The Love That Split the World Review

Hello everyone! Today I will be reviewing a book called The Love That Split the World by Emily Henry. I really loved this book! It was cute, very well written, beautifully diverse, and filled with magic, hints of the supernatural, and all-round mind boggling plot twists.

If you’re not already intrigued, here’s the goodreads summary:

Natalie Cleary must risk her future and leap blindly into a vast unknown for the chance to build a new world with the boy she loves. 

Natalie’s last summer in her small Kentucky hometown is off to a magical start... until she starts seeing the “wrong things.” They’re just momentary glimpses at first—her front door is red instead of its usual green, there’s a pre-school where the garden store should be. But then her whole town disappears for hours, fading away into rolling hills and grazing buffalo, and Nat knows something isn’t right.

That’s when she gets a visit from the kind but mysterious apparition she calls “Grandmother,” who tells her: “You have three months to save him.” The next night, under the stadium lights of the high school football field, she meets a beautiful boy named Beau, and it’s as if time just stops and nothing exists. Nothing, except Natalie and Beau.

I don’t actually know how to describe the genre of this book… paranormal romance? Magical realism? Urban fantasy? Contemporary? Truthfully, it’s all four and more. It’s one of those books that dabbles with lots of different ideas, but doesn’t get confusing or over the top. The characters are brilliant, the story is brilliant, the magic and mythology is brilliant, and I would highly recommend. 

Despite a few complaints I have about some insta-love and info-dumping, it was still well worth reading and it will be a book I recommend heavily from now on.

***SPOILERS***

I had expectations for this book. I know, it’s a dangerous game playing with expectations, but how could I not? The cover was beautiful, the premise was enthralling, and I have a signed copy with a letter from the author that was beautifully written. I didn’t even read any reviews! I went in with very few pre-conceived ideas, just a feeling that this book was going to be amazing. It sounded a little psych thriller, a little paranormal romance, a little urban fantasy. So I did have high hopes.

And amazingly enough, this book mostly reached or exceeded my expectations! I read it quite quickly, because I just wanted more.

However, there were some things that made this book a little hard to read, and which threw me out of the story. First of all, the info-dumping. This was the first thing that hit me in this book – the sheer amount of text that is dedicated to speech or explanation. Sometimes, characters will spend a whole page explaining something, like Alice with her theories, or several pages telling a story uninterrupted. Long reams of text like that tend to throw me out of the story, and make it hard to stay engaged. 

Grandmother’s stories, although fascinating and integral to the story, seemed to drag, which was a little bit disappointing. Sometimes it felt like the characters were giving speeches or Shakespearean soliloquies, their passages of uninterrupted text went so long.

Secondly, the insta-love. I find it really hard to care about a couple who’ve been insta-love’d. And in this book, the insta-love was blatant. Natalie and Beau meet once and then BAM they’re in love. And ordinarily, that would make the love between the characters feel fake and ridiculous, but the author still managed to make me love the characters and their relationship! I’m so glad I still felt that they were real, but the insta-love was slightly disappointing.

On a side note, despite the relationship between Natalie and Beau feeling real, sometimes it got very flowery and over-the-top. Despite this, the amazing story and beautiful writing was so engaging that I was able to happily read through the overly-romantic passages and then throw myself back into the actual story.

Now onto the positive stuff. This book is exquisitely written. The author knows her audience isn't dumb, and doesn't treat them like that. She writes profoundly, with meaningful metaphors and delicately constructed sentences all within the context of a small-town teen contemporary. It's really quite incredible how the author has managed to make the book so easy to read and enjoyable, and still maintains a level of sophistication and beauty in her writing. I thought that this was one of the highest points about the book.

Natalie, our protagonist, is also quite the smart cookie. She is self-aware, conscious of her surroundings, and level-headed. This is such a step up from typical YA protags who jump headfirst into things, act impulsively and don't seem to have any awareness for themselves or the world around them. She knows what she wants, has clear goals and objectives, and works in a sensible, intelligent way to achieve them.

Another great thing about this book is how diverse it is. It really opened my eyes to different cultures, especially Native American culture. I thoroughly enjoyed that the characters in this book are not perfect, cardboard cut-out, boring characters. They're all very well developed and unique, even the minor characters.

The emotions and feelings Natalie was experiencing were very easy to feel as the audience. It wasn't hard to see her as a real person with real struggles, even if they were somewhat supernatural. Her thoughts and internal monologues were believable and relateable, and as a reader, I was able to sympathize with her and her struggles.

One element I especially loved in this book was the relationship between Natalie and Matt. It was so interesting and heartbreaking to see that this relationship, although it was enduring and normal and comfortable, was going nowhere and was actively holding them both back. But their love for one another and hesitancy to let one another go was so sad to read, because they weren't "in love" but they definitely loved one another. I feel like that was a very real element to add to the story.

The story was also incredibly enthralling. I had no idea who Grandmother was, and I would never have picked that particular plot twist. The whole time travel/world jumping plotline was mind-bending and always kept me guessing, which I love in books. I never really knew what exactly was going on. I thought the whole premise of Natalie and Beau being from alternate Unions was very clever, and made for a very interesting central plot.

The Love That Split the World is amazing. It's an undefinable, deeply emotional, moving work which captured my imagination wholeheartedly. I am extremely eager to see what Emily Henry comes up with next, and I will for sure be following her work from here on out.

If you'd like to share your thoughts of this book down below, please do! Additionally, if you'd like to let me know your thoughts, give me a recommendation, or just say hi, you can contact me via any of my social media accounts, or my email, mywordsarearrows@gmail.com.

I hope you have a wonderful week and I'll see you again soon with another post!

Lily xo

Bookmas Day 8 — Illuminae Review

♫On the eighth day of Bookmas, the book blogger gave to me, a review for the reading, a bit of Hide & Seek, some festive reads, a post about films, reading recipes, comic book thoughts, a list of writing tips and a book rec for a mystery♫

Hello and welcome back to My Words Are Arrows for Bookmas day 8! Are you all sick of me yet? I must keep popping up in your newsfeeds and emails every day... oops! I hope you're all enjoying the content :) Also, yesterday I mentioned my Hide And Seek snippet post linking to today's post... my bad! It doesn't. That is tomorrow's post. Sorry!

Today I have for you a good old-fashioned review. Yes, it is back to basics for day eight of Bookmas! I have been posting lots of different sorts of things, so I thought it might be nice to pull back and just discuss a book again. Today I will be reviewing a book I really, really loved, and it might just be one of my favourite books this year. This book is Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff.

The hardback version of this book is incredible. I honestly cannot even describe how cool it is, but I can say it's got the most beautiful see-through dust jacket and intricate cover design. I had originally planned to get myself one of these perfect hardback copies, however, I happened to stumble across the paperback first. Ordinarily, I would've held out and bought the hardback later on, but this paperback was, wait for it, signed by BOTH authors *collective gasp*. So I actually ended up with the paperback, but if anyone would like to buy me the hardback, winkwink, feel free too ;)

Anyways this book is the most unique, strange thing. It's actually a dossier, a collection of different phone conversations, IMs, field reports and etc. You'd think it'd get tiresome when there's no actual traditional prose perse, but in fact, it's not boring at all. The entire thing is enthralling and gripping. It's a sci-fi set in the future. And here is the synopsis:

The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.

But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet's AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it's clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she'd never speak to again.

It's an incredible book and not only was it incredibly entertaining and moving, it also opened my eyes to all the possibilities of writing outside the usual story writing formats and conventions. However, don't think that because it's a dossier-style story, it doesn't have killer lines and awesome prose. It so does. This book is incredibly moving and there are some things that hit you right in the feelz.

I would highly, highly recommend it, especially to fans of Amie Kaufman's other series, written with Meagan Spooner, The Starbound Trilogy. It has a very similar space-opera, romance feel to These Broken Stars and This Shattered World (and presumably the third book but I have not yet bought it... Though I plan to read and review it in January!).

Without further ado, I shall kick off the review! If you haven't read Illuminae, I would recommend you leave this post for the moment, grab yourself a copy, read it, then come here to discuss. You can do some further research into this book by reading through its goodreads page here.

***SPOILERS***

Wow. Illuminae was just wow. As soon as I saw blurbs from Scott Westerfeld, Marie Lu, Laini Taylor and Veronica Rossi, I knew this was going to be good. It's pretty rare for Australian YA novels, even if they are amazing, to get that much international attention.

So firstly, let's address the biggest plot twist. The Illuminae Group was, in fact, led by Kady. I didn't see this coming! I was so wrapped up in the story I didn't actually guess it at all. I was constantly wondering who this Illuminae Group was, and where they fit into the story, but I didn't guess they would be Kady's group. And the last few pages were just incredible. The conversations between Kady and the Executive Director/Ezra's mum, followed by the last bit of servelliance footage and the image of Ezra and Kady, and then the NOW RUN message — the whole thing was a perfect end that also leaves room for the next book.

I also didn't guess the second biggest plot twist, that AIDAN was pretending to be Ezra for a good half of the book. That really took me aback, so much so that I actually went back a few times and read over conversations, trying to pick up any differences I should have noticed before.

The storyline with AIDAN was really interesting. It started out as your typical robot-wants-to-help-and-therefore-must-destroy-humanity sort of thing, but I never thought it would become more than that. But, of course, like so many things in this book, it took me by surprise that AIDAN actually became almost a friend to Kady. That he actually started to be a bit humane. Also, there were some amazingly funny lines in the conversations between Kady and AIDAN that had me laughing really hard.

I found that the art and typography used in the AIDAN files worked really well. It was clear that every single letter had been placed where it had for a reason, and that careful thought equated in a really expressive series of pages with few words. It was so interesting and gripping to see AIDAN's emotions, perse, portrayed through these odd little words and drawings.

The entire book's formatting is just breathtaking. I had enough trouble formatting my book into standard text when publishing my book, I honestly can't imagine the time, planning and effort that went into designing Illuminae, but I'm so so so glad that the authors and designers went the extra mile, because it really sets the book apart from other books and makes it a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Kady, our main character, is spunky and sure of herself. She's strong-willed and selfless, but she's also a young girl and we see a perfect balance of these things within her, especially in her diary chapters. We discover that she feels very alone, and as she slowly loses her family, we see her become more torn apart but also more independent and strong for it. Kady is a complex character, but the authors really did a spectacular job of characterising her for us and showing just how multi-faceted she really is.

I actually really ended up rooting for Kady and Ezra, which is odd because ordinarily I don't fall in love with the main romance in books. I was really quite invested in their relationship working out, even though it was unconventional and unlikely. Ezra was a hilarious character to read, but he also was a multi-dimensional character. He liked to make jokes and poke fun at Kady and his friends, and he enjoyed a good laugh. But at the same time, he was dedicated and selfless, and very strong-willed. During their conversations, it wasn't hard to imagine that the characters were real and you were just reading through their direct messages.

There were some really emotional parts of this book that I actually phsyically bookmarked with little tabs. One of these moments was James McNulty's death. That whole page made me feel the feels. This was the bit I bookmarked:

"McNulty gave us a salute. I could still see his smile. No fear in his eyes then. Just duty.

 He'd have made a good dad. 

 "Hey, LT," he said as the doors cycled closed.

"Yes Sergeant?"

"You see Ezra Mason around, remind him his first kid's name is James. Or Jamette." He patted his breast pocket. "And tell him not to worry. I've got Astro-Princess to keep me warm." 

"Astro-Princess?"

"He'll know what I mean."

I'd prefer a thousand bullets to a moment like this.

"Roger that, Sergeant."

"Take care, LT."

And that was the last we saw of him.

I am officially recommending Sergeant James McNulty for the Silver Star for Bravery." 

That part was just heartbreaking. I hadn't cared that much for McNulty previously, but that whole scene broke my heart. Especially the dad part. I can't deal. Tears. Let's move on.

I thought that the censoring of the swear words was a very clever technique. It definitely added more impact to the words and made them more comical, and it added a layer of extra to the words that would otherwise have not been there. One such example of this, another one of my very favourite lines from the book, was a conversation between AIDAN and Zhang:

""True," Zhang pauses, glancing into the emergency supply cupboard, gaze lingering on something inside. "But I have something you and protozoa don't."

"AND THAT IS?"

"Hands, mother            .""

I laughed very hard at that point. The fact that the words aren't there just makes it even funnier than if they actually were there, for some reason.

I am so excited to see where this series goes in the future. I believe it is going to be a trilogy, which I'm super psyched for. I am desperate for the next book, and you can bet that as soon as it comes out, I'll be grabbing a copy.

Feel free to share your thoughts on Illuminae below in the comments, or via any of my socials. If you'd like to contact me for business, book recs or just to say hi, you can also use my socials, or my email, mywordsarearrows@gmail.com.

I hope you are enjoying Bookmas, and I'll see you tomorrow with another post!

Lily xo

Queen Of Shadows Review

Throne Of Glass is one of my favourite books of all time. I am opening with that statement because

not only is it true, but it is also completely necessary to keep in mind throughout this review. I am also going to state here that Celaena, Nehemia, Manon, Chaol and Dorian are some of my favourite characters of all time. I love this series, and reading the first two books makes my little heart soar. However, things started to go somewhat downhill in Heir Of Fire, but I still had faith that Sarah J Maas had a plan, that the questionable content and characterisation in HOF was completely intentional, and written into the SJM Throne Of Glass Masterplan.

But after reading Queen Of Shadows, the fourth installment in one of my favourite series ever, I'm just slightly confused and vaguely offended that SJM thinks her readers are so dumb they wouldn't notice the abrupt, poorly justified shift in characterisation and in relationship dynamics between characters.

In saying that, QOS is a good book. If I set it apart from the series, and pretend that these characters are not the same ones as in TOG, COM and HOF,  then I would give the book five stars. It is impeccably written, has a beautiful plot and despite it's 644 pages, never really has a dull moment. And there is (probably) nothing SJM could ever do to make me hate this series (THAT IS NOT A CHALLENGE PLS SJM DON'T TRY). Although, in my opinion, this book was way out of character and a complete shift in plot from the earlier books, I still have some faith that SJM will pull it back (not in the way I would want it to be, but I'll get to that in the spoiler section).

If you've read the first three books and are questioning whether to continue, especially because of the sheer amount of negative reviews circulating, then I'd say yeah, it's worth continuing. As I mentioned, some characters are ripped to shreds in terms of characterisation (disclaimer: if you love Chaol like I do, please beware. Your heart may be squashed almost as much as his character was), but it's still a fantastic book.

You can check it out on goodreads here, and read the synopsis below:

Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she's at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past . . .

She has embraced her identity as Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen. But before she can reclaim her throne, she must fight.

She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die for her. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen's triumphant return.

If you haven't read QOS, beware of the spoilers below!

***SPOILERS***

Queen Of Shadows has me very conflicted. And you can bet you'll read about why I'm conflicted very shortly, but first I'm going to talk about why this was a fantastic book.

Sarah J Maas is an incredible writer. She uses her words so nicely and she is a master at world building. When reading her books, I am constantly in awe of how spectacular she is at creating such vibrant and complex fantasy worlds.

And this book was no different. The setting was so intense and beautiful and scary, it makes for the perfect backdrop in an epic fantasy series like this. The mythology and the depth of ancient magic and folklore was just incredibly beautiful to watch develop and unfold even further, despite being in the fourth book of the series. Nothing is surface-deep in SJM's books. Everything is intricately built, carefully constructed so that the reader truly understands the way Terrasen will start to flourish again, the exact way the Valg demons take and possess people, and the way they are destroyed. No corners are cut in terms of world-building, and SJM never skirts over complications or leaves any plot holes.

I was also incredibly happy to see elements of the novellas (The Assassin's Blade) pop up in QOS, like Lysandra, whom I'll talk more about shortly, Aelin's time in the Red Desert, and Aelin's tense relationship with Arobynn. The way SJM subtly expanded on these themes really added depth to not only the novellas and the series, but to Aelin's character.

Lysandra slowly became my favourite character in this book, because of how Aelin and Chaol were treated (which I will discuss later on). She was fiery, sharp-tongued, and wasn't afraid to do whatever to get what she wanted for herself and for those she loved. Her loyalty to Evangeline, Aelin and even Clarisse was so strong. Then, we later found out she was a shape-shifter, and this just added to my love for her. It was amazing to see her character expanded on and developed in an incredible way, after only seeing her in fleeting times during The Assassin's Blade. Even down to the fact that she shifted into a ghost leopard and saved Rowan and Aedion, and her friendship with Aelin. It was all so nice to see. Her fantastic characterisation almost made up for the travesty with other characters.

Let's discuss Rowan/Aelin, before I dive into the issues with Aelin and Chaol's characterisation and the mess that is Rowan/Celaena/Chaol. Rowan is a nice guy, I'm not disputing that at all. But honestly, we've all seen Rowan-esque characters before. Does Ash from the Iron Fey ring a bell? How about Tamlin, from SJM's other book, A Court Of Thorns And Roses? Regan, from City Of Halves? They're all the same character trope: the stoic, possessive male who is surprisingly loving and passionate when it comes to their slightly rambunctious love interests. All loosely supernatural, all boring. Rowan was funny at times, and I don't hate him by any stretch, but his character is just so overused. It was way more interesting when he and Celaena/Aelin were just friends, and their relationship was entirely platonic. When he helped her deal with her feelings for Chaol, and might have even helped them get back together. But no, SJM just had to completely change a clear, well written plotline and make Rowan/Aelin a thing.

And in theory, I have no problem with my ship (Chaolaena, if you hadn't already guessed) not being canon. It would hurt my soul a little, but if she wrote it well and made sense of it, I could look over it, because I'm not one of those crazy "make my ship canon or I will hunt you down and steal your fridge" fans. The thing that upsets me with the Rowan/Aelin/Chaol storyline is how flippant and weak Aelin's transition between the two was. In COM and even HOF, Celaena/Aelin was completely in love with Chaol. She said multiple times that he was her one and only, that she would always choose him. To me, that seems like a solid, endgame storyline. But in this book, she completely flip-flopped. She decided that she had literally no feelings for Chaol whatsoever, which just doesn't make any sense in comparison to things she said in TOG, COM and HOF. It's just not consistent.

On top of that, the progression from platonic to romantic in regards to Rowan and Aelin was ridiculous and unbelievable. It was clearly said multiple times in HOF that they were completely platonic, just friends due to AELIN'S FEELINGS FOR CHAOL!!! So why, all of a sudden, did they just decide they were in love with one another? If this progression had been written well and over time, maybe it would've been more believable. Check out this quote from page 250, from Rowan's perspective, about Aelin:

"While they'd been in Wendlyn, it had taken him a while to realize she was beautiful. Months, actually, to really notice it. And for the past few weeks, against his better judgement, he'd thought often about that face."

Last time I checked, it normally doesn't take supposed "soulmates" months to realise the other is beautiful. What a flimsy attempt to create a somewhat "instalove" style relationship. As I said on twitter, whilst live-tweeting as I read, I'm not buying it.

Now, let's discuss the biggest problem I had with this book — my poor baby Chaol's characterisation. Chaol in the earlier books was calm, loyal, protective and conflicted. He was an amazing friend to Dorian and Celaena, and he took his job and loyalties seriously. He was filled with self-loathing, and always blamed himself for everything. He trusted and loved Celaena and Dorian, and was incredibly selfless and loving.

In the first few pages, we see Chaol get furious at Aelin, as soon as she returns. He picks a fight with her, blaming her for the horrific things that happened in her absence, even though he was the one to ship her off to Wendlyn to start with (an action proving his selflessness, loving nature and deeply ingrained self hatred — he gave up the woman he loved and pretty much any chance of being with her so that she could reach her full potential and take back what was hers). The young man we saw in TOG, COM and even HOF was calm, collected and selfless. This immature, insolent boy we see in QOS is hostile, angry and short-tempered. His character shift was completely unexplained and so abrupt I could barely believe I was reading about Chaol.

In addition to this, Chaol was in love with Celaena, just as she was him. Similarly to Celaena, his feelings seemed to be stamped out so quickly, him moving on so fast, I was so confused. Love like Chaolaena had doesn't just disappear the way SJM portrayed it, not at all. He was stubborn, obnoxious and constantly put himself and his agenda first. He acted like a sulky child, which was just so out of character. Of course, all these things only happened when he was actually mentioned. For a major character, he was degraded to such a minor role. He only had a few short chapters in his point of view here and there, and most of the time, his actual thoughts and opinions weren't recorded, only his observations and actions. I even started to think he might have had a demon in him, too. He was simply pushed to the side for convenience, to make room for Rowan and to ignore the one gaping plot hole — where the heck did Chaolaena go?

I was so upset at the way Chaol was treated in this book. He was such an interesting, caring, intricate character that was completely ripped to shreds in the process of tearing the story away from its natural progression and setting it on a whole other route. It was unfair on his character and the readers, and so this is the main reason why this book could never be five stars or perfect by any means to me.

Okay I spent ages discussing characters and very little time discussing actual plot, so to keep things (somewhat) short, I'll quickly talk about the plot here. In this book, we see a build up to the killing of the King, the rescuing of Dorian and Aelin claiming her place as Queen of Terrasen. I am excited to see how Aelin rules, and what will happen next (hopefully Chaol will be avenged!!). I was particularly fond of Manon, the Wing Leader of the Blackbeak witches. We finally got to see her interact with Aelin and the other main characters, and I loved the relationship she had with Aelin. I loved the message she left for her on the wall — it just gave me chills. I really want to see more of her in the next book (and possibly watch her kill her grandmother and take control of the clan... Just an idea!).

I was also really fond of the Arobynn storyline. I am so glad he's dead, after what he did to Celaena and Sam and Lysandra, and I think Lysandra killing him was just perfect. I love that she felt no guilt, that she killed him and never looked back. And when Aelin switched the wills, I laughed so hard, because she felt like Celaena again, and I truly did miss Celaena in this book. I feel like Aelin and Celaena are slightly different people, and I feel that Celaena isn't nearly as heartless or cruel as Aelin portrayed her to be. Celaena was brave and calculating and funny, and in my opinion, less hard and bloodthirsty than Aelin, anyways. Throughout the book, Aelin killed and threatened to kill without any shred of remorse, whereas Celaena always felt remorse and the weight of her actions.

What did you think of Queen Of Shadows? I am aware that it is a highly debated book, and very divisive, too. If you want to share your opinion, let me know in the comments or via any of my socials. My question for you is — what are your ships in the TOG series, platonic or otherwise? I'm still holding tight to Chaolaena, even though I highly, highly doubt it'll be endgame. I also have strong feelings about Chaol/Dorian as a brotp, Manon/Asterin, and even a bit of Lysandra/Dorian, even though they've never met. I just feel like they'd get on really, really well.

If you want to contact me about business, my book or just to say hi, shoot me an email to mywordsarearrows@gmail.com. You can also friend me on goodreads and like my facebook page to keep up to date on what I'm reading and posting about.

Have a wonderful day, and I'll see you here next week with another post!

Lily xoxo

Vanishing Girls Review

Hey! So today I'm going to be reviewing Vanishing Girls, Lauren Oliver's latest book. I bought this

book shortly after it was released, because I love Lauren Oliver, especially her YA psych thrillers (Before I Fall and Panic). So naturally, I wanted to buy this book (the beautiful cover and title certainly helped, as well).

This book was really interesting, and it was the first book in ages that I've read and actually not wanted to put down. The characters were interesting and had such depth, and the story was twisted and very confusing at times, which is just the way I like my psych thrillers.

You can check it out on goodreads here, and the synopsis is below:

Dara and Nick used to be inseparable, but that was before the accident that left Dara's beautiful face scarred and the two sisters totally estranged. When Dara vanishes on her birthday, Nick thinks Dara is just playing around. But another girl, nine-year-old Madeline Snow, has vanished, too, and Nick becomes increasingly convinced that the two disappearances are linked. Now Nick has to find her sister, before it's too late.

I really liked this book. I found it edgy and emotional, and a constant rollercoaster of emotion. I don't think it deserves the 3.6 average on goodreads at all.

If you read a lot of psych thrillers, however, you quite possibly will not be as shocked at the plot and the resolution as someone who's new to them... If you've never read a psych thriller, I would highly recommend starting with Vanishing Girls, it's a great introduction to the genre and will most likely get you hooked on this style.

So if you haven't read Vanishing Girls and you'd like to, go get yourself a copy, read it, and come back here to discuss!

***SPOILERS*** (LIKE MAJOR SPOILERS THIS TIME... IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE BOOK AND WANT TO ENJOY IT AT ALL PLS DON'T SCROLL DOWN! THERE ARE ALSO SPOILERS FOR WE WERE LIARS BY E. LOCKHART SO BEWARE OF THAT TOO)

Where to start? This book was so intricately created, and despite being a huge fan of psychological thrillers I didn't see the twist... But I'll get to that later.

This book is not really all that original, plot wise. We read books like We Were Liars and Mara Dyer, which have similar themes, similar twists and similar issues for the main characters. The reason I enjoyed Vanishing Girls so much, is not just because I am a complete sucker for psych thrillers and this storyline, but because of the characters and the writing. Lauren Oliver is truly an artist with her words, and I am constantly marveling at the way she writes, and the way she manages to weave the beautiful language she does into an angsty YA. For example, the following quotes:

“Sometimes people stop loving you. And that's the kind of darkness that never gets fixed, no matter how many moons rise again, filling the sky with a weak approximation of light.”

 “I guess that's the really nice thing about disappearing: the part where people look for you and beg you to come home.” 

“This is it: somehow, in these pictures, the mystery of the accident is contained, and the explanation for Dara's subsequent behavior, for the silences and disappearances. Don't ask me how. I just do. If you don't understand that, I guess you've never had a sister” 

That last quote also highlights another of my favourite aspects of this story — the relationship between Dara and Nick. As the eldest of three girls, I can understand and relate quite intensely to books that portray sister relationships well (like Isla And The Happily Ever After). I of all people understand how complicated and intense relationships between sisters can be, and I feel like Dara and Nick's dynamic was really interesting. I loved that they were best friends, that they had quite a good relationship before the accident. I feel like, in YA, we see a lot of tense relationships, especially between sisters (like in The Protected, the book that won CBCA Award for 2015) which are good and fun to explore, but it was nice to see sisters who have a deep, complex relationship, that is not perfect, that is flawed, but is so much deeper than any other friendship could be. It was also incredibly sad to see that, in Nick's hallucinations of Dara, Dara hated her. I didn't think about this until after I finished the book, because I didn't guess the twist, but it's heartbreaking to think that Nick thought Dara would hate her that much. It just adds even deeper meaning and intricacy to this beautiful, sad, complex relationship.

A thing that kind of caught me with this book was the timeline. The jumping back and forth was effective, but it was hard to follow at times. The book needed the time jumps, but it was sometimes had to distinguish whether I was reading a before or after chapter, and I often had to skip back to check. I feel like I would've liked a little bit more material from before the accident, just because I would really have liked to see the relationship between Dara and Nick in action.

Then we have the whole Parker issue. This made me feel a little icky, not only because Parker was so flip-floppy in his feelings for Dara/Nick, and I couldn't really figure him out. It also made me uneasy, because I hate the whole two-girls-fighting-over-one-boy trope, especially with sisters. However, Lauren Oliver did it in a way that wasn't at all horrific, and it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book. In fact, I think it definitely helped build on the relationship between the two. I just didn't care all that much who Parker ended up with, and I probably would prefer him with neither of them.

The twist. HEY GUESS WHAT DARA'S ACTUALLY DEAD!!! I mean, this is such a popular plot resolution, I probably should have guessed it. But, I really just did not even think of it. I was too busy hoping that Dara was okay, that she'd be rescued, to even comprehend it. I've seen some people call it a "cop-out" story ending, and although I agree with that in some ways, I don't think its entirely true. Yes, it is an easy way to end a story, but as a writer, you cannot write an ending like that on a whim. Building a convincing story around a plot twist like that is not easy, and I congratulate authors like Oliver and E. Lockhart for executing it in a way that an avid psych thriller reader and book reviewer like myself could not guess. I do think it's an easier way to resolve a novel than writing an actual avenging/rescuing/reunion scene, but it can much more emotional and compelling, especially if it really is unexpected. The way Oliver managed to build the story around something like this was really quite incredible, and extremely hard to pick.

We Were Liars has a similar twist, and I didn't guess it in that book, either. However, it was the first time I'd read a book like that, and I feel like Vanishing Girls was much more subtle. I liked both books and their twists, but they were executed quite differently, and thinking about them in contrast with on another, I feel like it may be slightly easier to pick We Were Liars.

Just because the twist is slightly over-used and arguably predictable for some, doesn't mean it didn't hurt my heart. I really liked Dara, and to think she was dead was extremely sad. I was really hoping for a scene where she and Nick could make up and start to rebuild their relationship from the ground again. It certainly got the desired emotional reaction from me.

So how did you feel about Vanishing Girls? I find it to be a rather divisive book, and there are a ton of different opinions out there, so I'd love to know yours! We can discuss in the comments, on my twitter, my tumblr, or you could even send me an email to mywordsarearrows@gmail.com. If you want to contact me about my book, business or just to say hi, feel free to contact me via any of the above mediums! You can also friend me on goodreads or like my facebook page to keep up to date with what I'm reading and when I post.

Have a wonderful week, and I'll see you soon with another post!

Lily xoxo

Seeker Review

Happy Sunday, book friends! Once again I’m here with a review, this time of Seeker by Arwen Elys Dayton. This is a recently released fantasy that I picked up whilst on holiday to read in between the fifty thousand contemporaries I’ve been reading recently. It was an interesting book, and so if it sounds like your sort of thing, I would recommend you grab yourself a copy. Here’s the synopsis;

Quin Kincaid has been put through years of brutal training for what she thinks is the noble purpose of becoming a revered ‘Seeker’.

Only when it’s too late does she discover she will be using her new-found knowledge and training to become an assassin. Quin's new role will take her around the globe, from a remote estate in Scotland to a bustling, futuristic Hong Kong where the past she thought she had escaped will finally catch up with her.

It was well written and different from a lot of the fantasies I've been reading lately. It does, however, putter along at a leisurely pace. At times, the book feels like it's dragging, and you have to persevere through some bits. It's a bit scary when you buy a book without consulting goodreads and then go home and check the reviews to find out that lots of really popular and respected YA reviewers DNF'd the book! But I was able to finish it and still like it quite a bit, so if you're okay with that sort of pacing there's lots of potential that you will really enjoy this book.

So go read Seeker and then head back here to discuss and compare our thoughts!

***SPOILERS***

Seeker is a book I am really conflicted over. I have so many feelings and I'm not quite sure what my overall thoughts are, so I am sorry if this is a bit rambly.

First of all, this was a high fantasy, no doubt about it. The writing, the story, the mythology, everything about it was undoubtedly high fantasy. However, and I'm sure I've said this before, personally, I don't get high fantasies that are set in modern day time with technology and etc. I find that rarely do they work and they are extremely hard to execute well, for example, Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard. Both Red Queen and Seeker had these electronic elements but were written as high fantasies, and it creates this hybrid of a story that I find hard to categorize in my mind. It feels like a high fantasy, but then it feels like a dystopian, and then it slowly morphs into an odd sort of urban-but-still-high fantasy that doesn't flow nicely.

I didn't feel that this particular phenomenon effected Seeker as much as it did Red Queen, but certainly when touch screens, phones, cameras and TV was mentioned in Seeker, I was thrown out of the story and had to remember that this must be set in today's time, or in the future. Though these moments were few, it made the story less magical and special, for sure. It would've worked better, in my opinion, if the story had been set in a timeless, fantasy Scotland. I'd love to know your thoughts on this... and if you've ever read a fantasy like this that you thought worked really well. Let me know through any of my socials or my email which will be at the end of this post.

The characters in this book were interesting, to say the least. I felt like we needed more time with Quin, seeing as though she was the main character. I finished the story wanting more of her POV, and I for sure preferred her chapters to any other character's. It was so interesting to see her character change and develop from the blindly-following daughter she was at the start to the independent fighter she was at the end. It was especially interesting to see this in comparison to John's character development.

John was a really exciting character to read about. At the start, he seemed to just be a young, naive teenage boy, a little bit angsty but other than that, fairly normal. We slowly saw deeper into his character as he unraveled, turning more and more selfish, vengeful and all around sociopathic throughout the book. Another clever thing about John's character was that he hated Briac, but the parallels between him and Briac became increasingly clear as the story went on. Quin told him he would turn out like Briac, but he was so convinced he was doing the right thing, fulfilling his promise to his mother and restoring his house that he didn't see what he was becoming. Seeing him try to rationalize these violent acts was terrifying but so satisfying as a reader and reviewer, because it was such wonderful characterization. I am extremely keen to see where John's character goes in the next book.

It took me some time to start caring about Shinobu, because, truthfully, I didn't expect him to be as important as he turned out to be. His character wasn't really developed all that much until the second half of the book, once they got to Hong Kong. The things we did know about him, however, were pretty interesting and came into play rather significantly towards the end of the book. His relationship with his father was really realistic and painful to read. In comparison to the dynamic between Quin and Briac, Alistair and Shinobu had a really fun, playful father-son relationship, and when Alistair tried to warn Shinobu about what seekers really did, my heart broke a little. Alistair was always the good cop to Briac's bad cop. He was, of course, ruthless, but at least he genuinely cared about Quin and Shinobu.

When Alistair died, and Shinobu let him, I felt horrible for the both of them, because they were both so terribly stuck in the dangerous, destructive seeker web constructed by Briac that they were emotionally drained and confused. It was one of the most painful moments, along with Quin and her unraveling relationship with John.

Quin and John's relationship was always a little bit questionable, but even more so considering what we learn about John throughout the book. It was sad to see Quin and the way she realized that what she had with John was never going to be able to be salvaged. In comparison, it was chilling to see John try to convince himself that Quin still loved him and that, even though he was forcing her into teaching him something that seriously hurt her and made her incredibly self-destructive, she would come back to him and always love him. It was just another part of John's character that was terrifying and positively sent chills down my spine.

Despite all this, I seriously thought Quin and John would be endgame (at least in this book, if not at the end of the series as well) but apparently not. I assumed that Shinobu's affections for Quin would remain unrequited indefinitely. Especially considering the fact that they're cousins... well, half third cousins, as they so frequently reminded us. I did not expect Quin/Shinobu to be endgame, for sure. It was quite a shock and I will be interested to see whether they continue to be together throughout the rest of the series, and how everyone else will react to the slightly incesty themes there.

In the actual story, it's true to say that not that much actually happened, and the plot was quite straightforward, meaning the story doesn't really go very fast. It is more slow and steady than that. Most of the story was spent with John trying to get the athame and Quin trying to either keep it from him or forget what she'd done as a seeker. Personally, I would've preferred a little more development on what they thought seekers actually did, and why they so desperately wanted to be seekers. Of course there was all the 'evildoers beware' stuff, but besides that, they didn't actually know all that much about being seekers, which is what Briac and the other sworn seekers wanted. But there was no real incentive for Quin to want to be a seeker, considering she didn't even like her father all that much.

The storyline with the Dreads was interesting and I enjoyed reading from Maud's point of view, but it did feel a little out of place sometimes, considering it was a very ancient-magic sort of thing and the story was set in modern day. I felt like there was a lot of focus on the Dreads and they didn't really have all that much of an impact on the story.

Overall, I did actually enjoy the story, despite the things I've brought up in this review. I loved the setting and the mythology, but I wish there had been no technology or other modern elements! I'd love to know your thoughts on Seeker and whether you're going to read the second book, Traveler, when it comes out, because I'm undecided as of yet.

If you want to share your thoughts, leave a comment below, send me a tweet at @lilypherondale or a tumblr ask to sherlockcrumpets. You can also email me for business, questions, thoughts or just to say hi at mywordsarearrows@gmail.com. If you want to keep updated with what I'm reading and reviewing, like my facebook page or friend me on goodreads, @lilypherondale.

Have a wonderful week and I'll see you soon with another post!

Lily xoxo

Just One Day Review

I'm so sorry it's been a while! I've been so busy with work (and publishing my book... eep!) but I'm back again with another splendid post! And today, I am going to be

reviewing a book you've most likely heard of. Just One Day by Gayle Forman. And as someone who spends a lot of time on goodreads, in the YA blogosphere and on booktube accounts, I have heard many, many things about Just One Day. So, in an effort to find a book that would entertain me from finishing The Darkest Part Of The Forest, which was fantastic, to when In Honor arrived in the mail, I picked up Just One Day from my library in the hope that it'd give me something to do in between. And boy, did it ever!

I had been skeptical about this book for a while, particularly as I didn't really enjoy If I Stay all that much and also because I thought that the entire book was set over the course of one day. 360 pages and one day. And so I shoved it at the bottom of my TBR list. But as per usual, the books I think I won't enjoy are the ones I do. It's always the way.

If you did enjoy If I Stay, you will definitely love this. I would also recommend it to fans of Anna And The French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins and fans of Rainbow Rowell.

Here's the synopsis;

Allyson Healey's life is exactly like her suitcase—packed, planned, ordered. Then on the last day of her three-week post-graduation European tour, she meets Willem. A free-spirited, roving actor, Willem is everything she’s not, and when he invites her to abandon her plans and come to Paris with him, Allyson says yes. This uncharacteristic decision leads to a day of risk and romance, liberation and intimacy: 24 hours that will transform Allyson’s life.

If you're into travel-finding-yourself-romances, this is right up your alley. I would certainly recommend to lovers of a good young adult contemporary. For me, it had some issues but definitely a solid four out of five stars.

 So if you haven't read Just One Day and you'd like to, go find yourself a copy and check it out, then come back to check out my spoiler review!

***SPOILERS***

Where to start? My feelings for this book are so conflicted. I have some major issues that really kept me from totally loving this book but I also tore through it at a rate I haven't in a while.

Let's discuss the plot. The plot drove this book, I think, as the characters were fairly weak. I really loved the way the plot moved so fluidly, like when Jacques, that guy Willem and Allyson met in Paris, said that time was fluid. I also felt like the themes in this book were carried through really well and none of them (and let's be real, there was a lot of them) were left behind and forgotten. The central themes, of course, being Willem's idea of love, and his "stain" analogy, and of course the whole accidents idea. I was so glad that these themes, in addition to all the others (like Allyson's scar on her neck, the things Willem and Allyson said to one another, the whole idea of "Lulu" and the symbolism of time and Allyson's watch), were continued nicely.

And yes, being wrong about the entire book being set on one day was entirely my fault. I need to stop jumping to conclusions. The start of the book, this One Day Allyson spent with Willem, was a total of 142 pages. These pages did not drag at any point. The entire day was fast-paced and I was constantly intrigued. There wasn't one point during this first part where I wanted to put the book down, and so I didn't. The book did, however, come to a lull in the first part of the one year later half. And I think the reason this bit was so hard to read was that Allyson was just such a sad sack, and such a boring character to have narrating.

Allyson Heady was not in any way shape or form an overly interesting character. At the start of the book, she was mopey, average and following around in the footsteps of her prettier, more adventurous best friend. She was your typical YA protagonist. Constantly commenting on how "unpretty" she is, but somehow also manages to be "strikingly beautiful" later on, boxed in, pressured by her ambitious parents, constantly jealous of the more socially competent, prettier girls around her. I don't think there was one girl in the One Day part and the start of the One Year part she narrated in a positive light. Maybe except her grandmother. It wasn't until she met up with the "Oz gang" and Wren in her return to Paris where she actually stopped comparing herself to the girls around her and just settled.

Allyson was just very, very average. And also rather childish, I found. She often overreacted and jumped to conclusions and had zero motivation, which made me sometimes forget that her character was meant to be eighteen/nineteen. And maybe it's because I'm a cynic and I've never been "in love", but really, this girl was seriously hung up on a one-day fling, a day that ended badly because she didn't actually think that morning through. Logically, though, when Willem wasn't there in the morning, she didn't think things through and wait for him, but totally flipped. This made her character really annoying to deal with eighty percent of the time.

Despite this, I think Gayle Forman meant to make Allyson annoying. I think she wanted us to see the stark difference between Lulu and Allyson, and wanted us to realize that Allyson wasn't just pining for Willem, but also for Lulu. The part of her that she lost. And when you look at it in this light, the way Allyson was written does make sense. But honestly, I wanted to slap her in the face a lot during this book.

Willem was interesting and adorable but also very average. He was interesting, because he clearly liked Allyson a lot, but he still seemed like a total player. I, like Allyson, was constantly confused by his messages. He was a bit like Adam from If I Stay, in that I just couldn't figure him out and therefore it made him harder to care about.

In addition to this, he was also kind of a jerk. Throughout the book it seems like he had no less than seven girlfriends either closely before Allyson or in the year in between. And although I had a feeling Allyson had misunderstood the morning where he left, it still made me angry that he never seemed to put in a lot of effort to find her. Like, really, in the internet era we live in, finding someone really isn't that hard. We all Facebook stalk and google our crushes, and often with results that lead to more information and more information, so I really don't think he put in much of an effort.

But don't let these rants about characters lead you to think I didn't enjoy the book, because I did, I really did. For me, however, as you probably already know, characters are the most important part of any story. And in this book, I felt like I didn't connect with any of the characters.

One of the things I loved most about this book was the way that the Allyson/Lulu dynamic played out. I thought it was so interesting watching Allyson realize she not only wanted to see Willem again, but Lulu. It was so awesome to see just how different she was when she spent that day with Willem, like before and after she was just a shell of who she wanted to be. It reminded me a little of the mythology behind eating faerie food. Once you try it, everything else tastes like ash and dust. I felt like once Allyson had tried being Lulu, she sunk into depression in the way she did because she realized she hated Allyson and loved Lulu.

I was so glad we were able to see Allyson return to Lulu, and without Willem's help. Although it annoyed me to no end that it took so long to find Willem again, I must say!

Although I didn't love Allyson and Willem separately, the time they were together was certainty the most enjoyable as a reader. They clearly brought out the best in one another and were better off together than alone, and I think that's a good indicator of how well a relationship is working out. I definitely hoped that Willem had some sort of explanation for why he'd (seemingly) been such a jerk and I did hope they'd get back together, for the benefit of them both.

Fate plays a big part in this book, and as someone who doesn't quite believe in the sort of fate or "accidents" portrayed in the story, it was both hard to relate to but also refreshing. It was nice seeing this idea of fate through much more positive eyes, but at the same time I found the events in the book to be impossible and completely fictitious. But then again, isn't that what makes books so enjoyable?

And wow, that cliffhanger is the motivation I needed to be sure of reading the next book. I understand Just One Year is the year in between the One Day Allyson and Willem spent together and the day they meet again from Willem's point of view. I am very curious to see this from Willem's point of view and start decoding him as a character a bit more.

I would love to know your thoughts on this book or the series (although no spoilers, please!!!) in the comments below. If you would rather tweet me your thoughts, send a tweet to @lilypherondale and if you're more of a tumblr sort of person, I love getting asks on my tumblr, sherlockcrumpets. You can also like my facebook page to keep up to date with what I'm reading and posting!

If you want to talk business or just say hi more privately, feel free to send me an email at mywordsarearrows@gmail.com.

See you next week with another post!

Lily xoxo

The Darkest Part Of The Forest Review

Hello nerd-peeps! Today I will be discussing the new(ish) Holly Black book, called The Darkest Part Of The Forest. Words cannot express my love for the characters, the setting... everything about this book.

So basically this book is sort of urban fantasy, sort of psychological thriller and totally amazing. It's about this weird town called Fairfold where there is, undeniably, faerie presence.

There's a sleeping prince, two twins who both love this prince, a curse, the-faerie-next-door, true love, magic and more. It's an amazing read and I highly, highly recommend this book.

I won't give you a full synopsis because I don't think you should go into this book knowing everything, I think it's really fun to explore this weird, amazing book as you go along.

So go grab yourself a copy then head back here so we can properly discuss!

***SPOILERS***

Wow. This was everything I wanted and more. This whole world Holly Black has created, the whole atmosphere and especially the characters just roped me into this book and wouldn't let me go for the entirety of the time I was reading it.

First of all- Fairfold. What the ever-loving heck is up with this town? I loved the whole "well if you get hurt you're a tourist" type of mentality. It just added another layer of creepy to the situation, that these people excused the faerie's murdering and havoc by saying that their victims did something wrong, broke the rules, behaved like a dumbfounded tourist.

The mythology of this whole book was wonderful. The idea of having the prince in the glass case, the forest with weird enchanted creatures, the Alderking who everyone was scared of but didn't really talk about. The fact that these people in the town were so okay with all of this and that they just accepted it was very eerie and magical.

My favourite thing about this book was the characters. In my opinion, characters drive a story, and no matter how fantastic and wonderful the setting and plot is, if you have dry, boring characters your story can't succeed. That certainly was not a problem in this book. There are four main characters in this book, Hazel, Ben, Jack and Severin. Of course, there are other characters, too, like Carter and Mrs Gordon, but I'll discuss them later on.

Hazel, our main narrator, was everything I could've wanted from a kick-butt female protagonist of a supernatural novel. She was fiery and shamelessly flirty, a trait I don't see often in *positively portrayed* female characters. She wasn't afraid to fight for what she wanted and she was traditionally feminine but also a faerie knight, which was just a terrific change from the normal "I'm not like other girls" female protags. I genuinely thought that Hazel would end up with Severin, as well. It was only half way in that I thought maybe things weren't going the way I thought they were.

We got a few chapters from the perspective of Ben, Hazel's brother, and I was so, so glad. He was an amazing character and such a contrast from Hazel. Ben was a bit more demure than Hazel, more easily shaken. He was a bit like the typical talented artist, a bit kooky and unique. I loved that where Hazel didn't think much about love or romanticize her situation at all, Ben was a through-and-through romantic. His narration, although not in first person, was much more romantic and soft than Hazel's. I felt like Hazel was like a firework and Ben was like watercolour paint.

I didn't expect Hazel and Jack to end up together. I thought that she'd pine after him until Severin woke up, and then she'd fall in love with him. I thought, originally, that it was more likely that Ben and Jack might end up together. I wasn't super in love with Jack; he was fairly flat. He never really was overly interesting on his own, but I loved the dynamic he had with Hazel and Ben. The way his whole character was based around this idea that he wasn't even supposed to be there, wasn't even related to his family but still undeniably tied to them was really interesting and was just another amazing layer of intrigue Holly inserted into this novel.

Severin was everything I could've wanted from his character and more. I loved the mystery and magic that his character was surrounded by, and the way he was slowly trying to work out the "human" feelings he was having for Ben. I loved the way he spoke, like he was from a different time but he'd spend years and years listening and comprehending what people said to him, and his language was a mish-mash of different sorts of slang. And the way he just perfectly fitted into Ben and Hazel's tight little bond, like he really had been their prince was just amazing.

I loved his relationship with Ben and the way they bonded over family even though they were so, so different. It was so amazingly easy to ship and adore all the main relationships in this book.

To be perfectly honest, these four characters drove the story and I would happily read another seven books about them please Holly give me a ten thousand word novella where Ben and Severin and Hazel and Jack attempt to have a very normal life and Ben takes Severin out for ramen and cute domestic fluff like that PLEASE.

Even the minor characters in this book, like Carter, Mrs Gordon and Hazel's mother all had such an amazing atmosphere surrounding them. Mrs Gordon, Carter and Jack's mother, was the typical over-protective, homely mother, like Molly Weasley. But even she wasn't just as she seemed, with her whole backstory of being the Alderking's lover and demanding to get her baby back. The way Holly developed the average stereotype of small town people in this book into a slightly altered just plain weird set of individuals was really quite amazing. They were all such familiar character archetypes, but the way they interacted and dealt with the odd, supernatural events in the town made them foreign, maybe even more dark as characters. The whole town of Fairfold was not only an amazingly well developed setting but also made even better by the powerful yet minor characters who drove it.

The actual storyline, the problems with Hazel being the Alderking's knight and Sorrow's vengeance on the town was also an amazing element of the story (although I may have been too busy crying in awe at the characters to pay a whole lot of attention to the plot). The faeries, as per usual, were dark, enticing, dangerous creatures. A lot of the faerie mythology was the average sort of mythology but with this new twist of a sleeping prince and the "king of the forest". And also the fact that the entire town knew that there were faeries. I don't think I've ever read a book where everyone knows that faeries exist and are living among them.

In addition to the whole faerie-war aspect of the book, there is also of course the fact Hazel was a legitimate knight, in service of the Alderking. I certainly didn't see that coming, and if you did I salute you! I thought that was a really cool twist because the childhood flashbacks Hazel gave us had a vaguely fairy-tale vibe, with a prince and a knight and the more cerebral, strategic sidekick.

I really appreciated the way everything you expected from this book was flipped. As someone who reads a lot of YA fiction, I can tell you that a lot of the time, it's the same old tired narrative used over and over again. But in this book, the heroine was just that- a heroine. She was the knight, not her love interest, not her brother. She didn't fall in love with the charming swoon-worthy faerie prince, her brother did. Instead, she ended up with the guy who, ordinarily in YA fiction, might be flung into the unappreciated "friend-zoned boy-next-door" type. And I totally thought it was going to be that way! It was such a pleasant surprise to see something different and I hope I am able to find more books like this!

The Darkest Part Of The Forest was an amazing, dark, perfect read. I loved it a lot and I hope you guys did too! I will certainly be picking up some more Holly Black so if you have any experience with the other Holly Black books, let me know below in the comments.

If you agree, disagree or just want me to see some words you have strung together don't be afraid to comment below and let me know! If you want to get in touch with me and don't have a google plus account, feel free to send me a tweet to @lilypherondale, an ask to my tumblr, sherlockcrumpets or even an email to mywordsarearrows@gmail.com if you want discuss business or just say hi. I would love to talk to you, to be perfectly honest. I can send you puns and we can be friends. It'll be great.

See you next week for another post!

Lily xoxo

From The Ashes Review

Hello readers! Today I will be reviewing a book that was given to me by the author, Shelby K. Morrison, in exchange for a review. The book is called From The Ashes and it will be released on May 3rd. I would very much like to thank Shelby for offering me the chance to read and review her wonderful book! It was truly an honor. If you are an author with a book coming out and you're looking for ARC reviewers, feel free to contact me via my email: mywordsarearrows@gmail.com. Anyways, onto the review.

Because this book hasn't come out yet, this will be a totally spoiler free review, so anyone can read it.

It is a young adult fantasy, and I really enjoyed it! Here's the blurb:

For eighteen years Aia Wynnald has lived a lie. Raised as a highborn in the Kingdom of Tharien, she's filled her days with tutors and archery lessons. But simmering beneath her polite surface is a dangerous gift, one which she must keep a secret. Aia is a bender. And in Tharien, Benders are feared and hunted. 

When her unruly power breaks free with dire repercussions, Aia's lifelong goal of independence shatter. As she scrambles to piece her life back together while evading capture, she disturbs a vengeful force intent on destroying the kingdom. 

Now, with the help of an unlikely ally, Aia will decide the fate of Tharien. To rescue those she cares about will require accepting what she is. But can she risk becoming the monster she's dreaded to save the very citizens baying for her blood?

This was such a great read. I was getting serious Throne Of Glass-esque vibes from it, which is great because I love Throne Of Glass. The book overall was really fun and I cared a lot about all of the characters. I felt like this book worked really hard with the relationships between the characters, and I loved that.

Firstly, let's talk about Aia, the main character. Aia spent most of the book working through these issues she had. I really liked that she wasn't your typical fantasy-protag-cliche. She didn't automatically accept this change in her environment and tackle it head first. She was cleverer than that, and she thought things through a lot better than most other protagonists, which was really refreshing.

I liked that her internal struggles were dealt with in such a realistic way. She was fighting her instincts that were so deeply ingrained in her, that Benders were inherently evil and that she was a danger. I feel like in fantasy a lot of the time the characters are way to adaptable and run into things headfirst, never really thinking things through. In From The Ashes, this was so much more realistic, and it made for a really interesting internal conflict with Aia.

The writing in this book was really beautiful. I loved the prose, it was classic high-fantasy and it really fit well. There was the perfect balance of descriptive, metaphorical language and actual character interaction. This was the way it reminded me of TOG most, because I feel like this book and TOG are two of the best written high fantasies with the perfect tone.

Then there were the other characters, Cole and Illicina. I really liked both of them. Cole, a young man working for the Emperor, hunts Benders... but maybe there's something more to him? Cole was a multi-dimensional character (maybe love interest?) and I was really feeling the relationship between him and Aia. I hope that in future books, their relationship might just develop into something more. Despite wanting them together, I was glad there wasn't too much romance in this book. I think Cole and Aia's relationship was growing but slowly, and somehow, that made it more real and enjoyable than if it had been rushed. And also the plot twist surrounding Cole... did not guess that one at all!

Illicina is an angry, vengeful Bender, focused on bringing retribution on those who hurt her. I liked Illicina quite a bit. At the start, I was a bit apprehensive, but as we got to know her, even though Aia's suspicious, eyes, I started to like her. She was complex and detailed, and I would really be interested in finding out more about her.

Her relationship with Aia was beautiful. Illicina, who doesn't trust anyone, starts to trust and love Aia in a way that she clearly hasn't for a while. And in return, Aia starts to love and trust Illcina as well. They had a very sister-like dynamic, and I am hoping that in the next book, we'll get to see more of Illicina and her relationship with Aia. I feel like there is plenty of potential for hilarious scenes with Aia, Cole and Illicina.

The actual story, which has a gentle pace, worked very well with the complex internal struggles of Aia and the well-developed relationships between Aia and Illicina and Aia and Cole. It follows Aia and her desperate attempts to evade capture from the Breakers, the people who hunt Benders, and trying to stop Illicina from taking out her anger on the people who want Aia convicted. I really liked the story. All the elements fit nicely together and it flowed really well. As I've already mentioned, Aia's internal conflict is a lot of the story, and I think it was done fantastically and it slotted into the plot perfectly. I'm never going to stop gushing about the relationships and Aia's internal conflict in this book, to be perfectly honest.

On occasion, the dialogue felt a bit forced and would snap me out of the story. It was also quite cheesy occasionally, which was a shame, because there was plenty of room of banter and emotive writing in the dialogue.

I also would've liked a lot more worldbuilding. I feel like there was so much potential for an amazing world, a deep and well developed society. Unfortunately, I still don't know all that much about this wonderful world the book is set in. I'm hoping that in future books, we'll see this world expanded.

My final critical point for this book was Aia's backstory. We sort of jumped straight into her life as a fugitive, and I would've liked to see some of her life before, as well, to have some contrast. I think it would've helped the audience understand the world and Aia a bit better. Although this would've been nice, it didn't really impact or detract from my enjoyment of the story.

All in all, From The Ashes is a beautifully written, well developed story that treats its fantastic characters the way they deserved to be treated. I liked it a lot, and I'd rate it a solid four out of five stars. I would recommend it to fans of The Winner's Crime, Throne Of Glass and Snow Like Ashes. So set your calendars to alert you on May 3 for the release of From The Ashes!

If you want to share your thoughts or get in contact with me, you can leave a comment below, send me a tweet to @lilypherondale, a tumblr ask to sherlockcrumpets or even email me at mywordsarearows@gmail.com. Also, like my facebook page to keep updated with what I'm doing!

Have a wonderful Easter weekend, and I'll see you next week with another post!

Lily xoxo

Ready Player One Review

I bought this book because one of my favourite booktubers raves about it. I saw it on book depository

and thought, "why not". And I did not know how much I needed this book at the time.

After reading The DUFF (don't even talk to me about The DUFF. I will not be reviewing it or seeing the movie, sorry to disappoint, but I don't want to offend anyone, but I will say that it was the singular worst book I've ever read) I didn't feel like facing another contemporary, good or bad. So I gave Ready Player One a shot.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline is a wonderful geeky paradise. It's all about video games, movies and above all, the 80's.

It's set in a world where everything has gone wrong. The outside is a grim place. And so most people of the world spend their time in the OASIS, a huge virtual reality made be none other than James Donovan Halliday himself. You can do or be anything in the OASIS, and so almost everyone uses it to escape their reality.

And almost everyone dreams of finding Halliday's "easter egg", an egg in the game the finder of which inherits all of Halliday's massive fortune. Dying single with no heir meant that Halliday could do anything with his money. And so he decided to give it to make a contest of it.

But then, unassuming eighteen year old Wade Watts stumbles across the first prize, and the whole world turns their attention to him. Thousands of other hunters join the competition, including some who would be willing to murder to find the egg.

Ready Player One is incredible. It's amazingly crafted and devastatingly addictive. Everything about it is just so real and I really, really liked it. It definitely deserves the 4.31 star rating on goodreads.

I highly recommend it; so read it and come back here so we can discuss!

***SPOILERS***

I thought Ready Player One was fantastic. There are very few things I have to criticize in it.

My favourite thing about Ready Player One was probably the contest, followed very closely by the whole world of the book.

The contest, understandably, was what drove the book. The start dragged on a little, because there was a lot to explain. That was one of the few faults with this book; the amount of information needing to be conveyed at the one time often meant there were pages of info-dumping. It was interesting, and I loved all the back-story and the pop culture from the 80's. But despite the slow start, once the competition started, the book flew past.

The world Ready Player One is set in is terrifyingly like our own. The problems brought up in the start, like running out of energy, fossil fuels and other necessary things, and the statistics about starving, unemployed and homeless people in the world were really realistic to me. I felt like this horrible world that Ernest Cline illustrated wasn't far off from being our own.

And then there was the element of the story where everyone drowned their misery for reality in the OASIS. I felt like that was really relatable and real. Lots of people disappear into worlds like video games, books, movies, career, family and more to distract themselves from the sadness, and I could feel this world and I felt like it was real.

The characters weren't the driving point of this novel, but they were pretty awesome. I didn't really relate to Wade, because I feel like he and his avatar were sort of blurred, and it was hard to distinguish was was real and what was online. Despite making me feel distant from his character, this made the struggle of real world vs. the OASIS even more vibrant. But by the end it was clear that Wade had changed vastly, through the competition and his adoration (and slight obsession) with Art3mis.

Art3mis was awesome. She was smart, her avatar was on a level smashing Wade's and even Aech's, and she wasn't afraid to do whatever to get to the egg. I personally thought she would've found the egg, because she seemed more intelligent than Wade, and even Aech. Her lines were sharp and wonderfully hilarious, and everything she did made me wish I was her, or wish I could have a spin-off staring her.

I did not see the Aech plot twist. I did think she'd (I will refer to her as "she" because I'm talking about her character, not just her avatar) be a person of colour, due to some hints dropped throughout the book. But I did not foresee a girl named Helen as Aech. But the message given by this particular event and basically the whole book was that friendship was about much more than physical appearance, race, gender and etc. I really liked that sort of feel towards the end, when Wade met everyone.

The middle of the book, whilst everyone was looking for the Jade Key, was probably the slowest part, other than the start. Wade seemed to be spiraling out of control after Art3mis "dumped" him, and it was really odd watching him. I think at this point the pressure got too much for him. But I was so glad when Aech gave him the clue to the Jade Key, because I felt like he was back in the game. And despite thinking that Art3mis should win, I was still subconsciously rooting for Wade.

Once Wade found the "test", things picked up again the rest of the book flied by. I was totally hooked and there was no way I was putting the book down until I finished. The end was enthralling, fast-paced and I loved it. It was probably the best part of the book, especially when the four best gunters (Aech, Art3mis, Wade and Shoto) met up.

You're probably thinking, "what sets this book apart from all the other books like it? All the latest young adult sci-fi dystopians that are being pumped out faster than new versions of the iPhone?" and I can answer that for you. This book had a feel of professionalism I haven't read in a young adult for a while. It was sharp, edgy, perfect for young adults, but at the same time, really well thought out and very smart. The whole thing was crafted perfectly and it was clear all the research on the 80's paid off.

All in all, this book was really fantastic. I would highly recommend you read it; I've given it a solid five stars on goodreads.

If you have read Ready Player One and would like to share your feels, post a comment below, send a tweet to me at @lilypherondale or an ask to my tumblr, sherlockcrumpets. If you want to send me an email for business reasons or even just to say hi, feel free to! My email address is mywordsarearrows@gmail.com; I'd love to hear from you! All the contact details you could ever wish for are also up in the "contact me" page in the bar just below the title of my blog. My twitter, tumblr and facebook are also all linked there :)

If you want to stay in touch with me and check out what I'm doing and reading, like my facebook page. I generally post whenever something strikes me, every few days. I post pictures of books and thoughts as I'm reading them. Also feel free to friend me on goodreads here. I'd love to check out what you guys are reading!

See you next week with another post!

Lily xoxo