Book Review: Room by Emma Donoghue

Title: Room
Author: Emma Donoghue
Series/Novel: Novel
Genre: Adult, Fiction, Contemporary
Pages: 321
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Year Published: 2010
First Line: "Today I'm five."

"To five-year-old Jack, Room is the world.
It's where he was born. It's where he and Ma eat and sleep and play and learn. But to Ma, Room is the prison where she's been kept since she was nineteen- for seven long years. Through her fierce love for her son, she has created a life for him in the eleven-by-eleven-foot space. But these walls can't hold them forever."

My Rating: 4.5/5

This is not a book that was in my TBR, but a copy was given to me by my boyfriend's mother who said that it's an interesting read and she wanted to see what I thought of it. After this my mother told me that she had been reading this book as well and I should definitely read it, so we could watch the movie together.
Hard to wait when they're two people who are willing you on to read it. 
And they were not wrong. This story takes place from Jack's perspective. One gets to know his thoughts on the inside of the room and the developing story about how there is more to life than just the room. It was interesting to see how a child reacted to what he saw, was told and how the imprisonment had affected his overall development. Especially as someone who works with children I found his thoughts about reality and fantasy to be interesting.
This story is in four separate sections each one slightly changing is thought and further develops the characters. Overall this story was very good, but for me the ending left something to be desired. This of course is personal opinion, so tell me yours in the comments.

Thanks for reading,
Sidny

Spoiler: Room by Emma Donoghue

As I mentioned in the review this novel was not on my TBR but was suggested by my mom and my mother-in-law (sort of). They were pretty adamant about me reading this novel and with a borrowed copy in hand who was I to say no?

As many of you mat realize this is an Adult Fiction book, which is something I don't normally go for. I'm more into YA (Young Adult), but I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Possibly because it was not full of sex and adult problems that I am avoiding some how (nervous laughter would be implied here).

So for anyone who doesn't know, Room is a novel about a mother and a son who are in one room together. The son, Jack was born in this room and has had no interaction with the outside world. He is also the narrator of the novel, so everything you read is from his perspective. I thought this would get tedious, but I found it more interesting as I work with children I thought that the line of thought was certainly on the right track. By now you're probably wondering how the Mother got in this room. She's been kidnapped and kept there for the past 7 years. So if you're doing any math, Jack is 5. That should let you know about her captor. This novel goes through life in Room, and eventually life outside.

The plot is daring and the thought put into the child's perspective was what kept me drawn in. After reading goodreads I realize this is not everyone's opinion which is fine, if you have a separate opinion you can feel free to leave it in the comments, or you can go to https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7937843-room and you may find people who share your opinion.

Characters:

Jack: So Jack is the main character in the story and he is so curious about the world. Which only makes his thoughts more interesting. After only being in human contact with Ma, Jack has a different perspective of people. He also has a skewed idea of fantasy and reality. Jack is a tough child, although he is scared after so many changes he starts to prosper in an environment that is not room. With the help of those around him he is able to learn about new things through his fear. This being said, he still misses room, this is understandable considering it was his home his whole life. After a revisit, Jack is able to realize that there is so much more to life than Room.

Ma: She's a strong woman, and I respect that. To live through captivity, the birth of two children, rape, the death of one child. I was surprised when she tried to leave the clinic, but was not surprised when she attempted to commit suicide. After all she had been through, she was dealing well, but having publicity in your face, I can't say I don't understand. And it will take many years before she recovers. It's hard to believe that she was moved to independent living so soon.

Old Nick: What a sick freak! To have implanted a chainlink fence in between the ground and the floor and in the walls is so sick. I hope that anyone like him enjoys years and year in prison.

Dr. Clay: I think he is having trouble dealing with such an intense case. He has never dealt with anything quite like it he admits. He does very well with Jack, which I'm grateful for.

Grandma: She does an excellent job of encouraging Jack to explore the world around him. Sometimes with more patience than others, which is to be expected. She let's him experience many emotions, fear sometimes overwhelmingly (at the playground, or when exploring something new). I hope that she can let go of Ma, and let her have a life, but I wouldn't be surprised if that didn't workout because of the fear of losing her again.

Steppa: Steppa is an interesting character, apparently he's a stoner, but at least he's fun and not a jerk like the real grandpa. He's got patience as well and is willing to deal with the tough stuff when Grandma cannot in the story. He also plays with him instead of just watching which I think Jack appreciated.

Moments to Remember:

Final Line: "Then we go out the door."

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

The Wrath and The Dawn Series Novellas/Short Stories

It came to my attention after moving home, that there were three short stories. There are three in total that I found. 
The Moth and The Flame, The Crown and the Arrow, The Mirror and the Maze.

These are all either prequels or in betweens for The Wrath and The Dawn by Renee Ahdieh. I must say that these were interesting short reads, but I don't believe they are necessary to read if you want to jump right into The Rose and The Dagger although I'm yet to start it. I enjoyed the brief snippets in between the stories, but I found them to be frustratingly short and not all that meaningful.
All and all I would give these book a solid  4/5. They are a fun short read if you have the time.
It looks deeper into the relationship between Jalal and Despina, as well as thoughts of Khalid. 

I don't think a review is necessary but I hope that this was helpful.

Thanks for reading,
Sidny xoxo

Book Review: The Wrath and The Dawn

Title: The Wrath and The Dawn
Author: Renee Ahdieh
Series/Novel: The Wrath and The Dawn (Book #1)
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance
Pages: 395
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Year Published: 2015
First Line: "It would not be a welcome dawn."

"One life to one dawn.
In a land ruled by a murderous boy-king, each dawn brings heartache to a new family. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, is a monster. Each night he takes a new bride only to have a silk cord wrapped around her throat come morning. When sixteen-year-old Shahrzad's dearest friend falls victim to Khalid, Shahrzad vows vengeance and volunteers to be his next bride. Shahrzad is determined not only to stay alive, but to end the caliphs reign of terror once and for all.
Night after night, Shahrzad beguiles Khalid weaving stories that enchant, ensuring her survival, though she knows each dawn could be her last. But something she never expected begins to happen: Khalid is nothing like what she'd imagined him to be. This monster is a boy with a tormented heart. Incredibly, Shahrzad finds herself falling in love. How is this possible? It's an unforgivable betrayal. Still, Shahrzad has come to understand all is not as it seems in this palace of marble and stone.She resolves to uncover whatever secrets lurk and, despite her love, be ready to take Khalid's life as retribution for the many lives he's stolen. Can their love survive this world of stories and secrets?
Inspired by A Thousand and One Nights, The Wrath and The Dawn is a sumptuous and enthralling read from beginning to end."

My Rating: 5/5

So I just finished this book before leaving the city and it's beautifully large library. This book was incredible and perfect. I understand now what all the buzz was about when it first came out and it's a perfect day to have finished it as the second instalment has just been published and is available. Don't worry I already called the book store and had one put on hold for me. This is such a diverse novel and the way it's inspired by A Thousand and One Nights makes it even more interesting to read. I found that the setting at first was hard to imagine but after it being described in such detail I found no trouble picturing the palace, desert and the city. It seemed to fill my imagination. Everything from the food, the sights and the clothing were interesting and different to me. This is something that can really pull a reader in, and I was certainly interested! The characters are surprising but not not to the point where their actions seem out of character. Rather they are unique and filled with depth. I could tell that the author had thought hard about how to portray each of the characters. The only thing I struggled with for the first few pages was the amount of names that started with the same letter, but after really getting into the book, it was no longer a problem. Rereading that last sentence, I sound like a child. I may be the only one who has the problem.
The book left off in such a great place and I plan to start the second one tonight, The Rose and The Dagger and complete it by the end of the week. 

Thanks for reading,
Sidny

Spoiler: The Wrath and The Dawn by Renne Ahdieh

Let's start this off by saying that I had heard ALOT of hype about this book. It's been nominated for many awards and has gathered the attention of many readers/bloggers. The diverse story has really captured an interesting story and has alot of people pushing for more diverse stories, which is something I think we could all use.
This book really switched up the playing field of retellings and stories that are inspired by others. I really enjoyed the different setting of this first book. It was something I never really had read about before. The descriptions at first were confusing to me but throughout the book, I was able to really picture what was happening in the plot. Everything connected throughout the setting the descriptions of the city, desert, clothing and food really helped to connect the dots on an  area of the world I'm not familiar with. It was exciting to explore different perspectives throughout the Khorasan's adventure.
The characters were deep and were not predictable, which I always appreciate. The perspective of the book was from an outside view which gave the book further depth as you could understand what each characters thought and how they felt thoughout the volume.

Characters:
Shahrzad: This character is a strong female, which is something to be appreciated. She willingly sacrificed her life to take revenge for her friend. Although we never meet Shiva, we know that she must have been special and her death effected many around her. As the story continues we see that Shazi, as she's commonly called start to fall for her once enemy. Seeing her struggle internally to push away her feelings is hard to watch. And as much as you hate Khalid for killing so many women, you want Shazi to show her true feelings. (At least I did). As the story goes on Khalid opens up to Shazi, but when Tariq appears to rescue her she is forced to make a choice about where to stay. After she has made a choice, her choice is revoked and she is forced to leave the city. I look forward to see how she reacts to being taken.

Khalid: At first, I hated this character, as is to be expected. Stringing people up by their throats isn't really an action that makes people fond of a character. As you find out more about him you begin to wonder what is plaguing him and how his childhood made him the man he was today. At first I assumed that the death of his mother left him unstable with a female, but as you read on the magic comes to life and you realize that he is really trying to be the Caliph that the people of Khorasan deserve. Even if it involves the death of many

Jalal: He's slick this one, but quickly takes Shazi's side, something to be appreciated. I do hope that he found Despina and took care of her. They should obviously be together! Duh. 

Despina: A pain at first, a nuisance, but she grew on me quickly. Her quips and friendly manner remind me of those of my own friend. This being said, being a self proclaimed spy didn't make me trust her, which is obvious. I do hope she made it out of the fires because the heartbreak for Jalal may overcome him.

Tariq: He's clearly in love with Shazi, but the idea of stealing her away interested me. She clearly has grown at least a fascination with the Caliph. She stands by his side and sticks up for him as well as herself, and she has started to make contact without a hesitation. Tariq appears unable to let go and move on which is unfortunate, but makes for a great story! And a possible revolution.

Yasmine: This girl is trouble and I expect to be seeing more of her throughout the coming sequel. She is not afraid to use her wit to get what she wants and appears to want to do anything to get to the Caliph


Moments to remember:
Pg. 166-167
"'If I'm a plague, then you should keep your distance, unless you plan on being destroyed.' The weapons still in her grasp, she shoved against his chest. 
'No.' His hands dropped to her waist. 'Destroy me.'
The bow and arrow clattered to the ground as he brought his mouth to hers."

Pg. 209
"'I am not a fool.'
'No you're not. Not yet.' Despina grinned. 'But it's inevitable. When you meet the one who makes you smile as you've never smiled before, cry as you've never cried before... there is nothing to do but fall.'"

Pg. 316
"'It's a fitting punishment for a monster. To want something so much to hold it in your arms and know beyond a doubt you will never deserve it.'"

Final Line: "Into a glorious dawn."

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

25 Things About Me

I know that this isn't a book review or spoiler, but I feel like I'd really like to get to know you guys and this is part of it. If you have questions for me please contact me (information on the side) or comment.

1. I am 21, and don't party as much as I did when I was 18.

2. I'm Canadian and yes, I do say sorry and enjoy Tim Horton's beverages.

3. I'm in my final year of college and I'm training to become an early childhood educator, which means a preschool teacher.

4. I'm in a relationship with my best friend from high school who I've known for 8 years. Although we've only been going out for 2.

5. I once tried to make a youtube video channel and failed after realizing how crazy expensive cameras are.

6. I am both introverted and extroverted. I think I get energy to be with people by spending time alone, but if I'm with people too long I kinda shut down.

7. I'm a very anxious person. I am constantly overthinking.

8. Sometimes I look like this:


9. When I'm in a bookstore I look like this:


10. I think people who don't know me, see me like this (resting bitch face):


11. I'm a Pisces.... and I'm running out of things to write.

12. I used to be in band. I played a ton of instruments and love music.

13. I have no set music taste, my spotify goes from Frank Sinatra to DMX to Luke Bryan and it drives my boyfriend crazy.

14. I watched all the Star Wars movies for the first time this year and loved them.

15. I prefer coffee to tea any day.

16.  I've never broken a bone....

17. I cuss a lot which surprises some people who read my blog, but I work hard to keep this area clean.

18. I have one sister.

19. I was born on a farm and my family has owned cattle, pigs, chickens, goats, sheep and horses.

20.  I often think about making a booktube channel, but am unsure if that's something people would be interested in.

21. I once got in a grocery cart race with my friends from high school and was kicked out of our local grocery store #toocool

22.  I am secretly addicted to trash tv (The Next Pussycat Doll...)

23. My emoji is the one with all the teeth because I often say the wrong thing at the wrong time.


24. I once travelled to Prague and areas of Germany on a band trip. We had the opportunity to play in a competition but we lost. Still an incredible journey and hope to travel someday again soon.

25. I used to be a party animal and go out every weekend until I met the friends I have now. We're a little more relaxed.

Thanks for reading,
Sidny

Book Review: Cruel Crown by Victoria Aveyard

Title: Cruel Crown
Author: Victoria Aveyard
Series/Novel: Red Queen Series (Prequelish)
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Dystopian
Pages: 142
Publisher: HarperTeen
Year Published: 2015
First Line: "As usual, Julian gave her a book."

"Two women on either side of the silver and red divide tell the stories no one else knows. 
Queen Song:
Queen Coriane, first wife of King Tiberias, keeps a secret diary, how else can she ensure that no one at the palace will use her thoughts against her? Coriane recounts her heady courtship with the crown prince, the birth of a new prince, Cal, and the potentially deadly challenges that lie ahead for her in royal life.
Steel Scars:
Captain Farley was raised to be strong, but being tasked with planting the seeds of rebellion in Norta is a tougher job then expected. As she travels the land recruiting black market traders, smugglers, and extremists for her first attempt at an attack on the capital. , she stumbles upon a connection that may prove to be the key to the entire operation- Mare Barrow."

My Rating: 5/5

So to begin with, this book is two separate Novellas Queen Song and Steel Scars as mentioned above. Each other them shows different aspects of this futuristic world.
My only regret while reading this book is that I didn't savour it for long, because now I have no new Red Queen material to hold me over until the next book comes out. This book was very impressive. It really filled in the gaps of what happened before Mare entered the castle and how Cal's parent met. I thought that was very interesting to see how the Silvers interact with each other and how Elara worked her way into the whole scenario. 
The second novella really followed Farley's entrance into Norta and how she worked the Scarlet Guard into the country. I thought that that was an interesting way to look at Farley. I find myself sometimes forgetting that she's younger than I assume. 
I hope that the next Red Queen book is just as incredible and so far I have no doubts! I'm excited to see what will happen after the ending of Glass Sword. I also wonder if Victoria Aveyard has any other half novellas waiting for us in the future.
Tell me what you want to see and if you're enjoying this series so far.
THANK YOU VICTORIA AVEYARD FOR SHOWING US THE IN BETWEEN!

Thanks for reading,
Love
Sidny

Spoiler: Cruel Crown by Victoria Aveyard

Just in case you have not read this prequel, I will tell you that there is a book review above if that's what you'd be more interested in reading, because this will spoil aspects of Red Queen, Glass Sword and Cruel Crown for you. You've been warned in case the title was not enough.
Because of the size of this book I will not have a separate characters area either.

This book comes with two separate novellas: Queen Song and Steel Scars.
Queen Song follows Queen Coriane through her courtship, into her marriage and the birth of her son, up to her death. It does so sparsely which interests me but doesn't drag on so that's awesome. I thought it was interesting to see how she was living before she was courted. To know that her house really wasn't doing well and then to be picked out by a prince who refused the tradition of Queenstrial which must have been the greatest scandal EVER! And then to see that she really struggled with depression. Which is something that many can relate to. I think that was a very important aspect of this novella.

Steel Scars focuses on Captain Farley and how she infiltrates Norta and gains followers for her resistance. I thought it was interesting to see her communication with both her father, the Colonel, and Command. The way she does what she feels is right was important as well the way she feels so strongly about the Scarlet Guard. I hope to see something more about her past in the upcoming books, but I understand if that is kept in the dark for sometime. We all love a good mysterious past. Watching her fall in love with shade was incredible. To see how he interacted before he was a member of the Guard and how he was so easy to smile, and joke even in such a terrible position that he was in, it was impressive. I think that those moments were the saddest to read, because we really got to look at their relationship up close and remember, feeling the pain of them together.

Final Line: "RISE, RED AS THE DAWN."

Thanks for reading,
Love,
Sidny