Tag: book review

Reviews

The Evolution of Mara Dyer Review

by amyleighreads1 Comment on The Evolution of Mara Dyer Review

91YuaCtgoILI think the title really set the tone of the book.

Mara Dyer has woken up in a psychiatric hospital after blacking out at the police station. She is adamant that she did indeed see Jude and he wasn’t a hallucination, but no one other than Noah believes her. How did Jude survive the asylum collapsing and why has he resurfaced now?

This was a rollercoaster ride from the beginning to the end. The pace was slow at the start but there was a gradual build up as the story continued. There was a sense of urgency and fear woven throughout the plot and desperation to find the answers to various questions surrounding Mara’s mental health.

Mara I feel did evolve a lot from the first book. She is more self aware and even afraid of herself and what she could potentially do to those around her. I like that she is trying so hard to fight through and overcome her condition and figure out what is happening even though she is terrified.

Noah again I really enjoyed. He also showed a different side of himself than what we originally seen. He is more open and unreserved and shows more emotion as he digs deeper into the connection of his and Mara’s powers. I just find him to be so engaging and captivating and I feel as if there is so much more to his story than what we’ve been given so far.

The introduction of the new characters in the outpatient clinic I felt added an extra layer of unpredictability to the story. I love that Jamie made a reappearance and I was happy that Mara had a friend that she could lean on whilst she was being evaluated at every turn. Someone who is normal and could still somewhat relate to what she is going through at the moment.

I really could not predict what was going to happen in this book and it really took a turn that I did not see coming. The last hundred or so pages was very thrilling and suspenseful and it really kept me turning the pages. I like the paranormal twist to this series and how it is not just solely focused on Mara. It has become a lot broader and expanded the plot to a point where anything can happen.

With that being said I do feel like this book was longer than what it could have been. I feel like for a good third of the book it is just centered on Mara agonising and overanalysing every situation. It could definitely have been condensed and still wouldn’t have lost any of the major points of the plot.

There are still so many questions that haven’t been answered and I am eagerly anticipating picking up the third book in this series ASAP!

⭐️4/5 stars Entertaining, thrilling & suspenseful!! 

Reviews

Always and Forever Lara Jean Review

by amyleighreads1 Comment on Always and Forever Lara Jean Review

9781534406674Ok Kavinsky has finally won me over.

I’m not going to go too in depth with this review as it is the concluding novel to a series, but I did have some feels after completing this book.

Lara Jean and Peter Kavinsky have been dating now for nearly a year and their lives have settled into this cute little bubble of happiness. However, the future looms over them with some difficult choices that they are eventually going to have to make.

I thought Jenny Han perfectly captured the mood. The real life realities and decisions that Lara Jean and Peter have to make could definitely relate to a lot of people. You could feel the emotion and the hesitation and doubt start to creep into their lives and it didn’t feel contrived in any way.

I was very proud of Peter in this book. I started to see a more three-dimensional side to him and I like that he showed different, more genuine feelings. I think in the first two books he felt a little too good to be true and I couldn’t really imagine their kind of relationship in real life. But the miscommunication and the misconceptions was heartfelt and true and it was really endearing. He didn’t give up on Lara Jean and the fact that he wants to fight for their relationship solidified his position in my eyes.

I love that Lara Jean distracts herself with baking and scrapbooking, she is such a unique female protagonist and I like that she isn’t cookie cutter (lol). She maintains her identity throughout her relationship with Peter and she is doesn’t try to conform in any way.

Everything came together so wonderfully. I was honestly soo entertained; I didn’t know what was going to happen next. There were some very real familial issues being dealt with throughout the story in both Peter and Lara Jean’s lives that added a layer of complexity to the plot. I really enjoyed this series, Lara Jean especially grew a lot and became a lot less naïve and a lot more forthright, which I loved.

⭐️4/5 stars I really liked it!

Reviews

Smoke in the Sun Review

by amyleighreads1 Comment on Smoke in the Sun Review

31394243Okami has been captured and Mariko will stop at nothing to rescue him. She tricks her brother and her betrothed Prince Raiden into believing she was being held by the Black Clan against her will and decides to play the part of the innocent bride to be and follow through on her plans.

I like the multiple perspectives given in the book, I felt they added more layers to the storyline and wove together the plot well. I felt each character was very distinguishable and had a distinct role to play in the storyline.

Mariko really matured a lot for me in this book. I felt she handled herself very admirably under immensely high-pressured scenes and maintained her focus and drive throughout the course of the book. Her tenacity and ingenuity was a highlight and her compassion really shone through the pages.

I actually quite liked Prince Raiden. Even though he is fiercely loyal to his brother as the Sovereign he still managed to display empathy and subtly defy his brothers orders without being traitorous. Even though he is made out to be quite unlikeable throughout the course of the book the fact that he got to redeem himself and his family was very satisfying to me.

Kenshin and his subplot was another aspect of the story that I was invested in. The fact that he is made out to the unwavering Samurai and the ‘Dragon of Kai” yet still succumbs to his own demons and the grief over the loss of his love was endearing and made him more genuine.

The build up and pacing of this book was very well done. There wasn’t really any point in time where I was bored and it was a very quick engaging read for me. The political and royal intrigue was very captivating and the plot really progressed in a way that I could not guess the outcome. I felt it kind of wrapped itself up a little too quickly and cleanly. There was definitely more opportunity to draw it out and build up the anticipation to more of a crescendo. It was just a little too rushed at the end. There are just a few components in the plot that wasn’t really finalised for me and there were moments that hinted that there was more to the story and this just didn’t feel like the ending to a duology more so a second book in a trilogy. I would pick up a third book in a heartbeat!

⭐️4/5 stars I was highly invested in these characters, loved this duology, wanted a trilogy!

Reviews

P.S. I Still Love You Review

by amyleighreads1 Comment on P.S. I Still Love You Review

220px-P_S__I_Still_Love_You_coverA step up for Lara Jean in this book!

The second instalment in this series picks up almost immediately after To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before ends off. It’s the start of the New Year and Lara Jean is feeling hopeful that she gets back together with Peter and they have a proper relationship. However, a video of their time in the hot tub makes the rounds on social media and Lara Jean is struggling to cope in the limelight.

I think this book has a pretty up to date social commentary on the world at present. I can definitely picture something like this happening in real life and I feel like Jenny Han captured the situation pretty well.

I feel like Lara Jean has evolved well in this book. It’s very subtle but I appreciate how much stronger and outspoken she has become. She really handed the situation of her ‘tape’ well and did not bow to the ridicule she was facing at school. I like how forthright she was in her relationship with Peter, even though he was keeping secrets I feel like she expressed herself well and tried to maintain communication.

Peter I am still a bit in two minds about. I like how well he treats Lara Jean and how special he makes her feel, however, I did kind of think he was a little naïve in terms of Genevieve and how much time he spent with her. He was a little too thoughtless and blasé about their friendship and he came off as a little tactless.

I liked the introduction of John Ambrose; I thought he added a much-needed spark to the storyline. I did think even though they had a history together his feelings for Lara Jean was a little insta-lovey for me. I found myself shrugging that off though because I thought he was a good rival for Peter and kept him on his toes. Especially since they used to be best friends.

This book was highly entertaining; it was a really fast paced, quick, easy read. Heartwarming is really the word that comes to mind. I enjoyed the storyline and I think it built up to what will hopefully be an eventful conclusion in the next book!

⭐️4/5 stars Cute, cringey and heartfelt!

Reviews

A Conspiracy of Kings Review

by amyleighreads1 Comment on A Conspiracy of Kings Review

vhjEntertaining but not my favourite.

We follow a new perspective of Sophos the heir to the throne of Sounis, who has been kidnapped and forced to work as a slave in the households of one of the Baron’s of his country. He finds out the King has died and he is now the unwilling King of Sounis. Forced by a harsh civil war Sophos and the Magnus make their way to Attolia and his once good friend Gen to try and broker some form of an alliance.

I found the plot to be very up and down in pace. There were definitely some entertaining and engaging scenes but they were a little too sparse throughout the novel.

Sophos is a very likeable character. I found his arc to be quite enjoyable throughout the course of the storyline. I feel like he went through some very tough and harsh experiences in the book but he never really gave up or threw in the towel. He is very much committed to his country and the cessation of the war that has overtaken it.

The Magnus was a character that I enjoyed a lot in this story. He is fiercely loyal to Sophos and to Sounis and always has his back. He will lecture the king when necessary but always gives him good council and will let him make all the decisions in the end. He never tries to sway him one way or another he is quite impartial and takes his role seriously which made me like him more.

I was just a little lacking in ‘oomph’. There weren’t really any scenes that gave me any overwhelming emotional response. There were a few twists and turns thrown into the storyline but they were a bit too few and far between for my liking. It kind of just felt like the political side of the story took over and the adventure and schemes took a bit of a back seat. I was waiting for the bit major twist that was going to really shock me and have me engaged back into the plot but it just didn’t really happen for me.

It was still a solid book and I was entertained throughout the course of the story, but again it didn’t overwhelm me with feeling.

⭐️3/5 stars not bad but not my favourite in this series