Book Review: The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna

Title: The Gilded Ones

Author: Namina Forna

Series/Standalone: Deathless Series (Book #1)

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Pages: 432

Publisher: Delacorte 

Year Published: 2020

Format: Audiobook

"Sixteen-year-old Deka lives in fear and anticipation of the blood ceremony that will determine whether she will become a member of her village. Already different from everyone else because of her unnatural intuition, Deka prays for red blood so she can finally feel like she belongs.

But on the day of the ceremony, her blood runs gold, the color of impurity- and Deka knows she will face a consequence worse than death.

Then a mysterious woman comes to her with a choice: stay in the village and submit to her fate, or leave to fight for the emperor in an army of girls just like her. They are called alaki-near-immortals with rare gifts. And they are the only ones who can stop the empire's greatest threat.

Knowing the dangers that lie ahead yet yearning for acceptance, Deka decides to leave the only life she's ever known. But as she journeys to the capital to train for the biggest battle of her life, she will discover that the great walled city holds many surprises. Nothing and no one are quite what they seem to be- not even Deka herself."

My Rating: 3.5/5

This was a fun read. I enjoyed the frame of the story. The setting, the idea of the society were unsettling and made the reader uncomfortable in a way that supports the idea that we want the main character to find power and change. I think that there were certainly some heavy-handed hints towards the plot twists and the plot itself. That being said, this is a young adult read, so maybe that comes with the fact that I am not in that demographic. I don't plan on continuing the series, and the good thing about this book is if you wanted to, you can end this series here, or keep reading to see where else it would go. That being said, overall, fun, exciting, interesting.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow

Title: Girl in Pieces

Author: Kathleen Glasgow

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Hard-hitting

Pages: 416

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Year Published: 2016

Format: Audiobook (Own Physical Copy)

"Charlotte Davis is in pieces. At seventeen she's already lost more than most people lose in a lifetime. But she's learned how to forget. The broken glass washes away the sorrow until there is nothing but calm. You don't have to think about your father and the river. Your best friend, who is gone forever. Or your mother, who has nothing left to give you.

Every new scar hardens Charlie'sheart just a little more, yet it still hurts so much. It hurts enough to not care anymore, which is sometimes what has to happen before you can find your way back from the edge."

My Rating: 4.5/5

Trigger warnings for self-harm, substance abuse, sexual assault, and additional abuse. This book was a lot, which is to be expected based on the title, cover art and description. I think it's a story that both sees people who have had these experiences but also explains how these situations take place. It was a hard read, but an important one. The characters were dynamic and the atmosphere while chaotic made a lot of sense.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Family of Liars by E. Lockhart

Title: Family of Liars

Author: E. Lockhart

Series/Standalone: We Were Liars (Prequel)

Genre: Young Adult, Thriller

Pages: 299

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Year Published: 2022

Format: Audiobook

"The prequel to We Were Liars takes readers back to the story of another summer, another generation, and the secrets that will haunt them for decades to come.

A windswept private island off the coast of Massachusetts.

A hungry ocean, churning with secrets and sorrow.

A fiery, addicted heiress. An irresistible, unpredictable boy.

A summer of unforgivable betrayal and terrible mistakes.

Welcome back to the Sinclair family.

They were always liars."

My Rating: 2/5

It has been a long time since I read We Were Liars so I don't think that I should have read this when I did. If I had reread We Were Liars and then read it it might have gotten a higher rating from me. But all in all, this felt unnecessary. I enjoy the concept, I like the idea that there is more to this family, but it just wasn't what I thought I was getting myself into.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: As Good As Dead by Holly Jackson

Title: As Good As Dead

Author: Holly Jackson

Series/Standalone: A Good Girl's Guide to Murder (Book #3)

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Young Adult

Pages: 459

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Year Published: 2021

Format: Audiobook

"The New York Times Bestselling Series The highly anticipated finale to the A Good Girl's Guide to Murder series, the instant bestseller that reads like your favorite true crime podcast or show. By the end of this mystery series, you'll never think of good girls the same way again...

Pip is about to head to college, but she is still haunted by the way her last investigation ended. She's used to online death threats in the wake of her viral true-crime podcast, but she can't help noticing an anonymous person who keeps asking her. Who will look for you when you're the one who disappears?

Soon the threats escalate and Pip realizes that someone is following her in real life. When she starts to find connections between her stalker and a local serial killer caught six year ago, she wonders if maybe the wrong man is behind bars.

Police refuse to act, so Pip has only one choice: find the suspect herself- or be the next victim. As the deadly game plays out, Pip discovers that everything in her small town is coming full circle... and if she doesn't find the answers, this time she will be the one who disappears."

My Rating: 4/5

I was not expecting that this series would have so many ups and downs. I was concerned after the last one about how they would continue this series. I thought that we would be following a far different case and yet the author did an excellent job of tying the stories and town together. There are so many well-written characters and the plot took a turn I was not anticipating. I did anticipate the first twist for the most part but by the end, I was in shock at where the author was taking us. Overall, a tremendous series and I would read anything else the author publishes, especially thrillers/mysteries.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus

Title: One of Us Is Lying

Author: Karen M. McManus

Series/Standalone: One of Us Is Lying Series (Book #1)

Genre: Mystery, Young Adult, Thriller

Pages: 416

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Year Published: 2017

Format: Audiobook

"Pay close attention and you might solve this.

On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention.

Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule.

Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess.

Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing.

Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher.

And Simon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High's notorious gossip app.

Only, Simon never makes it out of that classroom. Before the end of detention Simon's dead. And according to investigators, his death wasn't an accident. On Monday, he died. But on Tuesday, he'd planned to post juicy reveals about all four of his high-profile classmates, which makes all four of them suspects in his murder. or are they the perfect patsies for a killer who's still on the loose?

Everyone has secrets, right? What really matters is how far you would go to protect them."

My Rating: 3.5/5

This was fun. Teen drama, murder, and thrilling gossip. What more could you ask for? It was exactly what I wanted for the moment. It wasn't the best book/thriller I've ever read, and I saw some of the final twists coming, but overall it just was fast-paced. If you're looking for a great CW style teen drama book, I would recommend it. I look forward to continuing with the series. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Wilder Girls by Rory Power

Title: Wilder Girls 

Author: Rory Power

Series/Standalone:  Standalone

Genre: Young Adult, Horror, LGBT

Pages: 357

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Year Published: 2019

Format: Audiobook

"It's been eighteen months since the Raxter School for Girls was put under quarantine. Since the Tox hit and pulled Hetty's life out from under her.

It started slow. First, the teachers died one by one. Then it began to infect the students, turning their bodies strange and foreign. Now, cut off from the rest of the world and left to fend for themselves on their island home, the girls don't dare wander outside the school's fence, where the Tox has made the woods wild and dangerous. They wait for the cure they were promised as the Tox seeps into everything.

But when Byatt goes missing, Hetty will do anything to find her even if it means breaking quarantine and braving the horrors that lie beyond the fence. And when she does, Hetty learns there's more to their story, to their life at Raxtar, than she could have ever thought true."

My Rating: 4.25/5

I recently listened to Rory Power's second book on audio and immediately knew I needed to listen to her debut. This book gets a lot of hate in the bookish community for the ending. And while I understand why some people aren't content with the ending (not everything is wrapped up in a neat bow), I think it made a lot of sense for the story itself. Rory Power does such a great job of writing a creepy, unnerving atmosphere, and the body horror in this was really astounding. I enjoyed that it really went there with the horror elements. I will say that if you're already on edge about the pandemic we are currently in this might not be a good read for you at the moment, but if you can handle the idea of quarantining in a horror novel I would strongly recommend it.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Burn Our Bodies Down by Rory Power

Title: Burn Our Bodies Down

Authors: Rory Power

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Young Adult, Horror, Thriller

Pages: 352

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Year Published: 2020

Format: Audiobook

"From the author of the New York Times bestseller Wilder Girls comes a new twisty thriller about a girl whose past has always been a mystery- until she decides to return to her mother's hometown... where the history has a tendency to repeat itself.

Ever since Margot was born, it's been just her and her mother. No answers to Margot's questions about what came before. No history to hold on to. No relative to speak of. Just the two of them stuck in their run-down apartment, struggling to get along.

But that's not enough for Margot. She wants family. She wants a past. And she just found the key she needs to get it: A photograph, pointing her to a town called Phalene. Pointing her home. Only when Margot gets there, it's not what she bargained for.

Margot's mother left for a reason. But was it to hide her past? or was it to protect Margot from what's still there?

The only thing Margot knows for sure is there's a poison in their family tree, and their roots are dug so deeply into Phalene that now that she's there, she might never escape."

My Rating: 4.5/5

This was a great audiobook to listen to on a road trip. No way you're falling asleep at the wheel. This story follows Margot whose been cooped up with her mother for as long as she can remember. Following her mother's rules, no matter how absurd they may seem to outsiders. But never getting any answers to her questions until was digging for more. And does she ever find it. This author did a great job of encompassing creepy small town, mystery, and horror aspects into this shorter YA book. I would be extremely interested in reading a book by her that was adult to see where she would take the horror elements. The reason this wasn't a complete 5 stars for me is that it wasn't able to go where I wanted it to. I thought that the end seemed to wrap up a little too quickly. That being said it was a quick, thrilling ride and I look forward to reading Wilder Girls as soon as possible. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: The Fever Code by James Dashner

Title: The Fever Code

Author: James Dashner

Series/Standalone: The Maze Runner (Book #5)

Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopian, Young Adult

Pages: 347

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Year Published: 2016

Format: Audiobook

"Once there was a world's end.

The forests burned, the lakes and rivers dried up, and the oceans swelled.

Then came a plague, and fever spread across the globe. Families died, violence reigned, and man killed man.

Next came WICKED, who were looking for an answer. And then they found the perfect boy.

The boy's name was Thomas, and Thomas built a maze.

Now there are secrets.

There are lies.

And there are loyalties history could never have foreseen.

This is the story of that boy, Thomas, and how he built a maze that only he could tear down.

All will be revealed."

My Rating: 3/5

This was an interesting look into the backstory of The Maze Runner series. But it didn't show a ton that I didn't already expect or assume. I was curious about the relationships that the boys had before coming into the maze and whether they knew each other and that was answered. I also thought it was interesting after watching Theresa's entrance into WICKED in the fourth book. If you've finished the series and you are interested in what happened at the conception of WICKED this book is for you. It's fun and an easy read while still hitting with some interesting information.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: The Scorch Trials by James Dashner

Title: The Scorch Trials

Author: James Dashner

Series/Standalone: The Maze Runner Series (Book #2)

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopia, Science Fiction

Pages: 362

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Year Published: 2010

Format: Audiobook (Library Copy)

"Solving the maze was supposed to be the end.

Thomas was sure that escape from the Maze would mean freedom for him and the Gladers. But WICKED isn't done yet. Phase Two has just begun. The Scorch.

There are no rules. There is no help. You either make it or you die.

The Gladers have two weeks to cross through the Scorch- the most burned-out section of the world. And WICKED has made sure to adjust the variables and stack the odds against them.

Friendships will be tested. Loyalties will be broken. All bets are off.

There are others no. Their survival depends on the Gladers' destruction- and they're determined to survive."

My Rating: 3.75/5

This book held a lot of intrigue for me as I was curious about where the story was going after the plot twists in the last book. This book was better for me and I do plan to continue on. The atmosphere was better for me, and I love a journey book. The characters just aren't what I hoped they would be. Thomas is not my favourite character to read from, and I find it hard to believe that women are throwing themselves at him. I'm still curious about what WICKED is working on and the backstory so I will be continuing with the series, but I doubt they will be new favourites.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: The Maze Runner by James Dashner

 Title: The Maze Runner

Author: James Dashner

Series/Standalone: The Maze Runner Series (Book #1)

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian, Science Fiction

Pages: 384

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Year Published: 2009

Format: Paperback Copy (Own It)

First Line: "He began his new life standing up, surrounded by cold darkness and stale, dusty air."

"If you ain't scared, you ain't human.

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his name. He's surrounded by strangers- boys whose memories are also gone.

Nice to meet ya, shank. Welcome to the Glade.

Outside the towering stone walls that surround the Glade is a limitless ever-changing maze. It's the only way out- and no one's ever made it through alive.

Everything is going to change.

Then a girl arrives. The first girl ever. And the message she delivers is terrifying.

Remember. Survive. Run."

My Rating: 3/5

I thought upon entering this story we were going to be very lord of the flies style survival book. And it just wasn't that. It was more mysterious than that. I enjoyed the intrigue of getting back the memories of the boys who have memories missing, the idea of figuring out why they're in a maze, what's going to change and how they're going to get out. Those are the parts I loved. The characters themselves don't have huge personality traits just due to the fact that most of them only remember living in the maze these past 2 years. So there isn't anything to really know about them. I also thought the final plot twist was perfection. I am looking forward to continuing with the series and seeing where these characters go.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: And I Darken by Kiersten White

Title: And I Darken
Author: Kiersten White
Series/Standalone: The Conqueror's Saga (Book #1)
Genre: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Young Adult
Pages: 475
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Year Published: 2016
Format: Audiobook

"No one expects a princess to be brutal. And Lada Dragwly likes it that way. Ever since she and her gentle younger brother, Radu, were wrenched from their homeland of Wallachia and abandoned by their father to be raised in the Ottoman courts, Lada has known that being ruthless is the key to survival. She and Radu are doomed to act as pawns in a vicious game, an unseen sword hovering over their every move. For the lineage that makes them special also makes the targets.

Lada despises the Ottomans and bides her time, planning her vengeance for the day when she can return to Wallachia and claim her birthright. Radu longs for a place where he feels safe and when they meet Mechmed, the defiant and lonely song of the sultan, Radu feels that he's made a true friend- and Lada wonders if she's finally found someone worthy of her passion.

But Mechmed is heir to the very empire that Lada has sworn to fight against- and that Radu now considers home. Together Lada, Radu and Mechmed form a toxic triangle that strains the bonds of love and loyalty to the breaking point."

My Rating: 2.5/5

I had such high fucking hopes for this in the beginning. I loved seeing Lada as a child and how feisty and fiery she was. Didn't love that she was super mean to her brother but could understand why she was annoyed by his weakness when she was stronger as a girl and less appreciated. That being said the more the story went on the more we strayed from the path of badass. First off al by 4 hours in I thought that there was probably nowhere else for this story to go. And by the end, I just kinda didn't understand the choices for where to wrap things up. Also, there were just too many side characters I didn't care about. Yes, they all played some kind of role but there were just too many things going on. Things I didn't care about. 
Now, will I continue the series, no I don't think that I will? I'm going to look at reviews and see if people thought that the series got better by a landslide, but even then, I just don't think I care enough.
On a positive note, I really liked Lada's badass moments when she had them and her unwillingness to bend to her "role as a woman" for the time period.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

Title: The Sun Is Also a Star
Author: Nicola Yoon
Series/Standalone: Standalone
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary
Pages: 384
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Year Published: 2016
Format: Audiobook

"Natasha: I'm a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I'm definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him won't be my story.

Daniel: I've always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents' high expectations. Never the poet. Or the dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that. Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something much more extraordinary in store- for both of us.

The Universe: Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before us. Which one will come true?"

My Rating: 4.5/5

I thought that I wouldn't like this. I felt like the whole presence just really brings out a cliche I don't always care for. And that's the love at first sight or instalove. And in some ways it is. But this book is about more than the romance, it's about the coincidences or things that happen to get us where we are. It's about "fate" or "multiverses" that are possible other than the track we are on. That being said we don't explore the multiverses that could have been we only know the track our main characters are now. Just as it is in life. Don't misunderstand I'm still a cynical twenty-four-year-old, but this, this book really got me.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay

Title: Juliet Immortal
Author: Stacey Jay
Series/Standalone: Juliet Immortal Series (Book #1)
Genre: Young Adult, Romance
Pages: 322
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Year Published: 2011
Format: Audiobook

"'These violent delights have violent ends. And in their triumph die, like fire and powder,
Which as they kiss consume.'
-Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

The most tragic love story in history...

Juliet Capulet didn't take her own life. She was murdered by the person she trusted most, her new husband, Romeo Montague, a sacrifice made to ensure his own immortality. But what Romeo didn't anticipate was that Juliet would be granted eternity, as well, and would become an agent for the Ambassadors of Light. For 700 years, she's fought Romeo for the souls of true lovers, struggling to preserve romantic love and the lives of innocent. Until the day she meets someone she's forbidden to love, and Romeo, oh Romeo, will do everything in his power to destroy that love."

My Rating: 2/5

Just an ok audiobook overall. Good if you're a big fan of Romeo and Juliet or perhaps if you're interested in a retelling. I also think it's good if you just want a quick fun read, I did find that most of it was unreal and super corny. I just don't think that romance books like this just aren't for me. I also disliked the ending, a lot. It's not my thing in a book like this and for these reasons, I will not be continuing the series. I am interested in more work from the author, but I'm not sure if it's something I will be looking into immediately.

Thanks for reading,
Sidny

Book Review: Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart

Title: Genuine Fraud
Author: E. Lockhart
Series/Standalone: Standalone
Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller
Pages: 264
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Year Published:2017
Format: Audiobook

"Imogen is a runaway heiress, an orphan, a cook and a cheat.
Jule is a fighter, a social chameleon, and an athlete.
An intense friendship. A disappearance. A murder, or maybe two.
A bad romance, or maybe three.
Blunt objects, disguises, blood and chocolate. The American dream, superheroes, spies and villains.
A girl who refuses to give people what they want from her.
A girl who refuses to be the person she once was."

My Rating: 4/5

This book was written by an author I loved. I had loved her debut, although it was controversial, We Were Liars was a great YA thriller. And this second book was also very addicting. The audiobook told the story very well and helped me with the use of accents in the storyline. I think that the change of chapters really added to the storyline and made the reader wonder about what had happened in past events. It really added to the suspense of the plot overall.  That being said there were parts of this book I felt that I missed out on by listening to the audiobook. Especially if I got distracted. Just something to keep in mind if you're not used to listening to books on audio.
I think that this book is best if you go in blind expecting nothing, especially based on the subject matter. I would recommend this to lovers of thrillers and mysteries for YA.

Thanks for reading,
Sidny

Spoiler: Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart

This book was one I'd heard good and bad things about for quite some time. Most people seemed to really not like it if they had liked E. Lockhart's first book, We Were Liars. I actually thought that it was really interesting. Especially the way it was written. To start from near the end and go back to the beginning is an interesting idea and it created different ideas about our characters. I also thought that the audiobook did a great job with the changing accents although I wish I had had a physical copy to keep track of the timeline.

Characters:
Jule: I don't even know where, to begin with, this character. She makes so many choices that are poor and in poor judgement. I do wonder how she started to rationalize what she was doing and who she was doing it too. That being said, she was trying to escape who she was and become someone else. I would think though that it would have been better to go about this in another way. That being said, she was never lacking in the adventure idea of the plot.

Imogen: She is more than a little spoiled. Not to say that she deserved what she had coming, not at all she was just a person who was trying to figure out who she was. That being said, she had a pretty big advantage (money, looks, social charm). It was impressive to see what she could get away with. 

Forrest: Good for him for sticking up for Immy after her death. That being said she did cheat on him and didn't seem to care that much about him at all. 

Pablo: I wonder if they ended up meeting in the future or if he just let her go wondering what she was hiding and why they could never be together.

Imogen's Parents: They were more than a little naive to just trust in Jule, but it made me think about the times that I had trusted someone wholeheartedly and where that might have gotten me. 


Thanks for reading,
Sidny

Book Review: We Were Liars by E. Lockheart

Title: We Were Liars
Author: E. Lockheart
Series/Novel: Novel
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Mystery
Pages: 225
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Year Published: 2014 
First Line: "Welcome to the beautiful Sinclair family."

"A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends- the Liars- whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth."

My Rating: 5/5

OK, so I thought that I was going to be a lot busier than I was this weekend (thanks to a bug I  caught), and I had a time to finish a book I've really been wanting to read. This novel is just incredible. It confused me and mystified me. It left me thinking about it even while I was doing other things. I finished it in the course of an afternoon and was glad to have had the opportunity to read basically uninterrupted. The writing in this book was incredible. It was really impressively written and well explained. It was a good amount of confusing. It was so appealing and yet confusing. I loved the description and helped me to understand what was going on. So well read! So incredible!
 I also found that the characters were interesting to read about. A family who has it all but is a total mess at the same time. It shows a family that is falling apart and trying to keep it together all at the same time.
I think that the premise of the book is interesting as well, I thought that the outcome would be predictable, but it was really surprising. A great ending totally ties this book together.

Thanks for reading,
Love,
Sidny

Spoiler: We Were Liars by E. Lockheart

There is a reason that this book was a best book 2 years ago. Shit, it's still so good now. I think that this is one of the best contemporary books I've read in a while, as I've really been in to dystopia and fantasy. This book. Hot DANG! This book had such an incredible flow to it. It moves through different times in a way that better explains and unfolds the story. It also holds such beautiful metaphors. Maybe beautiful is the wrong word, but the metaphors are perfect and help you to feel exactly how the character is feeling in that moment.
Really they were just kids and they got in over their heads. Although they were doing it for the right reasons, things really got out of hand and the price was paid.

Characters:
Cadence: Dang this girl has had a lot to deal with. And that ending am I right? I think that the way she coped with everything that has gone on in her life makes total sense. The things that lead up to her accident. The way that her father leaves her family and how she is told to buck up and carry on surprised me but really set the tone for how this book was going to go. I also think that the way she finds out about her memories was hard for her but made for a great story for the reader damn. I hope that this character doesn't regret finding out her memory but it would make sense if she did. Also don't drink and do crazy shit. So bad.

Johnny: He was so bright and full of light. And the way he was described as bouncy is exactly as he acted. I cried for him.

Mirren: I suspected that she was pregnant when she kept getting sick, but I suppose the alternative made sense. It's unfortunate especially if they are a figment of Cadence's imagination.

Gat: He was sweet, smart and so willing to make a change in the world, but he never will. It's extremely disappointing. But also the way that he was left. That they were all left.

Because I read this book in a day, I didn't really slow down for moment to remember but here is the.....
Final Line: "I endure."

If you enjoyed this book tell me why? And what did you think of that crazy ending? Did you see it coming?

Thanks for reading,
Love,
Sidny xoxo