Scythe by Neal Schusterman

Series: Arc of a Scythe, #1

Publication: November 22nd 2016 by Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers

Goodreads Description:

Thou shalt kill.

A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery. Humanity has conquered all those things, and has even conquered death. Now scythes are the only ones who can end life—and they are commanded to do so, in order to keep the size of the population under control.

Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice to a scythe—a role that neither wants. These teens must master the “art” of taking life, knowing that the consequence of failure could mean losing their own. 

My thoughts:

Scythe was such a let down for me. I went in with very high expectations because of all the hype surrounding it and I was very disappointed. 

Firstly it took me forever to get through. I would be reading for what felt like hours only to trackside I'd only read a few chapters. I found it so hard to focus while reading because I just wasn't interested in the story. 

The characters felt very flat to me and I was not emotionally invested in any of them at all. I couldn't relate to them so I felt no empathy or sympathy for them. I was annoyed at both, Citra and Rowan, for the majority of the book. I felt like they had no chemistry whatsoever so I wasn't rooting for them or their relationships. 

The plot was so slow. The story just dragged on and on and I felt like I was making no progress. I couldn't get into it. I didn't care who lived or died so the plot twists didn't shock me or anything (a lot of them were predictable anyway).

The idea was brilliant with the whole no one dying and how society works. It really made me thing about morality and mortality but the execution of the story was very weak.

I think Neal Shusterman's writing just isn't for me. It feels so straight forward and it doesn't have any emotion behind it or something. 

A bit bummed I didn't enjoy scythe because it's such a hyped series. I think this is the end of Neal Shusterman for me, I've tried Unwind too and wasn't a fan so I think I'll just stop wasting my time on his books.

Thanks for reading,

A :)

Favourite Books I Read in 2018

2018 is coming to a close so it only makes sense to go back and look at all the books I've read this year. I read over 95 books 2018 (including lots of rereads). There were so many amazing releases in 2018 and I discovered some great backlist books too. This is a list of my top 10 books of 2018; some were released this year and some weren't. I tried to put them in order but it was too hard. 

1.Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J Maas

Read my review here!

2.Queen of Air and Darkness by Cassandra Clare

Review to come!

3.The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

Read my review here!

4.Nevernight/ Godsgrave by Jay Kristoff

Review to come!

5.Stormcaster by Cinda Williams Chima

Read my review here!

6.Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating by Cristina Lauren

Review to come!

7.The Diviners/Lair of Dreams/Before the Devil Breaks You by Libba Bray

Read my review here!

8.City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab

Review to come!

9.And I Darken/Now I Rise/Bright We Burn by Kiersten White

Review to come!

10.What I Lost by Alexandra Ballard

Read my review here!

The Distance Between Us by Kasie West

Publication: July 2nd 2013 by HarperTeen

Goodreads Description:

Seventeen-year-old Caymen Meyers studies the rich like her own personal science experiment, and after years of observation she’s pretty sure they’re only good for one thing—spending money on useless stuff, like the porcelain dolls in her mother’s shop.

So when Xander Spence walks into the store to pick up a doll for his grandmother, it only takes one glance for Caymen to figure out he’s oozing rich. Despite his charming ways and that he’s one of the first people who actually gets her, she’s smart enough to know his interest won’t last. Because if there’s one thing she’s learned from her mother’s warnings, it’s that the rich have a short attention span. But Xander keeps coming around, despite her best efforts to scare him off. And much to her dismay, she's beginning to enjoy his company.

She knows her mom can’t find out—she wouldn’t approve. She’d much rather Caymen hang out with the local rocker who hasn’t been raised by money. But just when Xander’s attention and loyalty are about to convince Caymen that being rich isn’t a character flaw, she finds out that money is a much bigger part of their relationship than she’d ever realized. And that Xander’s not the only one she should’ve been worried about. 

My thoughts:

The Distance Between Us is a great light easy quick read that's perfect for summer. I flew through it in one sitting in a handful of hours. This was my second West book and I have to say her books are great filler books to pick up when you've finished a big series or a dark fantasy and need a quick break. They are super easy and cute to read but i will say they don't leave much of an impression when you're done. I had fun while reading The Distance Between Us but since finishing I haven't really thought about it.

I felt like the characters were very surface level but I wasn't looking for overly complex layered characters when I picked up The Distance Between Us. I liked Caymen; she had a very dry sense of humour and her sarcastic dialogue was fun to read. I liked Xander too, he was very respectful and I liked how he challenged Caymen's prejudices she had about rich people.  

This is a YA romance so of course it was a big part of the plot. There were a good few cute moments but I wasn't necessarily shipping it. It was cute at time and their banter was fun but nothing to get invested in.

The plot was very predicable and very convenient but because I read it so quick I didn't mind and I didn't pick this book up for a complex plot that had me on the edge of my seat or anything.

It was interesting reading a book where money was a big issue for the characters because it's not something I come across a lot in my reading. I liked how the book explored prejudices and biases and stuff in relation to finances.

There was nothing noteworthy about the writing. It was nice and easy to read.

I've read 2 Kasie West books now, this one and On the Fence, and I think  I liked On the Fence better. I will definitely be picking up more of her books in the future when I want a quick light read!

Thanks for reading,

A :)

Save the Date by Morgan Matson

Publication:June 5th 2018 by Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers 

Goodreads Description:

Charlie Grant’s older sister is getting married this weekend at their family home, and Charlie can’t wait—for the first time in years, all four of her older siblings will be under one roof. Charlie is desperate for one last perfect weekend, before the house is sold and everything changes. The house will be filled with jokes and games and laughs again. Making decisions about things like what college to attend and reuniting with longstanding crush Jesse Foster—all that can wait. She wants to focus on making the weekend perfect.

The only problem? The weekend is shaping up to be an absolute disaster.

There’s the unexpected dog with a penchant for howling, house alarm that won’t stop going off, and a papergirl with a grudge.

There are the relatives who aren’t speaking, the (awful) girl her favorite brother brought home unannounced, and a missing tuxedo.

Not to mention the neighbor who seems to be bent on sabotage and a storm that is bent on drenching everything. The justice of the peace is missing. The band will only play covers. The guests are all crazy. And the wedding planner’s nephew is unexpectedly, distractingly…cute.

Over the course of three ridiculously chaotic days, Charlie will learn more than she ever expected about the family she thought she knew by heart. And she’ll realize that sometimes, trying to keep everything like it was in the past means missing out on the future.

My thoughts:

Save the Date was a lighthearted, family orientated story with lots of hijinks but it just didn't live up to my expectations of a Morgan Matson book. I had fun reading for the most part but it is definitely my least favourite Morgan Matson book; it was just missing something.

This book was so funny with everything falling apart. It was actually ridiculous how everything that could go wrong went wrong. It was hilarious to me at the start but towards the end I was over it, it was too unrealistic and I knew what was going to happen. The hectic mess of everything falling apart was stressing me out too at times.

I also didn't like the main character Charlie. I usually love Morgan Matson's protagonists because I can see myself in them and they few real but Charlie was so annoying. She felt very young and naive and I could relate to her at all. Her obsession with her brother's friend, Jesse, drove me mad. She was so blinded by her childhood crush. Her attitude towards her brother's girlfriend threw me off too; she was very cold to her. And Charlie was such a bad friend to her best friend. I felt like I was reading about a 13 year old.

While Save the Date is about a wedding it is not romance heavy at all. The blurb was misleading- I expected more of a focus on Jesse and the wedding planners nephew and was sitting around waiting for something to happen. I love Morgan Matson's books for their cute romances and love interests but the 'romance' was a tiny sub plot in this book. I was a bit disappointed about it.

I loved the focus on familial relationships though! The Grants are a big family and it was so much fun reading all the different dynamics between brother's and sisters and parents. I loved all the siblings interactions; they were so much fun and full of banter and bickering which is exactly like me and my siblings.

The plot felt a bit like this was the 'before' of the real story, of that makes sense. I felt like this was all leading up to the actual story. The plot was also very predictable because of everything going wrong I just started assuming it would go wrong. 

I really liked the message about putting people on a pedestal and building them up into something they're not in our minds and how that stops us from seeing them as just people like everyone else. 

I loved the little cameo of characters from The Unexpected Everything! 

Save the Date is long but fast to get through. It has some very sweet family moments but it's not a cute contemporary romance like Morgan Matson's other books. It ended up being my least favourite book from her.

Thanks for reading,

A :)

Upside Down by Lia Riley

Series: Off the Map, #1

Publication: August 5th 2014 by Grand Central/Forever

Goodreads Description:

If You Never Get Lost, You’ll Never Be Found

Twenty-one-year-old Natalia Stolfi is saying good-bye to the past-and turning her life upside down with a trip to the land down under. For the next six months, she'll act like a carefree exchange student, not a girl sinking under the weight of painful memories. Everything is going according to plan until she meets a brooding surfer with hypnotic green eyes and the troubling ability to see straight through her act.

Bran Lockhart is having the worst year on record. After the girl of his dreams turned into a nightmare, he moved back home to Melbourne to piece his life together. Yet no amount of disappointment could blind him to the pretty California girl who gets past all his defenses. He's never wanted anyone the way he wants Talia. But when Bran gets a stark reminder of why he stopped believing in love, he and Talia must decide if what they have is once in a lifetime . . . or if they were meant to live a world apart.

My thoughts: 

Upside Down is one of the most addicting books I've read this year! I literally stayed up all night reading it without meaning to; it was such a fun easy quick read! I'd definitely recommend it for anyone looking for a quick new adult romance book.

Natalia, the main character, was likeable enough. She's dealing with a lot of stuff in the story and has lots of flaws which made her feel real and human to me. I liked how she was independent she was and how she wasn't struggling with self confident issues like many other NA female protagonists.

I had a hard time liking Bran, I knew straight away he was trouble. He has a lot of issues too and he's not a nice guy. He's actually a bit mean at times. I didn't love him but I did warm up to him a bit as we got to know him. He does make some bad decisions which turned me off but he might redeem himself in later books.

The romance was good, I liked how Bran wasn't used as a way to 'fix' Talia. They definitely have their issues as a couple but their relationship was fun to read about.

There is some OCD representation which I don't think I've ever come across in my reading. The whole book isn't about Talia dealing with her OCD but it is mentioned a good few times. One of the other characters tees picks up on Talia's rituals but doesn't treat her any different which I liked. I can't speak on the rep but from other reviews it seems like the author did a good job as it's ownvoices.

I also want to highlight that one of the side characters is anorexic and it is talked about so if that's triggering for you maybe skip this one.

I was so excited when I heard Upside Down was set in Australia because it's no somewhere I've ever been or read about. There was so many Australian stereotypes though which annoyed me. I felt like the author went overboard on it.

Upside Down was full of drama, tragic backstories and emotional hurt but that's what made it so quick to read 

I wasn't left dying to pick up the next book but I had a lot of fun reading Upside Down and will be picking up the rest of the books when I want something quick and easy to read!

Thanks for reading,

A :)

Renegades by Marissa Meye

Series: Renegades, #1

Publication: November 7th 2017 by Feiwel & Friends

Goodreads Description:

Secret Identities. Extraordinary Powers. She wants vengeance. He wants justice.

The Renegades are a syndicate of prodigies — humans with extraordinary abilities — who emerged from the ruins of a crumbled society and established peace and order where chaos reigned. As champions of justice, they remain a symbol of hope and courage to everyone... except the villains they once overthrew.

Nova has a reason to hate the Renegades, and she is on a mission for vengeance. As she gets closer to her target, she meets Adrian, a Renegade boy who believes in justice — and in Nova. But Nova's allegiance is to a villain who has the power to end them both. 

My thoughts:

I found Renegades so hard to get into, I found it very easy to be distracted but glad I pushed through because I ended up liking it. I went in with high expectations because I adore The Lunar Chronicles but Renegades just didn't have the charm I was looking for.

Nova is so boring really struggled reading her chapters. I just wasn't invested in her storyline at all. I've read so many characters who do what they do to avenge their parents being killers so she felt very unoriginal. I just felt like I'd met her before and they only thing that made he special was her powers. Because I wasn't a fan of her it made her chapters very boring and hard to get through. 

On the other hand I really liked Adrian's chapters. I found him to be super interesting. I liked reading about his relationship with his parents and his powers.

I did really like two other characters who were also on Adrian's team. It was also cool learning about all the different powers. There was so many and they were so unique. Marissa Meyer really got creative in that department!

The pacing was a bit all over the place. It was so slow in the beginning and combined with me not liking Nova meant I was bored. The plot did eventually pick up and there was a lot more action going on in the second half. The plot was quite predictable though and overall I felt the book was too long. I think a lot of stuff could have been left out to speed up the story. I was expecting a fast paced read with lots of action because it was a superhero book.

Marissa Meyer did a great job with the world building though. I loved how she went into all the history of how the world ended how it was and she described the new law and lifestyles people have as a result of the superheroes and villains.

I liked how the story explored the concept of questioning what's good and bad and right and wrong

I ended up liking Renegades but it wasn't anything amazing. I will probably only pick up the next book if it gets amazing reviews because the ending did leave me a bit intrigued for more. 

Thanks for reading,

A :)

Take Me On by Katie McGarry

Series: Pushing the Limits, #4

Publication: May 27th 2014 by Harlequin TEEN

Goodreads Description:

Acclaimed author Katie McGarry returns with the knockout new story of two high school seniors who are about to learn what winning really means.

Champion kickboxer Haley swore she'd never set foot in the ring again after one tragic night. But then the guy she can't stop thinking about accepts a mixed martial arts fight in her honor. Suddenly, Haley has to train West Young. All attitude, West is everything Haley promised herself she'd stay away from. Yet he won't last five seconds in the ring without her help.

West is keeping a big secret from Haley. About who he really is. But helping her-fighting for her-is a shot at redemption. Especially since it's his fault his family is falling apart. He can't change the past, but maybe he can change Haley's future.

Hayley and West have agreed to keep their relationship strictly in the ring. But as an unexpected bond forms between them and attraction mocks their best intentions, they'll face their darkest fears and discover love is worth fighting for. 

My thoughts:

I love all Katie McGarry's books so it's no wonder I really enjoyed this one too. Take Me On starts of during the ending of Crash into You so I'd recommend reading that one first; it's not necessary but you will be spoiled for the ending if you read Take Me On first.

The main character Haley was such a joy to read. I loved her straight away, she was nothing like other female character in YA contemporary. She was so stubborn and independent and I loved it! She was in a very difficult situation but stayed strong and thought things through before making decisions. I loved her chapters. It's was also fun having a female character who was involved in a mostly male dominated sport.

It took me a lot longer to warm up to West. He has a great character development arc over the course of the book but in the beginning I just didn't care about him. He can be quite impulsive and makes things more difficult for himself when it's not necessary but he has a good heart.

Their relationship had its ups and downs but I loved how they worked together as a team and always did what they could to help each other out.

I loved how this book touched on some more serious topics like homelessness. It was interesting reading from the perspective of a homeless main character as it's not something I rally come across in my reading. It really made me think about how lucky I am to have what I have and not to take it for granted.

This isn't a cutesy romance contemporary it's more of a dramatic one. There was lots of drama in this book, lots of lying and fighting but there was some heart warming moments here and there too.

I was so happy we got to see Abby, Rachel and Isaiah in this book. I thought we wouldn't since Haley doesn't run in the same circles and the characters from the previous books but we did!

Take Me On was not my favourite in the Pushing the Limits series but did really really like it; I just love Crash into You and Dare You To more!

Thanks for reading,

A :)