Alice Reeds: YA

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Review: Malice by Pintip Dunn

Dienstag, 4. Februar 2020

Malice by Pintip Dunn

Expected Publication: February 4th 2020 by Entangled: Teen

Number of Pages: 400 Pages (Hardcover)

Series: No

What I know: a boy in my school will one day wipe out two-thirds of the population with a virus.
What I don’t know: who he is.
In a race against the clock, I not only have to figure out his identity, but I’ll have to outwit a voice from the future telling me to kill him. Because I’m starting to realize no one is telling the truth. But how can I play chess with someone who already knows the outcome of my every move? Someone so filled with malice they’ve lost all hope in humanity? Well, I’ll just have to find a way—because now they’ve drawn a target on the only boy I’ve ever loved...  (Goodreads.com)

* Thank you to Entangled TEEN for providing me with

an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion *

You know me, I see Pintip's name on a book, I have to read it. Easy as that. And once more I wasn't disappointed! Perhaps this wasn't my fave--admittedly it's very hard to beat her Forget Tomorrow Trilogy--but it was still really, really good.

Pintip Dunn has a knack for dystopian worlds, as well as a way with words that simply grabs and pulls you in and won't let you go until the end. Alice was an interesting main character (we also happen to share a name which made it extra funny at times) and I really enjoyed reading her thoughts and seeing her emotions evolve and change, the way she handled certain situations and events.

The basic idea of a deadly virus threatening to eradicate most of the population isn't anything new, and yet Pintip found a way to make it different and fresh in her own style. This idea of basically having to make certain choices and sacrifices which ideally you wouldn't want to make yet it's either that or the end of the world, it was very interesting and makes you wonder what you'd do in her place. The suspense and mystery were really well done overall and there was only a bit of romance.

Overall I would certainly recommend Malice if you're looking for a suspenseful and thrilling read with a great main character and premise. And also if you're looking for this type of read that's a standalone instead of part of a trilogy or series.

I give Malice by Pintip Dunn 4 out of 5 stars.

Excerpt and giveaway: True Storm by L. E. Sterling

Mittwoch, 28. März 2018

Today I'm bringing you a short but very exciting excerpt from L.E. Sterling's upcoming release, True Storm, which is the third and final book in the True Born trilogy and comes out May 1st 2018. Additionally, if you live in the US, check out the giveaway below for a paperback copy of True Born, the first book in this trilogy!

True Storm by L.E. Sterling

Expected Publication: May 1st 2018 by Entangled Teen

Number of pages: 400 Pages (Hardcover)

Lucy’s twin sister, Margot, may be safely back with her—but all is not well in Plague-ravaged Dominion City. The Watchers have come out of hiding, spreading chaos and death throughout the city, and suddenly Lucy finds herself under pressure to choose her future: does it lie with her handsome new friend, Alastair; her guardian, the enigmatic True Born leader Nolan Storm; or the man who makes her heart trip, her savage True Born bodyguard Jared Price?
But while Lucy ponders her path, fate has other plans. Betrayal is a cruel lesson, and the Fox sisters can hardly believe who is behind the plot against them. To survive this deadly game of politics, Lucy is forced to agree to a marriage of convenience. But is the DNA of her will stronger than the forces opposing her? Can she turn the tide against the oncoming storm??
As they say in Dominion, can rogue genes ever have a happy ending? (goodreads.com)

And now, are you ready for the excerpt...? Well, here it is:

His hands still on my face. “I’m sorry,” I manage to say, trying to control a nervous need to giggle like a hyena. “Are we fighting? Maybe I didn’t notice because it’s all we ever seem to do.”

A wicked grin lights his features. “That’s not all we seem to do,” he whispers, seconds before he replaces his thumb with his lips.

It’s a soft kiss at first, tentative. Like someone asking your name. But it lights me up, sending fire shooting through my body, heat curling through my belly. I must sigh because Jared pulls back for just a moment, a question in his eyes and hunger written all over him. Then he claims my lips again, holding my face in his hands as the earth spins away from me.

GIVEAWAY

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Want to read more? Pre-order your copy of True Storm by L.E. Sterling today!

Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo | Entangled Publishing

About the Author

L.E. Sterling had an early obsession with sci-fi, fantasy and romance to which she remained faithful even through an M.A. in Creative Writing and a PhD in English Literature – where she completed a thesis on magical representation. She is the author of two previous novels, the cult hit YA novel The Originals (under pen name L.E. Vollick), dubbed “the Catcher in the Rye of a new generation” by one reviewer, and the urban fantasy Pluto’s Gate. Originally hailing from Parry Sound, Ontario, L.E. spent most of her summers roaming across Canada in a van with her father, a hippie musician, her brothers and an occasional stray mutt – inspiring her writing career. She currently lives in Toronto, Ontario.

Most Anticipated 2018 Reads (Part 1)

Donnerstag, 1. Februar 2018

Hey everyone!

As always, to no one surprise really, I'm totally late to the game and posting this about a month late but, hey, at least I am posting it so that should have to count for something. Anyway, today I want to talk about all the releases of the first half of 2018 that I am looking forward to. In typical me fashion most of them are either YA contemporaries or sci-fi, which just goes to show once again how those two might be my favorite genres currently.

Among all these books there is of course one that I am looking forward the most, for totally none obvious reasons *loud coughing*, which is a YA Thriller that you should totally consider checking out and maybe even pre-order.

Anyhow, lets jump right into my list:

Unearthed by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

Published: January 9th 2018 by Disney-Hyperion

Number of Pages: 336 Pages (Hardcover)

YA Sci-Fi

I really, really enjoyed These Broken Stars from this amazing duo so I can't wait so see what they've come up with this time. I mean anything YA sci-fi from this duo is basically a must buy tbh.

* * *

By a Charm and a Curse by Jaime Questell

Expected Publication: February 6th 2018 by Entangled: Teen

Number of Pages: 300 Pages (Hardcover)

YA Fantasy (?)

I've been meaning to read some kind of circus related or centric book for ages and this seems like a good one to start off with. Curses/charms and traveling across Texas, figuring how to break said curses etc, sign me up! It definitely sounds like a fun read.

* * *

The Beauty That Remains by Ashley Woodfolk

Expected Publication: March 6th 2018 by Delacorte Press

Number of Pages: 352 Pages (Hardcover)

YA Contemporary

This one sounds absolutely fantastic and that color is amazing, so colorful and pretty. A story containing music as its central piece and some kind of tragedy sticking and almost tearing a group of friends apart? Now that's guaranteed to be an emotional read and, honestly, I'm all about that.

* * *

The Exact Opposite of Okay by Laura Steven

Expected Publication: March 8th 2018 by Electric Monkey

Number of Pages: 352 Pages (Paperback)

YA Contemporary

This one sounds amazing, exciting and just like a truly intriguing read I certainly want to get my hands on. Also that cover is, again, gorgeous and I am simply weak for books with pretty covers (than again, isn't everyone?).

* * *

Obsidio (The Illuminae Files #3)by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Expected Publication: March 13th 2018 by Knopf Books for Young Readers

Number of Pages: 608 Pages (Hardcover)

YA Sci-Fi

It's absolutely no secret that I LOVE The Illuminae Files trilogy so I cannot wait to have Obsidio in my hands, have it on my shelf next to Illuminae and Gemina, and to read it, obviously. I'm always a bit weary of trilogy finales since there is a lot of room for left down expectations, accidentally left unanswered questions or not sufficiently or convincingly, but I have A LOT of faith into Amie and Jay that this will be just as brilliant as the previous two books, easy.

* * *

The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan

Expected Publication: March 20th 2018 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Number of Pages: 480 Pages (Hardcover)

YA Magical Realism

A story set in Taiwan containing magical realism, angst, and feels, sign me up. Usually I'm not big on magical realism but this one sounds absolutely amazing, and reading books set in countries I've never been to, getting to know different cultures and lives, if that doesn't sound great, I don't know what does. I'm definitely very intrigued.

***

Picture Us in the Light by Kelly Loy Gilbert

Expected Publication: April 10th 2018 by Disney-Hyperion

Number of Pages: 368 Pages (Hardcover)

YA Contemporary

This sounds absolutely amazing and I simply need it. Family secrets that get uncovered and friendships that might potentially be more than that, hi, yes, I'm in need! And that cover, yes!

* * *

Ship It by Britta Lundin

Expected Publication: May 1st 2018 by Freeform

Number of Pages: 384 Pages (Hardcover)

YA Contemporary

Now THIS one just speaks straight to my fangirl heart and grabbed my attention immediately. It just sounds like such a fun story that's inspired by probably every fangirls dream--meeting the cast of whatever you are a fangirl of--but also nightmare--things turning out to be different than your shipper heart thought. I'm definitely curious how the show will handle the discussion of fannon vs cannon, and generally the whole issue of fans having certain expectations and how the show runners deal with the moments when expectations aren't met or things just go downhill for whatever reason. I need this like yesterday, tbh!

* * *

All of This Is True by Lygia Day Peñaflor

Expected Publication: May 15th 2018 by HarperTeen

Number of Pages: 432 Pages (Hardcover)

YA Contemporary

A story about a group of teens being fans of a certain author and somehow ending up in said author's next book with horrible consequences, and all that told through interviews, diary entries and more? Yes please! I love books that use alternative narrative methods, and honestly this one just sounds fantastic!

* * *

LIFEL1K3 by Jay Kristoff

Expected Publication: May 29th 2018 by Knopf Books for Young Readers

Number of Pages: 416 Pages (Hardcover)

YA Sci-Fi

While I'm not into the cover, the book itself sounds so interesting and intriguing, and also pretty damn epic. Besides I have a lot of faith in Jay Kristoff and his writing after loving The Illuminae Files (even if those were co-authored).

* * *

The Body Paradox by Natasha Neagle
Expected Publication: June 4th 2018 by Entangled Teen
Number of Pages: TBA
YA Sci-Fi

This sounds pretty damn amazing if you ask me, and also I certainly am bias towards the enemies to lovers trope (obviously) so that only adds more to this. Also the idea of sharing a body with another person, hi, I'm intrigued, so I need this like today.

* * *

Echoes by Alice Reeds

Expected Publication: June 5th 2018 by Entangled Teen

Number of Pages: 400 (Paperback)

YA Thriller

ECHOES is the story of two high school enemies finding themselves stranded on a mysterious and deadly island where nothing is quite as it seems, not even reality. I am very much bias, since this is my own book, but this is definitely the book I'm looking forward to most and I seriously cannot wait for you guys to pick it up and read it. This story has been my brain child of years and I just truly hope you'll love it just as much as I do.

* * *

A Thousand Perfect Notes by C.G. Drews

Expected Publication: June 7th 2018 by Orchard Books

Number of Pages: 300 Pages (Paperback)

YA Contemporary

As someone who loves PaperFury's blog (and twitter) I am really curious for her book. I have really high hopes for it and can't wait to read it! Also it contains music and has a pretty cover, that's already two very convincing arguments for me, plus it surely also has all the feels and is an emotional read, so basically all my favorite things in one place (which sounds awful, doesn't it?).

* * *

A Flicker in the Clarity by Amy McNamara

Expected Publication: June 12th 2018 by HarperTeen

Number of Pages: 432 Pages (Hardcover)

YA Contemporary

I loved Lovely, Dark and Deep, and Amy is basically a auto-buy author for me because of it, so like me being excited for this one is basically a given. I need it in my life asap even though I'm sure it'll be just as much of an emotional read as her debut.

* * *

And that's it! If I actually manage to read even half of these in 2018 I'll be very proud of myself tbh. Which books are you looking forward to the most? Let me know down below or via twitter (@Alice_Reeds).

Review: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Samstag, 2. Dezember 2017

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Published: June 5th 2012 by Henry Holt and Company
Number of Pages: 358 Pages (Paperback)
Series: Yes, #1 in the Grisha Trilogy or Grishaverse

Alina Starkov doesn't expect much from life. Orphaned by the Border Wars, she is sure of only one thing: her best friend, Mal--and her inconvenient crush on him. Until the day their army regiment enters the Fold, a swath of unnatural darkness crawling with monsters. When their convoy is attacked and Mal is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power not even she knew existed.

Ripped from everything she knows, Alina is taken to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling. With Alina's extraordinary power in his arsenal, he believes they can finally destory the Fold. Now Alina must find a way to master her untamed gift and somehow fit into her new life without Mal by her side. But nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. As the threat to the kingdom mounts and her dangerous attraction to the Darkling grows, Alina will uncover a secret that could tear her heart--and her country--in two. (goodreads.com)

I've heard a lot about this book and the trilogy over the years since it came out. It was all over booktube and bookstagram, and everyone recommended it, but despite buying it surely two years ago, I hadn't gotten around to picking it up until the end of November '17. Oops. I didn't really know much about the story before going in, purposefully avoided reading the synopsis, so I just kew that the world was inspired by 19th Century Russia (present me with a book set in Russia or a world inspired by Russia and I will read the shit out of it) and that it contained a character called Darkling and 'magicians' call Grisha. That's it.

I got sucked into the story easily after maybe two chapters or less and finished the entire book in like two or three days (I mostly got around to reading for an hour or two at night) and loved it! The world was intricate and captivating, the characters three dimensional and interesting (at least most of them), and Leigh Bardugo's writing simply amazing. The way she led certain scenes or moments in the story, it was brilliant. I can definitely understand why everyone was so obsessed with this trilogy because honestly same.

Alina was a really interesting and fun protagonist and experiencing the story and world through her eyes was great. We got to watch her go through quite the transformation across the story, make mistakes and try to fix them, navigate a society she never thought she would ever be part of, and somehow survive even if the chances were minimal to none. (As slavic person myself and used to how last names work in Russia, the fact that Alina's last name is Starkov instead of Starkova will probably never stop irking me even if it's such a small, unimportant detail.)

The Darkling was a fascinating character that I'd easily read an entire book about, just have him narrate his everyday life and I'd still read that asap. His particular brand of evil was well crafted and I cannot wait to see how things will develop across the entire trilogy. The Darkling is the sort of evil character that you know you shouldn't like but you can't resist because he is interesting and captivating and marvelously written.

Out of the three people caught in this love triangle (yes the story unfortunately contains a love triangle, I wasn't a fan when I realized that while reading, I'll admit that) was Mal. It wasn't that he was a bad character or not well written, I just didn't particularly like his sudden change of heart when it comes to Alina. I guess I'll probably warm up to him as the story will continue, or at least I hope so.

Even though I'm not the biggest fan of magic in books, the way the Grisha were portrayed and explained was amazing, that it was science instead of actual magic, just manipulating the elements around them instead of making things just happen out of thin air. I really enjoyed that a lot. The whole part about the Shadow Fold and how it came to be and what it does, the scenes set within it, now those were amazing and creepy and really creative.

Leigh Bardugo definitely wrote a brilliant beginning to what promises to be a marvelous trilogy and I honestly cannot wait to continue with Siege and Storm, the sequel to Shadow and Bone, as soon as my copy arrives in the mail.

I give Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo 5 out of 5 stars.

Review: Everything, Everything

Dienstag, 15. August 2017

Everything, Everything
Release Year: 2017
Length: 96 minutes
Cast: Amandla Stenberg (Maddy Whittier)
Nick Robinson (Olly Bright)
Anika Noni Rose (Dr. Whittier)
Ana de la Reguera (Carla)

A teenage girl (Amandla Stenberg) is unable to leave her home because she has an immunodeficiency that makes her allergic to almost everything. However, her life changes for the better when she begins to communicate with the boy next door (Nick Robinson). Everything, Everything was directed by Stella Meghie, and was adapted from the YA novel of the same name by Nicola Yoon. (rottentomatoes.com)

Trailer reaction // Book review

If you've read my trailer reaction post, you know that I've been skeptical of this movie from the get go. The trailer spoiled a lot of the movie, and after watching it, I can say it probably showed all the best bits and really it was kind of enough. As someone who read the book, and loved it, I knew exactly what would happen so I was rather watching it to see how they've translated this book that I loved into a movie I hoped to at least like.

Unfortunately that didn't happen. I really wanted to like it, enjoy it, but in the end I unfortunately didn't.

Everything, Everything is very much a teenage movie, another coming-of-age story starring good actors playing in nice sets with pretty dialogues and all of that. That is of course totally fine, the movie isn't trying to be more than that, but something was lacking for me in it from beginning to end. As I said I liked the actors, though maybe they weren't like the best actors in Hollywood as of right now, but they were convincing enough. The dialogues were okay, too, with a few funny bits that did make me chuckle, but also a lot of it that just came across a bit too forced for my liking and to be natural.

The sets and places we get to see in the movie are great. Seeing the house, getting a visual representation of his bubble in which Maddy grew up, the airlock entrance and everything, that was amazing. It was a stylish high-tech house that didn't seem too over the top but like a house I'd love to live in. Then we also had the other place, that I won't spoil even though we see it in the trailer, but it's undoubtedly beautiful.

Speaking of which, a lot of the movie is exactly that: beautiful. All the clean rooms that don't really look lived in at all, nice and clean windows, wrinkle free clothes. What Everything, Everything really lacks is this feeling of reality. It all just feels like some kind of fairytale were everything is easy and perfect, an even if something goes wrong, there are only small short complications and we swiftly move on to the next thing.

We know that Maddy is sick, it's the first thing we find out, yet throughout the whole movie everything lacked this sense of danger. Even when she walked outside, we had her mom panicking and it still wan't one of those moments that would push you onto the edge of your seat in suspense and worry of what would happen to her now. It was just kind of...there? The metaphore with the astronaut, that Maddy could identify with him, it was another one of those pretty things, but it unfortunately got lost somewhere along the way and just felt like it was randomly thrown in there a few times without having any real meaning to things.

All in all I really hoped that the movie would surprise me and be fun and enjoyable, a nice YA book-to-movie adaptation you could sit down and watch with friends and have a nice time. But unfortunately I found myself feeling bored in a lot of places, or just sighing because of some odd turn of events or wondering how some of it was possible exactly. I know there are a lot of people who loved the movie, and maybe it is a good one, but it simply wasn't for me even though I really had high hopes for it.

I give Everything, Everything 2.5 out of 5 stars.

Everything, Everything Trailer Reaction

Mittwoch, 15. Februar 2017

Everything, Everything

In Theatres: May 19th 2017

Drama - based on Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

Cast: Amandla Stenberg (Maddy Whittier)

Nick Robinson (Olly Bright)

Anika Noni Rose (Dr. Whittier)

Ana de la Reguera (Carla)

The unlikely love story of Maddy, a smart, curious and imaginative 18-year-old who due to an illness cannot leave the protection of the hermetically sealed environment within her house, and Olly, the boy next door who won't let that stop them. (IMDb.com)

I want to start of this trailer reaction/review post by saying that I absolutely loved Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon. It was one of my favorite books of 2015 so when I heard that it was being turned into a movie, I was excited. Then I heard that Amandla was cast as Maddie and I couldn't be happier. She fits the role amazingly.

After waiting for over a year, here we are today with the brand new trailer for the movie. I was reluctant to watch it because, as we all know, the thing with trailers and YA book to movie adaptations is that it can go either of two ways: be a complete disaster (*cough*Divergent series*cough*) or absolutely nail-on-the-head amazing (*cough*The Fault in Our Stars*cough*). Everything, Everything falls somewhere in between those two.

Don't get me wrong, it doesn't look bad BUT the trailer is showing way too much, like way, way too much and thus spoiling many interesting plot points that would've been much more convincing and surprising when watching the movie if we wouldn't have seen them in the first trailer.

Disclaimer: This is very much a train of thoughts type of review since I'm re-watching the trailer as I write down my thoughts to give you my most authentic ones. Hopefully that's okay.

Let's rewind a little and start at the beginning. I am a fan of the house and finally being able to properly visualize how it looks like and how this whole closed off system kind of thing works that is keeping Maddie away from all the bad bad things outside. It's very high tech, but not too much, so it's convincing and I like that.

I love the opening narration that perfectly sums up Maddie's life and immediately catches your attention. Great job with that one. Then there's the shot of Maddie in her window and Olly sitting in the back of the truck, great way of telling us that he's the new kid without actually saying anything.

Moving on, I like the on screen text messages that pop up instead of being read out loud which reminds me of The Fault in Our Stars, though this one doesn't have the fun, quirky animations which is fine. Many people don't like texts and emails being part of movies and shown on screen and all that, but i actually like it. Our lives are full of texts and such so it adds to the realism. Besides reading a couple words doesn't take away from the movie in any way.

Then we get the scene where Olly visits Maddie and I really like it. The dialogue is funny and Maddie seems a bit shy which makes sense especially when you remember that she's never been outside and thus never really had any real life friends besides her mom and her nurse.

"You're really different than I thought you're gonna be"

"Sexier, right?"

"What would happen if you went outside?"

"Probably spontaneous combustion."

Yes, please, more of these types of dialogues and I will be a happy person.

And that is basically where I think we go downhill into SPOILERS territory. Olly asks Maddie where she would want to go if she could go outside and we see a shot of her in the ocean, since that's her answer. That in and of itself would be fine since it could be like a 'of I wish this is what I would be doing' type of sequence but it doesn't end there and I think that's a shame really.

We have Maddie's mom firing her nurse, telling Maddie that she won't be able to see Olly again, and then to top it all off we have these shots of Maddie going outside. Again the latter would be fine if we'd end it here, leave it open to discussion and raise curiosity. But of course we do not.

The trailer continues and shows us Maddie and Olly actually going to the ocean and that, my dearest reader, is that one step too far that definitely and truly moves into spoiler territory. As book reader I know it happens, they go there and everything, but as movie watcher that is something I wouldn't want to find out through the trailer. That's definitely something they should've left out to make that part of the movie more surprising and interesting. But they didn't.

Let's talk about music. I really like the songs they've chosen for the trailer, they fit really well and make me curious if the movie soundtrack will be just as good. I am a sucker for good movie soundtracks so that's a good sign. Besides, having a Beyonce song just adds awesome points to the movie simply because it's Beyonce.

Overall the trailer looks fine. I like the cast, the dialogues seem good, the cinematography feels YA and the music is good. I will definitely watch it, that's not a question, simply because I loved the book and I want to see how they managed to translate it into movie form. But looking at it from just a movie viewer perspective I think the trailer lacks a certain something that would truly grab your attention and make it stand out. Maybe it's because it's another YA book-to-movie adaptation, maybe it is because we already had The Fault in Our Stars starring kids with illnesses, in that case cancer, as main characters, or maybe it's neither of those but something completely different.

I am looking forward to seeing more snippets and trailers, and in May the full movie. Hopefully it will be just as good as the book. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below or tweet them at me, @Alice_Reeds.

Cheers!

Review: Gemina by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman

Samstag, 22. Oktober 2016

Gemina by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman

Published: October 18th 2016 by Knopf Books for Young Readers

Number of Pages: 659 Pages (Hardcover)

Series: Yes, #2 in the Illuminae Files Trilogy

Moving to a space station at the edge of the galaxy was always going to be the death of Hanna’s social life. Nobody said it might actually get her killed.

The saga that began with Illuminae continues on board the space station Heimdall, where two new characters will confront the next wave of BeiTech’s assault. Hanna is the station captain’s pampered daughter, Nik the reluctant member of a notorious crime family. But while the pair are struggling with the realities of life aboard the galaxy’s most boring space station, little do they know that Kady Grant and the Hypatia are headed right toward Heimdall, carrying news of the Kerenza invasion.

When an elite BeiTech team invades the station, Hanna and Nik are thrown together to defend their home. But alien predators are picking off the station residents one by one, and a malfunction in the station’s wormhole means the space-time continuum may be ripped in two before dinner. Soon Hanna and Nik aren’t just fighting for their own survival. The fate of everyone on the Hypatia—and possibly the known universe—is in their hands.

But relax. They’ve totally got this. They hope. (goodreads.com)

"It may comfort you to know that your death,

while astonishingly violent,

will likely be mercifully swift."

Ever since I finished reading Illuminae (find my review here) last year, I waited with anticipation and great expectations for Gemina. As with all sequels, the second book fear was real, but Gemina exceeded all my hopes and expectations in amazing ways with brilliant and unexpected twists and turns.

Just like Illuminae, Gemina is told through files, instant messages, video transcripts and alike, which is still the coolest book format I've ever encountered. We also meet another crucial character from Illuminae again who turns out to be an even worse person than we've so far thought. The hate is real and only turns realer. That part is told through a court room transcript which in itself was really interesting.

In Gemina we follow Hanna and Nik. Hanna is the daughter of the Heimdall's captain, rich, spoiled but still a total badass with a black belt and loads of tactical knowledge which most definitely comes in handy through the story. I really liked her, even though she seemed a bit naive and very spoiled throughout the first few pages, but my opinion of her quick changed. She was a really interesting character and I couldn't wait to see what her role in the story would end up being. I didn't quite expect her to be that much of a badass, but I loved every second of it.

On the other hand we have Nik who belongs to the House of Knives, a Russian criminal cartel on board of the Heimdall station, as well as New Petersburg. Since characters like him belong to my favorites, I knew I'd like him the moment we first meet him. Throughout the story I only fell more in love with him and found myself rooting for him. When a very emotional moment came up, that I won't spoil, I was on the verge of tears, not going to lie. He was a great and really interesting character, especially thanks to all the details about the cartel and the tattoos he and the others had.

Another thing that blew my mind in Gemina was the whole aspect of the wormhole within the Heimdall station which was later on explained in a more scientific way, along with other hardcore science, which honestly was one of my favorite parts of the story. I love sci-fi books that have a solid dose of science in them, even if most of it is way too complicated for me to understand. Gemina definitely did that part right and in a marvelously interesting way.

In the second half of the story we also meet our beloved characters from Illuminae again. Their role in the story isn't necessarily the biggest one in terms of page count, but it's still very much crucial and done in an amazing way. I was curious how Jay and Amie would tie them into the story and I am more than happy with the way they've done it.

Also we need to take a moment and truly appreciate Marie Lu's (author of the Legend trilogy as well as The Young Elites trilogy) illustrations for Gemina. She isn't only a incredible author, no, she's also amazing at drawing. I was really curious to see all of it after I first heard about it, and boy did I love it!

Just like Illuminae, Gemina has a lot of aces up its sleeve in form of amazing plot twists that you most definitely won't see coming and aliens that creeped the hell out of me, especially the way they were "created". Now that was awful in more ways than one. But their role in the story was fascinating, even though, as I mentioned before, they were really creepy. But, at the end of the day, the Phobos virus people in Illuminae were still scarier than the aliens, but that was to be expected, I mean that virus was off the charts.

Gemina is am amazing action packed sequel with unexpected twists and turns, smart moves and tactical planning, and even some crazy science. I didn't think it could one up Illuminae, but somehow it managed to do it anyways. I cannot wait until we'll finally get the finale next year, especially after that ending. I am excited!

I give Gemina by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman 5 out of 5 stars!

Review: The Art of Holding On and Letting Gn by Kristin Bartley Lenz

Freitag, 2. September 2016

The Art of Holding On and Letting Go by Kristin Bartley Lenz

Expected Publication: September 12th 2016 by Elephant Rock Productions, Inc.

Pages: 307 Pages (Paperback)

Series: No

A Junior Library Guild Fall 2016 Selection

“When every piece falls into place, it’s like a dance, a delicate but powerful balancing act. The art of holding on and letting go at the same time.”

Competitive climber Cara Jenkins feels most at home high off the ground, clinging to a rock wall by her fingertips. She’s enjoyed a roaming life with her mountaineering parents, making the natural world her jungle gym, the writings of Annie Dillard and Henry David Thoreau her textbooks. But when tragedy strikes on an Ecuadoran mountaintop, Cara’s nomadic lifestyle comes to an abrupt halt.

Starting over at her grandparents’ home in suburban Detroit, Cara embarks on a year of discovery, uncovering unknown strengths, friendships, and first love. Cara’s journey illustrates the transformative power of nature, love and loss, and discovering that home can be far from where you started. (goodreads.com)

* Thank you to Elephant Rock Books for providing me with an

eARC in exchange for my honest review *

When the publisher contacted me regarding this book and I checked out the synopsis I was definitely intrigued. I've never read a book about a competitive climber before, or even seen climbing being mentioned in any other YA book I've read so far, so I was eager to dive into it. Thanks to a massive reading slump it took me way longer then it usually would, which is a shame, but I made my way through it and I can tell you that I was not disappointed by it.

In this story we follow Cara's story that starts off in Ecuador during a climbing competition (which is described really, really well and with just the perfect amount of details) during which tragedy strikes Cara's family. Following Cara as she holds on to hope that maybe everything will be okay, and then having to accept that it won't and that her entire life is about to change, was heartbreaking and brilliantly written. Seeing her navigate a her new surroundings, making new friends and falling in love was amazing, especially because it was such a contrast to the way the book started off.

What stuck out for me about this book was the way Kristin described the climbing aspect and Cara's emotional landscape, how it was changing and evolving along the way. You could really feel what she was feeling and understand why she felt that way and why she made certain choices. Cara is a fascinating character that I very much enjoyed reading about.

I really enjoyed Kristin's writing style, the way she created likable and relatable characters that seemed realistic and three dimensional. The story definitely lived up to my hopes and to that really pretty cover.

All in all, The Art of Holding On and Letting Go is a intriguing story that brings something new to the table, something we've not seen before, and it does it incredibly well. I can definitely recommend it if you're in the mood for a contemporary with lots of emotions and a looking into the life of a competitive climber.

I give The Art of Holding On and Letting Go by Kristin Bartley Lenz 5 out of 5 stars.