TBR: October 2015

So this month, I'm not going to push myself to read, because I really need to focus on university assignments and getting everything organised before the end of the semester. I only have two books on my TBR list this month, and I'll be surprised if I finish more than one.

• Chasing Paper Cranes by Courtney Peppernell [Goodreads]
• Onyx by Jennifer L. Armentrout [Goodreads]

I'm also still "currently reading" (i.e. not actually reading) My Story by Julia Gillard, but I don't see myself picking up another chapter of that one any time soon.

Good luck with your TBR this month!

WRAP UP: September 2015

September is birthday month for me, but it's also the busiest in terms of university. ALL THE ASSIGNMENTS ARE DUE IN SEPTEMBER! Which means very little time for reading, but I did manage to squeeze in two books whilst studying procrastinating ;)

Beautiful Disaster

by Jamie McGuire

I received this book as a birthday gift from my best friend, and so I wanted to love it, but it turned out to be a huge trainwreck of a book. There was nothing positive about this book, and it truly baffles me that so many readers love this book. It read like fanfiction, with abusive high school students who somehow ended up in university.

My Rating: ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ // Full Review

Only Ever Yours

by Louise O'Neill
This was a very confronting and difficult read, but one that I'm glad I finished. Louise O'Neill quickly made herself one of my favourite authors with this book, because she offers such a sharp, clever and insightful feminist critique on beauty culture, eating disorders and mental illness. This is a book destined to become a modern classic.

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ // Full Review


I'm also currently reading Chasing Paper Cranes by Courtney Peppernell, a book that I had hoped to finish this month, but I think I fell into a reading slump, so I've been reading this one very slowly. I'm enjoying it so far, but there are also elements of this book that I'm not a fan of... which I'll talk about more in my wrap up next month!

I hope you had a more productive reading month than me, and I'll see you tomorrow with my TBR for October :)

BOOK HAUL: September 2015

September is always the busiest month for me, and this year was no exception. I had to finish my teaching placements, host a joint party with my sister for our birthdays, celebrate my actual birthday a week later, and hand in a tear-stained package of assignments. It was a hectic month, and so I took some time out here and there to buy some books. You know, because retail therapy is an actual thing, and it's even better when you're buying books!

Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins
Sweet Peril by Wendy Higgins
Sweet Reckoning by Wendy Higgins
Sweet Temptation by Wendy Higgins

I read the Sweet Trilogy over a year ago on my Kindle, and absolutely loved it, so when Sweet Temptation was released this month, I couldn't resist but to purchase the whole series in paperback. When it's a series I really enjoy, I don't mind having multiple copies :)

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
Dumplin' by Julie Murphy
Landline by Rainbow Rowell
The Messenger by Markus Zusak

I purchased these books on my birthday, stopping off at the book shop on my way home from uni. I went into the store with the intention of picking up the newly-released Dumplin', but came away with an armful of extras!

Saga, Volume 5 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
East of West, Volume 1 by Jonathan Hickman and Nick Dragotta
Hello, Goodby and Everything in Between by Jennifer E. Smith
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

And then finally a few extras that I couldn't resist purchasing. I'm really looking forward to continuing Saga, and I love that my collection of Jennifer E. Smith books are so bright and colourful!

Birthday Book Haul

All the Light we Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

I also received a few books as gifts for my birthday, which was completely unexpected yet oh so wonderful :)

I hope this month was a productive month for you too, whether it was buying books or reading them or finding the time to finish your assignments!

BOOK REVIEW: Only Ever Yours by Louise O'Neill

Only Ever Yours

Author: Louise O'Neill
Published: 3 July 2014 by Quercus
Genres: Young Adult, Dystopian, Science Fiction
Format: Paperback
Source: Purchased
Links: Goodreads

Synopsis:

frieda and isabel have been best friends their whole lives.

Now, aged sixteen and in their final year at the School, they expect to be selected as companions - wives to wealthy and powerful men. The alternative – life as a concubine – is too horrible to contemplate.

But as the intensity of the final year takes hold, the pressure to remain perfect becomes almost unbearable. isabel starts to self-destruct, putting her beauty – her only asset – in peril.

And then, the boys arrive, eager to choose a bride.

frieda must fight for her future - even if it means betraying the only friend, the only love, she has ever known...

Rating:

My Review:

In the space of one book, Louise O'Neill has gone from an unknown author to one of my favourites. Her books will now sit on my bookshelf in that special section that I reserve for authors whose words have truly affected me and changed my life. I rarely fangirl over anything these days, but O'Neill's Only Ever Yours is an undeniable force of nature, compelling a full-blown emotional response from anyone daring to read a book about a topic such as this one.

Only Ever Yours is set in a futuristic, dystopian-esque world where men rule the world and women are created for the sole purpose of pleasing these men. They are crafted – scientifically generated – to be absolutely perfect. They are then raised in the School as eves, where they are trained to one day enter the world primed and ready to please men. The eves are illiterate – only able to communicate verbally or visually – because academic traits are unappealing to men. The eves are emotionless, void of personality or feelings, because this is unappealing to men. The eves follow a strict regime to ensure they are at a target weight, because anything more or less is unappealing to men.

The ultimate goal is to become a companion – a wife to a man, and the bearer of his future sons (giving birth to daughters is strictly forbidden). If an eve is not selected for companionship (this society creates three times as many eves as sons born each year, so only one third will be selected as companions), she will become a concubine – a prostitute, living for the purpose of sexually pleasuring men beyond their companion. If an eve is unfit for either of these roles, she is destined to become a chastitiy – assisting in raising of eves, eternally sexually chaste, and with the role of chastising any deviant eve behaviour.

This book is not one that can be read lightly. Its subject matter is deeply confronting and extremely difficult to read at times, but it is a worthwhile read. It tackles issues such as eating disorders, body image, mental illness and suicide with a feminist poignancy that really hits home. There is nothing uplifting about this book, nothing to really make you happy. Rather, it is a book that sends a message, a warning about beauty culture and patriarchy and the future of our society if we become so obsessed with perfection that we lose our humanity. The focus of this book is on delivering this message – O'Neill doesn't care whether you like her characters or whether you approve of the world she has created – and it does so in such a beautiful, tragic way that will stay with you forever.

"All eves are created to be perfect, but there is always room for Improvement."

The characters in this book – the eves – are all vapid clones of one another. They might have different hair colours, different heights, different skin tones, but in the end they were all created to be identical in their service of pleasing men. It's impossible to like any of them, because (1) we never get to know them as individuals, and (2) they're all equally as annoying as the next one. But that's not to say that they're uninteresting. Quite the opposite. The creation of these characters, their role, the training they receive at the School is all so engrossing and fascinating that it's hard to not become invested in their story. They are pawns of men, their stories tragic and depressing, their fate unfathomable. Yet it is so easy to see ourselves in these girls, their emotions, their ways of thinking. And that's the whole point; this abhorrent dystopian world isn't so far removed from our own.

A lot of the negative reviews for Only Ever Yours stem from readers' dissatisfaction with the characters, their lack of development, and even their flatness – but I would argue that this is the whole point of the book! The eves are crafted in this world to be vapid clones of each other, no personality, nothing distinct about them. It serves as commentary on the world in which they are created, that men think this is the ideal role of women in society. I did not take a liking to any of the characters in this book, and I got confused by the amount of side characters because they were all so similar and blended together so easily. And that is the whole point! You will not like any of the characters that you come across, and you're not supposed to. These characters only serve the purpose of exposing us to this unfathomable world, and they serve their purpose wonderfully.

It is a confronting book to read, however, and if you're interested in reading a book set in a dystopian-esque world such as this one, I would recommend you pick up Uglies by Scott Westerfeld first. Uglies offers a similar critique of beauty culture, but in a significantly less confronting manner. It's one of my favourite series, and having read it first definitely helped to guide my expectations of Only Ever Yours and the way in which I approached this book.

I think this is such an important book to read. It is one that will definitely stay with me for many years to come, and I'm already looking forward to possibly re-reading it before the end of the year to go back and see what I missed my first time around. This is one that I'm sure will be classified as a modern classic one day, and one that I will forever appreciate for changing my outlook on many issues that we currently face as a society.

TOP TEN TUESDAY: Books You Should Read INSTEAD OF Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

Feeling in the mood for a sexy, romantic, exciting new adult read? Please, whatever you do, do not pick up Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire. I cannot think of a book worse than this one. If you want to actually enjoy the new adult genre, steer clear of McGuire.

You can read all about why I hated this book in my review. My thoughts are fairly brief, but I didn't like the idea of writing a massive review/rant when my energy could be better spent elsewhere... such as talking about books that are actually worth a read! (There are plenty of other amazing reviews on Goodreads that explore the horrors of this book in more detail, if you're interested.)

So this week, for Top Ten Tuesday's freebie post, I'm going to list ten books that you should read instead of Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire. They might not necessarily be my favourite books, but they are leagues better than the stack of shit McGuire wrote.

10. Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover

Hoover is one of McGuire's author buddies, so it's no surprise that their writing styles, flat characters and dull plot lines are pretty similar. Ugly Love is of the same calibre as Beautiful Disaster, but at least it actually reads well. The characters are problematic, but at least their crappy behaviour has a reason behind it and actually adds to the plot and drama.

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ // Full Review

9. This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith

This one is a young adult contemporary romance, but it's much more mature and realistic than Beautiful Disaster. There is gorgeous, soul-crushing angst in this book, sweet and well-developed characters, an interesting plot beyond the romance, and a satisfying ending. This book has a wonderful plot structure, and every little event feels important to the whole story. It's cute, it's fluffy, it's awkward, it's enjoyable!

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ // Full Review

8. Songs of Submission by C.D. Reiss

This series of novellas is straight-up erotica, but at least the love story actually has substance and is interesting. Given that it is part of the erotica genre, it is inevitably problematic, but here's the difference: a strong female lead character who doesn't take the sexist, abusive shit of the male characters. The plot beyond the sex is just as engaging, and all round this is a really enjoyable series.

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ // Full Review

7. A Pound of Flesh by Sophie Jackson

Though it is a little problematic, at least this fanfiction-turned-published-novel is interesting and exciting and sexy and actually worth reading! The premise is what hooked me on this book, being a prison tutor falling in love with one of the prisoners, and the book delivers on its promise of scandal, taboo and an agonisingly frustrating romance. This is one that will keep you hooked!

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ // Full Review

6. Truly by Ruthie Knox

Aw, man, is this a wonderful romance book! I read this one so long ago, but I've re-read it a number of times since and still love it all the same! Though it is a little slow in places, it's pay-off is definitely worth the wait. The characters are rich and complex, their romance tangled with complications, and the book just leaves you with a warm, fuzzy feeling in your heart.

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

5. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Um, if you haven't read this book, I don't know what you're doing with your life. Though this is young-adult, its romance is rich and enticing and addicting and wonderfully developed and beautifully told. Set in the romantic city of Paris, this book does not disappoint, with intriguing and complex characters, witty comedy, and girls who stick up for themselves despite the idiot boys they come across.

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

4. If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Again, young adult books, but with a romance fitting characters beyond their maturity. Its sequel can be classified as a new adult book, but obviously I'm not going to talk about that one because of spoilers. I love both of these books with all my heart, adore each of the characters, and have shed many a few buckets of tears over their love story. This is one to read with a box of tissues nearby.

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ // Full Review

3. Night of Cake and Puppets by Laini Taylor

Yep, that's right, I'm including a 100-page novella in my list, because I think you can read it without reading the whole series, and still enjoy it more than Beautiful Disaster. Mik and Zuzana are probably two of my favourite characters from any book, ever, and their love story is one for the ages. In just 100 pages, Taylor is able to craft and deliver a beautiful story of angst, desire and sweet, tender romance without a hint of cheese.

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ // Full Review

2. About Last Night by Ruthie Knox

Another one by Ruthie Knox, the queen of adult romance (hello cheesy and gorgeous cover!). About Last Night is one of my all-time favourite books, because it is able to tell a beautiful, passionate love story with umph. There are no weak elements to this story; everything is crafted with careful precision and tied up in one beautiful, sexy package. And who knew a guy named Neville could be so goddamn sexy!

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ // Full Review

1. Caroline & West by Robin York

Forever in first place is this duology, written under Knox's new adult pen name. This is the realest, most accurate portrayal of "new adults" (late teens, early twenties) that I have read thus far. Their lives, their struggles, their thoughts and ambitions are all so close to home, and I loved it! The character development that goes on in this duology is phenomenal, and serves the basis for everything else in this book. Move aside, Travis Maddox. West Leavitt will forever hold the throne as the best fictional boyfriend in new adult.

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ // Full Review

I really hope that this post has been able to draw your attention to books more worthy of your time and money than Beautiful Desire by Jamie McGuire. There are so many more, but these are just a few personal favourites close to my heart. If you've read any of the books I've listed, tell me how you liked them! Or if you have any other books more worthy of a read, please be sure to let me know!

And a quick sidenote: I'm not trying to insult readers who do enjoy Beautiful Disaster, because I know we all have different tastes and enjoy different stories. I just hope that if you do enjoy that book, you enjoy it critically. I hope that you can see how problematic the characters are, and are able to acknowledge it fully. And I just really, really hope no one out there is pining for a Travis Maddox of their own, because that would be my absolute worst nightmare.

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Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. I tend to participate only when the topic tickles my fancy and isn’t too difficult. Today was one of those occasions.

BOOK REVIEW: Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

Beautiful Disaster

Author: Jamie McGuire
Series: Beautiful, #1
Published: 27 November 2012 by Atria Books
(first published 2011)
Genres: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Format: Hardback, Signed Edition
Source: Birthday Gift
Links: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate number of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance from the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University’s Walking One-Night Stand. 

Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby wants—and needs—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the ultimate college campus charmer. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his appeal, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.

Rating:

My Review:

This book was a disaster. There was nothing beautiful about it.

Here are a few of the key themes that run through this book:

• Sexism. Sexism everywhere. Man big and strong. Woman weak and subservient. Man incapable of cooking food for himself, must guilt-trip a woman to do the job for him.

• Misogyny. From characters of both genders. Goes hand-in-hand with the sexism, really.

• Abusive relationships. You cannot deny the fact that all of the relationships in this book are abusive. Travis is abusive towards Abby. America is abusive towards Abby. Travis's father and brothers are abusive of Abby. Abby is abusive of Parker. America and Abby are abusive towards Kara. There is no love in this book, only abuse thrown back and forth, normalised to the point of acceptance.

• Co-dependency. Travis Maddox, the campus hottie, is a dick towards any and every woman he comes across, until sweet little Marie Sue comes along and captivates him to the point where he can't even breathe unless she's in his line of vision. So that he can control her every move, of course.

• Slut shaming. Right from the beginning, we see endless pages of slut shaming. Pages of dialogue, pages of Abby's petty internal monologue. There was an intolerable amount of stereotyping going on in this book, and I struggle to understand how so many readers can accept this as part of any book. It serves no purpose other than to extend discrimination in the real world.

• Normalisation of drug use, alcoholic self-medication, physical violence and gambling. I cannot stand any of this in real life, and it's even more disgusting when characters' lives depend on these things for their survival, or for their appeal to readers. I don't know what's sadder.

I honestly went into this book with high expectations. I had heard only positive reviews, and I received a beautiful edition as a birthday gift from my best friend. So of course, I wanted to enjoy it, and that's why I read it so soon after receiving it, because I was overly confident that it would be amazing and addicting and just everything I love about contemporary romance novels. But as I read the book, it kept getting worse and worse with each chapter. Really, the stars just deduct themselves.

I would recommend you read literally any other book. Don't waste your time or money on this pile of shit.

BOOKISH BIRTHDAY: My Book Cake!

This weekend, I celebrated my 21st birthday alongside my sister's 18th. We were born three years apart (minus three weeks), and so we had a combined celebration with our family and friends. Though my birthday isn't for another week and a half, I wanted to start sharing with you some bookish-related things from my birthday so far. And I want to begin by showing you my amazing cake, perfectly decorated for any bookworm!

My auntie is the genius who crafted this masterpiece, and I am honestly in awe of her talent. When she asked me what theme I wanted for my cake, I never expected her to produce something so incredible. The cake is hexagonal in shape, two-tiered, decorated with book spines around the bottom tier, with a book owl reading a book on the top tier. It is honestly the cutest, most gorgeous cake design I have ever seen (and also really delicious)!

This cake is so gorgeous, and I just had to share it with you. Next week, I hope to share with you my birthday book haul, which I know is going to be fabulous!

TBR: September 2015

I don't know how much reading I'll be able to get through this month, but I don't antitipate that it will be very much at all. If I can get through at least two books, that will be a huge success for me. The books that I do hope to read this month are:

• Only Ever Yours by Louise O'Neill [Goodreads]
• Onyx by Jennifer L. Armentrout [Goodreads]

I plan to continue reading My Story by Julia Gillard as well, but I know that I won't be able to finish it any time soon.

By having a very unambitious TBR list for the month, I'm hoping that I will be able to call this month a success.

WRAP-UP: August 2015

This month has been a really busy one for me, so I haven't been able to find much time to read. Most of the books that I read this month were read in the first week or so of August, and then my classes really picked up, so I had to put my reading on hold. That said, I'm still ahead on my Goodreads Reading Challenge, so I'm not too concerned about having to slow down my reading for the next few months. That said, here are the books I read in the month of August.

Ms. Marvel, Volume 2: Generation Why

by G. Willow Wilson, Adrian Alphona and Jacob Wyatt

This was my first read for the month, and the first for my failed attempt at completing the BooktubeAThon. It was a quick and fast read, but it didn't really excite me. It seems that this series is going in a direction opposite of my expectations, and so this volume was somewhat of a disappointment.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ // Full Review

Night of Cake and Puppets

by Laini Taylor
This little novella was quite a delight. It was wonderful to be able to revisit my two favourite characters from the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series, Zuzana and Mik, and see how their first night together played out. Throughout this novella, I was grinning and smiling and cheering them both on. Mik is too good for words, and Zuzana is an icon

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ // Full Review

Risk

by Fleur Ferris
I read this book for the Aussie Bloggers Book Club, and I really enjoyed it. Though I did have a few issues with the pacing and characters, I still think it is a really important novel for teens to read. It deals with issues of online safety and the risks of online predators, and it does it in a really uplifting, insightful way. Definitely check it out.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ // Full Review

Obsidian

by Jennifer L. Armentrout
I was in the mood for an indulgent re-read, so I picked up this one. The Lux series is one of my favourites, and I really enjoyed being able to immerse myself in the world again. Though I read it more critically this time, it still remains one of my favourites. I plan to continue re-reading the rest of the series ahead of the release of Oblivion in December.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ // Full Review

The Rabbits

by John Marsden and Shaun Tan
I read this book this month because I have tickets to see its opera adaptation in October. I've been excited about the opera ever since I heard of it, so to keep me sane in the weeks leading up to it, I thought I would treat myself to a gorgeous copy of its source material. Safe to say, I absolutely loved this story, the artwork and its overall message. A must-read for children.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

I'm also, very slowly, making my way through My Story by Julia Gillard. I'm only taking this slowly, reading a chapter here-and-there, because it's quite a long, dense read. I have no reading goal for this one, other than wanting it to be finished by the end of the year.

I'll be back tomorrow to post my September TBR.

BOOK REVIEW: Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Obsidian

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Series: Lux, #1

Published: 12 March 2015 by Hodder & Stoughton

(first published 2011 by Entangled Teen)

Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal, Science Fiction

Format: Paperback

Source: Purchased

Links: Goodreads

Synopsis:

There's an alien next door. And with his looming height and eerie green eyes, he's hot... until he opens his mouth. He's infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, he marks me. Turns out he has a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal his abilities and the only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to him until my alien mojo fades. If I don't kill him first, that is.

When Katy moves to West Virginia right before her senior year, she's anticipating a whole lot of boring. The last thing on her mind is getting involved with her sexy, exasperating neighbor – and then finding out he's guarding a mind-blowing secret.

Rating:

Review and Discussion:

[Just a head's up, there are some mild spoilers sprinkled throughout this review.]

The first time I read this book, I was too much of a snob to enjoy it. I was sticking my nose up at it the whole time, too busy comparing it to Twilight to enjoy the story itself. I didn't give it a rating.

The second time I read this book, I went into it with a more open mind, and I came away obsessed. I fell hard for Daemon Black, and I didn't really care about anything else. I inhaled the rest of the series, because I was totally hooked. I rated it four stars.

And now I have just finished reading this book for the third time, a good eighteen months after my second read. This time around, whilst I enjoyed it immensely, I also read it more objectively. This time, I have rated it three stars.

The greatest thing about this book (and the series overall) is how addicting and fast-paced it is. Things are a little shaky and awkward in the beginning, but in no time the story moves into action-packed scenes and heart-racing excitement. The characters are snarky and entertaining, and the whole concept aliens being on Earth is just so intriguing that it's hard to not enjoy Obsidian.

But it is problematic, and I can acknowledge that.

Katy's character is fantastic, and it is easy to love her for her witty remarks and book nerdiness. She is entertaining, kick-ass, and whole-hearted, but she also has her setbacks. Whilst she is strong and independent, she also makes idiotic decisons concerning her life and the safety of those around her. She is proud, and this comes in the way of her common sense at times. She has a number of hobbies, including gardening, reading and blogging, but they are superficially explored that they seem like flat additions to her character in an attempt to make her seem more well-rounded. And although she is logical at most times, her internal monologue is sometimes so sketchy and unrealistic that it's hard to truly see her as a genuine, whole character.

Her friendships are similarly undeveloped. Though she is seen to make friends with two humans in this book, Lesa and Carissa, it is hard to really see them as a substantial part of her life. Katy often talks about going shopping with them, eating lunch with them, or hanging out with them on the weekends or after school, but we rarely see these scenes. And when we do, they are glossed over as Katy hurries to get her story back to the more exciting aliens in her life. Lesa and Carissa have so much potential as characters, but I feel that they are neglected by the author; despite creating them to give the story a grounding in humanity, it's hard to be convinced by this device when the characters are so flat and poorly developed.

Katy's friendship with Dee is a complete 180-degree turn. Dee is very involved in Katy's life from the beginning of the book, becoming her instant best friend, and in a way, this is more annoying than the typical YA trope of insta-love. Their insta-friendship was hard to swallow, because it just wasn't developed in any real or meaningful way. The friendship was somewhat developed, but Dee's character remained flat and unexplored. The friendship was more believable than her character. It was frustrating to hear that they were willing to sacrifice so much for each other, when I had no idea why they were doing it. They didn't read like best friends to me, and so it was hard to be convinced.

The title of Most Problematic Character, however, must be awarded to none other than Daemon Black, the fictional boyfriend who can set my heart racing just as quickly as my rage. Though I love to hate him, I do, without a doubt, adore his character anyway. His arrogance, cockiness but undeniable sweetness makes it impossible for me to not love him. But at the same time, these attributes are his downfall, and I can completely understand and agree with people's criticisms of him. Daemon is not a nice character, and for most of the book, he is awful to Katy. The brief reprieves of his niceness do not excuse his awfulness.

Daemon is rude, vile, controlling, demanding, and abusive at times. He is outright rude to Katy, controlling of who she can go to the school dance with, demanding that she do as he say, stalking her home from school, and just being unnecessarily cruel. I understand this, and I see why he is problematic, but because I have read the whole series before, I find myself able to look past this, because he does significantly develop as a character. Though his arrogance does remain, his other problematic traits are overcome and he develops into a wonderful, well-rounded character who can have my respect. He earns it eventually, but it's hard to give him the time of day when he is so blatantly awful in this first book.

Aside from the characters, there are also problems with the plot and the premise. I've already touched on friendships, but another plot issue I had was the occurrence of seemingly irrelevant and unconvincing events. Katy and Dee going to the restaurant in town, gardening, going for random walks with Daemon to a secluded and random lake for no reason, the constant on-again-off-again raining that seemed to happen, the sudden school dance, and the truck just coming out of nowhere. A lot of what happens in this book is unbelievable, unrealistic and plain eyeroll-worthy. There was no build up to these events, they all just happened suddenly, so it was difficult to see them as something relevant to the plot when they were so clearly superficial plot devices to bring out a brief soft side to Daemon or reveal something about a character. These scenes, without a doubt, were entertaining, but they just had no substantial purpose. It all felt like filler.

I had similar feelings about the paranormal/alien elements of this story. The concept itself is incredibly interesting and exciting and thrilling, and I don't deny that for one second. But I feel that it could have been developed and revealed in a better way. The way aliens are revealed to Katy read like a news broadcast, or a page from a history book. It didn't read like a conversation. It was definitely more for the reader's benefit than Katy's, and it was hard to ignore this. Every explanation was so formal and dull, when they should have been more interesting. And some explanations weren't even given, they were just accepted, which was even more frustrating. It made it seem like the author didn't know her own aliens, and that doesn't sit well with readers. I really wish the aliens could have been developed more in this book, but they are explored in more depth throughout the series if you continue on.

This review must make it sound like I despise this book, but I honestly don't. I love the series because it is so ridiculous and so much fun. It is fast-paced and full of action, and that is what I love most about this book and the series. And whilst I overlooked its problems in my previous reads, I feel that I have developed myself as a reader and am able to have a critical eye on issues, acknowledge them and discuss why they are problematic, but also still enjoy them. As the saying goes, "your fave is problematic", but that doesn't mean they can't be your fave. Acknowledge their mistakes, but don't let that prevent you from enjoying the story overall.

BOOK REVIEW: Risk by Fleur Ferris | Aussie Bloggers Book Club | #LoveOzYA

Risk

Author: Fleur Ferris
Published: 1 July 2015 by Random House
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Australian
Format: Paperback
Source: Purchased
Links: Goodreads, Aussie Bloggers Book Club

Synopsis:

Taylor and Sierra have been best friends for their whole lives. But Taylor’s fed up. Why does Sierra always get what – and who – she wants? From kissing Taylor’s crush to stealing the guy they both met online for herself, Sierra doesn’t seem to notice when she hurts her friends.

So when Sierra says Jacob Jones is the one and asks her friends to cover for her while she goes to meet him for the first time, Taylor rolls her eyes. 

But Sierra doesn’t come back when she said she would.

One day. Two days. Three . . .

What if Taylor’s worrying for nothing? What if Sierra’s just being Sierra, forgetting about everyone else to spend time with her new guy? 

When Taylor finally tells Sierra’s mum that her daughter is missing, Taylor and her friends are thrown into a dark world they never even knew existed.

Can Taylor find Sierra’s abductor in time? Or should she be looking for a killer?

Rating:

Review and Discussion:

This review comes to you today from two perspectives: the first, my reactions as myself, a reader and lover of young adult fiction; the second, and probably more important, will be my recommendation to read this book as a future secondary school teacher. I hope that by exploring both of these perspectives will give you a greater understanding of what this book is about, and whether you will choose to pick it up for yourself.

I experienced a number of mixed feelings whilst reading this book, some good and some not-so-great. I found the first half of the book to be the most enjoyable, because that was where most of the mystery played out; the second half was definitely a lot slower, and for me, less enjoyable. Whilst I definitely kept a critical eye whilst reading Risk, I was able to still enjoy it overall.

It has been a huge six years since I read anything set in Australia, written by an Australian author. My last Aussie read was the Tomorrow series by John Marsden, a staple for anyone in high school. Since then, I've read The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, which is about as far removed from an Australian setting as the mainstream USA-based young adult literature. So I went into Risk with positive vibes, knowing that, no matter what, I would love it because it would be relevant to me and I would be able to relate to it, and it definitely delivered on these fronts. It was so easy to relate to this book, its characters, because everything was so familiar to me. Brighton Beach, the St Kilda Marina, high school culture, family relations, everything. It was such a wonderful feeling to finally be able to relate to a book so easily, to know exactly what the characters were seeing, experiencing and feeling. With a few bonus references to the hotness of Chumpy Pullin, I was well and truly in love with this book.

The story itself was an important one to tell, and something that I haven't really been exposed to in YA before. Online predators are a very real danger in society today, and one that we regularly hear about in the news. It is something that I was warned about throughout high school, and though I dabbled in a few online chatrooms in my time, I was lucky enough to be unharmed. But the dangers were definitely there, and I wasn't ignorant to them. Some people aren't so lucky, and Risk tells one such story. But I'll get to more of that later.

The first half of the book, as I've mentioned, was the most enjoyable. I enjoyed meeting all of the characters, getting to understand their complex friendship dynamic, and the mystery and suspense of the novel. I was able to closely relate my own experiences to theirs, understood their attitudes and behaviours towards school, friendships, family and their online identity. I think that Ferris did an excellent job in portraying the emotions and mentality of Australian teens, their complexity, and their not-so-politically-correct manner. I was particularly intrigued by Taylor's conflicting, constantly changing thoughts on her friendship with Sierra in the beginning. We've all gone through fights with our best friends, and it's one of the worst experiences anyone can go through; Ferris captures that sense of inner conflict and frustration, and is able to convey those feelings and experiences to readers in a relatable, unashamed way. In this way, I was able to strongly connect with the characters. I didn't necessarily like them – every character has their fault, and I struggled to really like any of the characters in this book – but they were easy to connect to. I think we can relate to them because they embody our worst decisions at times, and we can understand them, but it certainly doesn't mean we have to like them.

I didn't enjoy the second half as much. What I thought would be the plot for the entire book took only the first 150 pages or so, and from there, I somewhat lost interest in the plot and character developments. It was interesting to see the fall-out from what happened, but I felt it was much slower and repetitive than the first half. So, essentially, my main qualm with this book was that it wasn't long enough. I really believe that it could have been significantly improved had everything been explored in more detail, if we were shown details rather than simply told them, had Taylor not changed her mind on everything so quickly, had conflicts not been resolved over two pages, had we had more time to explore Taylor's conflicting emotions in detail, and really understand her struggle.

But I understand that it was written the way it was, because that's exactly how fifteen-year-olds think and process. Perhaps that was my main issue, that the book was targeted to a younger audience, an audience that I don't fit into anymore. It's been many a few years since I was fifteen-years-old myself, and though I can relate to the character, I struggled to not become frustrated by her thought processes and actions. At times, her emotions felt superficial, and I couldn't fully appreciate them. At other times, her speech or blog posts felt too mature, too monotone and formal, for a fifteen-year-old experiencing the range of emotions that she was. The teens' voices were often indistinguishable from the adults, and it took away somewhat from the believability of what was happening in the story. I think this book was definitely targeted to a younger audience than me, and if I had been able to read it six years ago, I would have rated it five stars without a doubt.

And so despite being unable to enjoy this story to its full potential myself, I will not be deterred from recommending this book to my students in the future.

Which brings me to the second element of my review, where I talk from the perspective of a future teacher. I am currently in my third year of university studies to become a secondary school teacher, on track to graduate as part of the Class of 2016. I am constantly thinking about my own teaching philosophy, what teaching methods I will adopt, and the things I will want my students to gain from being in my classroom. I want them to know about the issues they will face in the world, and how to protect themselves without compromising their own freedoms. Online safety and building a positive online identity for themselves is something that I will endeavour to impart with my students.

And for this reason, I will surely be recommending that my students read Risk, study it, and learn about the real threats that they face from online predators. I think Risk is a hugely valuable resource for teens in high schools around Australia and the rest of the world, and it would be amazing to one day even see it listed as a text on school reading lists. I think that young teens can take a great deal from this book, and so I would like to see as many students reading this book as possible. Reading is a great way for teens to learn about major issues in a non-confrontational way. They don't have to discuss it aloud with their peers or teachers or parents; they can read it in their own privacy, take whatever they want from it, and perhaps discuss it in a manner that is most comfortable for them, when they feel the time is appropriate.

Though the book should not be taken as gospel or the unequivocal truth – it has many issues that teens should be cautious about, such as body/fat shaming and slut shaming – it is a great way for teens to learn about major issues. If guided by schools and responsible educators, I feel that students can learn incredibly important lessons, and are exposed to vital information, from reading Risk. I feel that it's going to be one of those staple books for teens growing up in Australia.

"There are heaps of missing people when you go looking."

I read this book as part of the Aussie Bloggers Book Club, and if you're interested in reading and discovering more Australian literature than what the mainstream promotes, I would definitely recommend checking out their Goodreads page. It's certainly exposed me to a huge range of Australian literature that I didn't know existed, and I can't wait to read more in the future.

BOOK REVIEW: Night of Cake and Puppets by Laini Taylor

Night of Cake and Puppets

Author: Laini Taylor

Series: Daughter of Smoke and Bone, #2.5

Published: 26 November 2013 by Little, Brown

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy

Format: Kindle ebook

Source: Purchased

Links: Goodreads

Summary:

In Night of Cake & Puppets, Taylor brings to life a night only hinted at in the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy—the magical first date of fan-favorites Zuzana and Mik. Told in alternating perspectives, it’s the perfect love story for fans of the series and new readers alike. Petite though she may be, Zuzana is not known for timidity. Her best friend, Karou, calls her “rabid fairy,” her “voodoo eyes” are said to freeze blood, and even her older brother fears her wrath. But when it comes to the simple matter of talking to Mik, or “Violin Boy,” her courage deserts her. Now, enough is enough. Zuzana is determined to meet him, and she has a fistful of magic and a plan. It’s a wonderfully elaborate treasure hunt of a plan that will take Mik all over Prague on a cold winter’s night before finally leading him to the treasure: herself! Violin Boy’s not going to know what hit him.

Rating:

Review and Discussion:

I cannot think of any words appropriate to express my absolute love of this novella. Zuzana and Mik are definitely my favourite characters from the entire Daughter of Smoke and Bone series, so it was lovely to have a story dedicated to just them, told from their points of view. It was a precious little insight into their love story, and I really appreciate that Taylor gave us this gem.

"Here we go. I have scuppies in my pocket and lust in my heart. Tonight's the night."

What I was most surprised by with this novella was that it was written in the first person—I had totally expected it to be told in third person, like the series—and yet Taylor was still able to portray the sense of wonder and magic and mystery through her writing. I didn't think it was possible for such beauty to be conveyed via first person narrative, but then again Taylor is a writing genius.

"Mik is one of those people you can look at and totally imagine as a kid. You know how some people were absolutely never children, but just came from a catalog fully grown, while other people you don't even have to squint to imagine them charging down the stairs in Christmas morning in superhero pajamas? Mik's the latter. It's not that he's 'boyish,' though I guess he is a little—but only a little—it's just that there's something direct and real and electric and pure that hasn't been lost, the intense, undiluted emotion of childhood."

Both Zuzana and Mik have distinctive voices in this novella, and I loved them both. Usually when stories are told from dual perspectives, I'm bound to get bored by one of them, but that wasn't the case with this novella. I loved them both, and I loved switching from each perspective. It made me want to read both at the same time, even though that would have been impossible! I wanted to know Mik's reactions to Zuzana's clues in real time, I wanted to know whether Zuzana was freaking out or totally cool, calm and collected. That sense of urgency and the desire to find out how these beloved characters were reacting on this beautiful night was what made this story so magical.

"But first things first: Make him aware I exist."

It was real, it was precious, it was engaging, and it was fulfilling. I cannot fault this novella in any way; it was absolute perfection, by my standards. I wish I could read more about just these two characters, but then again that might take away some of their magic and mystery.

"I want to do mysterious and improbable things alongside a fierce and beautiful girl who looks like a doll brought to life by a sorcerer."

BOOK REVIEW: Ms. Marvel, Volume 2: Generation Why by G. Willow Wilson, Adrian Alphona and Jacob Wyatt

Ms. Marvel, Volume 2: Generation Why

Author: G. Willow Wilson
Artists: Adrian Alphona and Jacob Wyatt
Series: Ms. Marvel (Marvel NOW!), #6-11
Published: 7 April 2015 by Marvel
Genres: Young Adult, Superheroes, Comic
Format: Trade Paperback
Source: Purchased
Links: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Who is the Inventor, and what does he want with the all-new Ms. Marvel and all her friends? Maybe Wolverine can help! Kamala may be fan-girling out when her favorite (okay maybe Top Five) super hero shows up, but that won't stop her from protecting her hometown. Then, Kamala crosses paths with Inhumanity for the first time--by meeting the royal dog, Lockjaw! Every girl wants a puppy, but this one may be too much of a handful, even for a super hero with embiggening powers. But why is Lockjaw really with Kamala? As Ms. Marvel discovers more about her past, the Inventor continues to threaten her future. The fan-favorite, critically acclaimed, amazing new series continues as Kamala Khan proves why she's the best (and most adorable) new super hero there is!

Rating:

Review and Discussion:

I am confused by the direction of this comic series. When I first picked it up, I was expecting superheroes, but I had hoped the focus would be on Kamala's identity and a mixture of her reality and being Ms. Marvel. Instead, the focus is 95% on superheroes, and I think it has allowed me to confirm that superheroes aren't really my scene. I can appreciate them and what they stand for, sure, but it's all a bit too cheesy for my liking.

What I do love about this series is its contemporary flair. The pop culture references, the internet culture, and the struggles of the 21st century teenager are all expressed beautifully. These elements are wonderfully intwined with the story, and add a lovely touch of humour and 'humanness' to the superhero plot. But this is where my positive comments have to end.

I am not a fan of the art style, but I suppose that is down to personal taste. I just find the art styles — two, in the case of this volume — to be very unclear and difficult to read. This was especially difficult in action scenes, where it was sometimes hard to follow the frames because they were in a strange order, or the artwork was blended or unclear as to what was happening. This was frustrating, and it meant that I ended up skimming many of the scenes.

The writing, too, lacked the punch of the previous volume. I felt like Kamala was much more juvenile in this volume, a complete change from the strong young woman in volume one. She seemed like a totally different character, and that was disappointing. I feel that Wilson had to take away much of her personality for the sole purpose of having the story follow a cliche superhero trope. The plot was predictable and simple, and altogether disappointing.

This second volume was definitely not as good as the first. It was enjoyable, but simplistic and weak at many times. The focus shift was disappointing, and I would like to see the story focus more on Kamala's life as Kamala, and not simply as Ms. Marvel. There seems to be potential for this in the next volume with the events that happened to her best friend, and I hope that the third volume can convince me to continue on with the series. The next volume will be my test to see if I can love the series, and if not, I will be disappointed but not surprised. There was so much potential with the first volume, but everything just fell flat in this one.

BOOKTUBE-A-THON 2015: My TBR!

So I have no intention of ever creating a YouTube channel for myself, but holy smokes I enjoy watching everyone else's vlogs in the booktube community. And so for that reason alone, I have decided that I will attempt to participate in the read-a-thon this year!

The Booktube-A-Thon, in particular, has seven reading challenges that we all aim to complete by the end of the week. And although I am working four of those days and going to uni for another two, I hope to find the time to complete most of the challenges in time! The challenges obviously form the basis for my TBR list, and give participants an opportunity to choose a multitude of different books they might not otherwise read.

And so, my TBR for the Booktube-A-Thon is...

Ms. Marvel, Volume 2: Generation Why

by G. Willow Wilson, Adrian Alphona and Jacob Wyatt

Graphic novels and comics are the best things to read during read-a-thons, because they're quick to read and easily build up your read count. I read Volume 1 of this series last month, and really enjoyed it, so I'm excited to pick up this volume!

This will satisfy Challenge #1, to read a book with blue on the cover.

Night of Cake and Puppets

by Laini Taylor

Novellas are also perfect for read-a-thons, because they're short and sweet. This one in paricular has been sitting on my Kindle for many months now, so it's high time I finally read it!

This will satisfy Challenge #2, to read a book whose author's surname has the same initial as my own surname.

I'll Give You the Sun

by Jandy Nelson

This book has been sitting on my shelf for far too long, so I'm hoping to get through this one in the Booktube-A-Thon. I've heard great things about this book, so hopefully I can enjoy it too!

This will satisfy Challenge #3, to read someone else's favourite book. This was Whitney's favourite book of 2014.

Risk

by Fleur Ferris

This is a new release, and one I'm so excited to read. I don't read enough Australian literature, and I hope to remedy that with this book and a number of others that I've recently ordered. This book is also the first read of the new Aussie Bloggers Book Club.

This will satisfy Challenge #4, to read the last book I acquired.

Ms. Marvel, Volume 3: Crushed

by G. Willow Wilson, Takeshi Miyazawa and Elmo Bondoc

Hopefully I'll still be in love with this series to read the third volume during the read-a-thon. It will be a guaranteed fast-read, either way!

This will satisfy Challenge #5, to read a book without letting go of it.

We Were Liars

by E. Lockhart

I've already read this book - it was one of my favourites of 2014 - but lately I've been really wanting to re-read it with a fresh mind and different perspectives. It was a quick read last time, and so hopefully it will be even quicker as a re-read.

This will satisfy Challenge #6, to read a book that I really want to read.

As for Challenge #7, to read seven books, I haven't chosen a seventh book at this stage. I'm aiming to get through the other six books I've listed first, and if I have time I will try to complete this challenge. I'm leaving it up to my mood at the time as to what I will want to read. The only book I have in mind at the moment is Love and Always by Sophie Jackson, but I'll wait and see where the read-a-thon takes me!

Having this list now makes me think that I will never be able to finish them all in one week... but I'm going to try my hardest!

Will you be participating in the Booktube-A-Thon? Which books are on your TBR?

TBR: August 2015

Another month, a fresh list of books to read! The month of August is going to be a busy one for me, so I know I won't be able to get a lot of reading done. I've kept my TBR to a bare minimum, at this stage, but of course I hope to be able to go beyond this if my situation allows me.

• Risk by Fleur Ferris [Goodreads]
• Only Ever Yours by Louise O'Neill [Goodreads]
• Green Valentine by Lili Wilkinson [Goodreads]

Haha, what a tiny list! Just the three books at this stage, but this does not include my TBR for the upcoming BooktubeAThon—I will be posting a separate list for that occasion, once I finalise things. I'll also be participating in the new Aussie Bloggers Book Club, so depending on what book is selected for the month, I'll add that to my TBR too!

WRAP-UP: July 2015

This month was a fairly productive reading month for me. Though I wasn't able to get through all the books I listed on my TBR, I did get through most of them. Importantly, I got through four massive tomes that have been sitting on my shelf for about a year, just waiting to be read. This was the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas. Based on this series alone, I read 1,819 pages! That number truly astounds me, and I can't believe I was able to get through all of those pages and more in one month. So it was a very successful reading month for me, and I enjoyed most of the books I read.

The Assassin's Blade

by Sarah J. Maas

I read most of this one in June, but finished it off in July. The prequel novellas in this volume added to the world-building and character developments that are expanded upon in Throne of Glass. It was mostly entertaining, but a little slow at times. The best thing about this collection was seeing Celaena's life as Adarlan's kick-ass Assassin.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ // Full Review

Throne of Glass

by Sarah J. Maas

Then I dove into re-reading Throne of Glass, and I enjoyed it so much more than when I first read it in August last year. Though my enjoyment was mostly because I had read The Assassin's Blade beforehand, I think this book is still deserving of its four stars. It was thrilling and entertaining, and Celaena is a wonderful leading character.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ // Full Review

Saga, Volume 3

by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
To avoid entering into a reading slump from reading the massive tomes of the Throne of Glass series, I picked up the third volume of Saga. It was the perfectly light, easy read that I needed before diving into Crown of Midnight. I really enjoyed this volume, and what it lacked in action it made up for in fascinating character developments.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ // Full Review

Crown of Midnight

by Sarah J. Maas
I really, really, really loved this sequel. I definitely enjoyed it more than Throne of Glass, because it was mysterious, unpredictable, romanctic, witty, clever, and a thrill-ride from the very first page. My only issue was that perhaps there was too much going on, and I often became confused by the multiple plot lines. But all-in-all, it was an absolutely fantastic read.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ // Full Review

Saga, Volume 4

by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
Then I picked up the final published volume of Saga, and I was a little underwhelmed by it. It seemed to lack the gusto of previous volumes, which I found a little disappointing. It was filled with some crazy awesome characters in a dynamic world that compelled me to continue reading, but in the end this one felt a lot like a "filler" volume.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ // Full Review

Ms. Marvel, Volume 1: No Normal

by G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona
After reading Saga, Volume 4, I was in the mood for another quick read, so I picked up the first volume of the rebooted Ms. Marvel series. And it was a delight; I loved the diversity, Kamala herself, and the genuine, good-natured humour throughout. Though it had a few clichés and stereotypes, it was still a wonderful introduction to the world of superheroes.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ // Full Review

Coda

by C.D. Reiss
I was pretty disappointed by this novella. I had hoped it would make me fall in love with Reiss's world and characters all over again, but it just didn't work for me. It felt like there was no structure to this novella, and random things happened just for the sake of having something to write a book about. Though I did appreciate the raw emotion, it was mostly a disappointment.

Rating: ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ // Series Review

Heir of Fire

by Sarah J. Maas
This book was a total chore to read. The first 400 pages or so were so boring that they drove me crazy. The last 200 were moderately interesting. This book was just filled with a whole lot unnecessary characters and uninteresting plot lines. Even Celaena lost some of her charm in this one.

Rating: ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ // Full Review



And so, my reading achievements for the month of July are...

• I read a total of eight books. And some of them were mahoosive!
• I am now completely up-to-date on two series! I have read all the published volumes of Saga, and all the published novels of the Throne of Glass series.
• I finished a series! Coda was an additional novella to the Songs of Submission series, and although it wasn't necessary reading, I feel like I have a bit more closure on the series and the beautiful characters.

Though I wish I could continue to read this amount of books next month, I know that won't be possible. My uni semester has just started up again, and already I'm overwhelmed by the weekly readings and assignments. I do hope to keep reading something, at least, so look forward to my August TBR tomorrow!