*Book Review* Broken Throne by Victoria Aveyard

Broken Throne is a sort of bonus book to conclude the Red Queen series. If you need a catch up (plus some spoilers) you can read my review of War Storm (book 4) here.

Broken Throne contains what I like to call 'Extras for Experts'. That is to say, extra content you don't need but if you are caught up in the series then this is a great extra.

It contains a collection of novellas, two of which have been published already in Cruel Crown (so not sure why they made it in here but oh well). There are also some historical maps, family trees and journal entries from Julian, Cal's uncle the historian.

To be honest it took me a long time to get into this book. I think it would have been better if I had come at it straight after finishing the series. So if you read it, that is what I recommend you do. I think the historical pages were super heavy going and it might have been better if it jumped into a novella.

The first novella Queen Song is about Coriane, Cal's mother. It tells how she, as a lowly servant, captured the kings heart. While doing so she made Elara jealous and use her mind-powers to make Coriane think she was crazy. It's quite a sad story and makes me really feel for her.

The second novella is Steel Scars and tells some of the story surrounding Captain Farley. Farley is part of the Scarlet Guard and is good at what she does. She also falls in love with Mare's brother, although this happens before the events of the main series. This novella annoyed me a little because half of it is written as communication to and from guard members so some of it is redacted and just generally hard to read and follow. In saying that though, seeing a softer side to Farley was nice and you come out of it understanding her better.

The third novella is World Behind. It follows a boatman in the disputed lands who unknowingly gives a ride to a runaway Silver princess.  It is completely unrelated to the Red Queen series and there is no character crossover. I found this a bit weird because I kept waiting for it to tie into the story. It does give another perspective to the changing world as the wars were taking place, and I did enjoy the dynamic characters of Ashe and Lyrisa.

The fourth novella is Iron Heart, following the fate of Evangeline as she gives up her title of Princess so she can live the way she dreams. There is a contrast of personalities here as the usually headstrong woman is now very introverted and indecisive. It makes for interesting reading and Evangeline has always been a great character to read about. She goes through a major character development over the series and this ties up the loose ends nicely for her.

The fifth novella is Fire Light. This is the one 'everyone was waiting for' as it focuses on the protagonists Mare and Cal. War Storm left them having time apart to adjust and attempt to heal and now they finally cross paths again and try to figure out what the future looks like for them. It is pretty angsty but an overall good conclusion for them. I like that they show that grief and trauma is something that is not just fleeting, and that they need to work on that separately as well as together to move forward.

Finally, Fare Well. It can't really be called a Novella at only 20 pages long, but it deals with Maven and Cal's final meeting, and then final goodbye. Maven chooses not to reveal something about himself to spare Cal more hurt, but nevertheless, Cal still loves his brother Maven despite everything he has done. It was a touching tribute to end the book.

This collection of novellas did add to the Red Queen series but I wouldn't say it is a necessary addition. If you make it through to the end of War Storm (well done!), and find yourself needing more then this is for sure the book to read.

I still highly recommend the Red Queen series, they are well written and full of the stuff great dystopian novels are made of. There is also the bonus war and politics thrown in, along with super-human abilities (and the dreaded YA love-triangle). I'm glad I got to read Broken Throne to tie up some loose threads and make more sense of the history surrounding the events of the series.

Thanks to Hachette for giving me a review copy of this book.

Book Review *Sherlock Holmes Inspired YA*

I have recently been chewing through a bunch of great YA novels so I am planning a few bulk reviews. 

This first review contains two great series which have kept me guessing and have intriguing protagonists. They are both Sherlock-y style mysteries and have a few similarities. 

The first series is the Charlotte Holmes series by Brittany Cavallaro. It contains 3 novels – no make that 4! A new one has just been published – bear with me while I go and place a hold on that one! The book titles are: A Study in Charlotte, The Last of August, The Case for Jamie and A Question of Holmes.

The first three novels round out nicely so I’m picking that the fourth one will be an added bonus with more character progression which will be great.

Charlotte Holmes and Jamie Watson are the great-great-great grandchildren of the famous duo Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. Charlotte holds her heritage proud and has made it her mission to learn to observe and solve mysteries. She has lead a largely privileged life and now finds herself at a boarding school in the States. Charlotte is quirky, witty and has all manner of social issues. She is also partial to a wide range of heavy drugs which often help and hinder her efforts. 

Jamie Watson is also attending the same boarding school and tries to befriend Charlotte as he sees it as their fate. Charlotte is quick to shut him down but when she is indecently assaulted and the perpetrator is killed in a scene that mirrors a Holmes novel, it is clear that Charlotte and Jamie are being framed and they are only able to trust each other. There is plenty of quick thinking, explosions and awkward moments and the odd twist. It is a great first novel in the series. 

The next books explore more of the family’s dynamics and the dealings with the Moriarty family. It takes the pair around the globe as they get mixed up in a variety of issues. It is written from both of their perspectives which is definitely helpful in Charlotte's case as she has a very unique take on things and her thought process can be hard to follow when you aren’t in her head.

A great series for those who love quirky characters, anything Sherlock related and of course, a good mystery.

The second series in this review is by Maureen Johnson. I precede this review with a warning – if you are not the patient sort then you may wish to wait until the final book in the trilogy is out is January 2020. The cliff-hangers are real!

The first in the series is called Truly, Devious, the second is The Vanishing Stair and the third is The Hand in the Wall (yet to be published).

In 1936, the wife and young daughter of a wealthy gentleman disappeared under mysterious circumstances. A full investigation was carried out but the case is still unsolved. The gentleman was Mr Ellingham and he ran Ellingham Academy, a private and elite boarding school for the brightest and most creative minds. The school is filled with secret tunnels, riddles and quirks that make learning a game. Rumour has it that Ellingham would do anything to get them back and when a riddle signed Truly, Devious shows up, it seems there is more to the disappearance than it seems. 

In the present day, Stevie Bell – a true-crime aficionado – is accepted into Ellingham Academy and sets to work to solve the cold case.  Stevie is also very socially awkward and has chronic anxiety attacks which make her a very interesting and vulnerable character, although she tries her best to hide it from her classmates. Stevie has read everything about the case and gets herself into plenty of trouble snooping around but she makes friends and finds a few leads. Then a classmate dies in suspicious circumstances and it seems the past is repeating itself.

The series is told by jumping from the original events in 1936, to Stevie’s perspective. This makes for a slow chronological reveal of the mystery but it is quite complex so it works really well. By the end of book two we are still unsure of the clues we need to solve the bulk of the mystery but we do know some things. There are plenty of unanswered questions though so the next book will be epic. 

I enjoyed this series more than the Charlotte Holmes one. It is easier to read and flows better but they are both equally quirky and witty. I definitely recommend giving these series a try.

Book Review: When You Read This by Mary Adkins

When You Read This by Mary Adkins is a novel with an interesting format. The entire novel is written in email snippets between a variety of people. Adkins is a playwright and it feels a bit like reading a play - it isn't seamless reading, you have to stop and double check the sender and recipient of each email before you keep going. This does take a bit of getting used to but Adkins slips in some pretty great treats in there, spam from dating services and gambling sites are an accurate nod to the state of plenty of inboxes!

Iris is in her early 30s and dying of lung cancer. She writes on a website called Dying to Blog, where she finds comfort in others on a similar journey. She also works at a small and struggling brand management company as an assistant to her boss Smith.

A while after Iris has passed away, Smith hires a (quite hilarious) ambitious young intern called Carl who discovers his predecessor and determines that her blog should most definitely be published. Unfortunately the copyright to the blog lies with Iris's sister Jade, who isn't taking her death very well and refuses to hand over the rights.

Smith and Jade begin emailing each other and find solace in their common grief. They both have family baggage and this shapes a lot of their conversation, along with processing what Iris may have wanted them to do as they continue their lives without her.

This isn't a sad book, I found the email format takes away a lot of the emotion that you would get when you are in a characters head. But I don't think that detracts from the book at all, it just gives a different perspective, more like what we let others see. Or the fact that emails can be drafted, scrapped and rewritten so we can say what needs to be said rather than something spur of the moment.

The characters are full of emotion however, and the processing and decisions that are made in the wake of a death seem to be quite accurate. Smith worked with Iris for quite a long time and their friendship was quite unique. Jade helped Iris at the end and struggles with the fact that Iris didn't fight harder, and left big dreams behind. Carl is just a great point of difference when he pops up in the narrative and is so oblivious to most things.

I quite enjoyed this novel, even though it is different to what I would usually read. I don't think the blurb accurately conveys the plot but I did like what I read and the format makes it quite quick to get through. I think it concludes quickly but ties up the loose threads. I liked that the characters are more than a little flawed and that cancer and death are dealt with in a raw and real, but not soppy way.
It also highlights the journey that grief can take people through and that it can be something done separately or together at different stages.


When You Read This is published by Hachette and is available from February 12.

Thanks to Hachette for my review copy of this book!

Book Review *NZ AUTHOR* The Rift by Rachael Craw

You probably know by now that I have a soft spot for local authors. I found Rachael Craw through her previous trilogy: Spark, Stray and Shield. You can read my review here.

After following her on social media I became curious about her newest novel - The Rift. It seemed totally different to her previous offerings and I was intrigued. I have just finished the novel and I must say that I am sad to say goodbye to these characters, they are very well written and have found a place in my heart. I am sure I am not alone in having my fingers and toes crossed for a follow-up.

The Rift is a Young Adult fantasy novel set on Black Water Island. The island is laced with magical ley lines and is home to the Old Herd, deer who's horns have amazing healing powers and can communicate to the Rangers who protect them through telepathy. These Rangers live on the island and ensure that none of the ancient Old Herd are hurt by Rift Hounds, other-worldly demon dogs who can only be seen by those who have Rift Sight. These hounds appear when the moon is full and the Rift on the island opens.

Cal is an apprentice Ranger who has an unusual set of powers that came about from a Hound bite when he was young. Meg was injured at the same time as Cal but has lived on the Mainland until recently. As Meg returns, tensions arise from the Head Ranger's dealings with Nutris - a pharmaceutical company trying to capitalize on the powerful deer horn.
Meg has always wanted to be a Ranger but has no training, Cal is being pushed into something he doesn't want, and Meg and Cal have a connection that is more than electric. They must work through physical and psychological wounds to save the Head Ranger and the Old Herd as the Rift opens for its most dangerous time yet.

This novel dives straight into the intricacies of Black Water Island and the first third of the book feels like you are running to catch up with the story. The world is well constructed and conjures beautiful imagery of New Zealand-esque scenery - with thermal pools and a rugged, harsh landscape. The fantasy-side of the story takes a little to get your head around, but it doesn't make it any less mind-blowing. As I read the book, I was transported to the island and I could clearly see everything in my mind. It takes a great wordsmith to bring a world to life, and Rachael does this so well.

I loved the characters of Meg and Cal. They are both so intense and physically and mentally scarred which creates a broody mood that is eased by Meg's humor and quick wit. Meg is a great female lead who isn't afraid to get dirty and shows plenty of courage. There is a bit of PG romance that compliments the intense action plot well. The novel really ramps up on the tension-scale and has some great twists that surprised me. I did feel that one of the major plot lines was left unresolved, hence the request for a sequel.

I could go on and on but I won't. You will just have to find out yourself. The Rift gets a huge go-and-read-this-now tick from me!

As a bonus, I messaged Rachael with a typo I found - she replied straight away and proved me wrong, turns out there is a weird turn-of-phrase that both she and I think is just so wrong but her editor and the Macquarie Dictionary says is right - check out her post below:

Who knew?

Anyway, if you are in the mood for a faced-paced action novel with zombie space dogs, then get your hands on this book. Keep em' coming Rachael!

Book Review: All The Other Days by Jack Hartley *NZ AUTHOR*

When I recently started my job, I heard through the grapevine that one of my colleagues had just published his debut young adult novel. Well colour me interested, it does make the reading experience different when you know (however closely) the author. Jack Hartley is 22 and first started writing this novel when he was 17. I'm impressed. At 17 I was only just going on my first aeroplane trip!
I missed out on his book launch but I put a hold on his book and I spent all last night reading it.

Some background from CCL's blog:

• All The Other Days was first written as a screenplay then adapted into the novel recently. 

• Hartley wanted to try and accurately portray a genuine male voice in YA (Young Adult) literature because he couldn't find any books that did.

• Hartley has a Psychology degree that helped him shape his characters.
  
• All The Other Days has themes around mental health and what that can look like from a young person's perspective.

 Judd is seventeen and is one of the awkward, quiet guys at school. His passion is drawing and he uses this to help him escape from his parents fighting at home. He documents his life in his art, in his room the happy drawings go on one side, the sad ones on the other. Then one day he sees Kate and his life is changed. Kate is his perfect movie love-story but eventually reality catches up with him and what is real and what is imaginary becomes blurred.

Kate is drawn into this blurry world and seemingly impossible things start happening in her dreams and when she is awake. But one thing is for sure, when Judd and Kate's paths cross, an important connection is made that changes both their lives.

I read this book in one sitting, it is a definite page-turner. Recently I have been reading Young Adult fiction with female protagonists so it was refreshing to have a male perspective. I think Hartley nailed it when he aimed to write Judd as a genuine YA male voice. Not that I can speak from experience but the way Judd thinks and relates to his peers and is so very young-and-innocent-yet-trying-desperately-to-fit-in. He also shows such care and devotion to his mother and has a real desire to protect her from his dad. There are plenty of pop-culture references to music and movies which is very reminiscent to my time in high school where I would listen to a lot of older classics and music was a big part of my life.

There is a huge mental health theme within the novel, not only with Judd but with his parents too. Some of the novel is written from the perspective of Judd's mother and her mental health spiral is raw and confronting. I think books like this are important to highlight the internal struggle and ups and downs that anxiety and depression can cause.

There is a mind-bending real/not real aspect to this book which adds a needed depth to the high school love story. This stayed with me once I had finished and is one of the greatest parts of the book. I had no idea where the story would end up and the conclusion did not disappoint.

After reading a lot of YA fiction that is written by older writers, All The Other Days feels like the words are a little clunky and unrefined. However, I do think this adds to the young voice of Judd and makes his perspective come across as more accurate. I also found a few typos and grammatical errors that distracted me. Aside from that I have so much respect for Jack to have a published novel!

Go and seek out this book, it is a great read with a lot of facets to it. I also hear Jack has two more books in the works - I look forward to reading those when they are ready.

Book Review: Three Little Lies by Laura Marshall

Three Little Lies is the second novel by Laura Marshall. Her debut, Friend Request, was a great read and I eagerly put my hand up to review her newest offering. Staying firmly in the thriller/crime thriller genre, this novel leaves you guessing.

Ellen and Sasha flat together in London, still friends since high school ended 10 years ago, and bonded by a traumatic event that lead to their friend Karina being raped and them testifying against the rapist - Sasha's god-brother Daniel. 10 years later Sasha goes missing and Ellen fears the worst, Daniel is out of prison, is he after them?
Ellen re-opens old relationships to try and figure out what has happened to Sasha and not everyone is as they seem. Ellen quickly realizes that she doesn't know Sasha as well as she thought. As the story is told, the past is revealed and there are three little lies that have shaped the story and now put Ellen in danger.

I found the introduction of this novel quite confusing. It flicks between timelines and character's viewpoints regularly and I felt that I spent the first few chapters trying to figure out who was who and what was going on. This sorted itself out by about 5 or 6 chapters in. The main viewpoints are from Ellen and Olivia, and Karina has a few chapters too.
The format of the novel I have a sort of love/hate relationship with. It is done often, especially in crime writing, where it is set in the present but flicks between 2 other time periods from events in the past, each of which are written by both Olivia and Ellen. It means you need to pay particular attention to the dates at the beginning of each chapter. I do like the reveal factor of this format though, it means that the story is very much given piece-by-piece.

As far as characters go, Ellen, Sasha and Karina all have quite annoying traits. None of them are particularly endearing and I wasn't particularly invested in any of them. But the hook was what got me, what happened to Sasha? Clearly the title suggests that there has been three little lies told and therein lies the mystery. Despite my misgivings, I ended up engrossed and couldn't put the book down. I was not disappointed by the twists, and I liked that the story had evolved into something much bigger than just a girl disappearing. Especially a girl that is frankly, a bit annoying. But waiting to find out what the three little lies are keeps the intrigue going and the read worthwhile.

So overall, yes I do recommend this book, stick with it and you will be glad you did. 

Thanks to Hachette New Zealand for the review copy of this book.

Book Review: War Storm (Red Queen Book #4) by Victoria Aveyard

What a book. Now before I start, let me preface with the fact that this is book #4, the final in the Red Queen series. There will probably be spoilers so if you are interested in a YA novel about kings and war, people who have x-men-like abilities along with a strong female protagonist and a rebellion for a great cause then you will enjoy this series. Start with Red Queen, Glass Sword, Kings Cage and if you want the extra for experts then there are two short novellas from other characters perspectives together in a volume called Cruel Crown. 


I started reading this series earlier this year and I got hooked. I didn't quite time it right and had to wait a couple of months for this final installment which was hard! There is also so much going on in these books that I had to go back and read some summaries of the previous book to remember as #4 just jumps right in from where #3 ends.

If I was to pull a super brief summary to get us to the beginning of War Storm, it would go something like this: *SPOILER ALERT*

Mare Barrow is a Red. She has red blood, and lives each day in a small village, stealing and scrounging for her family's next meal. She hopes to get a job to avoid conscription to the army where a seemingly never-ending war wages in a neighboring land. Reds are ruled by Silvers. Their blood is silver and they have abilities: Magnetrons can manipulate metal, Strongarms are super strong, Whispers can manipulate thoughts, Nymphs can manipulate water etc. Because Silvers have these abilities they have ended up being the rulers of the kingdoms, with King Tiberius the Sixth as the King of Norta. Silvers > Reds so reds are the servants essentially.

The king has two sons and there is a battle of abilities of all the eligible Silver ladies a la Hunger Games. Mare meets Cal, the Tiberius heir when he is disguised as a Red and he gets her a cushy servant job at his palace. She ends up watching this battle and gets caught up in the action. She finds herself in the arena and manages to save herself with her previously unknown lightning powers. A Red with abilities is unheard of so she is quickly transformed into a 'lost Silver princess, raised as a Red girl' to keep up appearances for the King and his court. Mare is not a super huge fan of this but goes along with it because it allows her to feed inside information to the Scarlet Guard, an underground rebellion who want to overthrow the king. There is also a love triangle going on between Mare and the two princes, Cal and Maven.

There is betrayal from one of the brothers, Mare escapes, discovers there are others like her and sets off to find them, meets opposition and has some epic battles, a few people die. Then the books get pretty political and it becomes all about alliances and war strategies and the love triangle of course. Mare is captured and tortured by one of the brothers (one of them has a very twisted way of showing his love). Mare escapes again with a huge effort from her friends, and Mare is finally together with one of the brothers. Mare is betrayed again when that brother chooses the crown over her and she keeps on fighting for her cause.

That brings us to War Storm. Obviously there is way more to it than that but I would be here a long time! I actually managed to get through that without too many spoilers.

War Storm has a slow start which took me a while to get into. There is a lot of political talk which is one of my least favourite topics and a lot of moping going on from Mare. We do get this story from other characters points of view which probably saves this book for me. We hear from both Cal and Maven, Evangeline, a Magnetron from vaguely royal lineage who has been a thorn in Mare's side but has a change of heart in this book, and Iris, a Nymph Princess who is married to Maven for her family's own sneaky ambitions. There is plotting, scheming, backstabbing, kidnapping and fighting between the various alliances. Maven is always a few steps ahead which makes the progress slow but eventually the tides turn (that is a really funny saying that you will laugh at after you read the book by the way).

Obviously as the final book there needs to be a conclusion of both the romantic story and the overall story. These were both resolved in an OK way. I wasn't overwhelmed by how amazing the ending was, it was pretty predictable but I was happy with the way they left the story. As for the romantic wrap-up, it wasn't filled with warm fuzzies but was probably a more realistic ending for them.

Overall I feel like War Storm was a good final book. It is a massive door-stop of a novel and is pretty much 40% politics 50% fighting and 10% for the rest of the storyline. I am conflicted because I didn't enjoy a lot of this book but I enjoyed the overall story. Each character is so overwhelmingly flawed that you have a bit of a love/hate relationship with them all. Except for maybe Kilorn. And Farley.

 I think I managed to give a brief but accurate overview of the series so if it peaks your interest then check it out and if not, I'll stop rambling.

War Storm is out now. Thanks to Hachette for the review copy of this book.

Book Review: Every Thing About You by Heather Child

Every Thing About You is a debut novel by Heather Child. Touted as a sort of Black Mirror mixed with Gone Girl, this a slightly futuristic thriller that is eerily plausible if technology continues as we know it.

Freya is working a deadbeat job where she fears she will be replaced by sales robots who can mine data about a customer and tailor the service to their needs. This is a future where virtual reality is commonplace and used for escapism or fantasies. Where your digital footprint is used in every aspect of your life, using data to predict your needs like what to order for lunch or what outfit you should wear for a date. Smartspecs are VR glasses that overlay information to what you see, like showing a trail leading you home, or covering graffiti with flowers. Freya has recently acquired a digital assistant that only she can hear, who is designed to make whatever Freya wants happen. The only problem is, her assistant has the voice of her sister Ruby who disappeared 8 years ago. Freya still holds out hope that Ruby is alive somewhere, so when her assistant seems to know more about Ruby than she should, Freya goes on a mission to try and track her down.

This obsession leads Freya into some dark places, including Yearnfield, a virtual landscape where not everyone is as they seem and can become quite addictive. Freya needs to learn whether or not she can trust the information that is being fed to her.

This book was very fascinating, especially in terms of the technology that has been created. The way that Heather Child created a world where this tech was integrated well into everyday life is impressive and seems very plausible. I found that the tech was talked about quite a lot and it almost was too much to remember. I found Freya to be an interesting character, who clearly has some issues and struggles to manage the tech integration. The overall feel of the novel was quite disjointed, there were a lot of aspects to work in and I don't think they resolved as well as they could, or even flowed together well throughout the book. I was intrigued enough to finish the book, it did get pretty dark at times but thankfully not in a sexual way, although this was alluded to at times.

I wasn't overly satisfied with the conclusion, the big questions were answered but so many other little things were left unexplained or things seemed to be thrown in just for the sake of semi-resolving a character's story. Overall though, this novel was an eye-opening view into what could come, and it definitely makes you think twice about the data you create online. Worth a read if this kind of thing intrigues you.

Available now from book retailers.
Thanks to Hachette for a review copy of this book.

Book Review: The Farmyard Idol by Angie Belcher *NZ Author*

How many times have you told your child that books are not for drawing in? What if there was one that was designed so that your child can colour in half of the illustrations?
That book is The Farmyard Idol.

The farmyard is very noisy so Farmer Fred decides to hold a competition to see which animal has the best voice (think American Idol style). Each animal practices then heads to the performance. The musical layers build on each other as Chicken (peck peck peckity-peck) finds Dog (howooool), who finds Horse (clipity-clop, clipity-clop) and so on. At the performance, three judges critique the animals - Farmer Fred, his wife Betty, and Farmhand Joe. Joe is the typical Simon Cowell judge and it takes something special to impress him.

I really enjoyed this book. It took a couple of read-throughs before I got the animal noises and rhythms in a way that flowed and sounded good to me but it works if you change them up too. At first I wasn't sure about having a judge that wasn't very encouraging but then I remembered real life and I decided that it actually makes the competition more of a competition!
I like that the text has a variety of colours and sizes for emphasis and animal identification. There are also some interesting phrases introduced such as 'sensational sound', 'scintillating solo' and 'breathtaking beat' that aren't commonplace in picture books but are great for adding to children's vocabulary.

This book has a lot of aspects going on - and in a good way! Call it value for money. Read-aloud-ability (it's a thing - parents you hear me), silly farm animal voices, playing with rhythm and other musical aspects, colouring in, and even some tear out postcards with feature illustrations from the book.

The book recommends that it best suits 4-9 year olds but I think it is still a great read aloud for younger children, especially if you 'forget' to tell them they can colour it in. Addison (4) has been really enjoying having the book read to her - her favourite animal noise is the cow and the pig. Once she found out she could colour it in she went straight for the postcards at the back and has cautiously begun to work her way through the pages.

This book was written by Angie Belcher and Illustrated by Debbie Tipuna. These two amazing women have collaborated together before and hail from my hometown of Te Puke. I grew up with Angie and Debbie as wonderful role models in their community and I love that they are passionate and quirky and use that to their advantage.

Angie Belcher promoting The Farmyard Idol

This is a great book to gift, or to add to your collection. Know that you are supporting two local legends when you purchase this book.
 

Angie gave me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: This Could Change Everything by Jill Mansell

I don't usually read what I like to call 'fluffy' books - light, romantic fiction books, but occasionally, if one gets recommended to me or it has a good blurb then I may go for it. This is one of those and I enjoyed it so much I would even consider reading another!

This Could Change Everything starts with Essie, who is in her mid-twenties. Essie is playing grown-ups having just moved in with her boyfriend Paul. One night over a bottle of wine she and her friend write a joke version of a holiday card which states in much detail, how much she dislikes Paul's mother. It was never meant to be sent, just a bit of a vent, but she wakes up to the email having been sent to her entire contacts list - including Paul and his mother. The sender turns out to be Lucas - a friend of her brother's who had come home drunk in the middle of the night. Suffice to say Essie does not like Lucas.

Suddenly finding herself on her own Essie is at a loss with what to do. In a stroke of luck she chances across an 83 year old, well-dressed lady called Zillah who decides that Essie is just the right person to rent out her fancy flat upstairs. Zillah moonlights as a wish-granter for elderly folks near the end of their lives, along with another young man, Conor. Through this, along with a new job at a pub where the manager is no other than email-sending Lucas, Essie begins to change her perspective on life, and love.

The characters are all well developed and relatable, each has a beautiful voice that draws you into their thoughts. I deeply cared about the outcome of a couple of relationships, as well as the outcome of an incident involving Zillah.

It was funny, it made me want to keep reading and it got me invested. All marks of a good book and so this one gets a tick from me. I'm glad I ventured out of my dystopian/crime thriller zone for this latest read. I will definitely keep Jill Mansell in mind for when I next need a fluffy read!

Thanks to Hachette for the review copy of this book. Out now at the usual retailers.

Book Review: Not That I Could Tell by Jessica Strawser

It feels good to get back into some good ol' thriller fiction. I always seem to come back to it after dabbling in other genres. I was definitely not disappointed by Jessica Strawser's second novel.

Not That I Could Tell starts with a group of neighbours struggling to remember the night they had round a fire pit in one of their backyards. Then one of them goes missing along with her young twins and suddenly a suburban neighbourhood is the centre of an investigation. The women at the campfire are a mixture of mothers with young children, a military wife, a newly single professional and a woman in the middle of a divorce. The women try to piece together any small hints of what could have happened to Kristen, when it seems that she managed to hide a lot of her life by becoming great at pretending her life was going so well.

The suspicion eventually falls on Paul, her soon-to-be-ex-husband, a much loved doctor who is visibly distraught, especially when allegations of domestic abuse arise. 
But how well do we really know the people who live around us?

I loved this book and I tried very hard to read it in 5-minute snatches of my days and eventually I managed to get to the final chunk in one solid time slot. At first the book seemed very predictable, the twist was pretty simple to follow and clues were being dropped all over the show. But then, a final twist was one I didn't see coming and it was perfectly planned. It also made the ending great for me
A trigger warning - domestic abuse, especially the emotional side, is brought up. There is also very minimal sensuality which I enjoyed, where relationships were real and sometimes messy but didn't need to be defined by sex.

I identified with the life stage of most of the women who were at home with young children, a lot of their emotions rung true with me. Like getting caught up in the neighbourly gossip, while still trying to be a good friend and keep things running smoothly.

A great book, slow to start but keeps getting better. I will definitely go back and read Strawser's previous novel and if you are a thriller fan then give this a go.

Published by Hachette NZ. Available from 10/04/2018. RRP: $37.99.

Thanks to Hachette for a review copy of this book.

Book Review: The Squirrels Who Squabbled by Rachel Bright

Rachel Bright teams up again with illustrator Jim Field (previously seen in The Lion Inside) with another eye-catching, stunning and funny book that has a strong message to boot.

The book features two squirrels: Spontaneous Cyril and Plan-Ahead Bruce, who both have their eyes set on the Last Nut Of The Season. They scamper and fight through the pages and are thwarted at every turn, leading to them both going over the edge of a waterfall without the nut. Finally the two squabbling squirrels realize that they have been silly, and put aside their differences to share the bounty and become friends.

Addison's favourite part of the book was the waterfall. I loved the autumn-y setting that is shown through the illustrations in beautiful colours and trees in all shades of yellow, red, and orange. There are some very cunning rhymes and the words flow nicely off the tongue. This is a great read-aloud book and had plenty of scope for emotion to be added. It is the perfect book for Addison at the stage she is at, where she can learn about turning squabbling into friendship and sharing.

A great addition to your collection, and definitely worth a read if you spot it at your local library!

Thanks to Hachette for the review copy of this book.

Book Review *SCI-FI* Elysium Fire by Alastair Reynolds

How cool is this cover! I do love a good bit of sci-fi and Alastair Reynolds delivers. He has a Ph.D in astronomy and after leaving astrophysics for writing, he has produced a whole bunch of great novels. When you have that kind of background, you can guarantee that the depth of his sci-fi world will be stunning.

Elysium Fire is set in the same world as The Prefect (2007) which has been renamed as Aurora Rising, but this is a stand-alone novel. However if you prefer to have a bit more background then seek this first novel out.

The premise involves Prefect Dreyfus who is part of a sort-of task force which patrols the Glitter Band and its hundred-million citizens. Not everyone is happy with the way the Prefects run things and there are the beginnings of civil unrest among the colonies. Making matters worse, the brain implants that every citizen has, have been malfunctioning seemingly randomly and killing the unlucky victims. The Prefects are in charge of figuring out why this is happening.

This novel is pretty heavy reading, not one you can devour in a night or two. Typical of sci-fi there are a lot of characters to keep track of, as well as names unique to the world which take some remembering. There is plenty of awesome high-tech, gadgety stuff and the overall content makes you think deeply and stays with you once the book has finished.
I enjoyed this novel, it took me a while to get into but I think I just wasn't ready for such a heavy book when I started reading. Alastair Reynolds is a great author and this book has been reviewed very highly since its publication. If you are a sci-fi fan, check out this novel, as well as others by Reynolds. You won't be disappointed.

Thanks to Hachette for my review copy of this book.

Book Review: YA Series Round Up (Chemical Garden, Uglies and Zeroes Trilogies)

 Sometimes when authors spend so much time building a world and characters, it deserves writing other books into those worlds. YA novels are generally slightly quicker to read so it makes it easy to devour a series in a weekend. Once again these are all (mostly) dystopian in their themes, with the exception of Zeroes, which is set in the present, only with characters that have powers.

THE CHEMICAL GARDEN TRILOGY By Lauren DeStefano

Wither is set a few generations into the future where, after too much meddling with IVF, a virus was introduced and now children who are born are only able to live until 20 for female and 25 for males. There is obviously lots of research going into trying to cure this abnormality but attempts so far have been unsuccessful. The protagonist is Rhine, who is 16 and lives with her twin brother. Rhine is kidnapped and chosen to become one of three brides of a young man named Linden who comes from a wealthy family. Her other two sister-wives are either excited about the prospect of bearing children or depressed. Rhine can't wait to escape but things change when Linden begins to fall for her.

This novel is often referred to as the Handmaid's Tale for Young Adults. It definitely has similarities and has plenty of enticing 'fluff' that make it more fun to read - such as the brides having personal maids who create fancy gowns for them and they get whatever they want from the kitchen made especially - sounds like the dream right?
Then you realize that the father-in-law is experimenting on people and is power-crazy and things go back to being horrible.
This novel contains some pretty rough themes but I really enjoyed it and went straight onto book #2.

Fever is book #2 in the Chemical Garden Trilogy. Rhine and her servant/love interest Gabriel have escaped the mansion and head across the country to New York to try and find her twin brother Rowan. The country is is a right mess and they quickly get entangled in a new type of  prison in the shape of a carnival that deals in prostitution. Plus the father-in-law is still hunting them and will Rowan even be there if they make it that far?
You don't get much of an idea about the world outside the mansion in Wither so this novel gets to explore it a lot. It is a lot different to book #1 but the characters are there and you care about them so this alone is enough to keep reading. The last third of the book is an awesome lead-up to book #3 and ends on a cliff-hanger.

Sever is the conclusion to the trilogy and it's a tricky one to summarize without giving away too much. Rhine breaks back out of the mansion where she was not a guest, and finds an ally in her...uncle-in-law? The entire book has a bit of a depressing undertone and an ending I wasn't a huge fan of. Rowan finally makes an appearance but doesn't quite live up to the hype that has been put on him because of some choices he made. Still a decent enough novel but not quite as good as the first two.

THE UGLIES TRILOGY

Uglies is set in the distant future where our cities have gone to ruin and new cities have been built with better technology and each city exists in self-sufficient isolation. Tally is a prankster who is anxiously awaiting her 16th birthday when she gets to undergo the operation to make herself pretty and live in the city. The operation is like a full-blown plastic surgery to conform to variations of beauty standards. This is intended to allow more harmonious living in the city (because attractive people don't consider violence?). She is currently an Ugly and she meets Shay who doesn't want the operation and runs off into the wild to a group of Rusties who live essentially how we do now, with no technology and are all Ugly. The 'police' are called Special Circumstances and discover one of Tally's pranks and blackmail her into finding the place where the Rusties live to betray her friend. But when she gets there she finds more than she was expecting.

This series was quite a fun read, Tally can be a bit hit and miss with her decisions but the world is fun to explore and includes a lot of shallow-ness. I enjoyed it!

Pretties is book #2 in the trilogy. Tally is now a Pretty and can't remember the events of the previous book and lives up her Pretty life. Until she realizes that there is some sort of mind-fog going on and a group called the Crims understand how to evade it. Then she meets a boy, and escapes the city to head back to the Rusties.
It has some pretty terrible ratings but I didn't think it was that bad. There is some annoying slang and half the time you feel like slapping Tally but keep at it, and read #3.

Specials is book #3. Tally has had yet another lot of surgery and is now part of Special Circumstances. A ruthless, agile, fighting machine who aims to keep the Pretties stupid and the Uglies from messing up the city. She gets given a mission to destroy the Rusties but something inside her tells her that she shouldn't. Each book gives Tally a whole new personality which is fascinating to see her learn and fight the brainwashing. Again, I was not a fan of the decisions she made but she has grown as a character over the trilogy.

If you aren't a fan of the first novel then don't push through to the others. There is a unique writing style that only continues and it's not for everyone. I did enjoy this trilogy and I listened to Pretties and Specials as Audiobooks which was interesting.

Extras is the fourth book in the 'Uglies' quartet. It is set three years after book #3 with new characters. I was so attached to the characters from the first three that I got a few chapters in, the plot was all new, characters were different and I just wasn't into it. I have read a few reviews that says it does tie in eventually but I didn't bother pushing through. I might go back and read it eventually, with different expectations.

THE ZEROES TRILOGY

I picked up Zeroes after finishing the Uglies series because it was shelved next to them and had similar looking covers. I liked the style of Scott Westerfeld's writing so I thought this series was worth a go. Turns out it is totally different but very awesome.
Zeroes is the self-appointed name given to a group of kids who were born in the year 2000 and have weird, hard-to-control powers. They live in small town America and live normal lives but they have found each other and Glorious Leader (the kid who's power is to be super dazzling and focus all the attention on himself) decides to try and get them to hone their powers and work together. They end up in a whole mess of trouble of course. I liked the idea of this series because it seems like a more plausible way that teens with powers would play out.

Swarm is the second book in the Zeroes trilogy. The teens are getting better at using their powers and have added another to their crew. Then they discover a pair of rogue Zeroes making headlines and decide to stop them. It turns out they were running from a dark Zero who has a murderous power, and has something in common with one of the original Zero crew. But will she surrender to her dark side?

This novel was good because it expanded on the relationships between each character. It also added new characters in the mix and most of them were working through some inner turmoil. Another action-packed book that was on par with the first.

Nexus is the third in the series and has only just been published. I had to wait a wee while to read this one but it was worth it! This book contains the epic showdown with the Zeroes and another Glorious Leader who had rounded up an army of other Zeroes ready to strike at the Mardi Gras Parade in New Orleans. The team are learning to flip their powers inside out so that they can do the opposite (hard to explain) and this leads to some very interesting choices being made. A great conclusion that was unexpected but also wrapped everything up nicely. There is also scope for spin-offs from this series as each new character clearly has a story to tell.

Zeroes Trilogy is highly recommended by me. It is definitely not targeted at any gender, I get a bit over lovey-dovey plot lines so one that still includes relationships but focuses more on action is down my alley.