Out Of The Easy by Ruta Sepetys Review

Out Of The Easy by Ruta Sepetys 

Plot Outline 

Josie wants to escape the French Quarter. She is known as the daughter of a prostitute and she wants to escape this. When a mysterious death occurs Josie gets stuck in the Quarter and it seems like the life that she has dreamed of is even further away.

My Opinion 

After loving Salt to the Sea I decided to read Ruta’s other books and whilst this wasn’t quite as good it was still really enjoyable. I found the story to be really engaging and interesting and I thought that the characters were really interesting too. I was pulled into this story and I stayed up late to finish it. This book is set during the 1950s in New Orleans and I found this setting really interesting and unlike anything else that I have ever read. I think that Ruta does a really good job of creating realistic characters that I find interesting and I want to read about them. There were a couple of unexpected moments that took me by surprise. I can’t wait for Ruta to write more books so that I can read more of her writing.

Kirsty xoxo

The Form Of Things Unknown by Robin Bridges Review

Plot Outline

Natalie spent some time in hospital being treated for a mental illness. Now that she is out she has decided to take part in the local production of A Midsummer’s Night Dream. No one knows about her past except for Lucas who was also at the hospital. Whilst at the theatre Natalie starts seeing ghosts.

My Opinion

I really enjoyed this book. I think that the author dealt with mental illness in a really sensitive way. I felt that her portrayal of mental illness was realistic. The romance in this book was good. It wasn’t an insta-love story but was instead slowly developed throughout the book which is the type of romance that I like. I appreciated that the author did not try to use the romance as a cure as this is not realistic and it really annoys me when authors do this. I didn’t like the ghost story line. I thought that it was a little unnecessary and I think that the story would have worked without it. Overall I enjoyed this book and I will be looking to try more from the author in the future.

I received a copy via Net Galley. 

Kirsty xoxo

My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult Review

 

Plot Outline

Anna’s sister Kate has leukemia and Anna was created to be a perfect bone marrow match for Kate. During her life, Anna has had a number of surgeries to help Kate. Now Anna has decided that she does not want to be a donor anymore and wants to sue her parents.

My Opinion

I picked up this book as I had heard a lot of good things about it and I wanted to check it out. The plot is very unique and unlike anything else that I have ever read. I knew going into this that it was properly going to be an emotional read and there are a number of emotional points throughout the book. The book is told from multiple POVS so we get to see different people’s views on the situation and how they are feeling. Throughout the book, I didn’t know whose side I was on. I understand why Anna’s parents did what they did but I can also understand why Anna didn’t want to do it anymore. The ending was really emotional and shocking as it was not the ending I was expecting. I thought that this book was really well written as it sucked me in from the start. I am glad that I finally picked it up and I am looking forward to reading more from the author in the future.

Kirsty xoxo

Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty Review

Three Wishes

The Last Anniversary

Big Little Lies

Plot Outline

Sam and Clementine have a busy life with two young daughters. Sam has just started a new job and Clementine is preparing for a big music audition. Clementine’s oldest friend invites them to a BBQ at Tiffany and Vid’s house. But something happens at the BBQ that leaves them wondering if they should have ever gone to the BBQ.

My Opinion 

Whilst I did enjoy this book I didn’t think it was as good as the other Liane Moriarty books that I have read. I am a huge fan of Liane Moriarty’s books and I will always check out what she brings out. I think that she is very good at creating realistic characters and writes a good mystery. I didn’t really connect with any of the characters in this book which is a shame as I usually think that Liane creates really good characters. Although there was a mystery in this book I found the reveal to be very anti-climatic and not as shocking as some of her other books. Once again Liane tackled some difficult topics including alcoholism, infertility, and hoarding and I think that she handles these topics really well. I think the synopsis is a little misleading as it makes out that the plot is more dramatic than it is. Overall I would give this a 3.5 as it didn’t live up to some of her other books.

I received from Net Galley. 

Kirsty xoxo

The Unlikely Hero Of Room 13B By Teresa Toten Review

Plot Outline 

Adam is part of a support group for teenagers suffering from OCD. When he meets Robyn he wants to be with her but he has a lot to deal with in his life and he is not sure if he can add a relationship to the mix.

My Opinion

I picked this book up from the library on a whim. I hadn’t heard anything about it but it sounded interesting as it deals with mental health and I am trying to read more books from this genre. It took me quite awhile to get into this book. Unfortunately, the romance plays a big part in the book and I wasn’t a fan of the relationship as it happened too quickly and didn’t seem very believable. I thought that the portrayal of OCD seemed quite realistic although I don’t know too much about it. It didn’t feel over dramatised as it often is in books. Although I did not like the romance I did like the main character Adam. He had to deal with so much and I felt sympathetic to his situation. The author did a good job of making the characters feel very realistic. Overall I liked this book but I do think that the relationship lets it down which is why I gave it 3 stars. I would like to check out some of the author’s books. I am interested in reading Beware That Girl as it is a YA thriller and that is a genre that I enjoy reading but haven’t read many books from it.

Kirsty xoxo

The Sleeping Prince By Melinda Salisbury Review

The Sin Eater’s Daughter Review

Plot Outline 

Errin’s brother Lief disappeared and she is left to care for their sick mother. However, things are going to get even more difficult now that the Sleeping Prince is awake.

My Opinion 

I thought that this was a really good continuation of the series. At first, I found it a little confusing as we follow a completely different character in this book. Once I had got used to it I did find it quite interesting to follow a new character. We did get to see Twylla who was the main character in the first book but not until towards the end of the book. I liked Errin as she was a strong character who had to take on a lot of responsibility. I really enjoy reading about the world that Melinda has created, I like how she draws inspiration from folklore. I thought that the Sleeping Prince was a really good villain as he was sinister. I am really looking forward to see how the story concludes in The Scarecrow Queen.

Kirsty xoxo

The Invasion Of The Tearling by Erika Johnson Review

The Queen of the Tearling Review

Plot Outline 

Kelsea is the young Queen of the Tearling and whilst trying to do something good she incurs the wrath of the Red Queen. The Red Queen’s armies are set to invade the Tearling and nothing will stop them.

My Opinion 

I thought that this was a fantastic sequel. I really enjoyed the first book but this was even better. We got to see a lot of development. Kelsea becomes very dark in this book and through her visions we are introduced to a new character called Lily. Lily lived before the Crossing and we get to find more information about the Crossing which I really enjoyed. Despite its length, I flew this book as it was so fast paced. There are a lot of twists and turns and so many secrets and questions that I hope will get answered in the last book.

Kirsty xoxo

The Sword Of Summer by Rick Riordan Review

The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan (Book 1 in the Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series) 

Plot Outline 

After his mother died Magnus has lived on the streets of Boston. A man that his mother warned him about finds him and tells Magnus that he is the son of a Norse god. Magnus must find a weapon to prevent Ragnarok and the only way to do this is to die.

My Opinion

Rick Riordan’s books get spoken about quite a lot and I hadn’t read anything by him since I read the Percy Jackson series. I really wanted to dive back into his books as I remembered really enjoying them. This book intrigued me as it is about Norse mythology rather than Greek mythology. I feel that I know a fair amount about Greek mythology but I knew very little about the Norse gods. Despite having a different mythology in this book  I felt that it was very similar to the Percy Jackson series. The plot followed a similar pattern where the character finds out that his father is a god and then goes on some quest. I thought that Magnus and Percy were very similar characters and when I read this book it did feel a bit repetitive. There was a diverse range of characters in this book which I enjoyed seeing. Despite this book feeling similar to his other books I did enjoy reading it. I thought that it was a lot of fun and I will be continuing on with this series. I also want to read his other books as I have only read the Percy Jackson series.

Kirsty xoxo

The Maze Runner by James Dashner Review

 

The Maze Runner by James Dashner 

Plot Outline 

Thomas wakes up in the Glade surrounded by loads of strange boys. He can only remember his name. Outside the Glade is the Maze that constantly changes and the boys have no way of escaping. Everything changes when a girl arrives with a message that means they must make their way through the Maze.

My Opinion

I have heard mixed things about this book and when I started it I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it. It took me awhile to get into this book. One of the reasons for this is that the boys use a slang language which made it a bit confusing. I ended up really enjoying this book. It is full of mystery and suspense and it kept me hooked until the end. I didn’t know what was going to happen and I wanted to keep reading in order to find out what was going to happen to the boys. Something happened to a particular character which I wasn’t happy about and it came as a shock as I was not expecting it. The ending was left wide open for the next book and although I understand why this was I would have liked more of a conclusion. Overall I really enjoyed this book and I have since gone on to read the second one.

Kirsty xoxo

Atlantia by Ally Condie Review

Atlantia by Ally Condie Review 

Plot Outline

Rio luves in the underwater of Atlantia and dreams of going Above. However, her twin sister Bay leaves her behind and she is stuck in Atlantia. Rio has to come up with a plan to get her Above and a long the way she uncovers many secrets.

My Opinion 

Ally Condie wrote the Matched trilogy which has mixed reviews but I really enjoyed it so I was hopeful that I would like this book. I want to start my review by saying if you are expecting a book about mermaids then this is not for you. I honestly thought that this book was about mermaids but it’s a dystopian set in an underwater city although there is mention of sirens. I thought that this book really lacked world building and what should have been a really interesting world wasn’t. I found it so difficult to imagine as the author gave us hardly any descriptions of the world. I didn’t connect with any of the characters in this book and nothing seemed to happen for the majority of the book. I felt that the romance should have been used more as it might have helped to make the story more interesting. The book was very slow moving and I didn’t connect with the story or the characters. I am really glad that this was a standalone as I would not want to read any other books set in this world.

Kirsty xoxo