If You Were Me by Sheila O'Flanagan

I guest reviewed this book for www.bleachhouselibrary.blogspot.ie

 

You're engaged to a good-looking, successful man who adores you. You're on a countdown to the wedding day. Your family and friends are delighted, and excited.

You've long ago stopped thinking about your first love. The boy you never kissed. Even though he stole you heart and disappeared. You've grown up since then. You've put the past behind you. Love is more than a racing pulse and reckless passion.

But what happens if, even for a moment, that's what you feel?

Carlotta O'Keefe is about to - and soon she'll be facing the biggest decision of her life.

This is the first novel by Sheila O'Flanagan that I have read and I found it a light-hearted, enjoyable read. It is a real "what if" book which I'm sure the majority of women can identify with. What if I'd kissed that boy all those years ago? What if we hadn't lost touch? No matter how successful and happy a person is, everybody has a "what if?" I really connected with this book as it made me think of my own what ifs and remember things I had thought long forgotten.

I really enjoyed the descriptions of the different locations throughout the book especially the Spanish locations. At points I could almost imagine myself in Seville sipping sangria and eating tapas. The Spanish influence is felt throughout the book with each chapter title being a song title in Spanish. I didn't go so far as searching for these songs but I think it's a great idea to supply a soundtrack and if I ever reread this book I will be playing them to see how (and if) they compliment the story.

I found the characters realistic in that they were all flawed to some extent. Carlotta in particular I wanted to kick at multiple points as I found her incredibly irritating with her indecisiveness. I found it a bit incongruous that a very successful woman would dither so much. At the same time, this did make her more lifelike which is a good thing so even though I didn't like the main character, the characters are well represented. Also, who doesn't like a character like Luke - handsome, kind, generous with a hint of bad boy mystery!

If You Were Me is a well-written and enjoyable novel. It is quite predictable but there are enough little complications and twists to keep it interesting and the characters are well portrayed... I think my favourite is Chris's mother with her snide comments. I'd recommend this to anybody who wants a light read on a rainy Sunday curled up by the fireplace.

My rating:3.5/5

Despite the Angels by Madeline A. Stringer

Have you ever felt you know someone already, even though you only just met? Maybe you knew them in another life...

Lucy and David, who live in modern Dublin, first knew each other in Ancient Crete. They had a baby girl, but disaster struck, and their guardian angels have been trying to reunite the little family for 4000 years.

Despite the angels' attempts to be understood, humans often do not hear, and unwittingly can waste whole lifetimes...

Now in Dublin things are still not going to plan - Lucy is far too young, and David is marrying someone else.

Angels are optimists, so they are re-organising, but - Humans must listen to their angels.

I was given this book to review by Bleach House Library www.bleachhouselibrary.blogspot.ie

I will admit to being a bit wary of this book at first as, in general, I don't have much time for stories about guardian angels. I was wrong. Despite the Angels by Madeline A. Stringer was an absolute joy to read. It is well-written and incredibly enjoyable and combines all the elements I look for in a good book - romance, tragedy, humour, suspense and excitement.

From the very first sentence "My name is Jotin and I am exasperated with this "guardian angel" job.", I was intrigued and knew that this book was going to be different to how I had imagined.

The story centres around Lucy, David and their "angels" Jotin and Trynor. The narrative switches point of view between these characters and also switches between eras, as we see Lucy and David (and other more minor characters) in previous incarnations. While in some books too many changes of time, place and point of view could get confusing, Stringer manages it seamlessly and in such a way that it increases empathy for the characters and moves the plot along a good pace.

All the characters are interesting and engaging but my favourites are definitely Jotin and Trynor, the "angels". Their sections of the book were incredibly amusing and I loved how fallible they were. The wearied air about them was interspersed with incredible innocence and misunderstanding, leaving them seeming the most "human" of all the characters at times.

The only minor downside I found in this book was that in the second half it became a little bit repetitive and predictable. This was however, only a very minor flaw in an otherwise witty and engaging book and as such I rate it 4.5/5.  

The Boy A Thousand Years Wide by David Spon-Smith

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Boy A Thousand Years Wide (released Oct 2014) is a YA adventure story. It follows Baxter, an orphan chosen for sacrifice by the twisted Brotherhood. After being helped out of his sticky situation by the enormous Trent, Baxter embarks on a mission to save his friend, find the prophesised Michael Son and possibly save the world along the way!

This book has all the elements of a good YA fantasy/adventure story - magic, a quest, good friends, terrifying monsters and the ultimate bad guy. However it doesn't quite pull it off for some reason. The narrative is choppy and disjointed throughout which left me feeling dissatisfied. I kept waiting for it to smooth out but it never did. While this style of narrative does ensure that the story is fast-paced, it can leave the reader feeling a little confused as to what is going on and where the characters are.

Similarly, I felt the characters were under developed and two-dimensional leaving me with little or no empathy for any of them (with the exception of Alfie the dog... he was great!)

In saying all this the concept of the book was enjoyable enough even if its execution was flawed. It is left a bit open ended so possibly there will be a sequel in which some of these issues may be resolved. I don't think be rushing to get it though.

I'd say this book would appeal to young readers who aren't quite ready for the likes of The Hunger Games and Divergent yet but who are old enough not to be scared by a bit of violence and gore.

Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

Ruin and Rising is the final book in the fantastic Grisha trilogy by Leigh Bardugo.
Time is running out for Alina. She must find the elusive firebird quickly in order to have enough power to stop the Darkling once and for all. But the Darkling's power and his hold over her is also growing. If she gets the power will she even want stop him?
I don't have much to say about the final instalment which I haven't already said about the previous two books. The language is, as always, beautifully wrought, the characters are well presented and realistic and the plotline flows wonderfully. All I can really say is that Ruin and Rising is an epic finale to a brilliant trilogy. We are kept guessing as to how it will all turn out right up to the very end. Without giving anything away I will say that there were a couple of points throughout this book where I was stunned speechless... you will know when you read this book what points I'm talking about!
This final book gives me everything I could hope for as the last in a trilogy. It is fast paced and exciting, there are happy, sad and bittersweet moments and by the end everything is tied up nicely without loose ends.
This trilogy as a whole is the kind I love best. It has something for everyone and I for one found it unputdownable. I would have no problem with recommending it to anyone. I wish Leigh Bardugo a long and successful career as an author as I am looking forward to seeing what world she thinks of next.
My rating for Ruin and Rising is 5/5.

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

 

Siege and Storm is the 2nd instalment in Leigh Bardugo's Russian inspired Grisha trilogy.

Alina and Mal are on the run, trying to live a life away form the Darkling and the Grisha. Alina soon finds however that it is not possible to outrun destiny. She must choose between her power, her country and the man she loves. Is there any way she can protect all three?

AS with Shadow and Bone, the plot twists and turns and is basically a plot rollercoaster from start to finish! I seriously love not being able to tell what will happen next. It makes for an exciting read. As I said in my review of Shadow and Bone, this trilogy combines action, adventure and romance extremely well. In Siege and Storm we get a fuller view of how war-torn Ravka is and the difficulties surrounding our protagonists. (I debated calling them our heroes but decided against as with Bardugo you never can be sure how the characters will turn out at the end!)

Which leads me nicely into my views on the characters. Once again, Bardugo has produced magnificently intricate characters. As well as getting more insight and understanding of the characters from book1 there are also a few new characters to meet. My absolute favourite of these is the clever and enigmatic Sturmhond. I loved his plots and schemes and his comic inventiveness. He is like a chameleon - able to change between being ruthless and foreboding and cheeky and cheerful in the blink of an eye. I love this guy!

I was thrilled that Siege and Stone continued on so beautifully from Shadow and Bone without any lagging in plot. As such I also rate this book 4.5/5. 

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Shadow and Bone is the first book in the Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo. It follows the journey of Alina, a young, lonely orphan who discovers she has an extraordinary power. The characters in this book are beautifully written and I had great empathy for Alina from the very first page when she's described as an "ugly little thing". As the story is told mainly from Alina's point of view she is of course the most well rounded character however, even the minor characters are three-dimensional and realistic. From the Darkling, a seductive, powerful and mysterious figure to Nadia and Maria who are shallow and gossipy, Bardugo really captures both the good and bad points of people.
Shadow and Bone is a brilliantly written fantasy. It is wonderfully descriptive without being overly descriptive. The story moves at a good pace and I found myself eagerly turning the pages to find out what was going to happen next. Whether you're a fan of action, adventure, magic or romance this book has it all! My favourite thing about this book is that it was in no way predictable. Just as I got a handle on what was happening and thought I could predict the outcome there would be a twist and I was once again left in a state of pleasurable uncertainty.
Though I believe this was originally marketed as a YA book, I would have no problem in recommending it to any fantasy lover. I would rate Shadow and Bone 4.5/5

So I haven't gotten off to the best start on this blog what with not posting anything since I set it up! What with a new puppy in the house and back to school stuff to sort, life has been a little bit hectic lately. This is changing now however. L is settled back in school nicely, puppy is calming down a bit and I've a few weeks before college starts back so time to get posting!
I wrote the following 3 reviews of the Grisha trilogy by Leigh Bardugo for my good friend at Bleach House Library.
Check her blog out here www.bleachhouselibrary.blogspot.ie