chroniclesofabookmum's reviews
680 reviews

3.5 stars

Jack and Kate meet at a party, immediately they bond and Jack instantly knows he is falling in love. Kate also meets the approval of Jack’s best friends, Jillian and Franny, that is when Jack knows she is the one. However, every love story is complicated. Kate has an ongoing illness, and dies. That is where the love story should end right? Wrong. Kate’s death sends Jack to the beginning again, right back to the moment that they first meet. Jack now has the chance to prevent Kate’s death, however his new choices cause different problems for his loved ones. Everything happens for a reason; is it worth trying to alter the course life will take.

I was lucky enough to be given a copy of this book by Netgalley and Katherine Tegen Books. The synopsis immediately drew me in because I felt that it was very unique. I did enjoy this book, it continued to intrigue me throughout and the message that it portrayed to the reader was like no other book I have ever read. That alone is a big reason I would recommend it to people. However, it was very long and I did find myself skipping over the more trivial parts as I just wanted to get to the interesting parts. Which is a shame because I loved the idea of this book. It could have been at least 100 pages shorter. I believe that this book would make a great film and Im intrigued to see if that will happen. I really enjoyed the unique synopsis of this book, the plot and the ending was fantastic. I would recommend this book and I would definitely read another book by this author.

“Ginger was an understatement, Morrigan thought, trying to hide her astonishment as the hat came off. Ginger of the Year or King Ginger or Big Gingery President of the Ginger Foundation for the Incurably Ginger would have been more accurate. His mane of bright copper waves could probably have won awards”

Meet Morrigan, a cursed girl, who escapes her death and finds herself in a magical world. Sounds good right? But thats not it, it is not over for Morrigan, she has to earn her place in this world and is therefore tested in a way that she has never been tested before. Morrigan is fighting for her place in the Wundrous Society, alongside her patron Jupiter. In order to do this she must face four different trials against hundreds of others fighting for a place in the Society. It will not be easy, but it will be worth it.

THIS BOOK. OMG. WOW. I absolutely love this book and the world that Jessica Townsend has created so so much! I was very apprehensive to start this book as I heard it being compared to books that I absolutely loved in my childhood such as Harry Potter and the Hunger Games and I was convinced that it just could not live up to their standards. I WAS WRONG, SO SO WRONG. Capitals are the only way I can express my feelings for this book. It is the first book I have ever read that gave me the same amazing feeling that I get when I read Harry Potter. It was so exciting and whimsical and I just could not put it down. I found myself looking forward to the time that I could pick it up again and fall back into this fantastic world. The characters are fantastic, I enjoy so many of them. Fenestra had me crying with laughter at certain points in the book, such a fantastic imaginative character. The magical system and the world is just wonderful and if I could move in with them tomorrow I’d be there. This has opened up a new unknown love for Middle Grade books, as an adult I feel like I appreciate this book so much more. I am so invested in Morrigan Crow and Nevermoor, and I will recommend this book to every single person that will listen to me. At the time of writing this, I am eagerly staring at Wundersmith ready to dive straight in again. Bravo, Jessica Townsend, Bravo!

"Step Boldly" and happy reading!

“I wish there was a sport called Reading a Book, where competitors had to choose the best book in the library, find the cosiest corner, and read.”

Beaker is back, and she is back with her daughter Jess. Yes another Beaker. This book follows Tracy’s journey through adult life with her daughter in tow. We get introduced to new characters and some very familiar faces. What adventures will Tracy and her daughter get up to?

This book is my childhood. It is so so nostalgic and such a fantastic read. If you watched Tracy Beaker as a child, you will LOVE this book. If you didn’t, why? GO CATCH UP NOW. We are introduced to Jess who is Tracy’s young daughter, Jess is such a wonderful character and I ended up loving her just as much as Tracy. The thing I enjoyed most about this book is being reintroduced to many other original characters and exploring their current lives. It bought back so many memories of the dumping ground and I loved it. Jacqueline Wilson has never let me down with her fantastic books but this one is particularly special to me. I devoured it in less than 24 hours and I intend on reading it again. Special mention to Nick Sharratt because the illustrations in this book bought back so many memories and they were fantastic! Everybody should read this, especially those who grew up in the era of Tracey Beaker, and the Dumping Ground.

3.5 stars

“We might be Paper Girls, easily torn and written upon. The very title we’re given suggests that we are blank, waiting to be filled. But what the demon king and his court do not realise is that paper is flammable”

Each year, 8 Paper Girls are chosen to serve the King. However, this year there is 9, the ninth being Lei. Serving the King is regarded as the highest honour they could hope to achieve within their lowly caste, but is it really? A cruel regime, a forbidden romance and an evil Demon King ; Girls of Paper and Fire delves into a world of which you can only understand if you are part of it.

Before picking this book up please be aware of the trigger warnings as some parts of this book are extremely raw.

This book stands out from all other fantasy books I have read so far, as it has built a world that I definitely do not want to be part of. I did enjoy reading this book, however I did struggle with some of the topics which made me realise the need for the trigger warnings at the beginning. I enjoyed the easy writing style that Natasha Ngan adapted during this book and I managed to devour this in 24 hours. I did however feel like something was missing. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I definitely wanted more from this book. I really did love the romance, both characters really resonated with me. There’s a death in all fantasies, so I don’t feel like this is a spoiler, but this one disappointed me, I feel like it was a cop out by the author which is something that really irritates me with certain fantasy stories. The ending however improved this book for me and I was left surprised and wanting to know what happened next. I will definitely be picking up the next book, as the ending left me wanting more.

Frankies mother dies, one last note from her reveals Frankie’s paternal side of the family, the Mortimer’s, a family that she was not aware of. Frankie sets herself on a quest to get to know her father and his family, but this does not have the desired effect and the Mortimer family dynamics begin to fall apart. Will the Mortimer family get over this shocking news? Will Frankie finally be reunited with her paternal side of the family?

I was lucky enough to be given a copy of this book from Netgalley and Macmillan publishers. As a big Lucy Diamond fan I was really excited to see this book and knew that I had to get my hands on a copy asap. Unfortunately I was disappointed. The premises of the book, the plot and the characters were great; but altogether it just didn’t work. There was far too much going on and I found myself confused with regards to who was who and what was happening. I also found that within chapters the scenes would change to different characters which was just too much to take in. I feel like this book would be brilliant in short stories or as completely different novels. I really enjoyed the story of Bunny and feel like this alone would have been great. I do really love Lucy Diamond and her books, and I’m all for books packed with drama but I felt like this went too far and I just did not enjoy it.

“You deserve every star in the galaxy laid out at your feet and a thousand diamonds in your hair. You deserve someone who’ll run with you as far and as fast as you want to. Holding your hand, not holding you back. You deserve more than I could ever give you, Kady. But I’ll give you everything I can.”

It’s 2575, Kady and Ezra have split up and their planet has been invaded. Two rival megacorporations are at war with each other over the planet, the only people that aren’t aware are those living on it. Kady and Ezra have to put their problems aside to survive and get themselves into an evacuating fleet however it’s not too easy when the enemy aren’t far behind. With a deadly plague breaking out, an AI system that appears to be working against them instead of with them; many secrets are flying about. Follow the duos adventure through the solar system; will they make it out alive?

This book is like no other I have ever read. It is written in a series of hacked documents including emails, interviews, military files etc which makes it a very exciting read. Due to the fact it was so different it did take me a couple of hundred pages to get into it, and I felt like there was so much to take in that I was constantly flicking backwards and forwards to try and make sense of what was going on. However once I got used to it I thoroughly enjoyed it, I love Ezra and Kady, especially Ezra and I cannot wait to see what happens next. Jay and Amie have such a unique writing style, together they work perfectly, they had me laughing throughout whilst also keeping me on the edge of my seat with the pages full of action and suspense! I think now I have got the hang of the style I will enjoy Gemina a lot more and I cannot wait to start it!

"You're like a story that hasn't happened yet. I want to see what you will do. I want to be part of the unfolding tale"

When Jude's parents are murdered, Jude and her two sisters are kidnapped to live in the High Court of the Faerie. However, as a human, Jude is not accepted within this community. She is different and far do not like her kind of different. Introducing, Prince Cardan, the youngest and cruelest prince in the realm. Jude has to defeat the cruel Cardan sends her way in order to earn her place in the court. The Cruel Prince follows Jude's journey through finding acceptance in a cruel world.

TRIGGER WARNINGS for bullying and abuse.

I was so excited to read this book, it has been so hyped in the bookstagram/booktube/twitter community and I couldn't wait to dive in. Unfortunately, I don't feel like it lived up to the hype for me. I found that it was a really slow start and I found it really easy to put down and struggled to keep picking it up. It did pick up through certain parts but it was definitely a slow burn for me. I am fully aware that Jude is not meant to be a likeable character, but I really did not like her at all, and therefore I struggled to find a connection with any of the characters which again made it difficult for me to keep going. The trope within this book, in relation to boy meets girl, boy fancies girl so he's mean to her really grated on me throughout and I did not warm to this ship. It did pick up towards the end and the ending left me wanting to pick up the next book to find out what happens. But this book left me disappointed and I am sad to be saying that.

4 stars ... i think. (Been toying with 3.5/4 stars for a while)

“Someone tries to betray the High King, murder. Someone gives you a harsh look, murder. Someone disrespects you, murder. Someone ruins your laundry, murder.”

Jude's Fae brother Oak is the heir to the Faerie, Jude feels that it is her responsibility to keep him safe. To do that she bounds herself to the current High King, Cardan, in order to have control over the throne. The Wicked King follows Jude through her toughest journey yet, with mixed feelings and lots of adventures.

I was lucky enough to win a copy of this book from Readers First. I wasn't sure what to think going into this book due to the fact I did not enjoy the Cruel Prince as much as I thought I would. However I did enjoy the ending and was left wanting more. The Wicked King was definitely an improvement on the Cruel Prince for me. I felt like it was faster paced and there was a lot more going on in parts. However, I still feel that in certain parts of the book particularly the middle this book was slow and again, like with the Cruel Prince I didn't find it difficult to put down when i needed too. However the ending had me on edge, which is why I've been toying with different ratings since I finished this book. I am looking forward to the next instalment, the plot seems to be developing and improving with each book.

“Patience and Silence had one beautiful daughter. And her name was Vengeance.”

Gemina is the second instalment to the Illuminae Files. I'm struggling to write a synopsis of this book without including major spoilers from the first book, therefore I'm not going to. Just know, you need to stop what you're doing and read this series right now!

THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING. Wow. I absolutely loved this book, from start to finish. It was so fast paced and packed with so much excitement that I really struggled to put it down. I feel like after reading Illuminae and getting used to the style that this series adopts I was able to throw myself into this book and lovely every single second. The plot development was just amazing, and Hanna is just such a fantastic character that I just couldn't get enough of her bravery. Nik is no Ezra but he definitely filled a substantial amount of the Ezra shaped gap in my heart after finishing Illuminae. I could talk about this book all day I just enjoyed it that much. It was definitely one of those books that I finished and instantly wanted to pick it back up and read it all over again. I am so excited for Obsidio.

If you haven't read this series, drop your current read and pick it up. You will not regret it.

“Live a life worth dying for”

Obsidio is the third and final book in the Illuminae Files series. I’m not going to build a synopsis for this review as it’s too difficult to do without spoilers!

THIS SERIES HAS BROKEN ME. Omg, it was bloody brilliant. The uniqueness of the writing style and the plot really makes it stand out above the rest. I feel like the finale of this book didn’t disappoint and it gave me all the feelings a book possibly could. The ending, whilst I am devastated it is over, really gave closure and rounded off such a fantastic series. The Illuminae Files has definitely transformed me into a lover of sci-fi and I cannot wait to dive into more books by these authors! Pretty please can we have another book, I need more of this world and these wonderful characters. I want to know what they do next!

Honestly if you haven’t picked up this series already; DO IT. You will not regret it.

P.s. How badass is Hanna? I feel like out of all the characters in this book she was my ultimate favourite, definite girl crush!