Scan barcode
megsbookishtwins's reviews
1177 reviews
The Rain by Virginia Bergin
1.0
I received this free from the publishers via NetGalley
One day Ruby is dragged into her friends kitchen by his parents, the radio on, with someone muttering, 'It's in the rain'. Nearly everyone she knows is dead from the rain, and from drinking water from the taps, not knowing that it will kill them too. Ruby tries to make her way down to London to get to her Dad.
I went into this with pretty low expectations after reading some of the reviews on goodreads. It is safe to say that it did not exceed by expectations. One thing I didn't really like was the writing. Ruby is 16 years old, yet her writing makes her seem younger. It is full of ... and comments in brackets, and statements in capital letters and exclamation points. It may appeal to some people, I just wasn't one of them. I wasn't too fond of the ending, as she literally just ended up where she started, and it just seemed like a wasted trip, with no gain of anything what so ever. Also I don't understand how the animals weren't getting infected? Was it just a human disease? We didn't really get much clarification of that. It was a good premise, but I think it was not executed very well.
I don't think I have ever met a more annoying protagonist. She lives in this world where one drop of rain may kill her, and she spends hours riding around shopping. She risks her life to get new clothes and jewellery and shoes and bags, and make-up. She fake tans herself and dyes her hair. I'm sure the last thing anyone would be bothered about in a pandemic is how you look. Yet this, and finding her dad, was all she seemed to care about. The other characters were OK, such as Darius and even Princess. It was just Ruby that got on my nerves.
Overall, not a book I would personally recommend.
One day Ruby is dragged into her friends kitchen by his parents, the radio on, with someone muttering, 'It's in the rain'. Nearly everyone she knows is dead from the rain, and from drinking water from the taps, not knowing that it will kill them too. Ruby tries to make her way down to London to get to her Dad.
I went into this with pretty low expectations after reading some of the reviews on goodreads. It is safe to say that it did not exceed by expectations. One thing I didn't really like was the writing. Ruby is 16 years old, yet her writing makes her seem younger. It is full of ... and comments in brackets, and statements in capital letters and exclamation points. It may appeal to some people, I just wasn't one of them. I wasn't too fond of the ending, as she literally just ended up where she started, and it just seemed like a wasted trip, with no gain of anything what so ever. Also I don't understand how the animals weren't getting infected? Was it just a human disease? We didn't really get much clarification of that. It was a good premise, but I think it was not executed very well.
I don't think I have ever met a more annoying protagonist. She lives in this world where one drop of rain may kill her, and she spends hours riding around shopping. She risks her life to get new clothes and jewellery and shoes and bags, and make-up. She fake tans herself and dyes her hair. I'm sure the last thing anyone would be bothered about in a pandemic is how you look. Yet this, and finding her dad, was all she seemed to care about. The other characters were OK, such as Darius and even Princess. It was just Ruby that got on my nerves.
Overall, not a book I would personally recommend.
The Last Leaves Falling by Fox Benwell
2.0
I received this free from the publishers via NetGalley
Sora has been diagnosed with ALS. He is scared and lonely and doesn't like leaving his room. He is ashamed of his illness and he fears death. For comfort, he turns to the wisdom of the Samurai. Through the internet he finds friends who don't see him as just his illness.
Looking through the reviews and ratings so far, it seems as though I am in a minority with my opinion on The Last Leaves Falling. It was an okay and interesting read, yet I was not as emotionally invested in it as I thought I would be, hence the three star rating. There were a couple of positives of The Last Leaves Falling. One was that it was set in Japan, and I liked that I got to read a book in a different setting that wasn't the USA, and secondly I liked that the narration was of someone who had ALS. That is something I've never read before and that is definitely a positive of this book and does give this book a lot of originality.
The Last Leaves Falling was a very character driven novel, perhaps that is why I didn't like it as much. I'm not sure. I felt it really hard to connect with Sora, and while I was devastated with what he was going through, I still could not connect with him or understand him.
One thing I didn't really like was the chat conversations. I don't know why, but they were just not interesting to me much, and I felt like the friendships he created with the other people was very rushed and sort of forced and unrealistic I guess? They had a few conversations and were agreeing to meet for dinner? I mean, it just doesn't seem like something you would do, meet up with strangers on the internet so soon.
Anyway, I was sadly disappointed with this one and felt little connection with any of the characters, although I did like Sora's relationship with his Mum. Like I said, I seem to be in a minority when it comes to this book, so it would probably be best to read some other reviews and I'm still a bit on the fence about The Last Leaves Falling.
Sora has been diagnosed with ALS. He is scared and lonely and doesn't like leaving his room. He is ashamed of his illness and he fears death. For comfort, he turns to the wisdom of the Samurai. Through the internet he finds friends who don't see him as just his illness.
Looking through the reviews and ratings so far, it seems as though I am in a minority with my opinion on The Last Leaves Falling. It was an okay and interesting read, yet I was not as emotionally invested in it as I thought I would be, hence the three star rating. There were a couple of positives of The Last Leaves Falling. One was that it was set in Japan, and I liked that I got to read a book in a different setting that wasn't the USA, and secondly I liked that the narration was of someone who had ALS. That is something I've never read before and that is definitely a positive of this book and does give this book a lot of originality.
The Last Leaves Falling was a very character driven novel, perhaps that is why I didn't like it as much. I'm not sure. I felt it really hard to connect with Sora, and while I was devastated with what he was going through, I still could not connect with him or understand him.
One thing I didn't really like was the chat conversations. I don't know why, but they were just not interesting to me much, and I felt like the friendships he created with the other people was very rushed and sort of forced and unrealistic I guess? They had a few conversations and were agreeing to meet for dinner? I mean, it just doesn't seem like something you would do, meet up with strangers on the internet so soon.
Anyway, I was sadly disappointed with this one and felt little connection with any of the characters, although I did like Sora's relationship with his Mum. Like I said, I seem to be in a minority when it comes to this book, so it would probably be best to read some other reviews and I'm still a bit on the fence about The Last Leaves Falling.
A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle
3.0
I really did enjoy this, it did fall slightly short of my expectations, but only just. If you are a fan of Sherlock Holmes, such as shows like Sherlock and Elementary, then I do suggest you give this a read.
The Giver by Lois Lowry
3.0
“If you were to be lost in the river, Jonas, your memories would not be lost with you. Memories are forever.”
It is the future. There is no war, hunger or pain. There is a sameness. Jonas lives in the community and it his Twelve ceremony is just around the corner, and this is where Jonas will be assigned a career for his future. Jonas, however, is selected to be Receiver of Memory. In his training Jonas discovers that the community is not as perfect as it seems. They are missing something. Memories and Feelings.
I had very high expectations of The Giver after everything that I have heard about it, especially as there is a movie being made. It wasn't as great as I thought it was going to be but it was rather good. I loved the concept of the dystopia society, or utopia. I also enjoyed Jonas character, and his character development after he stared his training. He was intelligent, resourceful and very brave. The Giver was also an interesting character, but I don't know, I felt like I didn't actually know much about him, or his past. Perhaps that's because he didn't have much of a past outside of his role as Receiver of Memory. I still enjoyed the father/son relationship between The Giver and Jonas I would have liked to have seen more of other characters, but Jonas' routine was strict with the rules, from school to his training to his home. He had little socialising with his friends. This shows how controlling the Elders were, especially with the rules the community had to abide by and how void of feelings, such as love that they all were.
If you want a good dystopia then I do highly suggest that you give this a go.
It is the future. There is no war, hunger or pain. There is a sameness. Jonas lives in the community and it his Twelve ceremony is just around the corner, and this is where Jonas will be assigned a career for his future. Jonas, however, is selected to be Receiver of Memory. In his training Jonas discovers that the community is not as perfect as it seems. They are missing something. Memories and Feelings.
I had very high expectations of The Giver after everything that I have heard about it, especially as there is a movie being made. It wasn't as great as I thought it was going to be but it was rather good. I loved the concept of the dystopia society, or utopia. I also enjoyed Jonas character, and his character development after he stared his training. He was intelligent, resourceful and very brave. The Giver was also an interesting character, but I don't know, I felt like I didn't actually know much about him, or his past. Perhaps that's because he didn't have much of a past outside of his role as Receiver of Memory. I still enjoyed the father/son relationship between The Giver and Jonas I would have liked to have seen more of other characters, but Jonas' routine was strict with the rules, from school to his training to his home. He had little socialising with his friends. This shows how controlling the Elders were, especially with the rules the community had to abide by and how void of feelings, such as love that they all were.
If you want a good dystopia then I do highly suggest that you give this a go.
The Almond Tree by Michelle Cohen Corasanti
3.0
I won this in a goodreads giveaway
People hate out of fear and ignorance. If they could just get to know the people they hate, and focus on their common interests, they could overcome that hatred.”
The Almond Tree follows the life of a young Palestinian boy. The Almond Tree follows Ichmad's journey through life. We see the hardship and devastation of his life when he was growing up, but finding a passion for knowledge, science and education. It also shows that a man born from war and hardship can still have hope and compassion. Ichmad is torn between his duty to his family, but his duty to himself. It is a inspirational story which brings a sense of humanity to the Arab-Israeli conflict.
I am a strong believer in equality, and this was a truly inspirational story. It is not a light hearted book and explores the issues of poverty and war and the hate which stems from it. But it is also about love, hope, friendship, family and education. It highlights the fact that education and knowledge is important if humanity is to overcome the hate that people feel towards others. Ichmad is a great protagonist and his character development was really impressive.
Michelle Cohen Corasanti drew me into a world which I had little knowledge on and it really opened my eyes to the hardship which these people faced. She writes so beautifully and it really flowed so well. It is a wonderful, riveting, yet shocking story which proves that good can be achieved, despite the situation or background of someone.
People hate out of fear and ignorance. If they could just get to know the people they hate, and focus on their common interests, they could overcome that hatred.”
The Almond Tree follows the life of a young Palestinian boy. The Almond Tree follows Ichmad's journey through life. We see the hardship and devastation of his life when he was growing up, but finding a passion for knowledge, science and education. It also shows that a man born from war and hardship can still have hope and compassion. Ichmad is torn between his duty to his family, but his duty to himself. It is a inspirational story which brings a sense of humanity to the Arab-Israeli conflict.
I am a strong believer in equality, and this was a truly inspirational story. It is not a light hearted book and explores the issues of poverty and war and the hate which stems from it. But it is also about love, hope, friendship, family and education. It highlights the fact that education and knowledge is important if humanity is to overcome the hate that people feel towards others. Ichmad is a great protagonist and his character development was really impressive.
Michelle Cohen Corasanti drew me into a world which I had little knowledge on and it really opened my eyes to the hardship which these people faced. She writes so beautifully and it really flowed so well. It is a wonderful, riveting, yet shocking story which proves that good can be achieved, despite the situation or background of someone.
My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga
3.0
My Heart and Other Black Holes was a decent read, enjoyable for the most part. I really liked Aysel's character, and Roman's character as well. I even liked the romance between them. However, I had one problem with this and that is that falling in love is not a cure for depression, which is the message this book sends out. So, a decent read, but yeah, I had that issue with it.
Instructions for the End of the World by Jamie Kain
3.0
I received this free from the publishers via NetGalley
Nicole and Izzy, along with their mother, have been dragged out into the middle of nowhere by their father who wished to protect and prepare them for the end of the world – any sort of disaster. However, he doesn’t prepare them for the disaster closer to home – a broken family.
I loved Jamie Kain’s debut novel The Good Sister, which is why I requested Instructions for the End of the World, but unfortunately it paled in comparison. Instructions for the End of the World is a book about family, friendship, loss and love. However, it wasn’t as powerful or as moving as I expected it to be. There was also 4 different POVs which was very jarring at first, but it got better further on. I think one of the reasons why this book didn’t impact me much was because I did not really connect or feel for any of the characters, but also the story moved at a very slow pace, with little direction.
Nicole was my favourite character, and the most well written character. She was smart and really stepped up when she need too. There was a POV from a character name Laurel which actually added nothing to the story, and those words probably would have been better spent exploring Nicole and Izzy’s characters and their relationship more. One thing about this novel which irked me was how sexual abuse was sort of brushed over, by both the story and plot itself and some of the characters.
The romance was okay, but cliché sometimes, and I think the novel might have been better off without it but the relationship between the sisters be explored even more.
Overall, an okay novel, with some decent characters which would have benefited from some more depth and to be a bit more fleshed out.
Nicole and Izzy, along with their mother, have been dragged out into the middle of nowhere by their father who wished to protect and prepare them for the end of the world – any sort of disaster. However, he doesn’t prepare them for the disaster closer to home – a broken family.
I loved Jamie Kain’s debut novel The Good Sister, which is why I requested Instructions for the End of the World, but unfortunately it paled in comparison. Instructions for the End of the World is a book about family, friendship, loss and love. However, it wasn’t as powerful or as moving as I expected it to be. There was also 4 different POVs which was very jarring at first, but it got better further on. I think one of the reasons why this book didn’t impact me much was because I did not really connect or feel for any of the characters, but also the story moved at a very slow pace, with little direction.
Nicole was my favourite character, and the most well written character. She was smart and really stepped up when she need too. There was a POV from a character name Laurel which actually added nothing to the story, and those words probably would have been better spent exploring Nicole and Izzy’s characters and their relationship more. One thing about this novel which irked me was how sexual abuse was sort of brushed over, by both the story and plot itself and some of the characters.
The romance was okay, but cliché sometimes, and I think the novel might have been better off without it but the relationship between the sisters be explored even more.
Overall, an okay novel, with some decent characters which would have benefited from some more depth and to be a bit more fleshed out.
Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas
3.0
Queen of Shadows was not a bad book, but I personally don’t think it is one of the best books of the series. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoying the second half of the book especially. But I have a lot of problems with it with really lessened my enjoyment and left me frustrated a lot of the time.
I’m going to start with Chaol and Aelin - the characters separately and their relationship. It seemed as though they both regressed in terms of their character development, as did their relationship. The last time they saw each other in Crown of Midnight, they were calm and loving yet distant and had been through a lot. They were away from each other in Heir of Fire and achieved some great development. They overcame a lot and dealt with a lot of their own individual problems and anger and came to terms with a lot. However, their first meeting was full of bitterness and anger and hatred which had little foundation and was extremely out of character. Chaol calls her a monster and a lair and Aelin calls him a oath breaker, a liar, a traitor and she wants to hurt him physically, a lot. Did Sarah just want to make sure everyone hated Chaol to make her other ship sail? Did she create all this anger and hatred so all us Chaol/Aelin shippers know once and for all that the ship was dead? To be honest, I’m not heartbroken that they separated, it was the right thing to do in terms of their characters and past, yet it could have been done better. They could have just matured and outgrown their relationship. Did they really have to loath each other? It just felt very ooc.
Let’s talk about Aelin.
I don’t know about you, but I believe Aelin has ALWAYS been her own champion, even when she is being controlled by others. She has always been her own person and powerful and strong. She never needed anyone else. Yet now suddenly she was just a ‘girl’? She ‘needed’ the captain? She is also extremely hypocritical. She was all ready to kill Dorian for having a collar but at the thought of Lysandra possibly having one, there was no way she was going to kill her. Also, Rowan got an arrow through his shoulder and she’s in tears, but she was ready to chop Dorian’s head off? Angry and Chaol for serving the king, not being able to understand it - but didn’t she do the exact same thing. Chaol has always wanted to protect Dorian, he has been brought up believing magic was bad, that’s all he has ever known.
Aelin seemed to put her previous self down (who was badass in her own right, without the magic). Now that she knows she has magic, she’s acting like she is everything. Treating everyone like dirt and threatening to kill everyone, uncharacteristically so.Claiming she is no longer Celeana, as if her experiences didn’t make her the person she is now. As if she was something less without her magic or heritage.
You know what I also didn’t like? How possessive and protective Rowan and Aedion was over Aelin. Like, sweetie, she can protect her self. Chaol confronting her about a massacre, and she handles the situation perfectly fine, and suddenly Aedion is raging, and so angry.
Seriously? She can fight her own battles. And Rowan? I lost count of how many times he wanted to rip someone’s head off because they said something mean and nasty to Aelin. REALLY? What is with Maas and all these aggressive and possessive guys who growl and bite? These types of guys can be seen in ACOTAR as well.
The romance was cheesy and cringe worthy sometimes. I never felt any sexual or romantic tension between the two. Especially in Heir of Fire, is seemed platonic. Do you know how great it would have been to have this relationship, who shared this incredibly special bond, and keep it platonic. Does everyone need to fall in love with Aelin? And vice-versa. First Dorian, then Chaol, and now Rowan. But to be fair, the romance was easy to ignore, as it was not central to the plot.
Manon was an absolute favourite in Queen of Shadows, and her story arc was absolutely fantastic. I would read a whole book on Manon. And some fabulous new characters were introduced as well, and some other great story arc and developments for other characters as well. The second half of the book was by far the best when everything came together and the action picked up. (Very little happened in the first half, it was mostly Aelin’s interactions with everyone). The story and plot itself was engaging, and after the halfway mark I couldn’t stop reading. But yeah, like I said, a lot of problems with this one, so I did enjoy much less. (Also, I lost count of how many times the word whore/whoring was used to describe someone and/or their actions)
I’m going to start with Chaol and Aelin - the characters separately and their relationship. It seemed as though they both regressed in terms of their character development, as did their relationship. The last time they saw each other in Crown of Midnight, they were calm and loving yet distant and had been through a lot. They were away from each other in Heir of Fire and achieved some great development. They overcame a lot and dealt with a lot of their own individual problems and anger and came to terms with a lot. However, their first meeting was full of bitterness and anger and hatred which had little foundation and was extremely out of character. Chaol calls her a monster and a lair and Aelin calls him a oath breaker, a liar, a traitor and she wants to hurt him physically, a lot. Did Sarah just want to make sure everyone hated Chaol to make her other ship sail? Did she create all this anger and hatred so all us Chaol/Aelin shippers know once and for all that the ship was dead? To be honest, I’m not heartbroken that they separated, it was the right thing to do in terms of their characters and past, yet it could have been done better. They could have just matured and outgrown their relationship. Did they really have to loath each other? It just felt very ooc.
Let’s talk about Aelin.
‘You remind me of what the world ought to be; what the world can be, she’d said to Chaol. Her face burned. A girl had said those things; a girl so desperate to survive, to make it through each day, that she hadn’t questioned why he served the true monster of their world’…’She could forgive the girl who needed a captain of the guard to offer stability after a year in hell; forgive the girl who has needed a captain to be her champion. But now she was her own champion now’
I don’t know about you, but I believe Aelin has ALWAYS been her own champion, even when she is being controlled by others. She has always been her own person and powerful and strong. She never needed anyone else. Yet now suddenly she was just a ‘girl’? She ‘needed’ the captain? She is also extremely hypocritical. She was all ready to kill Dorian for having a collar but at the thought of Lysandra possibly having one, there was no way she was going to kill her. Also, Rowan got an arrow through his shoulder and she’s in tears, but she was ready to chop Dorian’s head off? Angry and Chaol for serving the king, not being able to understand it - but didn’t she do the exact same thing. Chaol has always wanted to protect Dorian, he has been brought up believing magic was bad, that’s all he has ever known.
Aelin seemed to put her previous self down (who was badass in her own right, without the magic). Now that she knows she has magic, she’s acting like she is everything. Treating everyone like dirt and threatening to kill everyone, uncharacteristically so.Claiming she is no longer Celeana, as if her experiences didn’t make her the person she is now. As if she was something less without her magic or heritage.
You know what I also didn’t like? How possessive and protective Rowan and Aedion was over Aelin. Like, sweetie, she can protect her self. Chaol confronting her about a massacre, and she handles the situation perfectly fine, and suddenly Aedion is raging, and so angry.
“Aedion turned to the captain."You want to pick a fight, you come to me, not her”
Seriously? She can fight her own battles. And Rowan? I lost count of how many times he wanted to rip someone’s head off because they said something mean and nasty to Aelin. REALLY? What is with Maas and all these aggressive and possessive guys who growl and bite? These types of guys can be seen in ACOTAR as well.
The romance was cheesy and cringe worthy sometimes. I never felt any sexual or romantic tension between the two. Especially in Heir of Fire, is seemed platonic. Do you know how great it would have been to have this relationship, who shared this incredibly special bond, and keep it platonic. Does everyone need to fall in love with Aelin? And vice-versa. First Dorian, then Chaol, and now Rowan. But to be fair, the romance was easy to ignore, as it was not central to the plot.
Manon was an absolute favourite in Queen of Shadows, and her story arc was absolutely fantastic. I would read a whole book on Manon. And some fabulous new characters were introduced as well, and some other great story arc and developments for other characters as well. The second half of the book was by far the best when everything came together and the action picked up. (Very little happened in the first half, it was mostly Aelin’s interactions with everyone). The story and plot itself was engaging, and after the halfway mark I couldn’t stop reading. But yeah, like I said, a lot of problems with this one, so I did enjoy much less. (Also, I lost count of how many times the word whore/whoring was used to describe someone and/or their actions)