Publication Date: March 10th 2016
Publisher: Puffin Books
Source: Borrowed
[ Goodreads ] [ Book Depository ]
Blurb:
Denizen Hardwick is an orphan, and his life is, well, normal. Sure, in storybooks orphans are rescued from drudgery when they discover they are a wizard or a warrior or a prophesied king. But this is real life—orphans are just kids without parents. At least that’s what Denizen thought. . . .
On a particularly dark night, the gates of Crosscaper Orphanage open to a car that almost growls with power. The car and the man in it retrieve Denizen with the promise of introducing him to a long-lost aunt. But on the ride into the city, they are attacked. Denizen soon learns that monsters can grow out of the shadows. And there is an ancient order of knights who keep them at bay. Denizen has a unique connection to these knights, but everything they tell him feels like a half-truth.
If Denizen joins the order, is he fulfilling his destiny, or turning his back on everything his family did to keep him alive?
So this is a book I have seen so much buzz and chatter around since its release two years ago! I was so glad to finally pick it up so that I could see what all the hype was about.
I was really looking forward to reading this novel as my interest was re-instated after seeing the recent publication of the third novel earlier this year. This series had taken the internet and my Instagram by storm! I really enjoy a gripping and adventurous middle grade novel and had not read one for a while, the final Percy Jackson book not included. This book also has one of the best first sentences I've ever read: "Looking back, it had been a mistake to fill the orphanage with books."
Publication Date: 1st May 2018
Publisher: Walker Books
Source: Review Copy from publisher
[ Goodreads ] [ Book Depository ]
Blurb:
Inspired by Mrs Dalloway and Judy Blume's Forever, Release is one day in the life of Adam Thorn, 17. It's a big day. Things go wrong. It's intense, and all the while, weirdness approaches...
Adam Thorn is having what will turn out to be the most unsettling, difficult day of his life, with relationships fracturing, a harrowing incident at work, and a showdown between this gay teen and his preacher father that changes everything. It's a day of confrontation, running, sex, love, heartbreak, and maybe, just maybe, hope. He won't come out of it unchanged. And all the while, lurking at the edges of the story, something extraordinary and unsettling is on a collision course.
Huge thank you to Walker Books for sending me a copy of this novel in exchange for my full honest review. I have read some Patrick Ness novels before (see reviews here!) and highly enjoyed them. I also had the pleasure of meeting Patrick Ness at Dept Con a few years back. Going into this I expected to enjoy it but was actually surprised to find myself loving it even more than I had anticipated. I will say that there is some sexual scenes within the novel, so would recommend it for older teens.
The novel completely hooked me. I have not been reading very much this year up until last month, as you can tell from the review barren wasteland my blog has become. But this novel completely gripped me from the get go and I sped through in 2 days because I could not put it down!
Publication Date: January 2015
Publisher: Doubleday Publishers
Source: Borrowed
[ Goodreads ] [ Book Depository ]
Blurb:
EVERYDAY THE SAME
Rachel catches the same commuter train every morning. She knows it will wait at the same signal each time, overlooking a row of back gardens. She’s even started to feel like she knows the people who live in one of the houses. ‘Jess and Jason’, she calls them. Their life – as she sees it – is perfect. If only Rachel could be that happy.
UNTIL TODAY
And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough.
Now everything’s changed. Now Rachel has a chance to become a part of the lives she’s only watched from afar.
Now they’ll see; she’s much more than just the girl on the train…
So this was a book I had seen EVERYWHERE around a year or two ago. Probably one of the biggest PR campaigns I'd ever seen around a novel to be honest. I'm not usually one to read hyped up books, mostly because I often feel that the hype surrounding it will make it read as not as good to me because I'll be constantly waiting to reach that level of "wow" in the novel.
So when I found the opportunity to read this, I decided to give it a go. I am very glad that I did. I'm not usually a big reader of adult mystery novels, my last one being Before I Go To Sleep- which I also enjoyed, but after reading and loving this maybe I should change that.
Publication Date: February 8th 2018
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Source: Review Copy from Publisher
[ Goodreads ] [ Book Depository ]
Blurb:
Lily wakes up one crisp Sunday morning on the side of the road. She has no idea how she got there. It is all very peaceful. and very beautiful. It is only when the police car, and then the ambulance arrive, and she sees her own body, that she realises that she is in fact... dead. But what is she supposed do now? Lily has no option but to follow her body and see her family – her parents and her twin brother start falling apart. And then her twin brother Ben gives her a once in a deathtime opportunity - to use his own body for a while. But will Lily give Ben his body back? She is beginning to have a rather good time...
Thank you to Hot Key Books for sending me an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for my full and honest review. This book was featured on my Most Anticipated 2018 Releases post which I posted back in January. I was extremely excited for this book and was so happy to be approved to receive and advanced copy of it.
The premise of this novel centers around our main character Lily, waking up on the side of the road looking down at her own body and realizing she is dead. Lily is then able to see the affect her death has had on the others in her life including her family, boyfriend, friends and her killer. Although this plot premise has been done before in many cliche ways, Phyllida Shrimpton brings the story line to life with her own wonderfully entertaining fresh spin on it.
Publication Date: 21 November 2017
Publisher: FrontRunner Publications
Source: Received a copy from the author
[ Goodreads ] [ Book Depository ]
Blurb:
All his young life, Noah has longed to see the sky he's only heard about in stories. For over one hundred years, Noah's people have toiled deep beneath the Earth preparing for The New Dawn - the historic day when they will emerge to reclaim the land stolen by a ruthless enemy.
But when Rebekah, the girl of his forbidden desire, discovers a secret their leader has been so desperate to keep, Noah suspects something is wrong.
Together, they escape and begin the long climb to the surface. But nothing could prepare them for what awaits outside.
Thank you to the author for contacting me and sending me a copy of this book in exchange for my full and honest review.
So I went into this book not having heard anything about it before, and looking for a new exciting dystopia to pull me out of my recent sci-fi and dystopia lag where I just haven't been enjoying any. Unfortunately, although I enjoyed some aspects of this novel, it just didn't hit the spot for me.
Publication Date: January 16th 2018
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Series: (The Androma Saga #1)
Source: Review Copy from Publisher
[ Goodreads ] [ Book Depository ]
Blurb:
Most know Androma Racella as the Bloody Baroness, a powerful mercenary whose reign of terror stretches across the Mirabel Galaxy. To those aboard her glass starship, Marauder, however, she's just Andi, their friend and fearless leader.
But when a routine mission goes awry, the Marauder's all-girl crew is tested as they find themselves in a treacherous situation and at the mercy of a sadistic bounty hunter from Andi's past.
Meanwhile, across the galaxy, a ruthless ruler waits in the shadows of the planet Xen Ptera, biding her time to exact revenge for the destruction of her people. The pieces of her deadly plan are about to fall into place, unleashing a plot that will tear Mirabel in two.
Andi and her crew embark on a dangerous, soul-testing journey that could restore order to their ship or just as easily start a war that will devour worlds. As the Marauder hurtles toward the unknown, and Mirabel hangs in the balance, the only certainty is that in a galaxy run on lies and illusion, no one can be trusted.
Thank you to the publishers for offering me a copy of this novel in exchange for my full and honest review. I went into this novel not knowing much about it, except that Sasha Alsberg, a booktuber who I have watched for many years, was one of the co-writers and that it was set in space! So naturally, I was semi- excited going into this book.....little did I know what was to come.
Also preface, there will be slightly spoiler-ish mentions in this review so if you have not read the novel and would not like to be spoiled, do not read on. If you don't care about spoilers or have read the book, please continue!
Publication Date: April 2016
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Source: Borrowed from Library
[ Goodreads ] [ Book Depository ]
Blurb:
Fourteen-year-old Charlie Law has lived in Little Town, on the border with Old Country, all his life. He knows the rules: no going out after dark; no drinking; no litter; no fighting. You don't want to get on the wrong side of the people who run Little Town.
When he meets Pavel Duda, a refugee from Old Country, the rules start to get broken. Then the bombs come, and the soldiers from Old Country, and Little Town changes for ever.
Sometimes, to keep the people you love safe, you have to do bad things.
I first heard about this book at Dept Con where the author was reading from one of his other novels We Come Apart, which he has co-written with Sarah Crossan. I felt his writing style sounded really interesting and wanted to read more. I was excited to pick this novel up in my local library.
The novel overall was really enjoyable. I felt it sort of reminiscent of another novel I had read previously, Trash by Andy Mulligan . Although I found The Bombs That Brought Us Together much more enjoyable. The story revolves around our main character Charlie, who lives in the strict rule filled Little Town. One day, a refugee from Old Country called Pav moves into the same apartment block and they immediately strike up a strong friendship which is tested when Old Country troops invade.
