All The Bright Places

By Jennifer Niven

2.5/5

I told myself after reading When We Collided by Emery Lord that I would read more books on mental health and that is exactly what I did. All The Bright Places, I think, primarily deals with bullying and how much bullying can negatively impact on someone’s life. Finch is bullied for being different and he finds comfort and friendship in Violet, a popular girl who lost her sister in a car accident. They meet on the top of the school bell tower, both with the intention of jumping off. Instead, they help each other down and the book follows their journey of trying to further help each other. But as Violet gets better, Finch only seems to get worse.

Honestly, this book really didn’t live up to my expectations. It is very much rated positively on Bookstagram but I didn’t like how much mental illness was dismissed in this book but I supposed it is only reflective of what society is striving to get past. I also found it to be very predictable and so I did not find myself shedding a tear like many other readers have done. This book really fell flat for me and if you are interested in reading books surrounding mental health, I would definitely recommend When We Collided over All The Bright Places.

However, this book was a very quick read and I read it in one sitting. Perhaps I might give it another read in the future and find it more enjoyable but for now, unfortunately, it suffers a low rating.

Carry On

By Rainbow Rowell

3.5/5

This book was thoroughly enjoyable. I found it to be a really easy read and the story gripped me from page one. I’m not usually a fan of fantasy novels but I really enjoyed reading this book. I adore Simon and Baz and have done since their story began in Fangirl, another novel by Rainbow Rowell. I also think I enjoyed it so much because it was set in the UK and all of the places mentioned were familiar to me; most books I read are set in the US and I feel it is sometimes difficult to connect to the story and the characters because I’m unfamiliar with the areas mentioned and the lingo used.

However, my reason for rating this book so low is the many different chapter point of views that made the story difficult to follow at times. I think I counted around 7 or 8 different POVs which I believe is a bit excessive. I am also not the biggest fan of Rainbow Rowell. I have read four of her novels so far and all of them have fallen a bit flat for me. That isn’t to say she isn’t a brilliant writer, perhaps her novels just really aren’t for me.

Despite this, I would probably read Carry On again, as it was a really fun read and something a bit different to what I usually pick up.

When We Collided

By Emery Lord

4/5

Firstly, this book is incredibly poetic so if you don’t like flowery image and long description this isn’t the book for you. I didn’t know what to expect going into this book but I had seen a lot of positive comments on Bookstagram (the Instagram book community).  I didn’t actually realise that it was a book about mental health. I haven’t read very many books about mental health, I could probably count them all on one hand in fact. I wasn’t engrossed in this book from the first few chapters which is usually something I like to be; I actually thought I was going to end up putting it down and reading something else because I really disliked the character of Vivi. However, as I learnt more about what she was going through, I realised how easy it is to judge someone when you don’t know the full story and by the end of the novel, I sympathised with Vivi and felt as though we ended as firm friends. The character of Jonah, on the other hand, I loved from the beginning to the end. I thought he was incredibly strong and brave and I especially liked seeing him in the family dynamic with his five other siblings. I also haven’t read many books where there has been a strong family environment and so this was another thing that made me really enjoy this book. I thought all characters went through a lot of development which is good to see in a YA novel.

I did give this book a 4/5 purely because of how long it took me to get into it.

I am not usually one to read the Author’s Note at the end of a novel but I found myself continuing to read it when I reached the end of the book and the words of Emery Lord really stuck with me. She says; “I worry that we’re not talking about mental health enough. And if we’re not talking about it enough, how can we possibly shine enough light into places that can feel very dark and very lonely?” Following these words, I am going to make it my mission to read more books on issues surrounding mental health as I do believe it is really important to beat the stigma and to give people, who suffer bravely everyday with all kinds of mental health issues, a voice.

Finding Sky, Stealing Phoenix, Seeking Crystal

By Joss Stirling

3/5

Much like in my previous post, I was a big fan of the first novel in this series, Finding Sky, and would give this book an 4/5. I loved the story and it was a very enjoyable, easy read and I have gone back to read it many times since. I adore the relationship between Zed and Sky and as an old romantic, I love the idea that there is someone out there who is the other half of us. Unfortunately I did not enjoy the other two novels as much and I have not gone back to read them since the first time a couple of years ago. I know that it is a little unjust to review a book after reading it so long ago but I remember finding them rather boring in comparison to Finding Sky and I only continued to read them for the sake of finishing them. However, maybe when I have more time I will go back to them and find that I like them and I will definitely make an updated post if that is the case, but for now I would recommend Finding Sky as a standalone novel. I was also unaware that there were another two books in this series so I am hoping to read those and more of Joss Stirling’s novels during the summer and I will review those when I have done so.

The Wolves of Mercy Falls

By Maggie Stiefvater

3.5/5

The Wolves of Mercy Falls is a trilogy of books about a girl and a boy who fall in love, with a little bit of a supernatural element thrown in – wolves. In the ongoing ‘Team Edward vs Team Jacob’ battle I am always Team Jacob and I gravitate more towards books about werewolves as opposed to vampires. I read this trilogy quite a few years ago but after starting this blog, I knew I needed to write a post about it. The first book, Shiver, is my all-time favourite book. Ever. And quite possibly the only book (besides JoJo Moyes’ Me Before You) that I would give a 5/5. The spine is broken and the pages are yellow, showing just how loved this book truly is. Sam and Grace are my ultimate relationship goals and no book boyfriend will ever compare to Sam Roth. So now you’re probably wondering why I only gave the trilogy a 3.5/5. The reason is, I wasn’t too keen on the other two books, especially the final one as I hate books that end on a cliffhanger. They aren’t bad books and they continue Sam and Grace’s story well but if you are as much of a superfan of Sam and Grace as I am, you will understand why I dislike the end to their story. That is why I would recommend reading Shiver as a stand-alone novel.

Despite my dislike of Linger and Forever, Maggie Stiefvater is, and will probably always be, one of my favourite authors and I am slowly filling up a shelf on my bookcase with all of her work. The final book of the Raven Boys series will be out in April and I will most definitely be writing a glowing review of these books once I have read the last one as I have enjoyed the first three immensely. If you haven’t heard of or read any of her books, I highly recommend that you do. You won’t be disappointed.

On a side not, I would love to see Shiver made into a film but I doubt this is going to be happening anytime soon. However, I will wait patiently with my fingers crossed as I would love to see Sam and Grace on the big screen.

The Mara Dyer Trilogy

By Michelle Hodkin

5/5

If you have not read this trilogy you need to read it now. Filled to the brim with suspense, action, passion, and a beautiful boy named Noah Shaw, these books are perfect for any Young Adult fan who is looking for something a little bit different. I am writing this review after re-reading these books and I found that I picked up on so many little clues and understood the books a lot more the second time round; that is one of my main issues with these books, it can get very confusing. Also, if you have an incredibly weak stomach like I do, you may find some of the chapters a bit disturbing as I found myself having to skim read a couple of pages because I was feeling a little nauseous. But that isn’t to say the books are filled with violence. Whilst there is a little of that, as Mara says at the end of the novel, this story is primarily a love story. And Noah Shaw has definitely made his way into my top 5 book boyfriends. I adore the family dynamic of these novels and Daniel (Mara’s brother) is my favourite character and everything I would want in an older brother if I had one.

If you love books that keep you on the edge of your seat and leave you thinking about them for days and weeks later, this trilogy is the one for you.  As Cassandra Clare says, these books are “haunting and dreamlike” and I cannot agree more!

Lady Midnight

By Cassandra Clare

5/5

I was so excited to hear that there would be a sequel to The Mortal Instruments as it is one of my favourite series of books. I adore the world that Cassandra Clare has created and it will always be one that I continue to go back to. I was very happy that the characters of The Mortal Instruments made an appearance in Lady Midnight (and will hopefully appear the rest of The Dark Artifices series) yet did not take away from the new characters and their story. I instantly fell in love with Emma and Julian and the rest of the Blackthorn family and I cannot wait to fall in love with them even more throughout the series. Whilst reading I was constantly guessing who The Guardian was and was pleased that I never guessed correctly as I hate knowing who the “villain” is before they have been revealed and it is a sign of a good book when you are left guessing until the end. My favourite character is Ty; I love how vulnerable and uncertain he is and I am looking forward to seeing his progression throughout the series. My only issue with this book is that it took me a few chapters to really get into it but that may just be down to it being the first book in the new series so a background needed to be given before the plot could really begin.

I would recommend this book to all fans of Cassandra Clare and to anyone who wants to immerse themselves into a world of fantasy. I would also recommend reading The Mortal Instruments before reading Lady Midnight if you are unfamiliar with the Shadowhunter novels as there are some spoilers both for The Mortal Instruments, and the prequel series The Infernal Devices.