chroniclesofabookmum's reviews
680 reviews

Unfortunately I had to DNF this at 162 pages. It just didn’t interest me, I found myself bored. Feel like the only person in the world to say this. Never mind!

I was really nervous about going into this book, I was late to the party despite the fact that it had been on my TBR shelf for a ridiculous amount of time. It held such a hype, everyone was telling me I needed to read it however I was nervous that I would pick it up and hate it. This was not the case however. This was a 5 star read for me I loved it so much. 

Firstly, I want to know how I can become a Siren? Forget being a mermaid, I am not nice enough for that. But a siren seems so sassy, I really want to be one. If anyone knows, answers on a postcard please. I absolutely loved the fact that it was a dark twist on the little mermaid which was a favourite of mine in my childhood. It was so dark and eerie and Alexandra Christo did a really good job of ensuring that the reader was immersed into the atmosphere. This book was unputtadownable. Is that a word? It is now. 

I loved the characters and the development of them throughout this book. I really enjoyed the fact that they started off as enemies but grew to become allies and the reasons behind them doing this. The Sea Queen however I did not love. She was the acceptation to this rule. I hated her so much and I was urging for something bas to happen to her, she was just an awful and brutal character. I felt so sorry for Lira in the beginning but watching her grow into a character that could stand up to the Sea Queen really made me love her that little bit more. 

I really enjoyed Elian’s character. He is so charming and lovely, I am not easily charmed but I feel like I would immediately charmed by Elian as a character. I enjoyed the romance, as it was slow burn and immediately took my interest. I enjoyed watching the characters grow closer and not just have the initial love at first sight because I am not into that rubbish. I loved that it was not the main focus of this book and more just a side plot that you could ignore if you was not interested in it.

The writing style had me hooked, it is so fantastical and mesmerising. It was so wonderful to read, i did not want to put the book down and I certainly did not want it to end. I enjoyed that it switched from the POV of Lira and Elian so we got to watch them grow as characters. I enjoyed watching how each character, in turn viewed things and how their opinions change as the story developed. 

The only negative thing that I can say about this book is that as far as I have been made aware it is a standalone. Even though I am satisfied with the ending, I would love to have more of this story and want to know what happens in relation to the characters. But all in all I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I cannot wait to read another book by this author. I 100% recommend that you read this book!

This was yet another book that grabbed me during the bookstagram hype and I picked it up thinking I would enjoy it just as much as everybody else. Unfortunately it was another book that didn't live up to the hype for me. 

This book, for me started off really well and I began to get Flat Share vibes. If you know me well enough you will know that The Flat Share is one of my favourite books of the year. I loved it so much. However I am sad to say that it did not live up to that as you got further into the book.

The main character, Nadia, really got on my nerves from start to finish. I assumed that she was in her early 20s from the way she was written and was very surprised to find out that she is around her 30s. She did not come across as this from the context of the book and once I found this out I started to pick many flaws in her character. Her constant discussion about her ex partner was tedious and the fact that she referred to him each time as “awful ben” really gridded on me. You’ve been screwed over love, get over it. Honestly she was such an immature character I just couldn't be bothered with her front he beginning. I did like Daniel, he was such a good character but then I found myself gutted that he was still trying to pursue a character I really did not like. He was too good for her.

The beginning spoke a lot about feminism and equal rights for women which I am all down for. I love reading a book that promotes the equal rights for women and has strong female characters. However I feel like the author went a bit overkill on this and it got a bit tedious. I am not in anyway saying that a book shouldn't be centred around feminist theories however there is a limit and for me the limit was definitely passed in this book. I did enjoy and notice the subtle references to brexit that were made. That is such current topic that hasn't yet been discussed in any fiction I have read and therefore I was really happy to see this in here. 

I did like the ending to this book and the conclusion that were made however I found this was probably a little too late and should have been introduced long before. I feel like the epilogue was where the book ended and it was really quick and felt quite rushed. Had we not have spent a couple of hundred pages dwelling on chance meetings and how much they missed each other we could have expanded on the ending and I probably would have enjoyed it more. 

Don't get me wrong, this book was cute. It just wasn't as good as I wanted it to be and therefore I was left feeling let down. I would recommend that you give this a go because it may be a trope that you enjoy more than me. For me this was just average and I wouldn't read it again. 

Trigger Warnings for Grief and Suicidal Thoughts.

It is a well known fact that I love Brigid Kemmerer. Letters for the Lost is the third book I have read of hers in this month, I just can’t get enough. Contemporary books are not my genre of choice. However, reading Fantasy all the time can be draining so I like to have a break with the odd Contemporary book.

Letters for the Lost hit me hard. What an emotional filled 400 pages. I feel joy all while I’m so heartbroken. I absolutely love Brigid Kemmerer’s writing style, every time I pick up one of her books I get lost and really struggle to put the book down. The raw emotion from both Juliet and Declan really resonates through the pages. I felt attached to these fictional characters so much so that with each and every tear in their heart I felt it in mine too. I’m not one for romance, and I made the assumption going into this that there was going to be all the romance and not a lot of plot as this is what I find with most books like this. I should never have doubted Brigid, whilst there was an element of romance it wasnt entered around the romance and the whole “I’ve fallen in love with someone I don’t even know” didn’t exist.

I really enjoyed the writing style of this book, I enjoyed reading the letters and then the thoughts and feelings of the character that the letter is written to. This helped the plot flow and really kept me interested throughout. The character development through these letters is really apparently with Declan. At first you assume he’s just another teenage idiot that needs to sort himself out. However, as you get to know him you actually realise he is a lost soul that has been through so much in his short life. You begin to understand his behaviour. At the start of the book I wanted to punch Declan in the face, now I just want to give him a big hug.

I feel like Rev may have been my favourite character in all of this. I mean I know he was a side character but I just loved him so much. That poor boy has been through so so much in his short life. He is so misunderstood. His parents are so amazing, he is just a wonderful character. I ordered the next book immediately after putting this one down because I just needed more of this wonderful human.

Some of the reveals absolutely killed me. The ending broke my heart but to see Juliet’s relationship with her dad blossom because of the circumstances really warmed my heart. I adored it. I also loved how Declan’s relationship grew with his family. Alan and his mother are arseholes and I spent the whole of the book fuming about how they treated Declan and blamed him for everything. However, the outcome of this relationship actually made me happy and I am glad about how it turned out.

I would recommend this book to everybody, I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me smile and it made me frown. Honestly this book is absolutely amazing and I would recommend that everybody read it. I immediately went online and bought the next one and I cannot wait for it to arrive.

“My behaviour is nonetheless, deplorable. Unfortunately, I’m quite prone to such bouts of deplorability — take for instance, my fondness for reading books at the dinner table”

Don’t go outside at night, ash falls from the sky, mist dominates the night with cloaked evil wandering the land. Led by The Lord Ruler, the world is a horrendous place to live for those of a lower class. In a world that is persistently black and white, can a troublemaker and his young apprentice fill this world with colour again?

I HAVE FOUND MY NEW FAVOURITE AUTHOR. This book was absolutely amazing. I was hooked from start to finish and i found myself wanting to read as slow as possible just so the book would last longer. I was pleasantly surprised by this book, I had heard amazing things about the series but the first book is normally world/magic building, and therefore can be quite slow. This was not the case for this book, it was jam packed with awesomeness from the very beginning. I am in absolute awe of the world and the magic system that Sanderson has created, it is so clever and wonderful AND I JUST LOVE IT. Sorry for the capitals as you can tell I am very enthusiastic about this book. I really enjoyed the writing style of this book, despite it being an epic fantasy I found it an easier read that I could spend time thoroughly enjoying. I found that I built a really close relationship with many of the characters involved which just made me love this book even more. This book made me laugh and cry, I really loved it .. did I mention that? 10000% recommend this to each and everyone of you!

“Books are good. I can live life safely and without peril in a fictional universe.”

Here is what happens when your mother dies.

It’s the brightest day of summer and it’s dark outside. It’s dark in your house, dark in your room, and dark in your heart. You feel like the darkness is going to split you apart.

That’s how it feels for Tiger. It’s always been Tiger and her mother against the world. Then, on a day like any other, Tiger’s mother dies. And now it’s Tiger, alone.

Here is how you learn to make friends with the dark.

I was kindly sent this book from Rock the Boat in exchange for an honest review. Firstly I want to say thank you to Rock the Boat and the wonderful author Kathleen Glasgow for giving me an early opportunity to read this book.

I have never read a book that has given me so many different emotions. I laughed and I cried. It made me happy, sad and angry, sometimes I felt all those emotions at the same time. Honestly, this book has had such a profound effect on me. I will not EVER forget the time I spent reading this book, it was truly fantastic.

At times this book is raw and heart-wrenching, but also powerful in the way that it portrays it. Kathleen shows that even in the darkest times of your life, light will always appear when you least expect it. To me, that is so important. Grief and loss is something people experience everyday, but coping with the said emotions is stigmatised in society and we really do not speak about it enough. If anything this book teaches you that it is okay to not be okay; it is okay to feel sad, lonely, lost .. even angry. It shows you that it is okay to be yourself, to show how you feel and that those that judge you for that are not worthy of being in your life. How to Make Friends with the Dark really made me realise how sometimes I take my life for granted and that sometimes I do not understand how lucky I truly am. I am fortunate enough to have not experienced the events conveyed in this book, however that doesn’t mean it didn’t hit home and have the desired effect on me whilst reading.

I’m really struggling with this review because I loved this book so much and I really want to give the book the justice that it deserves. Words are not enough to express what reading this book did to me, the feelings that it gave me and the emotions that I felt.

I felt such a connection with the protagonist. I truly felt like I was experiencing the emotional rollercoaster that is her life with her. When she was sad, I was sad. When she was angry, I was angry. I could relate to her so easily and that is due to the wonderful writing style that Kathleen adapts. Her character building and poetic prose really immerses you into the story and helps you to effortlessly make a bond with her characters. I felt really satisfied with the conclusion of her story and for me that is very rare, I cannot pick fault in any part of this book.

I loved reading about the people in Tiger’s life, particularly the way they reacted to her personal situation. It really portrayed that whilst peoples behaviour towards her differs, there is no set way one should conduct themselves if faced with this situation. People make mistakes and say the wrong things, even adults which I think is so important to realise. However, a key message for me that I picked up from this particular point is not to walk away. If you truly care about somebody, do not abandon them when they need you most in life just because you don’t know what to say. Know that your presence and a caring ear is all somebody wishes for. AHEM, Kai. I love the relationships that she formed throughout her situation and the way they grew for the duration. It was really heart-warming to see that during such a tragic time of loss, Tiger gained so many life long friends and built stronger existing relationships with those that have always been there.

I also love a book that makes any kind of mention about Harry Potter, this book did that several times however the quote I am about to include may be one of my favourite.

“How many times will I have to move now?

Harry Potter went to his aunt and uncles but he had to live under the stairs. He got Hogwarts, but he still had to go home in the summers. My mother always thought that was bullshit. Dumbledore sending Harry back to a horrible house. He could’ve kept him at Hogwarts, or even with Hagrid. He thought he needed to deprive him of love if hew was going to do what he needed him to do. But I don’t believe that. Not at all.”

This quote made me see Harry Potter in a whole new light and I love it.

All in all I really did love this book and if you haven’t picked that up from this review you’ve definitely been reading it with your eyes closed. But now open your eyes and GO AND BUY THIS BOOK. You will not regret it. I would recommend that everybody reads this book at some point in their life, it has so many important lessons to teach and it is just so beautiful.

A lesson that I will really take away from this book is that no argument is worth falling out with your loved ones for. Do not hold a grudge, move on immediately and remind them just how much you love them. You do not know what will happen tomorrow.

“You must go on. I can’t go on. You must go on. Because what other choice is there, really? You have to make friends with the dark.”

Again, thank you to Rock the Boat for giving me this fantastic opportunity.