Book Review: The Young Elites by Marie Lu

Title: The Young Elites

Author: Marie Lu

Series/Standalone: The Young Elites Series (Book #1)

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, 

Pages: 355

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Year Published: 2014

Format: Audiobook (Own Hardcover)

"Adeline Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina's black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only one jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family's good name and standing in the way of their future. But some of the fever's survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars- they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites.

Teren Santoro works for the king. As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation. He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it's Teren who may possess the darkest secret of all.

Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they've never seen.

Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a very different and personal battle. but of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn't belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her."

My Rating: 3.75/5

This was an entertaining fantasy. I know that others are willing to say this is dystopian but until I see full reflection of our world, I'm not so quick to jump there. If you know me you know I love a villain arc. This delivers! The audiobook was a wonderful way to consume this story and the narration lends perfectly to the plot. It is a product of when it is published so it reminds me a lot of some books I read at the time it was published. Overall, fun, exciting and entertaining. I do plan on picking up the next audiobook as soon as possible. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

Title: The Nightingale

Author: Kristin Hannah

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Historical Fiction, Adult,

Pages: 440

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Year Published: 2015

Format: Hardcover Copy (Own It)

"In love we find who we want to be.

In war we find out who we are.

FRANCE, 1939

In the quiet village of Carriveau, Vianne Maurice says good-bye to her husband, Antione as he heads for the Front. She doesn't believe that the Nazis will invade France... but invade they do, in droves of marching soldiers, in caravans of trucks and tanks, in planes that fill the skies and drop bombs upon the innocent. When a Germain captain requisitions Wianne's home, she and her daughter must live with the enemy or lose everything. Without food or money or hope, as danger escalates all around them, she is forced to make one impossible choice after another to keep her family alive.

Vianne's sister, Isabelle, is a rebellious eighteen-year-old, searching for purpose with all the reckless passion of youth. While thousands of Parisians march into the unknown terrors of war, she meets Gaetan, a partisan who believes the French can fight the Nazis from within France, and she falls in love as only the young can... completely. But when he betrays her, Isabelle joins the Resistance and never looks back, risking her life time and again to save others."

My Rating: 5/5

I'm so late to reading this book. I can't even explain why I put this off for so long, but this was one pick that was voted for in bookclub this month and I'm so grateful it was. Kristin Hannah was able to evoke so many emotions throughout this read and while you expect it to be an emotional read, she made each character feel so realistic that I couldn't help but feel things alongside them. I also thought it was interesting to see how she wove the tales of occupied France between the two siblings who had different values and you are able to see both sisters' points of view. If you have read this I'm curious how you felt about it. If you haven't, may I be another person (likely) to tell you to pick this up!

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

Title: A Great and Terrible Beauty

Author: Libba Bray

Series/Standalone: Gemma Doyle Series (Book #1)

Genre: Young Adult, Historical, Fantasy

Pages: 403

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Year Published: 2003

Format: Audiobook (Paperback Own It)

"In this debut gothic novel mysterious visions, dark family secrets and a long-lost diary thrust Gemma and her classmates back into the horrors that followed her from India.

It's 1895, and after the suicide of her mother, 16-year-old Gemma Doyle is shipped off from the life she knows in India to Spence, a proper boarding school in England. Lonely guilt-ridden, and prone to visions of the future that have an uncomfortable habit of coming true, Gemma's reception there is a chilly one. To make things worse, she's been followed by a mysterious young Indian man, a man sent to watch her. But why? What is her destiny? And what will her entanglement with Spence's most powerful girls- and their foray into the spiritual world- lead to?"

My Rating: 1.75/5

This book was very straightforward for me. It tried to have a few mysterious plots but as someone who is older than the target demographic. The characters were very limp and the main character made me incredibly upset. The overall magic was interesting, but it was too young for me which makes total sense. I won't be continuing the series. I will try another series by Libba Bray. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Hopeless by Elsie Silver

Title: Hopeless

Author: Elsie Silver

Series/Standalone: Chestnut Spring Series (Book #5)

Genre: Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance

Pages: 486

Publisher: Self-Published

Year Published: 2023

Format: Ebook (Kindle Unlimited)

First Line: "I thought pissing off my brother and storming away would make me feel something."

"Beau Eaton is the town prince, a handsome military hero with a tortured past.

I'm the outcast bartender, a shy girl from the wrong side of the tracks.

He's thirty-five and all man, and I'm twenty-two and all.... virgin.

He's also my fiance. Correction: my fake fiance.

We start out as a bet. He doesn't believe that anyone holds my last name against me. So he offers his to prove a point.

It's win-win. He gets a break from his concerned family's prying, and I get a chance to shed my family's reputation while I save up to ditch this small town.

He says all I have to do is wear his ring, follow his lead, and pretend I can't keep my hands off of him in public.

But it's what happens between us in private that blurs all those carefully drawn lines.

It's what transpires behind closed doors that doesn't feel like pretending at all.

This engagement was supposed to be for show. This agreement? It has an end date.

He once told me he'd never fall in love.

And yet here I am head over heels for my fake fiance."

My Rating: 4/5

This one wasn't my favourite in the series, but it was still a really great read. It was nice to see the characters all together one more time and it did feel bitter-sweet in a lot of ways. I loved this whole series and all the characters we were introduced to throughout the series. The smut was on point, and this series really has a lot going for it. The romance, the comedy, the characters, the tropes that are done so incredibly well, the plot lines and overall the feeling of family. I was teary-eyed as I finished this final book and I would highly recommend not just this book but the whole series to anyone who is even remotely interested. Elsie Silver builds a family that feels so real you wish you could sit at their table for the Eaton Family Dinner.

Thank you for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Midnight for Charlie Bone by Jenny Nimmo

Title: Midnight for Charlie Bone

Author: Jenny Nimmo

Series/Standalone: The Children of the Red King (Book #1)

Genre: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Urban

Pages: 401

Publisher: Orchard Books

Year Published: 2002

Format: Audiobook (Own Paperback Copy)

"A magical fantasy that is fast-paced and easy-to-read. Charlie Bone has a special gift- he can hear people in photographs talking.

The fabulous powers of the Red King were passed down through his descendants, after turning up quite unexpectedly, in someone who had no idea where they came from this is what happened to Charlie Bone and to some of the children he met behind the grim, gray walls of Bloor's Academy.

His scheming aunts decide to send him to Bloor's Academy, a school for geniuses where he uses his gifts to discover the truth despite all the dangers that lie ahead."

My Rating: 5/5

I remember reading these when everyone else was reading Harry Potter and that's when I knew I was a hipster. I liked something before it was cool. I'm joking of course. I read these when I was 10, and rereading them fills some nostalgic holes for me. It is middle grade so any amount of mystery is obvious to me, a 28-year-old lady. But it's a fun read. I understand that people compare these to Harry Potter, but they have enough differences to make it its own unique story.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny