Ignite Me

By Tahereh Mafi

5/5

“With Omega Point destroyed, Juliette doesn’t know if the rebels, her friends, or even Adam are alive. But that won’t keep her from trying to take down The Reestablishment once and for all. Now she must rely on Warner, the handsome commander of Sector 45. The one person she never thought she could trust. The same person who saved her life. He promises to help Juliette master her powers and save their dying world . . . but that’s not all he wants with her.”

Oh my goodness! This book was incredible and the best conclusion to one of the most wonderful trilogies I’ve ever read. I read this book in a matter of hours because I just could not put it down!

I had a very strong feeling, even when I began Shatter Me, that I was going to like Warner by the end of this series and I was right in my assumption – I am in love. His character has developed so much and I am 100% ‘Team Warner.’ Juliette’s character development was also incredible – we saw glimpses of her strength in the first two novels but she was amazing in this final instalment. She is definitely one of my favourite female characters ever. The rest of the characters also had amazing development; Kenji was his usual charming self but we saw a more honest side to him in this novel which I really liked. Unfortunately, I am no longer a fan of Adam (which I guess was Mafi’s intention so that we all fall in love with Warner instead). Adam was cruel and spiteful but he was overcoming this towards the end of the novel and I would have loved to see how his relationship with Warner develops.

The writing style of this trilogy is so raw and honest and I can’t wait to read more of Mafi’s work. This trilogy is now one of my favourites and I already cannot wait to read it again! I highly recommend it!

The Raven Cycle

(The Raven Boys, The Dream Thieves, Blue Lily, Lily Blue, and The Raven King)

By Maggie Stiefvater

5/5

As I have mentioned in a previous post, Maggie Steifvater is one of, if not, my favourite author. Her books are incredibly poetic and despite being fantasy novels, are so realistic that you believe that magic and the supernatural is possible, if not the norm. I began reading this series around this time last year and I purchased the final book in the series, The Raven King, as it came out and this past week I have been re-reading this first three in preparation for the final book which I read today.

This series is incredible and so unlike anything I have ever read before. I love every single character and my favourite Raven Boy changes with each book (my heart currently belongs to Ronan Lynch). Every single couple in this book is perfect but I love a certain couple that little bit more (not to give too much away but the pairing does involve my love, Ronan).  I honestly don’t know how to review these books without just gushing about how brilliant they are. The characters are vibrant and alive, the story is unique and imaginative and the setting is magical and mysterious. There is a third person narrative throughout which I don’t usually like but each chapter tends to focus on a particular character or characters so you get to understand and really know them as individuals. I think my favourite of the four books is Blue Lily, Lily Blue as I believe the characters go through the most development and we really get to know them in this book.

I don’t have anything negative to say about this series and so I recommend for everyone to read it, no matter what genre of book you’re usually interested in.

Soulmates

By Holly Bourne

5/5

This book will make you cry. A lot. And by a lot I mean it will leave your heart hurting, your nose running and you will most likely be thinking back on it days later and crying again. This is Holly Bourne’s debut novel and for a debut novel I think it is outstanding. Unfortunately I have not yet read any of her more recent books so I cannot comment on whether her writing style has changed or improved but I can tell you from experience of reading some rather poor debut novels that this is fantastic. It’s a love story, as you probably guessed by the title but it’s also a story about friendship, family and loss. I’m not going to give too much away because the element of surprise is what makes this book so special. This is the second time I have read it and I found it just as enjoyable but also just as heartbreaking as the first time. Holly creates the voice of 17 year old Poppy so perfectly that sometimes I feel as if I am reading a book about myself because she shares the same insecurities that we all do. The character of Noah makes me want to give up on love because I am never going to find anyone as perfect as him; he is arrogant and charming yet vulnerable and caring, and the relationship between him and Poppy is utterly beautiful. The ending to this novel is what makes the book so special and I almost wish there was a sequel because it is a story that I never wanted to end.

I would highly recommend this book to hopeless romantics and for those of you who love a good cry (or if you just need a bit of Noah in your life).