BOOK REVIEW: Fairest by Marissa Meyer

Title: Fairest

Author: Marissa Meyer

Rating: 3/5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis:

Mirror, mirror on the wall,

Who is the fairest of them all?

Fans of the Lunar Chronicles know Queen Levana as a ruler who uses her “glamour” to gain power. But long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, Levana lived a very different story – a story that has never been told . . . until now. 

Review: 

I liked this book more than I thought I would. In saying that, I didn't think I'd like it at all. I originally didn't want to read it (I only did so on a whim in anticipation for Winter) because I thought Levana was a good antagonist figure by being just a really bad person and I was convinced that this novel would be something that would try to persuade me that she was actually just "misunderstood". Don't get me wrong, those types of villians are interesting as well but I also think in some cases - such as Levana's - it isn't necessary and doesn't add to the story to make her like that. Thankfully, I was really wrong in my presumptions.

The book was more an exploration of Levana's character rather than a justification. Sure enough, there are points that we get to see events in her life that possibly explain why she is the way she is, but in the end, it boils down to her own decisions than anything else that have made her so cold-hearted. You do sympathise with here in certain scenes but the book doesn't shy away from showing how messed up she is as well. In short, you're always aware that she's still a bad person but there are moments when you can at least pity her.

My main issue with Fairest is that it felt both too long and too short at the same time. It is quite long for a novella but it's too short to be its own standalone novel. At some points, the story felt like it was being dragged along and at others, I just wanted it to be stretched out a bit more and given some more depth. 

But overall, I think this book was good. I would still rank my least favourite within the entirety of the Lunar Chronicles but if you're a fan, you should definitely check it out. If you're worried - like I was - that it's going to try and make the villian a good character, don't worry, it doesn't. It's worth the read either way!

Let me know down below what you thought of this book! Also, hopefully I should have a review up for Winter soon!

Until next time!

- Jess, xxx

MOVIE REVIEW: Mockingjay Part 2 (no spoilers!)

RATING: 6/10

Hey guys! Last night I went to the Mockingjay Part 2 midnight screening and really wanted to share my thoughts with you all about it! I've never done a movie review so bare with me. Also I'll keep this non-spoiler-y since I know a lot of people won't have seen it yet!

Firstly, I want to say that it doesn't quite feel real yet that the movie series is over. I've gone to every midnight screening for these movies and it's become a sort of tradition for November. So I'm quite saddened that it's all come to an end but all things need to eventually. I also thought it was a nice ending; I really enjoyed it. I wasn't the biggest fan of part 1 (it was slow moving and while I can appreciate its purpose, I also was just very bored for a lot of it), nor was I much of a fan of the book. But I do think this instalment was still good, but wasn't perfect.

This movie had a lot of quiet moments interspersed between the fighting and war scenes but I think it really allowed for some of the actors to really shine. The performances were truly outstanding in this film. Jennifer Lawrence has always left me in awe with how well she's taken on the role of Katniss in these films and this still remains the case for this film. Josh Hutcherson also left me really impressed with how he portrayed Peeta following the traumatic events of Mockingjay Part 1. 

The complexity of the war was also done really nicely. This is probably something which is most present in both parts 1 and 2 and really comes to a head in the finale, which it obviously had to seeing as it was the concluding chapter. It's also a major underlying theme within the books (and one of my favourite ones) that I think was done even better in the movies, in some instances. Particularly for these final movies, it was a key factor to both and viewer enjoyment kind of hinges on whether they're interested in that or not.

I think my biggest issue with Mockingjay Part 2 is that it suffers similar issues that I had reading the book. This film series has been - I would say - quite faithful to its source material - and that made for an incredible Catching Fire film -, but I wish they hadn't been so with this one. The pacing was really off, similar to the book. The first part was slow and then it just spurts up at random points and feels very jumpy and not in a good way. A lot of the action at the end happens too quickly (which, again, was something I found in the book and really disliked). The climax built very quickly and everything happened in a very swift succession and then just dropped suddenly. It's confusing to the viewer and I wasn't a fan at all. There are also spoiler-y plot points that I was just as mad at in the movie as I was in the book but that's something I knew was coming.

All in all, I think it was a good conclusion to the film series. It's a high quality film and all of its faults, in my opinion, are faults that have been carried over from the book. If you liked the book, you will definitely enjoy the film. If you were a bit on the fence about the book, there is still things to enjoy but do be warned that some of the same issues in the book make an appearance in the film.

So, for those of you who might have already seen it, what'd you think? What was your favourite scene? And if you haven't seen it yet, what scene from the book are you most excited for/hope they include? I want to hear all your thoughts down below!

Until next time!
- Jess, xxx

Book Review: The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (No Spoilers!)

Title: The Song of Achilles

Author: Madeline Miller

Rating: 4/5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis: A tale of gods, kings, immortal fame, and the human heart, The Song of Achilles is a dazzling literary feat that brilliantly re-imagines Homer’s enduring masterwork, The Iliad. An action-packed adventure, an epic love story, Miller’s debut novel has already earned resounding acclaim from some of contemporary fiction’s brightest lights.

Review:

I'm going to keep this brief and without spoilers because I read this book awhile ago now. I wrote up half a book discussion but then saved it to my drafts and never finished it. Now it's not as fresh in my mind so I've altered it to just be a general review.

 In short, I really loved The Song of Achilles, but more on the side of emotion than actually thinking it was technically fantastic. Miller's prose is really clean and engaging throughout the novel, but the pacing leaves a bit to be desired in a lot of the book. There were some really lovely bits in the middle of this book but it also dragged quite a bit. The character development feels stunted after the first half of the book (where it was, honestly, fantastic), although Achilles' character was really successfully humanised despite this. I think in large part that humanity which Achilles demonstrates so much more than in other texts is his relationship with Patroclus.

And that is what made this book for me, as well as most others, I'm sure. The relationship between Achilles and Patroclus is a beautiful, beautiful thing to read. Don't be fooled in thinking this book is about anything else but them, or that that's a bad thing. The first 100-150 pages of this book is also where they really shine, in my opinion. It didn't take me long to be so invested in these two characters that the emotions I was feeling felt like a punch in the gut - even when I was feeling happy. 

Overall, The Song of Achilles is just a very good book and I would 100% recommend it. If you haven't read the Illiad or know the original text, don't be concerned and not read this. It's very easy to pick up without that, and possibly even better not knowing how the story concludes. 

For those who have read it, let me know down in the comments what you thought and what you're favourite scenes were! 

Until next time!
Jess, xxx

BOOK REVIEW + DISCUSSION: QUEEN OF SHADOWS!

Title: Queen of Shadows

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Rating: 2/5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis (spoilers!): Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she's at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past . . .

She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die just to see her again. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen's triumphant return.

Non-Spoiler/General Thoughts:

Okay, I'm not going to dwell too much on the non-spoiler-y section of this review. It's also really hard because this is the fourth instalment in this series so it's hard to talk about just this book without spoiling the rest of the series. So, in summary, I am a huge fan of the first three books of this series. However, I am not a huge fan of this book. Books 1-3 of this series introduced some wonderful characters and had beautiful character development and compelling relationships. Queen of Shadows then decided to ignore all that and make half the characters unrecognisable. The world is still interesting and complex but the characters were my favourite parts of this series and because of that, I found this book really disappointing. I would still recommend the first half of this series, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't concerned for the future of it.

But that's all I've got to in regards to non-spoiler stuff. If you haven't read the book and want to keep everything a surprise, it's time we say goodbye. Come back once you've read the novel. TTFN.

Discussion under the cut!

September Wrap Up!

Hey guys!

So, after a really successful reading month in August, September was pretty bad. But I mean, I told you it was going to happen (also October is looking like it will be pretty much the same). So, I read 3 books. Wow. So impressive, Jess. Haha. University is a lot of fun, kids. Especially when I'm taking an extra class. Anyway, I still read stuff so let's get to the wrap up!

#1: A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis [Goodreads Link]

Speaking of uni, that's what I read this one for. I think I mentioned in my last wrap up that class I'm taking on cultures of death and grief but yeah, it's a really interesting class! And we get to read some really great stuff and this was 100% one of them. It's kind of a memoir from C.S. Lewis (yeah, that guy who wrote Narnia!) in regards to how he deals with and mourns the death of his wife and there's quite a beauty in his tragedy. He just writes with really lovely prose. I was also shocked by how self-reflective he could be in his grief. It feels odd to rate a book like this but I did end up giving it a 4/5 stars.

2: Princess in Waiting by Meg Cabot [Goodreads Link]

Continuing my journey trying to read the Princess Diaries series, I picked up this instalment and I have to say that it lacked a lot of the charm that the previous books possessed. I've said many times that I don't particularly love this series but the books are easy and accessible reads and they have a nice humour to them but this book felt really flat. It's basically Mia whining for the whole thing and I ended up putting the audiobook on 2x speed just to get through it quicker. I ended up giving it 2/5 stars, mostly because the last scene was pretty adorable.

#3: The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas [Goodreads Link]

I have said many times how much I love this series and in the lead up to the release of the fourth instalment, I felt like it was time to pick up this collection of prequel novellas. Of course, not all the stories were as interesting but as a whole, the book was really enjoyable. I possbly would have enjoyed it more had I not been trying to rush through it to get to Queen of Shadows but oh well. I love Celaena so much as a character and it was really interesting to see snippets of her life before the main story of the series. I also kind of regret reading it because how the last story concludes just tore my heart out (even though I obviously knew it was coming). I gave it 4/5 stars.

Well, there we go! I only narrowly missed adding Queen of Shadows to this wrap up but you can all look forward to a full discussion coming your way ASAP. I have A LOT of things to talk about.

So, how did you all go in the month of September? Did you have an awesome reading month or did you have a bit of a lull like I did? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time!

- Jess, xxx

(delayed) August Wrap Up!

Hey guys! Man, I am so late with this. I was doing a good job of blogging regularly and then Uni sweeped in and took ALL my time! I've managed to find a little break to quickly write this out. I won't make any promises to try and get back to regularity but I doubt I will until I'm done with this semester (I'm taking an extra class and it is hell tbh).

But anyway, to the wrap up! Some of these, you've already seen me talk about before because I talked about them in my Booktube-a-thon wrap-up so apologies for the repetition. Thanks to reading mostly Audiobooks and short stuff, I actually ended up reading quite a bit!

#1: Falling Kingdoms Morgan Rhodes [Goodreads Link]

I did a full review of this book here so I won't talk a lot about it but I thought there was a lot of potential here but there's just so much more I wanted out of this book. I did still enjoy it but, as a whole, there was a lot that felt underdeveloped that I hope will be more fleshed out in the following novels. I gave this book a 3/5 stars.

#2: Runaways Vol. 1: Pride and Joy by Brian K. Vaughn [Goodreads Link]

This was a really fun and solid first volume to a comic series that I think has a lot of potential. The characters are really compelling and it gave me a similar vibe to the new Young Avengers (which I loved a lot, if you didn't know). I gave it 4/5 stars.

#3: No Matter the Wreckage by Sarah Kay [Goodreads Link]

This book was honestly beautiful. I'm not a big poetry reader so to have enjoyed this one as much as I did is a huge testament to it. Would 100% recommend. I gave it a 4/5 stars.

#4: Runaways Vol. 2: Teenage Wasteland by Brian K. Vaughn [Goodreads Link]

I wish I could say I enjoyed this one as much as the first volume but I was left sorely disappointed by it. The plot barely developed and there wasn't enough of fun and enjoyability in the rest of it to keep me entertained. I gave it 2/5 stars.

#5:  Runaways Vol. 3: The Good Die Young by Brian K. Vaughn [Goodreads Link]

Whatever lull that occurred in volume 2 disappears in this volume and it comes right back to the quality and energy of the first volume. I enjoyed it so much more. I gave this 4/5 stars. (These are such quick reads so I'm sorry I don't have much to say about them.)

#6: The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller [Goodreads Link]

Oh man, tear my heart to pieces and then leave it to die. That would've been less painful than this book. But it was pain in the best way. I've been wanting to read this for so long. I didn't think it was quite as good as I wanted it to be but it was still really, really good. The first 100 or so pages were essentially perfect in my books. It dragged a bit in the middle but I was just so invested in the Patroclus and Achilles that I loved even the slow moments. I hope to write a full review one day to get out all my feelings. I gave it 4/5 stars.

#7-9: The Princess Diaries, book #1-3 by Meg Cabot [Goodreads Link] 

I decided to just give a bulk review of these because they're so short. I absolutely adore the movies of these books and have wanted to give the books a go for ages. Once I realised the audiobooks for these were on Overdrive, I had to give them a shot. And since they were audiobooks, it was way easier for me to read them. I particularly enjoyed these first 3 books because they were narrated by Anne Hathaway and it was perfect. They're really easy, quick reads and they're just a lot of fun and humour. Basically, they're not anything to be taken too seriously and I think it's harder to read them as an older person (because it really is like being in a 14yo's head) but they're still pretty great either way. I gave them all 3/5 stars.

#10: The Death of Ivan Illyich by Leo Tolstoy [Goodreads Link]

This was a required weekly reading for one of my Uni classes so I wasn't really expecting much (also, it's quite short). But I was actually pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. It essentially follows the day-to-day of a man dying but it's so interesting. I gave it 4/5 stars.

#11: The Egg by Andy Weir [Goodreads Link]

This is such a cheat to be included. The story is 4 pages. But it was really good and blew my mind a bit for such a short piece. I gave it 4/5 stars.

#12: In Real Life by Cory Doctorow & Jen Wang [Goodreads Link]

This book was a major case of setting my expectations way too high. I've tried to avoid doing this too much but I just couldn't help it with this one. I kept seeing so many people giving it good reviews so who could blame me for expecting some level of epicness? And by no means was this book bad, it's just I had been lead to believe it would be so much more. It was really interesting, the art was really pleasing to look at and the MC was very relatable but I just couldn't deem what everyone else had found so outstanding from this graphic novel. I gave it a 3.5/5 stars.



So, there we go! 12 books! Not too bad if I do say so myself. Don't expect a wrap up anywhere near this long for September, though, haha. Also, I won't be doing a September TBR because it just seems arbitrary at this point.

Anyway, I'm sure you all don't want to be asked about what you read in August so, what are you guys reading at the moment? Anything good or are you having to push yourself through it (hopefully not!)? I've just started Queen of Shadows and I'm trying to savour every moment :P Let me know what you're reading in the comments!

Until next time!
- Jess, xxx

Book Review: The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

Title: The Dream Thieves [Goodreads Link]

Author: Maggie Stiefvater

Rating: 4/5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis: Ronan Lynch has secrets. Some he keeps from others. Some he keeps from himself.

One secret: Ronan can bring things out of his dreams.

And sometimes he's not the only one who wants those things.

Ronan is one of the raven boys—a group of friends, practically brothers, searching for a dead king named Glendower, who they think is hidden somewhere in the hills by their elite private school, Aglionby Academy. The path to Glendower has long lived as an undercurrent beneath town. But now, like Ronan's secrets, it is beginning to rise to the surface—changing everything in its wake.

Review:

(NOTE: This review doesn't contain any spoilers for The Dream Thieves but might have some for The Raven Boys as it is the second novel in The Raven Cycle)

Last week, I posted my review of The Raven Boys so if you haven't checked that out yet, you should do so here. But from that review, you'll know that I was pleasantly surprised by book 1 of this series and thought it was good but The Dream Thieves definitely kicks the series up a notch and makes it great! Stiefvater smooths out some of the pacing issues I found with the first one and keeps the novel engaging despite it's relative lack of plot. It also does a good job of not falling into the common "filler" slot that second or middle novels tend to get in series.

As with The Raven Boys, this series succeeds most prominently through its characters. I've said it before but I'll say it again: the characters in the story are so well-written and they all feel so genuine and real and reading the novels feel somewhat like hanging out with friends. All their decisions and development feel very natural. Ronan definitely stands out in this instalment though, with the main story centring around him. At this point, I'm basically attached to the entire main cast of characters but I felt like The Dream Thieves shed much more light on Ronan and I felt a stronger connection to him and that I could better empathise with his character. I still can't pick a favourite, though.

Something I felt was significantly stronger in this book were the relationships. I think a certain relationship (I'm going to avoid saying character names because possible spoiler) really blossomed in the background of this novel. Stiefvater excels at subtle development. The narrative also delves into the relationships between the different Aglionby boys and gives them substance in a way that I don't think was done enough in the first book. (Not a spoiler, but I am also definitely on the Ronan/Adam ship, shh).

I mentioned before that the plot was lacking in this one but I'm beginning to think that this might be a theme of this series. While I would have enjoyed more development on the general over-arching series plot, it didn't affect my enjoyment too much that it wasn't given. Stiefvater is unravelling this story at a slow pace but I'm honestly enjoying the ride enough that I can't really complain. This series feels like one that I could read 10 books on and not mind that the plot is developing at a snail pace because I just enjoy the writing and atmosphere so much and I'm so emotionally invested in the characters.

So, there's my review of The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater. I was trying to avoid spoiler talk so I think half of this ended up being me gushing about the series and possibly repeating stuff I'd already said but oh well. If you would like to hear me get into all the nuts and bolts of this novel and discuss some spoilers, let me know and I'll consider putting up a book discussion. But anyway, I'm hoping by the time this is posted (I've got a few posts on schedule at the moment because I'm busy at uni), I'll have at least started Blue Lily, Lily Blue since I just got it from the library :)

Let me know down below if you've read The Dream Thieves and if so, who's your favourite character of the series and why?

Until next time!

J, xxx