Book Review: The Test by Sylvain Neuvel

I’m not entirely sure what the hell I’ve just read, but this managed to absolutely blow me away in terms of twists and turns very early on. Without giving too much away, what starts as an immigration test decends into something far more realistic, and terrifyingly possible. 

It’s an examination on a future Britain that seems at once incredibly believable and tangible. A way to test and justify fairly who can enter the country in a near-technologically advanced universe. It’s fast paced, morally ambiguous with a lead character in Idir who’s amiable, polite and family orientated. I can’t quite believe what Neuvel has managed to get down in just over 100 pages, but it really managed to make me re-examine my own beliefs and the Subconscious acts of discrimination that I wasn’t aware of. There’s a tight evaluation on human psychology, social prejudice, even sexual discrimination all brilliantly shown via Idir’s thinking process. The feelings of intense stress, pressure and anxiety that Idir goes through are really well done, and PTSD is described in a sensitive yet deeply emotive and powerful way. It’s incredibly thought provoking, and raises a lot of issues relevant to the current climate around what it is to be British, and who ‘deserves’ to live here. 

If anything, I wanted more engagement from Deep etc as I felt his character was largely underused and underdeveloped, but this doesn’t detract from what is otherwise a really good novella. One to read in one sitting and ponder for days later.

Book Review: The Rending and the Nest by Kaethe Schwehn

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review,

This was one of the most bizarre books I've read.

Mia is living in a post apocalyptic world. Six years ago, people started to vanish leaving nothing behind. After the Rending, Mia tries to lead a normal life - scavenging and surviving in a makeshift community. But that all changes when the women who remain start giving birth to strange things, and Mia must fight for her normal life, and that of her unborn child, against the mysterious Michael.

The story itself is frenetic and confusing. The action starts right away, and I felt as though I was constantly trying to catch up and organise what was happening in my head. Unfortunately I also didn't really feel any emotional connection to the characters, perhaps because of this confusion, but also because I felt that there's no real depth there, and none of the relationships are explored past a certain point. It's these relationships that form the centre of the novel, as Mia forms a bond with Lana and it's her disappearance that sparks Mia's attempts to track down Michael. As such an integral part of the plot, I definitely think their relationship could and should have been explored more so that I felt more of a connection to Mia and Lana. I also thought the world building was a little lacking. There's no explanation as to why the world is how it is or where everyone has gone. Although this does lend the novel a mysterious overtone, it also added to my confusion.

The most bizarre aspect of the story for me is when the women start giving birth to inanimate objects. I just...didn't get it at all. I think it was just a little too weird for me. I applaud the author for going completely off course on this though. It's imaginative and inventive which can be difficult to do in apocalyptic novels where it seems everything is overdone.

The Rending and the Nest is available to purchase now from: Amazon

 - 3 stars

Book Review: The Earlie King and the Kid In Yellow by Danny Denton

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It’s been a while since I’ve read a truly original dystopian novel, but The Earlie King and the Kid in Yellow sits on the right side of imaginative to really stand out.

It’s been raining in Ireland for what feels like forever. Flooded and desolate, the Earlie King rules from his barren throne, controlling the kids in yellow who act as his runners. Except this yellow kid has been thrown out. His mistake? Getting too close to the Earlie King’s daughter. And with her death, all he wants is his baby.

The manner in which the story unfolds is very convoluted and strange. It’s told through a series of third party plays, stories and off hand accounts almost like it’s been pieced together mouth to mouth like an old fashioned folk story or urban legend. There’s also a wonderful mix of old and new as people within the world cling to remnants of the past while slowly evolving their language and traits to suit this new world. It’s so sophisticated in its comprehension, and shows how talented a writer Danny Denton is.

There’s also a wonderful, almost desolate atmosphere that runs throughout the novel. I could almost feel the despair and, strange as it sounds, the ‘wetness’ of the inhabitants living in this constant torrential nightmare. The descriptions of the world are so colourful and clever and deeply imaginative. It was a definite highlight, and you can clearly see that the author has really thought about everything, and constructed his world with care.

I’ll admit, because of the sometimes convoluted writing style, this was initially hard to get into and I was rather intimidated by the lyrical prose. It isn’t normally a type of writing I’d go for. It also, at times, made the characters feel a little disconnected from the story as there isn’t that deeper level of connection you would normally get from a first (or third) person narrative. However, I found this style really suited the book, and after the initial struggle, I really enjoyed this. The characters are an intrinsic part of the world, rather than a separate entity. It’s like one big symbiotic maelstrom, where the characters couldn’t exist and be who they are without this dystopian land, and vice versa. Don’t be put off by the style - especially if you like your dystopians dark and edgy and full of atmosphere.

The Earlie King and the Kid in Yellow is available to purchase now from: Amazon

 - 4 stars

Book Review: The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Just like the beauty described within, The Belles is beautiful yet ultimately flawed.

Camellia is a Belle, blessed by the Goddess of beauty with the gift to change the appearance of the people of Orleans, who have been cursed to be born grey and without colour. Trained from birth along with her sisters, Camellia sees it as her duty to offer such an important service and wants nothing more than to be picked by the queen as the favourite, honoured with the role of beautifying the royal family. But things don’t always go to plan.

I’ll start with the positives. The descriptions of the environment, the girls and their beauty treatments are lush, detailed and full of colour (although very food orientated at times, especially in relation to skin colours). It’s also a well thought out and reasonably well developed world. There are hints of Japanese teahouses and rich carnivals that help to define the world and ground it in a sense of its own reality. The glimpses we see of the wider world outside of the palace were often the highlights for me, as they were so vibrant and intriguing. I would have liked more time here.

The pacing is slow, especially in the first half of the book as nothing really seems to happen other than meeting a large number of characters that seem to serve little purpose. However, the mysteries and intrigues encountered by Camellia on her journey had me hooked. I wanted to know the various ins and outs and why’s desperately, and this had me reading on even with the slow pace. I did start to worry at about 80% of the way through as not all of my questions had been answered, however most of them were resolved by the end - although not necessarily to their full extent, and the finale felt rather rushed. It felt like I’d been dealt half a pack of cards, with the author holding back a few intrigues for a second book. Which I admit, did irritate me.

The main characters, for the most part, are ok. Camellia as the main protagonist is the standard YA heroine. Special gifts, but with a rebellious heart and a need to bend the rules. Naive, yet a good egg. She was likeable enough to carry the story, but a bit bland. There was no bite and no feistiness. No depth to her character. Her sisters all follow a similar vein, although we rarely see them, which was a shame. There was potential here to develop a strong bond of female characters that I thought was wasted. Sophia was the main draw here, as she makes a great antagonist. Unpredictable, lashing out when you least expect it, and coming up with some devious and often awful deeds to make others suffer. She’s also harbours an obsession that runs as an undercurrent throughout the whole population. With the Belles, their power and most importantly their beauty. As with most of the inhabitants of Orleans she’s beautiful, but wants to be the most beautiful. She’s insecure and this manifests as a deep rooted, all consuming desire to control everything and everyone. I loved it.

The secondary characters, unfortunately, are the main downfall here. They seem to be thrown under the bus on multiple occasions just for the sake of the plot, instead of being properly developed. Several times I thought there was potential to really drive a plot with a unique and underplayed character in YA (such as the queen and her female lover, or Sophia’s lady in waiting and her secret love affair with her female servant) only for them to trail off into nothing. Or be used as a pointless plot device. It was deeply disappointing. I want more from my YA these days.

I think by the end, this was my final impression of the Belles. It was pretty, but without any real substance. Will I continue on to read the next in the series? I’m unsure.

The Belles is available to purchase now from: Amazon

 - 3 stars

Book Review: The Museum of Second Chances by AE Warren

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked the premise for this, a post apocalyptic world with bad ass genetically enhanced humans, but I felt the story got a little lost in the details.

Elise is a Sapien, living with her family within a small community of other Sapiens - humans not genetically engineered, and held responsible for the destruction of nearly all life on the planet. Due to near extinction, and driven to preserve life, a series of higher life forms have been genetically engineered - those with a few 'extra traits' and those so altered they have ceased to resemble humans as we knew them. Faster. Stronger. More intelligent. They rule over the lives of Sapiens, and seek to regenerate the earth by bringing back to life those animals that have since been made extinct. A second chance. But this second chance comes as a price, as Elise soon realises when she seeks employment within one of the museums that houses these animals.

The plot was well written, well paced, and there's a decent build up of action and character building to the final scenes. The world's back story was also reasonably well described, slough I would have liked more insight into the supposed rebellion Elise's parents were a part of, and what happened to the rebels. It's all left very much up in the air. Also, not much is mentioned in the way of the 'outside' world, other than the Sapien community Elise is a member of and the main base where 'her' museum is. The other 'bases' are mentioned briefly, but not much is known about them or expanded on, which would have been helpful to the plot. I did like that they were named after the nucleotide bases of DNA though. It strangely reminded me of the film GATTACA with Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke (watch it, it's really good).  There's also a rather large 'information dump' near the beginning of the plot when Elise joins the museum which didn't really hold my attention very well. It was too much all at once and left me a little confused.

The main thing I enjoyed was the camaraderie between the characters. Elise is a solid main character, although I was unimpressed with her supposed 'hidden talents'. I thought they were unnecessary and didn't add anything to the plot. However, she's likeable and has Kit's best interests at heart. Samuel is socially awkward, clever and reserved. I liked that although there was a hint of sexual tension between the pair, it never fully took over the plot and the friendship progressed naturally and wasn't forced. Georgina was one of my favourite characters. She is good natured, outgoing and warm hearted, sacrificing her position to be friends with lowly Sapiens. Kit by comparison is the most enigmatic, and I felt the least connected to him. He communicates so infrequently with Elise, for his own reasons, that I felt as emotionally unattached to him as everyone else. He only really comes into his own at the end of the book.

Fintorian, in comparison to the main group of friends, seems more like a bit of a pantomime villain. We see him so infrequently that I never really forged an opinion of him other than he's suppose to seem almost ethereal. It perhaps would have helped to have seen some other members of his 'race' to gain a better insight into whether his personality was really so bad, or if that is the general concensus of his species.

I did have some niggling bugbears throughout the novel too. One involved a scene with Kit and Elise, where Kit shows Elise a carved statue of a baby Neanderthal wrapped in a shawl. Kit is a Neanderthal who has been kept completely secluded from the outside world, unable to even visualise anything that falls outside of the time period in which he originally inhabited. He has also never been allowed to hunt or kill other animals to make clothes. If this is true - how does he know what a shawl is? To me, the description of a shawl means a knitted garment, or something more modern. That's just a personal issue however, and in no way reflects the overall well written story.

I did think that the story itself finishes quite abruptly however, and things are left a little unfinished in my opinion. I like a story that's all wrapped up at the end, and this felt more like it was building to a crescendo that never fully arrives. I had just got really into the story, and grown to enjoy these characters and then it stops. The story could have done with being slightly longer, and I would have liked to have seen more of the world outside the base.

Overall, a good story but left a little unfinished for my liking.

The Museum of Second Chances is available to purchase now from: Amazon

Book Review: The Jewel by Amy Ewing

Violet is a surrogate, born with unique gifts to shape the world around her, yet bought and sold to the highest bidder in a world where royalty rules all. This had a lot of flaws, and unfortunately it really hindered my enjoyment of what could have been a good story.

The main issue I had was just how unoriginal I found the story. Reading this felt like deja vu. Poor yet beautiful girl with unique gifts brought into a different world? Check. Evil ruling power that manipulates said girl? Check. Dull and one dimensional love interest leading to instalove? Check. I also think I rolled my eyes several times over the names of some of these characters. One character is called Cinder. And her brother is Ash. Seriously.

My other main issue was Ash. The love interest. The story takes a significant dip after his introduction, as he's so dull with no definable characteristics or charm. He's basically Finnick from The Hunger Games without the emotional depth. When Violet starts fawning over him after meeting him for all of ten minutes, I knew this story wasn't going to end the way I wanted it too. I much preferred the relationship between the various surrogates and their 'owners', and the dynamics and rivalries that are barely explored but had so much potential. I didn't think there was any need to introduced Ash at all. If anything, he hinders the plot. I found all of his scenes very cringy, and I often skim read them. Violet as a main character is also severely lacking in personality. She goes from petulant teen to submissive slave with no in-between. She's got no emotional depth, and bumbled from one scenario to the next, relying on other people to rescue her.

Several times I was also confused by the world itself. We don't see anything outside of The Jewel except very briefly at the beginning. The rules of the world aren't explained very deeply either, and are often contradictory. Why treat some surrogates well, others badly, yet always have them dressed up like dolls all the time? Why are they repeatedly drugged? It felt like an easy cop out to explain any passage of time. What are the various Auguries, and why do only poor girls have these powers?  They weren't explained well, or integrated well into the story, and I often felt confused when Violet uses any of them. Also, their use with regards to childbirth is just...odd.

This really wasn't for me. The potential was there, but the execution fell flat.

The Jewel is available to purchase now from: Amazon

2 STARS

Book Review - We See Everything by William

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

London is divided. War damaged and savage. 

Lex lives in The Strip, poverty stricken and constantly surveyed by drones, he longs for something more - a world with fresh air and space. Alan is a drone operator. His task, as he sees it, is little different from the computer games he loves, spying on the people of The Strip, with power coming from his armed drone. As rebels rise, can faith be restored in a city deeply damaged?

This had a lot of promise, and for a relatively short novel, it still managed to pack a reasonable punch. Lex is as likeable as Alan is unlikeable. They're the ying and yang to each other, which sets a good balance to the novel. The concept is also intriguing - a near future dystopian London, with surveillance similar to Big Brother, filled with citizens prone to paranoia. I found the imagery wonderfully described. 

However, I often found it difficult to like the main characters. Lex is dull at times, to the point I would have preferred to see things through his father's point of view, while Alan is deeply unlikeable with next to no redeeming qualities. This often made it difficult for me to feel anything towards him, and I admit I did struggle to finish this. The story itself wasn't bad, but the characters themselves really let this novel down. A little more charisma and affection goes a long way. 

I also would have appreciated a bit more backstory as to why London is like the way it is. More dedication to some world building would have prevented me from getting confused about what was going on, and where people were in relation to each other.

 A promising idea, with detailed descriptions, but a little lacking in content.

 - 3 stars

Book Review - The History Of Bees by Maja Lunde

'In order to live in nature, with nature, we must detach ourselves from the nature in ourselves...' 

I really enjoyed this. Eventually. The History of Bees tells three separate stories, all intrinsically linked by bees, weaving through a combination of future dystopian, historical fiction and contemporary literature. William is...

This was such an interesting and unique concept. I've read family sagas before, which manage to weave the story of generations of families together, but I've never read anything with such a wide scope of history centred around bees. I have to say I enjoyed Tao's story the most. The future dystopian world was well described and unique (yet ultimately also scary in its similarity to 'real life'). Right from the start I liked Tao and her family unit, and I was intrigued to learn more about her world.

William's story, although a slow burner in the beginning, picks up about 40% when the issues with his son Edmund become apparent, and he begins his research. Though I found him a little naive about his son's 'problems', and at times just plain stupid. His development of the hive without actually looking at any research before hand - knowing he was a previous academic, was something a self described 'learned man' wouldn't do. No wonder his mentor is so disparaging.

Seeing as I don't read much contemporary fiction, it came as no surprise that I didn't really enjoy George's story until about 2/3rds in. I found the pacing slow, and it was very much about familial relations, particularly between father and son, rather than the bees. I also found George quite patronising at times, although I think this was down to his portrayal as a salts of the earth farmer, without any appreciation for things other than the survival of his business. As his story started to link into Tao's, and then William's, it became infinitely better and also helped to broaden my understanding of Tao's future. It also served as a good bridge between Tao and William' stories.

I do think it's Tao's story that makes this a 4* review for me. Her story was very fast paced and full of suspense. The scenes in the hospital and in the unsafe districts were harrowing, and I was constantly rushing through the following chapters to get back to her story. If it wasn't for this pace I might have given up on the book, but I'm so glad I persevered.

The eventual unravelling of the stories and how they are all linked was beautifully done. From George reminiscing in his desolate fields and his destruction of the charts, to Tao reading in the library and her presentation of The History of Bees, I thought the conclusions were wonderfully done and interlinked marvellously. This was a lovely, yet sometimes scarily real, imaginative story.

 - 4 Stars

Book Review - The Dazzling Heights by Katharine McGee

There's no denying this series is my guilty pleasure (the first book in the series review can be found here). It's not high brow, or the most imaginative, but it's definitely addictive.

The story continues pretty much straight where it was left after the events of 'The Thousandth Floor'. All our main characters are still coming to terms with what happened on that night on the roof, and we see how each of them is struggling to cope. Of all the characters this time round, Leda was the most believable and complex. I loved her development and story line and thought it was a big improvement from the previous book. I loved  the tension between her and Watt. However, I did find that a lot of Leda's issues were skimmed over or trivialised. She just suddenly stops her addiction and moves on without any problems, and the issue with Eris being her sister is never really addressed.

We find Avery still continuing to struggle with her relationship with Atlas. I found her storyline the least appealing, as a lot of it was the same as in the previous novel but without a lot of the tension. However, I did like her interactions with Cord as it tried to add another dimension to her, as she's basically just a beautiful doll with not much of a personality. I was disappointed this was explored further, and ended with Avery mainly mooning over Atlas all the time.

Rylin had the most far fetched storyline. She's somehow picked on a scholarship to join the highliers at their school, where a Hollywood director with a ridiculous name makes her his film assistant. And it seems she's also naturally gifted at producing films (or 'holograms'). All the stuff with her ex from the previous book is conveniently forgotten. I thought the story may have picked up slightly when she goes to LA, but the peak of her storyline was a big let down as nothing really happens except her pining for Cord.

I liked the introduction of Calliope and her mother. It brought a fresh story and different characters to the tower. Calliope is an interesting character, I liked that she basically had the same opinion about Avery as I did (ie dull but beautiful) but somehow I couldn't really connect with her. I think this was mainly because for most of the story she's a bit of an enigma with no backstory other than the con artist shtick which has been done before.

Eris is spoken about, but it feels almost as if it's a different person with a completely different personality to the Eris we saw in the last novel. I didn't think she came across as 'different' or 'a magpie for anything sparkly', and it was weird to see her friends describe her like this. The scene at the graveyard is also a little strange, and cringy and felt out of place within the rest of the book. Girlfriend Mariel, who has such a predominant role previously, is also glossed over with her only having two chapters - the first and last.

As with the previous novel, there still wasn't much world building, and what there wasn't didn't make much sense. LA for some reason is in a giant bubble that displays adverts. There are weird candles that release endorphins as it melts. I would love to have seen more of an effort given to explain exactly what on earth has happened to the world and why. The climax of the novel also doesn't really feel climactic, with no proper conclusion to many of the issues raised in the novel.

So, this book is completely ridiculous, predictable, unbelievable and yet it knows it is. That's what makes it so fun. It's main purpose is to entertain, and it does exactly what it sets out to do. It's so much like a soap opera and if anything I could have done with more scandals, and more secrets. I'm looking forward to the next one.

- 3 Stars

Book Review - The Switch by A.W. Hill

The Switch follows 15 year old Jacobus, who pushes a mysterious switch in an odd old house, and starts an adventure into the multiverse to try and get back. Numerous versions of Jacobus exist, all slightly different from the 'original', but can Jacobus make it back to where he started? Because, no matter what you might think, perhaps your life really is better the first time round.

I loved the concept behind this.The belief that there are multiple worlds that run parallel to our own is nothing new, but I appreciated this fresh yet simple approach. One giant switch, seen in multiple forms, can lead to any number of possibilities. The plot is fast, flipping from world to world rapidly as Jacobus tries to get home with increasing difficulty. And even with a fast plot, time is still left to dedicate to world building and explaining the (sometimes quite complex) ideas behind multiverse theory and the associated physics. It could have been very easy to get either bogged down in this, or become confused, but the author does a good job of delicately balancing the two.

I also enjoyed the interactions between Jacobus, and his growing number of friends he meets along the way. In particular the enigmatic veteran Gordon, and the universally constant Jemma. I liked that there was always an underlying link between Jacobus and his 'home world', which helped to underpin the story and stop it unravelling rather quickly. The gradual build up within each universe - starting with small changes and building up to more extreme versions of Jacobus' universe was also a  great idea, as it built up the tension simultaneously within the story-line.

That said, I did find Jacobus a rather fickle character to get to grips with. When he first pushes the switch it's with friend Connor, however on entering the next universe and finding Connor an enemy, he's quick to drop him and move onto the next friend. There's no reconciliation to start with, and Jacobus doesn't really seem all that bothered. I found this lack of emotion rather odd, considering he was suppose to be his best friend. Their eventual reunion felt a little off because of this.

I sometimes also found that the continuing jump from world to world meant there was some missed potential to further explore the more 'extreme' worlds. In particular, I would have liked to have spent more time in the Red Temple/Hiver universe, as the ideology really intrigued me. However, I do understand that for a story with such a limitless potential for worlds, this may not have been practical.

I thought the conclusion was fitting for the novel, and tied together all the concepts nicely.

In conclusion, I found this a solid little YA/science fiction novel. A stronger relationship between some of the lead characters and more dedicated time to specific interesting worlds would have enhanced more rating, but I really enjoyed this.

 - 3 stars

Book Review - The Growing Season by Helen Sedgwick

It's rare that I find a book as thought provoking as this. I found it opened a lot of questions regarding so many sociological questions, and had me really examine my opinions. On reading the blurb for this, I thought it was going to be a easy dystopian type read, but I couldn't have been more wrong or surprised, but I'm so glad I was.

The Growing Season is set in a sort-of-near future reality whereby the invention of 'the pouch' has made pregnancy obsolete. Men and women can finally share the load of childbearing and equally split their time between child rearing and working. The NHS has been privatised, abortion rates are low, and neonatal deaths are non existent. Within the novel itself we follow a series of women who are somehow intrinsically linked to FullBirth, the company behind the invention of the pouch, and their investigation into a series of coverups by the company following a tragedy.

These women include Eva, an activist who's mother taught her the pitfalls of the pouch, and her determination to expose FullBirths secrets to the world. I liked Eva a lot. I found that as the novel went on she turned from a full blown activist to something more akin to a figurehead, or spokesperson for the average person. She expressed so many opinions on equality and prejudice that I could relate to myself. I especially liked the comments she makes about discrimination in the work place, and how the pouch changes the problem instead of eradicating it in the first place.

Holly, another character, is shown as a matriarchal figure, the first woman to have a 'pouch birth' and at the start of the novel expecting her first great grandchild via a pouch birth. At first she seems to be a perfect example of the success of FullBirth and the pouches, but she comes to see that her decision may have been rash. She trusts blindly in these scientists, not knowing all the facts or possible side effects that could occur in her future generations. She also comes across as very shrewd. She makes a few observations near the end of the novel that resonated with me regarding the fact that men and women aren't identical. If the sexes aren't identical, surely the strive for equality in fertility and childbearing is pointless?

I really enjoyed the overall plot for this, although I'll admit at first it took me a little while to get into it as I was very confused by the lack of world building at the beginning. There is never really an explanation with regards to how the pouches work, and how women can 'move' naturally conceived pregnancies into the pouches and I would have appreciated it.  However, as the story progressed, I became so involved I these woman's stories, that this lack of information started to feel less important. Especially as it brought together such a surprising number of social issues for discussion, including women in the workplace, fertility, equality, IVF, and the risk vs benefits of an artificial birth. It was such an interesting and enlightening novel, and wholly unique within its genre.

The story is interspersed throughout with logs from the mysterious 'Freida', the inventor of the pouch. I wasn't as keen on these sections as I felt they stalled the story too much, and at times I got very confused about what was currently happening and what was 'in the past'. I clearer definitive sectioning of the past and present would have made things a lot easier.

Overall, however, these was a truly unique book that provoked a great amount of internal reflection and brought to the fore a greater understanding of social issues and equality.

The Growing Season is available to purchase from Amazon now.

 - 4 Stars

The List by Patricia Forde

'The here and now is only the smallest part of who we are. Each of us is all that we have been, all our stories, all that we could be'. 

Letta is an apprentice wordsmith in the city of Ark, a dystopian world where all technology and animals have been destroyed in a great flood. Her job is to distribute 'The List' a set of 500 words that the citizens of Ark are allowed to use. All other words are censored. So what would life be like to live in a world without words? Without the ability to express hopes or dreams?

I loved the concept of this book, but I must admit I thought it would extremely difficult for the author to convey a world in which most of the characters were extremely limited in their vocabulary. However, I felt this was handled wonderfully. The main characters were all free to speak 'old' (i.e. 'Proper' English), and the story was not hindered by the others inability to speak in this way. I felt the story perhaps took inspiration from our modern world - how often do people speak in abbreviated terms these days? At one point early on in the story, Marco even uses the term 'LOL', although Letta doesn't understand its meaning.

I loved the idea that words truly are our pathway to freedom and power. However, this wasn't a perfect novel for me.

The pace was quite slow at times, only really picking up pace from about 50% onwards when Letta finally realised what has happened to Benjamin, and what Noa (the main antagonist) was up to. The first half seems to concentrate more on Letta's day to day issues and her inner turmoils over the resistance. Also, as a dystopian novel, it follows the predictable pattern of other similar dystopian worlds (i.e. Dictator trying to pass the world off as a Utopia, an uprising of rebels and the conflicted hero) but it had enough of a unique concept to carry me through.

A lovely little dystopian novel.

 - 4 stars

Book Review - The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee

The Thousandth Floor opens with a beautiful girl falling to her death from the roof of a thousandth floor building, and what follows is a wonderful mash up of every American high school drama I've ever had the pleasure of watching.

This was a complete guilty read for me. I was drawn really easily into all the characters lives, and quickly got caught up in all the secrets and dramas. Avery, beautiful and perfect living in the penthouse, but hiding a dark secret. Eris, who suddenly finds herself having to leave the dizzying heights of the upTowers. Leda, freshly out of rehab and trying to get back on track after her night with Avery's brother Atlas. Watt, hacking expert and quant builder. Rylin, down and out maid who finds an unlikely friendship with her employer. I thought the overall ideas were great, and I enjoyed the fact that the setting was a dystopian type future. If anything I would have liked to have read a little bit more about this world - there was hardly any world building involved in the development of the story, with no explanation as to why there as a thousand storey high building in New York.

If anything there were also maybe too many characters. As I've mentioned before, I'm not a massive fan of multiple points of view, and I found I would skim chapters to get to the more interesting characters - such as Eris and Avery. I also found the characters lacked a great amount of depth to them. Most seemed very one dimensional, and the writing at times seemed very lacking in any real emotion. The ending also left too many things unanswered for me. However, having said all this I still found the book highly enjoyable. I couldn't put it down. A bit like all those American dramas I watch on Netflix. If you love Pretty Little Liars and Gossip Girl you'll love this.

Was it high brow or intellectual? No. But was it fun and entertaining? Hell yes.

- 3 Stars

Book Review: Magpie's Song by Allison Pang

'Ware IronHeart's breath and IronHeart's claws, for when IronHeart roars, Meridion falls'

I ended up really enjoying this. The story opens with the discovery of a dead body in the slums underneath a floating city, by the orphans Raggy Maggy and Sparrow. The body gives off an ethereal glow and is accompanied by a strange mechanical dragon. Mags and Sparrow soon find themselves embroiled in the mysteries of the slums and  the search for answers surrounding the true reason behind the appearance of a plague known as The Rot, and what goes on in the terrifying Pits - home of the plague victims. Mags and Sparrow, along with another character they meet, know as Ghost, are 'Moon Children', the supposed offspring of the slums, and immune to the plague.

I thought the story itself was well written, and the world building was good (although I would have liked to spend some time in Meridion, the floating city). It felt like a mixture of steampunk, dystopian and fantasy and was unique enough in its world to keep me interested. I liked Mags, I though she was gritty and feral and I enjoyed her relationship with Sparrow and Ghost. Although there was a hint of a possible romance, I liked that it was never the focus of the story.

I also really liked Molly and Copper Betty. The automaton, without even being able to speak, became one of my favourite characters in the few scenes she was in. I'd like to see more of her, and see if she has a back story that could explain why she's mute.

The novel wasn't perfect however. I felt the Lucien subplot was a little bit slapdash, and didn't add anything to the story. If anything I found it a bit confusing. I liked that it wasn't a big deal to be gay though, and it didn't feel contrived.

I also felt the ending wasn't really an ending, and nothing was resolved and no mysteries solved. I understand this is part one of a series, but to have so e kind of resolution to a few of the mysteries involved in the plot would have been a better conclusion.

That said, I flew through this book in 2 days, and really enjoyed doing it. I'm looking forward to reading more from this world.

 - 4 stars