I guess I should explain myself.

Hi.

Long time no see. Longer than the time I took off YouTube. Sorry about that.

I've been taking more time away from my blog since the last post in November, I have had a lot going on in my personal life that meant not only did I not have a lot of time to write blog posts for you all, but I barely had time to read. Whilst I did continue to post videos, these were mainly bulk-filmed making them easier to film and then edit and upload where I could.

Now that I feel a little bit more "normal" after everything that went on between November and May, I am starting to get back into the swing of things in terms of videos and blog posts - I have a number of reviews to post considering I havent posted anything this year!

So far this year I've read:

Everless by Sara Holland
Saga Vol 2.
Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
Wolf by wolf by Ryan Graudin
The Sun and her flowers by Rupi Kaur
Illuminae by Jay Kristoff and Aimi Kaufman
The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris.

If you follow me on Instagram (username @rebeccareadsyt), you have no doubt seen my updates either on my story or in my posts, as I have been trying to stay "in the loop" with booktube and bookstagram as much as possible whilst having a break, but it's harder than it seems, particularly when I'm not reading as much!

Now that I'm reading more and being more active in general with social media, I'll hopefully be able to get some reviews up for the books I've read this year, as I definitely have some interesting opinions!


Speak to you all soon! x

BOOK THOUGHTS || Vicious by V E Schwab

*** please note, this review may contain spoilers***

Summed up in a sentence? "I wish I'd picked this up sooner!”

SYNOPSIS

Victor and Eli started out as college roommates—brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong. 

Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find—aside from his sidekick, an enigmatic woman with an unbreakable will. Armed with terrible power on both sides, driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the archnemeses have set a course for revenge—but who will be left alive at the end?

MY OPINIONS

This is my first read from the much-loved author V E Schwab. After following Victor and Eli, and actually loving them both (not even sorry), I now know why everyone enjoys her writing so much. The novel has you hooked from pretty much page one, leaving you constantly wanting more. I found myself reading this quite quickly, and completed this within a week on my commutes to work.

I absolutely adored both Victor and Eli, even though they went from being inseperable, to wanting to kill eachother. The difference between them being that Eli will go out of his way to find super-powered humans to kill, whereas Victor wants to find them to ally.

The scenes unfolded quickly, with detail and a storyline that kept me wanting more. Naturally, when the book finished, I was devastated, and just wanted more.

MY RATING

Overall, I am giving this book an amazing five out of five stars. I am definitely going to re-read this in the near future, and hopefully the rest of the novels I read by Schwab will follow suit,

BOOK THOUGHTS || Sing by Vivi Greene

*** please note, this review may contain spoilers***

Summed up in a sentence? "a pleasant, quick read!”

I received this book in exchange for an honest review through NetGalley, an eARC publishing site. This is no way reflects my views.

SYNOPSIS

America’s most famous pop star flees the spotlight to recover from her latest break-up in Maine—only to fall for a local boy and be faced with an impossible choice at the end of the summer: her new guy, or her music.

Multiplatinum pop icon Lily Ross’s biggest hits and biggest heartbreaks (because they are one and the same):

1. AGONY. (That feeling when her ex ripped her heart out of her chest and she never saw it coming.)

2. GHOSTS. (Because even famous people are ghosted by guys sometimes. And it sucks just as much.) 

3. ONCE BITTEN. (As in: twice shy. Also, she’s never dating an actor or a musician ever again.)

But this summer’s going to be different. After getting her heart shattered, Lily is taking herself out of the spotlight and heading to a small island in middle-of-nowhere Maine with her closest friends. She has three months until her fall tour starts-three months to focus on herself, her music, her new album. Anything but guys.

That is . . . until Lily meets sweet, down-to-earth local Noel Bradley, who is so different from anyone she’s ever dated. Suddenly, Lily’s “summer of me” takes an unexpected turn, and she finds herself falling deeper and harder than ever before. But Noel isn’t interested in the limelight. She loves Noel-but she loves her fans, too. And come August, she may be forced to choose. 

MY OPINIONS

Okay, so on first glance, I thought this may be a little bit corny. At the time of applying for the book on NetGalley, I felt I really needed something fast-paced that I didn't need to put too much thought into reading. And this was just that.

Whilst I was reading this, I couldn't help but think that this just screamed “Taylor Swift” (if I'm even allowed to say that) at me. That doesnt mean it was all bad, it just means that a lot of it was incredibly cliché. I just had to keep telling myself that the idea behind the book, and the writing style, wasn't meant to be designed for readers of my age, but rather for a younger audience.

The plot had enough substance to keep me interested, and I really did enjoy the blossoming relationship between Lily and the islanders. They didn't see her as some sort of celebrity, which really helped her develop her sense of character and development. Again, this was cliché and actually quite cheesy in some aspects.

MY RATING

Overall I've given this book three out of five stars. Had I been younger when reading this, I dont believe my feelings would have differed at all. Yes, this read was incredibly quick, and had some lovely moments, but I just didnt think this was right for me. I can see it having a bright future down the line, but personally, it wasn't something I could see myself re-reading in the future.

BOOK THOUGHTS || ASSASSINS APPRENTICE - ROBIN HOBB

*** please note, this review may contain spoilers***

Summed up in a sentence? " A must for all of those too scared to jump into fantasy – a nice, steady paced novel that isn't too overpowering with the Sci-Fi/Fantasy elements!

SYNOPSIS

Young Fitz is the bastard son of the noble Prince Chivalry, raised in the shadow of the royal court by his father's gruff stableman. He is treated like an outcast by all the royalty except the devious King Shrewd, who has him secretly tutored in the arts of the assassin. For in Fitz's blood runs the magic Skill--and the darker knowledge of a child raised with the stable hounds and rejected by his family. As barbarous raiders ravage the coasts, Fitz is growing to manhood. Soon he will face his first dangerous, soul-shattering mission. And though some regard him as a threat to the throne, he may just be the key to the survival of the kingdom.

MY OPINIONS

So after putting this book off for months, I finally picked this up at the back end of the Christmas period (yes, I am so late to this review) and finished it in the New Year. I absolutely loved this book. Usually I dont enjoy world-building in novels, I tend to find them difficult to get through as they tend to be so long, but this managed to just captivate me in a way that left me wanting more.

The character develepments in this novel were brilliant. They allowed so much to happen, yet left a lot of the plot lines open for development in the future novels (this is the first in a number of trilogies that all link together). I particularly enjoyed the relationship journey between Fitz and the Fool, going from this odd, awkward jumble of actions and emotions, to two people who actually come to rely on eachother for the sake of their own sanity, and most likely their lives.

Now, we discover through the book that Fitz has something called 'The Skill'. This allows him to connect with animals through a link in their minds, amongst other things that Fitz has to get to grips with during this first novel. I really do hope he manages to develop the Skill throughout the future novels.

MY RATING

Overall, I am rating this book 5 out of 5 stars. I tend to say I am strict in my five star handouts (this is in fact a lie, I tend to hand them out like cake at a birthday party), but this is one novel I feel has truly deserved it. I never usually go for these kind of books, but Hobb has allowed me to feel like I can break that streak. A must for all of those too scared to jump into fantasy – a nice, steady paced novel that isn't too overpowering with the Sci-Fi/Fantasy elements!

REVIEW || Stealing Snow by Danielle Paige

*** please note, this review may contain spoilers***

BOOK THOUGHTS: STEALING SNOW

First of all, many thanks to Bloomsbury for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, and also to Netgalley, for approving my request also!

I'm just going to put this out there, I've never read a Danielle Paige book prior to this one. As an avid reader and someone who seemingly adores fairytale re-tellings, you would think I'd have read some of her works by now. But, there's a first time for everything, and the plot line of this novel just drew me in.

"Seventeen-year-old Snow has spent her life locked in Whittaker Psychiatric—but she isn’t crazy. And that’s not the worst of it. Her very first kiss proves anything but innocent…when Bale, her only love, turns violent.

Despite Snow knowing that Bale would never truly hurt her, he is taken away—dashing her last hope for any sort of future in the mental ward she calls home. With nowhere else to turn, Snow finds herself drawn to a strange new orderly who whispers secrets in the night about a mysterious past and a kingdom that’s hers for the taking—if only she can find her way past the iron gates to the Tree that has been haunting her dreams.

Beyond the Tree lies Algid, a land far away from the real world, frozen by a ruthless king. And there too await the River Witch, a village boy named Kai, the charming thief Jagger, and a prophecy that Snow will save them all." (taken from Goodreads)

***

When Bloomsbury posted a tweet about this book, saying they had spare ARC's available, I never thought I'd actually get a copy. An ebook, maybe, as I tend to get things approved from NetGalley now and again, but never a physical copy. The fact that I got the physical copy was enough to keep me invested in the book, even just if it was to provide a review for those of you who read my blog.

***

MY OPINION:

This book was well thought out, even if the concept was a little bit typical in some places, and all over the place in others. There were a whole array of characters who just seemed to be there, not doing much. That being said, I was still captivated throughout the book. 

Whilst I was heading into this book expecting a Snow White retelling, it turned out it is actually a re-telling of The Snow Queen.  Now, I'm unfamiliar with this fairy tale, so each twist and turn in the book was unexpected, as I had no true idea of what the initial fairy tale entailed. However, I do think this worked in my favour, as whilst others may have had expectations regarding familiarity, I lacked them. 

One of the issues I struggled with, is that whilst Snow had a lot going on in her life, such as finding out who she really is, whilst trying to find childhood friend Bale in an alternative universe, there is also a love triangle. What is it with pretty much every YA novel having a love triangle? This wasn't exactly needed, considering Snow's feelings were made pretty clear as of page one. 

Overall, I believe the initial idea had a LOT of promise, most of which was not met.  As this is actually the first in a series - possibly a trilogy, I'm unsure - this makes sense, as it allows things to develop and flow a little better in further books.

***

MY RATING: 

TWO AND A HALF STARS

Have any of you read this book? If so, what are your thoughts? Or do you have any recommendations based off my review? Let me know in the comments below!

REVIEW || HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD

Yes, you read that title correctly,

I, along with the majority of the world (or so it seems), was one of the lucky ducks who got the book the day it was released, simply by popping along to my local stockist of the book, and buying it half price (or at least my other half did whilst I was at work, so thank you a thousand times over!

Naturally I was 1000x more anxious about reading this book than any other, apart from the 7th HP book coincidentally enough. And I had every right to be. This series, or the Harry Potter franchise as a whole, made not just my childhood, but many others, brighter and better just by picking it up at all.

Now I totally get that the series isn't for everyone. And hell (is hell even allowed to be said?) some may prefer the movies. But all I have to say is, give this script a go. Maybe the movie enthusiasts will prefer it moreso than those favouring the book series, due to it actually being a script!

Anyway, now that I've finally completed it (it took me a week) I'm going to try my best to compile my thoughts in the least spoiler-esque way as possible..

OK, so nineteen years later, we find ourselves transported to Kings Cross, pretty much exactly where we left off at the end of Deathly Hallows. We're approaching the entrance to the platform, and there's a little bit of nerves coming from Albus Severus, who is heading to his first year at Hogwarts. For me, this scene, along with several others throughout the script, echoed scenes we've already seen earlier in the series, some of which were almost word for word! (If you've completed this you'll know what I'm on about). So once we're through the wall (luckily no flying cars this time) the good old Hogarth Express is waiting, and we meet Rose and her family and parents, The Weasley's. As the board the train to Hogwarts, they go to find a carriage, and this is where the story really takes off, as we meet Scorpius Malfoy, son of Draco.

Now I'll drop my summary here, for fear of spoilers. Let's move on to my thoughts. 

Everything reeked of familiar scenes and scenarios. I understand we have to go through the whole process with Albus in the same way as we did with Harry and Co but it's almost too alike. I understand that Rowling didn't write it alone but on the other hand maybe that should have been a good thing? We could have possibly seen more interesting aspects or changes to Hogwarts but these seem to have been brushed aside, which really is a shame.

I did enjoy several of the character developments, particularly Scorpius and Delphi, although Delphi's development was perhaps the one that shocked me the most, as that plays a crucial twist in the play as a whole.

Overall, I'm giving the script 3 out of 5 stars.  I really wnjoyed several aspects including the twist, but for me it was all a little too familiar to the original series, and it was as if a couple of people had forced Rowling to write those familiar scenes as they couldn't let go of the series. This is such a shame though as the script had so much promise, and Rowling is an amazingly talented author, but this time, it sadly just didn't work for me.