Half Lives

By Sara Grant, published by Indigo (Orion).

Goodreads synopsis: Present day: Icie is a typical high school teenager – until disaster strikes and her parents send her to find shelter inside a mountain near Las Vegas.
The future: Beckett lives on The Mountain – a sacred place devoted to the Great I AM. He must soon become the leader of his people. But Beckett is forced to break one of the sacred laws, and when the Great I AM does not strike him down, Beckett finds himself starting to question his beliefs.
As Beckett investigates The Mountain’s history, Icie’s story is revealed – along with the terrifying truth of what lies at the heart of The Mountain.
Sara Grant’s HALF LIVES is a dystopian chronicle of the journeys of two unlikely heroes in their race against time to save future generations.

My review: Half Lives is, possibly, the most emotional and brilliant book I have read all year! I was really looking forward to reading it, seeing as I’d seriously enjoyed Sara’s Dark Parties. It started off really well- I was immediately absorbed into the life of Icie, and everyday teenager, and was curious to see how Icie’s world was going to change forever and why. Then, the narrative switched to that of Beckett, who worships ‘The Great I AM’ on the same mountain Icie is travelling to take refuge on. I was really confused at how that related to Icie’s tale, but after a few chapters in the different perspectives, both hundreds of years apart, I got the hang of it and it really was quite clever.

Icie’s story was a brilliant mix of dystopia and hope and survival. After this disease (Which I would’ve liked a bit more explanation of) was released and the general chaos in America began, this heart-stopping adventure ensued for Icie, and she picked up three very different people on the way. I liked the constant conflicts between the four unlikely survival group as they tried to start over a new life in a cave with limited food supplies. Just past the middle, things in Icie’s apocalyptic world began to fall apart and spiral out of control as the disease began to claim the mountain. I can’t really say anything more about it, because I’ll end up revealing the plot twists towards the end! What I will say, though, is that it gets heart-breaking and terrifying, with some real knuckle-biting moments, but then the ending for Icie’s tale is actually really sweet and brought a happy tear to my eye.

Icie was such a brilliant protagonist. She went through so much throughout the book and there was a lot of visible development in her character. Her relationship with Chaske was a little predictable- of course she’d win him!- and I really liked her friendships with Marissa and Tate, the other survivors. She adapted to her whole new, changed and broken world like any human would- which is what I loved about her. Her emotions and actions were really realistic and believable. I really felt like she was a real person, and that I was with her during her terrifying tale. I was so happy for her at her happy ending to a sad story!

Beckett’s world was so much different from Icie’s. He lives on the mountain Icie did hundreds of years before him, and is a heavy worshipper of ‘The Great I AM’ who generations before him- you’ve probably guessed who that really is. I actually found a lot of the worships and prayers quite funny, because Beckett and his ‘cheerleaders’ (You’ll get why they’re called that a while into the book) kept referencing to ‘The Great Facebook’ and things like that, from The Old World. The now sacred mountain made a really great setting for his story, and so was the surrounding town of Vega. Well, it’s based on Vegas, but I’m guessing it’s named Vega in the future because the S fell off the sign or something. Sara Grant has created such a horrifying, dystopic vision of the future, and it really was quite scary.

Beckett’s half of the book, told between Icie’s chapters, was differently written. Icie’s stuff was told in first person perspective, but Beckett’s was portrayed from the third person, and focused on the people around him too. That difference was a good thing, though, because I got to see was the other members of his religious tribe thought about him. I really liked the protagonist Beckett because he was so passionate and willing to do and sacrifice anything for his religion. Her was a very strong character. The plot for his story was so different to Icie’s plot, but it was still really brilliant and teaches lessons about love, hope, and betrayal. His ending, too, was really great. I loved the discovery he made and how that affected his whole personality and beliefs. His last chapter was the last one in the book, and it finished off the story ever so brilliantly.

Overall, Half Lives is possibly the best book I have read this year. Honestly. It was so riveting and I really couldn’t stop reading. The backdrop was scary and dystopic, with a unique and original twist. The characters of Icie and Beckett were totally unforgettable, and I’m still thinking about them now- a day after I put the book down. I can’t recommend this enough to YA’s, fans of dystopia, and fans of stories with unique formats. It’s just so great, go get a copy now!

My Goodreads rating: 5/5!

I received Half Lives from the publisher, in exchange for a review.

INTERWORLD

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By Neil Gaiman, and Michael Reaves, published by Harper Collins.

Interworld Goodreads synopsis: Joey Harker isn’t a hero.
In fact, he’s the kind of guy who gets lost in his own house.
But then one day, Joey gets really lost. He walks straight out of his world and into another dimension.
Joey’s walk between the worlds makes him prey to two terrible forces—armies of magic and science who will do anything to harness his power to travel between dimensions.
When he sees the evil those forces are capable of, Joey makes the only possible choice: to join an army of his own, an army of versions of himself from different dimensions who all share his amazing power and who are all determined to fight to save the worlds.

My review: I was so excited to start this! I’ve never, unfortunately, read anything by Michael Reaves before, and also this was a title I’d never head of before by one of my favourite authors, Neil Gaiman. I jumped at the chance to review it for it’s re-publication with the sequel. As soon as I picked it up, I knew I was in for a sci-fi, wild adventure. Neil Gaiman writes amazing stuff, and I did some research and found out that Michael Reaves worked on some Stars Wars books. So, I got really really excited.

The beginning intrigued me a lot, which pulled me in. The story went straight into the life of this average boy, who gets lost in his own house. I laughed right away, and instantly connected with the protagonist through the detailed narrative. Throughout the book I could understand the protagonist, Joey Harker, the boy who’s Walked into being a hero by accident. He was pretty heroic and self-dependant, too, which was really great. Also, he had a well-developed background. There were tiny details about him that just made him so real, and he had realistic family and school lives too.

The start of the story was really enjoyable. Joey Harker goes home to find alternate versions of his family living in his house, who don’t know who he is, and goes to school to find out that apparently he drowned and died a while ago. Then, he falls through a portal. Then, he lands in a scary place with an alien stranger. It was so fun to read! I literally couldn’t stop. The story was beginning to fill my head with questions; Why is there a different family in his home? Why did he drown? What gave him the ability to Walk into alternate universes? It was scientifically interesting (maybe that’s just because I’m a science nerd though), as well as gripping. The story was definitely packed with much emotion, too, as there’s the death of a newly introduced, instantly likeable character, not even a quarter in.

The pace picked up even more as Joey went through this fantastical adventure, involving space-pirate-aliens and other Joey’s from alternative, parallel universes. I really liked the idea for the story, what with all of the parallel Joey’s under slightly different names (from just Joe to crazy sounding ones beginning with a J). I thought it was a very original idea, having alternate Joey’s be heroes for every universe. It was really well pulled off, too. However, just past the middle, so many character were being introduced and so many things were being explained and I just started to get a little overwhelmed. I mentioned the pace picking up a minute ago, didn’t I? Well, it got very fast. I think that I could have enjoyed the story even more than I originally did if the book had been dragged out a little; lengthened out so not that much info was being dumped on me at once, and also to give the plot a bit more time to develop. The ending was totally brilliant, though, with Joey’s heroic actions saving the day for his new friends and for the souls they freed.

Overall, INTERWORLD was a really fun read, great for sci-fi fans, fantasy fans, and fans of Neil Gaiman. For some reason, this didn’t seem to be publicized that much upon its first release, (I’d never heard of it, and I thought I’d heard of every title by Gaiman) so I’m really hoping more fans of both Reaves and Gaiman will be discovering it now, along with the brand new sequel. Although it’s pretty short at not even three-hundred pages, the story really packs a punch with it’s original and imaginative story-line and kick-butt main character. The ending really made me want to read the sequel, too! It seems the different variations of Joey have formed some kind of superhero team. I wanna read their next adventure now!

My Goodreads rating: 4/5!

I received INTERWORLD from the publisher, in exchange for a review.

Will Grayson, Will Grayson

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By John Green and David Levithan, published by Penguin.

Will Grayson, Will Grayson

Goodreads synopsis: One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, teenager Will Grayson crosses paths with…”Will Grayson”! Two teens with the same name who run in two very different circles suddenly find their lives going in new and unexpected directions. Culminating in epic turns-of-heart on both of their parts, they team up to produce the most fabulous musical ever to grace the high-school stage. Told in alternating voices from two award-winning, popular names in young-adult fiction – John Green (author of “The Fault in Our Stars”) and David Levithan (author of “Boy Meets Boy”) – this unique collaborative novel features a double helping of the heart and humour that has won both authors legions of fans.

My review: I bought this over a month ago, whilst getting pretty much all of John Green’s other titles, too. For some reason, I hadn’t gotten around to reading this one until last week! As I turned to the first page, I was wondering how different it might be to John Green’s other books, as he wrote WG, WG with another author (Which, unfortunately I haven’t read anything by!). And, it was very different. But in an amazing, unique and genius kind of way. The whole book was written in alternating chapters, in turn by each Will Grayson, with one author writing each. John Green’s writing style was his same, hilarious and descriptive fashion. I haven’t read anything by David Levithan before, so I don’t know if he always writes like this, but he wrote with no capitals and no speech marks. As much as that drove me round the bend (I’m a Geek, it frustrates me. Okay?), I grew to really enjoy the individual style by Levithan.

The plot was unlike anything I’ve ever read before, and I was so not expecting the events that took place. The story began with who I’m now going to call WG1, as he started another day at school being the sidekick of his outrageous, constantly-falling-in-love friend Tiny. I got to like WG1 a lot, as his problems were really and relatable. He was just your typical male teenager, with the hopeless crush on that girl and the best-friend he is stuck with and sometimes hates. Then, I began the second chapter of WG2, who led a very different life. I instantly felt sympathetic about him, from his home life, to his difficult relationship. He seemed like such an outsider, with nobody but this online guy who he’s fallen for to turn to, and when that world of his was torn down I felt like crying for him. His emotions were raw and real, displayed really well through David Levithan’s writing.

The two boys came together under the most unlikely, most hilarious circumstances, and their meeting really made me giggle. After they’d met, it became pretty predictable that WG2 was going to fall for Tiny, but as much as I enjoyed seeing the ups and downs of their dating, it seemed to take over the whole plot, and made WG1’s story seem so much smaller. The story could’ve been re-named Will Grayson, Tiny Cooper. I really liked WG1, so would’ve liked him to have a little more limelight. I loved his growing relationship with the leading female character, though. It was really sweet. However, the focuses on certain characters did not stop my love for the overall plot. The book made a really great build-up to a sweet, emotional ending that has a lot to do with the name Will Grayson.

Overall, WG, WG was a very fun read. It focuses on accepting gay people for who they are, and teenage life through a very unlikely, brilliant coincidence that really made it funny. The plot was unforgettable, and I loved the switching narrative between two really strong protagonists. John Green’s writing, as always, was so amazing and full of emotion and laughter. Also, the story made for a great introduction, for me, to David Levithan’s equally emotional and fun writing. I’d love to read more from both author’s in the future!

My Goodreads rating: 4/5!

I bought Will Grayson, Will Grayson from a local bookstore.

Theodore Boone: The Activist

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By John Grisham, published by Hodder.

Goodreads synopsis: Theodore Boone is back, and he’s facing his most dangerous case yet. As Strattenburg sits divided over a hot political and environmental issue, Theo finds himself in the middle of the battle. When he uncovers corruption beneath the surface, Theo will confront bigger risks than ever to himself and those he loves. But even face-to-face with danger, Theodore Boone will do whatever it takes to stand up for what’s right.

My review: I read the first Theodore Boone book a while ago, and love it so much. Although I haven’t actually yet read the second and third in the series, I jumped at the chance of reading this one, the fourth installment! Theodore Boone is just the best fictional young teenager (thirteen). I connected with him much better than any other book character because I’m the same age as him, and his personality is just so realistic and great. He’s funny at points, and clever at others. I really admired his determination not only to be a lawyer, but to represent every child in Strattenburg in a heated political debate that had some very dark aspects. Theo was, overall, just one of those characters that you can’t not like.

The plot was brilliant, and I really wished that the book could’ve been longer than it’s roughly 290 pages. It began rather slowly, with many explanations about different bypass law-related explanations from Theo’s lawyer parents, but the pace picked up very quickly. There was also this subplot which didn’t have very much to do with this bypass, but really kept me on the edge of my seat: the action-packed and terrifying scouts trip! I won’t say what happened, obviously, but I will say that really amped up the action. That, and the shocking incident with Theo’s dog. Back to the bypass problem, the main plot- I really loved how Theo tackled the problem- a road cutting round the town of Strattenburg that threatens the school, many homes, and new football courts. Theo was heroic and really brave about the situation. His solution to the situation was genius and thought-provoking, it made me think about our Earth’s pollution in general. The court scenes, too, were really interesting, especially the last one!

Overall, Theodore Boone: The Activist was a seriously great read. It’s informative about what the law does about crime and the environment, and also packed with tons of action and drama. Theo made a great, relatable and loveable protagonist, and I really can’t wait to read even more about him- I just can’t get enough of this series!

My Goodreads rating: 4/5!

I received Theodore Boone: The Activist from the publisher, in exchange for a review.

New books! #9 + a new blogging schedule

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Thank you to the lovely people at Orion for a copy of Half Lives by Sara Grant! I really enjoyed Sara’s first title and can’t wait to see how this one goes.

Half Lives

Also, a big thanks to Harper Collins for a copy of Interworld by Neil Gaiman and Michael Reaves- which was re-published with it’s new sequel at the end of April.

Interworld

Also, I’ve decided I’ll actually set up a schedule for blogging because this site’s looking a bit frantic. I’m posting a lot of things at random, so I really need to start organizing stuff!

Monday-Friday- book reviews

Saturday- New Books (Excluding this post)

Sunday- Meme’s like EMIG!

Happy reading!

Pandemonium

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By Lauren Oliver, published by Hodder.

Pandemonium (Delirium, #2)

Goodreads synopsis: I’m pushing aside
the memory of my nightmare,
pushing aside thoughts of Alex,
pushing aside thoughts of Hana
and my old school,
push,
push,
push,
like Raven taught me to do.
The old life is dead.
But the old Lena is dead too.
I buried her.
I left her beyond a fence,
behind a wall of smoke and flame.

My review: **Contains spoilers for the ending of Delirium! I tried to review this without mentioning what happens, but there was really no way I could write this without mentioning it**

After the incredibly sad, and shocking ending of Delirium, I had absolutely no idea how Lauren Oliver would be able two make two more books out of the story. However, she’s built really well on the mentioned rebels, the runaways who live on the outside, uncured from the Deliria, and their world. It was imaginative, and a really believable dystopic landscape in which they were living.

I really loved reading about Lena, the protagonist, as she delved into this new world beyond-the-fence. The plot was quite strong with some clever twists that kept me reading. I got to see much more of what was happening in other parts of America; that people were actually campaigning to have the Deliria cure put into action on people under eighteen- the age in which you are wiped from extreme emotions like love. Also, I really loved the setting of New York, and how Lauren Oliver has used so many places in it, even the underground, to turn NYC into a kind of sinister place.

I really liked all of the new characters; the tightly knit group of outsiders which is run by Raven. They all had some really great relationships with each other and each one had brilliantly-developed backgrounds which were well explained. The only character I didn’t really like was the new love interest, Julian. He was portrayed as quite a nice guy behind all of the things his father had said, but I suppose I didn’t really like him because Lena seemed to move straight on from Alex, seemingly hardly grieving for him at all, and fell in love with Julian. That’s the only thing I didn’t really like about Lena. She didn’t seem sad about Alex’s supposed death for most of the book! However, I enjoyed reading the second part of Lena’s adventure. She went through a lot of grim things and, I think, gained much more confidence through it. She fought back when trapped by the Scavengers and became more kick-butt, which was really great. I really loved how she never gave up, and saved Julian multiple times although he was campaigning for the Deliria cure to be issued to youngers.

Overall, Pandemonium was a really great sequel to Delirium. It was packed with heart-stopping drama and lots of action. Lena’s character developed a lot in the book, gaining much more confidence and fought back rather violently for the first time to get her way. I didn’t really like her relationship with Julian, and when they were just about to have a happy ending, the biggest plot twist happened literally a paragraph from the ending! I won’t say what happened, but it made me gasp, and then squeal, and then do a little victory dance which earned me some really strange looks from my brother. It’s really brilliant, and was very unexpected. Can’t wait to see what develops from that in Requiem!

My Goodreads rating: 4/5!

I bought Pandemonium from a local bookstore.My review of the book before Pandemonium, can be found HERE.

Shadow and Bone

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By Leigh Bardugo, published by Indigo (Orion).

Shadow and Bone (The Grisha, #1)

Goodreads synopsis: The Shadow Fold, a swathe of impenetrable darkness, crawling with monsters that feast on human flesh, is slowly destroying the once-great nation of Ravka.

Alina, a pale, lonely orphan, discovers a unique power that thrusts her into the lavish world of the kingdom’s magical elite—the Grisha. Could she be the key to unravelling the dark fabric of the Shadow Fold and setting Ravka free?

The Darkling, a creature of seductive charm and terrifying power, leader of the Grisha. If Alina is to fulfill her destiny, she must discover how to unlock her gift and face up to her dangerous attraction to him.
But what of Mal, Alina’s childhood best friend? As Alina contemplates her dazzling new future, why can’t she ever quite forget him?

My review: Possibly the best fantasy book I have read all year. Shadow and Bone was that amazing. The beginning totally hooked me in, and I became absorbed into the plot within a matter of pages!

The story started off with Alina and Mal, as children, and I felt so much sympathy for the poor orphans. Throughout the following chapters, right up until Alina was taken away from her best friend, I could really see a strong, realistic relationship between the two. It totally broke my heart when they were separated! As I followed Alina throughout her epic journey, I really grew attached to her character. Her narration was quite basic but expressed all of her emotions really well. I hated it when she seemed to fall for the Darkling, but then grew to love her again as truths about him were revealed and she went back to loving Mal. She was a really strong protagonist, overall, and not just because of her extreme powers to conduct light.

The whole idea was rich with imagination, and so fun to read about. The Grisha are like sorceresses, with amazing powers. They, along with the equally fantastical backdrop, made for a really gripping story full of secrets, lies, magic and power. I’ll here elaborate on what I thought of the setting- because I loved it so much! I normally like to read Urban Fantasy- set in the modern world. I don’t really read books set hundreds of years before or in whole new imagined fantasy kingdoms. But Ravka was so amazing. It was based on a tsarist-Russia, ruled by the rich and the Grisha. As I was drawn further and further into this magical, unique world, I grew to love it so much. The setting truly was breathtaking, and although magical and beyond belief, realistic to me.

The plot was absolutely brilliantly structured with lots of great plot twists. It worked perfectly with the setting and was really enjoyable thanks to such unforgettable characters. There were so many unpredictable aspects to the story, like the romantic twist with the Darkling- I actually pictured him as super-old, but it turned out he was young looking when Alina described him as she fell in love with him. The events played out really well and I honestly would not have had the plot in any other way!

Overall, Shadow and Bone was a really amazing read. It had so many great twists and turns that kept me wondering how everything would turn out. The relationships between the characters, especially Mal and Alina, were so realistic and believable. I really loved reading about the two protagonists! The ending was really beautiful and now I really can’t wait for the release of the sequel: Siege and Storm- which will be published together with Shadow and Bone in early June! I really can’t recommend this read enough, it was so amazing. whatever your preferred genre, I’m sure you’ll love this brilliant debut title!

My Goodreads rating: 5/5!

I received Shadow and Bone from the publisher, in exchange for a review.

Verity Fibbs

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By Cathy Brett, published by Headline.

Verity Fibbs

Publisher’s synopsis: Reality can never quite compare with the online world of Demon Streets for Verity. There she gets to learn new demon fighting skills and have fun. In reality she goes to school to learn useless skills and her fashion designer mother, Saffron Fibbs, is operating punishment by chores (for a small boy related misdemeanor).
As ethical is the new black when it comes to fashion, Verity’s mum’s recycled fashion venture is the hottest thing ever and she has to go to New York to publicize it giving Verity three days of total freedom!
But someone else is just as keen to see Saffron Fibbs leave home and when V and her friends find themselves on the wrong side of a very unethical enemy it seems that her online gaming skills might be the only thing between her and a very real Game Over…

My review: Verity Fibbs was a pretty fun read! I had no idea it was existed until a few weeks ago, and picked it up in a bookshop, and couldn’t wait to start it. The story was all about fashion- definitely not my thing- but it also had a tie-in with supernatural video-games, which interested me. I think Cathy Brett made this book really interesting and I absolutely loved it, even though I don’t know one thing about the latest clothing brands like Verity, whose mother is a world-famous fashion designer. Despite being the total opposite of the rather ironically named Verity Fibbs, I really loved reading her story. She was a really unique protagonist with lots of likeable aspects. I really loved Verity’s outgoing personality, especially because that’s how she landed herself in an adventure with a boy who lies just as much as her. Speaking of the boy she meets, I didn’t actually like him very much. (I can’t really give him a name, because he had so many). He seemed a bit wimpy and didn’t really defend Verity at all. I had no idea why Verity liked him!

I really loved the whole idea for the story. Cathy Brett has managed to combine two very different things – Role playing video games and ethical fashion- and mixed the two together to make a really clever story. I so wasn’t expecting for the fashion industry to link to Verity’s favourite video game! Not only did I get to walk through the Demon Streets, her fave game, but also there are the slightest little details in that RPG that went unnoticed for me, but played major factors in the ending. It was all really clever!

Overall, Verity Fibbs was such a fun read. It was a bit over-the-top, but in a good way. I think that Verity Fibbs was a really great, and realistic protagonist. The plot was crammed with action and I couldn’t put it down. Again, as in her other books, Cathy Brett has brought her story to life in a way many authors haven’t- with some fantastic illustrations! They were so great, and portrayed the story and characters really well. The video-game screen shots were brilliant too! So, Verity Fibbs was a very fun story, which is great for around ten/eleven and up. Because so many pages were full of drawings, it’s a rather quick read; perfect to curl up with in the evening!

My Goodreads rating: 4/5!

I bought Verity Fibbs from a local charity store.

Murder on the Orient Express

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By Agatha Christie, published by Harper Collins.

Murder on the Orient Express (Hercule Poirot, #10)

Goodreads synopsis: “The murderer is with us – on the train now…”
Just after midnight, the famous Orient Express is stopped in its tracks by a snowdrift. By morning, the millionaire Samuel Ratchett lies dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times, his door locked from the inside. One of his fellow passengers must be the murderer.
Isolated by the storm and with a killer in their midst, detective Hercule Poirot must find the killer amongst a dozen of the dead man’s enemies, before the murderer decides to strike again…

My review: This was the first title I’ve ever read by Agatha Christie- and a brilliant introduction to her writing! I can definitely see, even just from reading one of her books, why she is one of the bestselling authors of all time. Right from the start, I was totally hooked into the story. The murder didn’t happen right away, or course, and there was a brilliant build-up to it. All of the many passengers were introduced really well, and I also really loved the backdrop. A train stuck in a snowdrift was a brilliant setting, because it made it scary- nobody could get in or out, and they would be stuck for days. It really added an eerie essence to the story.

The murder itself was gory and terrifying, and as it happened, certain things came to light that connected almost every passenger to the murdered man, Ratchett. Although it was ridiculously coincidental that most of the train had close connections to Ratchett and had grown to hate him, it was still very fun to read how Poirot worked out the mystery.

There were lots of clues dropped along the way throughout the story, that kept me wondering who-did-it every time I put the book down (-reluctantly!). Many things I thought connected to the murder were really just decoys, that made the outcome really unpredictable and the mystery hard for the reader to solve. They’re the things that pulled me into the book and made it utterly page-turning- my need to discover the criminal by working out the layered mystery!

Not very much was revealed about Poirot, in terms of background information. This is the tenth book in his detective series, so I can’t really say Agatha Christie doesn’t show much about him- she probably has in previous Poirot titles. He didn’t seem emotional in any way about the brutal stabbing, nor did he seem to express any emotion about the girl Ratchett had kidnapped a while before his death. He was quite like a robot, in my opinion!

However, I really did adore the way he went about working out the crime. He managed it expertly and was able to extract important evidence from the most undecipherable of things like a pipe cleaner or the place of a knife wound. He could even leak the truth out of the most stubborn passengers. I really liked his determination and patience too. He had the intelligence and personality of Sherlock Holmes, I think.

Overall, Murder on the Orient Express was a really brilliant read. The plot was clever and complex, with each character detailed and three-dimensional. It’s a must for crime fans and mystery lovers. It is packed full of suspense and action throughout, with the essence of mystery that keeps you guessing all of the way up to the reveal at the end. Although the outcome, explained by Poirot, was pretty long-winded, it was still understandable and genius. I love Agatha Christie’s writing, and will definitely be reading more from her when I can!

My Goodreads rating: 4/5!

I borrowed Murder on the Orient Express from my Dad’s seemingly-endless bookshelves.

Goddess

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By Josephine Angelini, published by Macmillan.

Goddess

Goodreads synopsis: She must rise, or they will fall …Helen’s powers are increasing–and so is the distance between her and her mortal friends. To make matters worse, the Oracle reveals that a dangerous traitor is lurking among them, and all fingers point to Orion. Still unsure whether she loves him or Lucas, Helen is forced to make a terrifying decision, or risk all-out war. The final book in this heart-stopping trilogy.

My review: I loved Starcrossed and Dreamless so much, and I was so excited to see how everything would end! When this came in the post, I was over the moon.

I was a bit confused at the beginning of the story, maybe partly because I’ve read many books in between Dreamless and Goddess. But also, I was a little confused because suddenly, Helen was gaining memories of Helen of Troy, and re-living them. It was a little hard to grasp at first, the sudden switching between the present and the past, but I understood it more and more as the story progressed. The plot was a little bit similar to the second book, actually, because one of Helen’s friends had gone over to the enemy’s side. I won’t say who did, though, but it’s very shocking! Much suspense was added because I could see what Helen’s-friend-gone-baddie was preparing for, whilst reading about the oblivious Helen. I really enjoyed reading the part where Helen discovers who’s leading the enemy, the most. The giant war scene at the ending was fast-paced, dramatic and totally unpredictable- like the whole of the trilogy, really!

Helen really developed in this story the most, I think, than in the previous books. There was a rising tension throughout the story because she was really torn between Orion and Lucas. As so much background to the two love-interests, especially for Orion’s character, were introduced, it made it so hard to decide who I thought Helen should choose! However, I think the outcome of the whole love triangle was really great, and made for a happy ending for everyone, too. Helen also discovered a new Scion power within herself in this book, which I think is now my favourite of her Godly talents. She could create whole new worlds! the character’s creativity really shone through with that, and I think what she did with Every-land the world created by Helen, was used in a really genius way at the end. Helen also, I think, got a really big confidence boost in goddess, too!

Overall, Goddess was such a fun read. It tugged at my heartstrings, and had some really great plot twists that made the book a real roller-coaster of a journey. The characters developed so much, and I loved reading about them all. I also really adored the ending. It tied up all of the loose ends and was satisfying, happy… but I just wanted to read on: I love this author’s world and characters so much! I really want to read more from Josephine Angelini. Her writing is just so brilliant.

My Goodreads rating: 4/5!

I received Goddess from the publisher, in exchange for a review.

If you want to read my reviews of the previous books in the trilogy, click on their titles: STARCROSSED (#1), DREAMLESS (#2).