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Reviews

The Afterlife of Holly Chase Review

by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment on The Afterlife of Holly Chase Review

33843251._SY475_This was fantastic!

This is a retelling of the classic A Christmas Tale but with a bit of a modern twist. Holly is visited on Christmas Eve by the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future however she does not heed their warning and she dies. But she is brought back to life and is chosen to work in a top secret company called Project Scrooge as the new ghost of Christmas past and visits others like herself once a year to try and change them for the better.

I loved Holly’s character and the development that she undertakes throughout the course of the story line. She really is the true epitome of a scrooge and I loved the way she has resigned herself to her new role as the GOCP and how she had to deal with how unpampered her life is now in comparison to what it was. She has a subtle transformation and when she is given that second chance I like that she goes for it and is able to change so many lives.

I thought the plot was cleverly written and each character played a major role in the story line. They were all distinct, diverse and necessary in the grand scope of the tale. One of my favorites was definitely Stephanie. She seems unassuming but was a key factor in terms of Holly’s transformation.

I honestly couldn’t predict anything that was going to happen. As the story went on I had my thoughts on which direction the plot would go and I was never right which definitely kept me engaged. I thought all of the twists were perfectly timed and highly entertaining.

I am surprised really how much I enjoyed this book. I’ve been putting it off for a while now and I really regret just how long it took me to pick it up.

⭐️4.5/5 stars A perfect Christmas Read!

Reviews

One Day in December Review

by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment on One Day in December Review

38255337One Day in December is a contemporary novel about a girl named Laurie who is on a bus and makes eye contact with a boy waiting at a bus stop. She immediately felt a connection and since they didn’t get the chance to speak she’s been searching for him ever since. That is until he came back into her life in the most unexpected way.

I liked Laurie as our main protagonist. I found her a little too naïve at the start and a little boring to be honest but she did develop a more into a mature, direct character. Being put into this difficult situation I really think she did the best she could and tried to honour Sarah.

I liked the contrast between Laurie and Sarah. Sarah is a go getter and will do anything she needs in order to get what she wants; enjoying the spotlight and Laurie is more of a worrier, not wanting the spotlight preferring to be behind the scenes. We really see over the course of the plot how close they are and just how much Laurie values her as a sister.

Jack kind of got on my nerves a little. After his accident the way he treated Laurie and just how many missed opportunities he had to tell Laurie the truth. I think it started when he lied to her and said that he didn’t remember her from the bus stop. If only he had expressed how he really felt maybe they would have gotten together a lot sooner.

I thought this was a very wholesome read. It definitely covered some intense topics but overall I really thought it was a very entertaining story. It was fast paced and the format made it really engaging.

I just wanted a little more in terms of Laurie and Jack’s relationship. I think if we could have gotten more scenes of them actually together other than that pretty abrupt ending I may have liked it more. There was the build-up throughout the book about them eventually coming together and we don’t get any follow through. I was left feeling a little unfulfilled.

⭐️3.5/5 stars it was a nice holiday read!

Reviews

Queen of Nothing Review

by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment on Queen of Nothing Review

26032912._SY475_Better!

Queen of Nothing continues pretty much straight after The Wicked King ended. Jude is still banished but she is currently doing odd jobs for the local Fae to try and make some money, until her sister turns up with some information that could lead her back into Faerieland.

I liked that Jude had some time to dwell on herself and come to the conclusion that she isn’t the smartest and she was ultimately tricked and beaten by Cardan. She actually admitted that she wasn’t as good as what she thought she was and I really appreciated that growth from her. That was really the only thing that I didn’t enjoy about this series, how pretentious and unlikable Jude was and I think she has redeemed herself a little in this book!

The pacing was a lot better in my opinion in this book than the rest of the series. I feel like everything has already been established and we just jumped straight into the action which I enjoyed! It kept me engaged and wanting to read on to see what will happen next.

The love story kind of left me feeling a little unfulfilled. There wasn’t really enough of a buildup of tension for me and all of their interactions were way too brief for me. Their reunion was way too anticlimactic and there isn’t enough depth in their relationship for me to truly believe in it! They hardly spent any time together and we only get one scene where they really express themselves and how they feel for each other.

I can never really anticipate or predict what is going to happen in these books which I like in a fantasy. Sometimes I can get a little too predictable and I lose interest in the plot but that never really happens. It got a little too political and not quite fantastical for me at times. All of the strategy talk and the movements of the armies bore me , if it would of cut out a lot of the planning and extending the schemes and action I think I would of liked this book a whole lot more!

⭐️3.5/5 I liked this lot more than the previous books, still didn’t blow me away though!

Reviews

You Review

by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment on You Review

36430011._SY475_I loved this book!

You revolves around a guy named Joe who has become obsessed with a girl named Beck after she walks into the bookstore he works at and strikes up a conversation.

I loved the premise of this book; it really captivated me from the start. Having the book from the perspective of Joe and seeing the way his brain works and how he justifies his actions throughout the course of the book was fascinating. I don’t believe I’ve ever read a book from the perspective of the bad guy before and I was hooked!

Beck wasn’t a favourite character of mine. I thought she wasn’t all that likable and a little bit pretentious. I found myself not quite invested in her character fully yet I wanted to know what was going to happen next. Her friends were also not very likable either, I found there wasn’t really any depth to them and they were only really just a tool to further along the plot.

 I thought the pacing of the story was perfect. The slow buildup of tension really kept me hooked in the story and I was eager to read on. I thought the plot twists were placed at the perfect points in the story and really kept the intensity at an all-time high. The stakes kept rising and Joe really had some close calls and I found myself wanting him to get away with everything, it was strange.

I thought Caroline Kepnes really captured the mind of a stalker, while also allowing him to remain relatable and human in a way. I like the way that the book was formatted as well. I thought the use of second-person narration was executed flawlessly, having his voice in my mind while reading about him stalking someone was intense!

⭐️4.5/5 stars Creepy, morbid, addictive!

Reviews

Five Dark Fates Review

by amyleighreads1 Comment on Five Dark Fates Review

35391237._SY475_After the battle with Katharine the rebellion has fled back to Sunspool to recoup. Jules’s legion curse has been unbound after her mother’s death, leaving her out of her mind. Arsinoe has been keeping her quiet using her poisoner and low magic skills. Mirabella has disappeared and Katharine’s reign over Fennbirn still remains intact but it’s tenuous at best.

I thought all of the character development that occurred throughout the series really shone in this book. Just seeing how different the triplets are from one another yet still there is that undercurrent feeling of love and hope between them. I think that is what Mira is banking on when she ends up abandoning the rebellion and trusting Katharine not to kill her, also why Arsinoe doesn’t want to believe that Mira defected. They say time and time again that it would be easy to kill each other yet when it comes down to that moment they always pause and hesitate. The dead queens are really the ones who do all of the killing, Katharine is merely the vessel that they have been using to further along their plot to take over Fennbirn.

The previous books did such a good job establishing the world and the overall tone of the series that this book just launched straight back into the plot. Even though it has been over a year since I read the last book it was very easy to fall back into this world. The characters are all so distinct and varied and the plot was defined and easy to follow along with. The fantastical elements were incorporated quite organically into the story line and it was very engaging.

I thought the ending was very fitting for the series. I wasn’t able to predict anything that was going to happen and I was left feeling very fulfilled. It definitely didn’t blow me away by any means but I highly enjoyed my experience reading it!

⭐️4/5 stars action packed, fast paced, fitting ending to this series!