Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken - review

Hey!!

I finally picked up Never Fade, the sequel to The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken the other day and I am so glad!! If you saw my Darkest Minds review you will know that I absolutely adored it, and Alexandra Bracken is now one of my favourite authors. If you haven't read The Darkest Minds yet, please please please go and do so, and then read Never Fade, and then come back to this post, as I don't want to spoil anything for you! Bye bye spoilery people!!

SPOILERY SECTION:
Ahhh so many feels in this book!! At the end of The Darkest Minds I cried possibly the most I have ever cried whilst reading a book, my heart was broken into a million tiny pieces. I was desperately hoping that Liam would remember Ruby eventually in Never Fade and thank goodness he did, although I am still heart broken at their relationship state at the moment. But before I go off on tangents, I'll start with the character development in this novel.

I loved how we've continued to see Ruby develop since The Darkest Minds. Her time with the Children's League really highlights how strong she is, and how focused she is on achieving her goal of freeing the children in the camps. Even to the extent that wen Liam remembers her she still refuses to go with him, rather staying with Cole and the others to work towards freeing the camps. That was simultaneously painful and exciting to read, as I really wished she'd be with Liam but it showed such strength in her character that she stayed.

It was super interesting seeing how Liam was affected by Ruby taking his memories of her. When he was acting super strange around her I started to suspect that he vaguely remember her, and I thought it was amazing how she had accidentally put into his mind that story of them meeting at the beach! So beautiful and heart-breaking. In The Darkest Minds Liam was one of my favourite characters EVER, and he has maintained this in Never Fade. He's such a loving person and is primarily focused on those that he cares about. Of course, he also wants to free the camps but will go about it in a way that he wants to, making sure that it isn't compromising his beliefs and ideals.

In regards to the new characters we are introduced to in Never Fade, I absolutely loved them!! Jude and Vida are wonderful, so different from one another! I love how Jude is such a fragile character, but at the same time is desperate to impress Ruby, Veda, and especially Cate. Vida is so kick-butt and intense, and I truly never knew what she was going to come out with next. Her relationship with Chubs was just hilarious!!

And then there is Clancy. I thought we were rid of him, but oh no, he just keeps coming back!! So infuriating, but it was dealt with so well. The whole idea of the fake Slip Kid with Knox was also super interesting, and I was so freaked out when Ruby and Vida had to fight the Red!

I really enjoyed all of the plot twists and turns, and never saw them coming! Jude's death absolutely broke my heart, as Alexandra Bracken always seems to do...

Overall, I LOVED Never Fade, and although The Darkest Minds probably beats it a tiny bit, I will continue to recommend this series to every single one of my friends.

Rating: 4.75/5

Let me know in the comments what your thoughts are on Never Fade, and who is your favourite character in this series?

Love always.

Ari

Passenger by Alexandra Bracken - review

Hi there!

I just finished Passenger by Alexandra Bracken and had to write about it immediately because holy cow I absolutely loved it!!

Passenger follows the journey of Etta, a young violin prodigy who discovers that her family is not what she had always believed. She is thrust into a time travelling adventure, during which she comes across Nicholas, a handsome sailor. They must work together to ensure the safety of Etta's loved ones and all that she has worked for towards a fulfilling future.

I absolutely adored Alexandra Bracken's writing style in The Darkest Minds, and Passenger was no exception. Her description brought to life the variety of settings and characters and allowed the reader to connect on a deeper level with the protagonists.

Her characters are rich and detailed, and you are continually learning new aspects of their personality and history. Speaking of history, this novel is full of it! It is so enriching following Etta and Nicholas into different countries and time periods and learning little details about each. Highly, highly recommend this novel!!

Rating: 5/5

SPOILERY SECTION:

I don't even know where to start! This book is definitely in my list of favourite books so far in 2016!
Let's discuss characters first. I loved the complexity of them, especially Etta and Nicholas, of course. Etta is such a strong female heroine, which is an immediate plus. Her focus on her career with the violin is a wonderful, refreshing aspect to her character, as opposed to her being solely obsessed with her love interest. I also really enjoyed her love for her family and her drive to do whatever it takes to save them.

Similarly, Nicholas has so many layers to him, he is a joy to read about! His guarded personality develops the mystery of his past, however it is clear that it hides a very soft and loving side to him. Again, his focus on his future and achieving his goal of running his own ship is inspiring.

In regards to Etta and Nicholas' romance, I thoroughly enjoyed how it wasn't insta-lovey, and the 'forbidenness' wasn't overplayed. Rather, the conflict came predominantly from both individuals being focused on their careers and not wanting to put them in jeopardy. When they do finally reveal their feelings, it feels completely natural, and comes at the perfect point in the storyline. They have such a wonderful chemistry, and challenge one another in a way that a positive relationship truly should.

Plot-wise, I frequently found myself staying up late at night, unable to put the book down due to the gripping story. I adore how Etta and Nicholas travel to different countries and times, providing such stunning imagery. Despite how drawn out the search for the astrolobe could seem, it at no point gets boring, and the threat of being caught by an Ironwood or Thorns maintians the pace.

Finally, the ending. I thought from around the middle of the novel that something serious would have to happen to either Etta or Nicholas, as it would be too obvious for him to go with her back to her time, and would completely go against his morals. Also, considering that this is not a stand-alone novel, it was inevitable that something drastic would need to occur as a final cliff-hanger. I think it was a perfect way to end the first novel in this series, with Etta disappeared and Nicholas on the hunt for her. Now I absolutely cannot wait to get my hands on the sequel!!! I also enjoyed the plot twist of Sophia wanting the astrolobe for herself to make Ironwood's life hell! It added so much depth to her character and was a really clever aspect for Alexandra to include.

Overall, I obviously adored Passenger! Please let me know in the comments if you've read it, what are your thoughts, and if you haven't, are you planning to?

Love always,

Ari

February-March Book Haul!!

Hey there! So lately I've been trying not to buy so many books, as I have soooo many that I haven't read yet. But of course, we all know the struggles of being a book addict, so here I have the books I picked up over the February-March period.

Passenger by Alexandra Bracken
Of course this book has been absolutely everywhere since it was announced, and every review I have read or watched of it has raved about it!! I recently read Alexandra Bracken's The Darkest Minds and adored it, so am super super excited to delve into Passenger.

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
After being crazy late to the bandwagon with Throne of Glass, I am trying to catch up with Sarah J. Maas' novels and be ready for the release of the second in this series, A Court of Mist and Fury.

Voyager by Diana Gabaldon
Continuing by obsession with Outlander and Scotland, I am now up to the third novel in the series!! I found this in an amazing second hand book show in Brisbane and cannot wait to pick it up!

L'Analphabete by Agota Kristof 
This is one for uni, wooo. I am in my second year studying French, and part of our compulsory course is to read this French autobiography.

Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta
This is an oldy that I saw in an op shop when I was home for the holidays and remembered hearing about it when I was still at school. I adore Melina Marchetta, and am very intrigued by the description.

Forever More by Cindy Miles
I heard Sasha from abookutopia talk about this in a video ages ago, and saw it in an op shop too. It is set in Scotland and has a hot ghost in it, what is not to love??

Tatiana and Alexander/The Bridge to Holy Cross by Paullina Simons 
The second novel in the stunning Bronze Horseman series, I am so excited to continue following the story of Tatiana and Alexander. If you haven't read The Bronze Horseman yet, please please do yourself a favour and pick it up!!

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
I already had a copy of Wuthering Heights but saw a super pretty one when op shopping for $2 and couldn't resist!!

Let me know in the comments what books you've picked up recently, and which of these you think I should read first!!

Love always,

Ari

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken - review

I know, I know, I am SUPER late to this bandwagon. Ever since discovering booktube I have heard so much hype surrounding this series, and now I completely understand why. I was blown away.

NON-SPOILERY REVIEW:
For those of you who are even further behind the times than me, The Darkest Minds is a young adult dystopian novel. It follows the story of Ruby, a teenage girl living in future America. When she younger, an epidemic broke out among children around the ages 8-12, causing them to suddenly drop dead. However, those who did not die as a result of the illness were taken by the government to camps, as they had special powers which were deemed dangerous. Ruby is one of these, and she must endure the hardships of the camp and attempting to understand and control her powers.

Alexandra Bracken's writing flows so well, she immediately pulls the reader into the story. In the style of YA, the novel is easy to read, however has loads of underlying messages and comments about society which I found extremely interesting. For those of you who love dystopian, you will absolutely adore The Darkest Minds!!

Rating: 5/5, SOOOO GOOD

SPOILERY STUFF:
Okay, first of all can I just say Liam. Liam is so freaking beautiful! One of my favourite characters ever, for sure. And possibly one of my favourite books ever. I adored every one of Bracken's characters, especially Ruby, Liam, Chubs and Zu. Each of them were so well fleshed out, and we got just enough backstory of each.

Can I just say, there are literally so many bad guys in this book! First we get all excited that Ruby's escaped the camp. Then, oh no, the Children's League is evil. Then we finally find the slip kid, wooo. Oh wait, no, don't get too excited, he's evil too. Can we trust anyone?!?! By the way, whilst I'm mentioning the slip kid, did anyone else figure out really early that he was the president's son? Even before I got there I was betting that it was either him or the orange that Ruby first saw when she arrived at the camp, if he had managed to escape. Super cool twist anyway!

What I really really really want to talk about is that ending. THAT ENDING. This was one of the most emotional endings I have ever read. I was literally lying in bed just staring at my wall saying "no" over and over again for a good five minutes. First we're all excited because the gang are free and going to achieve what they set out to. Then holy cow, Chubs is shot. Then Ruby presses the panic button and lo and behold she's back in the position she was trying to escape this whole time, except now Liam and Chubs are there too!!! And finally, Ruby wiping Liam's memory. All. The. Feels. I don't know if anyone else saw this coming, but I sure did not. My heart is aching just thinking about it. I haven't got the next two books in this series yet, but if Liam doesn't somehow get his memories back I am going to be so so so upset.

Let me know if you've read this book, and what your thoughts were. Were you as shocked at the ending as I was?

Love always,

Ari