Review - The Hanging Girl by Eileen Cook

 

The Hanging Girl by Eileen Cook

Published October 19th 2017 by Hot Key Books

Star Rating - ****

Goodreads Challenge - 72/50

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Two girls, one fatal reading . . . because the truth always lies in the cards

Skye's mother believes she has 'the gift' - the opportunity to see the future. Skye however can only see the opportunity to make money - and happily fleeces her gullible classmates into handing over their cash to hear their futures through Skye's wellworn tarot cards. But it's all in a good cause, right? Skye needs to save her hardearned cash to go to New York with her best mate Drew.

Then the local mayor's daughter Paige disappears - and Skye has a tip off about her whereabouts. Skye is uncomfortable about the source and masks the tipoff as a vision she has received. But then events get wildly out of control - Paige is found murdered and Skye is a prime suspect . . . 

My Thoughts

I haven't read Eileen Cooks previous novel With Malice but its been on my radar for a while. After seeing her new novel on NetGalley I thought it would be a great opportunity to give this author a go and I wasn't disappointed. In this story we follow Skye who uses her mother 'gift' of foreseeing the future as a way of making a quick buck by performing fake tarot readings in her school. When the most popular girl in school, Paige goes missing Skye informs the police of a 'vision' she received about Paige's disappearance. As the investigation progresses Skye's visions come under scrutiny and everyone begins to wonder if Skye more involved in the disappearance than everyone first thought. 

I must say before I even starting this book I was completely intrigued by the premise. The fortune telling aspect really appealed to me and this made me even more excited to read it. Safe to say I wasn't disappointed. This book took me on such a wild ride, it drew me in hook, line and sinker and didn't let me go until the very end. The pacing was great and it kept me on the edge of my seat. I was on tender hooks though out the story and there were so many twists and turns along the way they took me by surprise. The first big reveal happened about half way through the book and then several reveals happened as we neared the end, with lots being uncovered in the last few chapters. I know some people don't like this way of story telling but personally I don't mind it, it keeps me going right until the very end. 

I enjoyed the characters in the book. I thought Paige was great, she was so manipulative and I would love to see a character like her developed into a full blown villain. I also felt quite connected to Skye. At first I felt she kind of deserved what was happening to her but after a while I began to feel a bit sorry for her. All she wanted was a better life for herself but she ended up digging herself in too deep and she struggled to find a way out. Drew was also great, I'd love to have a friend like her. 

Overall I thought this was a great thriller with an interesting plot line and full of twists and turns that kept you hanging on until the very end. Fans of YA thrillers will like this one as, I think, it's a good example of the genre. I'm also even more excited to check out Eileen Cooks previous novel and I'll definitely be adding With Malice to my TBR. 

 Overall Rating 

 

Review - The Witches of the Glass Castle by Gabriella Lepore

 

The Witches of the Glass Castle by Gabriella Lepore

Published 8th March 2017 by Oftomes Publishing 

(first published 28th September 2011) 

Star Rating - ***

Goodreads Challenge - 71/50

I received an e-copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

A storm is coming.

Sixteen-year-old Mia's life is turned upside down when she uncovers her family secret-that she and her brother Dino are witches. Seeking refuge in an ancient castle, the siblings begin down a path that will change their lives forever. Suddenly thrust into a world where handsome warriors command the power of nature and peoples thoughts and actions can be manipulated at will, Mia and Dino struggle to navigate their own allegiances and do what they know to be right, even when everything around them seems beyond their control.

My Thoughts

I can't remember the last time I read a witchy book and after reading and enjoying a fantasy novel from Oftomes last month I was excited to dive into this one. It's safe to say I enjoyed myself. This is the story of Mia and Dino who have just discovered they have magical powers and come from a long line of withes. Their mum and aunt decide it's time for them to spend the summer at the glass castle, so they can learn how to use and develop their powers. However, their are some dark forces at work and soon Mia and Dino are struggling to decide who to trust and just where their loyalties lie. 

This was a fun read, it hooked me in and kept me engaged throughout. It's what could be described as your typical YA paranormal story however, to me there's nothing wrong with that and I enjoyed the reading experience. I thought the world building was good, I could picture the setting and the characters and this aided the reading experience. It's not perfect and there were some areas I would of liked a bit more development in but it was good nonetheless. The plot moved quickly and, although I like a fast paced plot, this is where it fell down a bit for me. I would of liked the magic to be developed a bit more. I wanted to see Mia and Dino learn how to use and harness their powers rather than them just appearing. That was the whole point in attending the Glass Castle right?  

The characters were fun and engaging too. Again, they weren't the most developed characters but there was something about them that connected me too them. I enjoyed following their decisions and I really felt for Dino when he struggled with his emotions and making the right decisions. They were a little tropey, especially the romance, however, I was invested and I wanted to know what happened to them. Speaking of the romance I felt this was quite twilightesque. Whilst reading I found myself thinking about how several elements related back to those in the Twilight Saga but as I said before I was invested. The romance between Mia and Colt was infectious and I was really rooting for them. 

  

Overall this was a super fun story but it's definitely not for everyone. If your not a fan of typical YA paranormal stories that are quite tropey or Twilight for that matter then I would imagine this wouldn't be for you. However, if your looking for a fun and easy read that's infectious and can pull you in then I would recommend this one. 

Overall Rating 

  

Review - The Treatment by C L Taylor

The Treatment by C L Taylor

Published October 19th 2017 by HQ

Star Rating - ****

Goodreads Challenge - 70/50

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

“You have to help me. We’re not being reformed. We’re being brainwashed.”

All sixteen year old Drew Finch wants is to be left alone. She's not interested in spending time with her mum and stepdad and when her disruptive fifteen year old brother Mason is expelled from school for the third time and sent to a residential reform academy she's almost relieved.

Everything changes when she's followed home from school by the mysterious Dr Cobey, who claims to have a message from Mason. There is something sinister about the ‘treatment’ he is undergoing. The school is changing people.

Determined to help her brother, Drew must infiltrate the Academy and unearth its deepest, darkest secrets.

Before it’s too late.

My Thoughts

So I've never read anything by C L Taylor, despite having one of her adult thriller novels on my shelf. I saw she was coming out with a YA thriller, which is a genre I really enjoy, and I was lucky enough to be accepted for it on NetGalley, so what better opportunity to dive into this authors work. This is the story of Drew whose twin brother Mason is sent to a residential reform academy after being expelled from another school. One day she is approached by a Dr from the academy claiming to have a strange message from Mason. It seems that the academy isn't what she first thought it was. Drew is determined to rescue her brother and discover the secrets of the academy before he undergoes 'the treatment'. 

This was a really enjoyable read. It was fast paced and gripping and it kept me wanting to turn the pages. I thought the brainwashing idea was really interesting and it gave an interesting spin on the story. The chapters were short which, if you've read my other reviews, you will know is something I really enjoy in thrillers. It really helps to keep the story moving and encourages me to just read one more chapter. There were several twists and turns along the way that I didn't see coming and the direction the plot took was sometimes unexpected. It really kept my interest and as a result I finished this in a couple of days. 

I liked Drew as a character, she did seem quite juvenile at times however, as a YA thriller I would expect this, but this didn't stop me from liking her. She showed determination when it came to rescuing her brother and she didn't let others get in her way. As someone who started off the novel as an introvert and someone who liked to keep to themselves it was nice to see her grow and develop in confidence throughout the book. I also liked the friendship that bloomed between her and Mouse. It was nice to see Drew becoming close to someone again. You had the usual mix of characters in this novel, the 'hero', the 'sidekick', the person being 'rescued' and the 'bully/villain' and they all played their parts well. Each one worked with the plot and had their own individual traits. The one character I would say felt a bit out of place was Lacey. I understand the part she played in Drew's high school life but I didn't understand why she arrived at the academy. I don't think this added anything to the story. 

Overall  I really enjoyed this story. I thought it was an engaging and fast paced read with an interesting plot focus. I would recommend this if you are a fan of thrillers, particularly of the YA variety. I'm really excited to pick up some more of C L Taylor's adult work and I hope she writes more in the YA genre in the future.

Overall Rating 

 

Halloween Reading Recommendations

So October is upon us and it's the month for all things spooky! I'm not a massive horror fan in fact, I'm a wimp when it comes to scary movies, but I do love a good thriller novel. So I thought I would come to you today with some of my favorite thrilling reads and some that are on my TBR ready for this spooky, Halloween season. 

Recommendations

 The Ultimate Sacrifice by S. E. Green

This is marketed as a YA horror however I thought it was more towards the thriller genre. Like I said I'm a bit of a wimp but I found this okay to read. It was very fast paced, sinister and creepy and if you like murders of the ritualistic nature then this one's for you. Check out my full review here.

Rattle by Fiona Cummins

The is a crime/detective story with an edge. The author includes some interesting topics in this book which made it stand out compared to other detective stories I've read. This one genuinely chilled me to the bone. Fans of shows like Criminal Minds will like this. Check out my full review here.  

The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel

This is another thriller mystery novel which is very dark and disturbing. It covers some quite heavy topics and could be quite triggering to some readers but I think it was extremely well done. I was totally gripped though out this one. Check out my full review here. 

The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly by Stephanie Oakes 

I've always loved a good thriller. I like the mystery and suspense that often comes from this genre and this is, in my opinion, one of the best I've read. I was completely hooked from beginning to end. I could not put it down and since reading I have wanted to read every book about cults and secret communities that there is! No review for this one as I read it before my blog but check out the Goodreads link here. 

 The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge

I'm not sure if this is YA or middle grade. I think it might be between the two but its definitely good whichever it is. It's about a tree that you have to feed lies and as a result you receive a fruit that bears a hidden truth. I wouldn't say this is scary but its definitely eerie and gripping. Again I read this one before I had a blog so here's the Goodreads link. 

 Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Now this is a YA horror and it did genuinely scare me a little bit. I saved this one for Halloween last year and I remember sitting at home, on my own reading this and feeling just a little bit creeped out. This is quite an interesting story about a ghost hunter who falls in love with a ghost he's meant to be hunting. Another pre-blog read so here's the Goodreads link. 

TBR

I've also got a few books on my TBR that I think will be great Halloween reads so I'm hoping to get to them this season. I obviously haven't read them yet so there's not much I can say about them so I'll just link back to their Goodreads pages. 

Bird Box by Josh Malerman (Goodreads Page)

You by Caroline Kepnes (Goodreads Page)

Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt (Goodreads Page)

Asylum by Madeleine Roux (Goodreads Page)

Cuckoo Song by Frances Hardinge (Goodreads Page)

The Hanging Girl by Eileen Cook (Goodreads Page)

So there we have it, my recommendations for this spooky season and some of the books on my TBR I'd love to get too sometime very soon. Have you read any of these? Let me know your thoughts?

Review - Rocco and the Nightingale by Adrian Magson

 

Rocco and the Nightingale by Adrian Magson

Published 19th October 2017 by The Dome Press

Star Rating - ***

Goodreads Challenge - 69/70

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

A minor Paris criminal is found stabbed in the neck on a country lane in Picardie - it looks like another case for inspector Lucas Rocco.

But instead he is called off to watch over a Gabonese government minister hiding out in France following a coup. Meanwhile, Rocco discovers that an Algerian gang leader has taken out a contract on his head.

Against orders, he follows leads on the original murder case, discovering as he does so that his life is in danger. The minister he is protecting is kidnapped, and Rocco finds that the murder, the threats and the minister's kidnap are all interconnected...

My Thoughts 

I was asked by the wonderful people over at The Dome Press if I would be interested in reviewing any of their titles and to me this one sounded interesting, especially as I am a fan of crime fiction. I'll be honest I was a little bit hesitant going into it knowing that it's book 5 in a series but I needn't of worried. This book can definitely be read as a standalone and an enjoyable one at that. I wasn't lost in the back story at any point and I was able to follow everything that was happening. In this book we follow Inspector Lucas Rocco who is a member of the Police in a small rural town in France. In this installment he is assigned the task of watching over a Gabonese government minister whilst at the same time discovering their is a contract on his head. Things don't go as smoothly as planned for Rocco and when the minister is kidnapped he seeks to find who is involved and begins to realise things may be more connected than he thinks. 

I thought this was quite an enjoyable read. There were several twists and turns along the way, especially near the end, and this kept the story moving. It wasn't overly fast paced but the story was steady and kept me engaged whilst I was reading. I enjoyed the rural setting of the story and I thought this coupled with the 1960s time period made it feel quite atmospheric and I enjoyed this. I thought it really added something to the story. I enjoyed Rocco as a character. I thought he had a genuine personality and he always seemed quite down to earth. It was also nice to see the inclusion and support of female members of the police in this book as this is something you might not have seen so much of in this time period. Also you can often find in detective novels that the male detectives can be quite sexist and misogynistic towards female detectives but there was very little of that in this book which was nice. 

Overall I found this to be quite enjoyable. It didn't necessarily blow me away initially but once I got into it and the story got going I found myself to be enjoying the read. If crime fiction is your thing I would recommend this one and if you haven't read any others in this series don't worry, as I said before it can be read as a standalone. I am interested in looking into the other books in this series. 

Overall Rating

 

Blog Tour Review - The Midnight Dance by Nikki Katz

Hello and thanks for stopping by to check out my review of The Midnight Dance by Nikki Katz. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to take part in this blog tour thanks to Xpresso Book Tours and I'm very glad I did. So lets not waste any more time, here it is. 

The Midnight Dance by Nikki Katz

Published 17th October 2017 by Swoon Reads

Genre - Contemporary/ Young Adult

Star Rating - ***.5

Goodreads Challenge - 68/50

I received an e-copy of this book from Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. 

Synopsis

When the music stops, the dance begins.

Seventeen-year-old Penny is a lead dancer at the Grande Teatro, a finishing school where she and eleven other young women are training to become the finest ballerinas in Italy. Tucked deep into the woods, the school is overseen by the mysterious and handsome young Master who keeps the girls ensconced in the estate – and in the only life Penny has never known.

But when flashes of memories, memories of a life very different from the one she thinks she’s been leading, start to appear, Penny begins to question the Grand Teatro and the motivations of the Master. With a kind and attractive kitchen boy, Cricket, at her side, Penny vows to escape the confines of her school and the strict rules that dictate every step she takes. But at every turn, the Master finds a way to stop her, and Penny must find a way to escape the school and uncover the secrets of her past before it’s too late.

Goodreads 

My Thoughts

This is the story of Penny who attends an elite boarding school in rural Italy with 11 other girls. This is the only life she has ever known and under the watchful eye of the mysterious master she is learning to become a great ballerina. Things seem to be going great for Penny until she starts remembering things. Memories of a past she doesn't recognise start to return and shes on a mission to uncover her secret past and find out just how she came to be in the life she is today. Throughout this novel we follow a duel timeline of then and now. We follow Penny's life in the estate and watch as the life that she knows begins to unravel. Alongside this we follow the story of Cirillo and watch who he becomes as he grows up. At first these timelines don't seem to have a direct link between each other however, as the story develops we see them merge together and this gives us a greater understanding of the events in the main story line. 

Things happen very quickly in this novel. Its quite fast paced and a lot happens and develops in a short space of time. It was easy to keep up though as the author was quite clear in her writing and there was no fluff and this speed definitely helped to build up the suspense. When I first heard about this novel it was marketed as a contemporary, which isn't usually my thing. However, after reading the synopsis it felt as though there would be some mystery/suspense aspects and I was right. I would also go as far as to say there are some magical realism aspects too. 

I really liked the writing style, I found it to be very mysterious. The author took us on a journey of Penny's existence and I felt invested in her story. The way we transitioned between Penny's current life and her memories was quite disconcerting which I really liked. This really helped us to experience just what things must of felt like for her. The author also did a good job of keeping up the air of mystery and suspense as we went through there were a couple of plot twists in the second half of the story, not massive ones, but enough to keep the story moving. Also twists that I didn't see coming which was great. 

The characters were interesting too and fairly well developed. I liked Penny's personality, she was determined and resolved throughout the story. She always thought of others above herself and was resigned to saving everyone. I also really liked Cricket he was very sweet and was always looking out for others. I did find that Penny's sudden attraction to Cricket in the beginning was a bit off however, this is explained later on in the book and makes a lot of sense. Master on the other hand was a total master manipulator. His hold over the girls was very creepy and he is definitely up there in the great villain department. 

Overall I found this story to be very mysterious and suspenseful, much more so than your usual contemporary. The reason I marked it down to 3.5* was that I found it difficult to get going again once I stopped reading however, once I was reading I found it hard to stop. It would be one I would recommend to people who love suspense and mystery.

Overall Rating (3.5*)

This book is avaliable from the following links.

Amazon  B&N  Kobo  iBooks 

Author Bio

Nikki Katz is an author and editor living in sunny San Diego with her three children. With a BS in aerospace engineering, Nikki first put her writing skills to use publishing four nonfiction books. She moved on to writing young adult fiction, her favorite genre to read as well. The Midnight Dance is her debut novel.

 Website  Goodreads  Twitter  Facebook 

So thanks again for stopping by to check out my review of The Midnight Dance by Nikki Katz, I hope you enjoyed. If you'd like to check out the rest of the stops on the tour please check out the our schedule here.  

Blog Tour Review - Ultimate Sacrifice by S. E. Green

Hi everyone and thanks for stopping by to check out my review as part of the Ultimate Sacrifice blog tour. I received a copy of this book from the lovely people over at Xpresso Blog Tours and my god I'm so glad I did. So, without further ado lets jump straight in!

Ultimate Sacrifice by S. E. Green

Published 3rd October 2017 by Oftomes 

Genre - Horror/Young Adult 

Star Rating - ****.5

Goodreads Challenge - 67/50

I received this book from Xpresso Blog Tours in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis

Vickie has always lived a quiet, ordinary life in an equally quiet and ordinary small town. Yet one fateful night a child turns up dead in the woods behind her house in a ritualistic slaughter. Vickie and her family are suddenly thrown into a national spotlight. But as the investigation unfolds, she begins to realize her family isn’t so ordinary after all. Evil is inching closer to those she holds dear and Vickie isn’t sure who she can ultimately trust.

                                 Goodreads                           Book Trailer 

My Thoughts

I loved this book, it was so fast paced and full of enough sinister and creepy themes to keep you up at night! This is the story of Vickie whose twin brother Travis finds a child dead in the woods and the crime scene points to a ritualistic killing. The whole family come under investigation as they try to discover just what happened in the woods that day and Vickie is determined to so some investigating of her own. During this investigation Vickie happens upon some disturbing revelations about her family and she relalises things aren't always as they seem. This book is pitched as a Horror and this isn't something I usually read, I'm a bit of a wimp. However, after reading the synopsis and hearing that this book involves cults, a thriller mystery and a little bit of paranormal stuff thrown in I was so ready to read it and I'm so very glad I did. 

The chapters in this book are quite short and if you've followed any of my other reviews you will know this is something I really enjoy in these types of stories. They kept me engaged throughout and always wanting more and the authors fast paced writing style really drew me in. I could not put this book down and I ended up finishing it in a day which is something I haven't done in a long time. The ending was a complete surprise to me. I couldn't work out what direction the plot was going to take and this kept me on the edge of my seat, wanting to know what happened next. 

So this all sounds great and it really had the set up to be a 5 star read for me and I really wanted to give it that as I loved it so much but I couldn't help but notice one or two flaws. There wasn't as much character development as I would of liked and I think this was due to how fast paced the story was. I understand that to slow down in order to give the characters depth you may have lost momentum with the story however, I would of liked a little bit more character exploration. This story also focused quite heavily on the family and you saw those dynamics change several times over the course of the novel which was great as it gave us an insight into how the family was affected by the course of events however, some things were resolved just a bit to quick for me. I won't detail them here due to spoilers but several big secrets were revealed that would have a major affect on people in the family and these seemed to be all but forgotten a couple of chapters later. I also would of liked a bit more of the paranormal aspect. As I mentioned earlier this is marketed as a horror and, although I did find it creepy, mysterious and in some parts down right sinister to me it wasn't scary. To me this read more as a thriller than a horror and I would of liked a bit more of the paranormal aspect in order to make it so. 

That being said there was just something about this book that drew me in completely. I found myself ignoring all of my adult duties in order to pick this up and devour it and to me that's the sign of a great story. I've given this book a 4.5* overall as a compromise between my absolute love for the story and my recognition of the flaws that are there. I would definitely recommend this as a must for all thriller lovers and to anyone looking for a super creepy Halloween read. 

Overall rating (4.5*)

  
This book is available from Amazon at the following link. 

Author Bio

 S. E. Green (aka Shannon Greenland) is the award winning author of the thriller, KILLER INSTINCT, the spy series, THE SPECIALISTS, and the romances, THE SUMMER MY LIFE BEGAN and SHADOW OF A GIRL. She lives off the coast of Florida with her very grouchy dog. ULTIMATE SACRIFICE is her debut YA horror, due out October 2017.

Website                     Goodreads                     Facebook                     Twitter

So thanks again for stopping by to check out my review of Ultimate Sacrifice by S. E. Green. If you'd like to check out the rest of the stops on the tour check out the tour schedule here.  

 

  

September Book Haul

Hello everyone and I'm back today with my September book haul. I'm sorry it's a bit later than I would of liked but anyway here are all the books, both physical and electronic, that I received in September. 

Physical Books

Hunted by Megan Spooner 
The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson
Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige
Fairest by Marissa Meyer
Cress by Marissa Meyer
Winter by Marissa Meyer
The Winners Curse by Marie Rutkoski
The Winners Crime by Marie Rutkoski
And I Darken by Kiersten White
The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra by Vaseem Khan

Ebooks

Michael's Spear by Hilton Pashley - eARC received from the publisher 
The Nature of Gods by D. J. Torres - eARC received from the author 

So that's all the books I aquired in September. No where near as many as last month which is good because I really am running out of room on my shelves. 

Have you read any of these? Personally I'm looking forward to completing the Lunar Chronicles. Let me know what you think.  

Review - Heartshire High by Charlotte Leonetti

 

Heartshire High by Charlotte Leonetti 

Published 11th August 2017 by Createspace Independent Publishing 

Star Rating - **

Goodreads Challenge - 66/50

I received this a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

 Synopsis from Goodreads 

Alice in Wonderland goes to a new high school.....
 

Heartshire High is a modern-day retelling of Alice in Wonderland, and debut novel by up-and-coming young author Charlotte Leonetti.
 

Heartshire High takes the reader through Celia's move to a new town in her senior year, living with a less than caring dad, dealing a new school and having to make new friends. While Celia is focused on just surviving her last school year, and counting down the days until graduation, Bunni befriends her and leads her into the woods, and into a world of drugs, parties, and death.
 

Once Celia discovers the mysterious death of Tim, she can't help but dig into what happened. While the whole town tries to ignore what happened, Celia starts to ask questions which lead to her having even more questions. What really happened to Tim? Was it murder? Is somebody not telling the truth? Or is she prying into something she shouldn't be?

My Thoughts

In this story we follow Celia who has moved to a new town with her dad, leaving her mum behind. She has to attend her last year of school at Heartshire High and she doesn't get off to a great start. She struggles to fit in, make friends and she ends up putting her foot in it with the dead kids girlfriend. She eventually makes friends with Bunni, Dutch and some others and is determined to help out her friends and solve the mystery of the boys death along with it.

Now I did like this story, it definitely had potential and I found myself wanting to pick it up I just really wanted more from it. I really wanted some more character exploration. Everything felt quite surface level and I really wanted more emotion and feelings as well as some more back story to the characters. I needed to know more about where Celia came from and her relationship with her mother. There were times when I really felt for Celia but I really just needed more. I also wanted to know more about Pilar and Tim's relationship and what Bunni, Dutch and Red's stories were. I found lots of characters often popped up with little explanation of where they came from and this meant I found them quite difficult to relate too at times.

I also really wanted more from the plot. The general premise and story idea was good and enjoyable to read about but again it was quite surface level. Things often happened very quickly and I wanted some more depth. This may be due to the length of the book, it's only approximately 170 pages long and it really could of benefited from being 100 pages longer. I did really enjoy the Alice and Wonderland aspect of the story however, and you could definitely see where the author got her inspiration from. Most of the links were well intertwined with the story and you could see which characters represented the originals. Celia as Alice, Bunni as the White Rabbit, Red as the Mad Hatter and Pilar as the Caterpillar. Like I said most aspects worked well with the story, there were a couple that had me rolling my eyes a bit but on the whole the retelling aspect was good. There were also some great themes covered in this book and I liked that the author tackled things such as drug abuse and teenage pregnancy. I also appreciated the inclusion of a gay character.

Overall I thought the ideas and the premise of this story were interesting and I did find myself wanting to continue with the story as I read. I just wished it were longer so we could of explored both the characters and the plot a bit more. I really do feel that this author has potential and I hope she writes longer novels in the future to remedy these things. 

Overall Rating 

 

October TBR

I'm pleased to announce that I managed to complete my TBR for September! So as I'm on a roll here are all the books I'm planning on reading in October. Sorry it's a bit late but better late than never hey. 

Review Books

Ultimate Sacrifice by S. E. Green I will be reading this as part of the blog tour. In fact I have actually completed this one so keep an eye out for my review on 14th October. This is released on 3rd October.

The Hanging Girl by Eileen Cook I received this from NetGalley, it's published on 19th October. 

The Witches of the Glass Castle by Gabriella Lapore This is the October read-a-long book for Oftomes publishing so I received this one from the publisher to read and review. 

The Midnight Dance by Nikki Katz I will be reading this as part of the blog tour. My stop is on the 16th October and it's published on 17th October. 

The Treatment by C. L. Taylor I received this from NetGalley, it's published on 19th October.  

TBR Books

The Last Animal by Abby Geni This is a short story collection that I am currently reading. I've been reading one story between each book I finish to break them up a bit as I was finding I was reading lots in similar genres. 

I'm not planning anything else in from my TBR I'm just going to see how I get on and then pick up whatever takes my fancy. At the moment I'm feeling in a fantasy mood but that may change.

So they're all of the books I'm planning on reading in October. What books do you have planned for this month? Let me know. 

 

September Wrap Up

September was an okay reading month for me. Last month I read 13 books which is above and beyond what I usually read, but this month I went back to work (primary teacher) so I was back to my usual level of reading. I managed to finish 6 books in the month of September and I am in the middle of 2 more, one of which I hope to finish tonight. So here are all of the books I read in September in order from highest to lowest rated. 

The Scarecrow Queen by Melinda Sailsbury
Published 2nd March by Scholastic Press
Star Rating - ****.5
Goodreads Challenge - 64/50
Review - Goodreads Review

  

The Secrets You Keep by Kate White
Published 11th September 2017 by Canelo
Star Rating - ****
Goodreads Challenge - 63/50
Review - Blog Review 

  

The Body in the Marsh by Nick Louth
Published 25th September 2017 by Canelo
Star Rating - ****
Goodreads Challenge - 65/50
Review - Blog Review 

  

Trapped in Silver by Emily Sowden
Published 7th February 2017 by Oftomes
Star Rating - ****
Goodreads Challenge - 61/60
Review - Blog Review  

Whispers Underground by Ben Aaronovitch 
Published 21st June 2012 by Gollancz
Star Rating - ***
Goodreads Challenge - 62/50 
Review - Goodreads Review 

A Jigsaw of Fire and Stars by Yaba Badoe
Published 7th September 2017 by Zephyr
Star Rating - ***
Goodreads Challenge - 60/50
Review - Blog Review 

Currently Reading

The Last Animal by Abby Geni 
Heartshire High by Charlotte Leonetti 

So as you can see I had a pretty good reading month in terms of ratings and enjoyment in September. I'm also super happy because I managed to complete my first every TBR!! 

I'll be back soon with my October TBR and by September book haul. In the mean time what did you read this month? Let me know.