Review Time #80

Where the Road Takes Me by Jay McLean

Chloe has one plan for the future, and one plan only: the road. She’s made a promise to herself: don’t let anyone in, and don’t let anyone love her. She’s learned the hard way what happens if she breaks her rules. So she’s focused on being invisible and waiting until she can set out on the road—her dream of freedom, at least for a little while.

Blake Hunter is a basketball star who has it all—everything about him looks perfect to those on the other side of his protective walls. He can’t let anyone see the shattered pieces behind the flawless facade or else all his hopes and dreams will disappear.

One dark night throws Chloe and Blake together, changing everything for Blake. For Chloe, nothing changes: she has the road, and she’s focused on it. But when the so-called perfect boy starts to notice the invisible girl, they discover that sometimes with love, no one knows where the road may lead.

I loved this book, I spent probably 30% of the book crying & I'm sure many won't spend that much crying during the book but it was because one of issues that the main character goes through is something that as affected my family as well. 

Chloe is a foster kid after her mother and her mother's twin sister both past away from the same disease. She refuses to let anyone love her because she doesn't want them to go through the same situation that she went through as a child because she knows that she is going to get the same disease some stage her in her life. Blake is a basketball star who just wants a choice in what he can do after high school without his father trying to force him into the army like him. 

Until one night when Chloe is no longer invisible and Blake rescues her from an uncomfortable situation. As days go on Chloe and Blake start up a friendship which was interesting as Chloe doesn't want to let anyone in and Blake is popular where Chloe isn't. We also meet Josh who is Blake's best friend and is a teen dad, he was pretty amazing for what he has to deal with. 

Chloe wants to take off after graduation until no longer has a choice with what she could possibly face. Blake has no idea if he wants to go into the army or go to college to play basketball, they both are running away/trying avoid what is going to happen. 

I really enjoyed the way that this story was written and how it actually dealt dealing with the disease that affected the Chloe's family. It is different from McLean's other series More Than which I absolutely love and more YA than NA which is what her other series is. 

McLean has written a beautiful book which deals with a disease that affects many familys and how someone deals with the prospect of having the disease. You can't help but feel for Chloe and Blake as they go on their journey to graduate high school and what to do after it. 

Thank you to the author for the earc on netgalley.

Rating: 4.5/5

Keely xx

Review Time #79

The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon

Paige Mahoney has escaped the brutal prison camp of Sheol I, but her problems have only just begun: many of the survivors are missing and she is the most wanted person in London...

As Scion turns its all-seeing eye on the dreamwalker, the mime-lords and mime-queens of the city's gangs are invited to a rare meeting of the Unnatural Assembly. Jaxon Hall and his Seven Seals prepare to take centre stage, but there are bitter fault lines running through the clairvoyant community and dark secrets around every corner. Then the Rephaim begin crawling out from the shadows. But where is Warden? Paige must keep moving, from Seven Dials to Grub Street to the secret catacombs of Camden, until the fate of the underworld can be decided.

Where does one even begin to talk about this book? It was simply amazing with the character and world developments.

The Mime Order starts right where The Bone Season left of, Paige and the others escaping from Sheol I. But only a few manage to escape with their lives. Paige doesn't want to go back to the Seven Dials and work for Jaxon, which is understandable as he treats her like dirt. She wasn't returning until she became the most wanted person in Scion. 

Paige wants to tell everyone about the Rephaim and how to protect themselves against them. Calling for an unnatural assembly to the underlord, she is beat up by the underlord for her request. Everything is turned on its head when the underlord is found murdered. 

Okay enough about all that before I starting spoiling everything! The characters have grown when compared to The Bone Season Paige, Nick and Warden have all developed into better character. Nick! A small part of me loves to have Paige and Nick together even though we know Nick doesn't swing that way. Nick gets a love interest which was fantastic.

Warden, Warden, Warden how you have changed, in a good way. From Part II onwards I just loved having Warden in the story and what he uncovered since coming back from what he was doing at the end of The Bone Season. In The Mime Order we get a new side of Warden and it is flipping amazing. On the Rephaim subject we meet two new ones, who are interesting, I shall leave it at that. 

Paige, girl you are good making people hate you/want to kill you. That being said it was good to see a new side of Paige, the side where she is determined to change things and do a little bit of backstabbing if need. 

Part III will have you in a constant state of oh my freaking god. Not kidding I'm pretty sure I read Part III the quickest because I just had to know what was going on next, until there were no more pages to turn to, need book 3 now! Also the freaking plot twist at the end, like seriously did that happen? 

The Mime Order is the fantastic sequel to The Bone Season, since knowing that it is a 7 book series you can't help but fall in love with the world building and story lines that are being interwoven throughout the book. The Mime Order is a brilliantly written fantasy novel that you can't stop reading and have to know what happens next constantly because it has drawn you in so far that you cannot stop reading it. I absolutely loved it and cannot wait for book 3 now!

Thankyou very much to Bloomsbury Australia for providing this review copy!

Rating: 5/5

Keely xx

Review Time #78

Mr Kiss and Tell by Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham

The Neptune Grand has always been the seaside town’s ritziest hotel, despite the shady dealings and high-profile scandals that seem to follow its elite guests. When a woman claims that she was brutally assaulted in one of its rooms and left for dead by a staff member, the owners know that they have a potential powder keg on their hands. They turn to Veronica to disprove—or prove—the woman's story.

The case is a complicated mix of hard facts, mysterious occurrences, and uncooperative witnesses. The hotel refuses to turn over its reservation list and the victim won’t divulge who she was meeting that night. Add in the facts that the attack happened months ago, the victim’s memory is fuzzy, and there are holes in the hotel’s surveillance system, and Veronica has a convoluted mess on her hands. As she works to fill in the missing pieces, it becomes clear that someone is lying—but who? And why?

I'm back with another Veronica Mars review! Last time I hadn't watched the TV show and movie, but now that I have I am so addicted to the VMars world! 

Mr Kiss and Tell starts 6 months after the previous book ended. For those who have watched the Veronica Mars movie know why Eli is back in trouble wit the law, well we are finally get the outcome of that court case. There are two distinct story lines in this novel, the same why that Thomas did in the TV show. Eli and Kieth are working on discrediting the sheriff's department while Veronica is trying to find out who attacked Meg Manning's little sister Grace.

Grace Manning is a blast from the past for Veronica after everything that happened in high school with Meg and Duncan. Grace was attacked and left for dead, with no witness and only DNA evidence to figure out who did this to Grace, the sheriff's department aren't really interested in who did this to Grace. With Veronica on the case, she uncovers a secret which Grace doesn't want anyone to know. Veronica being Veronica keeps on digging until she finds more victims of the same attacker in different states.

Kieth, Cliff and Eli are working on Eli's civil case against the sheriff's department, trying to discredit them after what happened to both Kieth and Eli. This isn't the greatest time for the sheriff's department as it is an election year with another runner whom Kieth knew 35 years ago.

With both these cases going on Veronica has little time to spend with Logan, who has been back for 2 months now. After watching the TV show I was super glad for more Logan! Both having grown up since college, their relationship right now is a lot stronger. Mac! So glad that we got a lot of Mac, who had some family things come up again but none the less still awesome. Wallace I want you more than a chapter please!

Mr Kiss and Tell is a fantastic edition to the Veronica Mars franchise. Seeing how much Veronica has really grown since the TV show and how she still handles her cases in the same sort of way is great. The way that Thomas has taken Veronica Mars from the TV show to the movies and now the book series shows everyone how brilliant this franchise is. The mystery and characters who you love just draw you in for a ride that is Veronica Mars.

Thanks so much for Allen & Unwin for the review copy & the Veronica Mars addiction!

Rating: 4.5/5

Keely xx

January 2015 Wrap Up

Hey everyone! This month I only reviewed two books mainly because I didn't have internet for about two weeks, babysitting and I was reading non-review books. I head back to uni on the 20th of Feb so hopefully I shall be on top of the review books I have to read before I head back!

This months post:

• Review Time #76
• Review Time #77

Review books:

• The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon
• Mr Kiss & Tell by Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham 
• A Small Madness by Dianne Touchell
• Soulprint by Megan Miranda

Bought books:

• All Fall Down by Ally Carter
• My Favourite Mistake by Chelsea M Cameron
• The Queen's Choice by Cayla Kluver

E-Books:

• Falling for Jillian by Kristen Proby
• Forgotten by Catherine McKenzie
• Forget Me Not by Stacey Nash
• Dreaming of Love by Melissa Foster
• The XOXO collection
• Beautiful Redemption by Jamie McGuire 
• Saving You by Kelly Elliott 
• The Last Call by Alice Clayton
• Make It Last by Megan Erickson 
• Roomies by Lindy Zarr
• Broken Promises by Kelly Elliott

I have also read 43/200 books for the year so far!

Keely xx

Review Time #77

Jardine by Lessa Bow

At eighteen, Ava is sure she has found her soul mate in Jardine. Convincing their friends and family that what they have is more than just a crush, however, is an entirely different story. Jardine's parents have his life mapped out with plans that don't include Ava. 

Their plans to get into med school and start their future together crumble when cricket sensation Jardine is selected to play for the Australian team and expected to spend most of the year touring internationally. Ava knows since they agreed to follow their dreams, no matter the cost, she has to let Jardine go.

Ava also discovers a new inspiration to move on with her life. But can she keep it a secret from Jardine? If he discovers the truth, everything between them could be destroyed.

Jardine is the prequel novella to Bow's new series with the first book Caught Out releasing later this year.

Ava and Jardine have both just finished high school and waiting on their results to see if they get enough marks to get into med school. However, Jardine who is and up and comer in the cricket scene is looking to be selected in the Australian test side in the test series against India, the country which his grandfather played for. 

For Ava, not having her boyfriend around all the time is a hard adjustment and when a night out goes wrong she starts keeping secrets from Jardine. All Ava wants is for Jardine to follow his dream and with her secrets weighing down on her, she is unsure whether she should be with Jardine. I really enjoyed the romance between the two and you could see that they really cared about each other. I also loved the best friend relationship between Cleo and Ava, which I look forward to reading more about in Caught Out.

Jardine is a great prequel novella that makes you wish you had book 1 straight away & to what looks like will be a fantastic series by Bow. Caught Out book 1 in the series will be out later this year. 

Thankyou very much to Lessa for providing a review copy for me to read!

Rating: 4.5/5

Keely xx

Review Time #76

Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.
 
Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death.
 
When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink.
 
This is an intense, gripping novel perfect for fans of Jay Asher, Rainbow Rowell, John Green, Gayle Forman, and Jenny Downham from a talented new voice in YA, Jennifer Niven.

Theodore Finch has been asleep for six weeks. No dreaming. No anything. Back at school he finds himself on the ledge of the school's bell tower. Finch thinks about jumping, ending his life and how it should be done. Until he see's Violet Markey standing on the edge. Finch saves Violet knowing that she really does want to live but doesn't know how, and now all Violet has to do is save Finch.

A US Geography project brings them together once more, a project to wander across Indiana. But Violet hasn't been in a car since the night that she was in the car crash that killed her sister. Finch has an exuberant personality and is determined to get Violet over her fears.

'The problem with people is that forget that most of the time it's the small things that count. Everyone's so busy waiting in the Waiting Place. If we stopped to remember that there's such a thing as a Puina Tower and a view like this, we'd all be happier.'- Theodore Finch

Finch has different personalities/ looks throughout All The Bright Places we see 80's Finch, Badass Finch and All American Finch. From early on we can see that Finch has mental health problems with the way he acts and thinks but at the same time is incredibly smart. Violet isn't over her sister's death, has stopped writing, running her and her sisters website and is just existing.

As Finch and Violet start to wander throughout Indiana they start becoming friends and understanding each other. We learn about their bright places, things that make them happy whether they are places, words or book quotes when they are together or chatting on facebook. 

While the story is written in dual POV's it is really Finch's story. While Violet starts getting better and starts living instead of existing, Finch struggles to overcome everything that he is facing. The characters are so deeply constructed that you cannot help but love and feel some sort of connection to them. The secondary characters are also brilliantly written and are real high school students and not the stereotypical ones.

Overall I loved All The Bright Places and how Niven has managed to create a book which deals with mental illness in a way which shows how it affects everyone around them and that it does happen to people. Her writing is done beautifully with how she has managed to create the world and characters that draw you in, make you feel and think about the issues.  Overall All The Bright Places is a brilliant contemporary YA and I look forward to more YA novels from Niven.

Thankyou very much to Penguin Teen Australia for this ARC and the bright places inside my copy!

Rating: 5/5

Keely xx

December Wrap Up 2014!

Hey everyone! It is 2015, how bloody fast did this year go by? It feels like only yesterday that it was the start of 2014 and now a year on, soon I will no longer be a teenager (which is kind of strange) and half way through my degree! I read a lot of books in 2014 (440 when I have written this post), I know that this year I won't read that many because I am going to have to focus more on uni (even though I said that last year) so my goal will be 200 (which is what originally 2014 was). 

I mainly got books for Christmas this year, which I am in no way complaining about! I also got a crystal glass dressing table set (family inheritance/pass down), a hockey stick, money for some shopping in Sydney to come later this month, Veronica Mars S3 & Rizzoli & Isles S4, and Taylor Swift 1989 tickets for November! 

This months posts:

• Review Time #74
• Review Time #75
• Summer TBR
• Top 14 of 2014: YA
• Top 14 of 2014: NA & Adult
• Most Anticipated for 2015

Christmas books:

Some Christmas books/presents

• Fetish, Split, Covet, Hit and Siren by Tara Moss
• Love and Other Unknown Variables by Shannon Lee Alexander
• Dark Triumph and Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers
• Dangerous Boys by Abigail Haas
• Breaking The Rules by Katie McGarry

Bought:

The super pretty new hardcover editions of Nancy Drew!

• Nancy Drew #1-#4 by Carolyn Keene
• Captivate by Aimee Carter
• Percy Jackson Series #1-#5 by Rick Riordan

Review Books:

The amazing ARC of I Was Here!

• I Was Here by Gayle Forman
• The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E.Lockhart
• Jardine by Lessa Bow

Thanks Simon & Schuster, Allen & Unwin and Lessa Bow for these review books!

E-Books:

• Forever With Me by Kristen Proby
• You Were Mine by Abbi Glines
• That One Summer by C.J Duggan
• Mai Tai'd Up by Alice Clayton
• Upside Down by Lia Riley
• Breathe, Annie, Breathe by Miranda Kenneally
• Jaden by Tijan
• Seaside Sunsets by Melissa Foster

So many books this month! Let me know what books you got for Christmas/this month in the comments! Have an awesome 2015 everyone!

Keely xx