

***

I feel like the character of Joe is a good place to start with this review. He was very relatable and managed to voice some of the feelings that I experience myself. For example, the worried feelings we all experience when we drop something in public or are wearing something that isn't considered to be cool and trendy by most of society, were portrayed excellently by Joe and his actions. Joe was almost a spokesperson of those emotions and it made me glad that he wasn't written as many people imagine guys have to be; not self-conscious and confident. Those traits helped me warm to Joe and this was helped by his interest in music. I think the saying is mostly true that no girl can ever resist a guy in a band, but this story showed a different side to it. It demonstrated Joe wanting to find a small escape in music and how music helped him express himself, especially with his feelings towards Candy after they first met.  Personally, Joe is a character who I would happily go and meet for coffee or just chat to out and about and I don't think there are enough characters like that.

This book deals with first crushes, or first loves, in a very serious way. The clarity with which Joe can remember everything illustrates the intensity of his feelings perfectly and it was nice to see a book deal with this sort of romance so differently. As first relationships go, theirs was definitely not an easy one. I have previously read one of Brooks' books that dealt with heroin addiction in a much more minor way, but it was important in this novel that it was dealt with in much more depth. It was almost hard to read about in some places, because as I have now finished this book I can put it down and smile as it's only a story, but the harsh truth is that it's not a story for some people and not all people are as lucky as Candy was as she was able to get away from that life. Such a dark undertone mixed in with a romance is an odd combination when you first think of it, but then you realise that getting over an addiction and having people there to support you go hand in hand.

The ending of this book felt like it happened very abruptly. In a way, I don't think I was ready for it to end; I could have happily stayed reading for a few more hours. Having said that, I think that the ending was both good and bad. It was good for the high levels of tension and the anticipation I felt for the characters, yet not as good because I feel like it shouldn't have been that easy. In my mind, for Iggy to go down, someone else would have had to go down first, but that didn't happen. It all seemed to go just a little too well. Still, I guess that even if Candy didn't die trying to kill Iggy, Joe still lost her because of where she was taken to afterwards.

I think that you have to feel a certain way about a book for it to get up into the realms of five stars and while there is no doubt in my mind that this book is a good book, it just didn't make me feel those feelings. Overall, this is a quick and relatively easy read. It makes me excited to see what Brooks can do in the future with his writing style as he continues to improve it even more.

(Goodreads parallel)

Review: Lucas by Kevin Brooks

This book was a disappointment, yet it exceeded expectations in some ways. Despite not liking certain aspects of this novel, it was still an enjoyable read. I think if I had read this book a few years ago, I would have liked it more for the tension in it and the constant wondering if Cait and Lucas would be a couple, even if only for a short while. However, as I am now older, I feel like that sort of thing doesn't appeal to me as much. Also, the language did become over simple in places. However, I think that the events at the end at the novel boosted my feelings surrounding this book. It was unexpected and slightly sad. For that, I like this book a lot more.

***

At certain points, this book became extremely 'tell don't show', which is the opposite of what keeps the reader engaged. I would rather learn about characters throughout the novel than have a page dedicated to their life story near the beginning. It meant that I knew exactly what to expect from each character, so certain events which were supposed to be surprising weren't. For example, if, near the beginning of the novel, when Jamie almost attacked Cait on the beach there hadn't been a page dedicated to how bad and horrible Jamie was, then I would have been able to learn that from the event that was taking place at the time and from the events later in the novel when Jamie's character is shown. It made the book much more boring as a whole because I didn't want descriptions like that, I wanted to learn about the characters through their actions. That could have so easily been done by simply taking out the pointlessly long descriptions of the characters when they were first introduced.

On the other hand to that, I found the descriptions of the landscapes that were visited in this book amazing. I felt like I was actually there in Cait's body, experiencing what she experienced in perfect clarity. I am a big fan of lengthy descriptions of the places where characters go and this book really ticked all my boxes in those terms. I think that this is an area in which Brooks excels and reading through the descriptions of the landscapes was one of my favourite aspects to this novel.

The storyline of this book became quite intriguing at certain points. I started to feel nervous for the characters that I liked and concerned for  their safety, while also wishing that events that I knew were coming wouldn't happen. There were quite a few points of tension within this book and others where in wanted to shout at the characters through the pages. This book did well on making me experience a range of emotions through the events that happened within it, but I feel like if the writing within the book was to be improved then it would make the rollercoaster of emotions reach higher.

In terms of the writing within this book, I understand why it was written in such a way, but that doesn't necessarily mean that I like it. By reaching the end of the book and experiencing Lucas' death, it means that everything starts to make sense in terms of why Cait wrote everything down, but the continual first person chattiness of the book meant that it felt like the book was trying to be too friendly. With a story written from the first person, I feel that I should read the book as if I am the main character, but in certain points of the novel, it felt like Cait was addressing me, which shouldn't be happening in terms of who I was supposed to be. Still, I feel that it was important to have the novel from Cait's perspective as the events affected her so deeply.

This novel tried to touch on what it is like to be a teen and trying to stay on the right path, while others fall off the rails. However, I feel like it was dealt with almost immaturely. It made being a teen seem as if every night someone offers to get high with you or that teens just work their way through an endless supply of alcohol. Speaking from my own experience, that is not what happens. While the 'cool kids' do go to parties now and then, they certainly don't live it up in the way that this book says they do. I felt that this inaccuracy put me off the book a little. As a side-note, I also didn't like that almost every character smoked and that the smoking was described in a confusing way. One moment they were halfway through a cigarette and the next moment they were lighting up another. It all started my head spinning and then I would look back and figure out that they hadn't finished their last one; is smoking two at once some new craze?

Overall this book wasn't bad, but it wasn't amazing. There were a lot of things that could have been improved, but it was still enjoyable.

(Goodreads parallel)

Review: A Swift Pure Cry by Siobhan Dowd

I didn't expect to love this book as much as I did. I was really taken aback by how hard-hitting this book was and how real it felt. At the start I thought it would just be about a girl struggling to deal with the death of her mother, but it was so much more than that. This book dealt with loss, religion, family and life in such an amazingly beautiful way and if you take anything from this review, it is that this book is one that you have to read. You may not read it now, but read it at some point and be prepared for a plunge into the murky depths of truth.

At the start of this novel I didn't realise that Shell was in her mid-teens and I feel like Dowd really used a childish innocence in the first few chapters to demonstrate how the loss of her mother had affected Shell. She was supposed to have someone to guide her through an already difficult time in life and that was taken away, leaving her alone and scared. As the novel progressed we saw how the loss of her mother had affected her childhood as she was forced into motherhood at a young age with her father not being a good parent. The first part of the novel led me to understand that life would never be 'easy' for Shell again and it makes me so thankfully that I know of so many organisations today who would help people in her position.

The next thing that was dealt with in this novel was growing up. We may find it quite awkward when our parents talk to us about 'the birds and the bees' or buying products that are needed as a result of our changing bodies, but if you suddenly take away those people who would have given you guidance on such matters, you realise that even if it was awkward, it was important having someone in the know talk through things like that. In Shell's case, she had to rely on friends and strangers which can be quite daunting. Those experiences only made me like Shell more though as it showed me that she wasn't willing to stay in the dark, but also that she was afraid to ask for help because she had no one to turn to first hand.

Shell's father's drinking is something that touches me personally. I can relate her feelings of wanting to protect Trix and Jimmy, wanting to leave her father in the dust for what he does to himself and wanting to join him on a path of self destruction. Things like that are often described as something that no child should ever have to experience, but in a way I disagree. In no way do I think any child deserves to have an alcoholic parent, but I think that it is important to not hide that part of their life as it builds them into the person they are more than any other experience. In this novel, her father's drinking was an excuse for her not to reveal her pregnancy, her excuse to take some of his money, her excuse to hide away. While these things weren't necessarily good for Shell at the time, they built her into the person that told her father who the father of her child was and who discovered what had really happened to Birdie. Each event leads onto another, like dominos all lined up, and while that experience was a horrible one for Shell to deal with, it is one that she can move past and that will improve her as a person in later life.

Declan is someone that I would happily spit in the face of if I ever met him. Even at such a young age, he used two girls and then left them far worse off than he found them. It's a shame to know that people like him actually exist and when Shell burned the letter from him I felt like pumping my first in the air. (Good riddance!) He caused the lives of two people who were supposed to be his friends to fall into disarray and for them to grow estranged. For Shell's sake, I hope her next romantic encounter doesn't have the same ending as this one. It also is worth bearing in mind the consequences he knew he would bring upon them in a strict Catholic village, especially with Shell's lack of an adult to turn to in a crisis. Declan wasn't an idiot, he knew what would happen to Shell and Birdie, yet he did it anyway, leaving them to deal with the mess he made.

Finally, I feel like I have to talk about religion in this book as it was such an important factor. From the blurb of this book, I expected Father Rose to be involved in some sexual scandal, and I guess he was to some extent, but mainly he provided a window into religion for Shell. A lot of people find God in other people and it was a, good, different thing to find in a young adult novel, which don't normally deal with such subject matters. It was also interesting to see how people's religions influenced them, from Shell's father to the congregation who judged her.

All these themes came together beautifully in this book. Hearing the stories that this book was based on and learning about Dowd has really brought a new sense of realisation to me. There are a lot of things we take for granted and a lot of things that we don't expect to happen, yet do. The story in this book will stay with me for a long time and I am very grateful for that.

(Goodreads parallel) 

Review: Seeking Crystal by Joss Stirling

Reading a book in just over three hours always leaves you in an odd state afterwards. You are still so absorbed in the world of the novel that you have to drag yourself back to reality. This book was really captivating and I just wanted to continue reading, to find out what was wrong with Crystal, to find out whether she and Xav would get together and to find out if the characters I had come to care about over the past few books in this series would be okay.

I have to say that I both like and dislike how this series flicks between different female protagonists between novels. I love it because I get to see a different side of events, I get to experience a new romance and I get to experience a story differently, however I don't like it because I always feel like I want to continue the story from the perspective that the book in question is written from. I get particularly emotionally invested in their story while reading their book, but fortunately, every book so far has provided me with another female character to empathise with and care about.

The fact that the majority of this book was set in Venice really appealed to me. I would love to travel to most of the countries in the world and even though I'm not able to physically do that, reading books which are set in faraway places allows me to do that. The sinking city is definitely one that I plan on visiting for myself, but to get this small look into life there is really making me want to move it to the top of my list. While this book didn't describe every street and back alley, it gave a feeling of the city and that can sometimes be more important.

The romance between Diamond and Trace being introduced so fully at the start of the novel was important, I think, for this series as a whole. These books present issues with each female protagonist, such as Sky not knowing she was a Savant and Crystal not being able to use telepathy without being sick, so it was good to have one that was different to those in that aspect, but also important that she didn't get her own book as I feel like this series is one that aims to focus more on overcoming these issues rather than focusing on the spark that is supposed to lead to a quick romance, as with Diamond and Trace. That doesn't mean that I think their relationship is worth less, but I think it was good that this book didn't mainly focus on it. Also, I think maybe Trace and Diamond are a bit old to appeal to many teen readers.

While the story in this novel is one that I really enjoyed, I would pick out that it is slightly unrealistic. Meeting a movie star, saving your friends in his helicopter and getting them all to safety isn't really what would happen if this book were real, but I suppose that that is the point of this. This series isn't meant to be 'real', it is meant to be fantasy and that enables it to give so much more to the reader in terms of characters and the storyline.

Personally, I liked the development of the romance between Xav and Crystal. I mean, what better way to find out if you like someone than by kissing them on camera for a few hours? As in this novel they were unsure about whether they were each other's soulfinders because of Crystal being unable to talk to anyone telepathically, it meant that they could build something between them beforehand. I think that can be really important because that way they knew each other better and, as I am someone who doesn't believe in love at first sight, but accepts it in the context of this novel, means their relationship has more basis, at least in my eyes.

Through this series, I enjoy reading about the powers that each savant has because they vary so much and are able to do so many different things with their powers. Xav's healing powers are something that I'm sure many people would covet, as demonstrated by Steve's interest in what he was capable of. While Crystal was disappointed by only being able to find lost things, that is a gift that I would love to have because I am terrible with losing things. Basically, I love the powers that the Savants have and I can't wait to read about more powers as the series continues.

Overall I would say that this book deserves a four and a half star rating. I cannot wait until I can read the next one and I hope that it will be slightly longer than the previous books as I want more from the world of the Savants!

(Goodreads parallel) 

Review: P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han

This book isn't one that amazed me. After the turn of every page I wasn't totally emotionally invested in the story, yet I still wanted to keep reading; I wanted to know what would happen, even if I didn't particularly care about the characters. By the end, I started to care more about Lara Jean's dating life and who she would pick, but until about half way through, I was getting bored of Peter and Lara Jean's relationship.

A reoccurring focus in this book was the video of Lara Jean and Peter in the hot tub. I liked how this book explored the different expectations of men and women and how the video influenced them, but after hearing about it a few times, it started to become a tad repetitive. Just when we thought we could forget about the video, there it would be again like a small fly trapped in your room that you lose sight of for a while before it's buzzing in your face again. At first the video provided a great opportunity to test Lara Jean and Peter's relationship, but then it started to become tedious.

I feel like in this book, many characters changed for the worse. In the last book, I really liked Peter. He was nice, kind, funny and wasn't being an asshole. In this book though, he was the opposite. I had been expecting Lara Jean and Peter to break up for most of the book leading up to the moment when they did, however what I wasn't expecting was for him to ask for the necklace back afterwards. That is just a dick move. A few months ago a friendship ended between me and this girl, but I wasn't going to ask her for the earrings I gave her for her birthday back because they symbolise the friendship that we had at the time and me asking for them back would only make things bitter between us. Basically, I now no longer like Peter because he changed from the good guy we knew in the first book to someone I would happily leave in the dust.

On the other hand, I'm beginning to like John quite a bit. I think the fact that he and Lara Jean wrote letters to each other was sweet and in modern day romances letters aren't often written, which is a shame, so having that exchange between them was a new yet old, interesting thing. Also, I think that the memories he and Lara Jean built up over the course of this book are worth much more than the ones that she and Peter have. Things like playing in the snow in the middle of the night and plotting together for their game of assassins are fun and, especially with the snow, is something that really stands out to me in this book. The fact that it stands out to me so much tells me personally, that I prefer Lara Jean and John as a couple.

The development of Genevieve as a character in this novel was something that I had been looking forward to and though we didn't find out what was actually happening until the end of the novel, it was interesting for me to be wondering what could possibly be happening within her family throughout most of the novel. Obviously, your dad having an affair is a horrible thing and seeing, at eleven years old, your boyfriend kissing your best friend can't be a nice thing, but I still think that Genevieve's actions of, firstly, filming and secondly, posting the video of Lara Jean and Peter was childish and uncalled for.

My only other point to make is my annoyance at the continued actions of Kitty. As someone who has a nine year old sister, I know that the way Kitty is acting does not suit her age. She is acting more like a fourteen or fifteen year old and it is off-putting for me as a reader because it means I can't fully enjoy the novel because I can tell that something isn't right. I'm not saying that she should be more underdeveloped, but that her manners of speaking and acting should be more accurate to those of a ten year old.

Overall, I did enjoy reading this book and if another one comes out, I will be buying it, purely to see if Lara Jean and John get together and/or if Peter improves his attitude.

(Goodreads parallel)  

Review: Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

The way I can tell if I have enjoyed a series is by how I feel afterwards. Does the story stay with me or do the characters fade from my memory? Do I want more or am I completely satisfied? Am I okay after finishing the series? I am not okay, just in case you were wondering. After putting this book down, after turning the final page, I wanted to cry, I wanted to scream and I wanted to curl up into a tiny ball and stay there for days. I now love and hate this series at the same time. I love it for how amazing and beautiful it is, yet I hate it because it's over. I want more and I need more. I could have read a million books about Alina, Mal, the Darkling and Nikolai, but I don't think that I would have been satisfied, even after all of that. And that is how I know that this is, and will always be, one of my favourite book series.

In these books I have found that months pass in and between each one, yet I feel like it has all taken place within a few seconds. It was only when Alina reminded me that it was a year since they had boarded the skiff that would take them into the Fold for the first time that I truly realised it. This series was not one patch worked together and stuffed into a few busy months, it was a year. A horrific year of death and turmoil, but a year none the less. More has happened in that time than I would have thought possible. It feels like we've been in every nook and crevice in this world, that we've climbed every mountain and  visited every village, though we haven't. The time elapsed in these books and all the places that have been travelled to make it feel like that though. It makes Ravka feel like a home, not a particularly nice one, but a home still and one that I will be very sad to leave behind, at least for a little while.

The developments that were made in this book really excited me. I was keen to learn more about Morozova and how his story linked in with that of Baghra. Her story made me quite sad in a way. I was happy to learn more about everything that had transpired to create the amplifiers, but it was disheartening to hear about the impacts of such a passion and discovery. It foretold the end, but did not complete the story and for that I'm glad.

My only disappointment from this series would be the romantic choices of Alina. In 'Siege and Storm' it appeared to me as if Alina was starting to fall for Nikolai, but after a few months underground, all that had seemed to change without much reason. Though the ending of this book left me semi-happy with Alina's final choice, I would have preferred it if Alina and Nikolai had ended up together. Still, I have not let that influence how I feel about the end of such a wonderful series as it is about more than just romance.

Our old enemy death returned with brutality in this novel. It was sad to see so many fall, but good that the impact of each death was acknowledged and not ignored. Even though I spent most of this series wanting the Darkling dead, now it has actually happened, I'm not sure how I feel about it. All he had wanted was someone who he could be equal with, and more power, but let's ignore that now, and he was denied even that. In some ways I pity him, but in the end that is still no excuse to go round killing people left, right and centre.

This series is one that I'm sure I'll return to one day because of how stunning it is as a story with such amazing characters. I'm upset that, for me, now, this story is over. Should I have savoured it more? Should I have spent longer over each word or sentence? Though, none of that matters now as the book is shut and I feel like I am a better person after reading these brilliant books.

(Goodreads parallel)