Tag: Book Review

The start of a new year means new books. Although I can’t begin reviewing the books I already read in 2022 without closing the chapter of the ones I read last year. And Capsule by Mel Torrefranca is one of the reasons for that. It came out last summer, and I was fortunate to read an eARC of it. So prepare yourself for a deadly phone game! Author: Mel Torrefranca Pages: 255 Genre: YA, Sci-Fi, Mystery Publication: July 2021 Synopsis: Two students from Brookwood High School mysteriously go missing on the same night. The first is Peter Moon, a heartless pescatarian who bashes students from Brookwood on his blog, turning everyone against him. The second is the adored Kat Pike, an audacious girl desperate to boost her adrenaline. Three days pass. No leads. Indifferent to the disappearances, sixteen-year-old Jackie Mendoza remains immersed in her virtual world of video games and …

As the name suggests, this book has everything to be a terrifying read during the time we are living in. Although it’s not. Despite the name, Contagion by Teri Terry has little to no similarities to real life – and I’m glad it doesn’t, or the author can predict the future! This piece of light fantasy is highly addictive and has infected me to read the rest of the series – now I see where the name comes from! Author: Teri Terry Pages: 480 Genre: Fantasy, YA, Mystery, Apocalyptic Publication: 2017 Synopsis: Callie is missing. Her brother Kai is losing hope of ever seeing her again. Then he meets Shay, a girl who saw Callie the day she disappeared, and his hope is reignited. Their search leads them to the heart of a terrifying epidemic that is raging through the country. Can Kai and Shay escape death and find Callie? …

Grab a tissue box because You’ve Reached Sam by Dustin Thao will leave you crying like a baby. This YA contemporary story deals with grieving the loss of a loved one. Completely character-driven, the author takes you through a journey of loss, reconnection, friendship, and letting go. Prepare yourself because there won’t be many times to smile. Author: Dustin Thao Pages: 304 Genre: YA, Contemporary, Fantasy Publication: 9th November 2021 Synopsis: How do you move forward when everything you love is on the line? Seventeen-year-old Julie has her future all planned out—move out of her small town with her boyfriend Sam, attend college in the city, spend a summer in Japan. But then Sam dies. And everything changes. Desperate to hear his voice one more time, Julie calls Sam’s cellphone just to listen to his voicemail. And Sam picks up the phone. What would you do if you had a …

I’m sure you have heard of The Woman in the Window by A. J. Finn. This book took 2018 by storm. Everywhere I looked, there it was staring at me, judging me for not buying it. You should have seen it. The cold glares, the look of despite, it knew I wanted to read it, but I was denying myself that pleasure. Then one day, I opened the first page. Author: A. J. Finn Pages: 429 Genre: Psychological Thriller, Mystery, Suspense Publication: 2018 Synopsis: Anna Fox lives alone, a recluse in her New York City home, unable to venture outside. She spends her day drinking wine (maybe too much), watching old movies, recalling happier times . . . and spying on her neighbours. Then the Russells move into the house across the way: a father, a mother and their teenage son. The perfect family. But when Anna, gazing out her …

Reading the entire book series that inspired what once was one of my favourite TV shows of all time was something I wanted to do for a long time. Ever since I discovered that The 100 was based on a book series with the same name, I wanted to spend more time in this virgin version of Earth. I’ve talked about what I enjoyed the most and disliked about the TV show, and now, after almost 3 years, I’ve read the entire book series. I wrote a review for the first book in the series – you can find it here. But since all the others would contain big spoilers, I thought it was better to review the series as a whole. If you want to know all my thought on each of the books, you can find them on Goodreads. Author: Kass Morgan Genre: YA, Sci-fi, Dystopia, Post-Apocalyptic Publication: …

Reading Dry by Neal and Jarrod Shusterman on a hot summery day might cause severe dehydration and overheat. Read it at your own risk! But read it. As someone who enjoys post-apocalyptic stories like cotton candy, I knew I had to read this book. And I was not disappointed. So if the premise speaks to you, do yourself a favour and take the risk of making your summer even drier. Author: Neal Shusterman, Jarrod Shusterman Pages: 390 Genre: YA, Survival, Dystopian Publication: 2018 Synopsis: When the California drought escalates to catastrophic proportions, one teen is forced to make life and death decisions for her family in this harrowing story of survival. The drought – or the Tap-Out, as everyone calls it – has been going on for a while now. Everyone’s lives have become an endless list of don’ts: don’t water the lawn, don’t fill up your pool, don’t take …

Well, well, well… Here is a review I was expecting to go differently. Back in 2018, I did a joined review of the Ready Player One book and the movie, but since then, I’ve watched the movie I-don’t-know-how-many-times, and my mind started to get blurry about the book. That had to change. It was time to do a reread of what was my past self favourite book EVER! Fast forward last month, it was time to jump back into the OASIS and fall in love once again. Except cupid was taking a vacation. Part of me still doesn’t want to admit that Ready Player One isn’t as amazing as I remember. Maybe because it was the first book I read about video games or, maybe watching the movie right after influenced my opinion on the book. I don’t know. But one thing is for sure, 2018 me was over the …

Neverworld Wake is the best sheet (of paper) I read last year! I’m not going to bit around the bush with this one. I thought it was average, surprised me in the end, changed my whole perspective of the book. And that’s it! And that’s why I loved it so much. Still not convinced? Then, let me try to change your mind. Author: Marisha Pessl Pages: 324 Genre: YA, Mystery, Fantasy Synopsis: Five friends – the beautiful elite at their exclusive prep school – reunite a year after graduation. After a night out, they narrowly avoid a collision with a car on a deserted road. Back at the mansion belonging to one of the girls, a storm rages and a mysterious man knocks on the door, announcing something world-shattering. The friends must make a choice: one of them will live, and the rest will die. And the decision must be …

Since I took a hiatus for a year, now I have some catching up to do. I can’t say I read a lot but don’t worry, I have a few books I need to talk about. And as you have read in the title, today I’m going to tell you – or try to – why I loved What She Found in the Woods by Josephine Angelini, and why you should read it as well! Author: Josephine Angelini Pages: 385 Genre: Mystery, YA, Thriller Synopsis: This is Magda’s last chance. Recovering from a scandal at her elite New York City private school that threw life into a tailspin, she is shipped off to live with her grandparents in the Pacific Northwest for the summer.Medicated and uninspired, Magda spends her days in a fog wandering the forest behind the house. But then she stumbles upon Bo. He’s wild and free, and …

Time to take off with another sci-fi book. Today is time for Fearless by Allen Stroud, where space opera meets murder in zero-g gravity. Many thanks to Anne Cater, the publisher, and the author for allowing me to take part in this tour. Author: Allen Stroud Publisher: Flame Tree Press Pages: 368 Genre: Sci-fi, Mystery Publication: 8th September 2020 Synopsis: AD 2118. Humanity has colonised the Moon, Mars, Ceres and Europa. Captain Ellisa Shann commands Khidr, a search and rescue ship with a crew of twenty-five, tasked to assist the vast commercial freighters that supply the different solar system colonies. Shann has no legs and has taken to life in zero-g partly as a result. She is a talented tactician who has a tendency to take too much on her own shoulders. Now, while on a regular six-month patrol through the solar system, Khidr picks up a distress call from …

The book to read this summer is here! The Truants by Kate Weinberg is the mystery book to take to the beach and get lost while laying on the sand. My many thanks to Anne Cater, the publisher, and Kate Weinberg for allowing me to be part of this tour. Author: Kate Weinberg Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Pages: 352 Genre: Mistery, Contemporary Publication: 1st June 2020 Synopsis: Jess Walker, the middle child of a middle-class family, has perfected the art of vanishing in plain sight. But when she arrives at a concrete university campus under flat, grey, East Anglian skies, her world flares with colour. Drawn into a tightly-knit group of rule-breakers – led by their maverick teacher, Lorna Clay – Jess begins to experiment with a new version of herself. But the dynamic between the friends begins to darken as they share secrets, lovers and finally a tragedy. Soon Jess …