chroniclesofabookmum's reviews
680 reviews

"If I was a wild animal, I would be a bird and fly away"

"Homeless people are nothing more than the shadows of real people"

"However bad we think our life is, theres always something good there if we look hard enough for it"

Saffron is a teenager that has been through more than most in her short life. It is about to become worse for her. Saffron stumbles across a hidden secret about her mother that her father has kept from her for 10 years. Saffron's mother is not dead. Angry at the deceit of her father, Saffron leaves home. Homeless and vulnerable, The Colour of Shadows follows Saffron's journey through her mental health issues and her new found homeless situation.

I was lucky enough to be given this book through readers first, thank you Hot Key Books! This is not my normal type of read however it was such a nice change. I thoroughly enjoyed this book it was such an important read and feel like it sends key messages to its audience, especially those of a younger generation. I actually devoured this book in one sitting, I could not put it down. It certainly explores key themes including homelessness, family, friendship, drugs and mental health. My favourite part of the book was the emphasis on the safety of young people, and how the decisions that they make can actually put them into a lot of danger. It really opened my eyes to the big wide world with all the monsters than can lie within it. I also think that the author did a very good job with exploring how Saffron feels at the different stages within this book. Saffron was a very erratic character and she could be very frustrating at times however the author managed to reason with why she was acting the way that she was and it helped you to understand and sympathise with the character.

The part of the book that is very much worth mentioning is when we meet all the different homeless people that Saffron has met along her journey. We hear their individual story in turn and find that there are many circumstances that can lead to homelessness and that there is not just one set reason. We also discover that the use of drugs in this community is prevalent just to get by and deal with their everyday life. The book in no way glamourises the use of drugs it actually deters and we hear the characters discussing that they wouldn't take drugs and they would get the help if they were able to do so.

I do feel like parts of this book was very dramatic and farfetched however it could happen, and I think it is important that somebody is bringing it to our attention with solutions on how to cope and how to stay safe. I also didn't like Saffron as a character very much however I did end up sympathising with her and feel like her character wasn't meant to be a likeable one in its entirety. I feel like the story behind her mother not being deceased was forgotten about through a lot of this book and actually instead of being the main plot it was in fact only a side plot. Despite this I feel like the experiences that Saffron faced were actually more important than the plot and I feel like it was done very well.

I could talk about this book all day, it pleasantly surprised me and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I think that every teenager/young adult should read this as well as older generations so that they can get an insight into these current and very prevalent themes within society. I will definitely be reading more books from Phyllida Shrimpton.

"They fear you as I once feared you ... As you once feared me. We are all someones monster"

Ketterdam is the place to be, its vibrant trade can lead you to possess anything you desire .. for the right price. Kaz Brekker, criminal prodigy, is on a mission, one in the shape of a deadly heist which can make him richer than ever before. Along with his very diverse crew, will Kaz pull off the biggest job of his criminal career and save the world from destruction.

"No mourners, no funerals" .. At this point I would like to say that when I got to this quote for the first time in the book I squealed with excitement. I had heard it floating around so much that I am now so pleased that I can use it in context.

Okay, before I go into my review I need to say that I really did not enjoy the Shadow and Bone series and very nearly did not bother picking this up. However, when I expressed my opinion on bookstagram I was told that I had to give this series a chance because it was a huge improvement. I am so glad I listened to these people because I absolutely loved this book.

The character development within this book I feel is fantastic. I felt like I was really able to get to know the characters and bond with them. I feel like a chapter dedicated to characters and their experiences really helped with this. Apart from the obvious bad guys I don't think their was a character within the crew that I didn't like. I loved how each one was unique and had a different personalities so that you could learn to love them in their own individual ways. The humour within this book was also brilliant, the banter that the crew had between them when they were together was just fantastic. Parts had me laughing so hard.

The one issue I had with the Shadow and Bone series is that I found the books to be very slow paced with not a lot going on. However I did not find that with this book. It was fast-paced throughout and there always seemed to be something going on, something keeping me on the edge of my seat. Bardugo was very good at springing a plot twist on you that shocked you to the core, to find out a couple of chapters later that all was not what it seemed. I really liked that element to her writing and it kept me going throughout.

I could talk about this book all day. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my time reading this book. It left me wanting more and I have immediately picked up Crooked Kingdom. I cannot wait to join the crew again in another adventure. 100% recommend to everybody, even if you did not like the Shadow and Bone series, READ THIS. It feels like Bardugo has matured into a completely different writer.

"No mourners, no funerals"

"I would come for you. And if I couldn't walk, I'd crawl to you, and no matter how broken we were, we'd fight our way out together - knives drawn, pistol blazing. Because that's what we do. We never stop fighting"

"Why do you guys say that, anyway? No mourners, no funerals? Why not just say good luck or be safe? ... "We like to keep our expectations low" - I LOVE KAZ!

Crooked Kingdom is the second instalment to the Six of Crows duology. Following a deadly heist, Kaz and his crew are still after what they are owed. This book follows a journey through heartbreak, sadness, death, happiness with a hint of banter along the way. Any more information may be spoilers for this duology so I'm going to leave it there!

I was so excited to get to this book because I loved Six of Crows, very much to my surprise I loved this book even more. Oh my gosh, this book gave me all the feelings, I laughed and I cried, I was happy and I was sad. ALL THE EMOTIONS. I don't even know where to start!

Firstly, I would like to say, how cute is Wylan. He was by far my favourite character in this. I'm not sure if i'm alone in saying this but I do really love his character. I have enjoyed following his journey throughout both of the books but his character really flourished in Crooked Kingdom and I just love him so much. He is such strong and loveable character and I have really enjoyed getting to know him more in this book. His character in particular in this book has made me laugh and cry, honestly I can't cope! Following his journey has been one of my favourite aspects of this book and I am very satisfied with where it was left. AND THAT SHIP! YES YES YES. I 100% rate that ship! OMG. I wanted more!

Whilst we're on for our love of characters, how sassy is Kaz. I love him so much. He is another of my favourite characters, probably of all time. Kaz if you're reading this, I'm available for any criminal mission you might be recruiting for.

Anyway, away from my Wylan love. I have said this in my previous review of Six of Crows but I absolutely love the characters and how they gel. In my opinion, one of the best aspects of Bardugo's writing is the time she invests in her characters to ensure the reader feels connected and can relate to them. I absolutely love the journey that I have followed in relation to Kaz and his crew and by the end of this book I felt so attached and in touch with each and every one of them.

This book again was very fast paced and Bardugo definitely is able to pull you into a false sense of security before shattering your world with a plot twist you're not expecting. This seemed to be a constant theme with this book and it kept me on my toes, I found myself not wanting to put the book down and "adult".

Bardugo was not afraid to break out heart towards the end of this book, and she definitely succeeded. I'll leave it there but it still cuts deep and I finished it 24 hours ago. I don't know if I'm ever going to get over it. A big dislike of mine is authors that are too scared to break their readers hearts and therefore will not bring an unfortunate fate onto their main characters. I found that in the Shadow and Bone series Bardugo took on this trait however this completely changed in the Six of Crows duology and I am SO glad it did.

I could go on about this book forever, I used many tabs whilst reading this because it just gave me all of the feelings. I 100% recommend this duology to anybody reading this. Forget how you feel about Bardugo's other series', you NEED to read this!

“Well, I didn't need them. I didn't need anyone. I was Lola Rose. I just wished I looked more like my idea of Lola Rose.”

Jayni, lives with her mum, dad and brother Kenny. Life at home can be good, but sometimes it can be bad. Jayni's dad has a bad temper which results in him lashing out and physically abusing her mum. Following a particular assault after finding out they had won £10,000 on a scratch card, Jayni's mum has had enough so they flee their home and start up a new life in London. The family create false identities, Jayni is now Lola Rose, a glamorous name for the glamorous life that she truly desires. However, inevitably money runs out and reality kicks in, but what are they going to do next?

Jacqueline Wilson is an author that I avidly read as a child. There was not a book of hers that I had not read. I keenly remember Lola Rose being my favourite at the time. I decided that as an adult I was going to restart my collection and reread each one to see how I felt as an adult. I distinctly remember Wilson discussing important topics in each of her books which is something that interests me even more now I am an adult.

Lola Rose is no exception to key important themes being discussed. Key themes include; domestic violence, poverty and cancer. Very strong subjects that may affect children and young people, but subjects that they may not actually know a lot about. Domestic violence affects thousands of families on a daily basis, Jacqueline Wilson explores this topic sensitively and through the eyes of a child witnessing the abuse. She puts out the message that this is not okay, and that there is a way out if this happens. I really liked the way that Wilson approached this subject.

Cancer is also something that affects thousands of families, if not millions. It is explored again through the eyes of a child watching their parent struggling with the disease. Lola Rose struggles to cope with daily life whilst her mother is going through this. She contacts her Aunty Barbara in order to ask her to help her and her brother whilst her mother is away from the home in hospital. Whilst the subject of cancer is very much a side issue and not the main theme discussed I feel like it was an important one to include which was done sensitively and very well. I feel like the key message for this theme was that it is okay to ask for help, and that you do not have to suffer in silence. I feel like children reading this who may be going through this at home will be able to realise that they are not alone and there are people for them to talk to throughout their journey.

I really enjoy Jacqueline Wilsons writing style, I find that she is an author that makes things easy to follow and understand. Putting myself in the shoes of a child reader, I feel like I would understand this book and not struggle to follow any aspects of it. As a child the themes weren't as obvious to me and were in fact very subtle, however as an adult their purpose and importance screamed out to me.

Overall, I feel like this was such a good read and aimed at the correct audience. I would recommend reading this as a child and as an adult because there is definitely a distinct difference when it comes to reading experience.

"May you have strength on the long and arduous journey ahead. The stars are calling for you. Move on with gratitude for your time on Earth. Every moment now an eternity. You carry with you memories of infinite value, the love of your family and home. Peace at returning to the stars. The great cycle is complete."

Marinka lives in a house with chicken legs. Yes, chicken legs. Throughout the year, Marinka's house moves to different locations making it difficult for her to make friends. All she wants is a friend to play with and talk to like any other child her age. Marinka's grandmother is a Yaga, a Guardian who guides the dead into the afterlife. It is Marinka's destiny to follow in her grandmothers footsteps and become the next Guardian drawing her further away from that human companion that she dreams of. The more she is forbidden from doing what she desires, the more she rebels and breaks the rules, with devastating consequences. Marinka's grandmother disappears. The House with Chicken Legs follows Marinka's journey to save her grandmother and bring her back from the afterlife.

The title and the cover of this book immediately drew me in, I actually bought this book without reading the synopsis as I just couldn't resist it. Upon reading the synopsis I was drawn in even further and moved it high upon my TBR so I could get stuck into it. Essentially it is a retelling of the Baba Yaga tale, with a twist of their being a whole family of Yaga, who come together and celebrate death before those deceased pass onto the afterlife. I started this book today, and I finished this book today. I just could not put it down. The House with Chicken Legs has such a whimsical feel to it, it draws you into such a magical world, one which you do not want to leave. It definitely gives off fairytale vibes!

I love the key themes explored within this book; death and loss. It shows the emotions that a younger person may go through when it comes to these things and the coping mechanisms that they adapt to their daily life. Marinka's grandmother disappears to the afterlife and you can feel the loss that she is feeling as a result of this. Anderson portrays her characters with such a strength that you endure the exact emotions that Marinka is feeling at the time. Denial is a key mechanism that is explored throughout this book, and we see the lengths that Marinka will go through to prove that her grandmother is still very much alive and will return to her. The book ends with the mechanism of acceptance, the realisation that her grandmother is gone, but also realising that the world is still continuing and Marinka finds strength within this. I feel like the writing style and the plot really does relate to its intended audience and young readers who dive into this world will be able to pick
up the important messages embedded within Anderson's writing. Whilst it is directed at a younger audience, as an adult, I thoroughly enjoyed it also and would recommend that adults also read this book.

I love how the house also had its own little personality. It bought happiness, sadness and hope to the story and to its characters. The house itself felt like its own character to adore. This aspect of the plot made the book a joy to read. I now want to live in a house with chicken legs!

This book has such magical feel to it and it was just such a pleasure to spend my afternoon curled up immersed in this world. Whilst it made me feel like it was a homely family setting, there was also a certain supernatural feel to it which really kept me on my toes. I would recommend this book to everybody, whether you are young or old, male or female, this book needs to be read by each and everyone of you. I cannot wait to read Sophie Anderson's next book!

"I am always surprised to discover that when the world seems darkest, there exists the greatest opportunity for light"

A Curse so Dark and Lonely is a modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast. One evening Harper is on "look out" for her brother Jake whilst he repays the debt that his family owe. That evening Harper witnesses what she thinks is a male taking advantage of a female. Upon intercepting Harper finds herself in the world of Emberfall, with Prince Rhen, a cursed heir to the throne who repeats the autumn of his eighteenth year over and over again. Only true love can break the curse or Rhen will transform into a vicious beast. Can Harper truly fall in love with a Prince? A Prince who has deprived her of her family and turned her world upside down?

THIS BOOK IS INCREDIBLE! I devoured the 480 plus pages in less than 24 hours. I just could not put it down. I don't normally enjoy fairy tale retellings as I find they are too similar and do not really have any unique elements that keep me interested. This book was something else. I was hooked from start to finish and felt so many emotions throughout my time reading it. I loved all of the characters, well MOST of the characters, I wanted to punch Lilith in the face. In relation to the characters I also really enjoyed the subtle hint of same sex relationships, it really was the cherry on top of a fantastic book.

The world in which this book is created is beautiful, whimsical and magical. Honestly, it entranced me. It made me want to be part of that world. Autumn is my favourite season, so I could definitely picture myself in a world that is always in that season living in a castle with a prince. When are you picking me up Prince Rhen?

I have to say however, my ultimate favourite thing about this book was that the protagonist has cerebral palsy. Does that stop her from being a badass? Nope! It depicts a character who is aware of her weaknesses but does not let that define her life. If she wants to do something she will do it and her disability is not going to stop her from doing it. Nothing will stand in her way. This was a wonderful twist to the original fairy tale, one which helps to raise awareness and help relinquish the stigma attached to disabilities in modern day society. I also love how Rhen, Grey and her family do not focus on her cerebal palsy, they do not treat her any differently. It is amazing to watch the characters develop in relation to this!

That last chapter was a sneaky one. I don't want to wait until January 2020 to find out what happens next!

I feel like everybody should read this. I understand being sceptical around fairy story retellings, I feel the same. But this is different, this is wonderful.

"For the good of Emberfall, for the good of all"

"The monster is me and I am the monster"

Nikolai Lantsov is back, fighting his demons which have multiplied since the Civil War in his world. Nikolai's struggled are a secret, a secret that he intends to keep. His borders have weakened and his enemies are taking over, the King must stop the threat before it gets out of hand. With the help of some of the best Grisha's in Ravka Nikolai will risk everything to save his country and himself.

I am so disappointed by this book. I did not enjoy the Shadow and Bone trilogy, however I absolutely adored the Six of Crows duology. King of Scars just did not excite me. I feel like 500 plus pages for this plot was far too much and I found myself becoming quite bored throughout, I didn't feel my usual drive to pick the book up as I do with other fantasy series.

Zoya is definitely my spirit animal. I hated her in the Shadow and Bone trilogy however in this book I fell in love with her. She has so much sass, but you definitely saw her character grow and saw a completely different side to her. "I'm at my most murderous on an empty stomach" YES ZOYA. I am definitely not the only person to relate to her on this.

Also, there is a dragon. A dragon that talks. Now that is my ideal character. We need more talking dragons in fantasy books please.

I love how Leigh Bardugo develops her characters, you definitely feel connected to them and they are easy to love. However I feel like she really missed a trick with the development of Nina and Nikolai. I don't feel like I saw enough of them and what I did see of them didn't interest me and didn't keep me hooked. I think this is what disappointed me most because I was so excited to read more about Nikolai but just didn't feel content with what the book gave me.

Whilst, I think I more or less guessed the ending I do feel like it was a good ending and it has made me want to pick up the next book. I'm not necessarily excited by it but I am definitely intrigued.

I would recommend you read this book because I do feel like I am in the minority. I do not recommend that you read this book before you read the Shadow and Bone trilogy as there are many references that you will not understand.

"I want to believe that there's more. That we could be more. Hell, we could be heroes"

Victor and Eli, once college room mates, are now enemies. A senior research project leads them to passionately believe that those who experience a near death experience can inherit an Extraordinary power, thus labelling them as EO's. It is not until the boys start experimenting that things appear to go terribly wrong. Fast forward ten years, Victor is released from prison and is on the hunt from Eli, who is hellbent on destroying any EO that crosses his path. With the two working against each other, both with terrible powers, who will succeed and who will die?

Firstly, does anybody know if Victor is single? I definitely have a soft spot for him!

This was the first V E Schwab book that I had read and it did not disappoint. I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish. It was jam packed with fast paced action that kept me turning the pages until the end. I absolutely adore Schwab's writing style, it is so engaging, she has an invaluable knack in absorbing the reader to the point that they struggle to put the book down. AND THAT END. Well, lets just say I am very grateful that Vengeful had already been released so I could move straight on and find out what happened next.

I really enjoyed the characters in this book. I liked how Schwab did not paint the picture of a perfect character who you are destined to love. Each character has their pros but also their flaws. This really kept me on my toes and is a style I have not read before but one I thoroughly enjoyed.

I love how throughout the story Schwab touched on the main characters past life, when they were children. I really enjoyed being slowly spoon fed information about the characters which led me to be able to paint a picture of exactly what they were like. Giving snippets of their past allowed me to draw on these and analyse why the character was behaving in the way that they did. Finding out about Victor's past in particular made me fall in love with him a little bit more.

I also love the relationship that developed between Victor and Sydney. That was really lovely to watch grow and bloom. I loved seeing the caring side of Victor that wasn't necessarily shown throughout most of the book. I love how he has taken her under his wing and whilst still understanding the danger he is putting her in he is always trying to protect her and take actions that are in her best interests.

Mitch was another character that I really enjoyed, whilst he was part of the trio I did feel like he was a very dark horse. However the scenes he was written into I absolutely loved. I really enjoyed how the trio gelled and the banter that they had between them. I particularly love Mitch's love for chocolate milk, I mean who doesn't love chocolate milk?

Schwab is definitely not afraid to play with your emotions. I'm not going to say too much as I don't want to give spoilers however one particular death hit me hard. If you know, you know. Despite the outcome of said death it still broke me, well and truly. I'm not ashamed to say that I almost shed a tear.

All in all I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I can't believe that I left it this long to actually read a V E Schwab book because she is quickly becoming my favourite character. I would recommend this book to everybody it is such a good read and I thoroughly enjoyed my time reading it!

"You can't kill what is already dead. You can only dispose of it"

This book is the sequel to V.E. Schwab's "Vicious". I literally cannot write a synopsis without giving away things that happened in Vicious and I am not willing to spoil such a wonderful book so this review will not contain a synopsis for that reason.

I absolutely loved this book. I think I preferred Vicious slightly, however regardless this was an absolutely fantastic read.

Firstly, how sassy was Marcella?! I mean I know I'm not meant to like her but I just couldn't help myself. When I grow up I want to be just like her! My favourite quote?

"Marcella the Business Major. What do you want to be?"
"In charge"

YES SISTER

I absolutely love how this continuation on from the first book, it was done so well and the plot was just fantastic. Again, there was no particular stand out character that as a reader you are meant to love. It allows each character to be focused on just as much and not just one to take the limelight. I am intrigued by how other people interpret these characters.

The magic system in this book is phenomenal. I absolutely love the idea of superhero powers in which different EOs have different powers and all of their stories are different. It is such a clever idea and Schwab really does carry this well throughout.

I really enjoyed how the previous characters from the first in the series develop throughout and we can relate further to them. Plot twist. I still hate Eli. He makes me so mad. However whilst I hate him I did like how we found out about his childhood in this book. I feel like it helped the reader understand him better as a character. I still don't like him. But I understand him.

We also had newer characters, my favourite being June. She was such a dark horse I felt throughout, and I wasn't sure of her intentions. However as the story continued I really did enjoy her as a character and definitely warmed to her. She turned out to be one of the top characters for me in the book and I'm still not I know her true intentions. She definitely has me second guessing myself.

Lets discuss the ending though. What was that? Does that mean there is going to be another book? I really hope there is because I literally feel like I've been left on a cliffhanger and wanting more. Whilst the series could probably end as a duology and I suppose I would be content, deep down I would really love a sequel to this so that I can find out what happens next, especially to certain characters .. those that are still left anyway. You won't be surprised to hear that Schwab is still not afraid to break your heart and she succeeded in this one also.

I would 100% recommend that you read this series, it was fantastic and one which I will treasure. I'm sure I will reread it with pleasure some time in the future. I cannot wait to dive into more books by V.E. Schwab.