As soon as I started hearing about this book on #BookTwitter I was incredibly excited. It seemed like such a fresh, new kind of love story that I couldn't wait to get my hands on it but I confess that it took too long. I took the opportunity over the Christmas holidays to finally get stuck into it.
We meet the main characters, Carys and Max, while falling through space. With no way of getting back to their broken ship, and only ninety minutes of oxygen left, things are looking impossible for them.
The novel alternates between their present emergency and their past in Europia, a Utopia made from the countries that made up the European Union and then some. The idea of Europia is that each citizen is on rotation every three years to a different sector, or Voivode.. They act in their own name, rather than the name of a country or religion, with the idea that acting in their own name alone will prevent conflict. The constant moving around adds to this as well - breaking down the unfamiliar, building communities all over the world. As with any Utopia, however, all once seemingly good ideas show cracks over time.
Like the Couples rule. The 'guidelines' are that one cannot get into a stable relationship or begin a family until one's thirties, the benefits being that divorce rates will be lower and a person can be at their most productive, free from the responsibilities of family life. Carys and Max, however, don't take too long before finding out that this rule is not for them.
The story is a clever mix of rom-com and sci-fi, with clearly enough research to make it convincing. The author, Katie Khan, works for a film company, and that certainly shows with the lush visuals of her writing. I really root for Carys and Max as a couple, although my favourite character has to be Liu, Max's best friend.
There are some interesting political undertones, as well. The USA, as far as we know, is as much of a crisis zone as Syria is presently. Europia is the union that everyone wants to be a part of, and outside of Europia is basically a death wish.
The story has lots of twists and turns to keep you reading, particularly towards the end. Several times I was scratching my head, and kept flipping back pages because I genuinely thought I'd missed something, but it was all brought together well in the end. I do look forward to how they'll be translating that particular part onto the big screen. John Boyega and Letitia Wright are going to be taking the leads in this film, so it will definitely be one to look out for next year.
Friday, 18 January 2019
Thursday, 17 January 2019
Review: Pretty Honest, Sali Hughes
Let me start by saying this - where, oh where, has Sali Hughes been all my life?!
To sum up quickly, Pretty Honest is essentially a comprehensive Beauty Bible, but so much more than that at the same time. Sali Hughes has loved and worked in the beauty industry since she was a teenager first working as a make up assistant for a music video. and has been honing her craft and expertise ever since.
The book isn't just a who's who of the best brands on offer (although there are definitely helpful and healthy dollops of knowledge all the way through), but why said brands are good and the science behind it. Because Sali knows her stuff. Hyaluronic acid (read it to find out) is a game changer. A simple skincare routine becomes a pleasurable habit rather than a chore. And red lipstick is for anyone provided you know how.
Pretty Honest isn't just a helpful beauty guide, it's also like a conversation with your (extremely knowledgeable) best friend. Sali makes you want to invest that time in yourself and makes it incredibly easy to discover how to do that. And the beginning of the New Year was, for me, the best time to read it. It's honestly made me think more about what I'm putting onto (and into) my body and how I can make the best of what I have without making any dramatically pricey changes. It was such a fun, affirming, and informative read, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.
To sum up quickly, Pretty Honest is essentially a comprehensive Beauty Bible, but so much more than that at the same time. Sali Hughes has loved and worked in the beauty industry since she was a teenager first working as a make up assistant for a music video. and has been honing her craft and expertise ever since.
The book isn't just a who's who of the best brands on offer (although there are definitely helpful and healthy dollops of knowledge all the way through), but why said brands are good and the science behind it. Because Sali knows her stuff. Hyaluronic acid (read it to find out) is a game changer. A simple skincare routine becomes a pleasurable habit rather than a chore. And red lipstick is for anyone provided you know how.
Pretty Honest isn't just a helpful beauty guide, it's also like a conversation with your (extremely knowledgeable) best friend. Sali makes you want to invest that time in yourself and makes it incredibly easy to discover how to do that. And the beginning of the New Year was, for me, the best time to read it. It's honestly made me think more about what I'm putting onto (and into) my body and how I can make the best of what I have without making any dramatically pricey changes. It was such a fun, affirming, and informative read, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.
Tuesday, 8 January 2019
Review: We Come Apart, Sarah Crossan and Brian Conaghan
We Come Apart tells the story of two young people, Jess and Nicu. They meet unexpectedly, after both being put on a youth rehabilitation programme having been caught in separate incidents of shoplifting.
Nicu, as the son of Romanian immigrants, suffers a lot of prejudice and bullying at school. Jess, meanwhile, slowly gravitates away from her friends as it becomes clear their attitudes start differing too much. Jess and Nicu become close, and confide in each other. Jess is living with her mum and mum's boyfriend, who abuses her regularly, and Nicu's parents are arranging a marriage for him.
Tragedy piles upon tragedy and Jess and Nicu make a plan to escape.
The book is written in free verse, alternating between Jess and Nicu's POV. It makes sense for Nicu's perspective, as it is an effective portrayal of his broken English, but it makes less sense for Jess' POV. It would have been interesting to read the story in straightforward prose, but the fragmented sense of writing could be seen as a good metaphor for their fragmented lives.
Overall, I enjoyed it as something fresh and different. It was a sad story in many ways, and raised lots of necessary questions about immigration and treatment of non-nationals (Brexit was referenced a few times). I think it particularly works well as a read for teenagers as it is a captivating story with some interesting challenge in it, too.
Nicu, as the son of Romanian immigrants, suffers a lot of prejudice and bullying at school. Jess, meanwhile, slowly gravitates away from her friends as it becomes clear their attitudes start differing too much. Jess and Nicu become close, and confide in each other. Jess is living with her mum and mum's boyfriend, who abuses her regularly, and Nicu's parents are arranging a marriage for him.
Tragedy piles upon tragedy and Jess and Nicu make a plan to escape.
The book is written in free verse, alternating between Jess and Nicu's POV. It makes sense for Nicu's perspective, as it is an effective portrayal of his broken English, but it makes less sense for Jess' POV. It would have been interesting to read the story in straightforward prose, but the fragmented sense of writing could be seen as a good metaphor for their fragmented lives.
Overall, I enjoyed it as something fresh and different. It was a sad story in many ways, and raised lots of necessary questions about immigration and treatment of non-nationals (Brexit was referenced a few times). I think it particularly works well as a read for teenagers as it is a captivating story with some interesting challenge in it, too.
Review: Sleigh Rides and Silver Bells at the Christmas Fair, Heidi Swain
"When Anna takes on the role of companion to the owner of Wynthorpe Hall, on the outskirts of Wynbridge, she has no idea that her life is set to change beyond all recognition.
A confirmed ‘bah humbug’ when it comes to Christmas, Anna is amazed to find herself quickly immersed in the eccentric household, and when youngest son Jamie unexpectedly arrives home it soon becomes obvious that her personal feelings are going all out to compromise her professional persona."
A confirmed ‘bah humbug’ when it comes to Christmas, Anna is amazed to find herself quickly immersed in the eccentric household, and when youngest son Jamie unexpectedly arrives home it soon becomes obvious that her personal feelings are going all out to compromise her professional persona."
This was probably my favourite read over the Christmas break. In summary, it was a heartwarming story with mild drama and gentle twists, but the family and characters of Wynthorpe Hall were the main pull of the book for me.
Anna, the protagonist, hates Christmas in all forms, for reasons that are revealed slowly, like puzzle pieces, throughout the book. She quickly finds out that the job for which she was hired is not the job the owners had in mind. When she finds out the true nature of the job, her instinct is to run but the love and warmth of the family and staff keep her there.
Soon, the youngest son Jamie returns to take over the hall, albeit reluctantly. He and Anna make a pact to help each other - Anna will help him fall in love with the hall and he will help her fall in love with Christmas again. As expected, they fall in love along the way.
This was a very enjoyable read, the winter equivalent of a good beach book during the summer. Very highly recommended, particularly if you're in need of a switch off and a lovely, happy ending.
Thursday, 29 November 2018
Review: Vitellius' Feast - L. J. Trafford
Note: I received a copy of this in exchange for review.
Vitellius' Feast is a truly epic story from the heart of the Roman Empire, during the Year of the Four Emperors. It is the last in a series from L. J. Trafford, which I will be collecting in due course as this is the first time I had heard of the series.
The book opens with young Domitian being watched over by a freedman, Philo, who is charged with watching the Flavian family. Vespasian is in the East with his legions, and remains a distant worry. However, for the victorious Vitellius and his two generals - Valens and Caecina - the party is just beginning.
And it is a party. Not since the days of Nero's successes has the palace seen such hedonism and debauchery. But it is not all harmless fun. Vitellius quickly proves to be much darker and crooked than any of his predecessors. Shining eunuchs such as Sporus quickly crumble under Vitellius' burdens, and it isn't long before whispers of mutiny start to float through the palace.
The painstaking research Trafford undertook to produce such an epic literary account of one of Rome's most turbulent times is seen throughout. The world building, the characters, the whispers and betrayals, the friendship and family dramas, and the grand soap opera of the story kept me flicking page after page well into the night. If you are a fan of the Roman period, or even just historical fiction in general, then this is the book for you.
Vitellius' Feast is a truly epic story from the heart of the Roman Empire, during the Year of the Four Emperors. It is the last in a series from L. J. Trafford, which I will be collecting in due course as this is the first time I had heard of the series.
The book opens with young Domitian being watched over by a freedman, Philo, who is charged with watching the Flavian family. Vespasian is in the East with his legions, and remains a distant worry. However, for the victorious Vitellius and his two generals - Valens and Caecina - the party is just beginning.
And it is a party. Not since the days of Nero's successes has the palace seen such hedonism and debauchery. But it is not all harmless fun. Vitellius quickly proves to be much darker and crooked than any of his predecessors. Shining eunuchs such as Sporus quickly crumble under Vitellius' burdens, and it isn't long before whispers of mutiny start to float through the palace.
The painstaking research Trafford undertook to produce such an epic literary account of one of Rome's most turbulent times is seen throughout. The world building, the characters, the whispers and betrayals, the friendship and family dramas, and the grand soap opera of the story kept me flicking page after page well into the night. If you are a fan of the Roman period, or even just historical fiction in general, then this is the book for you.
Saturday, 27 October 2018
Review: Lethal White, Robert Galbraith
I have been SO looking forward to picking this up ever since J.K. Rowling revealed the title MONTHS before the book was released. So, quite a while. It's been three years since the last Strike novel - and the first ever novel in this series (The Cuckoo's Calling), was released way back in 2013! (Just to think, the political chaos now exhausting us all was still years away then...)
Anyway, back to more pleasant thoughts. J.K. Rowling, in the acknowledgements, said (as Robert Galbraith) that this was the most complex of the Strike novels she had written so far, and she's not wrong. At 656 pages, (over 100 more than Career of Evil), this book is not only a thrilling and mind-bending read, but also a pleasingly substantial one.
We begin in the aftermath of Robin and Matthew's wedding, which Strike inadvertently interrupted so well in his Strike way. However, this sets Robin and Matthew to arguing straight away, which is not helped by Robin finding out that Matthew had deleted Strike's voicemails. (By the way, it would be handy to re-read the last few chapters of Career of Evil before getting onto Lethal White, as there are more important throwbacks to understand).
The rest of the novel takes off a year after the wedding. Strike has become famous thanks to finding the Shacklewell Ripper, and the agency has now become so busy that Strike has had to hire more staff. The cases they are handling are interesting but quite standard for private detective agencies. However, that all changes with two events. One - a young man called Billy, clearly suffering with some kind of mental illness, storms into Strike's office and claims he saw a child strangled when he was younger. Two - the Minister for Culture, Jasper Chiswell (Chizzle, as pronounced properly), hires Strike to help him uncover a blackmail case.
Due to commonalities in people and events, Strike is convinced that the cases are linked. And this is where Lethal White becomes more complex, because in previous novels there was just one clear area of focus, whereas this is more than one but they are all interlinked.
There's also more focus on relationships in this one - Robin's deteriorating relationship with Matthew; Strike's relationship with a woman called Lorelei; and, of course, the increasing 'will they, won't they' between Strike and Robin. (I won't give that one away).
It all takes place against the backdrop of the London Olympics in 2012, and what I really enjoyed was reading about the fictional (though, undoubtedly, based on some real life aspects) of the background of the Olympics never really thought about. There's plenty more class issues and dilemmas, and the stark juxtaposition of Conservatism and Socialism provide an interesting undercurrent to the whole plot.
Galbraith, with his usual panache, weaves a web through London and beyond, from wealthy and aristocratic central London to the eclectic and more working-class outskirts. The murder in this one is certainly more palatable, (especially after The Silkworm), and altogether more intriguing due to the many moving parts and myriad of people involved, not least the various families we come across.
If you've never picked up a Galbraith novel before, I highly recommend you do so now. It is one of the most enjoyable and satisfying series I've ever read, the puzzle pieces so brilliantly put together one by one throughout the whole.
Anyway, back to more pleasant thoughts. J.K. Rowling, in the acknowledgements, said (as Robert Galbraith) that this was the most complex of the Strike novels she had written so far, and she's not wrong. At 656 pages, (over 100 more than Career of Evil), this book is not only a thrilling and mind-bending read, but also a pleasingly substantial one.
We begin in the aftermath of Robin and Matthew's wedding, which Strike inadvertently interrupted so well in his Strike way. However, this sets Robin and Matthew to arguing straight away, which is not helped by Robin finding out that Matthew had deleted Strike's voicemails. (By the way, it would be handy to re-read the last few chapters of Career of Evil before getting onto Lethal White, as there are more important throwbacks to understand).
The rest of the novel takes off a year after the wedding. Strike has become famous thanks to finding the Shacklewell Ripper, and the agency has now become so busy that Strike has had to hire more staff. The cases they are handling are interesting but quite standard for private detective agencies. However, that all changes with two events. One - a young man called Billy, clearly suffering with some kind of mental illness, storms into Strike's office and claims he saw a child strangled when he was younger. Two - the Minister for Culture, Jasper Chiswell (Chizzle, as pronounced properly), hires Strike to help him uncover a blackmail case.
Due to commonalities in people and events, Strike is convinced that the cases are linked. And this is where Lethal White becomes more complex, because in previous novels there was just one clear area of focus, whereas this is more than one but they are all interlinked.
There's also more focus on relationships in this one - Robin's deteriorating relationship with Matthew; Strike's relationship with a woman called Lorelei; and, of course, the increasing 'will they, won't they' between Strike and Robin. (I won't give that one away).
It all takes place against the backdrop of the London Olympics in 2012, and what I really enjoyed was reading about the fictional (though, undoubtedly, based on some real life aspects) of the background of the Olympics never really thought about. There's plenty more class issues and dilemmas, and the stark juxtaposition of Conservatism and Socialism provide an interesting undercurrent to the whole plot.
Galbraith, with his usual panache, weaves a web through London and beyond, from wealthy and aristocratic central London to the eclectic and more working-class outskirts. The murder in this one is certainly more palatable, (especially after The Silkworm), and altogether more intriguing due to the many moving parts and myriad of people involved, not least the various families we come across.
If you've never picked up a Galbraith novel before, I highly recommend you do so now. It is one of the most enjoyable and satisfying series I've ever read, the puzzle pieces so brilliantly put together one by one throughout the whole.
Friday, 19 October 2018
Review: The Name of the Star, Maureen Johnson
The Name of the Star is Book 1 in the Shades of London series. The blurb below is from Goodreads:
"Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London to start a new life at boarding school just as a series of brutal murders mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper killing spree of more than a century ago has broken out across the city. The police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man believed to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him - the only one who can see him. And now Rory has become his next target...unless she can tap her previously unknown abilities to turn the tables."
Rory Deveaux is a smart, determined, and self-sufficient young woman who relishes the chance to spread her wings a little and delve into London life for herself. Although she has a baptism of fire at the beginning of term with the workload and extra-curricular requirements, Rory soon gets into the swing of things thanks to some new friends.
This book hooked me from very first page. The premise brings together several popular styles - the supernatural; the setting of boarding school; and the ever-present allure of the mystery of Jack the Ripper. For a Young Adult book, it handles the gore well - the descriptions, while graphic, are not too shocking for the reader to handle (although I would recommend a minimum of age 14). The friendships and variety of characters are well-put together, and the backstories of the main cast are developed well as to not render the book superficial or shallow.
Overall, I really enjoyed this, and I am looking forward to picking up more books from this series.
"Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London to start a new life at boarding school just as a series of brutal murders mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper killing spree of more than a century ago has broken out across the city. The police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man believed to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him - the only one who can see him. And now Rory has become his next target...unless she can tap her previously unknown abilities to turn the tables."
Rory Deveaux is a smart, determined, and self-sufficient young woman who relishes the chance to spread her wings a little and delve into London life for herself. Although she has a baptism of fire at the beginning of term with the workload and extra-curricular requirements, Rory soon gets into the swing of things thanks to some new friends.
This book hooked me from very first page. The premise brings together several popular styles - the supernatural; the setting of boarding school; and the ever-present allure of the mystery of Jack the Ripper. For a Young Adult book, it handles the gore well - the descriptions, while graphic, are not too shocking for the reader to handle (although I would recommend a minimum of age 14). The friendships and variety of characters are well-put together, and the backstories of the main cast are developed well as to not render the book superficial or shallow.
Overall, I really enjoyed this, and I am looking forward to picking up more books from this series.
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