Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

Illuminae is a YA sci-fi novel which follows two teens, Kady and Ezra, who escape their home planet when enemy ships arrive to destroy it and its inhabitants. The novel is written in document style as if it were a transcript of the events which the characters endured.

The plot was richly detailed and engaging. It was very unique which made it unpredictable and made the reader much more entertained. It was action packed yet possessed a clarity throughout the entire duration of events.

The characters were quite original and unique but I felt as though they were all one dimensional and lacked the development which would have made the reader much more emotionally attached. Kady was a teen hacker, she was fierce and was often defiant towards adults and authority. Ezra was an unusual blend of intelligence and muscle.

The setting was well developed and clear. It certainly has room for additional building throughout the rest of the series. However, at no point was the reader confused or struggling to understand the story due to issues with the clarity of the setting.

The document format was interesting towards the beginning of the novel but as the reader continued it became clunky and produced gaps in the story. Whilst the plot was clear, areas like character development and subplots were lacking. I would prefer the story written in simple pros as I think the plot stands on its own without the extra hook of the format. I would have loved a psychological element as the sheer horror of the events would have been magnificent to capture form the characters' perspectives.

Overall, I enjoyed this novel and would recommend it to any sci-fi nut.

Overall rating: 3.5/5 stars.

Review by Jess

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a young adult dystopian novel with political themes. It follows the story of a military general's daughter named Kestrel who, at the beginning of the novel, buys a slave at an auction. This slave happens to have a secret that will endanger everything she holds dear.

The best element of this book was by far the characters. Every character was well developed and unique. They were all completely different from the typical YA heroes and heroines. It was absolutely fascinating to read about them as the reader feels much empathy towards both the individual characters and the events they were put through during the plot of the novel.

The main character, Kestrel is the daughter of a famous military general who, despite the pressure of her father, is much more passionate about knowledge and strategy than the barbaric fighting and torturous nature of war. She is unique, not only in the world that she lives in but on Earth too.

The plot was also a key element and was executed with clarity and purpose. The details were meticulous and well-planned yet, overall, the book was fast paced and engaging.

The setting was captivating, clear and well-developed. The clarity of the setting was paramount due to the military strategy themes that were prominent. The clarity was achieved in an intricate and transparent fashion.

The writing style was also well executed with an elegant simplicity. Even though the book was plot and character driven, the beauty of the writing style added to the overall reading experience in an extremely positive way.

Overall, I felt this book was unique and thoroughly stands out from other YA novels. I would highly recommend this to EVERYONE! You can expect a review of 'The Winner's Crime' which is the next book in this trilogy as I have ordered it from the local bookstore and it should be arriving soon.

Overall rating: 5/5 stars

Review by Jess

Book Quotes #1

Today I thought I would share with you some of my favourite quotes from some of my favourite books!

'I wish I could freeze this moment right here, right now, and live in it forever.' - The Hunger Games

'And there it is, against all hope, like the sun peeking out from behind the clouds. The smallest hint of a smile.' - These Broken Stars

'Fear is only your enemy if you allow it to be.' - An Ember in the Ashes

'Real friends are the ones you can always count on no matter what. The ones who go into the forest to find you and bring you home. And real friends never have to tell you that they're your friends.' - Since You've Been Gone

'Some things you can never leave behind. They don't belong to the past. They belong to you.' - The 5th Wave

'It is my belief... that the truth is generally preferable to lies.' - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

'Libraries are full of ideas - perhaps the most dangerous and powerful of all weapons.' - Throne of Glass

Thanks for reading, Jess!

Every Breath by Ellie Marney 

              “Rachel Watts has just moved to Melbourne from the country, but the city is the last place she wants to be. James Mycroft is her neighbour, an intriguingly troubled seventeen-year-old who is also a genius with a passion for forensics. Despite her misgivings, Rachel finds herself unable to resist Mycroft when he wants her help investigating a murder. He’s even harder to resist when he’s up close and personal – and on the hunt for a cold-blooded killer. When Rachel and Mycroft follow the murderer’s trail, they find themselves in the lion’s den – literally. A trip to the zoo will never have quite the same meaning again…” – The Blurb for Every Breath.

              Every Breath by Ellie Marney is 334 pages of intense, gripping and suspenseful reading that had me holding my every breath right until the very last page. I really enjoyed reading this crime/romantic thriller that then, to my delight, I discovered was part of an amazing trilogy.

              This book completely transported me into the world of Rachel Watts and James Mycroft. The book is told in first person from Rachel’s perspective. I really enjoyed this as the character of Rachel was taking the place of Dr Watson (as the book is a modern take on Sherlock Holmes). Dr Watson is traditionally Sherlock Holmes’ assistant or sidekick. James Mycroft takes the place of Sherlock Holmes in this book. I thought it was original yet pleasing that the author wrote the series from the perspective of the sidekick as opposed to the hero; therefore making the sidekick the main character. I found this to be insightful and entertaining.

              Ellie Marney does a brilliant job of describing the scenery and characters. The series is mainly based in Melbourne, except for a trip to London in Every Word and a trip to Rachel’s old home, Five Mile, in Every Move. I found it incredible to have been to the place the book was set in. This was the first book I have read where I had that pleasure and I felt that it added to my overall enjoyment of the book. However, I felt that even if I had not been to Melbourne before I would have still had an amazing view, in my mind’s eye, of the scenery.

              The characters were detailed and original. Although this was a take off  of Sherlock Holmes Ellie Marney put her own personal spin on each character by giving them unique quirks or personality traits that made them even more lifelike. I found myself feeling the characters’ emotions, especially Rachel’s, as I read this book and series.

              My favourite thing about the writing style of this book was the fact that nothing was sugar-coated. By this I mean that the characters did have personality flaws and did, on occasion, swear. I am not saying that I always like swearing in books or by dangerous characters but I do thoroughly appreciate it when the author honestly portrays what the characters may say or do without skimming over parts that are a little rough.

              Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and series and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys crime novels, thrillers or has enjoyed reading Sherlock Holmes. I would rate this book 4.5 stars.

Review by Jess

172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad

172 Hours on the moon is an eerie, fast-past YA Sci-Fi thriller that definitely stands out among the rest of it's genre.

This book takes place when NASA creates a mission to the moon with a twist. A lottery gives the opportunity to three teens to visit the moon along with five of the world's leading astronauts. The novel follows the teens' journey from entering the competition to their adventure on the moon.

The character development in this novel is well executed and thoroughly detailed. Each character is individualised. They are well fleshed out and posses absolute clarity. The reader feels attached to them and is routing for their safety throughout the entire duration of the novel.

The writing style is very simplistic. I usually find that when a book is written in a writing style as simplistic as this novel, the reader often feels detached from the characters and plot. However, I felt that this did not occur in this novel and, in fact, aided and increased the readers connection to both the characters and plot as it emphasised greater moments in the plot and increased their impact.

The plot of this book was detailed and meticulously planned. The overall concept was both fascinating and captivating. The plot focused on the thriller aspect more than the sci-fi. However, there were also survival themes prominent throughout the novel.

Overall, I particularly enjoyed reading 172 Hours on the Moon and would recommend it to any YA reader, especially those looking for a thriller with prominent sci-fi themes.

Overall: 4.5/5 stars

Review by Jess

Reading Goals for 2016

1. Read 50 books.
I settled on this numerical reading goal as this is my first year completing one. I know that this is just under 1 book per week but I am hoping to exceed it however, I didn't want to put too much pressure on myself.

2. Read books out of my comfort zone.
I would like to venture into new genres this year in order to try new things and expand my literary knowledge.

3. Participate in a readathon.
This will be a new experience for me but readathons sound very fun and I would really like to try one.

4. Stay focused on reading and book blogging.
Reading is a very important part of my life and during the past few years my amounts of reading have increased and I would like to keep it this way and improve it. Book blogging is an important yet new part of my life and I would really like to work hard to improve my blog. Please feel free to comment any suggestions. :)

I know these are only a few resolutions but I really hope to keep track of and achieve my goals!

~Jess

Sherlock Holmes: A Scandal in Bohemia by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

This was my first introduction to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s ‘Sherlock Holmes’ collection. This was the primary reason I felt it was necessary to write a review on the short story.

From the moment I began reading, it was the entrancing and elegant writing style which captured my attention. I loved the wording of the story and I was absolutely fascinated and delighted by the language used.

The characters of Sherlock, Watson and Irene Adler were all distinct and well detailed. I found their quirks believable and unique. I can’t wait to learn more about them as I read more in the ‘Sherlock Holmes’ collection.

The setting of historical London was beautiful and, whilst it was not a prominent part of this particular short story, I am looking forward to reading more short stories that take place in this captivating place and time period.

The only downfall of this short story was the ending as it was slightly abrupt and anticlimactic. However, this most certainly did not ruin the mystery and I still found this a particularly memorable piece of writing.

The plot was extremely interesting and intricate. Sherlock crafted a particularly complex plan which was executed flawlessly as crafted using Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s incredible writing abilities.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this short story classic and will look forward to reading more in the ‘Sherlock Holmes’ collection.

Review by Jess

(This was a shorter review as it was a short story and there was less writing to review.)