Book Review: Ever the Hunted by Erin Summerill

Ever the Hunted

by Erin Summerill

Source: I bought a hardcover copy

Genre: Young Adult, fantasy, magic, adventure

Synopsis:

Seventeen year-old Britta Flannery is at ease only in the woods with her dagger and bow. She spends her days tracking criminals alongside her father, the legendary bounty hunter for the King of Malam—that is, until her father is murdered. Now outcast and alone and having no rights to her father’s land or inheritance, she seeks refuge where she feels most safe: the Ever Woods. When Britta is caught poaching by the royal guard, instead of facing the noose she is offered a deal: her freedom in exchange for her father’s killer.

However, it’s not so simple. 

The alleged killer is none other than Cohen McKay, her father’s former apprentice. The only friend she’s ever known. The boy she once loved who broke her heart. She must go on a dangerous quest in a world of warring kingdoms, mad kings, and dark magic to find the real killer. But Britta wields more power than she knows. And soon she will learn what has always made her different will make her a daunting and dangerous force.

Review:

It's been a little while since I read this one, so this is going to be a pretty short review, unfortunately. Unless you prefer short reviews, in which case, this will be right up your alley!

I really enjoyed this book. I've seen a lot of reviewers saying that they didn't like it because it was predictable, they didn't like the writing, the characters weren't well-developed, you name it. All I can say is that I suppose I must be a pretty simple person because I really don't analyse books to that degree. I very clearly either like or dislike a story, and it's usually leaning more on the positive side.

I liked Britta a lot. She seemed like a slightly less intense, but just as fierce, version of Katniss Everdeen (whom I also loved), and in a very different setting with a bit more magic and a lot less love-triangle.

I liked Cohen as well. Even though I wasn't really sure in the beginning whether he was guilty or not, I was immediately on his side. I felt that he was either innocent, or if he was guilty, he had a  very good reason.

I appreciated the magical elements in this book, and I'm really looking forward to the sequel to find out what else Britta can do, and what will happen next!

My Goodreads rating:

Book Review: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

The Raven Boys

by Maggie Stiefvater

Source: Borrowed from the library (paperback)

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Magic, Spiritualism

Synopsis:

“There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

Review:

I really enjoyed reading this book! I mean I obviously expected to, otherwise I wouldn't have bothered picking it up. But if I'm honest, I really don't research books too much before I buy/read them. I don't always read the synopsis of a book - I like to be surprised. I mostly just base my reading decisions on whether or not others have recommended it, the cover art, and the title. Some people might consider that a terrible way to go about reading, but it hasn't really steered me wrong yet. I have read very few books that I really, honestly, didn't like!

So, as I was saying, I liked this book. As I started reading and putting pieces together, I wasn't entirely sure that I would like it, because I don't typically like stories about witchcraft/spiritualism or whatever. But it was presented in a very non-threatening way, and I just really liked it.

It's a ghost story, and quasi-love story, a story of betrayal, a coming-of-age/ self-discovery, adventure, magic, fast cars, talking trees... I mean... Once a story pulls all that together and talking trees? That's gold.

So Blue comes from a family of Seers. She doesn't have the Sight, her only (apparent) power is amplifying the powers of those around her. She has always been told that if she kisses her true love, he will die, and so she has not allowed herself to be interested in boys - especially the privileged boys at the nearby private boys' school, Aglionby.

All that changes when she finally sees one of the ghosts that her mother & aunts always claim to see. This one is a boy, one of the Raven boys from Aglionby. Her aunt tells her that if she can see him, it is either because he's her true love, or she will kill him. When Blue meets Gansey in person a short time later, she can't help but he drawn to him and his motley crew, and embarks on their mission to find the Raven King.

If you enjoy YA fiction and fantasy, I'm pretty sure you'll like this one. Highly recommended! Now I just need to get my hands on the other books (my library doesn't have them, and I can't seem to figure out the stupid inter-library loan system)...

My Goodreads rating:

Book Review: Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

I am so very behind with book reviews... Case in point, I finished reading this book at the beginning of April and have read, like, 17 other books since then... Please forgive me if I don't remember all the details! Also, this review contains "spoilers," so read the third paragraph with caution.

 

 

Before I Fall

by Lauren Oliver

 

 

Source: Borrowed a paperback copy from the library

 

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Contemporary

 

Synopsis:

With this stunning debut novel, New York Times bestselling author Lauren Oliver emerged as one of today's foremost authors of young adult fiction. Like Jay Asher's Thirteen Reasons Why and Gayle Forman's If I Stay, Before I Fall raises thought-provoking questions about love, death, and how one person's life can affect so many others.

For popular high school senior Samantha Kingston, February 12—"Cupid Day"—should be one big party, a day of valentines and roses and the privileges that come with being at the top of the social pyramid. And it is…until she dies in a terrible accident that night.

However, she still wakes up the next morning. In fact, Sam lives the last day of her life seven times, until she realizes that by making even the slightest changes, she may hold more power than she ever imagined.

Review:

I have always loved stories involving time travel or reincarnation, and I adored If I Stay, so it was a given that I was going to read this book. I haven't seen the movie yet, and I'm really curious to know if I would like it more than the book. It seems like the kind of story that makes a better movie...

 

Sam is not a likeable character, at least not in the beginning. And I believe that's how the author intended her to be. She grows and changes as the story progresses and she lives her last day over and over again, becoming a much more likeable person, endearing herself to the reader.

 

***SPOILER ALERT***   The following paragraph contains spoilers

 

It took me a couple chapters to decide whether or not I liked where the story was going, but I did eventually decide that I liked it. The only thing I didn't like was the fact that she still dies in the end. I just kind of felt like what was the point? What was the point of her living her last day over and over 'til she "got it right," changing into a person you can relate to, and then dies anyway? What was the point of that?!

 

So, aside from the annoying, tragic ending, I liked the book. Would I recommend it? Not really. I liked it, but it really wasn't good enough or emotional enough to make me want to encourage someone else to read it. I gave it 4 stars on Goodreads, but I think I would have rated it 3.5 if I could have.

 

My Goodreads rating:

 

Progress Report: May 2017

Hey! Here I am with another progress report, pretty much on time. I am bound and determined to keep on track with these progress reports...

So May was kind of crazy. I don't even know why, there's just so much that went on, and the weather kept switching back and forth between spring and summer, and just... I don't know! I've been feeling a bit frazzled. Well, I guess I always kind of do at the end of the month (it's a busier time for me at work), but I don't know, there's something about May that made me feel extra strung out.

Anyway! Over the course of the month of May I finished/read 9 books! I'm pretty sure that's a record for me! To be fair, 3 of them were pretty small, but they're still books and I read them!

Kindred Spirits by Rainbow Rowell (eBook, not pictured)

About a girl and Star Wars, to be very vague. I don't know if it's actually considered a short story or not. It's really not very long. It's cute, and you kind of want it to be longer so you know a bit more about what happens, but it's probably just perfect the way it is.

Ruby Redfort: Look Into My Eyes by Lauren Child (Dollar Tree)

Ruby Redfort is a 13-year-old spy/detective/code-breaker. A nice little blend of Harriet the Spy and Flavia De Luce. The series is a spin-off from Lauren's illustrated children's series Clarice Bean (Clarice's idol is Ruby Redfort, the heroine of her favourite books). After lots of requests, Lauren finally wrote the series about Ruby. I would say these books are geared toward middle-school aged children. It was a cute story, but Ruby's catch phrases got on my nerves. Not sure what time period they are set in, I guess maybe '60s or 70's.

The Girl With the Silver Eyes by Willo Davis Roberts (rummage sale)

Another kind of cute story, definitely aimed at elementary or middle school-age. It's about this little girl with silver eyes who has special abilities. She discovers that it might be related to a medication her mother took while pregnant, and that there might be others like her, so she goes on a sort of quest to find the others.

Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch

I loved this book! I don't typically enjoy YA romance because they are unrealistic and sickly sweet. This one was too, but I don't know... I just really liked it. It made me fall even more in love with Italy - I need to go there someday! The story is a sort of teen romance & self-discovery set in Italy.

Sweet Misfortune by Kevin Alan Milne (Dollar Tree)

I more or less enjoyed this story. It's about a deeply emotionally damaged chocolatier who must face her past in order to overcome her fears and begin to properly heal and truly open herself to love.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (OwlCrate - exclusive cover)

I had never read Alice before, I don't know why?! This was such a great story, and definitely enjoyable for adults just as much as for children. I have always loved everything about Wonderland (based on the Disney movies) and was pleased to finally see how much was true to the books. Still need to get my hands on and read Alice Through the Looking Glass.

The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli (OwlCrate)

This is definitely not a typical read for me. I couldn't decide if I liked the writing or not. It is definitely aimed at a high school audience, and appeals to their rebellious natures, in my opinion. I might have enjoyed it more when I was in high school, I'm not sure. It was a cute story nonetheless - about twins who are polar opposites, and one gets a girlfriend and the other feels left behind. It was a fun read.

Lullabies for Little Criminals by Heather O'Neill

I'm not sure that anybody could honestly say they loved this book. It's heartbreaking and depressing, and yet still full of hope. There's also a few unanswered questions in the end. It's basically the story of a young girl struggling to grow up in the slums of Montreal with a druggie dad, eventually getting involved in drugs and prostitution. It's very moving. I suppose that it's set in the 70's, but I'm not sure.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

Oh Em Gee. This book. I know now why people were making such a big deal out of this book when the movie was released some months ago! It's about a boy and a monster who helps him come to terms with his mom's illness and impending death. It's sad, it made me cry, but in a good way, if I can say that.

So, there you have it! It was an impressive reading month for me. I don't anticipate having another one like it before the end of the year, though! This month's reads bring my total up to 34 books read so far this year. I had adjusted my GoodReads goal to 45 in March (which means I have completed 76% of that goal), but I think I might just increase it again, to 52, and then see if I manage to go over that.

Well, that's all for now. Happy reading, I'll hopefully get a couple reviews posted over the next few weeks. *fingers crossed*