Sophie Reads YA

#RockMyTBR 2016 Challenge

Review: These Vicious Masks (These Vicious Masks #1) by Tarun Shanker & Kelly Zekas

10:00

These Vicious Masks
Series: These Vicious Masks #1
Author: Tarun Shanker & Kelly Zekas
Published February 9th 2016 by Swoon Reads

Goodreads Synopsis
Jane Austen meets X-Men in this gripping and adventure-filled paranormal romance set in Victorian London.

England, 1882. Evelyn is bored with society and its expectations. So when her beloved sister, Rose, mysteriously vanishes, she ignores her parents and travels to London to find her, accompanied by the dashing Mr. Kent. But they’re not the only ones looking for Rose. The reclusive, young gentleman Sebastian Braddock is also searching for her, claiming that both sisters have special healing powers. Evelyn is convinced that Sebastian must be mad, until she discovers that his strange tales of extraordinary people are true—and that her sister is in graver danger than she feared.
Goodreads

Review
This was another book I read during the Easter holidays, and again, I adored it. Pride and Prejudice remains the only classical book I have read more than once, and I watch as many Austen adaptations as I can, so sticking her name into any synopsis/tag line is a sure fire way of getting me wanting to read any book.

In These Vicious Masks, Evelyn, our main character, is tired of going to society balls, and wants more in life than just to be married off and expected to sit inside like a dutiful little wife. Her and her sister, Rose, are interested in medicine, and are known around there village for being particularly gifted in treating the sick. To Evelyn, her biggest wish would be to learn medicine properly, and do something with her life. After Rose goes missing, Evelyn's world is suddenly thrown into chaos, and she has to join forces with her old friend Mr Kent, and the new acquaintance Mr Braddock. As she journeys to London in search of her sister, she realises that Mr Braddock might just be right, and she may actually have special powers which could mean everything in discovering Rose.

Sometimes when a book teases its connection with Austen, it's completely off the mark, but that wasn't the case here. When I was reading These Vicious Masks, I could imagine Lizzie Bennet and Mr Darcy walking past Evelyn in London, or Emma Woodhouse playing matchmaker. The regency era was the perfect setting for this book. Again, the X-Men part of the synopsis was also very true too, with the different types of powers the characters had being very reminiscent of those in the comic series. If you can't tell, it made me really happy to know that the synopsis hit the mark, and wasn't a let down.

The characters, especially Evelyn and Mr Braddock, may just become favourites of mine. Each character was hiding something at one point or another, but it made it seem realistic. In the regency era, especially in the gentry and nobility, showing your emotions on your sleeve was not the way to go, and the language used in the book fit the period to a T. Evelyn was a strong character, sometimes a bit too headstrong, but her love and devotion to her sister took my breathe away - think of how much Lizzie cared for Jane in P&P, and how she would do anything for her sister.

From the beginning, I thought there was something about Mr Kent that I just didn't like, so I was glad to find how much more I preferred Sebastian throughout the book. Though they both had ulterior motives for wanting to help Evelyn find Rose, at least his weren't going to harm anyone - rather he wanted to help a close family friend recover from a debilitating illness. Sebastian was aloof for most of the book, but you could see that Evelyn was breaking through his barriers, and he was starting to come out of his shell.

On that note, I loved the romantic aspect of These Vicious Masks. I knew from the start that Sebastian would be a potential love interest for Evelyn, and as their acquaintance grew, and they began to really know each other, it only got more and more palpable. I only wish there was more romance, but that's what to expect from a regency era story - the feels come more from the hint of attraction, rather than a full blown love affair. With how it ended, I'm seriously hoping for much more romance between Sebastian and Evelyn in book 2, maybe even with some banns being read in the future ;)

If you love Jane Austen, or the regency era, and want a wonderful, full of feels romance, this is definitely a book for you! These Vicious Masks was a wonderful debut by Shanker and Zekas, and I'm looking forward to reading more from them in the future - both together, and on their own.

Dates Read:
March 15-6, 2016

Rating
5 Stars

Roshani Chokshi

Waiting on Wednesday: The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi

10:00

5 Stars

Blog Tour & ARC Review: The Winner's Kiss (The Winner's Trilogy #3) by Marie Rutkoski

09:00

The Winner's Kiss
Series: The Winner's Trilogy #3
Author: Marie Rutkoski
Published March 24th 2016 by Bloomsbury Children's

Goodreads Synopsis

War has begun. Arin is in the thick of it with untrustworthy new allies and the empire as his enemy. Though he has convinced himself that he no longer loves Kestrel, Arin hasn't forgotten her, or how she became exactly the kind of person he has always despised. She cared more for the empire than she did for the lives of innocent people—and certainly more than she did for him.

At least, that’s what he thinks.

In the frozen north, Kestrel is a prisoner in a brutal work camp. As she searches desperately for a way to escape, she wishes Arin could know what she sacrificed for him. She wishes she could make the empire pay for what they've done to her.

But no one gets what they want just by wishing.

As the war intensifies, both Kestrel and Arin discover that the world is changing. The East is pitted against the West, and they are caught in between. With so much to lose, can anybody really win?
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

I'm sure it will be no surprise that I loved this book. I don't think I know anyone who hasn't loved this series, and when I found out that The Winner's Kiss was up on NetGalley, I requested it so quickly. I was in the library doing research for an assignment when I got the email came through that I'd been approved, and let me tell you, it was extremely difficult to keep my attention on civil war battles when I knew I could read about Kestrel and Arin.

I've put off reviewing this book for a few weeks because I just can't organise my thoughts. Basically, the book was amazing, I loved it, and I'm sad the series is over.

In The Winner's Kiss, we dive back in just after the dramatic events of The Winner's Crime. Kestrel is on her way to the work camps in the north for her treason against the Valorians, and Arin has no idea as he's heading to defend Herrani. The final battle between Valoria and Herran is coming, and both with be crucial players in it. There's a lot of angst, and some quite sweet moments, but basically, I was a complete mess while reading it.

Kestrel remains one of my favourite YA heroines ever! As you can imagine, she had a quite tough time in this book, especially at the beginning, but she remained strong, even in her vulnerability. There were moments when my heart just broke whilst reading her PoV chapters, and I loved seeing her grow, and come to terms with the fact that her native Valorian people aren't the best, and she has more connection with the Herrani in reality.

Arin, well, he had to deal with a lot in this book too. He's the leader of the Herrani people, and has to come to terms with his responsibility to his people. At the same time, he's struggling with his feelings for Kestrel, especially when he thinks she is the cause of all his problems. When they finally come together again, both struggle with wanting to help the Herrani cause, when they can't really deal with their own issues.

The Winner's Kiss had a plot line that was simply sublime. So much was happening, but not too much that you couldn't keep up. After the action packed books 1 & 2, I didn't know how Marie could up the ante, but she definitely succeeded. Everything happened like I wished, and I can honestly say that I couldn't ask for more. The fact that Marie has done so much research whilst writing this book, including reading some of my favourite classical books, like Herodotus' The Histories, made it all the more better. The Winner's Trilogy will remain one of my all time favourite fantasy YA series, and I will basically shove it down everyone's throats until you pick up this series, and discover just how amazing it is. If I could, I would give it much more that 5 stars, it deserves all the stars!

Dates Read:
February 18-24, 2016

Rating
5 Stars

3 Stars

ARC Review: When We Collided by Emery Lord

10:00

When We Collided
Series: None
Author: Emery Lord
Published April 7th 2016 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Goodreads Synopsis
Meet Vivi and Jonah: A girl and a boy whose love has the power save or destroy them.

Vivi and Jonah couldn't be more different. Vivi craves anything joyful or beautiful that life can offer. Jonah has been burdened by responsibility for his family ever since his father died. As summer begins, Jonah resigns himself to another season of getting by. Then Vivi arrives, and suddenly life seems brighter and better. Jonah is the perfect project for Vivi, and things finally feel right for Jonah. Their love is the answer to everything. But soon Vivi's zest for life falters, as her adventurousness becomes true danger-seeking. Jonah tries to keep her safe, but there's something important Vivi hasn't told him.

Perfect for fans of E. Lockhart and Jandy Nelson, When We Collided is a powerful story of two teens whose love is put to the test by forces beyond their control.
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

I've heard so much about Emery's previous books that when I discovered she would be publishing in the UK for the first time, I jumped at the chance to review a copy. I had such high hopes for the book, and, unfortunately, was really disappointed. I didn't hate the book, but, after a while, it sort of felt like a chore to finish, and I considered DNFing a few times. But more on that later.

In When We Collided, we follow the story of Vivi and Jonah, in a quite Californian town for the summer. Vivi and her mam are visiting for the summer, after Vivi needs to get away from reality, and the disaster her previous year had been. Whilst there, she meets Jonah, who is struggling with the sudden loss of his father, and how absent his mam has been since. He, and his two elder siblings, have to take charge, and are basically raising the family themselves, while his mother deals with her grief and depression alone. Vivi and Jonah 'collide' and spend the summer trying to keep the other one afloat, sometimes to the detriment of their own mental health.

Firstly, I thought the way Emery dealt with the mental health aspects in the novel was amazing. In less than 350 pages, she speaks about the effects grief, depression, and bipolar disorder can have on those who are suffering, and those around them. Nothing seemed judgemental, or unresearched - it all felt extremely real. For this reason, I would recommend When We Collided without a doubt.

The main issue I had, was with Vivi, one of the main characters. Sorry to say, I just couldn't stand her. Nothing about her really redeemed herself to me, and I felt like she was sort of 'bland', if you know what I mean. She's supposed to be this really vibrant character, but to me, so was very two dimensional. Jonah, on the other hand, I did like, but still, his PoV wasn't too different from Vivi's. I couldn't really differentiate between the two voices, if there weren't the chapter headings to help.

For the romance, I don't see how these two would ever work, in reality. I did have some swoony moments when reading them, but mainly just kept reading to hear more about Jonah's family, and about his endeavour to make his father's restaurant great again. If it wasn't for this, and for how much I had been looking forward to reading the book, I do think I would have DNFed it before the half way mark.

I'm not trying to turn anyone away from this book, as I've seen many people say this is Emery's best book to date, so if you've enjoyed her previous ones, you'll probably like this too. I may still try her other books, but they're not at the top of my wishlist any more. If you think I'd enjoy them more than this, let me know.

Dates Read:
March 23-7, 2016

Rating
3 Stars

April

Stacking the Shelves: April 9th 2016

10:00

#RockMyTBR 2016 Challenge

Review: A Study in Charlotte (Charlotte Holmes #1) by Brittany Cavallaro

10:00

A Study in Charlotte
Series: Charlotte Holmes #1
Author: Brittany Cavallaro
Published March 1st 2016 by Katherine Tegen Books

Goodreads Synopsis
The last thing Jamie Watson wants is a rugby scholarship to Sherringford, a Connecticut prep school just an hour away from his estranged father. But that’s not the only complication: Sherringford is also home to Charlotte Holmes, the famous detective’s great-great-great-granddaughter, who has inherited not only Sherlock’s genius but also his volatile temperament. From everything Jamie has heard about Charlotte, it seems safer to admire her from afar.

From the moment they meet, there’s a tense energy between them, and they seem more destined to be rivals than anything else. But when a Sherringford student dies under suspicious circumstances, ripped straight from the most terrifying of the Sherlock Holmes stories, Jamie can no longer afford to keep his distance. Jamie and Charlotte are being framed for murder, and only Charlotte can clear their names. But danger is mounting and nowhere is safe—and the only people they can trust are each other.
Goodreads

Review
This year I've started reading a lot more Sherlock inspired YA books, and when I found out about this debut, I preordered it ASAP.

In A Study in Charlotte, the descendants of the famous Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson are both students at the prestigious Sherringford school in Connecticut. Jamie Watson has been sent there on scholarship, and he knows that Charlotte Holmes is also a student. He wants to meet her, but also knows about her reputation for being aloof and unpredictable - just like her famous ancestor. When they first meet, it's safe to say they both didn't make a good first impression. However, once a fellow student, whom they've both had run ins with, turns up dead at the school, they're both seen as prime suspects. They need to work together to clear their names, and to save themselves when the real killer turns on them.

A Study in Charlotte was simply wonderful! I hated been reading much recently, due to a hectic school life, so when I came home for Easter, I decided to give this a try, and read it all in less than a day - it was that good. The plot line kept me on the edge of my seat the entire way through, there was never a dull moment. Honestly, it had a real feel of an authentic Conan Doyle story, and I was in awe with how researched and well thought out everything was. The dramatic climax seemed to come out of nowhere, but afterwards, I realised there had been some little clues and hints throughout the book, all foreshadowing the end.

The characters were fantastic, and so unique. I adored Charlotte - she was quirky, and definitely strange, but it felt real on her. I could see how she was related to Sherlock, and when you met other members of her family, they all had little characteristics that gave a nod back to the famous detective. Jamie, on the other hand, was a little more reserved, but considering the book was from his PoV (something I really enjoyed), we felt everything he did. To be the main suspect in a murder, and then realising that the actual murderer may be after you, would mess with anyone's head and emotions, so I felt that he, and Charlotte, dealt with the situation very maturely, but they were still teenagers, and we got to see them as such.

There's a hint of romance in the book, and I'm hoping that it gets expanded upon in book two. It seemed very much one sided for the majority of the book, but little things, here and there, suggest that its very much a mutual attraction, which gave me a lot of shippy feels.

Basically, if you enjoy Sherlock in any shape or form, try this book. A Study in Charlotte is a fantastic debut from Cavallaro, and I can't wait to read more from her.

Dates Read:

March 17, 2016

Rating
5 Stars