Anna and the French Kiss - Stephanie Perkins

Anna and the French Kiss – Stephanie Perkins (Book 1)

Anna and the French Kiss is the first book in Stephanie Perkins YA trilogy.  Each book focuses on a different couple, and their perspective of dealing with relationships, love and romance. I purchased this book a while ago, and had heard about it for even longer, but for some reason I never got round to reading it. Something kept putting me off. I cannot pin point what exactly that was, but I always skipped past it on the book shelf…that was until yesterday. I picked it up on a whim; decided it would be a good Sunday read, and I have to say I am so annoyed at myself for skipping past this book so many times. I enjoyed every single second of it, and finished it in less than a day!

‘Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris--until she meets Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Étienne has it all...including a serious girlfriend. 

But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss?’

This book is a fantastic, coming of age, YA romance, with a brilliant and relatable main protagonist. We follow Anna and her adjustment to living in Paris, with a language barrier and being the new girl in a fairly small boarding school. It is certainly a lot to handle. However the wit, sarcasm and humour she brings is second to none, and that is a real credit to Stephanie’s writing throughout.

The characters we meet in this novel are all unique and to their own. Mer the quirky yet athletic one, Rashmi, the brooding yet smart one, Josh, the artistic one and then St Clair, or Etienne the drop dead gorgeous, funny and charming one. That everybody loves. You have the characteristic background characters of the mean girl Amanda and her clique of friends, and the obnoxious boy Dave, who even though no mention is made of it, I would automatically picture him as the typical arrogant jock.

As much as this is a romance, the thing I enjoyed th4 most about it, is the realism. The majority of YA books have the simple tale of, girl meets boy, fall madly in love and spend the entire book happily ever after. This is by no means like that, these characters talk to each other, face hurdles and obstacles and serious challenges that not only affect their friendship, but any chance of a romantic relationship together. Put aside the obvious that St Clair has a girlfriend. We see the conflict of his morals, of not wanting to cheat, being confused by his feelings towards Anna, as well as not wanting to be alone. We spend the majority of the time up and down on this confusing rollercoaster with the characters, which keeps us completely engaged, but absorbed in the heart ache and anger, and even allows us to get frustrated with the characters as if they were real.

With the romantic setting of Paris, and a fall in love instantly with the romantic interest of St Clair…who by the way is absolutely swoon worthy! It really is a feel good book that takes you on a tumultuous journey of emotions. It honestly had me gripped from the first page an di could not put it down.

Overall I really enjoyed this start to Stephanie Perkins series, I am looking forward to what Lola and the Boy Next Door brings and am hoping it will be as much as an easy ready as Anna and the French Kiss was. Which I devoured so fast and honestly could not put down! I would highly recommend this to any YA reader who loves a good romance.

I have given this 5 out of 5 stars

Don't Look Back - Jennifer L Armentrout

Don’t Look Back – Jennifer L Armentrout

Don’t Look Back is a YA, mystery and romance stand alone novel by Jennifer L Armentrout. The premise of which intrigued me greatly. This week i have done nothing but binge on Jennifer’s novels, and this one for me has really stood out as being different. It didn’t feel like her previous books, and i loved the change in genre (all be it still YA) it felt like a crime, thriller mystery YA, as opposed to a supernatural romance YA. It had me gripped right from the blurb.

‘Samantha is a stranger in her own life. Until the night she disappeared with her best friend, Cassie, everyone said Sam had it all-popularity, wealth, and a dream boyfriend.

Sam has resurfaced, but she has no recollection of who she was or what happened to her that night. As she tries to piece together her life from before, she realizes it's one she no longer wants any part of. The old Sam took "mean girl" to a whole new level, and it's clear she and Cassie were more like best enemies. Sam is pretty sure that losing her memories is like winning the lottery. She's getting a second chance at being a better daughter, sister, and friend, and she's falling hard for Carson Ortiz, a boy who has always looked out for her-even if the old Sam treated him like trash.

But Cassie is still missing, and the facts about what happened to her that night isn't just buried deep inside of Sam's memory-someone else knows, someone who wants to make sure Sam stays quiet. All Sam wants is the truth, and if she can unlock her clouded memories of that fateful night, she can finally move on. But what if not remembering is the only thing keeping Sam alive?’

We are with our main protagonist Sam right from the start, we are left just as confused and unsure about the unknown as she is. We don’t know where she is, what has happened, or even who and where she has come from. Sam has amnesia, and we learn she has been missing for 4 days along with her best friend Cassie, of which still has not been found. We spend the entirety of the novel learning about Sam, how she was the ‘it’ girl of her school, with the ‘perfect’ relationship with her boyfriend Del, and a group of friends too, it also comes to light that she was not the nicest of people. Looking down on those who may not have come from money, and simply ditching her old friends in order to fit in and stay with the new. We soon grow to feel uncomfortable along with Sam about her past self, much preferring this new Sam and almost in a way hoping; new nice Sam is here to stay. 

We follow Sam as she struggles to deal with what has happened to her, struggles to regain her memories and familiarity of those around her, and watch her as she calls out her nasty group of friends and tries to rebuild those relationships that she quite harshly burned pre amnesia. On top of that, she is desperate to get back her memory of what happened that night, and to Cassie. Mysterious notes, shadowy figures, and the slow flashback of memories leave Sam on the edge and fearful, just what happened that night by the lake, and is she safe now.

Armentrout's writing is brilliant in this novel, it leaves you gripped right from the start, it is eerie and creepy, and you truly don’t know who to trust. I hated Sam’s group of friends, they were nasty and vindictive, and as for that sleaze ball of a boyfriend. I know the majority of us have been there in that relationship that you just can’t get out of no matter how you are treated, or how unhappy you may actually be. But how Sam pre and post incident coped i do not know. Plus those friends of hers really were horrid; it felt like Mean Girls all over. I loved her relationship with Carson, Scott and even Julie, each of them being there for her despite how she has treated them in the past. There was almost a hint of the Mara Dyer series in here, with the appearances of notes and hallucinations. All of which were written in such a way they left you reeling and creeped out, you truly were along for the ride.

The whole story is building up to finding out what happened and who did it. Jennifer wrote this novel in such a way, i constantly went through suspecting various people. None of which turning out to be the killer mind, which never happens when i read a book like this, i nearly always guess before the big reveal. When the big revelation was made, my jaw dropped to the floor. I honestly could not believe it, and it left me reeling in shock...

I genuinely enjoyed the whole journey this novel took me on, i loved learning about Sam, and being there to piece the puzzle back together with her, working out what could have happened, who is to blame. It felt like we were solving the mystery along with her. I was gutted when it all come to an end. But it really does highlight the amazing talents of Jennifer that she has again, with yet another of her books, drawn me in and made me love every twist and turn of a story.

I would say if you are a fan of Jennifer L Armentrout, then it is a given that you should read this book. But if you also like a more thriller/mystery YA novel with a hint of romance then i would say this is 100% for you. It is a great story that is told, and it is truly gripping.

I have given this 5 out of 5 stars.

White Hot Kiss - Jennifer L Armentrout

White Hot Kiss – Jennifer L Armentrout

White Hot Kiss is book one in Jennifer L Armentrouts The Dark Elements series. Another brilliant and yet addictive series too may i add.

‘One kiss could be the last.

Seventeen-year-old Layla just wants to be normal. But with a kiss that kills anything with a soul, she's anything but normal. Half demon, half gargoyle, Layla has abilities no one else possesses.

Raised among the Wardens—a race of gargoyles tasked with hunting demons and keeping humanity safe—Layla tries to fit in, but that means hiding her own dark side from those she loves the most. Especially Zayne, the swoon-worthy, incredibly gorgeous and completely off-limits Warden she's crushed on since forever.

Then she meets Roth—a tattooed, sinfully hot demon who claims to know all her secrets. Layla knows she should stay away, but she's not sure she wants to—especially when that whole no-kissing thing isn't an issue, considering Roth has no soul.

But when Layla discovers she's the reason for the violent demon uprising, trusting Roth could not only ruin her chances with Zayne… it could brand her a traitor to her family. Worse yet, it could become a one-way ticket to the end of the world.’

The synopsis to this story immediately drew me in, and i instantly wanted to pick it up and give it a read. The concept of Gargoyles/Wardens and Demons completely intrigued me. Just like all of Armentrouts series, i instantly fell in love with the writing style and the concept. It was a slow build to the story, but that was understandable due to the world building needed to set up the story and characters. However once you get into it, you are absorbed into the pages, and suddenly you discover it is over before you know it.

The characters were each unique in their own ways, Layla being the main protagonist, with friends Stacey and Sam, from school. Her kind of brother, kind of not, friend/crush Zayne, who is a Warden, and then the introduction to the Demon Roth. Armentrout is always great in the development of characters in her novels, and no character in this story is the same, they all provided their own little mix to the pot, which made it all work so well.

I will say one thing though, how is it that Jennifer is able to create such swoon worthy characters, first for me it was Daemon in the Lux Series....then there was Aiden in the Covenant series and now....now there is Roth. I absolutely LOVE Roth! I could not get enough of his cocky, arrogant and yet caring and funny personality. I simply could not get enough of him. I love that Jennifer is able to create these characters, each of which again are so different, and yet so brilliant, that you instantly love them, and wish they were real...all be it that would mean that Demons would have to be very real walking the Earth for that to be the case. But i mean for Roth..... i dunno....

This story is filled with many twists and turns, one of which i did not see coming at all! The ending left me in a state of shock and worry and heartache, however i just know the parting words by Cayman were reassuring ones that mean everything will be alright in book two...i hope....i pray.....i need them to be....seriously....

I would say if you are a fan of Jennifer L Armentrouts stories and novels, then you will thoroughly enjoy this and absorb it as quickly as i did. If you have never read one of her books, but enjoy, YA romance, humour, fantasy elements and action, then i would say pick this up and give it a read as you will love it just as much as i did. I have ordered book two, which is due to arrive tomorrow...and i cannot wait to get my hands on it and start reading.

I have given this 4 out of 5 stars.

The Wrath and the Dawn - Renee Ahdieh

The Wrath and the Dawn – Renee Ahdieh

The Wrath and the Dawn Is book one in Renee Ahdieh’s duology, and is a YA retelling of the story of 1001 Nights. Now I have heard of this story, but have never read it or known about it in great detail, so only knew the bare minimum, so cannot give an opinion on how true to the story it is. However, I did thoroughly enjoy it. I went into reading this with pretty low expectations, I hadn’t heard much about the story, and purchased it on a whim. But I am so glad I did! I read this book in under a day, and at first I had no idea it was a duology, but simply a standalone, but until that ending! That cliff hanger of an ending! I couldn’t believe it had left me like that.

Every dawn brings horror to a different family in a land ruled by a killer. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride each night only to have her executed at sunrise. So it is a suspicious surprise when sixteen-year-old Shahrzad volunteers to marry Khalid. But she does so with a clever plan to stay alive and exact revenge on the Caliph for the murder of her best friend and countless other girls. Shazi's wit and will, indeed, get her through to the dawn that no others have seen, but with a catch . . . she’s falling in love with the very boy who killed her dearest friend.

She discovers that the murderous boy-king is not all that he seems and neither are the deaths of so many girls. Shazi is determined to uncover the reason for the murders and to break the cycle once and for all.

Now I am not sure if i am the only one who felt this way right from the start, but I never at one point disliked Khalid. Right from the start I was drawn into the mystery behind his character, and as weird as it sounds I was more annoyed at Shazi for being so opposed to her feelings as the story went on. This entire book was incredibly enticing and magical in a way, the world all be it not greatly built, still enabled you to picture places and scenes that took place. Great detail went into the character descriptions as opposed to the location they were set in. But that was easily pushed aside by the greatness of the story.

Renee’s writing was incredibly easy to read and devour, we had many changes in perspective, from Shazi herself, Tariq (Shazis childhood friend) Jahander, Shazi’s father, as well as from Khalids perspective too, this allowed you to see the world from varying perspectives from various positions. The struggles faced by each and the challenges that were met. It also allowed us to see what the situation was between Shazi and Khalid and just how those outside the castle walls, perceived it and the fear they felt waiting for Shazi’s execution.

Shazi’s character was brilliant; she was strong, brave and incredibly sharp and witty. She could really hold her own and I loved that Khalid could see that and never felt like he had to step in and defend his queen. Despite the situation that Shazi was in, she managed to remain cool and do her best to stay on track with her plan to avenge her best friend Shavi. Even if her heart got in the way of that, her guilt for doing so always remained. Shazi ends up loving Khalid, but she was not one of those typical YA characters who accepts their partner is a monster, and justifies it for them, she is honest with herself and him, that she feels it is awful what he did, even when she finds out the reasoning behind it. She loves him but still holds him accountable for the many deaths of daughters all throughout Rey and even more so her best friend. Which I thought was incredibly unique within the YA genre.

Overall this story was brilliant, it flowed well, was full of action and suspense and it kept me entertained throughout, I honestly couldn’t put this book down and that is a testament to Renee’s writing and story development. As I said earlier the ending left me in shock, as I had no idea this was a duology, I was left dumbstruck by where it left us, and knowing now I will have to wait for the final book to be released to discover just what has happened, and what will become of Shazi and Khalid. The characters were brilliant and as was the story, to be going into this with the low expectations I did, and to come out thoroughly enjoying it and needing more, has made me love it just that little bit more. It takes a lot for a book to change my perception of it, and Renee certainly did that.

So if you like 1001 nights, like a fantasy, YA story with romance, action and a hint of magic, then I would recommend this for you, as it is a great read.

I have given this 4 out of 5 stars

End of Days - Susan EE

End of Days – Susan Ee (Book 3 in the Angelfall trilogy)

End of Days is the final book in the Angelfall series by Susan EE. A series I have loved right from the start. Seeing as this is book 3, this review will be fairly short as I am going to try and contain as few spoilers as I possibly can.

‘After a daring escape from the angels, Penryn and Raffe are on the run. They’re both desperate to find a doctor who can reverse the twisted changes inflicted by the angels on Raffe and Penryn’s sister. As they set off in search of answers, a startling revelation about Raffe’s past unleashes dark forces that threaten them all.

When the angels release an apocalyptic nightmare onto humans, both sides are set on a path toward war. As unlikely alliances form and strategies shift, who will emerge victorious? Forced to pick sides in the fight for control of the earthly realm, Raffe and Penryn must choose: Their own kind, or each other?’

The reason I have enjoyed this series so much is due to the uniqueness of it, set in a post apocalyptic world, being destroyed by Angels and Demons alike. Not only is the world in itself unique, but so are the characters. We have a strong main protagonist in Penryn, as well as support from her younger sister Paige, and her crazy mother too. On top of that we have our darker characters in the likes of Archangel Uriel and fallen Angel Beliel. There is so much contrast between each of the characters and they all have their own story to tell.

Raffe, or otherwise known as archangel Raphael, is probably my favourite character within this story, torn between his duties and allegiance to his ‘species’ but also torn between the feelings he has towards his daughter of man, Penryn. These two together were great, the banter, wit and sarcasm that constantly bounced between the two of them was brilliant to read, and has been a constant throughout all three books. Granted I certainly wanted a bit more romance, but that could be more to do with my love for Raffe. I mean who wouldn’t want their own Angel to swoon over?

“I have better things to do.”
“Like what?”
He opens one eye and looks at me. “Like convince a stubborn girl to admit she’s madly in love with me.”

The plot for this series has been brilliant and constant throughout, there have been various twists and turns and the action and suspense has been brilliant. You cannot fault the fight scenes that have taken place in this series, as they have really been kick ass. With the hint of romance that there is, it is not overbearing and does not take away from the story. Susan’s writing is truly amazing, and makes each of these books a quick, easy and fun read throughout.

The only negative I can draw from this was the very short epilogue at the end, I say very short it probably covers a 30 second event, again I say event...it is literally just a random moment. I was a little disappointed in this as I would have preferred the epilogue to be much further into the future, possibly where the world is at now, what is everyone doing? How is Raffe coping, what is going on with Raffe and Penryn, how is Paige surviving. Just how has this family accepted the new extended family members of the locusts?!?! I felt an opportunity was missed here to answer some questions us as a reader may have about the future of the world. Nevertheless this was still a great series and I am gutted it is over, no more Raffe fixes for me! I have no idea how I am going to cope!

I would highly recommend this series if you are into action, post apocalyptic YA stories, with a hint of romance, but filled with some true horrors too. This is 100% up there as one of my favourite book series.

I have given this 4 out of 5 stars

“I challenge you to come find us.’ ‘This is Penryn Young, Daughter of Man, Killer of Angels.’”

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief - Rick Riordan

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief – Rick Riordan

I know what you are thinking, 10 years too late to the franchise, where have i been? Living under a rock? Well quite possibly yes, that could very well be the case, as I have only just now picked up this book series *hangs head in shame* Of course I had heard of Percy Jackson, I was aware there were books, and of course I remember seeing advertising for a movie a few years back too. However, it was only when I became overly curious about picking up the Heroes of Olympus series that I realised they were by the same author. To which some characters are actually linked between the two series. I saw that quite a few reviews stated that it was best to start with the Percy Jackson series, even though it wasn’t really needed, but allowed some knowledge and setting for what Heroes of Olympus was all about. I was a bit reluctant as I was wary I was now too old to read this series, but then I thought, why not! It has great reviews; everyone seems to love it so why should I let my age matter. Safe to say I am SO glad I decided to pick this up.

I managed to read the first book (The lightning Thief) of the Percy Jackson series in less than a day, it was just that darn good, and so much more than what I ever expected! But before I go into that, below is the synopsis, for those out there that may be like me and have not read the series, or may not even be that aware of it.

‘Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can't seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. And lately, being away at boarding school is only getting worse-Percy could have sworn his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him. When Percy's mom finds out, she knows it's time that he knew the truth about where he came from, and that he go to the one place he'll be safe. She sends Percy to Camp Half Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island), where he learns that the father he never knew is Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon a mystery unfolds and together with his friends -- one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena -- Percy sets out on a quest across the United States to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods.’

Now I do not claim to know a lot about Greek mythology, and am very oblivious to the majority of Greek Gods and the legends behind them, all be it that of Disney’s Hercules…(yep, that is my go to, top of my head pick right there) I haven’t really encountered anything that caught my attention long enough to learn more. Until this book series that is. I have genuinely learnt so much from just this first book alone, I can list Greek Gods, I know what abilities they are known for, so much history is taught within these pages and yet you don’t even realise you are learning whilst reading. Which is something that I absolutely love in a book!

This is the first book I have read by Rick Riordan and I instantly fell in love with his writing style. Just from reading the opening paragraph I was instantly gripped to Ricks writing style:

“Look, I didn’t want to be a half-blood.
If you’re reading this because you think you might be one, my advice is: close this book right now.  Believe whatever lie your mom or dad told you about your birth, and try to lead a normal life.
Being a half-blood is dangerous.  It’s scary.  Most of the time, it gets you killed in painful, nasty ways. If you’re a normal kid, reading this because you think its fiction, great. Read on. I envy you for being able to believe that none of this ever happened. But if you recognize yourself in these pages - stop reading immediately. You might be one of us. And once you know that, it’s only a matter of time before they sense it too, and they’ll come for you. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

This paragraph had me instantly hooked, and Percy’s humorous narration throughout this book was incredibly enjoyable, and kept it fun and engaging throughout. As much as this was an action adventure book, the humour in it really did make it a fun read, even in the darkest moments, a simple one liner would easily break that tension and I simply could not get enough of it.

The characters in this story are brilliant, there is so much detail and back story given for each of them that you would almost expect this book to be massive in size, yet the way it is done keeps it short, simple and yet informative, so that you feel like you have learnt a person’s life history to how they got to Camp Half Blood in 2 sentences at times.

You have the main protagonist Percy, an 11 year old troubled kid, struggling with dealing with Dyslexia and ADHD, who has spent the past 6 years in and out of various schools. You have Grover, Percy’s best friend/Guardian/Satyr who I found an incredibly interesting character. Annabeth, the enemy/friend and daughter of Athena, who is an incredibly bad ass female lead. Then there is resident bully Clarisse, daughter of Ares, so no wonder she is trouble, who wouldn’t be if their dad was the God of War. Chiron, teacher/Centaur who seems like a guardian of sorts for many of the camp residents that arrive. Luke, a camp leader and the son of Hermes, he takes Percy under his wing a bit when he first arrives at camp. There are so many other characters, and even the Gods that you learn about with such detailed descriptions that not once do you feel like you have been bombarded with information.

The whole plot and story of this book is that of complete adventure, and discovering who you are and building friendships in times of need. The world is so amazingly crafted that you are lost in this world of myth and legends that you simply cannot put it down. Even though it is aimed at a much younger audience and me being in my twenties, I still thoroughly enjoyed this book and have every intention of reading the rest. I am almost saddened that I missed reading this when it first came out. Being at the age of 15/16 when it was first released, I clearly had missed the age range, and yet 10 years later here I am enjoying this great fantasy adventure read. Which is clear to say, age really is not a problem when it comes to a good book.

I have given this a 4 out of 5 star rating.