Review: Silence (Hush, Hush, #3) by Becca Fitzpatrick

Spoiler warning! This is the third book in the Hush, Hush series. If you haven't read Hush, Hush or Cresendo then look away now! You can read my review of Hush, Hush here and my Crescendo review here.

Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick

[Goodreads page]

Author: Becca Fitzpatrick.Website|Twitter
Published: 7 June 2012 (Simon & Schuster Children's Books)
Format: Paperback
Pages: 440
Amazon: paperback|Kindle
Waterstone's: paperback|e-book
Book Depository: paperback

Source: Borrowed from library

Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
The noise between Patch and Nora is gone. They've overcome the secrets riddled in Patch's dark past, bridged two irreconcilable worlds and faced heart-wrenching tests of betrayal, loyalty and trust - all for a love that will transcend the boundary between heaven and earth.

My Review:
I loved Hush, Hush, and whilst Crescendo didn't quite live up to it, I was still really excited to read Silence. The book starts out with a really interesting twist, which is that Nora has amnesia. Cue her trying to piece back what has happened to her and figure out what's going on in the world around her.

At first I really loved the amnesia angle. It felt like a fresh approach to the story, and sometimes in the middle of a series you really need something to shake it up a bit. I became bored of it quite quickly, though, I'm sad to say. The main problem was that Nora had pretty much forgotten everything that had happened in Hush, Hush and Crescendo. Her trying to figure out what had happened in her past just became one huge recap of the previous two books which I didn't really need. All the way throughout the book, Nora is constantly questioning herself and what is happening. The annoying thing is that, as a reader, you have all the answers to those questions so there's no suspense to find out what happened - you already know!

The recapping took up over half the book, which meant there wasn't much of an actual plot. I got bored quite quickly and would find myself struggling to get through it. It didn't help that I seem to have lost all connection with Patch and Nora. That perfect chemistry they'd had in the first two books just felt like it fizzled out a bit.

It wasn't all bad. Hank still makes a great villain and there's a bit of action towards the end which got me back interested in the story. I just can't help be disappointed in this book. I felt like this series had so much potential. I hope there's some good stuff waiting to happen in the final book in the series which is released at the end of the month. I feel like this should maybe have been a trilogy, not a four book series, because I don't think enough happens plot wise in Silence, especially not to justify the length of it. It could have been so much shorter.

Still worth reading if you like the characters and the world but nowhere near as good as the previous two books. I was really torn between a 2 and a 3 star rating. Taking into account the series as a whole, it'd probably get 3, but I know I've enjoyed 3 star books a lot more than this. So it's 2* I'm afraid.

Rating: 2*
What to read next: Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick, the fourth book in the Hush, Hush series
Books like this: Fallen by Lauren Kate

September's Book of the Month!

It's the start of October (already?!) which means it's time to look back on September's reviews and choose a book of the month! This is where I choose one of my top rated books that I've read during that month (not necessarily released that month) and shower it with more praise. So, drum roll please... September's book of the month is...

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness and Siobhan Dowd!

What can I say about this book?! It was breathtaking. Beautiful, magical and dealing with the most sensitive of subjects in an incredibly powerful way. It's an absolute must read. You can find out what I thought of it in depth in my review right here.


Not forgetting those books that just missed out!

Runners up:
Linger by Maggie Stiefvater
How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff
Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Update: Why the blog has been quiet!

Hi everyone! Just wanted to post a little update for you.

Last week I lost my Internet after our router broke which meant I wasn't able to post a few of my reviews or my regular round up. The good news is the new router arrived this morning - hurrah! (I've been going a bit mad living off mobile web...)

What I was going to mention in the round up post that never got posted is that the blog will be a little quieter than usual for the next few weeks as I'm currently recovering from some routine keyhole surgery. My health comes first! I'm also just not able to read as much as I usually do at the moment.

Please stay tuned to the blog as I hope to start posting regularly again really soon! I have a review of Linger by Maggie Stiefvater to come as well as a load of books that have arrived on my shelves to squee over! I've had so many ideas for opinion posts, too.

Now like the rest of the world, I'm going back to my copy of The Casual Vacancy!

Sarah x

Friday Finds - 21st September

FRIDAY FINDS is hosted over at Should Be Reading and showcases the books you ‘found’ and added to your To Be Read (TBR) list… whether you found them online, or in a bookstore, or in the library — wherever! (they aren’t necessarily books you purchased).

 

I've been scouting out some contemporary YA this week so here are my finds!

 

 

 

 

The Bermudez Triangle by Maureen Johnson
Skin Deep by Laura Jarratt
The DUFF by Kodi Keplinger
My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

Teaser Tuesdays - 18th September

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"I looked away quickly as he turned back around, but I knew he had seen me watching. I wanted to scratch the cocky lift of his eyebrows from his face."

- page 99, Linger (Wolves of Mercy Falls, #2) by Maggie Stiefvater

Review: How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff

How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff

[Goodreads page]

Author: Meg Rosoff. Website|Twitter
Published: 30 June 2005 (Puffin)
Pages: 224
Amazon: paperback|Kindle
Waterstone's: paperback|e-book
Book Depository: paperback

Source: Borrowed e-book from library

Plot Summary:
To get away from her pregnant stepmother in New York City, fifteen-year-old Daisy goes to England to stay with her aunt and cousins, with whom she instantly bonds, but soon war breaks out and rips apart the family while devastating the land.

My Review:
I discovered this book purely by chance whilst browsing my library's e-book catalogue. It sounded like my kind of book so I added it to my to-read list. Whilst a lot of people have shelved this book as a dystopian/post-apocalyptic book on Goodreads, it's really more of a modern day wartime story. Daisy has landed in England to stay with her cousins as the world is on the brink of war.

The book is told from Daisy's point of view and she's a fascinating, beautifully written character with a lot of depth. She's never known her mother and has had to flee her stepmother, and found herself in the midst of war in a foreign country. As well as all that, she struggles with an eating disorder. I liked how that issue was dealt with. You get to see inside her head and it's continually referenced throughout the book, but it doesn't dwell on it too much. I felt it was a very accurate portrayal as well.

The writing style itself is quite quirky. It's written as if Daisy is telling her story to somebody and as such has a spoken quality to it, including long sentences that sometimes felt quite ramble-y (for want of a better word!). And there's no speech marks as well, but I still found the text easy enough to follow. The writing style certainly added to the reading experience.

There's a romantic storyline weaved into the main plot but I won't go into too many details about. I think it was really a sensitive reflection of how people come together in tragic situations, although I don't know if everyone would be comfortable with the relationship. It did make me slightly uncomfortable at times.

I really liked the fact that unlike the wealth of post-apocalyptic novels I've read, this one takes place when the war is actually happening. It was interesting to see a wartime Britain set in the present day where suddenly the absence of electricity has a massive impact and because phone lines and internet connections are down, families, like Daisy's, are struggling to stay in touch. The book really got across the harsh realities of war as well as the devastating effects it has on people and the aftermath of all that death and destruction. There's some pretty brutal scenes of violence and emotional trauma but it was all done really well.

The only flaw I really had with this book was that it was so short! The characters still go through of a hell of a lot for such a short book, and for the first half I liked the pacing (it tailed off a bit at the end for me) but I felt like there was so much more potential in those characters that I could happily have spent another 100 pages with them.

How I Live Now is a wonderful tale of that fight for survival and really gets across the bleakness and brutality of living through war. I will definitely be checking out more by this author and I'd really recommend this book.

Rating: 4*
What to read next: What I Was by Meg Rosoff
Books like this: Blood Red Road by Moira Young

Weekly Book Round Up - 16th September

 

 

Weekly Book Round Up!

 

10th - 16th September

 

 

Another week's reading and blogging to document! This week I've also been trying to sort out that well known book-lovers' dilemma of finding space to store my many books. So at the moment this pile of books is sitting outside of my bedroom:

 

 

Luckily I've managed to nab a bookcase of my parents which my dad is very kindly painting for me at this very moment! Then I'll be sacrificing my bedside table to make space for the bookcase. What I do when that one fills up I have no idea ;) it makes me glad I manage to get so many of my books from the library because at least I don't have to worry about storing them!

 

 

Books finished: Cinder by Marissa Meyer, Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick and How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff (review coming soon!)

 

Books reviewed: Cinder by Marissa Meyer, Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick and A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness and Siobhan Dowd

 

Library books: Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick

 

What I'm reading next: Either Linger by Maggie Stiefvater or Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick. Haven't quite decided yet!

What have you been reading this week?

Review: Crescendo (Hush, Hush #2) by Becca Fitzpatrick

Spoiler warning! This book is the second in the Hush, Hush series. If you haven't read Hush, Hush then look away now! Or read my review of Hush, Hush right here.

Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick

[Goodreads page]

Author: Becca Fitzpatrick. Website|Twitter
Published: 28 April 2011 (Simon & Schuster Children's Books)
Pages: 432
Amazon: paperback|Kindle
Waterstone's: paperback
Book Depository: paperback

Source: Borrowed from library

Plot Summary (from Waterstone's):
Nora should know better than to think her life can return to normal after falling in love with a fallen angel. And Nora's life isn't normal - her dad was murdered, and the facts about his death just don't add up. Now Nora's own life is in imminent danger. Are she and Patch strong enough for the battle ahead?

My Review:
I really enjoyed Hush, Hush so I was excited to pick this book up! It's not all roses for Nora and Patch as their relationship faces new obstacles and Patch is acting even more mysterious. Throw in a guy from Nora's past and more problems with Marcie Millar and Nora's got a lot on her plate.

What was great about this book was that it delved a little deeper into Nora's family. There's more of a focus on her dad's death and even her mum gets a bit more notice. I love all the description and tension throughout the book. I think the stand out character for me, though, is Vee. She just adds that fantastic wit and humour throughout and some of the stuff she comes out with is brilliant. Every book should have a Vee!

When it comes to the relationship between Nora and Patch there's a lot of bickering and jealousy, which wasn't quite what I was hoping for. Patch had won me over as a bad boy in the first book but I wasn't sure he had he same allure this time round. I think the thing with this series is that so much of the book hangs on Patch being mysterious to make the story work. You spend the whole time as a reader wanting to know what he's really thinking and really up to but sometimes I can't help but feel sorry for Nora. I just wish she had more to be happy about! There's definitely a certain pull between them though that made me still care about what happens. I think the author gets that tension between them pretty spot on.

In this book we also get to meet Scott, a guy Nora knew as a child. He adds a new element of mystery to the book as Nora's sure there's more to him than he's let on. With so many shady characters it's so hard to work out who's just being secretive and who's genuinely up to no good. It meant I was completely in the dark by the end which I loved, but sometimes I was struggling to keep up!

This being the second in a series, it really builds up the world that Fitzpatrick has created which is so detailed and intricate. I totally love her writing. It's so addictive! And as with Hush, Hush, the ending to this book was what really made it. There was plenty of drama, action and revelations which had me on tenterhooks!

Rating: 4*
What to read next: Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick, book 3 in the Hush, Hush series
Books like this: Fallen by Lauren Kate

Friday Finds - 14th September

FRIDAY FINDS is hosted over at Should Be Reading and showcases the books you ‘found’ and added to your To Be Read (TBR) list… whether you found them online, or in a bookstore, or in the library — wherever! (they aren’t necessarily books you purchased).

Lots of books this week so I'll cut the waffle! These were either found through Goodreads, books i'd read previously or my local library. Here are my finds:



The Recruit by Robert Muchamore
Obsidian by Jennifer L. Aremntrout
Perfect Chemistry by Simole Elkeles
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
I'd Tell You I Love You but then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter
Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Opinion: What makes a good review?

As well as reviewing books myself, I am also a huge reader of other book reviews. For me, I like to know a bit about a bit before picking it up. This is particularly the case with books I know nothing about or authors I haven't read before. I love reading other book blogs and spend far too much of my life on Goodreads, so for this blog post, I've decided to share my opinion on what makes a good book review.

These points are purely my thoughts, based on what I like including in my own reviews and what I don't like reading in others. I'd love to hear your contributions in the comments!



The Dos

Plot summary: I always include a Goodreads or bookseller description in my reviews, and I'll often summarise the plot in my own words in my opening paragraph. When reading reviews I will probably decide a lot from the plot. Does it sound like my kind of book?

Number of pages: I totally judge a book by its length. Ideally, I like books to be 300-400 pages because I'm not always a quick reader, and so that length of book I can read in a reasonable amount of time. If I've just read a long book I'll probably be looking for something shorter/lighter to follow it. In the book details of my reviews I always state the amount of pages.

Themes: Is the book dealing with dark subjects? Or is it a light-hearted tale that will make me laugh? I like to mix up my reading so knowing the overall themes in a book before picking up often dictates my reading order. This applies to genre as well. Reading too much of one genre can be enough to put you off for a while!

Characters: Are the characters likable? Are they horrible? Do they feel realistic? All things I aim to include in my reviews! The main character in particular can be make or break in a book.

Writing style: Is the book effortless to read or does it sometimes feel like a real effort to battle through clunky writing? Does the author have a unique style? Do they do a certain thing brilliantly, or have some characteristics of their writing that really bug? I'm a writer so I know it can be quite harsh to criticise somebody's writing sometimes, but if getting to the details of the plot is being hampered by the writing then it can affect my enjoyment of a book.

Point of view: First person or third person? Did it work? Did you wish it was told from somebody else's point of view? I mention this a lot in my reviews. I tend to like multi-POV stories told in the first person so if that's what's aided my enjoyment of the book then I'll be sure to mention it.

Highs and lows: This bit is pretty self-explanatory really! In my reviews I always try and balance which bits I did like with which bits I didn't, and try my best to explain why. I know not everyone will agree with personal favourite moments or low points so I try and make sure these bits are stated well as being my personal opinion.

Pacing: Did the book leave me bored? Was I left waiting ages and ages to find out one detail? Was it fast paced? Did I struggle to put it down? This is good to mention to help get a feel for a book, especially if the book is over 400 pages where pacing is even more vital.

Climax: Whilst I'll never give the way the ending to a book, I always like to mention whether I thought it did the book justice? Did I feel disappointed by the end or was I on the edge of my seat? If the book has a sequel, did the ending make me want to go out and get my hands on it as soon as possible?



The Don'ts

Spoilers: I try my best to keep my reviews spoiler-free. The only exception to this is where a book is part of a series, and so by summing up the plot you could effectively spoil somebody who hasn't read the preceding book. In that case, I always put a big spoiler warning at the top of the review. I think a lot of us will have been spoiled in book reviews. My worst one recently was a Goodreads review for a book I was adding to my shelves. The first line of one review stated "even though [insert name] died, this book was still good". It broke my heart a little. Just remember that any kind of information can be considered a spoiler, from which characters get together, to who dies, to what exactly happens during the book and most definitely what happens at the end. If you want to write spoiler-ish reviews then label it or hide the spoilers under tags or a page break. Win-win!

Not justifying your rating: This was the thing that gave me the idea to write this blog post. I've been reading a lot of reviews where the star rating felt completely out of sync with the written review. For example, if you gave a book 3/5 stars but then mentioned absolutely no negative points about the book in the written review, how do I gauge your true feelings about the book? Obviously it wasn't perfect, or else it would have been given 5/5. Reading what people didn't like about a book doesn't put me off. If you mention what bothered you and why then I can draw my own conclusions from it. For example, if you hated the swearing, it may be something I know wouldn't bother me. Does that make sense? I hope so! The same goes for 5* reviews that are littered with comments about not liking certain parts or bits being disappointing. That doesn't sound like a 5* review to me. If I feel a book has flaws, I tend to mark it down immediately. Sometimes being constricted to ratings out of 5 can be tricky, though. If I feel a book was more of a 4.5 than a 5, I might still give it a 5 on Goodreads, say. But I'll be sure to mention that somewhere in the review.

Poor spelling and grammar: I'll admit to being a bit of a grammar freak in all aspects of life. Apostrophes used incorrectly and using the wrong form of your/you're or there/their/they're is going to bug me, I won't lie. I'm not saying all book reviews should be written like essays because that would be ridculous (and boring). And I love a bit of fangirling/squeeing/freaking out in a review! But if a review is littered with spelling and grammar mistakes (I can forgive the occasional typo because I'm totally guilty of that myself!) then I start to judge (sorry!).

Hopefully this gives you a little more insight to how I write my reviews, as well as giving you my opinion on what I like to read.

What things are essential to you in a book review? Let me know!

Teaser Tuesdays - 11th September

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

 

 

  '"Are you alive?" Kai said, pushing her mussed hair back from her forehead. His fingers felt hot and clammy against her skin before she realized that she was the one who was feverish.'

 

 - page 122, Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Review: A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness and Siobhan Dowd

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness and Siobhan Dowd

[Goodreads page]

Author: Patrick Ness. Website|Twitter. Siobhan Dowd. Website
Published: 2 February 2012 (Walker Books)
Pages: 216
Amazon: paperback|Kindle|audio
Waterstone's: paperback|e-book
Book Depository: paperback

Source: Borrowed from library.

Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
At seven minutes past midnight, thirteen-year-old Conor wakes to find a monster outside his bedroom window. But it isn’t the monster Conor’s been expecting — he’s been expecting the one from his nightmare, the nightmare he’s had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments.

The monster in his backyard is different. It’s ancient. And wild. And it wants something from Conor. Something terrible and dangerous. It wants the truth.


My Review:
I read The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness a little while ago and so I was excited to read something else by him. The story behind this book is quite interesting, as the original idea came from Siobhan Dowd, who sadly never got a chance to write the book before losing her fight against cancer. Patrick Ness has then taken her idea and crafted it into his own take on the story.

A Monster Calls tells the story of Conor, who is repeatedly visited by a monster at 12.07 who insists on telling him stories. Alongside his visits from the monster he must deal with his ill mother, absent father and school bullies.

It's really quite hard to sum up this book because everything about it is so magnificent. The concept is absolutely brilliant, as Conor's visits from the monster echo what is happening around him and reflect the emotions he's feeling at the time. The stories the monster tells Conor a fairy tale/fable quality to them which gave a sort of magical twist to the book. Conor doesn't always like them and starts to seek out the hidden meaning in each one, as he battles his own demons.

Conor's mother is ill, and throughout the book we see how this has affected his life. He doesn't seem himself as the victim, and the sort of attention and special privileges his mother's illness has given him are baffling to Conor. There's some really poignant moments between him and his mum, as well as the other family members around him. The book really focuses on family and how people cope in difficult situations.

The writing itself was just beautiful, and the magical, imaginative quality the story has was completely captivating. The story is accompanied by a stunning range of illustrations that really help bring the book to life. The length and layout of the book would make it accessible to younger readers, as well, who would definitely get something out of reading this story. It deals with the topics of death and grief in a truly unique way. The messages are threaded throughout what it an entertaining story, with enough wit to lighten the tone just when it's needed.

I think it's fair to say I was blown away by this book. It's definitely worth the praise and awards it has received so far. A beautiful story of life and death, and how to battle those fears inside all of us.

Rating: 5*
What to read next: Solace of the Road by Siobhan Dowd
Books like this: Silenced by Simon Packham

Weekly Book Round Up! - 9th September

 

Weekly Book Round Up!

 

3rd - 9th September

Hi everyone! It's time to round up my book antics for this week. I have major love for my library at the moment for managing to get my hands on some really amazing titles. I put a hold on Cinder and only had to wait a few days before it turned up, waiting for me. As well as that, I've also been reading on the Kobo again this week after a bit of a break from e-books. Here are the books I've been checking out.

Currently reading: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Books finished: The Tower by Jade Varden, A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness (review coming soon!), Blue Moon by Alyson Noel

Bought: Linger and Forever by Maggie Stiefvater. Grabbed these today on 4 for £5 in The Works (I split the cost with a friend and we got 2 books each for £2.50). Not bad! I actually had Linger on hold from the library but I already own Shiver (another Works bargain) so I couldn't pass up the opportunity to own the set, could I?!

Library books: Cinder by Marissa Meyer, A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness and Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick. I'll be starting Crescendo next. I loved Hush, Hush so can't wait to dive into that one!

What have you been reading this week?

 

 

 

 



Friday Finds - 7th September

FRIDAY FINDS is hosted over at Should Be Reading and showcases the books you ‘found’ and added to your To Be Read (TBR) list… whether you found them online, or in a bookstore, or in the library — wherever! (they aren’t necessarily books you purchased).

My finds for this week:


In Your Dreams by Amy Martin. Amy got in touch with me this week to ask if I'd review this book so I looked it up and it sounds great! Can't wait to give it a read.









Defiance by C.J. Redwine. I've seen this on a lot of blogs lately. Seems like this book of the moment!











Across the Universe by Beth Revis. Came across this on Goodreads.












Take a Bow by Elizabeth Eulberg. Another Goodreads find!











Ruth De Lune by Andy Davidson. I was given a code by the author to get a free copy of this and so I've downloaded it. Looking forward to checking it out.

Review: Blue Moon (Immortals #2) by Alyson Noel

Spoiler warning! This book is the 2nd in the Immortals series. If you haven't read Evermore then look away now, as there will be spoilers. You can read my review of Evermore, book one in the Immortals series, right here!





Blue Moon by Alyson Noel

Goodreads page

Author: Alyson Noel. Website, Twitter
Published: 5 March 2010 (Macmillan Children's Books)
Pages: 384
Amazon: paperback|Kindle
Waterstone's: paperback|e-book
Book Depository: paperback

Source: Borrowed from library.

Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
Just as Ever is learning everything she can about her new abilities as an immortal, initiated into the dark, seductive world by her beloved Damen, something terrible is happening to him. As Ever's powers are increasing, Damen's begin to fade after he is stricken by a mysterious illness that threatens his memory, his identity, his life.

My Review:
I really liked Evermore so I've been wanting to check out this book for a while. Picking up where Evermore left off, we see Ever and Damen as they settle into their relationship. Things don't stay happy for long when Damen starts acting weird, and the new guy at school Roman is acting suspiciously.

I like it when a sequel starts off recapping what happens in the previous book because I have a memory like a sieve! It can sometimes be a little off putting if you feel the author is going over everything, but in this case I found it really handy to be caught up on what had gone on in Evermore. I liked how the book started off with Damen and Ever exploring their new relationship and Ever discovering her new found abilities. Just when you think everything is going swimmingly, though, a spanner gets thrown in the works and suddenly Damen is acting totally weird. I loved that twist! Cue Ever trying to find out what's really happening whilst feeling completely heartbroken.

A lot of the story revolves around the mysterious new guy Roman. He's totally creepy and Ever's suspicions about him made for a great mystery as she strives to find out just what he's up to. I loved having that villain role filled by a fresh, new character to the series. There were other new additions as well, with Romy and Rayne, who Ever meets in Summerland playing a key role.

As well as new characters, there's plenty of attention on some of the ones we met in Evermore. I particularly liked getting more of Damen's history and seeing more of Ava, who becomes a guide to Ever even more in Blue Moon.

I loved the fact that Summerland was featured a lot more in this book and in greater depth. It made the whole book feel a lot more magical and some of the settings were beautiful and imaginative.

As with the first book, I really like Noel's writing style for the most part. There's one thing that really puts me off, though, and I think I even mentioned this in my Evermore review. The use of the phrase "pressed my lips together" just jumps out at me every time. It's completely overused to the point of becoming annoying. Perhaps a bit picky of me but it was starting to ruin my enjoyment of the book! I had a few issues in places where I had to go back and re-read things just to make sure I'd understood, and some things happened quite quickly within the story.

There were some big twists towards the end which totally took me by surprise! The ending felt very Mortal Instruments-esque  but I love that series so it'll be interesting to see how that carries on into the next book and how the series compare. Blue Moon has definitely made me want to invest more in this series, and was a book I really enjoyed.

Rating: 4*
What to read next: Shadowland by Alyson Noel, the third book in the Immortals series
Books like this: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Weekly Book Round Up! - 2nd September

Weekly Book Round Up!

27th August - 2nd September

Well this week I have a very exciting announcement. I'm going to Leakycon! :D Leakycon is a Harry Potter fan convention and in 2013 they're coming to London. They have Leakycon Lit events which feature YA authors, so I decided to go for that as well so I could get to indulge myself in YA goodness. I can't wait!

Now on to the round up! Here are the books I've been reading this week:

Currently reading: Blue Moon by Alyson Noel. I'm finally starting to move onto some sequels of series I've only read the first book of! Excited about this one. I really liked Evermore.

Books finished: Blood Red Road by Moira Young (review coming soon!), The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove by Lauren Kate, Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins, Sabriel by Garth Nix.

Library books: Blood Red Road by Moira Young and Blue Moon by Alyson Noel.

What have you been reading this week?