Review: The Summer After The Night Before by Lisa Williamson

 

Publication Date: January 2026

Publisher: David Fickling Books

[ Goodreads ]

Blurb: Ben has been in love with Molly forever. When she finally kisses him at a party, he thinks all his dreams have come true.

Later that night he thinks they've started something really special. Molly loves Ben too – of course she does. But not like that. He's her best friend's brother – which makes him practically her brother too, right? But after a few drinks at a party Molly kisses Ben. And she can't remember what happened next.

The months of freedom after GCSEs should be the best of your life. But with everyone reckoning with doubts, lies and mixed-up memories, it quickly becomes the thorny summer after the potent night before...

I picked this book up on a whim after reading the blurb in the library and it went above and beyond my expectations. This book deals with a tough subject of consent and sexual assualt so bear in mind, this will be discussed in the following review. 

The novel deals with the before during and after of the event that occur at a party that Molly, Rhiannon and Ben attend. Molly gets very drunk and wakes up not fully remembering the events of the night before. How does she navigate these scary feelings that involve her best friend and her best friends twin brother. 

Review: Don't Let Him In by Lisa Jewell

 

Publication Date: June 2025

Source: Borrowed from library

Blurb:       [ Goodreads ]

Three women are connected by one man in this kaleidoscopic thriller. He’s the perfect man. It’s a perfect lie.

Nina Swann is intrigued when she received a condolence card from Nick Radcliffe, an old friend of her late husband, who is looking to connect after her husband’s unexpected death. Nick is a man of substance and good taste. He has a smile that could melt the coldest heart and a knack for putting others at ease. But to Nina’s adult daughter, Ash, Nick seems too slick, too polished, too good to be true. Without telling her mother, Ash begins digging into Nick’s past. What she finds is more than unsettling…

Martha is a florist living in a neighboring town with her infant daughter and her devoted husband, Alistair. But lately, Alistair has been traveling more and more frequently for work, disappearing for days at a time. When Martha questions him about his frequent absences, he always has a legitimate explanation, but Martha can’t share the feeling that something isn’t right.

Nina, Martha, and Ash are on a collision course with a shocking truth that is far darker than anyone could have imagined. And all three are about to wish they had heeded the same warning: Don’t let him in. But the past won’t stay buried forever.

It's no secret - I'm a huge Lisa Jewell fan. So if you were awaiting a negative review - keep scrolling. 

This book was more of Lisa Jewell's amazingly twisted mind conjuring up pulse-quickening excitement that I couldn't eat up fast enough. Full of twists, untrustworthy characters and craziness. If you are a fan of true crime documentary's this is a book you would really enjoy. 

Review: Yesteryear by Caro

 

Publication Date: April 7 2026

Publisher: Fourth Estate Books

Blurb: 

Natalie lives a traditional lifestyle – and her followers are sick with envy. Her charming farmhouse on her working ranch is artfully cluttered, her husband is a handsome cowboy, her homemade sourdough boules are each more beautiful than the last. So what if there are nannies and producers and industrial-grade ovens behind the scenes? What her followers don’t know won’t hurt them.

Then, one morning, Natalie wakes up in a strange, horrible version of reality. Her home, her husband, her children—they’re all familiar, but something’s off. Is this a hoax? A reality show? A test from God? Natalie knows just two things for sure: this isn't her perfect life, and she must escape, by any means possible.

I would say this is the book of the year - EVERYONE has been raving about it, so naturally enough I was somewhat apprehensive going into it. I honestly can say I feel the hype was warranted in this case. 

This is a book where I feel like I am left thinking about it long after I turned the last page. Not solely because of the content, but because of the message, its execution and the societal changes that have warranted this book being published. 

Review: I Wrote This For Attention by Lukas Gage

 

Publication Date: October 2025

Source: Borrowed from library

Blurb:      [ Goodreads ]

Lukas Gage was having one of the shittiest weeks of his life. His beloved grandmother was dying. And Lukas was sitting next to his father, a man who had been mostly absent in his son’s childhood—except when talking to Lukas about tits because he loved nothing more than tits, and listening to Howard Stern on the radio. They were across the street from a building in Century City, where months prior, Lukas had to grapple with the dissolution of his marriage. This week had it all: death, divorce, and daddy issues.

In that room, Lukas did the smartest thing anyone can do in a crisis: doom scroll to see what random people on the internet were saying about him. People were calling him an attention whore—and they were absolutely right. Lukas Gage was no stranger to going viral. He loved attention. As a toddler, he set his room on fire. As a child, he hugged and flirted with women at Hooters to his father’s delight. As a teen, he stole handles of alcohol and cherry cough syrup. He had sex at a restroom in Chili’s, and fell hopelessly in love with a girl who wore an ankle monitor. He became an actor and filmed that scene in White Lotus (if you know, you know). Lukas was scared of attention and yet he craved it more than anything in the world.

I Wrote This for Attention is a riveting, exquisite memoir full of heart that chronicles Lukas’s coming of age in the haunting underbelly of San Diego and clawing his way to stardom.

As someone who loves a celebrity autobiography or memoir, when I heard about this one I knew I wanted to read it. I haven't had the most interactions with Lukas Gage - I mean I have seen The White Lotus and heard about his marriage which Kim Kardashian officiated- but asides from that I didn't really know much about him. 

Review: Ultra-Processed People by Chris Van Tulleken

 

Publication Date: April 2023

Publisher: Penguin Books

Source: Borrowed from library (eAudiobook) (Goodreads)

Blurb: 

It's not you, it's the food.

We have entered a new 'age of eating' where most of our calories come from an entirely novel set of substances called Ultra-Processed Food, food which is industrially processed and designed and marketed to be addictive. But do we really know what it's doing to our bodies?

Join Chris in his travels through the world of food science and a UPF diet to discover what's really going on. Find out why exercise and willpower can't save us, and what UPF is really doing to our bodies, our health, our weight, and the planet (hint: nothing good).

For too long we've been told we just need to make different choices, when really we're living in a food environment that makes it nigh-on impossible. So this is a book about our rights. The right to know what we eat and what it does to our bodies and the right to good, affordable food.

This is a book I have seen so many people buying, borrowing and raving about online. As someone who is very health conscious when it comes to food, although I do believe in non-restrictive diets and treating yourself when needed without guilt, I was very looking forward to reading this book. 

Review: Saving Noah by Lucinda Berry

 

Publisher: Rise Press

Publication Date: Sept 2017

Source: Borrowed from library   [ goodreads]

Blurb: 

We forgive murderers, not pedophiles. Not since Lionel Shriver brought us We Need to Talk About Kevin has a writer delved into the complexities of a disturbed mother/son relationship. Until now. Meet Noah—an A-honor roll student, award-winning swimmer, and small-town star destined for greatness. There weren’t any signs that something was wrong until the day he confesses to molesting little girls during swim team practice. He’s sentenced to eighteen months in a juvenile sexual rehabilitation center. His mother, Adrianne, refuses to turn her back on him despite his horrific crimes, but her husband won’t allow Noah back into their home. In a series of shocking and shattering revelations, Adrianne is forced to make the hardest decision of her life. Just how far will she go to protect her son? 

My 2nd Lucinda Berry books and guys, I think I am going to have to read everything she writes because her books are mind blowingly twisted and insane. The topic of this book was at times so difficult to read, major trigger warning for sexual abuse, child abuse, suicide, mental health and a lot more. 

Adrianne is our main character, the mother of Noah, who is trying to keep everyone's lives together after Noah confesses to being a pedophile. This unimaginable situation destroys her life, her sense of family and leaves her clinging onto the son she raised with detrimental effects. 

Review: Where The Shadows Hide by Amy Clarkin

 

Publisher: O'Brien Press
Publication Date: October 2025
Source: Borrowed From Library
Series: PSI #3

Blurb: The chill intensified, and Archer opened his eyes to see the candles extinguish one by one …

PSI – Paranormal Surveyance Ireland – are in deep water. When the operators of a luxury cruise ship ask for their help with a series of unexplainable events, Raven and the team are hopeful that this case, for once, won’t endanger their lives.
As they try to blend in with the wealthy passengers, it quickly becomes clear to Davis, Fionn and the others that there is more lurking in the shadows than they've realised. With the eerie encounters escalating and rising tensions threatening to tear the team apart, time is running out for PSI. Can they save the ship – and themselves – before it’s too late?

If you have not read the previous 2 books in the Paranormal Surveyance Ireland (PSI) trilogy - WHY NOT?! But please also be aware that, since this is the final book in the series, this review will contain spoilers for the previous two books, What Walks These Halls & Who Watches This Place, as well as for this final book. You have been warned ... 

This series is up there with one of the best Irish young adult series I have ever read. The trilogy centers on a paranormal ghost hunting team set in Dublin, made up of twin siblings Archer (golden retriever) and Raven (black cat). These siblings along with their other members of their team - Fionn the tech guy, Davis the practical one and Eabha the clairvoyant - they take on requests from people who may have a little "ghost problem". 

Review: Liccle Bit by Alex Wheatle

 

Publication Date: March 2015

Publisher: Atom Books

Source: Borrowed from library    [Goodreads]

Blurb: 

What's worse than hiding a secret? Liccle Bit's about to find out...

Venetia King is the hottest girl at school. Too bad Lemar is the second shortest guy in his year. Everyone calls him Liccle Bit, and his two best friends, McKay and Jonah, never tire of telling him he has no chance with girls. Things aren't much better at home. His mum is permanently hassled, his sister a frustrated single mum and his dad moved out years ago. Liccle Bit wishes he could do something - anything! - to make life better. A new phone would be a start...

As a new gang war breaks out on his estate, Lemar discovers that South Crongton's notorious gang leader has taken an interest in him. Before he knows what's happening, he's running errands. When he puts his own family in danger, Liccle Bit will be forced to question his choices. How can he possibly put things right?

I picked this book up on a whim, having heard nothing about it apart from that the CBBC was adapting it into a tv show. After my order arrived from my local library I dove in and was so pleasantly surprised to find that this was a phenomenally entertaining read. 

Set in "Crongton", an alias for Croydon I assume, the story follows Lemar (Liccle Bit to everyone else) as he navigates friendship, family problems, school, a crush and some seriously dangerous people. 

What I absolutely loved about this book was how genuinely "teenage" the teenage characters felt. A lot of the time you read a book written by an adult with teen characters and think "no teenager would say that / act like that / do that". Alex Wheatle has captured exactly the mannerisms and thought processes of teenagers, and teenage boys to be more exact, in this novel. From the friendship interactions, the talking about and to girls and the slight feeling of awkwardness everyone feels as a teenager - it was perfectly done.

Review: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

Publication Date: May 19th 2020
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Source: Own

[ Goodreads ]           [ Book Depository ]

Blurb: 
It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capital, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to out-charm, outwit, and outmaneuver his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute.

The odds are against him. He's been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined -- every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favor or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute... and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes. 

 Okay so..if you've not heard of this book, you've been living under a rock. (P.s check out my reading vlog for this book on my booktube channel). 

This book is a prequel to the hunger games trilogy, following president snow as a teenager growing up in the capitol in the times of the 10th hunger games. 

Coriolanus Snow in this novel is young, poor and hungry to prove himself so he can then provide for his struggling family. Coriolanus enlists as a mentor in the hunger games in the hopes of achieving a scholarship to university. He is paired up with the District 12 tribute, traveller and singer Lucy Gray Baird. 
Lucy Gray is a louder than life, cunning but charming character. Her positive outlook on life counteracts Coriolanus's negative. Combined with Coriolanus's ambition to succeed in the games with his tribute, he and Lucy work to make her chances the best they can be in the games. 

Although I feel that there was supposed to be some desire for the reader to enjoy the "romance" between Lucy and Coriolanus but I did not. At all. 
The relationship between them begins as a way for Coriolanus to better himself and bring glory back to his family name. Therefore his whole reasoning for their relationship to succeed, is for his gain. Every move in their relationship, is a game of chess to Coriolanus where he must keep moving forward to win. 
The power imbalance in their relationship also made me very uncomfortable throughout the novel. Coriolanus is coming from a position of power, even though he is poor- he is capital poor, not district poor. He also comes from an education and a life of more resources available to him than Lucy could dream of. The power imbalance therefore makes their relationship non-equal. Coriolanus has this albeit invisible upper hand in their relationship. Therefore I could not support the relationship at all. It made me very uneasy. 

A character that I really enjoyed in the novel was Sejanus. He was a great character- the biggest cinnamon roll in the book but also at the same time, he could be a little yikes. Sejanus was definitely that guy who sees all the wrong in the world and wants to be the one to make a change, but ends up going about things in the wrong way. He was definitely the "Gale" of the book - since I know people have been comparing Lucy to Katniss. 

Sejanus was my favourite character in the entire book. His friendship with Coriolanus, which was begrudgingly accepted by Coriolanus who viewed it as a way to exploit Sejanus's much richer family assets, was actually sweet. You could see Sejanus just wanted to do right, to have a friend and live in a good world. 
Sejanus and Coriolanus was definitely the ship of the book for me...no question. They fit together so well, Sejanus was clearly in love with Coriolanus and especially in the beginning of the book when Sejanus comments that Coriolanus keeps "saving him" and Coriolanus says "I can't help it". 
Tbh, I really wanted Sejanus and Coriolanus to be a couple but hey ho, at least we got to read like 1 sentence about a gay couple...representation I guess? 
Side note: Sejanus's mother- what a fantastic warm character. I loved her. 

This book really did so great in showing us the beginnings and origins of the games as we know them. We see that even though it is the 10th games, there is still a "new" atmosphere around the games as they are still experimenting and trying out new things. I found the capital mentor & tribute dynamic interesting. 
One of the most captivating parts were definitely the scenes with Dr. Gaul as she experiments and tries to find even more evil torture methods for the tributes. She is so creepy and terrifying. 

I really enjoyed the references to the hunger games books, or what we would typically know from those books- like the Katniss flower popping up, familiar names like Heavensbee, Crane etc., 
Also Tigris in the novel was interesting, I never realized she was Snows cousin. 

Although there was so much I enjoyed about the book, I did feel my attention waning at times. Not so much full on boredom, but more just reading through some parts so I could get to a more exciting part if that makes sense? I definitely felt there were exciting scenes, and not so exciting scenes, with some feeling a little dragged out. 

Overall I very much enjoyed this book. If you are a big hunger games fan like I was, then I really think that reading this book will add to your enjoyment of the series and not detract. Really interesting character and political driven novel by such an amazing author. I would absolutely love if someday Suzanne Collins released short stories on each of the tributes we are familiar with, such as Johanna Mason or Finnick Odair on their experiences in the games and the affect on their lives afterwards. 
Check out my reading vlog for The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes on my booktube channel here!

Review: Weightless by Sarah Bannan

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Publication Date: June 2015
Source: Owned 

[ Goodreads ]           [ Book Depository ]

Blurb: 

When 15-year-old Carolyn moves from New Jersey to Alabama with her mother, she rattles the status quo of the junior class at Adams High School. A good student and natural athlete, she’s immediately welcomed by the school’s cliques. She’s even nominated to the homecoming court and begins dating a senior, Shane, whose on again/off again girlfriend Brooke becomes Carolyn’s bitter romantic rival. When a video of Carolyn and Shane making out is sent to everyone, Carolyn goes from golden girl to slut, as Brooke and her best friend Gemma try to restore their popularity. Gossip and bullying hound Carolyn, who becomes increasingly private and isolated. When Shane and Brooke—now back together—confront Carolyn in the student parking lot, injuring her, it’s the last attack she can take.

 This book has been sitting on my shelf for a super long time, I am pretty sure I got it around the time of its release so basically 5 years! I have been trying to knock off some books on my TBR in quarantine so decided it was finally time to read this. 

The book centers on how a small town is rocked by the arrival of a new girl - Carolyn. As the town falls over themselves to first get to know Carolyn because she is the "shiny new toy" then then begin to turn against her just as quickly. 

One thing I found a little jarring about this book was the writing style. The novel is written in the "we". So the reader of the novel is reading from the perspective as the entire town as a collective we. This was very jarring and difficult to get into the writing flow in the beginning but I became more comfortable with it as the story progressed. This was a very interesting take on the novels point of view as it goes to show the reader just how complicit each and every person was in the rise and fall of Carolyn. 

Review: Grief Angels by David Owen

Publication Date: March 5th 2020
Publisher: Atom Books
Source: Review Copy

[ Goodreads ]          [ Book Depository ] 

Blurb: 

15-year-old Owen Marlow is experiencing a great, disorienting loss after his father suddenly passed away and his mother moved them to a new town. None of his old friends knew how to confront his grief, so he's given up on trying to make new ones. There is one guy at school who might prove to be different if he gives him a chance but lately, Owen has been overwhelmed by his sadness. 

He's started to have strange, powerful hallucinations of skeletal birds circling above him. Owen tells himself that these visions are just his brain's way of trying to cope - until one night, the birds descend and take him to an otherworldly forest. There, he is asked to go on a dangerous journey that promises to bring him the understanding he so desperately seeks - if he can survive it.

 Massive thank you to Atom Books for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. 

This book was one of my most anticipated books of the year because I am obsessed with David Owens novels. Honestly, if you have not read any of his novels (ESPECIALLY THE FALLEN CHILDREN- MY ALL TIME FAVE) then please please do so! 

This book touched me so deeply and moved me. I know a lot of people say "this book made me think of life differently" or "this book really connected with me" but when I say this now I really mean it. 

Review: City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

Publication Date: September 2015
Publisher: Walker Books
Source: Own
Series: The Mortal Instruments #6

[  Goodreads  ]             [  Book Depository  ] 

Blurb: 
Sebastian Morgenstern is on the move, systematically turning Shadowhunter against Shadowhunter. Bearing the Infernal Cup, he transforms Shadowhunters into creatures out of nightmare, tearing apart families and lovers as the ranks of his Endarkened army swell.

The embattled Shadowhunters withdraw to Idris - but not even the famed demon towers of Alicante can keep Sebastian at bay. And with the Nephilim trapped in Idris, who will guard the world against demons?

When one of the greatest betrayals the Nephilim have ever known is revealed, Clary, Jace, Isabelle, Simon, and Alec must flee - even if their journey takes them deep into the demon realms, where no Shadowhunter has set foot before, and from which no human being has ever returned...

 Okay so, if you don't want to be spoiled for the previous Cassandra Clare books released before CoHF please leave, read the Infernal Devices and The Mortal Instruments and then return!

Spoilers ahead!

Character development Clary used to be so lost and helpless but is now badass. She really has come into herself and become more comfortable in the Shadowhunter world in the last couple books, especially since City of Lost Souls. Jace has also changed a lot, especially since City of Lost Souls. After being controlled by Sebastian in CoLS he had retreated into himself due to the guilt over his actions in that time but this book sees him become more open to accepting help from his friends. Jace finally begins to acknowledge that sometimes he has to let them help, and that they have all become his family. The Clace relationship also was so well written in this book as we see them become closer and stronger.

Review: The Coldest Girl In Coldtown by Holly Black

Publication Date: September 2013
Publisher: Little Brown Books
Source: Borrowed from library

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Blurb: 
Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. The only problem is, once you pass through Coldtown's gates, you can never leave.

One morning, after a perfectly ordinary party, Tana wakes up surrounded by corpses. The only other survivors of this massacre are her exasperatingly endearing ex-boyfriend, infected and on the edge, and a mysterious boy burdened with a terrible secret. Shaken and determined, Tana enters a race against the clock to save the three of them the only way she knows how: by going straight to the wicked, opulent heart of Coldtown itself.

So I know y'all gonna hate me, but I've never read a Holly Black book before this one! I know, I know... I picked this book up from my library because I've heard a lot of hype around holly Blacks books and thought this would be a great spooky read for October. 

So this book takes place in a world where vampirism is a disease that had spread throughout some places in the world. The infected people and vampires are quarantined into "Coldtowns" where they are cut off from society. These coldtowns are broadcast on TV 24/7 as a reality TV show for the population. The novel kicks up a gear when Tana, our main character, has to enter a Coldtown. 

Review: The Invasion by Peadar O'Guilin

Publisher: David Fickling Books
Publication Date: March 2018
Source: Purchased
Series: Greylands Book 2 (Book 1 Review)

[ Goodreads ]           [ Book Depository ]

Blurb: 
After so much danger, Nessa and Anto can finally dream of a happy life. But the terrible attack on their school has created a witch-hunt for traitors -- boys and girls who survived the Call only by making deals with the enemy. To the authorities, Nessa's guilt is obvious. Her punishment is to be sent back to the nightmare of the Grey Land for the rest of her life. The Sídhe are waiting, and they have a very special fate planned for her.

Meanwhile, with the help of a real traitor, the enemy come pouring into Ireland at the head of a terrifying army. Every human they capture becomes a weapon. Anto and the last students of his old school must find a way to strike a blow at the invaders before they lose their lives, or even worse, their minds. But with every moment Anto is confronted with more evidence of Nessa's guilt.

For Nessa, the thought of seeing Anto again is the only thing keeping her alive. But if she escapes, and if she can find him, surely he is duty-bound to kill her... 

 So if you haven't read the first book in this series, The Call, you should stop reading this blog post right now and go read it - then come back!

This series takes place in an Ireland unlike the Ireland we know now. After a civil war between the Irish population and fae-like creatures called the Sidhe, Ireland has now been cut off from the rest of the world. After losing the war, the Sidhe now punish the population by "calling" teenagers to their banished land, the Greylands, where they revel in torturing them. 

This series is absolutely breathtaking. For a series that is only 2 books long, it packs a punch that would take other series 6-10 books! The characters are completely three dimensional, the writing style is gripping with a masterfully told story. Heart-pounding action and expertly told horror. Perfect reading for Halloween. 

Review: Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Publisher: Walker Books
Publication Date: December 2011
Source: Borrowed from library
Series: The Infernal Devices #2
[ Goodreads ]        [ Book Depository ] 

Blurb: 
In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when it becomes clear that the mysterious Magister will stop at nothing to use Tessa’s powers for his own dark ends.

With the help of the handsome, tortured Will and the devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister’s war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal and fueled by revenge. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister knows their every move—and that one of their own has betrayed them.

Tessa is drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa answers about who she really is? As their search leads to deadly peril, Tessa learns that secrets and lies can corrupt even the purest heart.

So finally picking back up this series months after I was gripped by Clockwork Angel.. I know, I suck at being a blogger- can I insert "hectic life" excuses here?

Anyway, I'm so glad I started getting into this series after years of loving The Mortal Instruments, I am kicking myself fro not caving to the book peer pressure sooner! (Speaking of, please pressure me into reading some more of your favorite books in the comments below!)

So for me, Clockwork Prince was the character development book in the series. I feel like Clockwork Angel was the book to introduce the characters, story-line, villain and main story thread that will run through the series and this book was to delve deeper into the relationships and characters themselves while also engaging with the plot. 

The characters of the novel are really the main driving force behind this series. I think everyone who begins the series just wants to hear more and more of the characters and also have the plot and action going on in the background. The Will fan-girls would honestly pay Cassie for a 500 page novel of a week in the life of Will Herondale at this point! 
But back to my review..the characters definitely o through a lot of development as the reader begins to learn more about them and about what motivates them both individually and as their slightly dysfunctional Institute family. 

Review: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Publication Date: August 2010
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Source: Bought
Series: The Infernal Devices #1

[ Goodreads ]         [ Book Depository ] 

Blurb: 
In a time when Shadowhunters are barely winning the fight against the forces of darkness, one battle will change the course of history forever. 

The year is 1878. Tessa Gray descends into London’s dark supernatural underworld in search of her missing brother. She soon discovers that her only allies are the demon-slaying Shadowhunters—including Will and Jem, the mysterious boys she is attracted to. Soon they find themselves up against the Pandemonium Club, a secret organization of vampires, demons, warlocks, and humans. Equipped with a magical army of unstoppable clockwork creatures, the Club is out to rule the British Empire, and only Tessa and her allies can stop them...

I know, it's shocking that I have not read any of The Infernal Devices series before now...#BadBlogger 

I'm so glad to be finally getting back on the Cassandra Clare book wagon! I have just started reading more of The Mortal Instruments series and decided it was time to read The Infernal devices before I accidentally spoiled myself! 

So this book started off badly for me. It took me a long time, maybe 150 pages, before I felt any connection to the characters or felt the plots pace was picking up. The very beginning of the novel with the  dark sisters was written very slowly and I found myself quite bored. Thankfully, the book picked up and I found myself enjoying the steady pace of the novel. 

Tessa was an up and down character for me, I found myself loving her one minute and then cringing at her the next. I know the book is set in Victorian England, but Tessa's anti-feminist views and slight stand offish relationship with other women was not my favourite thing to read about. I especially cringed / eye rolled when she said she wanted to move into a flat with her brother and clean the house and cook for him all day long... 

Review: City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

Publication Date: September 6th 2012
Publisher: Walker Books
Source: Own
Series: The Mortal Instruments #5 
[See reviews of the other books in the series HERE]

[ Goodreads ]            [ Book Depository ]

Blurb: 
What price is too high to pay, even for love? When Jace and Clary meet again, Clary is horrified to discover that the demon Lilith’s magic has bound her beloved Jace together with her evil brother Sebastian, and that Jace has become a servant of evil. The Clave is out to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other. As Alec, Magnus, Simon, and Isabelle wheedle and bargain with Seelies, demons, and the merciless Iron Sisters to try to save Jace, Clary plays a dangerous game of her own. The price of losing is not just her own life, but Jace’s soul. She’s willing to do anything for Jace, but can she still trust him? Or is he truly lost?

 ** Spoilers ahead for this book and the previous **

I was hesitant getting back into this series as its' been four years or more since I read City of Fallen Angels. But, I was glad to find myself remembering what happened in the previous books quite quickly once I started reading. I did find this reading experience somewhat different than I remember when reading the series when I was younger, but lets explore my thought more! 

So the book picks off from the previous books ending, Jace has been used to resurrect Sebastian and has disappeared. Clary and her friends are desperate to find him and put a stop to Sebastian. 

The plot of this book started off a little slow for me. I think it took a good 50-100 pages for me to get into the plot of the book and feel captivated. The novel focuses around the search for Jace and I found it interesting seeing how his disappearance affects everyone around them and seeing everyone band together in the search for him. I really enjoyed the action aspects of the novel and the suspense around finding the real Jace.