Review: Crimson Bound (SPOILERS)

You can read my non-spoiler here on goodreads! But this review does contain spoilers so stop reading if you haven't read this book! Or continue reading, your choice! LET'S DISCUSS!

This is the second book by Rosamund Hodge that I've read! Her first book, Cruel Beauty, is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast while this book is a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. However, I must mention it is very light on the retelling of LRRH, I found that Hodge used a few pieces from the fairy tale and the rest was very much original and I loved it.

I really just loved everything about it, especially the characters. Rachelle was a great heroine and her constant struggle of accepting herself was interesting to watch. While most humans who become bloodbound welcome the change and want to kill and eventually become fully forestborn, Rachelle does not want this. She rather kill herself before she turns forestborn than continue living. Unlike Erec who fully embraces the Forest and the evilness that surrounds them, Rachelle refuses to do this. Because of this she is weaker than Erec and can never defeat him.

"Erec could use the power of the forest to make himself perfect and she never could."

I LOVED Erec, ok. And I'm sorry about this but he's just one those characters that you want to hate but you loved instead (hello Aaron Warner anyone? AND WE ALL KNOW HOW THAT TURNED OUT). When we find out he's actually been Rachelle's forestborn who turned her into a bloodhound I WAS SHOCKED. And I really shouldn't have been because there was a hint that he was only a hundred pages before when Armand and Rachelle followed her crimson thread to get back to the castle. I don't know why I didn't think of it then, probably because Hodge just brushed it off and I really didn't think about it too much. But that was a great reveal! I was really upset when Erec chose to stay with the Devourer. Erec was evil, obviously, but if he had chosen to go back to world with Rachelle, he could have redeemed himself. However, he chose a fate worse than death and that was really upsetting for me. And even though Rachelle says she didn't love Erec, I KNOW SHE DID! She wouldn't have cried for him at the end if she didn't! Say what you want but I loved Erec and there was room for him to change!

"Erec, you fool. There was a whole world waiting for us."

Then there's Armand....I didn't like him as much I could have. I just thought he was boring and I really couldn't connect with him. I felt bad about his hands and the fact that his father was just using him as a vessel for the Devourer and as a saint to keep the people happy. And then when we find out that it was EREC that cut off his hands, I got really upset. But the relationship between Rachelle and Armand just didn't connect with me, it didn't seem like they were compatible to me. And Rachelle's love for Armand seemed to come about way to quick. I probably just have hard feelings that Rachelle chose Armand over Erec but despite that I still don't like him all that much.

Amelie was also an interesting character because she was a perfect contrast to Rachelle. Amelie is everything Rachelle was supposed to be, the picture of innocence and purity. Their friendship is important to this book because it shows that Rachelle isn't the evil murderer that she believes herself to be. Even after she becomes a forestborn she still able to love because she remembers Amelie and Armand. I also really liked Amelie as a character because of her influence over Rachelle and her unwillingness to give up on her as well.

The forest was so interesting to me. That's one thing that I wish Hodge went deeper into. The descriptions of it and the forestborn who lived there was so interesting and I would love to have read more about it. This is why I can't handle stand-alone fantasy books because I always want MORE! No matter what I always want another book.

Rosamund Hodge is a just a really talented writer. So far I've LOVED everything she's written. What were your thoughts on this book? Did you like it, not like it? Hope you enjoyed my little discussion here!

Library Book Haul!

So I went to the library this weekend because a bunch of books came in that I had requested! I've been waiting quite awhile for some of these! If you click on the title and author of each book it will take you to its goodreads page! Enjoy!

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

I've been meaning to read this book for quite some time now. I read the free sample on my kindle but never got around to purchasing the whole thing. I'm really glad that the library had it! Judging from the blurb I'd say it could classified as science fiction, I won't be sure if it falls into the dystopian category until I read it! Also there seems to be some romance involved, a forbidden love perhaps? From the sample I read on my kindle I know that the book is told in dual point of views in the third person. I have a hard time connecting to characters when a book is told in the third person but I'm hopeful that this book will be different.

Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge

I'm actually reading this now! I read her first book Cruel Beauty last year and really loved it. I'm enjoying this book as well. It was a bit confusing in the beginning but I found to be confused in Cruel Beauty as well. But you always have a moment 50 pages in or so where you finally go "Ahhh now I understand." Anyway, this book is about a girl, Rachelle, who three years ago was a normal human that was studying to be a healer and charms maker. However, one day she is persuaded by a man to stray from her path and this leads to her life being drastically changed. She is now what people called "bloodhound" and no longer human. She considers herself to be evil and her only hope in atoning for her wickedness is to save the kingdom from the forestborn that are gathering more and more power. It sounds a bit confusing but it's very well written and different from other YA fantasy out at the moment. 

The Last Time We Say Goodbye by Cynthia Hand

I actually finished this book yesterday! You can read my full review here! I thought it was good. Some parts were pretty powerful to read and I had to put the book down to absorb everything that was going on. The basic premise of the book is that the narrator, Lex, is dealing with the sudden death of her brother, Ty. He died by suicide and throughout the book Lex is trying to piece together the reasons why her brother did this and trying to battle her own guilt over the situation. I loved Hand's writing, she told the story in a way that left me very emotional and also just very sad. Definitely would recommend.

We All Looked Up by Tommy Wallach

This book came out this past March and after seeing many of my goodreads friends add it to their TBR I was intrigued. The book is YA and seems to be a mixture of the contemporary and science fiction genres. It tells the story of 4 teenagers who come together after an asteroid hits the Earth. To me it sounds like a modern day "Breakfast Club" remake but instead of being stuck in a classroom these teenagers are stuck in the end of the world. I'm really excited to read this!

Mosquitoland by David Arnold

The past few times I've been to Barnes and Noble I've seen this book and really wanted to buy it. But I knew the library would have it and decided to wait! This is a YA contemporary that tells the story of a girl named Mim who moves to from her home in Ohio with her mother to Mississippi to live with her father. However, once Mim arrives in Mississippi she realizes that she hates it there and wants to go back home to her mother. The book chronicles her journey back to her home and what she learns on the way. This sounds like the perfect summer read! I love reading books that have to do with a road trip and self-discovery in the summer. I'll probably be reading this very soon! 

The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black

Fact: I have never read a book by Holly Black. But I am very hopeful that this will change! Everyone on goodreads LOVES her books so I'm sure I'll soon understand everyone's love for her books as well. This is her newest book, which came out in the beginning of this year. It sounds like a classic fantasy with fairy tale elements as well. It's about a girl named Hazel and her brother Ben and their role in their town where they live side by side with the Fae. I'm really excited to read this because I love ALL stories that have to do with faeries. This is a stand-alone not a series so that will be interesting as well. Can't wait to give this a try! 

Falling into Place by Amy Zhang

This is ANOTHER book that I kept wanting to buy at Barnes and Noble! It sounds so good and I absolutely love the cover. The blurb of this book really grabs you, at least it did for me. The book centers around a girl named Liz Emerson who everyone thinks is perfect but is not. However, the book is told in another person's perspective about Liz. Mental illness is a big part of this book and I'm really looking forward to starting it soon.

The Ghosts of Heaven by Marcus Sedgwick

This book also came out in the beginning of the year and I've really been looking forward to reading it! There are four linked stories told within this book and they each happen over different periods of time. History seems to play a big role in this book and I am super excited because of this! Different time periods are so interesting especially when they can be connected to one another. I'm really hoping this lives up to my expectations! 

Well there's my library bookaul! Hope you enjoyed it! 

-Whitney :)

I'm back! (I hope)

Since it's the summer and I have a couple months before I head back to the grind of college and work, I really want to get back to running this blog. I've been lazy, I know! I am really going to start posting more and not let this blog go to waste. I really enjoyed posting in the beginning but once school got more and more stressful it was put on the back burner. :(

What I really need to do is catch up on my reading challenge! I am 11 books behind. I'm slacking! I just started reading Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge today and so far I'm enjoying it. I just finished Cynthia Hand's novel The Last Time We Say Goodbye and I needed a YA fantasy to pick me up after that. It was a great book but whenever I read a book that deals with suicide or some tough issues I always like to read a fantasy to improve my state of mind. I find it really helpful.

In other news, I might be investing in a video camera to take my book blogging to the next level. I'm really thinking about fully joining BookTube and starting to make videos and such. It's going to take a lot of time and commitment but I think I'm finally ready to put myself out there. All I have to do is save up some money and buy a camera! My goal is to have a camera by July and start making videos then! So exciting!

But for now I'll be sticking to my reviews on my goodreads and my reviews on my blog here! I also will posting my book hauls and any other related bookish things as well. OH! And I've actually started to write. So if it  ever seems like I'm all of a sudden not updating as much it's because a case of writing fever has come over me. They usually only occur at 11o'clock at night and continue into the wee hours of the morning. But once I start I can't stop until I'm completely drained. I might share some of the stuff I write on here...who knows?

ANYWAY, I think that's it for now. I PROMISE I will try to keep my blog updated! If not you can all yell at me because I'll deserve it!

Have a lovely day my friends!

-Whitney :)

Review: The Falconer

Title: The Falconer
Author: Elizabeth May
Genre: Fantasy/Steampunk
Rating:★★★★

I finally read this book! And I actually really enjoyed it. While it did have that Throne of Glass vibe I felt the story was very original and interesting to read. I loved the author's writing style. Like seriously I am IN LOVE with her writing. I love books that use words that I've never heard of before and puzzle me so much that I have to look them up. Some people find it annoying but I love learning new words and this book definitely had a lot of new words for me to learn. 

I must say that every fae book I've read is different. Sure, some of the same aspects are there like the Seelie and Unseelie Courts, the light and dark fae, and the powers they possess but in each book I've read the author is able to completely make the story their own. And Elizabeth May definitely accomplished this in this novel. 

The setting is in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1844 and the story is told from the point of view of 18-year-old Aileana Kameron. She is the daughter of the Marquess of Douglas and has been taught how to be a proper lady her whole life. However, that all changes when her mother is killed right before her eyes by a faerie. From that day on she has sworn to kill any faeries she comes in contact with except one. Kiaran McKay. Kiaran teaches Aileana everything about fighting the fae and what she needs know in order to survive. Kiaran seems cruel at times but I feel that that is shield to hide his true emotions from Alieana. I really enjoyed the relationship between Kiaran and Aileana but I was also annoyed because like most books they didn't show their true emotions for each other until the end of the book.

There were some small things that bugged me about the book that made me give 4 stars instead of five. The first thing being that it's tough to follow at times because of the different language used throughout the book. There certain names for faeries that are mentioned in this other language that confused me. I had to keep looking back at the glossary to see what faerie was being talked about. I also felt there was some info dumping in the beginning of the book. There wasn't a ton but I felt at times there were things that the author didn't explain to the reader well enough. Also my last issue was with Gavin....I really just did not like him and I didn't understand his role in the book at all. I understand he is a seer but other than that he really isn't that significant. I found that I was forgetting him throughout the book. However, I feel like we're going to be seeing more of him in the next book.

Overall, I thought it was a fantastic debut. I love the story, the characters, and the writing. I can't wait to read the next book!

Christmas Book Haul!

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! I know I certainly did and I am very grateful for my family and friends that made it great! So for Christmas I received a lot of books. Probably too many in my parent's opinion but in MY opinion you can never have enough books! So here is my Christmas book haul! Enjoy!

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell 

I've read both Fangirl and Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell and absolutely loved both of them. This book is an adult book rather than young adult like Rowell's previous books I've read by her but I know I'll love it anyway. I don't know much about the plot except the little blurb on goodreads but I do know it's a love story. Can't wait to read it!

My True Love Gave to Me edited by Stephanie Perkins

I know the holidays are mostly over but I could read a bunch of holiday short stories any day. Especially, when the authors of said stories include Rainbow Rowell, Gayle Forman, David Levithan, and a bunch of others! I'll probably start this as soon as I'm finished with the book I'm reading now! 

The Silence of Six by E.C. Myers

I've wanted to read this ever since I saw the trailer of the book, which you can see here. Usually, I never watch book trailers because they're cheesy most of the time and they make me not really want to read the book. But then I pick up the book anyway and realize the book is good and the trailer just sucked. HOWEVER, I was watching one of polandbananasbooks book haul videos and she mentioned this book and its trailer. So I looked it up and I was instantly pulled in. So go watch the trailer and then look up the book because you will instantly want to read it after seeing the trailer. I just hope the book lives up to the trailer because if not I will be very disappointed. The basic premise of the book is that it's about computer hacking and some other stuff. It's definitely a mystery/thriller that I can't wait to read.

I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

I have seen and heard nothing but amazing reviews of this book since it came out. I've never read anything by Jandy Nelson before. I purchased The Sky is Everywhere at a book sale in the summer but I still haven't gotten the chance to read it. I suppose I haven't been in the mood for a contemporary. However, I'll Give You the Sun sounds like a really interesting story that I am 100% sure that I will enjoy. It's a YA contemporary and I definitely will be reading it soon. Also I am obsessed with the cover of this book. 

The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare, Maureen Johnson, and Sarah Rees Brennan

I can never get enough of the Cassandra Clare's shadowhunter world. People complain that she doesn't know how to write anything besides this world. WHAT'S WRONG WITH THAT? Her writing is fantastic and her stories are amazing. I haven't been this invested in a world like this since Harry Potter. This specific books chronicles the life of Magnus Bane through eleven short stories. I don't really know who are or what the stories are about except they involve Magnus. I really wanted the to surprise myself with who is in the stories. Some Herondales perhaps? Blackthorns? Lightwoods? I CAN'T WAIT.

Landline by Rainbow Rowell

This is the newest book by Rainbow Rowell. It's another adult contemporary/romance that I'm sure I'll enjoy. It actually won the Goodreads Choice Award for best fiction this year. I'll be reading this soon!

The Romanov Sisters by Helen Rappaport

This book just came out in June and I am so excited to read it. I've always been fascinated by the Russian Revolution and the turmoil that surrounded it. The daughters of Tsar Nicholas and Alexandra have always been interesting to me as well. This book also won the Goodreads Choice Award in best history and biography this year so it must be good!

American Presidents: A Dark History by Michael Kerrigan

I have always loved learning about the presidents. For some reason when I was little I was obsessed with them and for every christmas or birthday I'd receive a book or something that had to do with the U.S. Presidents. But soon that obsession faded and I got into different parts of history. Anyway, next semester I'll be taking a history class on U.S. Presidents and my mom thought it would be a good idea to get me this book to brush up on my facts. I already started reading it and can't believe some of the stuff I'm learning.

That's it! There is my Christmas book haul! I hope some of these books caught your attention! Happy Holidays friends! 

Review: Bleed Like Me

Title: Bleed Like Me
Author: C. Desir
Genre: YA Contemporary
Rating: ★★★★

I loved this book. While Bleed Like Me is another YA contemporary, it's different in that darker issues occur throughout the book. There is a romance but an unhealthy romance that circles around addiction and mental health problems. The main characters are Amelia Gannon (Gannon) and Michael Brooks (Brooks). The story is told in Gannon's point of view and the reader learns from the beginning that her life is in shambles. Gannon feels invisible in her life. Her parents focus lies on her three adopted brothers who have major discipline issues. She only has one friend, Ali, who is only her friend because they both have no one else. Gannon constantly feels alone and to deal with this she cuts. But then she meets Brooks and that's when everything changes. 


Does everything change for the better? No. Rather than be addicted to cutting, Gannon just becomes addicted to Brooks. And as time goes on Brooks becomes addicted to Gannon. However, in the beginning their relationship was ok to me, even cute in a way. While Brooks straight up told Gannon that he would not be able to fix her and her problems, he kind of did in a bit of a twisted way. The whole cutting thing with him cutting her kind of freaked me out a bit, I have to admit. I really liked Brooks up until that point. But that's when I realized that Brooks was totally incapable of helping Gannon because he really needed to help himself instead.


The second part of the book is when you really start to dislike Brooks because of how much he changes because of his time in juvie. Juvie had definitely broken Brooks and we see a different side of him that had been lying dormant in the beginning of the book. I'm still debating in my mind if Brooks really loved Gannon or he just loved her dependency on him. I want to believe that he loved Gannon but now I'm not so sure. At one point Gannon wants to go get food because she's hungry but Brooks makes a big deal out of it accusing her of not really loving him. He makes a big deal out of her wanting to leave and it just seemed ridiculous. But then you realize how dependent on Gannon he really is. While in he beginning of the story it seemed like Gannon was the weaker of the two, Brooks has now shown that he is the weakest. He is constantly paranoid that his father is going to come after him or that Gannon will leave him. Brooks is afraid to be alone and in the end this is what causes his episode at the end of the book. 


 

When reading this book the relationship between Sid and Nancy definitely comes to mind. Sid was the bassist in the band The Sex Pistols in the UK in the 1970s and Nancy was his girlfriend. They both were addicted to drugs, heroin being the biggest one. It was a relationship based on addiction essentially and in the end they both died because of it. I definitely recommend the film. While the relationship between Gannon and Brooks didn't exactly revolved around drugs it did revolve around addiction because of their addiction to each other. 

I really just cannot get this story out of my head. This happens a lot when I read darker contemporary stories. People usually ask me why in the world I would want to read a book about this topic, and most of the time I just tell them I find it interesting. At first I thought this book was going to be a bit like Willow by Julia Hoban, which I read a couple of years ago. Both books deal with mental health and the effects of cutting but they are totally completely different stories. I do recommend both books very much. However, if you are sensitive to darker issues that involve mental health and abuse it might not be the book for you.

Where have I been?

It's been a busy couple of months. As soon as midterms hit, school just became busier and busier and finding time to read became a problem for me. But this is just making excuses  for myself, which I do not want to do. Since it's winter break now, hopefully I can get on my game and update the blog and get some more reading done. I definitely know I'll be getting a lot of reading done this vacation! 

Anyway, I think I'll post some reviews of books that I read recently to get my head back in the game. So look out for those and some more blog posts!

Happy Holidays my friends! 

~Whitney