Three Dark Crowns (Guest Review)

Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake

Series: Three Dark Crowns #1

Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy

Format: UK Paperback

Page Length: 407 pages

Publisher: Pan Macmillan

About Three Dark Crowns (via Goodreads):

When kingdom come, there will be one.

In every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is born—three queens, all equal heirs to the crown and each possessor of a coveted magic. Mirabella is a fierce elemental, able to spark hungry flames or vicious storms at the snap of her fingers. Katharine is a poisoner, one who can ingest the deadliest poisons without so much as a stomachache. Arsinoe, a naturalist, is said to have the ability to bloom the reddest rose and control the fiercest of lions.

But becoming the Queen Crowned isn’t solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. And it’s not just a game of win or lose…it’s life or death. The night the sisters turn sixteen, the battle begins.

The last queen standing gets the crown.

So I’ve read Three Dark Crowns twice now, and both times I have just fallen head-over-heels with every aspect of it.  It’s a novel that constantly catches me by surprise and one that I can never forget. Filled with deeply relatable characters alongside three masterfully crafted heroines, Three Dark Crowns delivered on its unique yet familiar promises and concepts to create a beautiful world that I love going back to.

I will admit that the book took me a little bit to get into.  However, the first three chapters of the novel do a great job of introducing the three queens and their expansive world thanks to Kendare Blake’s exquisite, emotional, and illustrative writing style.  The construction and placement of these first three chapters is near-perfect as well; they sum up the world perfectly in a condensed length and give a great span of what lies ahead for the arcs of the characters and what to expect of the world ahead throughout the novel.  Katharine’s sweetness and naïveté in the poisoner-dominated capital helps to give a great, broad introduction of the world that is further expanded by the main cities of the other queens.  Arsinoe’s down-to-earth nature introduces her small naturalist city on Fennbirn in a casual way that suits her character perfectly.  And the storm cloud looming over them both is the super-powered sister Mirabella dictated by the island’s religion and tradition; Blake expands on her character in the third chapter with grace and style, revealing a troubled girl not ready to become a woman.

It is easy to fall in love with at least one of the queens and their storylines.  I latched on to Arsinoe and the Milone family almost immediately.  Arsinoe’s fatal flaws, casual nature, wit, and extreme loyalty made her deeply relatable.  Her bond with Jules is well-crafted, but admittedly Jules is not as well-written of a character as Arsinoe, and sometimes Blake’s overemphasis on Jules’ storylines and friendship with Arsinoe gets tedious.  It honestly seems like she’s setting up for a big twist in the series that a handful might start to see coming upon a second read.  In contrast, Arsinoe’s bond with Billy is an amazingly crafted relationship.  Usually male-female pairs would just be eviscerated by trying to jam in a romance, but Blake counters that trend through a pair of friends that truly understand where each other stands in each other’s lives.

Now that I’ve clearly shown how much I support Arsinoe being queen, let’s talk about her sisters. Katharine’s character arc throughout the novel is pretty inspiring and powerful, and her transformation is hypnotizing to read about.  The Arrons are incredibly intimidating, and Blake crafted an amazingly devious and dubious family from them.  Unravelling Mirabella was really fun, despite her tired story as the wedge between Jules and Joseph’s relationship.  It’s something we’ve seen it before, but Blake unpacks Mirabella in a way that feels refreshing and sympathetic.  Speaking of which, Jules and Joseph’s relationship is magical in that it feels incredibly forced yet incredibly integral to the narrative at the same time.

Overall, Three Dark Crowns is one of my favorite novels for these reasons and more.  It introduced three to four powerful heroines who took change and adversity and molded it to their advantage (I am counting Jules.  Jules is great).  It strived me to form better relationships with my friends and appreciate the family I had with me at home and while in college.  Flying through the 400+ pages only made me want to start at the beginning of the book, and I can’t wait to sail back through Fennbirn when One Dark Throne comes out in September.

My Rating: 4.9 stars

The Amateurs (Guest ARC Review)

Hey guys! I am super excited to invite my good friend Izzy to my blog today! I've been friends with Izzy for around 6 years now, and she's always been the one I turned to IRL to fangirl with about everything, especially books. I've been trying to convince her to join blogging, and although I've failed to do so thus far, she was kind enough to offer to write a review for an ARC she received when she participated in BiblioBattle Kinokuniya in NYC. Anyway, I am so happy that Izzy was willing to take time out of her busy schedule to join us on the blog for a bit to share her thoughts on The Amateurs by Sara Shepard!

The Amateurs by Sara Shepard

Series: The Amateurs #1

Genre: Young Adult/Mystery
Page Length: 320 pages
Source: ARC won at BiblioBattle Kinokuniya
Publication Date: November 1, 2016
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

About The Amateurs (via Goodreads):

As soon as Seneca Frazier sees the post on the Case Not Closed website about Helena Kelly, she’s hooked. Helena’s high-profile disappearance five years earlier is the one that originally got Seneca addicted to true crime. It’s the reason she’s a member of the site in the first place.

So when Maddy Wright, her best friend from the CNC site, invites Seneca to spend spring break in Connecticut looking into the cold case, she immediately packs her bag. But the moment she steps off the train in trendy, glamorous Dexby, things begin to go wrong. Maddy is nothing like she expected, and Helena’s sister, Aerin Kelly, seems completely hostile and totally uninterested in helping with their murder investigation.

But when Brett, another super user from the site, joins Seneca and Maddy in Dexby, Aerin starts to come around. The police must have missed something, and someone in Dexby definitely has information they’ve been keeping quiet.

As Seneca, Brett, Maddy, and Aerin begin to unravel dark secrets and shocking betrayals about the people closest to them, they seem to be on the murderer’s trail at last. But somewhere nearby the killer is watching . . . ready to do whatever it takes to make sure the truth stays buried.

Now, most of what I know of Sara Shepard revolves around three words: Pretty. Little. Liars.  Against my parents’ wishes I’d stealthily watch the TV show to admire Drew Van Acker’s face (Before I stopped watching PLL I was totally Team #Jaria). I had read the first two books, but I never cared to venture through the rest of the superficial, chick-litty, and seemingly neverending series.

When I won a copy of The Amateurs I was only expecting more of the same from Sara Shepard - a mindless and breezy read. What I did not expect was to end up writing this review saying that my new favorite book is written by the author of Pretty Little Liars.

The Amateurs transcends Shepard’s It clique-centric voice and writing style to evolve into an elegant, sleek thriller and an instant classic Sara Shepard novel. I could still feel her authentic writing self through all of the words, which brought back middle school nostalgia and felt like a snuggly blanket when the feels hurt. All the characters, even if they appeared for a glimmer of a moment, were fleshed out onto a relatable scale that only made the tension, secrets, suspense, and emotions escalate to nail-biting heights that had seemed forced before, colliding with her writing and story to make for a truly fantastic read.

For once, Sara Shepard is writing about outsiders in her novels - and she should do it more often, because everyone - even the villains - in the story were compelling. Her third-person writing conveyed that same aspect, which not only amped up the secrets but truly gave me the feeling of being in another person’s shoes. I was able to connect to characters that IRL would be the polar opposite of me, helping me to develop a deeper connection and bond to the story and plot.

Aerin, however, is the crowning jewel out of all of Sara Shepard’s characters. And not just in this book - I’m talking about all her characters. Ever. Aerin’s feelings are raw and honest, making her character arc impactful and her growth inspiring. Through the lens of others Aerin’s personality matures, which only made her feel more organic and real to me. Seneca is also as well-crafted as her personality in the novel, although (without spoilers) her character development did suffer from one too many of Shepard’s classic twists and turns to keep up with and sometimes seemed like overkill.

Also, Maddy is bae. I don’t need to say anything more about that.

This is the only accurate representation of Maddy Wright that I will accept.

I had some minor problems with some of the writing in certain scenes, which at times seemed confused and muddled between all the different points of view, and her style has always relied on the generic twists that just seemed superfluous towards the tail end of the novel. But the ending made my jaw drop. And overall I just loved this book. The Amateurs was an incredible surprise that no matter how many times I’ll expect it, I will never see it coming.

This was pretty much my reaction at the end of the book. Although I feel bad for using the GIF of this moment in PLL...

my rating: 4.5 stars

YA LGBT+ Books Start Guide

Hi guys! I'm really excited to have Shelly from Read. Sleep. Repeat on my blog today to give some LGBT+ book recommendations for Pride Month!
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Have you wanted to expand your reading list and make it more inclusive but aren’t sure where to start? Pride Month is the perfect time, but it can be stressful. There are so many books but so little time (the typical book lover problem). Here are some LGBT+ books that appeal to every reader:

Love beautiful writing? Try I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson. IGYTS explores the relationship between Jude and her twin brother, Noah. It’s beautifully written, will make you cry, and will make you clamor for another Jandy Nelson book.

For fans of suspenseful thrillers, I recommend Far From You by Tess Sharpe. A heartbreaking and mysterious story, I loved reading Sophie’s journey.

One of my favourite writers is David Levithan, and he has so many wonderful LGBT+ books. Because of his numerous titles, it’s hard to figure out where to begin. I personal recommend Every Day, as it wonderfully explores gender and love.

A title I see recommended almost all the time is Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz and I have to agree. While it does have a small romance, it is first and foremost about friendship and growing up. The writing is so beautiful and if you’re a Hamilton fan, Lin-Manuel Miranda narrates the audiobook!

A perfect summer read, Everything Leads to You is one Nina LaCour’s latest novels. Emi is a Hollywood set designer, and while her sets may be perfect, her love life isn’t. If you’re looking for a fun light-hearted read, I highly recommend this one!

If you love Harry Potter, get ready to read the latest from Rainbow Rowell. Carry On surrounds the story of Baz and Simon, two students at a wizarding school. It’s been described as a similar ship to Draco/Harry and I can totally see that comparison. If you’ve read Fangirl, you’ll recognize the characters! I will caution that Carry On does have some issues with bisexuality erasure.

Basically, you can't go wrong with any of these books.

GUEST POST: J.A. George, author of GIFTED

Hello there!

GIFTED is my first published novel and that means you’ve probably never heard of me, so allow me to introduce myself. My name is J.A. George and I’m the author of GIFTED − The Hayven Series. I thought I’d take this guest post opportunity to write about the different stages of writing Gifted. But I’ll tell you what it’s about before I move forward.  

There is no chosen one in this story.

She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time and happened to make a decision that altered her future forever. It happens to all of us every day.

Avery Gray is a size twelve university student with a penchant for dry humour, and she’s as normal as they come. One rainy afternoon, Avery had to make a choice: go through the alleyway or around it. Two possible options. One would have had her future continue on as planned, the other would ensure that her future never remained the same again. She unknowingly went with the latter.

Change can be good. It can bring new opportunities, new friends and a life you never thought possible. Change can be bad. It can bring you people determined to burn your city to the ground.

It all depends on the decisions you make.

As you’ve probably guessed from the blurb, GIFTED fits into a few different genres, but I would categorize it as a contemporary young adult fantasy with a few bits of romance (not much! You’ve been warned), comedy (well, it made me laugh a few times), adventure and mystery.

Avery, or as she’s commonly known, Ava, is my main character, and possibly my favourite (it changes every day). This published version of GIFTED is my second edition and in my first edition Avery was completely different. In the past, I’ve had problems with writing for other people and in my first edition of GIFTED, I tried to write a novel with a character that everyone would love to read. However, since subjectivity and different tastes exist, that just isn’t possible. So after two years, I decided to write for myself. Long story made incredibly short, Ava was a bit boring, in my opinion, because I was trying to follow trends I’d seen before, trying to fit her into too many different boxes. So I transformed her into a character I’d want to meet if I got the chance. Now, I just love her. She makes me laugh − a lot. I hope she’ll make you laugh too.

Where did I get the idea of my novel from? I have no idea! Yet, it would be nothing short of a lie if I told you it simply fell into my head one day, even though it often does feel like that’s exactly what happened. There are three reasons I can attribute to why I wrote Gifted.

Firstly, I wanted to read it. I wanted to read about a contemporary YA fantasy that doesn’t feature instant-love, a chosen one or a girl who kicks butt on a daily basis. I wanted someone real, someone I could relate to. Then I added other elements I wanted to read. Which now that I come to think of it, is probably why GIFTED fits into a few different categories; I like to read a lot of different genres.

The concept of being gifted, well, that stemmed from me. No, unfortunately, I am not supernaturally gifted (yet), but I am obsessed with people who are different. Now, when I say ‘different’, I don’t mean they have the gifts my characters have, such as, pre-cognition, shape-shifting, weather control, and earth manipulation, I just mean…different. The characters in GIFTED have supernatural gifts, but without the gifts they are still different; they’re an eclectic bunch. I like the idea of ordinary people being extra-ordinary in some way or another, whether it’s to do with their artistic capabilities, the way their brain works, or their imagination and creativity. Because of this, I made a city full of normal people with gifts and personalities that are anything but normal, anything but ordinary and boring. They’re only “normal” in the sense that they’re not, you know…mentally insane.

When it comes to settings in GIFTED, I have two. I knew from the get-go that I wanted one of them to be based in the UK, but instead of using a town that already exists, I made one up – Huxton. Why make up a town when you have so many options at your disposal, I hear you ask. Well, it was so much more fun to make up my own world because really, anything goes; no-one can tell you the place you’ve made up isn’t exact or accurate because well, you’ve made it up, so of course it isn’t! Same goes for my fantasy setting – Hayven, a city in a country separated from the rest of the world where only gifters (ordinary people with extra-ordinary gifts) can go.

As for the title GIFTED, well, it just seemed the most appropriate. I wanted to summarise the entire book in one word for the title and I think it does that really well. I will follow this trend with the other three books that form the rest of the series. GIFTED is a title that graces the cover of other books out there, but I didn’t want to change the title because nothing suits it as much. So I added a subtitle and called my series, The Hayven Series.

Alright, I could whitter on for a long time about GIFTED, but I’d hate for you to get bored. If my ramblings weren’t enough for you, check out my blog! There’s ramblings galore over there.

Thank you, Alexandra, for allowing me to post on your blog. It’s been fun!

J.A. George

Twitter: @JGeorge_

Blog: www.thejourneyofgifted.co.uk

Download a sample of GIFTED from amazon here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gifted-Hayven-Book-1-ebook/dp/B01E83HZPC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1460835483&sr=8-1&keywords=gifted+J+George

GUEST POST: Maha from Younicorn Reads

Hi everyone!!! I am so so so so so excited to tell you all that I have Maha from Younicorn Reads here today to talk about the reality of realistic fiction. I absolutely adore Maha's discussion posts, so I was so happy when she said she'd be willing to post on my blog.

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ABOUT MAHA

Maha is a fourteen years old girl runing a blog called Younicorn Reads. she is a very little person with a bag full of books and a head full of dreams. you'll probably only see her sitting on her bed and holding a book, but she's either practicing magic, killing demons, or breaking down a government.
you can find her fangirling on Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, or Goodreads.

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lately, i've been reading a lot more contemporaries than usual, and they are all so cute and romantic and FLUFFY (GIVE ME MORE FLUFFY-NESS.)

however, i've noticed a common point between all main characters in that genre: they are usually (i say usually) the kindest persons in the world, the ones who want to love everyone, want to best for everybody in the book/series. but are these main characters realistic?

i mean, don't get me wrong, i LOVE a lot of main characters in contemporary novels (Emily Hughes and Lola Nolan are just SOME of them), and most of them are teenagers, but are these characters reflecting us as other teenagers reading these books? teenagers have acne, struggle in life, are lonely sometimes, are not all skinny and lovely, don't have perfect hair, have family problems, ARE STRESSED OUT BECAUSE OF SCHOOL AND FINALS AND EXAMS (!!!!), and YA contemporary main characters just...don't. the only things they care about is their summer plans and the cute guy next door. I DON'T EVEN HAVE A SUMMER PLAN.

we read to find ourselves in books, to relate to our characters like they are REAL HUMAN BEINGS. but can we relate to them if they aren't reflecting us? aren't like us?

this isn't some kind of hate towards main characters in YA contemporary, this is a reflection. and believe it or not, we are completely different from these characters. we are not perfect. we have acne, we are stressed by school, and, believe it or not, we do not love everybody. so while contemporaries are really cute and fluffy and romantic, it might not be the perfect reflection to our lives (or maybe it's just mine that is boring).

do you think these main characters are reflecting us? why (not)?

GUEST POST: Jess from Princessica of Books

Hi guys! I'm very excited to announce that Jess @ Princessica of Books was kind enough to stop by my blog today with a discussion post. I always love reading her discussion posts, so I hope you enjoy too! ~ Alexandra

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What do we get out of rereading? | Discussion

The thing about rereading is this: there isn't enough time to read all books once, so why read some twice? And the answer is simple– the book means a lot to the reader, whether it's the book they grew up with, or the first book that made them cry, or it just means a lot because it's a guarantee outing of a reading slump.

Yet, there are some cases in which rereading actually diminishes the reader's respect and/or interest in the particular once-favorite book. In fact, I come across that case more often than not. However, I'm still in favor of rereading. Why? Because if all goes well, the reader gets a new perspective, relives a joyous moment in their reading career, refreshes their knowledge on the story, or we get out of reading slumps or hangovers.

The New Perspective

It seems that this is the most common case, especially with Harry Potter fans. They catch hidden eggs and trickery hidden to the common eye. Do you know how many theories are confirmed or brought up each time someone reads Harry Potter? By rereading, we already knows what happens so now we focus on the smaller details.

In addition, sometimes things get better as we get older. Things and lessons that didn't mean anything to us 10 year olds but mean everything to us in our 20s. We get a new perspective on the outside world which brings a new perspective on the inside.

Refreshing Knowledge

I often do this with series, especially if the sequel comes out a year or more after the first book. I know that in preparation for Queen of Shadows, there was a reread-a-thon for the entire series. Maybe you don't read the entire book but just the end. I know that I do that with required reads; I skim the book about an hour before the reading test. There's also Shmoop that has a lot of required reads and runs through their plot, not too many for young adult books though!

Reliving Joy

If all goes well, rereading will bring reminiscence and we get nostalgic. Sometimes we get a deeper appreciation. However, there isn't always a lingering reminiscence. Some books are read back to back because, well, they just enjoyed it that much and they want to feel it all again.

Getting Out of Slumps & Hangovers

This is probably the biggest reason I reread because it combines the first two results as well. I know that if I'm in a slump, I can easily pick up Harry Potter or a contemporary stand alone like a Kasie West novel. Rereads are often quicker, too, since like I mention before, you already know the story, so they are great for catching up on reading challenge, even though Goodreads doesn't count rereads (boo!). Sometimes after an amazing book, I say "Nothing is ever going to be as good as this except this other book that was just as good," so I'll reread another 5-star because I need to read something.

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Those are the four results I could think of that happens when you reread!

Did I leave something out? Why do you reread?

About the Blogger:

Jess is your local blogger, bibliophile, feminist, and a future cat-lady. She enjoys supporting her local library and absolutely adores indie bookstores. When she is not reading or doing any other bookish sorts, she is probably listening to Troye Sivan, tweeting (@PrincessicaOB), or doing schoolwork [yes, although she hates it, she is quite responsible]. Feel free to chat with her on Twitter, Goodreads, Instagram or email her at princessiccaaaa[at]gmail[dot]com. Yes, two c's and four a's.

Blog Tour - Every Big & Little Wish (Guest Post + Giveaway!)

Every Big & Little Wish by E.C. Moore
Publisher: Booktrope Publishing
Publication date: October 20th 2015
Genres: Romance, Young Adult

About Every Big and Little Wish:

E.C. Moore’s young adult novel, Every Big and Little Wish, opens in late spring 1970. Sixteen-year-old Jacy Wilbert’s Mom got promoted, so her parents sold their Victorian home in California and moved to a townhouse in Oregon.

Torn away from the only home she’s ever known, forced to leave her beloved German shepherd behind, Jacy feels misplaced. Exacerbating an already terrible situation, her dad runs off with the bombshell real estate agent who sold them their townhouse. And, just when it seems things can’t get any worse, her mom loses the stupid job they left California for in the first place and begins to drown her sorrows with pink wine, night after night. Jacy’s caught in the middle, struggling to maintain a relationship with her AWOL dad while tolerating his annoying, much-younger girlfriend.

Missing old friends back in California, and feeling like an outsider, Jacy needs to build a new social life in a new school. Not the sort of girl to wait around for what she wants to come her way, she sets her sights on Neil Wilder, the best-looking boy around.

Everything changes when Jacy Wilbert knocks on the wrong door.

Goodreads | Amazon

~ GUEST POST ~

How I Came to Write Every Big & Little Wish

Every Big & Little Wish is dark and suspenseful but not without lighter moments and heart. I chose 1970 as the setting. I believe this iconic period helps to set the narrative apart. This coming of age novel is a fictional attempt to explore what if felt like to be stalked and kidnapped from my own unique perspective. Although Jacy Wilbert goes through much of what I did, my protagonist is not like me in any way shape or form, and I chose to depict her a few years younger than I was when I got abducted. But her German Shepherd Thor is a genuine portrayal of the guard dog my dad bought to protect me, right down to his name, unusual coloring, and astounding bravery.

I usually begin a book with a seed of an idea. For instance, on a walk one day, I noticed a rundown house with Christmas lights still up in late spring, a dried up wreath hanging on the entry door, and a yard full of potholes. An attractive high school girl walked by just then. If such a girl liked and wanted to meet a boy who lived in such a house, would she be brave enough to knock on his door? What sort of girl could ignore such a ramshackle exterior? How could she be so bold? My protagonist, Jacy Wilbert, was born. I always knew I would write a book loosely based on my stalking and eventual kidnapping, so I began to incorporate that scenario into the outline.

For some reason, parents are often portrayed as peripheral, two-dimensional characters in novels. I wanted Jacy’s parents to be genuinely human and flawed. I didn’t conceal or suppress their bad conduct or erratic behavior patterns. I attempted to illustrate Jacy’s response to her parent’s actions with the choices she makes in return.

The attraction Jacy feels for Neil Wilder, the best-looking boy around, is all consuming and leads her to knock on the wrong door. How could she know it was the wrong door? Contact with the Wilder family leads to obsession and danger.

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About the Author:

When Elizabeth’s not writing feverishly, you will find her out walking or sightseeing. She’s crazy about coffee, books, cooking, good wine, cairn terriers, miniature ponies, historical houses, tapas, and witty people.

She resides in a fifties bungalow in Southern California, with her creative-director, hubba-hubba husband, a yappy blonde dog, and one feisty Chihuahua.

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