This is What Happy Looks Like | Book Review

Title: This is What Happy Looks Like
Author: Jennifer E. Smith

Series: Standalone

Publisher/Year: Headline, 2013

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Pages: 416 (Hardcover)

Average Goodreads Rating: 3.71/5

My Rating: 2.5/5

From Goodreads: "If fate sent you an email, would you answer?When teenage movie star Graham Larkin accidentally sends small town girl Ellie O'Neill an email about his pet pig, the two seventeen-year-olds strike up a witty and unforgettable correspondence, discussing everything under the sun, except for their names or backgrounds. Then Graham finds out that Ellie's Maine hometown is the perfect location for his latest film, and he decides to take their relationship from online to in-person. But can a star as famous as Graham really start a relationship with an ordinary girl like Ellie? And why does Ellie want to avoid the media's spotlight at all costs?"


I was engaged immediately. The prologue includes a series of witty emails sent back and forth between Graham and Ellie. The entire premise of the novel is that they met online and made a connection, and from that connection they meet each other and develop a relationship. Yet we only get about 2% of the online relationship they have. These characters forged a connection online so that when they meet in real life they already have a relationship in the works, one that, from the point of the reader, makes no sense. We don't get to see their relationship grow from more than just a casual email. The connection between the characters is there but since the development of that connection isn't shown, the reader can't see it and it makes their relationship feel very shallow and under-developed.

Without being able to read the emails that formed that relationship, it wasn't possible for me to get invested in the story and characters. I could't feel anything for them. Along with the lack of depth in the plot, the characters were very two-dimensional and boring. Graham was too "perfect" and Ellie was too stubborn. I mostly liked Graham, until he mentioned how Ellie was "different from other girls" (like how many times has that line been used before?) and went on to criticize women who wore makeup and "impossibly high heels". Because putting effort into how you look and being confident in makeup and high heels is something to be frowned upon.

Although, the novel is over 400 pages, things happened too fast. The characters didn't grow or develop at all. The problems that faced Graham and Ellie were fixed in the blink of an eye. There was no real conflict. The book was incredibly overdramatic. Both Graham and Ellie had parental problems which created many melodramatic scenes that were completely unnecessary. The major conflict in the book was too easily resolved. There was no real solution and no development between the characters. It all just went back to the way it was at the beginning of the novel.

Overall, This is What Happy Looks Like is a simple, light, and entertaining novel that fails on many aspects. If only the book was as pretty as the cover.

This Lullaby | Book Review

Title: This Lullaby
Author: Sarah Dessen

Series: Standalone

Publisher: Speak

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, 

Pages: 345 (Paperback)

Average Goodreads Rating: 4.05/5

My Rating: 3.5/5

From Goodreads: "She's got it all figured out. Or does she? When it comes to relationships, Remy's got a whole set of rules. Never get too serious. Never let him break your heart. And never, ever date a musician. But then Remy meets Dexter, and the rules don't seem to apply anymore. Could it be that she's starting to understand what all those love songs are about?"


This Lullaby is definitely one of the better Dessen novels. It was a quick read and I read it in one sitting. I really enjoyed the characters, especially Dexter. He was a fun, unique love interest and I wish we got to learn more about him. Remy, while not the most interesting or relatable character, was a great strong and independent female character. The whole cast was so unique and interesting, I just would have liked to learn more about them. Both Dexter and Remy have  intriguing and atypical friends but the reader doesn't get to learn too much about them, which makes sense as the book isn't about them but it would have been nice. 

I liked how Dessen portrayed Remy's broken family and the contrast between her brother and her sister was really well done. Remy's family is a big part of her life and her beliefs and it was interesting to learn about it. 

As with all Dessen novels, however, it had its fair share of problems. Ruby wasn't the most interesting character. Her view on love at first was interesting but it just became irritating. Some of the choices she made frustrated me and she didn't have much of a personality aside from being an anti-love control freak. 

The plot was weak as well. It lacked depth. The novel is essentially about Remy overcoming her fear of loving someone. It focused too much on the "love" aspect and I felt there could have been more beyond the plot. The climax was anti-climactic and the issue with Remy's mom just felt out of place and thrown in there to create drama and move forward the plot.

Again, an interesting read but not without its problems.

Lock and Key | Book Review

Title: Lock and Key
Author: Sarah Dessen

Series: Standalone

Publisher: Speak

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Realistic Fiction

Pages: 422 (Paperback)

Average Goodreads Rating: 4.02/5

My Rating: 3.5/5

From Goodreads: Unlock your heart and the rest will follow. Ruby is used to taking care of herself. But now that she's living with her sister, she's got her own room, she's going to a good school, and her future looks bright. Plus there's an adorable boy next door. Can Ruby learn to open her heart and let him in?


This wasn't my favorite Dessen novel but it was enjoyable nevertheless. I really enjoyed how it focused on familial relationship rather than the romance. A lot of YA novels tend to ignore the family but Lock and Key successfully made the family an important part of the plot. I loved the amount of growth Ruby went through as a person. She overcame her flaws and changed so much from the start of the book.

While I did enjoy the book, I did have a few problems. Nate, the love interest, was a very two-dimensional, "perfect" person. I didn't feel anything for him when, considering his situation, I should have. Nate and Ruby's relationship didn't seem right either. I didn't understand why they became a couple. They didn't have much of a connection. On the topic of characters, I couldn't connect with Ruby. She was a boring protagonist. In the novel there were a lot of stereotypes played out including the "I'm not like other girls" trope. Throughout the book Ruby kept on stating how she's "different" and "not like other girls" which irritated me. There's nothing wrong with being similar to the "other girls". Being different shouldn't be a big deal and is overplayed.

Another problem I had was that the themes were pushed too far and over the top. The theme of family was taken too far as Ruby had a literal school project about the meaning of family. This theme is explored throughout the novel but was overdone. 

I liked the book but the climax was too short and easily resolved. There wasn't much conflict and it was very unsatisfying. 

Lock and Key was an enjoyable read but it definitely wasn't perfect.

The Fire Children | Book Review

Title: The Fire Children
Author: Lauren Roy

Series: Standalone

Publisher: Ravenstone

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Pages: 272 (Paperback)

Average Goodreads Rating: 4.00/5

My Rating: 3.5/5

To Be Released: June 30, 2015

It's been 15 years since the last eclipse and Yulla is hiding underground with the rest of her village. When her curiosity gets the best of her, she goes up to discover the Witch Women capturing one of the Fire Children. Together with one of the Fire Children, she must stop the Witch Women.

I received this from NetGalley for review.

Meh. For the most part I enjoyed this book but I didn't think it was anything special. I really liked the premise and the folktale-like story but I had a few problems. I felt that the characters were really one-dimensional. They didn't have much of a personality and weren't very unique. I couldn't make a connection to them which is something I look for in books. The world building needed some work as well. The world the book takes place in is really interesting and I would have loved to learn more about it! However, the book only scratches the surface of the background. The plot was also a bit underdeveloped. The story was too easily resolved and not much happened. Overall, I did enjoy The Fire Children but it needs work.

The Kiss of Deception | Book Review

Title: The Kiss of Deception
Author: Mary E. Pearson

Series: The Remnant Chronicles #1

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Pages: 489 (Hardcover)

Average Goodreads Rating: 4.7/5

My Rating: 2.75/5

When Lia is forced to marry a prince of another country for a political alliance, she runs away to a small town. There she meets two men, the prince and an assassin, and discovers things about herself she never would have guessed would to be true.

Well, I didn't hate it. There is a lot of hype, undeserved hype, surrounding this book. The premise of the story is interesting but nothing special. The first 230 pages were pretty good but after that things went downhill. I usually like to start off with the things I liked but for this book there were none.

Something that really needed improvement was the world building. Throughout the book the audience was given only small glimpses of the what the world is like and what the culture is. There are a lot of references to the culture and beliefs, but those are never fully explained. The culture of the world seems pretty interesting and I want to know more, but there is no information on it. There is also many things going on outside of the main storyline that need more background information. Why is there a war going on? How did the war start? What is the belief system of these countries? The origin story of the world is a pretty important part of the book, but the explanation is very vague.

I also didn't enjoy the characters and the romance. The romance was superficial and surface-level. I didn't understand why the two characters were "in love" when they had no connection. The characters lacked personality and growth. They stayed one-dimensional the entirety of the book. They felt more like character tropes rather than actual characters with real personalities.

 A big part of the book is figuring out who the assassin is and who the prince is. My guess was wrong, however, I felt that the personalities of the two love interests completely switched after the reveal. As if the author thought "Well I don't want the readers to be able to figure out who it is so I'm just going to switch the personalities to trip them up."

There's also too much "telling" in the story. The author tells the readers what is going on rather than showing them what happens. It takes away from the novel and is the main reason I felt no connection to this book. By just telling and not showing, the audience isn't able to feel anything and the romance falls flat.

The Kiss of Deception wasn't terrible. It was actually pretty fun to make fun of with my friends. It was a waste of my time though and I do wish I hadn't read it.

Happy reading!

Hana

Follow me on Bloglovin'

Books I Wanted to Start Yesterday | Top 5 Wednesday

I couldn't think of a fourth and fifth book so here are my top 3 books that I wanted to start yesterday.

The Mistborn Trilogy - Brandon Sanderson

Ever since I read the synopsis of The Final Empire last year, I have wanted to read the series. The premise seems so interesting and I've heard so many good things!

The Raven Cycle Series - Maggie Stiefvater 

So many people have raved about this series and it sounds really interesting!

The Throne of Glass Series - Sarah J. Maas

These books have been sitting on my book since September and I really need to get to them! The books seem so kickass, I need to get to them soon.

Happy reading!
Hana

Follow me on Bloglovin'

Red Queen | Book Review

Title: Red Queen
Author: Victoria Aveyard

Series: Red Queen #1

Publisher: Harper Teen

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Dystopian

Pages: 320 (Hardcover)

Average Goodreads Rating: 4.14/5

My Rating: 4/5

Mare lives in a world where Reds are the poor commoners and Silvers are the rulers of the land. When she discovers she has powers similar to what the Silvers have, her life is flipped upside down and changed forever.

This book was definitely worth the hype. It was gripping and fun to read through. I really liked the characters and the plot. If you haven't read this yet, I definitely recommend it.

First of all, let's just take a moment to admire this cover. So one thing I really enjoyed was the writing. It was really easy to follow and the action sequences were written really well. Usually in an author's first book, the writing is mediocre but I think Aveyard did a pretty good job. There was a ton of badass moments, which is always a plus. Often in dystopian books, the love triangle takes over the story but the love triangle (possibly square) took a backseat and didn't overshadow the plot in Red Queen. Some of the characters were really interesting as well. I enjoyed Mare and her ability to understand her emotions and face them head on rather than deny that they exist, as well as the complex personalities of Maven and Cal(sort of).The plot twist was also well done. I had no idea that was going to happen but thinking back I feel like I should have known.

The main reason this was a four star rather than five was that there were too many similarities to other dystopian novels. Throughout the book I constantly found myself thinking "this is a lot like Divergent/The Hunger Games/The Selection/Shadow & Bone". Normally, I don't like comparing books to each other and I understand that dystopian books have a lot of the same elements. However, I felt Red Queen wasn't too original and was basically what Divergent, The Hunger Games, The Selection, and Shadow & Bone would be if they were one book. I also felt that the world building was a bit underdeveloped but there's supposed be a lot more of it in the sequel so it's not too big of a problem. One thing I didn't like was how the characters weren't very real. Besides the three main characters, the others were pretty one dimensional. Mare, Cal, and Maven also had so much room to grow but that didn't happen. Cal's personality didn't really make sense to me either. In the beginning and end he seemed to have a pretty strong personality but it just faded in the middle, but since the book is from Mare's point of view, it kind of makes sense. The villains also didn't have a real reason to do what they did. They were evil just for the sake of it. Another problem I had was the romance. I didn't think the characters had much of a connection.

It seems like I disliked the book more than I liked it but I really did enjoy it. I think the second book will probably solve most of my problems and I can't wait for it to come out! (in 2016 //cries) 

Happy reading!

Hana

Follow me on Bloglovin'

We Should Hang Out Sometime | Book Review

Title: We Should Hang Out Sometime

Author: Josh Sundquist

Series: Standalone

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Genre: Non Fiction, Humor

Pages: 336 (Hardcover)

Average Goodreads Rating: 3.87/5

My Rating: 3/5

Josh realizes at the age of 25 that he has never had a girlfriend. To figure out the reason behind this, he looks back on his past relationships and tracks down the girls he previously liked.

This was the Booksplosion book of the month.

So I'll start with what I liked:
1. The tone of the book and the way it was written. It was very lighthearted and funny. It read just like fiction and it had a great conversational tone. It was quite sweet and awkward as well. The writing was well done and Sundquist's personality and humor really showed through.

2. The premise of the book. I thought it was a really interesting and unique idea.

3. The way Sunquist views his disability. He has a very positive outlook on life and didn't really view his disability as a bad thing.

4. The graphics. While they didn't add a whole lot to the story, they were fun and entertaining to read.

5. The sense of catharsis at the end. It was a mostly satisfying ending. I thought it could've been a bit longer but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Now what I didn't like:
1. The low-key sexism and misogynistic views hidden under humor. At times it seemed like Sunquist was very bitter and thought all girls should like him (although he sort of goes over that in the end). He also mentioned the "friend zone" a few times which threw me off and made me really uncomfortable.

2. "Notice: not a yes-or-no question. So she couldn't reject it." He tries to force girls to be with him by telling/asking them something that they can't say no to without seeming stuck-up and rude. Instead of just letting them decide if they want to hang out with him, he gives them no choice.

3. The stalking. It was just creepy. He does acknowledge the creepiness at one point, but it wasn't enough. He essentially stalked all the girls he had liked over the years just so he could get unsatisfying answers from them, which leads me to my next point.

4. The investigations. I felt most of them lacked any real value and offered slight satisfaction at best.

I'm not completely sure what to think about this book. I did enjoy it while I read it, but the more I think about it, the stranger it gets. Overall, I'll say it's a decent book. It's not horrible, but it's not great. I liked it on the surface level but when I really thought about it I saw all the problems with it.

Thanks for reading!
Hana

Follow me on Bloglovin'

Hopeless | Series Review

From Goodreads: Sometimes discovering the truth can leave you more hopeless than believing the lies... That's what seventeen-year-old Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder. A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in he she's never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of just one encounter, and sometimes about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past that she wishes could just stay buried.

Hopeless was incredibly intense and nothing like what I expected. The story was so intriguing and unique. It was nothing like I've read before. I loved how the story progressed and it flowed very well. Character development is a very important part of a book for me and Sky successfully grows as a character. The book was so emotional and gripping, I couldn't stop reading. At some points I had to take a break so I could stop crying. My only problem was that I couldn't really connect with Sky. 4.75/5 stars.

In Losing Hope,  really enjoyed reading from Holder's point of view. It was interesting seeing everything he felt in Hopeless. I did think, however, that it was a bit rushed. Some parts of Hopeless were skipped in Losing Hope and while I understand that Hoover probably didn't want the book to get too repetitive, I felt it would flow better had those parts been included. I also wish Holden went through a little more character growth. Throughout the book he just went on and on about how much he loved Sky and nothing else. This book wasn't particularly special but I did enjoy it a lot (I mean, I did spend the last 20 pages sobbing). 4/5 stars.

Overall, I really enjoyed this series. It was a quick read and just what I was in the mood for.

January Wrap Up

This month I read a total of 8 books.

The first book I read this month was Half Bad. There's a lot of hype surrounding this book that fell flat for me. It definitely wasn't the best book I read nor was it the worst. I gave it 3/5 stars. Full review here.

The next two books I read were It's Not Summer Without You and We'll Always Have Summer, the last two books in The Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy by Jenny Han. It's Not Summer Without You was great. I gave it 5/5 stars. I felt it was even better than the first book and the characters grew so much. However, I didn't feel the same about We'll Always Have Summer. I was constantly annoyed by the characters, the love triangle was infuriating, and the indecisiveness of Belly was almost as annoying as America in The Selection. I was somewhat satisfied by the ending, but I felt it didn't do the other two books justice. I gave it 3/5 stars. I do recommend the series, just don't get your hopes to high for the conclusion.

The next book I (re)read was The Bad Beginning, the first book in A Series of Unfortunate Events. I read it as a part of the Neverlanders read-a-long. A Series of Unfortunate Events for me was what Harry Potter was for most people. I'd always loved reading, but this series really inspired me to read more. It felt so nostalgic to reread the first book and I cannot wait to reread the next ones! 5/5 stars.

The next book I read was These Broken Stars, the first book in the Starbound trilogy. I loved this book so much. It was a wonderful sci-fi romance. I really need to get the second book. 5/5 stars. Full review here.

I had to read Pride and Prejudice for school and I have to say, this was one of the best classics I've read. It was a wonderful classic and I'm glad to have finally read it. I probably would have liked it a bit better if I wasn't under pressure to read it for school. 4.5/5 stars.

The next book I read was Identical by Ellen Hopkins. Hopkins is one of my favorite authors and I was so excited to read this book. While it wasn't my favorite, it was very interesting and unique. 4/5 stars. Full review here.

The last book I read this month was Fairest, the prequel to The Lunar Chronicles. I felt this book didn't add much to the story and it was somewhat of a disappointment. I was expecting to learn a lot about Levana and that she was just misunderstood or something of the sort, but instead I was really creeped out by her. 3/5 stars.

Until Next Time,

Hana

Follow me on Bloglovin'

Identical Book Review

Title: Identical

Author: Ellen Hopkin

Series: Standalone

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction,

Pages: 565 (Paperback)

Average Goodreads Rating: 4.35/5

My Rating: 4.5/5

Kaeleigh and Raeanne are 16-year-old twins, daughters of a politician and a district judge. On the surface they seem like a normal family, they are anything but. The twins hold some dark secrets, Kaeleigh is sexually abused by their father and Raeanne witnesses it. Together they must overcome their demons.

Trigger Warning: Sexual Abuse, Mental Illness, Drug Abuse, Alcoholism, Self Harm

While certainly not my favorite Hopkins book, this definitely was an interesting read. The book deals with sexual abuse, mental illness, drug abuse, alcoholism, and eating disorders, and it was incredibly disturbing. I know similar events happen in real life, but imagining and reading about them doesn't seem real. There were times in the book where I was very confused, but it all gets wrapped up in a unique way. Throughout the book I wasn't terribly impressed; I love Ellen Hopkins but I preferred her other books over this one. However, the ending blew me away. It was something I never would have expected and it was written beautifully. This book is very well done and portrays difficult topics such as sexual abuse in a shocking and effective way.

Thanks for reading!

Hana

Follow me on Bloglovin'

These Broken Stars | Book Review

Title: These Broken Stars

Author: Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

Series: Starbound #1

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Genre: Young Adult, Sci-Fi, Romance

Pages: 374 (Paperback)

Average Goodreads Rating: 3.98/5

My Rating: 5/5

Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver is a war hero. When their ship, the Icarus, is pushed out of hyperspace, they're thrown together and forced to survive on an unknown planet. They fall in love and begin to wonder if it's better off staying on the planet when they have no chance of a future in their own world. However, when they find out what happened on the planet before they arrived, everything changes and their dilemma becomes more complicated than they thought possible.

I'm not the biggest fan of sci-fi but this book blew me away. I went in wary because of the hype, but after reading These Broken Stars I completely undestand why it's so popular.

The premise and world building was fantastic. I was so intrigued with the happenings of the world and I wanted to learn more about it. Normally, sci-fi things like aliens and hyperspace throw me off but the way it was written pulled me in and refused to let me go.

The characterization and romance amazing. The writers expertly melded their two different writing styles and the writing itself was beautiful. What I like most in this book was the growth. The characters went through so much great character development. They started off as somewhat stereotypical, flat protagonists, but they grew in ways I never expected. I felt so connected with Tarver and Lilac, I want to read so much more about them. Tarver's military experience was written very well and was very interesting. And Lilac was an amazing female character! Half the time she was in a dress and heels but she still was a big part of their survival. I also loved that the characters didn't instantly fall in love. It took a while for the romance to get going, which is what made it so believable and cute.

I really enjoyed this book and I hope to read the next one soon! 

T-T-F-N,
Hana

  Follow me on Bloglovin'

Top 10 Books of 2014

Hello again!

Here are the top 10 books I read in 2014.

10. The Iron Trial - Holly Black & Cassandra Clare

The Iron Trial is the first book in the Magisterium series co-written by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare. It follows the story of Callum, a boy who, for the entirety of his life, was told that magic was bad. What happens when he's accepted into the Magisterium, a school for magic? While clearly middle grade, this book is very fun and interesting. There isn't a whole lot of plot but it does a great job setting up for the rest of the series. I love both the authors and can't wait to read more from them! Full review here.

9. Saga, Vl. 1 - Brian K. Vaughan (writer) and Fiona Staples (artist)

When two soldiers from opposite sides of a never-ending galactic war fall in love, they risk everything to bring a fragile new life into a dangerous old universe (Goodreads). I fell in love with this book at first page. It was funny and different, certainly not what I was expecting (not that that's bad). I definitely want to continue reading.

8. To All the Boy's I've Loved Before - Jenny Han

Lara Jean Song writes love letters for every boy she's ever loved. When her secret letters are mailed, her life flips upside down. This was such a cute book! It was so sweet and fluffly and fun and a great read in general. I loved the family dynamic. In YA literature the family tends to be there only when it's needed but in this story, Lara Jean's family is a big part of her life. The cultural diversity was great.  It was really predictible and Lara Jean's decisions annoyed me at times. Overall, however, this was so much fun to read and I cannot wait for the next one! Full review here.

7. The Coldest Girl in Coldtown  - Holly Black

Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns, in which quarantined vampires and humans live, exist. One morning, Tana wakes up after a party to find that all but three people in the house have been massacred by vampires: Tana, her ex-boyfriend, and a mysterious vampire boy on chains. Tana is determined to save them by going straight into the heart of a Cold town (Goodreads). I'm not one for paranormal books, every one I've read just wasn't a good experience, but this book was just amazing. Vampirism is such an overdone topic but this book gives it a fresh, new spin. Full review here.

6. The Summer I Turned Pretty - Jenny Han

Belly has spent every summer at Cousins with her mom, her brother, her mom's best friend and her two sons, Jeremiah and Conrad. Belly has been in love with Conrad since she was ten, but this summer things change. This was such a fun and quick read! I was expecting this to be a stereotypical, fluffy contemporary, but it was so much more. There are deeper undertones that lead toward a bigger picture. I was constantly thinking about this book weeks after I finished it. Definitely recommend. Full review here.

5. Ignite Me - Taherah Mafi

Ignite Me is the third and final installment of the Shatter Me series. I loved this book and series so so much! It was a ton of fun to read and I really loved the characters. It was a bit too romance-heavy for me thought, hence being only number 5 on this list. Nonetheless, it's a great book. I have 24 bookmarked pages that I reread every few weeks! If Mafi ever writes more for this series I'll definitely be picking them up.

4. Clockwork Princess - Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Princess is the third and final installment of The Infernal Devices. I absolutely loved (I've used that word so many times in this post) The Infernal Devices, but the last book was definitely the best. It wrapped up the story so well and the ending was very satisfying.

3. Dreams of Gods & Monsters - Laini Taylor

Dreams of Gods & Monsters is the third and final installment of the Daughter of Smoke & Bone series. What an epic ending to another brilliant series. The series got better with every book and I look forward to rereading it soon.

2. City of Heavenly Fire - Cassandra Clare

City of Heavenly Fire is the sixth and final installment of The Mortal Instruments series. I absolutely loved the entirety of this book. It made me laugh. It made me cry. If gave me all the feels. I was sobbing for the last 50 pages and I'm so sad it's over.

And the winner is...

1. In the Afterlight - Alexandra Bracken

In the Afterlight is the third and final installment of The Darkest Minds series. This was a stunning conclusion to one of my all-time favorite series. In the Afterlight is definitely the most dark and heavy book of the series, but it makes sense. The ending was incredibly satisfying. There were no loose ends, everything was concluded perfectly. If you haven't read The Darkest Minds series yet, what are you waiting for? (I cried five times during the reading of this book.)

Hope you liked this post! Until next time,

Hana

Follow me on Bloglovin'

Top 5 Wednesday: Anticipated 2015 Releases

Hey guys!

I have decided to start participating in the Top 5 Wednesday group. If you didn't know, Top 5 Wednesday is where you post a video or blog post covering your top 5 of the topic every Wednesday. For the goodreads group, click here. This week's topic is top 5 most anticipated 2015 releases.

5.  Miss Mayhem - Rachel Hawkins (to be released April 7th)

Miss Mayhem is the second installment of the Rebel Belle series. I'm so excited to read this! I loved Rebel Belle. It was really fun and exciting to read so hopefully Miss Mayhem will be the same.

4. The Sword of Summer - Rick Riordan (to be released October 7th) 

The Sword of Summer is the first book of the Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series. It follows Magnus Chase, a troubled kid who one day finds out he is the son of a Norse god. I love PJO and HOO so I have quite high expectations for this series. I cannot wait to read it! Hopefully Rick Riordan will amaze me once again.

3. Winter - Marissa Meyer (to be released November 24th, cover to be revealed)

Winter is the fourth and final installment of The Lunar Chronicles quartet. While I didn't think the first three books were amazing, I did enjoy them. I hope Winter will be better than the rest!

2. P.S. I Still Love You - Jenny Han (to be released June 2nd, cover to be revealed)

P.S. I Still Love You is the sequel to To All the Boys I've Loved Before. After reading To All the Boys I've Loved Before in November, I was thrilled to find out there was going to be a sequel. This first book was sweet, fluffy, and fun to read. There were a few loose ends I hope will be wrapped up in this book. Can't wait to read it!

Drum roll please!

1. Lady Midnight - Cassandra Clare (to be released September, cover to be revealed)

Lady Midnight is the first book of The Dark Artifices series. It follows Emma Carstairs, 5 years after the events in City of Heavenly Fire, when she lost her parents. In the book, Emma must race to stop a war between the Fair Folk and Nephilim by finding the murderer of several Downworlders and possibly her parents. I am so so so excited for this book! I absolutely love Cassandra Clare's other series. Her writing is amazing, as is her world building and her characters. I know this is going to be an amazing series. I'll be counting down the days! The release date got changed to March 2016 :(

I have a few more 2015 releases but these are my top 5. Thanks for reading. :)

Hana

Follow me on Bloglovin'

Half Bad | Book Review

Title: Half Bad 

Author: Sally Green

Series: The Half Bad Trilogy #1

Publisher: Viking Juvenile

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal

Pages: 394 (Hardcover)

Average Goodreads Rating: 3.82/5

My Rating: 3/5

Nathan is an abomination; he's half Black Witch and half White Witch. His father is the most dangerous and violent black witch, Marcus. His only hope for survival is to find Marcus and receive the three gifts necessary to become a full Witch.

The hype is strong with this one. I didn't dislike the book, but I didn't like it either. It was just "meh".

The writing was very off-putting. It was simple and childlike. It matches Nathan's simplistic and childlike nature, but it stopped me from really getting into the book. At some points of the novel, it switches to second-person which, again, threw me off.

The premise of the novel itself is very interesting. White witches versus black witches, Nathan being a Half Code, whether or not white witches really are good...It's all very intriguing, but it's the execution of the story where this book falls flat.

The world building wasn't the best. I felt a lot of information was left out. For example, why did the White and Black witches hate each other? There is a brief explanation of the origin of witches, however, the actual cause for this hatred is unknown. Are they just inherently racist towards each other? Did the witches do something to each other? Who knows.

The characters also lacked a lot of depth. They were all very flat, even the main character, Nathan. I wanted to feel bad for him, and at times I did, however I did not connect or relate with him at all. Obviously, he's being tortured and beaten so he shouldn't be super relatable, but there should be some sort of relatability. He completely failed to connect with me. The love story fell quite flat as well. It was very insta-love and didn't seem real. Nathan has a sort of obsession with Annalise and it doesn't play out well. It could have been an interesting "forbidden love" story, but Annalise is such a useless character with no personality whatsoever. Most of the characters just seemed there, adding nothing to the story and not progressing the plot at all. I would have liked for the villains to have some sort of personality, rather than just being evil for the heck of it.

I found the plot to be boring as well. Sure, the ideas are interesting, but nothing really happens. Nathan goes here, he goes there, shit happens, more shit happens. So interesting... It was pretty predictable and halfway through the novel I started skipping words and lines just so it would end faster.

On a related topic, the pacing wasn't great either. In the beginning it just dragged on and then towards the end it became rushed, as if the writer realized she had a deadline to meet and couldn't fit everything she wanted in it. The middle was so slow, I expected some sort of dramatic ending, however, it was incredibly anti-climactic...

So, what's good about this book? The only thing I can think of is Nathan's sarcastic sense of humour that made me chuckle at times. Other than that, nothing. It's not a bad book, it's just not good.

While I am still curious about what happens next, I do not plan to pick up the rest of the series.

Until next time,

Hana

Follow me on Bloglovin'