The Burning Maze by Rick Riordan

*This post contains spoilers for the previous books in the Trials of Apollo series by Rick Riordan.*

Series: The Trials of Apollo, #3

Publication:  May 1st 2018 by Disney-Hyperion

Goodreads Description:

The formerly glorious god Apollo, cast down to earth in punishment by Zeus, is now an awkward mortal teenager named Lester Papadopoulos. In order to regain his place on Mount Olympus, Lester must restore five Oracles that have gone dark. But he has to achieve this impossible task without having any godly powers and while being duty-bound to a confounding young daughter of Demeter named Meg. Thanks a lot, Dad.

With the help of some demigod friends, Lester managed to survive his first two trials, one at Camp Half-Blood, and one in Indianapolis, where Meg received the Dark Prophecy. The words she uttered while seated on the Throne of Memory revealed that an evil triumvirate of Roman emperors plans to attack Camp Jupiter. While Leo flies ahead on Festus to warn the Roman camp, Lester and Meg must go through the Labyrinth to find the third emperor—and an Oracle who speaks in word puzzles—somewhere in the American Southwest. There is one glimmer of hope in the gloom-filled prophecy: The cloven guide alone the way does know. They will have a satyr companion, and Meg knows just who to call upon. . . . 

My thoughts:

The Burning Maze is my favourite book in the Trials of Apollo series. It  was so much fun to read, it also surprised me and it was also much more emotional than previous books. The stakes are a lot higher in this book and it made for a very enjoyable read.

Apollo's narrations is as hilarious as ever. He has grown a lot over the course of the books, and it is interesting seeing him starting to understand what it is to be mortal. Up until now Apollo has always been my least favourite RR main character but I really grew fond of him in this book. 

I was so happy to get to spend time with Grover! We haven't seen him in ages in the books and it was nice having him around.

Speaking of old characters, over the course of the book Apollo and the gang have to get in contact with some of the characters from Heroes of Olympus. Leo played a big role in ... and Jason and Piper are part of The Burning Maze. Piper in particular plays a big role which I loved. I love hanging out with Piper and it was so nice to see her being the badass girl she is in this book. 

Some old monsters also make an appearance 

The Burning Maze was a surprisingly emotional read for me. Rick Riordan took some risks other authors would shy away from in order to please fans and I liked it. I didn't think he'd have the guts to do what he did in this book but it really made the book stand out against his other demigod books.

It was fun going back into the labyrinth; because you never know what's around the corner I was always anticipating the worst which made it a suspenseful read at times.

The ending was mad. I cannot believe Rick Riordan did that! I need the next book ASAP! 

The Burning Maze was for sure the best book on the series so far and I can't wait for the final instalment of this series!

Thanks for reading,

A :)

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

Publication: March 2007 by Scholastic Press

Goodreads Description:

Orphan, clock keeper, and thief, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station, Hugo's undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo's dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery. 

My thoughts:

The Invention of Hugo Cabret is a quick easy children's book I really enjoyed. It looks intimidating on the shelf being over 500 pages but it flies by. It is such a unique book that is a cross between a novel and graphic novel with hundreds of illustrations scattered throughout!

The main character, Hugo, is lonely and his situation of feeling lost after losing a loved one makes him easily relatable. Another relatable character was the toy maker's daughter, Isabelle, who was my favourite! I loved bookish personality and curiosity about everything!

I loved the plot! It's a mix of action and adventure with chase scenes one page and slower character moments the next. It was so well paced I couldn't stop reading.

I was blown away by the illustrations. They really added something unique to the story. They took up about half the pages and moved the story along nice and quickly; had they not been included I think it would have been a very slow read I wouldn't have enjoyed as much. They were absolutely stunning and had me itching to grab my pencil to try recreate them. 

The ending was very sweet and I could have been happier with it!

The Invention of Hugo Cabret was an enjoyable read and I'd recommend it if your looking for something light to read that you don't need to concentrate a lot on and can get read in a handful of hours!

Definitely one I will be using in the classroom with my kids in the future!

Thanks for reading,

A :)P

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

Series: Time Quintet, #1

Publication: November 7th 2017 by Farrar Straus Giroux (first published 1962)

Goodreads Description:

It was a dark and stormy night; Meg Murry, her small brother Charles Wallace, and her mother had come down to the kitchen for a midnight snack when they were upset by the arrival of a most disturbing stranger. 

"Wild nights are my glory," the unearthly stranger told them. "I just got caught in a downdraft and blown off course. Let me be on my way. Speaking of way, by the way, there is such a thing as a tesseract".

Meg's father had been experimenting with this fifth dimension of time travel when he mysteriously disappeared. Now the time has come for Meg, her friend Calvin, and Charles Wallace to rescue him. But can they outwit the forces of evil they will encounter on their heart-stopping journey through space? 

My thoughts:

A Wrinkle in Time is a quick weird read I think kids would love but as a 21 year old it missed the mark with me. It probably didn't help that I read it at a weird time but I ended up thinking it was an okay read but not very memorable. 

Meg was a pretty cookie cutter main character. She feels like no one understands her and she goes on and on about it. I felt like there was nothing special about her and I couldn't relate to her so I ended up not really caring about her.

I also wasn't overly invested in the plot. I usually love middle grade adventure stories but this one just didn't grab my attention but as I said I read this at a bit of a weird time in my life when I couldn't properly focus my attention on reading. It also felt a bit sloppy and all over the place and this made it hard to follow what was going on. There were some parts that just felt random and out of place.

This book has some weird stuff going on and I had to suspend my disbelief because some of the events were very out there. I think a kid reading wouldn't have this problem while reading but as a 21 year old it was a bit too bizarre for me.

I think I would have liked A Wrinkle in Time a lot more if I'd read it at a different time, but as it was it was just an alright read for me. I won't be reading the next book in the series.

Thanks for reading,

A :)

The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding by Alexandra Bracken

Series: The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding, #1

Publication:

Goodreads Description:

"I would say it's a pleasure to meet thee, Prosperity Oceanus Redding, but truly, I only anticipate the delights of destroying thy happiness."

Prosper is the only unexceptional Redding in his old and storied family history — that is, until he discovers the demon living inside him. Turns out Prosper's great-great-great-great-great-something grandfather made — and then broke — a contract with a malefactor, a demon who exchanges fortune for eternal servitude. And, weirdly enough, four-thousand-year-old Alastor isn't exactly the forgiving type.

The fiend has reawakened with one purpose — to destroy the family whose success he ensured and who then betrayed him. With only days to break the curse and banish Alastor back to the demon realm, Prosper is playing unwilling host to the fiend, who delights in tormenting him with nasty insults and constant attempts trick him into a contract. Yeah, Prosper will take his future without a side of eternal servitude, thanks.

Little does Prosper know, the malefactor's control over his body grows stronger with each passing night, and there's a lot Alastor isn't telling his dim-witted (but admittedly strong-willed) human host.

From #1 New York Times best-selling author Alexandra Bracken comes a tale of betrayal and revenge, of old hurts passed down from generation to generation. Can you ever fully right a wrong, ever truly escape your history? Or will Prosper and Alastor be doomed to repeat it? 

My thoughts:

I really enjoyed reading The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding. It is such a fun quick story that is light-hearted with a hint of creepy. It is the perfect read for autumn/Halloween for all ages. I went in with high expectations because I love Alexandra Bracken's YA books and I was not disappointed with Prosper.

The main character Prosper was very likeable. He was developed enough that he didn't feel like every other MG 12 year old boy. He has his flaws for sure but he was fun to read about and I loved how he liked art. It was actually the antagonist that stole the show for me though. I loved any time Alastor had page time. His inner monologue with Prosper was hilarious and I found myself flicking the pages looking out for his name/dialogue.

The narration of the story was very interesting; it is told in dual POV but Prosper tells the story in first person whereas we hear from Alastor in the third person. I definitely preferred Alator's narration; he was very funny and I could see why younger readers would be laughing out loud at some of the antics he gets up to.

The plot was probably the weakest aspect of the story but I still really enjoyed it. The plot is not action packed like Bracken's other work; in the story we mostly just follow Prosper around as he adjusts to life with a demon inside him; it was still very enjoyable though. Some aspects were very predicable which is to be expected when the intended audience is 12 year olds and I am almost 21. The ending was amazing and intense and I am so excited to see where this story goes in book 2!  

Another aspect I want to note that i liked was that there is an LGBT+ family in the story and it is completely normalised which was great to see in a MG book!

I had so much fun reading The Dreadful Tale of Proper Redding; it was so easy and fun to read, it was nice to have a break from the YA angst and drama I usually read.I am definitely going to pick up the next book when it's out later this year!

Thanks for reading,

A :)

Ship of the Dead by Rick Riordan

*This post contains spoilers for the first two books in the series: The Sword of Summer and The Hammer of Thor! You can read my review of book 1 here and book 2 here!

Series: Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, #3

Publication:October 3rd 2017 by Disney-Hyperion

Goodreads Description:

Magnus Chase, a once-homeless teen, is a resident of the Hotel Valhalla and one of Odin's chosen warriors. As the son of Frey, the god of summer, fertility, and health, Magnus isn't naturally inclined to fighting. But he has strong and steadfast friends, including Hearthstone the elf, Blitzen the dwarf, and Samirah the Valkyrie, and together they have achieved brave deeds, such as defeating Fenris Wolf and battling giants for Thor's hammer, Mjolnir. Now Magnus and his crew must sail to the farthest borders of Jotunheim and Niflheim in pursuit of Asgard's greatest threat. Will they succeed in their perilous journey, or is Ragnarok lurking on the horizon?

My thoughts:

I had a lot of fun reading Ship of the Dead and was sad to come to the end of one of my favourite series. I think Ship of the Dead was my least favourite in the series but it was still great!

In Ship of the Dead Magnus is so different from the kid we meet in book 1; he has definitely grown up over the course of the trilogy. His narration was just as funny as the previous two books and had me laughing out loud. I loved how loyal he was to his friends and how kindhearted he is; he is such a Hufflepuff!

Of course I loved reading about Sam; she is one of my favourite Riordan characters. I really admire her determination and strength. I also loved how much her faith is discussed and how Ramadan was mentioned and how Sam was in the middle of it during the novel. I have never come across that kind of representation before and it's so important; especially in a series that has a younger fan base.

We get to spend a good chunk of time with Magnus' hall mates in Ship of the Dead so we get to know them better which was fun! I liked T.J. but had a few problems with Mallory; most readers won't pick up on the things that annoyed me as they are all to do with being Irish. In the beginning she is a very stereotypical Irish girl with red hair and temper. She also says Gaelic not Irish when talking about the language we speak- this is a common error most authors make who are not Irish and it annoys me so much; we speak Irish and it is sometimes called Gaeilge NOT gaelic! I did grow to tolerate her by the end because she does do some great things. 

Another Irish thing I want to note since I am talking about Mallory; I was surprised Rick Riordan knew about/ mentioned the Vikings in Dublin. I was so glad he did because that's a big part of our history curriculum in primary school! I was also very surprised there was talk about Bloody Friday (1972) and the Troubles because of how taboo it is to talk about it in Ireland. I've never really come across Irish history in my reading before so that was cool.

The plot was pretty standard Rick Riordan; people say his books are very formulaic with the prophecies and quests and they are but I always have fun reading the formula he uses for his plots so I didn't have a problem with it. I still say The Last Olympian is his perfect concluding novel, Ship of the Dead was good but not Oh My God Good.The ending was a bit anticlimactic but you kind of know it is going to be while you are reading, I was hoping it was going to take a twist and get action packed but nope; it was good but nothing amazing which was a bit disappointing.

I felt like Alex, who is my favourite character in the series, didn't have as much page time and s/he did in book 2 and I was a bit sad about that. Alex brings so much fun to the story and whenever we weren't with him/her I was flicking ahead to see when his/her name would pop up.

Note for Percy fans, as we know at the end of Hammer of Thor Annabeth says it is time for Magnus to meet Percy and straight off the bat we have Percy helping Magnus out in Ship of the Dead. There was some Percabeth that had me freaking out because they are adorable. Warning to fans that are expecting loads of Percy; don't expect that. Percy and Annabeth are only present for the first few chapters and while I wished they could have stayed longer it is important to note that this is Magnus' story not theirs.

I definitely think there are going to be more books; there was a tiny hint for a storyline that could be continued in the future. I am going to miss reading about Magnus and his friends, this series is definitely in one of my favourite Rick Riordan's work only after Percy Jackson.

Thanks for reading,

A :)

The School For Good and Evil by Soman Chainani

Series: The School for Good and Evil, #1

Publication: May 14th 2013 by HarperCollins

Goodreads Description:

The first kidnappings happened two hundred years before. Some years it was two boys taken, some years two girls, sometimes one of each. But if at first the choices seemed random, soon the pattern became clear. One was always beautiful and good, the child every parent wanted as their own. The other was homely and odd, an outcast from birth. An opposing pair, plucked from youth and spirited away.

This year, best friends Sophie and Agatha are about to discover where all the lost children go: the fabled School for Good & Evil, where ordinary boys and girls are trained to be fairy tale heroes and villains. As the most beautiful girl in Gavaldon, Sophie has dreamed of being kidnapped into an enchanted world her whole life. With her pink dresses, glass slippers, and devotion to good deeds, she knows she’ll earn top marks at the School for Good and graduate a storybook princess. Meanwhile Agatha, with her shapeless black frocks, wicked pet cat, and dislike of nearly everyone, seems a natural fit for the School for Evil.

But when the two girls are swept into the Endless Woods, they find their fortunes reversed—Sophie’s dumped in the School for Evil to take Uglification, Death Curses, and Henchmen Training, while Agatha finds herself in the School For Good, thrust amongst handsome princes and fair maidens for classes in Princess Etiquette and Animal Communication.. But what if the mistake is actually the first clue to discovering who Sophie and Agatha really are…?

The School for Good & Evil is an epic journey into a dazzling new world, where the only way out of a fairy tale is to live through one. 

My thoughts:

I found it hard to get into The School for Good and Evil as the plot is very slow. I can see it being a Disney movie or tv series but the novel format was way too long and I found I had to push myself to keep reading. 

Firstly I wasn't a fan of Sophie, I found her super annoying. She was so immature and over the top about everything. It also made me so mad how she was using Agatha who was supposedly her 'friend'. She's so vain and I couldn't stand her for most of the novel.

On the other than I liked Agatha. She had some great one liners and I liked how she isn't like the typical cookie cutter characters we usually get in books. I love how she pokes fun at princesses and fairytales and such.

The plot was all over the place. In the beginning I felt like the author knew what they were doing, it was slow but clear but then it went off and I felt like there was no point we were aiming towards. The story would get fast paced for a few pages and then get so slow; I would read 20 pages and feel like I had read 100. The last 20% was what saved it for me. The ending was really good and I was hooked and couldn't stop reading. 

The setting was very fun. I loved how the 2 schools were complete opposites and how we got the typical fairy tale setting of a big castle with pretty bedrooms and pink and sparkles but then on the flip side we got dungeons and dark forests and monsters. The settings were used very well.

One of the main problems I had with The School For Good and Evil is that there was lots of gender stereotypes going on- I get that it's a play on fairytales and princes and princesses but in 2017 I'd have liked to see those stereotypes being challenged and this book was published in 2013 so it's not that old. 

I also wasn't a huge fan of some of its messages. Judging people based on looks, drawing very clear line that there is evil and good and nothing in between etc. I hated how the objective for the girls was to find a prince and get them to ask them o the ball and kiss them. It's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. That message of all you need is a guy is awful to include in a middle grade book where young girls are reading looking towards these characters as role models. I also had a problem with the premise of how evil is ugly and good is pretty- it's a bad message to be sending that appearance equates to morality. 

I like it but it's way too long especially for a children's book, the books is 500 pages and with its pacing being all over the place it felt like even more. I'd say it's more for younger YA readers than those who are used to reading middle grade.

My rating: 3 stars

Thanks for reading,

A :)

The Dark Prophecy by Rick Riordan

*Warning this review may contain spoilers for the first book in the series, The Hidden Oracle*

Series: The Trials of Apollo, #2

Publication: May 2nd 2017 by Disney-Hyperion

Goodreads Description:

Zeus has punished his son Apollo—god of the sun, music, archery, poetry, and more—by casting him down to earth in the form of a gawky, acne-covered sixteen-year-old mortal named Lester. The only way Apollo can reclaim his rightful place on Mount Olympus is by restoring several Oracles that have gone dark. What is affecting the Oracles, and how can Apollo do anything about them without his powers?

After experiencing a series of dangerous—and frankly, humiliating—trials at Camp Half-Blood, Apollo must now leave the relative safety of the demigod training ground and embark on a hair-raising journey across North America. Fortunately, what he lacks in godly graces he's gaining in new friendships—with heroes who will be very familiar to fans of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians and Heroes of Olympus series. Come along for what promises to be a harrowing, hilarious, and haiku-filled ride. . . 

My thoughts:

I am so conflicted about The Dark Prophecy, on one hand I really liked the second half and on the other it took me ages to get through the first half. I really struggled at the start; I had to force myself to keep reading and I didn't know if I was getting told for Rick Riordan books or if it was because I read it at the wrong time when I'd just finished one of my all time favourite series (To All the Boys I've Loved Before- a review of Always and Forever Lara Jean should be up before this post!). But I don't think I am growing out of Rick Riordan books because I adore the Magnus Chase series and I did enjoy reading the second half of The Dark Prophecy.

I think Apollo's narration was a factor in my reading experience because at times he can be a bit immature and I found myself rolling my eyes at some of his comments. I thought he was hilarious last year when I read The Hidden Oracle and he did have some great one liners in The Dark Prophecy but it wasn't as funny as RR's other books.

As I said the plot was slow to start and it didn't pick up for me until after half way, after the half way mark though I couldn't stop reading, I was back in the swing of things and was enjoying the story.

We do get a good bit of Leo and Calypso which I liked. I was worried that they were only going to be in the start of the book but they stuck around for the majority of the story. It was nice seeing them trying to work as a couple and dealing with trying to live normal lives. If you are going into The Dark Prophecy expecting it to be all about them it's not, they are definitely side characters.

We are also introduced to some very interesting characters. The Hunter of Artemis play a big role in The Dark Prophecy which I loved because I absolutely adore the Hunters. I find them so much fun to read about! We even meet two ex hunters!

The ending of The Dark Prophecy was great and I have high hopes for the next book, which I am definitely picking up despite my weird reading experience with the start of The Dark Prophecy.

My rating: 3 stars

Thanks for reading,

A :)

The Hammer of Thor by Rick Riordan

*Warning this post may contain spoilers for the first book in the Magnus Chase and the Gods Asgard Series, The Sword of Summer.

Series: Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, #2

Publication: 4th October 2016 by Disney-Hyperion

Goodreads Description:

Thor's hammer is missing again. The thunder god has a disturbing habit of misplacing his weapon--the mightiest force in the Nine Worlds. But this time the hammer isn't just lost, it has fallen into enemy hands. If Magnus Chase and his friends can't retrieve the hammer quickly, the mortal worlds will be defenseless against an onslaught of giants. Ragnarok will begin. The Nine Worlds will burn. Unfortunately, the only person who can broker a deal for the hammer's return is the gods' worst enemy, Loki--and the price he wants is very high. 

My thoughts:

I absoultely loved The Hammer of Thor! It was even better than Sword of Summer. No second book syndrome here! It was such a wild adventure and I had so much fun reading it!

Firstly the diversity in this book was great! I love how Rick Riordan is writing more diversely with ever book he writes! A gender fluid character is introduced in The Hammer of Thor and it was handled sensitively and in an appropriate way for middle grade readers. I really appreciated how gender fluidity and pronouns were discussed openly.

The Hammer of Thor covers a lot of topics and issues that other authors would normally shy away from. There is a big emphasis on religion and sexuality throughout the story. I love how although Sam is Muslim and Magnus is atheist they both respect each others beliefs.

The characters were just as much fun to read about as they were in The Sword of Summer. Magnus is still a little sarcastic dork and I love it. Sam is as stubborn and badass as ever. (side note: I love how there is no romance between her and Magnus they are just friends! We need more of this in books- boys and girls can be friends without it turning into a romatic relationship). And a new addition to the cast in The Hammer of Thor is Alex. Alex is a child of Loki and a freaking shape shifter! That's all I'll say. Alex is my favourite in the series!!!

The plot was fabulous. It was fast paced with lots of action. The fact that we know a lot about the world already from book 1 means we dive straight into the action. There is not as much info being thrown at the reader so it's quick to read. The plot was engaging and the short chapters made the story fly by. 

The Hammer off Tor is hilarious; like all of Riordan's books. We get to meet lots of new wacky gods. And there is a load of  pop culture references like selfies and netflixs. It was great.

And the ending!!!Oh my gods it makes me so excited for the next book!!!! I can't believe this is only a trilogy. I can't wait to see how the story wraps up.

My Rating: 4.5 stars

Thanks for reading,

A :)

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The False Prince by Jennifer A Nielsen

Series: The Ascendence Trilogy, #1

Publication: 1st April 2012 by Scholastic 

Goodreads Description:
The False Prince is the thrilling first book in a brand-new trilogy filled with danger and deceit and hidden identities that will have readers rushing breathlessly to the end.

In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king’s long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four orphans are recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Sage knows that Conner’s motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword’s point—he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. But Sage’s rivals have their own agendas as well.

As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Conner’s sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of treachery and deceit unfold, until finally, a truth is revealed that, in the end, may very well prove more dangerous than all of the lies taken together.

An extraordinary adventure filled with danger and action, lies and deadly truths that will have readers clinging to the edge of their seats. 

My Thoughts:
The False Prince is a fun adventure story that I flew through. It was such a quick read and I really enjoyed every minute of it.

Sage is such a fun character to read about. He is so sassy and clever. His voice is so distinct, the author did an excellent job with his narration. I was hooked from the first page.

Over the course of the story Sage builds relationships with the other boys. Some could be considered friendships but others are more like enemies. There was lots of backstabbing, alliances, secrets and lies going on that made relationships more interesting and complex.

The plot was enjoyable for the most part. It was predictable at time but it was fun to read. There was a good few twists and turns and while I predicted what would happen I think a lot of readers will be shocked at some of the plot twists.

The False Prince isn't really Young Adult but isn't really Middle Grade either. It bridges the gap between the two. Sage, the main character, is only 14 making it not YA (YA MCs are usually 16+) but MG MC's are usually younger.

There was no romance in The False Prince which was refreshing to read. The majority of books I read have a romance and it sometimes overshadows the plot which I hate. The girls in the story are very minor characters and the interactions between them and Sage are in no may romantic. A relationship may develop in later books but at the moment in glad there wasn't one included in the first book.

The ending that shocked everyone else didn't surprise me. I predicted what was going to happen pretty early on. Had I not predicted the ending I would have given the book a 5 out of 5.

My Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Thanks for reading,
A :)

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A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

Publication:September 27th 2011 by Walker Books

Goodreads Description:
The monster showed up after midnight. As they do.

But it isn’t the monster Conor’s been expecting. He’s been expecting the one from his nightmare, the one he’s had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments, the one with the darkness and the wind and the screaming…

This monster is something different, though. Something ancient, something wild. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor.

It wants the truth.

My thoughts:
Having read some of Patrick Ness's other books I can say that A Monster Calls is his best work. The story is such a beautiful and tragic one that although is only 200 pages long it leaves a big emotional impact.

I really liked Conor. He was difficult for me to connect with in the beginning because he was a very frustrating character but given the difficult situation he is in I could understand why he was acting the way he did. I really grew to like him and his interactions with the other characters. The other characters were not as fleshed out as I wanted them to be but I don't think that took away from the main storyline and given the lenght of the book it is understandable why the side character's backtories aren't explored.

A Monster Calls is classified as a Middle Grade novel but I 100% think that all ages should give it a read it. At times it felt more mature and I think Young Adult/ Adult readers should give it a go.

I loved how Patrick Ness dealt with the important topics that are at the heart of this story- grief, death and illness. He explored these themes in a realistic manner and never romantized them.

The illustrations are to die for. I think that they really add to the atmosphere f the story and would highly recommed you read the edition with the illustrations included as I think it makes the reading experience a bit different from conventional novels.

My only problem with A Monster Calls was that I wanted more at the end. The story ends in a way that leaves some things unresolved.

My rating: 5 stars
Thanks for reading,
A :)

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The Bronze Key by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare

*Warning this post contains spoilers for the first two books in the Magisterium Series: The Iron Trial and The Copper Gauntlet*

Series: Magisterium, #3

Publication:August 30th 2016 by Scholastic

Goodreads Description:
Magic can save you.
Magic can kill you.

Students at the Magisterium are supposed to be safe. Under the watchful eyes of the mages, they are taught to use magic to bring order to a chaotic world.

But now the chaos is fighting back. Call, Tamara, and Aaron should be worrying about things like pop quizzes and magic contests. Instead, after the shocking death of one of their classmates, they must track down a sinister killer… and risk their own lives in the process.

As Call, Tamara, and Aaron discover, magic can only be as good as the person who wields it. In evil hands, it has the capacity to do immeasurable harm, unless it is stopped in time.

In this striking third book of Magisterium, bestselling authors Holly Black and Cassandra Clare present us with a school where anything, good or evil, can happen, and the only way to unlock the truth is to risk everything to find it.

My thoughts:
I liked The Bronze Key. It was a fun read. The Magisterium Series is meant for middle grade readers but as an adult I find myself still enjoying it. The Bronze Key was a short quick read.

If you can't remember anything The Copper Gauntlet don't worry I couldn't either. Black and Clare recap what happened in the second book in the first few chapters in The Bronze Key which was really helpful.

I had some problems with the pace of the story. I felt like there were lulls in the fast pace and I found my attention wandering at times. I wasn't as invested in the story as I was with the pervious books. I wasn't eager to find out what would happen next.

I also found The Bronze Key to be very predictable. Maybe because it is aimed at middle grade readers.

I thought the world could have been added onto. I felt like it was established well in the first two books so I was hoping to get more information on other parts of the world in regards to adult mages and the politics of the world and how it lives side by side with our world.

Like all of Clare's and Black's books The Bronze Key was funny. I especially liked how Jasper was the comedic relief a lto of the time. I found myslef laughing out loud at times it was so funny.

Our main character are starting to grow up, they are fourteen years old in this book and I loved etting to see them going through regular teenage stuff like crushes. It was so interesting seeing them interacting because  Call thinks Tamara will always pick Aaron over him and it seems like Aaron cares for Call but that might just be beacuse he is so nice to everyone. And Celia is thrown into the mix and Jasper. It made a good dynamic.

The ending felt rushed. Everything happened in the last two chapters and I wanted more details. Also we end on a cliff hanger as usual.

I am really looking forward to picking up the next book and see how this new villian influences the story.

My rating: 3 stars

Thanks for reading,
A :)

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The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan

Series: The Trials of Apollo, #1

Publication:May 3rd 2016 by Disney-Hyperion

Goodreads description:
How do you punish an immortal?

By making him human.

After angering his father Zeus, the god Apollo is cast down from Olympus. Weak and disorientated, he lands in New York City as a regular teenage boy. Now, without his godly powers, the four-thousand-year-old deity must learn to survive in the modern world until he can somehow find a way to regain Zeus's favour.

But Apollo has many enemies - gods, monsters and mortals who would love to see the former Olympian permanently destroyed. Apollo needs help, and he can think of only one place to go . . . an enclave of modern demigods known as Camp Half-Blood.

My thoughts:
The Hidden Oracle is a solid start to Rick Riordan's new series based on Greek mythology.

If you are wondering if you have to read Percy Jackson and Heroes of Olympus before The Hidden Oracle, the answer is yes. I'd advise reading PJO and HoO first, however if you have no intention of ever picking up PJO or HoO then you can go straight in to The Hidden Oracle as you'll be spoiled but it won't matter if you are not going to ever read the other series! (But seriously though, why wouldn't you want to read PJO an HoO, they're some of my favourite series!)

The Hidden Oracle is shorter than he's more recent books but I don't think this was a problem, everything was set up nicely for the rest of the series!

Apollo's character arc was so well written. I loved getting to see him struggle with his new mortal conscience. It was hilarious watching him adjust to mortal life. His narration was so funny. What I really loved though, was that he is one of the very few bisexual main characters I've come across in YA. So yay for diversity!

Like with all Rick Riordan's books, The Hidden Oracle was very educational. I learned lots about Greek mythology I didn't know and lots about Apollo.

Unfortunately, I found the plot to be a bit predictable. And I was a bit disappointed because it wasn't as questy (is that a word?!) as Riordan's other books. The story of The Hidden Oracle mostly takes place in Camp Half Blood. So I felt like it wasn't as adventurous as his other books.

The good thing about being at Canp Half blood was getting to see old characters! There's cameos and we get to hear news about others! But we also get introduced to lots of new campers which was cool too. I'm interested to get to know them more throughout the series.

I need the next book now that I know who is going to play a bigger part in the series!

My rating: 4.5
Thanks for reading,
A :)

The Ask and The Answer by Patrick Ness

*This post contains spoilers for the first book in the series, The Knife of Never Letting Go*

Series: Chaos Walking,#2

Publication: May 4th 2009 by Walker Books Ltd

Goodreads description:
We were in the square, in the square where I'd run, holding her, carrying her, telling her to stay alive, stay alive till we got safe, till we got to Haven so I could save her - But there weren't no safety, no safety at all, there was just him and his men...

Fleeing before a relentless army, Todd has carried a desperately wounded Viola right into the hands of their worst enemy, Mayor Prentiss. Immediately separated from Viola and imprisoned, Todd is forced to learn the ways of the Mayor's new order. But what secrets are hiding just outside of town? And where is Viola? Is she even still alive? And who are the mysterious Answer? And then, one day, the bombs begin to explode...

"The Ask and the Answer" is a tense, shocking and deeply moving novel of resistance under the most extreme pressure. This is the second title in the "Chaos Walking" trilogy.

My thoughts:

The Ask and The Answer was an alright sequel. I liked the first book but this one was just ‘meh’ for me. It did not blow me away but it left me curious enough to want to pick up the last book in the trilogy.

I had no problems with the characters. In fact, I have really grown to love a lot of them. Some of them have amazing character development going on in The Ask and The Answer; I am going to be a bit vague so I don’t spoil you; but one character who I was not expecting to like, was actually one of my favourite characters by the end of The Ask and The Answer. Hi arc was done excellently. 

My main problem was with the plot. The Ask and The Answer picks up right when The Knife of Never Letting go left off which was great and it had me hooked for a few chapters but then it lost me. There just did not seem to be much happening in this book compared to book 1 until the end. I don’t know if it was because of my mood, or what, when I read this but it just felt so slow until the last 30% saved it. Then there was so much action and twists and turns I could not put the book down.

The writing was solid. I was not as distracted by Todd’s grammar mistakes as I was in the first book. There is another POV added (I am not telling you who) but they use proper English so I found I preferred those chapters to Todd’s.

The Ask and The Answer is a civil war story, and I liked how Ness decided to use it to touch on how there is no clear ‘good guy’ or ‘bad guy’.

I don’t have much else to say. I have picked up the last book and will hopefully have a review up soon!

My rating: 3 stars out or 5.

(Sorry this is a day late- I usually post on Tuesdays but I've been super busy with college work!)