The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco

Author: Rin Chupeco

Original title: The Bone Witch
Edition Language: English
Series: The Bone Witch #1
Genres:  Fantasy
Format: Audio book
Read by: Emily Woo Zeller, Will Damron
Duration: 12h8m
Goodreads

Blurb:
    When Tea accidentally resurrects her brother, Fox, from the dead, she learns she is different from the other witches in her family. Her gift for necromancy means that she’s a bone witch, a title that makes her feared and ostracized by her community. But Tea finds solace and guidance with an older, wiser bone witch, who takes Tea and her brother to another land for training.

My thoughts:
       I really enjoyed this book. It is a YA fantasy from Philippines. I was a bit sceptical about this book at the beginning, but really fast was drawn into this beautiful world of witches. This book is slow and very character driven, so if you expect epic battles you might be disappointed. I was not, however.

The book is full of vibrant colours, vivid characters, youth and adventure. A big bulk of the book is dedicated to world building, politics and social hierarchy. It is also full of life issues: nationalism, injustice, feminism, the tyranny of elders, fear of changes, prejudice, youth rebellion.

I like the structure of the book: we got the glimpses of the future at the end of each chapter, which is full of spoilers, but it makes it more interesting to get there with our protagonist through her adventures. Though the bone witch uses the "chosen" theme, it is not taken lightly. Tea does not get everything in one day, she works hard and a lot, and goes through a great deal of ordeal and humiliation to get there she wants.

   I could not get myself away from this book for a long time and picking up the sequel right away.

Rating: 

         5/5  

The Girl the Sea Gave Back by Adrienne Young

Author: Adrienne Young

Original title: The Girl the Sea Gave Back
Pages: 416
Edition Language: Russian
Series: Sky in the Deep #2
Format: e-book
Genres: Fantasy
Goodreads

Blurb:    
   For as long as she can remember, Tova has lived among the Svell, the people who found her washed ashore as a child and use her for her gift as a Truthtongue. Her own home and clan are long-faded memories, but the sacred symbols and staves inked over every inch of her skin mark her as one who can cast the rune stones and see into the future. She has found a fragile place among those who fear her, but when two clans to the east bury their age-old blood feud and join together as one, her world is dangerously close to collapse.

My thoughts: 
     As with many second books in the series, let's pretend it does not exist. 

Sky in the Deep was a great stand alone novel with a great world and characters. This book seems a carbon copy of a book that might have been written if the author took more time or effort. I think the idea is here, but the plot and characters fell flat for me. The world building is minimal, if any, and the plot is quite predictable. The prose is very beautiful and rich here, but most events of the book just do not have any purpose. Altogether, motivation and events seemed rather weak and pointless.

     I liked how Adrienne Young writes, but I find her first book way better than the second. Hopefully, the next one will be great and surprising.

 Rating:  

    3/5  

Escaping from Houdini/Capturing the Devil by Kerri Maniscalco ready check

Author: Kerri Maniscalco

Original title: Escaping from Houdini
Pages: 512
Edition Language: Russian
Series: Stalking Jack the Ripper #3
Format: e-book
Genres: Mystery

Blurb:    
  Audrey Rose Wadsworth and her partner-in-crime-investigation, Thomas Cresswell, are en route to New York to help solve another blood-soaked mystery.

My thoughts: 
    I was going into this book expecting at least the same degree of enjoyment that I got from books one and two and I was really puzzled to find a really bad story and a degradation of the characters. 

    First of all, Audrey Rose turned into a flimsy shallow girl, putting her nose in other peoples' affairs, and entertaining herself in the company of a person with disputable reputation. Her attitude towards
Thomas Cresswell is incomprehensible, she is keeping secrets from him and constantly seen with a different man alone. All her "Trust Me", "Love you" "I know what I am doing" etc. are just pathetic. It is not clear what exactly she is doing with the artists. What is required of her by this con artist? To stand with an apple on her head at the last performance? 

      Cresswell present in this book is close to nothing. He is a secretary during an autopsy. He is sitting idly and waiting for her to choose when she is running with a different man. He cannot even be jealous and fight for her as this will portrait him as a proprietor and an anti feminism character.

    And, secondly, since this book is a mystery and there is a killer on the loose, there must be some detective work done by our characters. But alas, while Audrey Rose was enjoying herself at the carnival, Thomas was watching her to fall in love with a flashy arrogant con artist (not even a scientist) within a week, bodies kept piling up. They did nothing to find the killer. I believe if the murderer was not so theatrical they would still not have a clue who it is. He practically was explaining every step of his doings, at the final show, exactly as he planned it and no one was even close to uncover him. 

So altogether absolutely boring and illogical book with a very irritating female character.

 

 Rating:  

    2/5  

 

 

Author: Kerri Maniscalco
Original title: Capturing the Devil
Pages: 512
Edition Language: Russian
Series: Stalking Jack the Ripper #4
Format: e-book
Genres: Mystery

Blurb:    

  Audrey Rose Wadsworth and Thomas Cresswell have landed in America, a bold, brash land unlike the genteel streets of London they knew. But like London, the city of Chicago hides its dark secrets well. When the two attend the spectacular World's Fair, they find the once-in-a-lifetime event tainted with reports of missing people and unsolved murders.

My thoughts: 

    I do not know why I decided to torture myself with this book, but hope dies last. I have already read 3 previous books and I kept hearing positive reviews about the final one. Altogether, I was going to DNF it just about 7 times. I was bored to death by it. Audrey Rose turned to absolutely intolerable person. For a such young person there were too much "I know", "I can", "I will do". So much talking and so little done. On one page she is refusing to be a mistress and two or three pages later she is in his arms. She is always armed and never uses the scalpel. She is constantly thinking over the same issues: love for Thomas, sadness over her brother's death and fear of the murderer, her dress again and again, pages and pages on. In this book the mystery is secondary and it is so chaotic. All logic behind the investigation is unclear. Altogether, the book is a 19th century soap opera with a happy ending. Endless boredom, it is better to pretend books 3 and 4 never happened and Audrey Rose and Thomas lived happily after escaping Romania.

 Rating:  

    1/5  

Wilder Girls by Rory Power

Author:  Rory Power
Original title:  Wilder Girls
Pages: 288
Edition Language: Russian
Series: no
Format: e-book
Genres: Science Fiction, Dystopia
Goodreads

 Blurb:         
       It's been eighteen months since the Raxter School for Girls was put under quarantine. Since the Tox hit and pulled Hetty's life out from under her.

It started slow. First the teachers died one by one. Then it began to infect the students, turning their bodies strange and foreign. Now, cut off from the rest of the world and left to fend for themselves on their island home, the girls don't dare wander outside the school's fence, where the Tox has made the woods wild and dangerous. They wait for the cure they were promised as the Tox seeps into everything.

My thoughts: 
      I have heard positive reviews about this book from multiple sources, and let's be real - the cover is a bomb! Unfortunately, the story itself left me untouched. It felt more like a book of character sketches: you can see framework of people, but none of them is complete and whole. I was let down by how a lot of the characters motivation for their actions didn't seem to make any sense. They either weren't explained, or some characters needed more background to be able to understand why they made the choices they did. I could not make any sense of their past, character traits and motivation. The only more or less round character is Hetty, but again the motivation of her actions is not clear. 

   Altogether, interesting premise, but the book felt very raw: many scenes did not make any impact on the story and felt cut out from the flow of the narration. Byatt's point of view contained a couple of chapters only and I found them out of the place as well. They told the story of what happened with her, but I was expecting more history and character development and got nothing.

 Rating:  

    3/5  

Scythe by Neal Shusterman

Author: Neal Shusterman
Original title: Scythe 
Pages: 448
Edition Language: Russian
Series: Arc of a Scythe #1
Format: e-book
Genres: Fantasy
Goodreads

Blurb: 
     A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery. Humanity has conquered all those things, and has even conquered death. Now scythes are the only ones who can end life—and they are commanded to do so, in order to keep the size of the population under control.

My thoughts: 
     I read the synopsis of this and loved the idea. And I really, REALLY wanted to love this book. It’s so popular on Booktube, Goodreads, everywhere. I was sure it was going to be a good one.
It was such a boring and predictable book. I understand that an imaginary world is created in a dystopian fantasy, but even then, the set up needs to be worked out well with reasons and consequences. The writing was not impressive, the characters flat and predictable.
      All in all, it was an tiresome 450 pages story of some kind of weird apprenticeship. The utopia was full of unexplained, contradictory rules and setup. The action seems to be created for the sake of it and pushed in front of the reader to be taken for granted. I really did not know if I should give the series another chance or just DNF it, but I decided to read the second book and was hooked, it was much more interesting, which I did not expect, so defensively finishing up the series.

  Rating:  

    2/5  

The Remnant Chronicles by Mary E. Pearson

Author: Mary E. Pearson
Original title: The Kiss of Deception/The Heart of Betrayal/The Beauty of Darkness
Pages: 480/480/689
Edition Language: English
Series: The Remnant Chronicles
Format: e-book
Genres: Fantasy
Goodreads

Blurb:    
    The Remnant Chronicles is a three book series. The first book in the series, The Kiss of Deception, was released on July 8th, 2014, followed by The Heart of Betrayal a year later on July 7th, 2015, and completed on August 2, 2016 with the release of The Beauty of Darkness. The Remnant Chronicles is a Young Adult Fantasy series which centers around the journey of Lia of Morrigan, a young princess who flees her marriage to a foreign prince, launching her own life and multiple kingdoms into chaos.

My thoughts: 
      Please note that the Mini Reviews for books 2 na d 3 in the series feature some spoilers.

The Kiss of Deception
      The Kiss of Deception gets off to a quick start. But since it starts off so quickly, we do not know anything about the characters and it makes Lia, the princess, slightly less likeable, as she comes across as a bit spoiled and stuck-up, fleeing a relatively stereotypical wedding arrangement for her station. Upon settling down, Lia and Pauline quickly encounter two strangers – Rafe and Kaden. One is a prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Despite to the instability of her current situation, Lia quickly finds herself increasingly attracted to the strange men – perhaps seeking a romance of her own choice, rather than an arranged marriage. But this freedom brings many dangers she has no idea who she can trust. As Lia finds herself falling more deeply in love, she must make an impossible choice, before one of the men in her life makes it for her.
     The Kiss of Deception is a great adventure, and an even better romance, making even the love-triangle working rather smoothly. Lia, Kaden and Rafe relationship immediately draw the reader in, as do their morally grey decisions and motivations.  In addition, the plot is fast-paced, but easy to follow, hooking and keeping the reader’s attention early on, and hanging onto it with every twist and surprise. My most favorite character in this book is the assassin. He is really cruel, but seems just and there is something nice about him.

The Heart of Betrayal
     Held captive in the barbarian kingdom of Venda, Lia and Rafe have little chance of escape. Desperate to save her life, the assassin, has told the Vendan Komizar that she has the gift, and the Komizar’s interest in Lia is greater than anyone could have foreseen. Meanwhile, everything is complicated: apart from the love-triangle there are the Vendans, whom Lia always believed to be barbarians. Now that she lives among them, however, she realizes that may be far from the truth. Wrestling with her upbringing, her gift, and her sense of self, Lia must make powerful choices that will affect her country and her own destiny and she finds herself increasingly embroiled in Vendan affairs, and in the Komizar’s plans.
    The Heart of Darkness is a story of individual growth, of love in the impossible scenario, and of impossible choices, all leading towards a final, heart-shattering conclusion. Lia, Kaden and Rafe's struggles are heart-breaking to read. The reader will find themselves drawn into this tale. The story Pearson creates here is equally masterful and interesting, once again keeping a fast-paced plot with plenty of twists. In this book Lea is shinning all different colors and her personal growth is incredible. The prince is still my lest favorite character and the assassin is starting to loose his stability in judgements and becoming more a softie.

The Beauty of Darkness

Lia has survived Venda, but the threat of the destruction of Morrighan is still on. And only Lia can stop it. While she struggles to reach Morrighan and warn them, she finds herself lost in her relationship with Rafe and is suspicious of Kaden, who has hunted her down, as Lia and Rafe flee Venda.
    Lia and Ralf are pushed further apart as they find themselves at cross-purposes, each with their own country in mind.  Finally, Lia is forced to leave Rafe and her companions behind, striking out for Morrighan with only Kaden at her side.  Everything comes to a head as Rafe, Kaden and Lia finally stand as a united front in the face of true evil – the Komizar. In battle, each will make impossible decisions, forever changing the course of their lives and the trajectory of their kingdoms.
The Beauty of Darkness is a story of loss, strength and war. No character escapes change as they come face to face with both internal and external horrors, which force them to question their decisions, their loyalties, and their future. Lia, Kaden and Rafe each face impossible decisions, and their choices change them completely, making them stronger and more human people. The only character who changes beyond recognition is Kaden,  and though he is more human and caring, he seems more like a puppy with his master than and a self deficient grown up man, his total compliance without much character , that we saw in two previous books made me sad at a lost of a great literary character.
---
Overall, The Remnant Chronicles were a strong series, which seamlessly blended romance and adventure. Lia, Rafe and Kaden are charming characters who draw the reader into their adventure almost immediately, until they become increasingly invested in their lives. Lia was an exceptionally strong female character, who embodied feminine empowerment as she went about her story, never in distress, but instead a strong warrior who fought for her successes and accepts her failures. The only downside I found in the books is the magic system, which, I guess, suffered because of the action filled plot. Otherwise, it was truly engaging and entertaining series, with great characters and a solid plot.

Rating: 

    4/5 

 

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Author: John Green 
Original title: The Fault in Our Star
Pages: 456
Edition Language: English
Series: no
Format: paperbook
Genres: Contemporary
Goodreads

Blurb:    
   Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.
     Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars is award-winning author John Green's most ambitious and heartbreaking work yet, brilliantly exploring the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love.

My thoughts: 
    The story centers around a young girl named Hazel, she is suffering from terminal cancer. Hazel meets a boy named Augustus, he also has cancer. The connection between these two main characters is wonderful. They grasp the meaning of death and are yet still fearful of it, they know they will eventually die but then so does everyone.  Hazel and Gus are actually great characters, I really liked them and I liked their conversations. John Green does have a way with dialogue, that is where his strength lies.

There is only one thing in this world shittier than biting it from cancer when you are sixteen, and that's having a kid who bites it from cancer.

     I cried like a baby while reading it and gave it 4 starts. I though realized the point of the book and generally I do not like tearjerkers.  It just was very obvious from chapter one that there was one purpose, and one purpose only to this plot. To be sad. Take away the emotional aspect, and there really isn't a lot left. It was about cancer, so you knew it would be sad. There were no twists, no mystery, nothing out of the ordinary. Even if you just really love tearjerkers, there are many other sad books out there that are written to provoke more emotion. But there was nothing creative about the story. I do not like cancer being exploited for entertainment and profit... but still...this book hit me hard on an emotional level.

 Rating:  

    4/5 

Inkspell|Inkdeath by Cornelia Funke

Author: Cornelia Funke
Original title: Tintenblut 
Pages: 683
Edition Language: Russian
Series: Inkworld #2
Format: ebook
Genres: Fantasy
Goodreads

Author: Cornelia Funke
Original title: Tintentod
Pages: 672
Edition Language: Russian
Series: Inkworld #3
Format: ebook
Genres: Fantasy
Goodreads

Blurb:    
   Although a year has passed, not a day goes by without Meggie thinking of INKHEART, the book whose characters became real. But for Dustfinger, the fire-eater brought into being from words, the need to return to the tale has become desperate. When he finds a crooked storyteller with the ability to read him back, Dustfinger leaves behind his young apprentice Farid and plunges into the medieval world of his past.

  My thoughts: 

       In Inkspell, I love the fact that we finally see the inkworld, as Meggie and Farid decide to embark on their journey to go after Dustfinger. It’s a world inhabited by fantastical creatures like fairies, glassmen, giants and speaking trees, but also human beings like the Black Prince, Clouddancer and Cosimo, the Fair.
       However, some of the plot points in this instalment are a little forced. With Capricorn out of the way, Cornelia Funke was in need of a new villain for this second instalment, and it almost seems like the Adderhead came as a second thought.
       Secondly, Meggie is only 13 and the entire romance between her and Farid is really annoying.   I thought Meggie's character suffered a tremendous loss in her falling in love with Farid. She became less independent and less self-reliant. Their relationship struck me as unbelievable and I just really think the whole little romance thing was way overplayed.

       Inkdeath was not my favorite of the series, but the writing was good. Honestly, I'd hoped for better. Don't let this put you off though. I definitely recommend Inkheart and Inkspell.
       What I really didn't like about the book is the way it jumped around. Dustfinger is alive, now he's "dead", now he's alive again. Then there was the whole transforming into animals thing. Where it came from? The ending was really rushed, and I kind of wish that the author had slowed down to explain some things and left out all of the unnecessary details that amounted to nothing in the end anyway.

Rating:  

    3/5  

Looking for Alaska by John Green

Author: John Green
Original title: Looking for Alaska
Edition Language: English
Series: no
Genres: Contemporary
Format: Audio book
Read by: Jeff Woodman
Duration: 7h06m
Goodreads

Blurb:
  
Alaska Young. Gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, screwed up - and utterly fascinating. Miles Halter could not be more in love with her. But when tragedy strikes, Miles discovers the value and pain of living and loving unconditionally.
A vivid, passionate and intensely moving novel from internationally bestselling author of The Fault in Our Stars, John Green.

My thoughts:
       Boring, it was so so terribly boring.
       I did not like the plot, I did not like the characters. Alaska was unbearable. She used her past as an excuse for her destructive behavior. Alaska’s friends enabled Alaska’s behavior because they didn’t stand up to her. In fact, they had destructive behavior that needed to be addressed as well. If a person is drinking too much, partying too hard, ignoring authority, breaking the rules, they have problems and those problems were not dealt well in this book.
      It's great if you loved the book, but I didn't. I found it pointless and shallow, too much smoking and drinking, to much talking and not telling. After Looking for Alaska, I read other John Green's books, and I liked some of them. It's sad that Looking for Alaska didn't work for me.

Rating: 

         2/5 

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Author: Rainbow Rowell
Original title: Eleanor & Park
Pages: 400
Edition Language: Russian
Series: no
Format: ebook
Genres: Contemporary
Goodreads

Blurb:    
   Two misfits. One extraordinary love.
    Set over the course of one school year, this is the story of two star-crossed sixteen-year-olds—smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try.

  My thoughts: 

       This follows the story of two young people named Eleanor and Park, who meet on the bus journey to school. It tells of their unlikely friendship and how this grows over time to become something much more.

      To be frank, there is a number of things I did not like, but still I gave it 3 stars. I did enjoy it for some mysterious reason. Although this book is about teenagers, it was well written for adults. It very much speaks to adults, recalling the awkward adolescent years. There were parts that were sad, mainly with Eleanor's family. At times it was rather slow as not much was happening. The constant point-of-view switches were slightly distracting and I didn't believe the relationship, that zoomed from zero to 100 in intensity.

      All said, I still enjoyed this book way more than famous Fangirl and recommend it if you feel nostalgic about your adolescence years.

Rating:  

    3/5 

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

Author: Katherine Arden
Original title: The Bear and the Nightingale
Pages: 456
Edition Language: English
Series: Winternight Trilogy #1
Format: paperbook
Genres: Fantasy
Goodreads

Blurb:    
   At the edge of the Russian wilderness, winter lasts most of the year and the snowdrifts grow taller than houses. But Vasilisa doesn't mind—she spends the winter nights huddled around the embers of a fire with her beloved siblings, listening to her nurse's fairy tales. Above all, she loves the chilling story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon, who appears in the frigid night to claim unwary souls. Wise Russians fear him, her nurse says, and honor the spirits of house and yard and forest that protect their homes from evil.
     As danger circles, Vasilisa must defy even the people she loves and call on dangerous gifts she has long concealed—this, in order to protect her family from a threat that seems to have stepped from her nurse's most frightening tales.

My thoughts: 
    My expectations of the book were really high. That, I guess, spoiled the reading. For those who knows nothing of Russia, its history, religion and popular belief this book will open an entire new world with magical creatures and folk stories. I was a bit amused but not overwhelmed by it. For me it was rather slow narration with a lot of side characters, whose sorties were not developed into something interesting.
   We follow the girl who has some magic powers, not like Harry Potter magic, but down to earth magic. She is growing up in a loving family and she is looking for her place in the world, which has no other role for women apart from being a mother and a subordinate of her man. That coming of age aspect I really enjoyed and family dynamics are great.
    What I did not like, I guess, is the whole aspect of the evil and the final battle to which the whole book was leading, it was kind of rushed and too convenient.
    It was not the strongest book, but it was a good beginning of a series, as for most people all that description of land, habits and religious conflicts were needed to be explained, as Arden chose quite specific and not wildly known period of time in Russian history. I can see the references to real historical figures and where this story can go, since this time was rich on heroic and crucial battles and actions.
    Everyone is saying that second book is much better, so I am continuing with the series and hope my guesses will come true, though I am not a big fan of the love interest that might be developed later on in the next books.
    Apart of my "meh" opinion on the book, I highly recommend it. Arden made a great job with research and the descriptions are so accurate and detailed, that I could not stop admiring her work. The book has a glossary at the end, so please, do not miss it; it explains lots of Russian words used in a book and is really great help in navigating in pagan creatures that you might meet on the pages, and it is very accurate! 

 Rating:  

    3/5 

The Waif of the "Cynthia" by André Laurie and Jules Verne

Author: André Laurie and Jules Verne
Original title: L'Épave du Cynthia
Pages: 432
Edition Language: Russian
Series: no
Format: e-book
Genres: Adventure, Mystery
Goodreads

Blurb:    
   1886 novel by Andre Laurie and Jules Gabriel Verne. A novel about a young man's search for his identity leads him through Verne's 5th novel of Arctic exploration.
  
My thoughts: 

      One of my childhood favorites. The Scandinavian setting of this novel was unusual and quite refreshing. The plot revolved around a dark-haired boy called Erik in a family of blond Norwegians. He was discovered by them in the sea as a baby tied to a ship's buoy. The plot concerns Erik's efforts to chase round the world trying to track down a sailor who supposedly knows the secret of his abandonment. We follow Eric’s life from his childhood: all his struggles in finding his own identity as he has no roots. It was a nice coming of age story, but still I liked more the adventurous part of the novel. It was a great sea journey that I followed with a map open, marking their route and places visited. It is true that everything comes together rather conveniently at the end, but I could not ask more from a teen adventurous story. 

Rating:  

    4/5 

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Author: Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Original title: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
Pages: 359
Edition Language: English
Series: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe #1
Format: paperback
Genres: Contemporary, YA
Goodreads

Blurb:    
   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.
  
My thoughts: 

     Another over-hyped book, that did not bring any pleasure in my reading life.  Saying that I hated this book would be an outright lie. But it did nothing. What I got was just an okay “something plot” with okay characters. 

    Like I hinted, there was no plot. It was hard going into this book and reading every single word and just promising myself "something is going to happen" when really, nothing exciting did. Dante and Ari were characters that one can enjoy reading about, maybe even relatable to some, but there was still nothing that was even interesting about either one.
    There were some bright spots like Dante and Ari’s friendship, discovering your identity. But that doesn’t erase the fact that I’m unsure what the point of this book was and so I grew bored very quickly and began skipping a lot. 

      My main issue was actually the epic moment when Ari was coming to the realization that he is gay. It looks like from every corner there was a nice, understanding relative with convenient smile: Oh Ari, don't you realize, you love Dante, and not just love, but LOVE. What the hell? I actually felt the pressure; the poor boy confused and cannot figure out his emotions and here come such understanding relatives and tell him whom he loves. I hated this part, they almost pushed him to Dante; it is good it all worked out, but there was so much pressure in so little words; this can change a person’s life. 

     Do not know if I would recommend it, but I see the book has its circle of admirers. I would probably soon forget about it and unhaul.

 

Rating:  

    2/5 

Six of Crows Series by Leigh Bardugo

Author: Leigh Bardugo
Original title: Six of Crows; Crooked Kingdom
Pages: 576; 672
Edition Language: Russian
Series: Six of Crows
Format: e-book
Genres: Fantasy, YA
Goodreads

Blurb:    
       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…
      Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don’t kill each other first.
  
My thoughts: 
    Overall, I'm rating this duology three stars which means that I quite enjoyed it but was not so involved. These books are 100% character driven with a cast of six unique and lovable anti-heroes. The world is easy to get into and the characters are quick to love. I highly appreciate that everyone was given an individual voice and that all six of them had different struggles, but ultimately, by working on a shared goal, managed to overcome them together.
      I loved the aspect of friendship and the romantic relationships were not so heavy and did not make me roll my eyes as it usually happens with YA. Nina and Matthias just won my heart. Also, I love the fact that Nina is fat and loves food and everyone loves her for it and she isn't shamed at all.
     And though it was a fast and captivating read I enjoyed more the character development than the heist itself.

Rating:  

    3/5 

 

One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus

Author: Karen McManus
Original title: One of Us is Lying
Pages: 360
Edition Language: English
Series: no
Format: ebook
Genres: Mystery, YA
Goodreads

Blurb:    
  On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention.
Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule.
Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess.
Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing.
Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher.
And Simon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High's notorious gossip app.
Only, Simon never makes it out of that classroom. 
My thoughts:
        Frankly, it is difficult to say anything about the book, apart from that it was predictable and not very much captivating. On the other hand it was an easy and quick read, but I did not get much from it on the enjoyment level. Forgettable characters and the mystery itself was kind of meh. Again the topic the whole mistery is based on is, I would say, "misused" and that can influence the youth not in a good way. 

Rating:  

    2/5 

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Author: Rainbow Rowell
Original title: Fangirl
Pages: 544
Edition Language: Russian
Series: no
Format: e-book
Genres: Contemporary, YA
Goodreads

Blurb:    
   Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, a new play by Jack Thorne, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series and the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage.   
       It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.
      While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.
  
My thoughts: 
    I just do not know what people find in this book. I read some YA and this is not the best example of the genre. I was totally bored from the begging to the end. the fan fiction episodes were so dull. I did not like the romance. The family dynamic was the only interesting part of the book. And again, I did not find the relationship between the sisters so believable. When you went through a lot with a person (especially when it is your twin sister) you just do not forget about her the next day you are in college. Either they were apart from the start or the concept of sisterly love is somehow wrong.
Did not liked it, do not recommend it and it does not worth all the hype.  

Rating:  

    2/5