Simon vs. The homo sapiens agenda by Becky Albertalli

Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon is actually being blackmailed: if he doesn’t play wingman for class clown Martin, his sexual identity will become everyone’s business. Worse, the privacy of Blue, the pen name of the boy he’s been emailing, will be compromised. With some messy dynamics emerging in his once tight-knit group of friends, and his email correspondence with Blue growing more flirtatious every day, Simon’s junior year has suddenly gotten all kinds of complicated. Now, change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he’s pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he’s never met.

Book review : The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it, no paper notices plastered on lampposts and billboards. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within these nocturnal black-and-white striped tents awaits an utterly unique, a feast for the senses, where one can get lost in a maze of clouds, meander through a lush garden made of ice, stare in wonderment as the tattooed contortionist folds herself into a small glass box, and become deliciously tipsy from the scents of caramel and cinnamon that waft through the air. 

Beyond the smoke and mirrors, however, a fierce competition is under way--a contest between two young illusionists, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood to compete in a "game" to which they have been irrevocably bound by their mercurial masters. Unbeknownst to the players, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. 

As the circus travels around the world, the feats of magic gain fantastical new heights with every stop. The game is well under way and the lives of all those involved--the eccentric circus owner, the elusive contortionist, the mystical fortune-teller, and a pair of red-headed twins born backstage among them--are swept up in a wake of spells and charms. 

But when Celia discovers that Marco is her adversary, they begin to think of the game not as a competition but as a wonderful collaboration. With no knowledge of how the game must end, they innocently tumble headfirst into love. A deep, passionate, and magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands. Their masters still pull the strings, however, and this unforeseen occurrence forces them to intervene with dangerous consequences, leaving the lives of everyone from the performers to the patrons hanging in the balance.

*****

Welcome to Le Cirque des Rêves. 

It took me quite some time to finish this book. But don't get me wrong, I love The Night Circus so much. This was not a fast-paced and plot driven book. It was a character driven book. Some might like it, some might find it boring and too slow. As I said, it was a character driven book. The writer focus on the characters and their stories rather than on the plot. I think every characters in this book play a significant role for the main plot, they existed in the book for a purpose and not just a side character. All were memorable and important characters. 

I like the romance between Marco and Celia although I pitied Isobel. I like the friendship between Poppet, Bailey and Widget and how Bailey became a very important character at the end of the book. I like how the author constructs the circus and I like the way she wrote the book that makes me feel like I was experiencing the circus myself. Every characters in this book was very likable. 

The book was quite thick and the cover was extremely pretty. The book kinda gave me a magical feeling that the circus was real. The story took place in various places and times so it might be confusing a little bit. Overall I really like The Night Circus.

This book deserves 5 stars from me.

Book review : Annie on my mind by Nancy Garden

This groundbreaking book is the story of two teenage girls whose friendship blossoms into love and who, despite pressures from family and school that threaten their relationship, promise to be true to each other and their feelings. This book is so truthful and honest, it has been banned from many school libraries and even publicly burned in Kansas City.

Of the author and the book, the Margaret A. Edwards Award committee said, “Nancy Garden has the distinction of being the first author for young adults to create a lesbian love story with a positive ending. Using a fluid, readable style, Garden opens a window through which readers can find courage to be true to themselves.”

*****

This book is a must read classic coming out happy ending young adult book for LGBT book fan. I bought this book in the Big Bad Wolf sale and was super excited. I have the e-book version in my Ipad but I haven't read it cause I was planning to get myself a physical copy of this book. Got it for a very cheap price in Big Bad Wolf, so yay! I am actually not a big fan of coming out books or stories involving teenagers exploring and guessing their sexuality, but I feel like I really want to read this book.

This book was written based on the point of view of a girl named Eliza. She wrote several letters to her best friend, Annie (which she did not send any of them) and readers get to know about how Eliza and Annie first met, becoming friends, falling in love, struggle with the issue of sexuality, how they got caught by Eliza's teacher, how they cope with homophobia and their decision to come out to family and friends. This book was published in 1982, so I guessed that being gay around this time was pretty hard. 

This book was thin around 200 ++ pages. I could finish this book in just a day or two. The language was easy. I really like this cover. I think this book used to be banned and burned in several schools before homosexuality was widely accepted in the US. I love Annie's character and the chemistry between the two main characters were great. I like how Eliza always thinking about Annie but at the same time afraid to explore her feelings.

This book was great, I give this book 4 stars.

Book review : The abyss surrounds us by Emily Skrutskie

For Cassandra Leung, bossing around sea monsters is just the family business. She’s been a Reckoner trainer-in-training ever since she could walk, raising the genetically-engineered beasts to defend ships as they cross the pirate-infested Neo Pacific. But when the pirate queen Santa Elena swoops in on Cas’s first solo mission and snatches her from the bloodstained decks, Cas’s dream of being a full-time trainer seems dead in the water. 
There’s no time to mourn. Waiting for her on the pirate ship is an unhatched Reckoner pup. Santa Elena wants to take back the seas with a monster of her own, and she needs a proper trainer to do it. She orders Cas to raise the pup, make sure he imprints on her ship, and, when the time comes, teach him to fight for the pirates. If Cas fails, her blood will be the next to paint the sea. But Cas has fought pirates her entire life. And she's not about to stop.

*****

If you enjoy reading about pirates, sea monsters and lesbians, than this is the book for you! 

This book was about a sea monsters' trainer named Cassandra who was abducted by a group of pirates led by the pirate Queen Santa Elena. She was ordered to raise and trained an unhatched sea monster on the pirate ship or her life will be at stake. Santa Elena assigned one of her crew named Swift to keep an eye on Cassandra and if Cassandra failed or tried to flee, she will kill Swift as well. Reluctantly, Cassandra must obey Santa Elena and gradually befriended and attracted to Swift as their life depended on each other.

I supposed the event in this book happened in an alternative real world (or the future) where sea monsters roamed the high sees and trained to guard ships from pirates. The idea was fresh and I really like it. The characters were interesting; Santa Elena was a real badass, Swift was really cool and Cassandra wasn't that bad either. I like how Cassandra and Swift's relationship deepened. I like how they have this love-hate relationship and how much they would do to save each other. 

The author was quite knowledgeable about ships and mechanical device and it felt like I was watching an action movie or something. I like Cassandra's character development and how she tried to get along with the pirates and thinking about killing them at the same time. The thing that I don't like about this book is how thin it is and I finished reading it in less than a day. But I think there should be a sequel to this book as the ending was a cliffhanger. 

I like this book. I give this book 4.5 stars.

Book review : The school for good and evil by Soman Chainani

The first kidnappings happened two hundred years before. Some years it was two boys taken, some years two girls, sometimes one of each. But if at first the choices seemed random, soon the pattern became clear. One was always beautiful and good, the child every parent wanted as their own. The other was homely and odd, an outcast from birth. An opposing pair, plucked from youth and spirited away.

This year, best friends Sophie and Agatha are about to discover where all the lost children go: the fabled School for Good & Evil, where ordinary boys and girls are trained to be fairy tale heroes and villains. As the most beautiful girl in Gavaldon, Sophie has dreamed of being kidnapped into an enchanted world her whole life. With her pink dresses, glass slippers, and devotion to good deeds, she knows she’ll earn top marks at the School for Good and graduate a storybook princess. Meanwhile Agatha, with her shapeless black frocks, wicked pet cat, and dislike of nearly everyone, seems a natural fit for the School for Evil.

But when the two girls are swept into the Endless Woods, they find their fortunes reversed—Sophie’s dumped in the School for Evil to take Uglification, Death Curses, and Henchmen Training, while Agatha finds herself in the School For Good, thrust amongst handsome princes and fair maidens for classes in Princess Etiquette and Animal Communication.. But what if the mistake is actually the first clue to discovering who Sophie and Agatha really are…?

The School for Good & Evil is an epic journey into a dazzling new world, where the only way out of a fairy tale is to live through one. 

*****

"Who needs a prince in fairy tales?"

First of all I want to emphasized that this book is a middle grade book (for 8 to 12 years old readers), but after reading chapters by chapters I just wonder if is it really suitable for younger kids? This book was dark but in a fun way. The story was very unique and new. It was like a combination of fairy tales and Harry Potter series. This book was about two best friends; a beautiful girl named Sophie and a gloomy and dark girl named Agatha sorted into two magical schools, one for good and one for evil. Sophie always believed that she will get into the good school, becoming a princess and found happily ever after with a prince while Agatha will enter the Evil school and becoming a witch or villain. However, their fate reversed and Sophie got into the school for evil while Agatha got into the school for good.

This book was written from the POV of both of the main characters and it was kinda confusing when the author keeps switching the narration POV. This book was quite thick almost 500 pages. It was a fun roller coaster read and it almost feels like I was reading Harry Potter again. The world in the book was plainly divided by good and evil and the stereotype perceptions that the good has to be charming and good looking while the evil has to be dark, ugly and a witch. But Agatha and Sophie changed the perceptions that everything may not be as clear as black and white and may come in between.

Anyways, I like this book and will read the sequel. I give this book 4.5 stars. 

Book review : Throne of glass by Sarah J. Maas

After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.

Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for four years and then be granted her freedom. Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilarating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

*****

This book was about an assassin named Celaena Sardothien who was caught and had to serve hard labour in the salt mines for her crime, entered into a competition to become the King's Champion. She entered into a contract with the crown prince, Prince Dorian that if she wins the competition, she will have to serve the King for four years before she be granted her freedom. During the competition, one by one contestants were killed by mysterious creature and she has to figure out the killer before she becomes the next victim. She was also involved in a brief romance with Prince Dorian.

I was attracted by the book cover and the synopsis sounds very interesting. I end up buying this book from a local bookstore and I am glad that I only bought the first book instead of the whole series. To be frank, I didn't enjoy this book as much as I thought I would. This book received quiet a high rating in Goodreads and I think some readers found this book very enjoyable. The cover was very pretty and alluring but I don't think I like this book that much.

I didn't like Celaena at all. She was a bitchy and arrogant character and for an assassin, she wasn't that scary or dark or enigmatic at all. I didn't mind her being arrogant but I think an assassin should possess dark, cold or twisted character but I just think Celaena was being plain boring. Her skills were mentioned in the book and the author kept bragging and repeating of how great and awesome she was, but all I can read was only her whining and thoughts that she was superior and far greater than others, it makes her so so so annoying. She complained a lot about her dress, her appearance and how bored and lonely she was and she was no different than some mean cheerleaders in contemporary books.  

The book did not elaborate much on the characters' descriptions and side stories. There weren't any major character development throughout the book. I think the writer focused solely on the events that happened on Celaena. I have no problem with the plot or the story but if it wasn't because of Celaena, I might find this book quite likable. The language was okay and easily understood. The book was not very lengthy 400++ pages, I finished this book in two days despite of how much I dislike Celaena. The only thing I did like in this book was a character named Chaol Westfall. He was very calm and I can picture him in many anime/manga characters. 

I give this book 3 stars.

Book Review : The Rose Society by Marie Lu

Adelina Amouteru’s heart has suffered at the hands of both family and friends, turning her down the bitter path of revenge. Now known and feared as the White Wolf, she flees Kenettra with her sister to find other Young Elites in the hopes of building her own army of allies. Her goal: to strike down the Inquisition Axis, the white-cloaked soldiers who nearly killed her.

But Adelina is no heroine. Her powers, fed only by fear and hate, have started to grow beyond her control. She does not trust her newfound Elite friends. Teren Santoro, leader of the Inquisition, wants her dead. And her former friends, Raffaele and the Dagger Society, want to stop her thirst for vengeance. Adelina struggles to cling to the good within her. But how can someone be good when her very existence depends on darkness?

Bestselling author Marie Lu delivers another heart-pounding adventure in this exhilarating sequel to The Young Elites.

*****

Once upon a time, a girl had a father, a prince, a society of friends. Then they betrayed her, and she destroyed them all.

After Adelina departed her own way from her friends in the Dagger Society, together with her sister, they formed a new ally with few other Young Elites to strike down the Inquisition Axis and seize the crown. But her power has become so powerful and everybody just wanted to stop her. 

This book is the sequel to The Young Elites (review here) and all of the answers and cliffhangers from The Young Elites were answered in The Rose Society. I am so in love with this book as much as I love The Young Elites. It was very dark and I am thrilled with this book. As usual, the twisted protagonist of this book, Adelina Amouteru was not disappointing and one of the best character I have ever read as I am always in love with dark and twisted characters. She has the best character development (twisted) and readers tend to hate her or pity her for whatever decisions she made. She wasn't originally evil but she evolved because of her powers and how she felt betrayed by her family and friends. Readers should understand that every moves she makes was because of her pain and suffering and how hatred bloomed in her heart. 

This book was just CRAZY! Crazily dark and interesting. It was darker than the previous book and Adelina's power as an illusion creator has become so dark and powerful, it tends to consume her from within. I really wish I could write something as dark and compelling as this book. This book kinda remind me a lot of dark protagonist in the Japanese manga/anime Death Note and Code Geass.

There is nothing I didn't like about The Rose Society. I think the ending was perfect especially for a twisted and dark character as Adelina, she probably deserved that kind of ending. I think Book Three will be released in 2016 and it will be one of my most anticipated book to read this year.

I give this book 5 stars.

Book Review : Huntress by Malinda Lo

Nature is out of balance in the human world. The sun hasn't shone in years, and crops are failing. Worse yet, strange and hostile creatures have begun to appear. The people's survival hangs in the balance.

To solve the crisis, the oracle stones are cast, and Kaede and Taisin, two seventeen-year-old girls, are picked to go on a dangerous and unheard-of journey to Tanlili, the city of the Fairy Queen. Taisin is a sage, thrumming with magic, and Kaede is of the earth, without a speck of the otherworldly. And yet the two girls' destinies are drawn together during the mission. As members of their party succumb to unearthly attacks and fairy tricks, the two come to rely on each other and even begin to fall in love. But the Kingdom needs only one huntress to save it, and what it takes could tear Kaede and Taisin apart forever.

The exciting adventure prequel to Malinda Lo's highly acclaimed novel Ash is overflowing with lush Chinese influences and details inspired by the I Ching, and is filled with action and romance.

*****

I've been wanting to read this book ever since the first time I heard about it. I love LGBT theme and to find it in a young adult fantasy book was super amazing because it is very rare. Maybe my knowledge is limited but please recommend to me if you come across or happen to know any LGBT young adult fantasy / sci-fi books, ya.

This book was about an interesting relationship between two girls on a dangerous journey to escort the prince to meet the Fairy Queen. The land was divided by two kingdom : the land of human and the land of fairies and supernatural creatures. The story began when the king in the human land received an invitation from the Fairy Queen so he sent his son, three guards and two 17 years old girls from the Academy named Kaede and Taisin as his representatives. Both of them were classmates but barely spoken to each other. Taisin was a gifted student and good with magic and sorcery and she wished to be a mage after graduating. However, Kaede was only good with daggers and weapons and had no interest in sorcery at all. The relationship between Taisin and Kaede deepened as they have to rely on each other to complete their mission. 

I love the chemistry between Kaede and Taisin. They were shy and awkward at first (as they barely spoke to each other in class) but once they realized how much they attracted to each other, their relationship deepened.  They talked and giggled like best friends and they find hope to survive the mission in each other. They needed and relied on each other so much. I can only think of good things about their relationship because I ship them a lot. I cried at the end of this book because I think their relationship was very honest  and innocent BUT I hate their ending.

This book was not thick 300++ pages. The plot was okay and fast paced. This book was enjoyable to read especially the romance between Kaede and Taisin. However, I dislike the ending and I wish I could rewrite them based on my own liking. Haha.. I think the writer did not elaborate much on the characters in this book but I like how she wrote about feelings and how Kaede and Taisin fall in love. The description was very deep and poetic and I felt like Kaede and Taisin were very real.

I love the story but I hate the ending. So I give this book 4 stars.

Book Review : The young elites by Marie Lu

I am tired of being used, hurt, and cast aside.

Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina’s black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family’s good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever’s survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites.

Teren Santoro works for the king. As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation. He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it’s Teren who may possess the darkest secret of all. 

Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they’ve never seen. 

Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a very different and personal battle. But of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn’t belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her.

It is my turn to use. My turn to hurt.

*****

I know who you really are. Who will ever want you, Adelina?

My fury heightens. Everyone. They will cower at my feet, and I will make them bleed.

This book was one of the best book I've read so far! It was dark, full of suspense and the story was super good, I couldn't stop reading. The main character was not a goody two shoes typical protagonist like in most of young adult books, but an anti heroine instead. So I absolutely love it.

This book was about Adelina Amouteru who possessed a great super-power harvested from fear and vengeance after surviving the blood fever during her childhood. She accidentally killed her abusive father and was sentenced to death for being a 'malfetto' but was saved by a group of individuals possessing various super-powers and they were known as the Young Elites. She tried her best to fit in the Elites and training her abilities, unfortunately she was blackmailed by the leader of the Inquisitors to become a spy in order to save her imprisoned sister. She was torn between her sister's life and her loyalty to the Elites. She was in love with the leader of the Young Elites, Enzo.

I personally love Adelina. She was weak at first but her character develops very well throughout the book. She was not a nice girl and she fought to survive although it means she has to kill. She often visualized herself killing others with her abilities and she's loving it. She was a sadist and wretched human being as well as very twisted and dark character. The writer did a great job with Adelina and other characters. I also love Teren, the leader of the Inquisitors. He was broken and cruel, but his character was interesting.

The language was simple and easily understood. The book was not thick 300++ pages. I always get bored by nice protagonist so this book  is definitely a book for me. Check out some fan art below.

I give this book 5 stars (out of 5).

Book review : The invisible library by Genevieve Cogman

The first installment of an adventure featuring stolen books, secret agents and forbidden societies - think Doctor Who with librarian spies!

Irene must be at the top of her game or she'll be off the case - permanently...

Irene is a professional spy for the mysterious Library, which harvests fiction from different realities. And along with her enigmatic assistant Kai, she's posted to an alternative London. Their mission - to retrieve a dangerous book. But when they arrive, it's already been stolen. London's underground factions seem prepared to fight to the very death to find her book.

Adding to the jeopardy, this world is chaos-infested - the laws of nature bent to allow supernatural creatures and unpredictable magic. Irene's new assistant is also hiding secrets of his own.

Soon, she's up to her eyebrows in a heady mix of danger, clues and secret societies. Yet failure is not an option - the nature of reality itself is at stake.

*****

When I read the synopsis, I was very excited to get my hands on this book. Who wouldn't like the idea of a spy working for a mysterious library and travelling to different universes to obtain special books? I was very tempted to read this book, so I bought together the second installment; The Masked City. 

This book was about a spy named Irene and her assistant, Kai embarked on a mission to an alternative chaos-infected London to retrieve a book. However, the book was already stolen and they have to play detective and risked their life to find the stolen book.

Frankly, I did not like this book. The idea was very interesting and fresh, however I did not like how the author wrote this book. The plot was confusing and I felt like the dialogues were inconsistent, dragging and not interesting. I got bored in the middle of the book but I tried my best to finish it anyway. I like the general idea of the story, but I think the writer failed to write well or presenting this story as good as I thought it would be. Irene's character was okay though, she was a street smart woman with interesting pasts.

I give this book 3 stars.

Book Review : Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz

Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.

****

First of all, I think the book cover was very pretty. The title was great. But the most important thing is, the book was AWESOME! I fall in love with this book after reading the first chapter. I knew that I have to finish it, and I did in just one day despite of the thickness of this book. It has 400++ pages but the chapters were short and the language was very simple but poetic and philosophical. The main character was a young boy who was in the process of searching himself and who he really is and found the answer after meeting a new friend. I personally like this kind of books as it makes me think a lot about life.

This book was about an emotional and lonely 15 years old boy named Aristotle (Ari), an American-Mexican in search of himself, making new friend with another boy named Dante. They have different personalities ; Ari was a bit harsh, strong and quiet while Dante was the opposite of Ari but they shared similar interests in finding the secret of the universe. They became closer and best friends until one fateful day changed everything. Ari saved Dante from an accident and Dante had to move to another city for a year or two. They exchange letters, living their life while thinking and missing each other and finally at the age of 17, Dante returned and they resumed their friendships as usual. 

I love how the writer wrote this book. It was very poetic and light. The friendship between Ari and Dante was super amazing and I nearly cried at the end. The ending was perfect. The book was also about family, grief, love, innocence of young adults and puberty. I was never a fan of contemporary books but I just can't get my hands off this book and I was really sad when the book has ended. I wish this book has a sequel about Ari and Dante in college or work and how their relationship expands and how they faced the stigma from the society. This book was definitely about homosexuality so it might not attract some readers who doesn't like this genre.

I love this book a lot and I give this book 5 stars (out of 5). 

Book Review : Ash by Malinda Lo

In the wake of her father's death, Ash is left at the mercy of her cruel stepmother. Consumed with grief, her only joy comes by the light of the dying hearth fire, rereading the fairy tales her mother once told her. In her dreams, someday the fairies will steal her away, as they are said to do. When she meets the dark and dangerous fairy Sidhean, she believes that her wish may be granted.

The day that Ash meets Kaisa, the King's Huntress, her heart begins to change. Instead of chasing fairies, Ash learns to hunt with Kaisa. Though their friendship is as delicate as a new bloom, it reawakens Ash's capacity for love-and her desire to live. But Sidhean has already claimed Ash for his own, and she must make a choice between fairy tale dreams and true love.

Entrancing, empowering, and romantic, Ash is about the connection between life and love, and solitude and death, where transformation can come from even the deepest grief.

*****

Ash was a lesbian version of Cinderella retelling, which I like so so much. The book was not thick, I think 200 ++ pages. The language was simple but poetic. This book was about an orphan girl named Ash who lived with her cruel stepmother and two stepsisters. She loved fairy tales and always dreamed about a male fairy named Sidhean whom she believed will take her away some day. But when she met the King's Huntress named Kaisa, she enjoyed her companionship  and started to fall in love with her, but she was torn between her feelings to Kaisa and her promise to Sidhean.

I think the author did a great job in describing Ash. I love her character ; she was a girl full with curiosity, emotions, feelings and she was not a weakling. She was a rebellious girl and always sneaks out from her stepmother to meet the fairy or Kaisa. Ash did not rely on others to make a decision, she fought for what she believed and what she loved. I love Kaisa as well as I always love stories about huntress and women who fight. I ship them. Ha ha

This book was not an ordinary Cinderella tale where a handsome prince came to save the poor girl. It was about making decisions, fight for what you believe and what you want and of course about love. This was the first book written by Malinda Lo and I am looking forward to read her other books.

I give this book 4.5 stars.

Book Review : Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

This is a world divided by blood – red or silver.

The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers. And to Mare Barrow, a seventeen-year-old Red girl from the poverty-stricken Stilts, it seems like nothing will ever change.

That is, until she finds herself working in the Silver Palace. Here, surrounded by the people she hates the most, Mare discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy the balance of power.

Fearful of Mare’s potential, the Silvers hide her in plain view, declaring her a long-lost Silver princess, now engaged to a Silver prince. Despite knowing that one misstep would mean her death, Mare works silently to help the Red Guard, a militant resistance group, and bring down the Silver regime.

But this is a world of betrayal and lies, and Mare has entered a dangerous dance – Reds against Silvers, prince against prince, and Mare against her own heart .

*****

This book was super fantastic. I love the cover, sophisticated and it doesn't look like a young adult book at all. Red Queen was about the world of monarchy, politics, soldiers, oppression, super-powers, discrimination and rebellions. I really love the plot and the language was easily understood. The story was fast paced and did not bored me at all. 

This book was about Mare Barrow, a young commoner girl, a Red blood, founds out that she possessed a superpower that should only belonged to Silver bloods. The Silver monarchs declared her as a lost silver blood - born raised by Red bloods community and betrothed her to the Second Prince of the country. She silently helped a militant resistance group to bring down the empire from inside. I will not give you any spoilers but watch out for the great betrayal at the end of this book.

I like Mare Barrow. She was not a weakling and she always knew what to do. There was a slight romance in this book, between Mare and the princes. Yes you heard me, THE PRINCES with the S. She was tough and she does not rely on the princes to save her all the time but Mare was not really my favourite character in Red Queen.

This book was good and mind blowing for me and I give this book 4.5 stars. 

Book review : Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Simon Snow is the worst chosen one who’s ever been chosen.

That’s what his roommate, Baz, says. And Baz might be evil and a vampire and a complete git, but he’s probably right.

Half the time, Simon can’t even make his wand work, and the other half, he sets something on fire. His mentor’s avoiding him, his girlfriend broke up with him, and there’s a magic-eating monster running around wearing Simon’s face. Baz would be having a field day with all this, if he were here—it’s their last year at the Watford School of Magicks, and Simon’s infuriating nemesis didn’t even bother to show up.

Carry On is a ghost story, a love story, a mystery and a melodrama. It has just as much kissing and talking as you’d expect from a Rainbow Rowell story—but far, far more monsters.

*****

This book is a gay version of Harry Potter! And I love it. Its lighter than the Harry Potter series and the romance was adorable. This book has similar characters as in the Harry Potter series; the chosen one, the enthusiastic, loyal and brainy sidekicks,  the wise headmaster, the nemesis, the bully and so on. 

If any of you read 'Fangirl' also by Rainbow Rowell, you will notice that Simon Snow was actually a fictional character in the Simon Snow book series (like the Harry Potter series). The main character of Fangirl love the series and she wrote a fan fiction titled 'Carry On'. So basically, this book is a fiction in a fiction. I haven't read Fangirl yet though as I am not a big fan of contemporary young adult books.

I read this book in just two days and enjoyed it. The language and the plot was okay. I am a big fan of LGBT books so Carry On got me completely hooked.  There are plenty of things to like about this book. I love the love-hate relationship between Simon and Baz. I love the quotes. I love Watford School of Magicks. I love how they use 'sentences' as magic spells. And I love the ending.

I give this book 4 stars. 

Book Review : Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone...

A convict with a thirst for revenge.

A sharpshooter who can't walk away from a wager.

A runaway with a privileged past.

A spy known as the Wraith.

A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums. 

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.

Kaz's crew are the only ones who might stand between the world and destruction—if they don't kill each other first.

*****

I love this book so much and it was super amazing. The book was quite thick 400++ pages but it was worth it. The language was good and understandable for non English speakers. If you love Ocean Eleven, than you would love Six of Crows. The writer of this book was the same writer who wrote the famous Grisha trilogy which I haven't read yet, but I will later. The story took place in the Grisha universe so at first it was kinda hard for me to understand the unfamiliar 'Grisha jargon' in the story, but once you started to read and understand the plot I guess it was ok. Some readers might recommend you to read the Grisha trilogy before reading the Six of Crows, but it was fine with me.

The story was about six unique individuals with different personality, different skills and different backgrounds went for a deadly mission to break out a prisoner from the Ice Court. Readers will understand  all of the characters and their backgrounds as the point of view in this book shifted from one character to another. I love how the writer wrote about each characters' POV and their interactions. Kaz Brekker especially, the leader and mastermind of the team reminded me a lot of Ciel Phantomhive from a Japanese manga, Kuroshitsuji. I have no favourite character because I LOVE them all. 

The book started quite slow in the beginning maybe because I was having trouble to understand some of the words and the characters in the book. Those who have read the Grisha trilogy might not experience the same as me. I really love the energy, the action,  the plot, and the romances in the story. The romances were subtle and not cheesy. So I really like it as I am not a big fan of romance novel.

I highly recommend this book to EVERYONE and I will definitely read the Grisha trilogy later. I can't wait to read the continuation of this book. Thank you Leigh Bardugo for writing such an amazing book.

I give this book  5 stars (out of 5).

check out this fan art

Book Review : An Ember in the Ashes by Zabaa Tahir

Laia is a slave. 

Elias is a soldier. 

Neither is free.

Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.

It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.

But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.

There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.

*****

This was the first book that I read in 2016. I bought this book early January and finished it almost a week later. This book was really good and easy to read. I was absolutely hooked by the plot and the characters and I can say that it was very well written. The chapters were short and the language was super easy to be understood for the non-native English speakers. It was written based on the POV of the two main characters; Laia and Elias. 

Laia was an ordinary orphan girl, living with her grandparents and her older brother. Her life changed when a group of soldiers raided her home, killing her grandparents and captured her brother. She was forced to seek assistance from the rebels of the Empire and was asked to be a slave in the military academy and spy for the rebels in exchange for the rebels' assistance to free her brother. Apparently her late parents were part of the rebels as well and were killed by the commandant. She met Elias, a soldier who wants nothing but his freedom. 

Frankly, I did not fancy Laia's characters very much. She was super ordinary except for her beauty that attracted most of the male characters in the book. I always get excited about books focusing on female main protagonist, but Laia's character was just- meh. But her character evolved at every turn of the page as she gets stronger and some readers might find her very likable. On the other hand, I loved reading about Elias and his POV and its not just because he wore a cool mask that makes him a hunk. 

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoy young adult fantasy dystopian books. Be ready to read about tortures and wars and killings and blood and light romance although the story was not really that 'dark'. This book has a mystery of its own especially about the commandant and the Augurs and you would like its version on middle eastern supernatural creatures like jinns and ifrits.

I give this book 4 stars.