Changeling

Philippa Gregory

Order of Darkness #1

Summary:

The year is 1453 and all signs point to it being the end of the world.

Accused of heresy and expelled from this monastery, handsome seventeen-year-old Luca Vero is recruited by a mysterious stranger to record the end of times across Europe. Commanded by sealed orders, Luca is sent to map the fears of Christendom, and to travel to the very frontier of good and evil.

Seventeen-year-old Isolde, a Lady Abbess, is trapped in a nunnery to prevent her claiming her rich inheritance. As the nuns in her care are driven mad by strange visions, walking in their sleep, and showing bleeding wounds, Luca is sent to investigate and all the evidence points to Isolde’s criminal guilt. Outside in the yard they are building a pyre to burn her for witchcraft.

Forced to face the greatest fears of the medieval world-dark magic, werewolves, madness-Luca and Isolde embark on a search for truth, their own destinies, and even love as they take the unknown ways to the real historical figure that defends the boundaries of Christendom and holds the secrets of the Order of Darkness.

Plot:

This is a very interesting and original story. I like the author’s use of the different era and find the way culture and society worked back then very interesting. There were moments in this book that made me smile and others that were pretty horrifying, all in a pretty good balance making it an engaging and entertaining read. The writing was good and descriptive, but easy to read and understand. Although some parts of the story don’t really make sense I have to assume that all will be explained in the sequels.

Characters:

I like the characters in this book, I feel like they are interesting and unique, but still relatable enough. However, I didn’t love any of them. My favourite is probably Freize, who is Luca’s friend/servant and a very funny character with a kind heart and a way of charming everyone. He feels the most alive to me. I like the romances and the way the characters connect, and the villains are interesting and slightly unusual. The characters were definitely very well handled.

Who should read this:

12+, mainly for the violence, which is not extremely graphic, but quite disturbing. I didn’t notice any language. I don’t think everyone will like this book, some might find its themes strange and might not like the way religion is portrayed in the story. So I definitely recommend caution as far as that goes. However if you want a good YA book that is set in a different era and has plenty of suspense and adventure you might like this one.

My rating:

While I enjoyed this book, I don’t know if I really loved it. There wasn’t anything wrong with it in my opinion as far as writing etc. goes, but it’s just not my favourite type of book, especially since I didn’t really connect with the characters. 3/5

Quote:

Luca realized that she was a thing of horror, a beautiful thing of horror, the worst thing between heaven and hell: a fallen angel

Ice

Sarah Beth Durst

Summary:

When Cassie was little, her grandmother told her stories about the Arctic...about frost and snow, and a beautiful castle made of ice, and about her mother, the made a deal with the Polar Bear King. But Cassie is older now and has no time for fairy tales and talking animals, or lies about her dead mother.

But when Cassie comes face to face with a mysterious polar bear, one that defies all scientific fact or knowledge, she begins to realise that the fairy tales could actually be true. Discovering that her mother might still be alive, Cassie makes her own deal with the Polar Bear King, embarking on a dangerous journey to save her. But the deal comes with consequences she never bargained for, and before her journey’s end, Cassie will discover the true meaning of family and of loss and love.

Plot:

I am not familiar with the fairy tale that this book is allegedly a retelling of, so I do not know how that affected this story. I do know that I absolutely loved the magic of this story. The writing is beautiful, yet simple and easy to read. There are some action scenes that can get quite tense as well as quiet romantic scenes that help you connect with the characters. The story is very well balanced as far as content goes and it never gets too sappy or too suspenseful.

Characters:

I liked the characters in this book, especially the fact that none of them are perfect, not even the heroes, and the other fact that there isn’t really a villain, only people/things that go a little too far to get what they want. I also liked how the author made Cassie’s relationship with Bear a parallel to a normal human relationship, many of the issues they have are relatable even though they’re completely different that our normal situations. I also liked all the other strange and magical creatures Cassie comes across.

Who should read this:

13+, mainly for violence and frightening scenes. There is this idea in this book about ‘souls’ that might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s a fantasy and I feel like in this genre a lot can be excused. If you want a stand-alone fantasy book that doesn’t take too long to read this is definitely one I would recommend for you.

My rating:

I really enjoyed this book, I liked the descriptive writing and the story as well as all the strange characters. 4/5

Quote:

I would go east of the sun and west of the moon for you.

Fairy, Texas

Margo Bond Collins

Fairy, Texas #1

Summary:

Fairy, Texas. A small town like any other. Laney Harris didn’t want to live there. When her mother remarried and moved them to a town where a date meant hanging out at the Sonic, Laney figured that “boring” would have a whole new meaning. A new stepsister who despised her and a high school where she was the only topic of gossip were bad enough. But when she met the school counselor (and his terminal bad breath), she grew suspicious. Especially since he had wings that only she could see. And then there were Josh and Mason, two gorgeous glimmering-eyed classmates whose interest in her might not be for the reasons she hoped. Not to mention that dead guy she nearly tripped over in gym class. She was right. Boring took on an entirely new dimension in Fairy, Texas.

Plot:

First of all let me just say, I received this book from goodreads' 'first reads' program for free, but that will not influence my review.This is definitely an interesting read. It’s original and just slightly disturbing, which of course makes it even more interesting. I liked the writing style, it’s easy to read and simple, yet flowing. It had a couple of tense moments that had me afraid for the characters’ lives and some others that were a little more humorous, which I also liked.

Characters:

I didn’t love the characters in this book. Laney started off a little whiny, but she grew out of that after a while. If I had to pick my favourite character it would probably be either Josh or Kayla, I think they’re the most interesting. I didn’t, however, really start feeling for any of the characters, and I got a little confused as to who I should be rooting for. I also didn’t really understand exactly what type of ‘thing’ the characters were supposed to be, and why there were differences between them. Maybe this will be explained more in the next book.

Who should read this:

13+, and even then I advise caution as some of the content can be a little disturbing, for example rape and other violence (it’s not too graphic, but it’s still a little unsettling). If you’re looking for a YA book that’s a little different, easy to read and has some suspense then you might like this one.

My rating:

I enjoyed this book, but I didn’t love it, there were many things I liked and many I didn’t. This is one of those books I'll pick up again not because it was great, but because it's a relaxing and easy read. 3/5

Quote:

‘Of all the things that frightened me about starting a new school, finding a dead guy on day one didn’t even make it into my top hundred. I guess it should have.’

The Rise of Nine

Pittacus Lore

Lorien Legacies #3

Summary:

In the beginning we were a group of nine.

Nine aliens who left our home planet of Lorien when it fell under attack from the deadly Mogodorians.

We scattered on Earth and went into hiding.

We look like ordinary teenagers.

We are not.

Until I met John Smith, Number Four, I’d been on the run alone, hiding and fighting to stay alive. Together we are much more powerful. But it could only last so long before we had to seperate.

They

Caught Number One in Malaysia.

Number Two in England.

And Number Three in Kenya.

They caught me in New York – but I escaped.

I am Number Six. The Mogodorians want to finish what they started.

But they’ll have to fight us first.

Plot:

This story started out okay, but I lost interest after a couple of chapters. It just didn’t seem to be going anywhere and very little of what happened had a real impact on where the story ended up, except for the fact that the kids had to have a reason to develop more legacies. The story only really started getting exciting during the last few chapters. The writing also seemed a little choppy at times. I am intrigued by some of the plot lines in these books, but I just wish the author would get to the point sooner, or at least make it a little more exciting than he did.

Characters:

The characters in this book are just okay. There are some I like more than others, but I don’t dislike any of the main characters. The bad guy intrigues me and I’m hoping that the next book will give a lot more information on him. One thing that bothered me is the fact that during most of this book Four seems to completely forget about Sarah, while he wouldn’t shut up about her in the previous books, I didn’t really mind the quiet, but it just seemed out of character for him.

Who should read this:

13+, mainly for language and violence. If you enjoyed the previous books you might like this one, just don’t expect too much. I don’t know if I would recommend this particular series to anyone, but maybe if you enjoy sci-fi stories about alien teenagers who has to fight giant monster aliens you might like this one...

My rating:

I didn’t go into this book with high expectations and yet it still managed to disappoint me a little. I struggled to get through the middle part. Even though the others were easy and quick reads I just couldn’t get into this one. So I’m rating it 2/5.

Quote:

 “A normal life. Such a simple idea, but it's almost impossible for me to picture.”

Here are my review for the previous two books: 'I Am Number Four' and 'The Power of Six'

The Summer I Turned Pretty

Jenny Han

Summer #1

Summary:

Every year Isabel spends a perfect summer at her family friends’ house.

There’s the swimming pool at night, the private stretch of beach – and the two boys.

Conrad-unavailable, aloof-who she's been in love with forever.

Jeremiah- friendly, relaxed-the only one who’s ever really paid her any attention.

But this year something is different.

They seem to have noticed her for the first time.

It’s going to be an amazing summer...and one she’ll never forget.

Plot:

This is not an extremely original story, but it’s sweet and tugs at your heartstrings. The writing is good and even though the plot is pretty generic the story wasn’t predictable. I want to know what happens next in the series, and I will read the second book soon.

Characters:

You reallys start to feel for the characters in this book. I usually enjoy the ‘bad boy’ character more in this type of novel and this was no exception, but the other male characters were all extremely likable in their own ways. The main character isn’t my favorite ever, and at times she was a bit annoying, but I felt like I could relate to her and that’s always good. All the characters are pretty normal, but they’re never flat, which is something that could easily happen with these everyday-type of characters.

Who should read this:

10+, some mild language and other mature content are mentioned. This is a great book if you’re looking for a quick, light read that still makes you a little emotional at times. If you’re looking for a profound novel then you won’t like this one. Definitely aimed towards girls.

My rating:

I really enjoyed reading this book. It made me feel happy and sad at times and even though I feel like the story is kind of ‘been there, done that’ it didn’t bore me once so: 4/5.

Quote:

‘For whatever we lose (like a you or a me)/it’s always ourselves we find in the sea.’

The Angel Experiment

James Patterson

Maximum Ride #1

Summary:

Six unforgettable kids—with no families, no homes—are running for their lives. Max Ride and her best friends have the ability to fly. And that's just the beginning of their amazing powers. But they don't know where they come from, who's hunting them, why they are different from all other humans... and if they're meant to save mankind—or destroy it.

Plot:

I thought this was a great story with an original and intriguing plot. I liked the narration and the writing style, it was unique and quirky. There was a bit of suspense, but I guessed some of the ‘surprise’ twists before they happened, which didn’t make the book bad, but i would’ve liked some more moments that surprised me completely.

Characters:

I definitely like the characters in this book. They’re unique and original (not just because they’re mutants with wings and superpowers), but I didn’t connect with any of them or feel emotional about them. I would like to read more about Fang in the next installments, he is the most interesting in my opinion.

Who should read this:

12+, there’s some language and mild violence, also the whole ‘experimenting on kids’ things might be disturbing for some readers. I like the fact that this book is not aimed towards a specific gender, I think both boys and girls will enjoy it. If you want a YA book that’s quick and easy and exciting to read, you might like this. Just don’t expect something profound.

My rating:

I enjoyed this book, I went into it without any expectations and without even knowing what it was about and I really liked reading it. There were, however, some things that could’ve been better. 3/5

Quote:

“The funny thing about facing imminent death is that it really snaps everything else into perspective.”