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 Wrap Up!

Hi there!

It hasn't been the biggest reading month for me in February, due to being super busy with college leadership things. So only four books read! Nonetheless, I have thoroughly enjoyed most of the novels I read this month so I thought I'd share them with you anyway.

Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon
I'm hoping to read one of the Outlander series at least every two months until I get through the series, and it is going fantastically so far! See my (spoiler) review here for my detailed thoughts on the second in the series.

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
I'd heard all about this novel on booktube, and thought it was finally time to pick it up. I know a lot of people don't really like Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver series but I actually loved it when I was in high school and read it so many times! And likewise, I adored The Raven Boys! I literally cannot deal with how much I enjoyed this novel. I need to own it and read it again and again and read the rest of the series and I can't even. Really.

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys 
I also have a review for this one, here, if you'd like to check it out. This is another one that absolutely blew me away. I'd never read anything of Ruta Sepetys before and now I am so keen to pick up Between Shades of Grey. So so good!

Counting Stars by Jordan Deen
This novel was a bit of a disappointment for me, however I did find the plot quite interesting. A good contemporary to open your eyes to the lives of extremely wealthy teens. Review here!

Let me know in the comments what you read in February, or if you've read and loved any of the book I read this month!

Love always,

Ari

Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon - review (SPOILERS)

Hi there!

So my obsession with Outlander is well known, and I have now completed book two in the series! It was in no way a disappointment, still furthering my love for Scotland and Diana Gabaldon's magical writing style.
This review will be a spoiler review, obviously as Dragonfly in Amber is the second novel in the Outlander series.

When I began the novel, I was super super confused when Jamie and Claire's daughter Brianna appeared straight away! I had a total freak out that we weren't going to see what happened to Claire and Jamie in between that time, but of course Diana would never do that to us! While I am obsessed with the Scottish highlands thanks to Outlander, I adored the change of scenery we got for a while in this novel. The characters in Paris were just as rich and fascinating as those back in Scotland. I was slightly concerned when it seemed that Claire was going to have problems with being called a witch again, but that was luckily avoided. Also, how agonising was it when Claire wasn't speaking to Jamie after the incident with Black Jack? I wasn't sure how everything was going to go down with them, but I was fairly certain that Black Jack could not be killed, as then Frank would never exist. My theory is that they cannot change anything in history as what has happened has happened, right?

I also adore the characters introduced in the future setting, including Brianna. She's just as incredibly stubborn and beautiful as you'd expect of Jamie and Claire's daughter, along with her own little quirks and flaws. Her relationship with Roger is heartwarming and I found it a lovely addition to that aspect of the story. Their relationship is so different to Jamie and Claire's, so it is, in a way, a refreshing change for a little while.

Some people have said that the ending was an unexpected turn, but I did see it coming from the very beginning. I mean, Jamie couldn't just disappear from the series, could he?! That didn't bother me though, the story was still full of Diana's classic twists and turns. Her storylines are so intricate yet easy to follow, and I am so so excited to continue with the series soon.

Rating: 5/5

Let me know your thoughts on the Outlander sequel. Did you like it as much as it's predecessor? I'd probably still say Outlander was my favourite, but Dragonfly in Amber comes super close!

Love always,

Ari

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys - non-spoiler review

Hey there!

Today I finished Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys and I had to write a review right away because I was blown away. This novel is a young-adult historical fiction, set during World War II. It follows four different perspectives, all of young adults on the run and fighting to survive the war. At first I was concerned that the four perspectives would be too much and difficult to follow, but they were so distinct in their character voices that I had no problem whatsoever.

It was the predominantly the characters that really amazed me in this novel. Ruta fleshed out every one of them, even minor characters. They were all entirely three-dimensional, with their own flaws and goals driving them towards safety.

Ruta also utilises symbolism frequently throughout the novel which was absolutely incredible! Many I didn't pick up immediately but when they became clear everything tied together perfectly. Through this she weaved such an intricate web of a story, based on horrific true events that really should be addressed more in young-adult literature. This is definitely a must-read, it will have your heart-breaking for those affected by the horrifying event that was World War II, as Ruta depicts it so clearly through her poetic words.

Rating: 5/5

Love always,
Ari

Source: I was lucky enough to be given access to this novel through Netgalley by Penguin Random House Children's Publishers. Thank you so much, as you can tell I absolutely adored it!

Outlander Book/TV Show Review!

Hey all,

Today I want to talk about a recent obsession of mine, inspired by the wonderful Sasha from abookutopia. OUTLANDER!!

NON-SPOILER REVIEW:

Words cannot express how much I loved this book, and the first season of the tv show came pretty close. For those of you who are yet to experience the wonders that is Outlander, this novel (previously called Cross Stitch) by Diana Gabaldon, follows the adventures of Claire Randall. Claire is a nurse during WWII, during which time she was unable to see her husband Frank very often. After the war, Frank and Claire take a trip to the Scottish Highlands to reconnect. Whilst exploring some ancient standing stones near Inverness, Claire is transported back in time to 1743. This is where the real excitement starts, and she comes across Jamie Fraser (sigh!). Diana Gabaldon's writing truly fleshes out both the characters and their surroundings, creating such a vivid story.
In short, if you have not read Outlander yet, READ IT!

Similarly, season one of Outlander was incredible. It stuck extremely close to the book for the most part, and further enhanced my new-found love of the Scottish Highlands. I would recommend reading the book first, of course, as I found this really enriched my viewing experience. However, if you find that massive novel a tad daunting, the show is a great way to start!

Book rating: 5/5
TV series rating: 4.75/5

Now for the SPOILERY SECTION:

Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ, what a read! Despite the amount of action bundled up in this book, due to it's size, Gabaldon managed to ensure that it never felt rushed, or as though too much was happening at once. I absolutely adored every single character in this book. And, I mean, Jamie. What more can I say. The only time I was concerned about the nature of Jamie's character was when he whipped Claire in punishment. At first I was like nooooo Jamie what are you doing you terrible man. However, as I considered it, I reminded myself that we were in 1743, and despite Jamie's actions still being awful, he was extremely kind for that time period.
The story really ended in an unexpected way. I cannot even comprehend what happened to Jamie, and was in absolute agony reading the ordeal of their arrival in France. But now I am super duper excited for a little baby Jamie-Claire in the next book!!!

In regards to the book-tv show comparison, I was extremely impressed. I found it very accurate in the significant aspects of the plot, and nearly every character was as I imagined them when reading (especially Jamie ;)).
The only minor criticism I would give the show was some of the portrayal of Claire. I was watching the series with my parents, neither of whom had read the book before. Whilst I didn't have the need to explain much to them as the story went, they did say that they found Claire a very annoying character. Initially I didn't understand this, mostly due to my bias for the book. But as I considered their points I did begin to notice that Claire was more annoying in the show that in the book. At no point whilst reading Outlander did I find myself frustrated at Claire, however in the show she seemed slightly over-dramatised. This is evidently due to the nature of tv series - they need drama for people to engage entirely. So this small fault I can easily forgive.

Let me know in the comments your thoughts on the Outlander book and tv series! Also feel free to suggest any reviews you'd like me to write, or any book recommendations you may have.

Love always,

Ari