ARC AUGUST: WEEK 3 RECAP

It’s time for my weekly report/check in thing for ARC August hosted by Shelly & Octavia of Read. Sleep. Repeat. This week was a weird week. I got quite a bit of reading done but I've been neglecting life. Don't do that.  Life is important. You can't read and blog all the time. 

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What I’ve Been Reading. Love Me Deadly by Alycia Linwood, The Summer of Irreverence by Cathrine Goldstein, Game On by Michelle Smith, The Boyfriend Bet by Chris Cannon

Percentages Read: Love Me Deadly 100%, The Summer of Irreverence 100%, Game On 10%, The Boyfriend Bet 10%

Books Finished:  Love Me Deadly by Alycia Linwood, The Summer of Irreverence The Rock Star by Cathrine Goldstein

DNF: NONE

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If you’re participating in ARC August, how did your week go?

Unhooked by Lisa Maxwell Review

This is a spoiler free review!

Unhooked

Written by Lisa Maxwell

Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy/Fairytale Retelling

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Release Date: February 2, 2016

Pages: 342

Source: Library

Places to Get this Book: Amazon Barnes and Noble Book Depository

Recommended Age: 13 and up!

Summary:

For as long as she can remember, Gwendolyn Allister has never had a place to call home—all because her mother believes that monsters are hunting them. Now these delusions have brought them to London, far from the life Gwen had finally started to build for herself. The only saving grace is her best friend, Olivia, who’s coming with them for the summer.

But when Gwen and Olivia are kidnapped by shadowy creatures and taken to a world of flesh-eating sea hags and dangerous Fey, Gwen realizes her mom might have been sane all along.

The world Gwen finds herself in is called Neverland, yet it’s nothing like the stories. Here, good and evil lose their meaning and memories slip like water through her fingers. As Gwen struggles to remember where she came from and find a way home, she must choose between trusting the charming fairy-tale hero who says all the right things and the roguish young pirate who promises to keep her safe.

With time running out and her enemies closing in, Gwen is forced to face the truths she’s been hiding from all along. But will she be able to save Neverland without losing herself?

Review:

I loved this book so much. It took a little while to get into it but then I ended up really loving it. This is another Peter Pan retelling and I love Peter Pan retellings with all my heart. In this one though, Hook was the good guy and Pan was the bad guy. But trust me, Pan makes one hot bad guy. Like, I was swooning so much during this book. I highly recommend this. I also got some OUAT vibes from this one. Like Rowan is so Killian Jones. And Pan is so evil Pan from OUAT.

COVER

One of my favorite covers of the year. I love the use of green lettering at the top to spell out the title. And I also like how there is just a ship on the cover, in the ocean. The cover is pretty simple and not cluttered so it is nice to look at. Aesthetically pleasing, is what you'd say.

WORLD-BUILDING

The world-building comes to us slowly but that is how I like it. Especially with this book. I like how we get to know about the character's pasts and Neverland's past, slowly. We also hear things from each character so you don't really know who's tale is real and who is making some of the stuff up.

Then there are the characters.

GWEN

"Even if I believe we're in some sort of magical otherworld,' I say, 'even if I accept that much, you expect me to believe I'm stuck in some kind of fairy tale?"

I adored Gwen. She was hilarious and strong until the end. I was so proud of her for some of the things she did. And she was so strong to have to put up with all that she did. She is both mentally and a physically strong character. She doesn't back down from challenges and is very persistant. I really enjoyed reading about her even if she wasn't my favorite character. She was a great replacement for Wendy Darling.

credit goes to original maker

ROWAN

"'Aye, they do.' His dark eyes glitter as he leans in close. 'Let me be the first to welcome you to Neverland.'"

Rowan was such a swoonworthy character. He is the Captain Hook character except he isn't the bad guy. The Captain is young, being only a couple years older than Gwen but he has hardened and plays the part of a roguish pirate, deliciously well. The Captain has this serious charm to him which is practically seductive but not in a manipulative way. His words, as well as Pan's just ooze charm. And that walk the plank scene with Gwen. Ugh. Swoon.

gif credit goes to original maker


PAN

"Listen to Neverland, Gwendolyn. Can you feel it calling to you?"

Peter Pan is not the guy you remember. The one with the cute green outfit and cap, the one with the cute smile. No, this Peter Pan is dark, seductive and cunning. He's not the good guy. He has tricks up his sleeve and you never know what he is going to do. But, I really liked his character because I always have a soft spot for Peter Pan no matter how bad he is.

FRIENDSHIP/FAMILY

Olivia and Gwen's friendship was nice, even though Olivia was brainwashed by Pan for most of the book. But at the end, you could tell that she really cared about Gwen. And oh the ending made me sob.

PLOT

This was an amazing Peter Pan retelling, so naturally I loved the plot. I love how all the characters slid into their predecessor's roles so wonderfully. I really enjoyed getting to know the characters and how different Neverland was. I also got some really big Once Upon a Time vibes. I love how Neverland is so dark now and how everyone has a secret backstory.

ROMANCE

The romance was swoonworthy. There is not a love triangle. I repeat, there is not a love triangle. I was so happy when I found out, that I almost jumped for joy. For instance there is this one scene that was so good that I just have to put it here:

"Wishes,' I repeat stupidly.

'Aye. The desires of the heart. Though human desire is such a weak thing, Gwendolyn.' His lips are so close to me now, I swear I can feel the heat of them against my neck.

'It is?' I whisper, swallowing hard, forcing myself to hold completely still.

'It is,' he rasps, his voice as rough as the waves. 'Oh, it may burn and it may chafe, but it rarely devours a person. Not completely. In this world, though, desire is a bit more dangerous. In this world, lass, more often than not'-his lips do touch my neck then, softly, like a prayer--'it consumes,' he whispers against my skin.

I close my eyes, trying to block out his words, the heat of his body, the spice of the cloves on his breath, but it doesn't work. He is too close, too much for me to ignore."

WRITING

It is written in first person so I really liked that. But I loved the writing. It was so easy to read and understand and it worked so well.

Final Thoughts:

If you are a fan of Peter Pan, go read this book. If you are a fan of ABC's Once Upon A Time, go read this book. And if you are a fan of Fantasy, go read this book. It is amazing, and so well written.

Quotes from the Book:

"Looks more like Luke Skywalker than Hook to me."

"I don't think she wants to be unhanded. Shall we ask her? Would you like me to unhand you, Gwendolyn?" 

"It's up to you, Gwendolyn," Pan coaxes. The warmth of his arms feels real and strangely secure. "I will not force you. I would never treat you like a prisoner."

"Well played, Rowan," Pan says with no little admiration. "It seems I've taught you well." 

"Ah, yes. The ever-protective Captain. So kind and caring to the boys under his protection." Pan's smile is terrible now. "Until, of course, he kills them. Jealous I beat you to it?" 

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Crowns

picture credit goes to original taker

Top Five Wednesday | Favorite First Sentences [Aug 17]

  TOP FIVE WEDNESDAY

TOP 5 WEDNESDAY IS A WEEKLY MEME HOSTED BY SAM. YOU BASICALLY GET A NEW TOPIC EVERY WEDNESDAY, AND YOU LIST YOUR TOP 5 BOOKS RELATED TO THAT TOPIC. HEAD OVER TO THE GOODREADS GROUP, AND ADD YOUR NAME TO THE LIST OF WEDNESDAY-ERS IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING!

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Today’s topic is “Favorite First Sentences”  I love this topic so so much. There are so many amazing first sentences so these are just some of my favorites.

5. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE BY JANE AUSTEN

"It is a truth universally acknowleged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife."

This has one of the best first sentences. It clearly shows what is going to happen later in the book. Plus, I always think of it in a British accent. Am I the only one?

 4. falling kingdoms by morgan rhodes

"She'd never killed before tonight."

This book has a lot of blood, gore and violence which isn't surprising given the first sentence of the entire book. I think this sentence really gives you the information you need for the rest of the book. 

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3. legend by marie lu

 "My mother thinks I'm dead."

We open this book with Day's P.O.V. and he interestingly gives us this first sentence as his first words to us. I thought it was interesting because that might not be the first thing you want someone to know about you but it helps set up the book.

2. splintered by a.g. howard

"I've been collecting bugs since I was ten; it's the only way I can stop their whispers."

  Wow! This is an interesting first sentence choice. But I thought it was perfect for this book. 

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1. Percy jackson and the last olympian by rick riordan

 "The end of the world started when a pegasus landed on the hood of my car."

Rick Riordan starts all his books with a hilarious first sentence that really makes you want to continue. I really liked this sentence so I picked this one.

0. Harry Potter and the sorcerer's stone by j.k. rowling

 "Mr. and Mrs. Dursely of number 4, Pivet Drive were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much." 

This is basically my favorite series of all time. Harry Potter was my first fandom and I love the books so much. This is also a hilarious first sentence of a book. 

I hope you enjoyed this short little post and I'll see you all soon!

Pieces by T. Aleo Review

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This is a spoiler free review!

Pieces

Written by T. Aleo

Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy/Paranormal

Publisher: Toni Aleo Books

Release Date: June 27, 2016

Pages: 266

Source: NetGalley

Places to Get this Book: Amazon Barnes and Noble Book Depository

Recommended Age: 12 and up!

Summary:

In New York City, an underground society of supernatural beings exists, hidden among everyday humans. They don’t know of our activities or any of our secrets. 

The districts of the Works are made up of vampires, wolves, shifters, witches, and I’m in the fifth and arguably most important district, the Patchwork. My father is the leader of our group, and he oversees all of the other factions. 

As his only daughter, that makes me the princess of it all. Cool, right? Actually…no. 
Sure, I live in a mansion and money isn’t an object, but that doesn’t matter because I can’t leave. I have a guard who follows me around 24/7. My father and three older brothers treat me like I’m a fragile piece of glass, never allowed to take an independent step or make any decisions on my own. 
It’s beyond frustrating—especially since my father essentially runs my life. 
He says what I do, when I do it, how I do it, and all that jazz. He tests his formulas and new techniques on me. I’m a walking science experiment. 
I hate it. 
I hate my life here. 

But then he comes along: Killian. 
He’s just some vampire…or so I thought. 

But you’ll have to read my story to find out what I mean. To know my secrets. 
Until then, though, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Rebecca von Stein. 
And I’m a descendant of Dr. Frankenstein. 

Welcome to the Works. 

Review:

You know that saying, don't judge a book by its cover. Well, that's exactly what I did when I saw this book cover on the NetGalley page. I thought it had an interesting book cover and then I read the description and hit request. And I wasn't really disappointed. I mean, I knew it wouldn't be my favorite book ever but I didn't rate it too low.

COVER

As I said before, I judged this book by it's cover. I really like the cover and I think it represents the book pretty well.

WORLD-BUILDING

The world building was all at the beginning of the book which is something that I don't usually like but for this book it was very helpful because otherwise I would have been terribly confused.

Then there are the characters.

REBEKAH

Rebekah was a strong young woman who just wanted to be independent and to be treated her age. Her father controlled most of her life. She is also a descendant of Dr. Frankenstein and because of that, she is made of all different parts. She did seem really young at first but she isn't. She's nineteen. The reason she seems so young is because she's been sheltered.

KILLIAN

First of all, his name is Killian. *I need a moment*

Killian did seem like the typical forbidden bad boy but he wasn't. There was a lot more depth to him. And he did really care for Rebekah.

FRIENDSHIP/FAMILY

This book is all about family. Her father wants her to stay with her family. He has always kept her sheltered and thinks that her staying/being with her family is very important.

PLOT

The plot was pretty unique. I haven't ever read a book like this one. I think it's interesting how all the different people/creatures lived together in the works. I also thought it was interesting how regular humans don't seem to know most of them exist. All in all, it was a very interesting plot.

ROMANCE

The romance was both beautiful and cute. And some of the scenes were totally swoon-worthy. Their romance was in between a slow-burn and love at first sight.

WRITING

The writing was nice. It wasn't beautifully flowy like The Star-Touched Queen but it was easy to read. The first part was a little slow going but then it picked up and was kind of intense

Final Thoughts:

I only rated it 3.5 Crowns because I didn't like how all the world-building was squished into one-two chapters. And she didn't seem as strong as I thought she would be. But otherwise, it was a good paranormal romance.

Quotes from the Book:

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Crowns

Top Ten Tuesday | Books Set in the Past

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish that other bloggers are welcome to join in, to create Top Ten lists on varying topics. This week it's Top Ten Books Set in X. I decided to do Top Ten Books Set in the Past

I was excited for this topic at first and then I had to pick books for it and I just got totally confused. I didn't know what to do but then I decided to share some books that have settings in the past. 

1 The Dark Unwinding

The Dark Unwinding is a historical fiction steampunk book, set in England. I am not sure which century it is meant to be set in but it is a story set in the past. 

2 The Clockwork Scarab

The Clockwork Scarab is a Sherlock Holmes retelling which is set in the 19th century. It is also set in England and is sort of steampunk because there are inventions that had not been invented yet. 

 

3 The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is set during the London Blitz when all the children in London are sent away to the countryside. 

4  Love, Lies and Spies by Cindy Anstey

I really enjoyed this book. It was like a fun Jane Austen book set in London in the 18th century. 

5 The Falconer by Elizabeth May

The Falconer is also kind of a steampunk novel. It's set in Edinburg, 1844. It is such a good novel that has both fantasy elements and historical fiction elements. 

6 Palace of Spies by Sarah Zettel

I don't love this series. It was a pretty good book though. It is set in the time of King George 1. 

7 Camelot Burning by Kathryn Rose

This is a book that is set in Camelot so in the Medieval times. It is also a steampunk historical fiction. 

8 The Witch Hunter by Virginia Boecker

This is sort of a mix between fantasy and historical fiction as it is set in the Salem Witch Trials. 

9 This Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel

This is a prequel to Frankenstein. So, it is a historical fiction novel

10 Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

This is a obviously set in the 18th century and it is a Classic. 

ARC AUGUST: WEEKS 1 & 2 RECAP

I have been all over the place with my reading lately so I didn't do a week one wrap up. I have been trying to finish library books so reading ARCs hasn't been a priority but now it is as I have read a couple things. ARC August is hosted by Shelly & Octavia of Read. Sleep. Repeat. Week One was a mess so this is both weeks combined. 

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What I’ve Been Reading: Pieces by T. Aleo, Blood Red Snow White by Marcus Sedgwick, Summer of Irreverence The Rock Star by Catherine Goldstein

Percentages Read: Pieces by T. Aleo 100%, Blood Red Snow White 30%, Summer of Irreverence 20%

Books Finished: Pieces by T. Aleo

DNF: Blood Red Snow White by Marcus Sedgwick

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If you’re participating in ARC August, how did your week go?