Author: Ali@abookishlife

Teaser Tuesday: 3rd April 2018

Ali@abookishlife7 Comments

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by The Purple Booker. If you want to join in grab your current read, flick to a random page, select two sentences (without spoilers) and share them in a blog post or in the comments of The Purple Booker.


This week my teaser comes from Eliza and her Monsters by Francesca Zappia, a book that seems to have been on my wishlist forever and I finally managed to get from Overdrive. I pretty much finished this at the weekend but it is such a great book I had to use it for this week’s teaser. I found this such an emotional read, something I didn’t expect, I couldn’t help but love it.

My Teaser

Broken people don’t hide from their monsters. Broken people let themselves be eaten.

~ 82% Eliza and her Monsters by Francesca Zappia

BlurbEliza and Her Monsters

Her story is a phenomenon. Her life is a disaster.

In the real world, Eliza Mirk is shy, weird, and friendless. Online, she’s LadyConstellation, the anonymous creator of the wildly popular webcomic Monstrous Sea. Eliza can’t imagine enjoying the real world as much as she loves the online one, and she has no desire to try.

Then Wallace Warland, Monstrous Sea’s biggest fanfiction writer, transfers to her school. Wallace thinks Eliza is just another fan, and as he draws her out of her shell, she begins to wonder if a life offline might be worthwhile.

But when Eliza’s secret is accidentally shared with the world, everything she’s built—her story, her relationship with Wallace, and even her sanity—begins to fall apart.

Review: The Exact Opposite of Okay by Laura Steven

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The Exact Opposite of Okay by Laura Steven
The Exact Opposite of Okay by Laura Steven

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Possibly one of the most open, frank and honest YA books I’ve come across. It’s not a perfect read but it’s one that challenges expectations and I’m sure will generate discussion around some very current and relevant issues.

THE BLURB

Izzy O’Neill is an aspiring comic, an impoverished orphan, and a Slut Extraordinaire. Or at least, that’s what the malicious website flying round the school says. Izzy can try all she wants to laugh it off – after all, her sex life, her terms – but when pictures emerge of her doing the dirty with a politician’s son, her life suddenly becomes the centre of a national scandal. Izzy’s never been ashamed of herself before, and she’s not going to start now. But keeping her head up will take everything she has…

MY REVIEW

Hmmm… I have to admit I’m finding this book rather hard to rate and review. I do think it’s an important read, and I’d certainly recommend for the very current and very real issues it highlights but I’m not sure I would say I really enjoyed it.

It’s probably one of the most frank, open and honest books I’ve come across which is fantastic but it didn’t make for a particularly comfortable read. This is most definitely a good thing as it brings a lot of issues out into the open and makes you question your own views and judgments but I do feel like things were a little over exaggerated and the story occasionally lacked balance.

It possibly didn’t help that Izzy is pretty much the exact opposite of me, extroverted, always wanting to be the center of attention, open about everything, tells a lot of crude jokes and thinks nothing of getting drunk and having sex with someone (or two someones) she barely knows at a party. I couldn’t relate at all especially in the first half of the book and honestly if I met her in real life I’d be terrified (and probably a bit in awe) of her.

She is however the perfect character for this story as she challenges expectations. She’s not afraid to admit to what she does and is very open about her attitudes to sex and her body. I will admit I found some of her attitudes kind of shocking but only because it’s so completely different from what I know and expect, but again, I think this is the point. It shouldn’t be shocking for her to have those types of attitudes and my reaction just proves how ingrained this double standard is in our society.

There have been quite a few books recently which have dealt with this double standard, how boys will be boys while girls are sluts if they do, prudes if they don’t but I think this is the first book I’ve come across with a female character who is so sexually experienced and open about her enjoyment of sex. More often than not in these types of stories someone is falsely accused or slut shamed for something relatively minor like the way they look or a one off event. This book proposes the wild and wacky notion that actually some girls enjoy sex and are not ashamed of it (and they shouldn’t feel like they should be).

I also love how it raises the lesser known issue of the nice guy and the friend zone. The guy who believes you should be grateful to them (aka sleep with them) just because they’re decent and if you don’t there’s something wrong with you.

There’s a lot to think about in this book and it is a fast paced and easy read. I found my attitude towards Izzy changing over the course of the story and I really liked how she developed. I also have to say how much I loved the strong female relationships in the book, Izzy and BFF Ajita, Izzy and her grandmother and even Izzy’s relationship with a teacher.

There were a few elements that stretched credibility, I can’t believe this would have blown into such a big story and I can’t believe a school would act the way they did and there would be so little consequences for the person responsible for what is essentially revenge porn.  I also found Izzy’s voice a little too extra at times but overall this is an excellent read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC. All views are my own.

WWW Wednesday: 28th March 2018

Ali@abookishlife54 Comments

The WWW Wednesday meme is currently hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words and is a great way to do a weekly update on what you’ve been reading and what you have planned.

WWW Wednesday

To take part all you have to do is answer the following three questions:

  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you’ll read next?

Currently ReadingThe Ghost of You and Me

Despite literally just posting my Spring TBR a few days ago I’ve wandered off and picked up The Ghost of Me and You by Kelly Oram which was most definitely not on it. It is however a book I’ve been wanting to read for quite a while and it just seemed a good fit for right now. It’s about a a boy who returns as a ghost to help the girl he loved and the boy who was his best friend to move on. I do really love Oram’s writing, it always gets to me and yep I have shed a few tears already (including on a very busy train).

The Queens of Innis LearI have to confess I haven’t made much progress with The Queens of Innis Lear by Tessa Gratton. While I think I do like the writing (it’s very lyrical), I’m finding it incredibly slow going. I spent quite a few hours reading it and only managed to get to 10%, with my kindle telling me there are still 14+ hours remaining. I will go back to it (I think) but I’m really not in the right mood just now.

On audio, I’ve made more progress with The Sweetest Burn, the second in the Broken Destiny series by Jeaniene Frost. I only have a couple of hours left so should finish it today or tomorrow. It’s not been my favorite book by Frost.

Recently FinishedDeadly Secrets (Detective Erika Foster, #6)

The first book finished this week, Deadly Secrets by Robert Bryndza, is probably the main reason why I haven’t made much progress with The Queens of Innis Lear. I’m afraid as soon as my NetGalley request for this, the latest in the DCI Erika Foster series, was approved I abandoned everything and started reading it immediately. This is just such a great series and completely addictive reading. It did suffer a bit from me reading straight after The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle (which is much more complex and twisty) but I think this is one of my fave books in the series. I just wish they would spend a little longer on editing and proofreading, the little continuity errors drive me nuts.

Second book finished was Sherlock Holmes story, The Sign of Four by Arthur Conan Doyle. Possibly not my fave (it’s kinda racist, Holmes takes a lot of cocaine and Watson has the biggest insta love story I’ve come across) but it’s still great to read the original.The Exact Opposite of Okay

The last book read was The Exact Opposite of Okay by Laura Steven which I also received from NetGalley. I have to admit this was a second attempt at this book as the first time I started it I gave up after a couple of chapters. The story is told in the form of a series of blog posts by MC Izzy and I found her a bit extra. She’s constantly cracking jokes, using innuendo and is just so confident and extroverted that I found it difficult to connect (she’s basically the exact opposite of me). It is however an important book and deals with so many issues in a new way that I do think it’s worth reading. Also Izzy kind of grew on me. I’m hoping to get a full review up this week.

Reading Next

Next up I think are two books I got from the library, Eliza and her Monsters (which is due back in three days) and Call Me By Your Name (which will be my next audio). I also want to pick up my next couple of galley’s Skin Deep and Sam and Ilsa’s Last Hurrah.

Eliza and Her MonstersCall Me by Your NameSkin DeepSam & Ilsa's Last Hurrah

Have you read any of the books on my list this week? Any others you’d recommend? As always please feel free to leave comments and links below.

Happy Reading ❤

Ten Books Set In Another Country

Ali@abookishlife10 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a bookish meme that was started by The Broke and Bookish and moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January 2018.  It was born of a love of lists (something I share) and each week participants come up with a list of ten(ish) things based on a theme.

The theme for this weeks Top Ten Tuesday is Books That Take Place in Another Country. It’s been a while since I took part in TTT but couldn’t resist this week. I do love travelling and learning about other countries through my reading so thought I would fairly easily make it around the world but as it turns out most of my reads seem to be set in the UK or US. I have however tried to find 10 great books from around the world where the setting is a big part of the story.

The Dry (Aaron Falk, #1)Broken Harbour (Dublin Murder Squad, #4)Beartown

  • The Dry/Force of Nature by Jane Harper (Australia) – Very atmospheric thrillers, that show a different side to Australia. The Dry in particular, which is set in small town rural community during a drought, was completely alien to someone from a very wet Scotland.
  • Broken Harbour by Tana French (Ireland) – Every book in Tana French’s Dublin murder squad series paints a realistic picture of modern day Ireland but I think this one set in a ghost estate outside Dublin was the one that struck me the most.
  • Beartown by Fredrik Backman (Sweden) – set in a small dying community, this may be in a very different country but was extremely relateable.

A Gentleman in MoscowThe AlchemistThe Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue (Guide, #1)

  • A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles (Russia) – little bit cheaty as it’s historical and is mostly set within a hotel but it does have a real sense of time and place (and I love it)
  • The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (Spain, Egypt, Sahara Desert) – follows a young shepherd who follows his dream to find treasure in Egypt so is probably more of a fable but it gives you a taste of the different cultures and beliefs.
  • The Gentleman’s Guide To Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee (France, Spain, Italy) – this is historical again, following Monty on his Grand Tour of Europe but seems pretty realistic in its portrayal of Europe around this time.

The BorderSaint DeathNot If I Save You FirstDash and Lily's Book of Dares

  • The Border by Steve Schafer (Mexico) – four teens try to make it across the border from Mexico to the States after their families are killed. I had no idea how treacherous a journey it is and how desperate you have to be to attempt it.
  • Saint Death by Marcus Sedgwick (Mexico) – also about a couple of teens who fall foul of drug gangs in Mexico but has a much bigger focus on culture and beliefs.
  • Not If I Save You First by Ally Carter (Alaska) – funny and action packed story about a girl trying to save her ex-friend from trained assassins in middle of nowhere, Alaska.
  • Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares (New York, USA) – I love this book so much, mostly because of all the different sides of New York it shows you as Dash and Lily challenge each other to a series of dares around the city.

 

 

So that’s my 10 books set in other countries. I kind of feel like I’m missing something major (which will no doubt come back to me after I post this) but hey ho. Looking at this I also feel like I should be reading wider, and travelling further so I’m open to any and all recommendations. Have you read any of these? Anything you think I’m missing or that you’d recommend?

Feel free to leave comments below and links to your top ten’s.

Teaser Tuesday: 27th March 2018

Ali@abookishlifeLeave a comment

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by The Purple Booker. If you want to join in grab your current read, flick to a random page, select two sentences (without spoilers) and share them in a blog post or in the comments of The Purple Booker.


This week my teaser comes from The Exact Opposite of Okay by Laura Steven an advance copy of which I received from NetGalley. I have to admit I initially struggled to get into this as main character Izzy has a really strong voice and a sense of humor I’m not sure I wholly get (it’s a bit extra) but I’m now around halfway through and enjoying it a lot more.

My Teaser

I would love to be brave enough to take matters into my own hands, like a soldier who proudly charges to the front line and faces enemy troops head-on. But alas I am instead going to hide out in my soggy trench until the problem passes, or I’m brutally murdered by a rogue grenade. Either way I am fundamentally a coward and not the kind of person you want on your side in a battle zone.

~ 19% The Exact Opposite of Okay by Laura Steven

BlurbThe Exact Opposite of Okay

Izzy O’Neill is an aspiring comic, an impoverished orphan, and a Slut Extraordinaire. Or at least, that’s what the malicious website flying round the school says. Izzy can try all she wants to laugh it off – after all, her sex life, her terms – but when pictures emerge of her doing the dirty with a politician’s son, her life suddenly becomes the centre of a national scandal. Izzy’s never been ashamed of herself before, and she’s not going to start now. But keeping her head up will take everything she has…

Review: The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

Ali@abookishlife14 Comments

The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow. I think this book could be one of my favorite reads of the year and for the author’s debut novel is a seriously impressive feat of ingenuity.

THE BLURB

How do you stop a murder that’s already happened?

At a gala party thrown by her parents, Evelyn Hardcastle will be killed–again. She’s been murdered hundreds of times, and each day, Aiden Bishop is too late to save her. Doomed to repeat the same day over and over, Aiden’s only escape is to solve Evelyn Hardcastle’s murder and conquer the shadows of an enemy he struggles to even comprehend–but nothing and no one are quite what they seem.

Deeply atmospheric and ingeniously plotted, The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is a highly original debut that will appeal to fans of Kate Atkinson and Agatha Christie.

MY REVIEW

The overriding feeling from this book is of a classic Agatha Christie style murder mystery and it has all the best elements of this, a number of guests invited to a party on the anniversary of a tragedy, an isolated location, an absent host, old grudges and long held secrets and a general feel that nothing is truly as it seems. Added to this however is a Groundhog Day, or possibly more Quantum Leap, type element with main protagonist Aiden Bishop tasked with solving a murder before it happens by repeating the day over and over again in a series of different roles (hosts) each of which has some kind of link to the mystery.

It’s an absolutely brilliant and unique premise that adds an extra layer of complexity and intrigue to the story I wasn’t expecting. It’s a very intricately plotted mystery and one I would say requires all of your concentration (and probably a notepad to keep track of multiple characters and timelines) but it’s worth it. I read this over the course of a weekend while trapped indoors by snow (and a bit of a cold) and it worked so well as it allowed me to completely immerse myself in the very vivid and atmospheric world the author creates.

The setting feels a little Downton Abbey, with the country estate, Lord of the manor and servants dotted about but from the very beginning it is clear that all is not as it seems. There’s a feeling that there’s more going on than meets the eye and something dark and sinister lurking just below the surface. Something that also seems to apply to most of the characters who are never quite what they appear to be.

This is particularly true for Aiden who spends the story in the guise of someone else, making him a very intriguing character. Who he is and how he’s ended up in the position he’s in is just as much of a mystery as who the murderer is. He has no memories of who he was before and no knowledge of his hosts either and this is where it most reminded me of Quantum Leap (a show I was obsessed with as a teen). Aiden has to look in a mirror to discover what he looks like and slowly unravel who each of his hosts are, and they are a decidedly mixed bunch. Most would definitely not be considered your typical hero, they are downright horrid, and even those who seem initially good often have a little bit of darkness lurking inside.

There is certainly a lot to think about in this story and it’s really worth taking your time over. I very much liked the authors writing style and found myself highlighting sections here, there and everywhere partly in hope of solving one of the many mysteries but mainly because I just really loved it.

In terms of actually solving it, I did get bits here and there but I think that was mostly due to guessing just about everything and suspecting everyone rather than any kind of skill on my part. There are so many twists, turns and red herrings that I think even the most experienced sleuth would struggle. Although I should say that once the truth was revealed I could see the hints the author had scattered throughout and I have been very tempted to read it a second time to really appreciate it.

This book is certainly one of a kind and I even a few days later there are elements of it still buzzing around my head in the best possible way. If you like complicated mysteries and don’t mind a little bit of genre bending I can’t recommend this highly enough.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this. All gushing over this brilliant book is my own.

Spring TBR

Ali@abookishlife9 Comments

It’s not feeling particularly spring like here at the moment, we’re still getting snow, but the clocks went forward last night so I thought it was about time I posted my Spring TBR.

Despite my bookish resolution at the start of the year to not request more ARCs than I read and review each month I have to admit I have given in to temptation (I blame NetGalley and the publishers and not my lack of shelf control). There are therefore quite a few ARCs on this list, but I’m also determined to finish off a couple of series I’ve started and maybe read a few of those books I’ve bought because I’ve been tempted by a pretty cover. Anyway, without further ado…

Thrillers (ARCs)

Skin DeepSnapCross Her Heart

  • Liz Nugent’s Lying in Wait was one of my favorite books of 2016 and had one of the most deliciously horrid characters I’ve ever come across so I can’t wait to see what she does next. She is famous for her opening lines so I have to admit I’ve had a sneaky peek and it’s brilliant. I’m expecting more morally repugnant characters, doing horrible things to each other
  • Belinda Baur is another author whose books I’ve really enjoyed. I’m expecting a fast paced page turner of a read in Snap.
  • Coincidentally it turns out Snap is endorsed by Sarah Pinborough the author of the wonderfully unexpected Behind Her Eyes and the third book on my list Cross Her Heart. I have my suspicions that this will be another twisty tale, I can’t wait.

Fantasy (ARCs)

Legendary (Caraval, #2)Ash PrincessThe Queens of Innis Lear

  • LEGENDARY!!!!! I can’t believe I managed to get an ARC of this. I really, really enjoyed Caraval and I’ve heard that sequel Legendary is even better. It’s not out for a couple of months but I keep staring at it on my kindle and will no doubt be starting it very soon.
  • Ash Princess doesn’t necessarily sound the most original of stories (heroine trying to reclaim a throne stolen by an evil tyrant) but I don’t care. I love these types of stories and I’m not even put off by rumours of a love triangle
  • I have actually started The Queens of Innis Lear by Tessa Gratton but have to admit I’m struggling. It’s a little on the slow side with a lot of different povs and characters but I’m going to persevere and hope it clicks for me.

Contemporary (ARCs)

The Exact Opposite of OkayDear MartinSam & Ilsa's Last Hurrah

  • After a slightly shaky start I’m already around a quarter of the way through The Exact Opposite of Okay and feelings are mixed. I’m loving the main characters voice and attitude but not sure how I feel about some of her actions.
  • My request for Dear Martin was only approved in the last few days but I am so excited about this one. There does seem to be a lot of buzz around it so fingers crossed it lives up to the hype.
  • Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares is possibly my favorite ever Christmas read and Cohn and Levithan make such a great writing partnership that I couldn’t resist their latest offering, Sam and Ilsa’s Last Hurrah.

Series Reads

Another of my bookish resolutions was to finish off a few of those series I’v kind of stopped midway through but also to knock a few books off my TBR.

Hero at the Fall (Rebel of the Sands, #3)Unravel Me (Shatter Me, #2)Illuminae (The Illuminae Files, #1)

  • Hero at the Fall by Alwyn Hamilton is the third and final book in the Rebel of the Sands trilogy and it is absolutely ridiculous that I have not read it yet particularly as I’ve owned it since it was released. I suspect I just don’t want it to be over (and I’m scared she’ll kill off my fave character)
  • So I’m very late to the party as far as the Shatter Me series goes, I only read Shatter Me a couple of weeks ago, but I think this is a series I could very easily binge on. As soon as I’ve made some progress on my NetGalley shelf I think this will be next.
  • With the release of Obsidio I think it’s time I finally picked up Illuminae. I bought physical copies of this and Gemina ages ago but have never gotten around to reading. I am however beginning to fear I’ll stumble across spoilers so yep I think the time has come to finally read it.

Other

These are pretty much just random books I’ve picked up in bookshops over the last few months.

The Wicked ComethSpare and Found PartsCall Me by Your Name

  • I have to admit it was the cover that first drew me to The Wicked Cometh, I have the hardback and it is soooo pretty (I’ll need to post some pics on my bookstagram as this doesn’t do it justice), but it does sound like a very intriguing and dark story.
  • Spare and Found Parts was a fairly similar story. I spied it in the bookstore and was tempted by the shiny, pretty thing that it is. I didn’t buy it immediately but after seeing some great reviews was back like a shot. It is apparently a modern Frankenstein type story, I am so excited.
  • It was the hype around the film that drew me to Call Me By Your Name. I haven’t seen it yet, I want to read the book first, but it just looks so good. I currently have a hold on the audio for this.

So that’s my reading plan for the next two or three months. It’s looking a little light on the romance front so no doubt I’ll add a few of them in and I will be trying to squeeze in a few more from my monster TBR pile but this should certainly keep my busy.

Have you read any of these? Are there any others I should make room for on my list? Any you’re particularly excited about?

WWW Wednesday: 21st March 2018

Ali@abookishlife24 Comments

The WWW Wednesday meme is currently hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words and is a great way to do a weekly update on what you’ve been reading and what you have planned.

WWW Wednesday

To take part all you have to do is answer the following three questions:

  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you’ll read next?

Currently ReadingThe Queens of Innis Lear

Yet again I’m a little bit all over the place with my currently reading list and somehow seem to be partway through four books. I am not good at juggling multiple books however so I think my focus is going to be on The Queens of Innis Lear by Tessa Gratton which I received from the publisher via NetGalley. So far I’ve literally only read the first chapter (well maybe two depending on when you’re reading this) so it’s a little too early to tell. I had no idea when I requested it that it’s a retelling of King Lear (despite the clue in the title). I’m really hoping you don’t need to know anything about the play to fully appreciate this as I don’t. It’s possibly the Shakespeare play I know least about.

The other two books I’m partway through are Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen and Sherlock Holmes story, The Sign of Four. I just kept seeing Northanger Abbey everywhere and it is my fave Austen so I couldn’t resist a re read and as for Holmes, I’ve been slowly working my way through the collection and this one fit a challenge.

The Sweetest Burn (Broken Destiny, #2)

On audio I’m still listening to The Sweetest Burn, the second in the Broken Destiny series by Jeaniene Frost. I do love Jeaniene Frost but this book just isn’t working for me the way they usually do. The main character is a bit moany, and has a tendency to get a touch hysterical every time someone tries to kill her (which is a lot) so it’s getting on my nerves (some people are just total drama queen’s honestly!!) I will however persevere to find out how it ends, although I think there may be a book 3 still to come.

Recently Finished

The Fill-In BoyfriendHmm, I thought I’d read more but just checking back and it looks like I’ve finished three books this week, or really two as I’d technically already finished the first of the three, The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West last week. Given one of the other books finished was PS I Like You I think I can admit to a bit of a Kasie West Reading Fest over the last couple of weeks. They are not the most original plot wise but there’s just something completely addictive about them, and they’re just such easy and fun reading. I’ve been tempted to do a bulk review post, rating and ranking them, but my fave so far has to be The Distance Between Us (mostly because of all the creepy doll jokes).

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn HardcastleThe other book finished this week was The Seven (or 7 ½ if you’re in the US) Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle and boy was this a book and a half. I will be posting a review probably this weekend or early next week but I can say now that it’s getting a full five stars. It’s like a mix between a classic Agatha Christie murder mystery with some Quantum Leap/Groundhog Day thrown in. I very much liked the writing and how vivid and atmospheric the whole thing was but most of all I loved the complexity and originality of the story. I finished it very late on Sunday night and am still pondering various aspects a few days later. I do wonder though if this is what’s making it so difficult for me to start something new.

Reading Next

I’m not going to list anything here just now as I’m planning to post my Spring TBR in the next day or two with all of my upcoming reads, including a few ARCs I’m very excited about.

Have you read any of the books on my list this week? Any others you’d recommend? As always please feel free to leave comments and links below.

Happy Reading ❤

Mini Review: Not If I Save You First by Ally Carter

Ali@abookishlife10 Comments

Not If I Save You First by Ally Carter
Not If I Save You First by Ally Carter

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

From the very first page I knew I was going to love this book, hell from the blurb I knew I was going to love this book, and it did not disappoint.

THE BLURB

Dear Logan,
Someday I’m going to write a book: How Not to Die in Alaska – A Girl’s Guide to Fashionable Survival.

I bet you don’t know that a hair pin can make an excellent fishing hook. You may think you can use just any kind of mud for mud masks, but trust me, you CAN’T! In a pinch, nothing starts a fire like nail polish remover. Alaska is tough. You might know this, if you ever replied to my letters.

After Maddie’s Secret Service dad takes a bullet for the president, he takes Maddie somewhere he thinks they’ll be safe – far away from the White House and the president’s son, Logan.

But when Logan comes to Alaska, so does the danger.

If there’s one thing Alaska has taught Maddie, it’s how to survive. And now her best friend’s life depends on it …

MY REVIEW

This book is fast paced, full of action and so so funny. Madison (Maddie, Mad Dog) Manchester is just the best main character. She’s totally kick ass and runs rings around both teenage boys and trained assassins. I do think she’s totally crazy and over the top but it makes for some fantastically fun reading. I love how she has all of these incredible survival skills, is super smart but seems most concerned about her beauty regime and how her hair looks. She plays the stereotypical silly little girl to perfection while really out plotting and scheming just about everyone. I loved how fearless she was and how independent and just how funny she could be.

Unfortunately though being such a strong main character, she leaves pretty much everyone else in her shade. Former best friend and potential love interest Logan is likeable enough and there’s some great banter between them but he’s not as strong a character so gets left behind a little.

I loved the Alaskan setting and the plot has plenty of action and excitement throughout. The writing is short and punchy adding a lot of pace to the story but still giving you a great sense of place and characters.

If I had one criticism, and it’s a pretty minor one, it’s that I thought it got a little bit repetitive in places. We get it Alaska is dangerous and there’s a serious lack of bedazzled weapons.

Other than that I loved it and am off in search of more books by Ally Carter.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC. As always all thoughts are my own.

Teaser Tuesday: 20th March 2018

Ali@abookishlife5 Comments

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by The Purple Booker. If you want to join in grab your current read, flick to a random page, select two sentences (without spoilers) and share them in a blog post or in the comments of The Purple Booker.


This week my teaser comes from The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton, a book I’d had my eye on for a while and was lucky enough to receive a copy of from NetGalley. I read the majority of this over the weekend and honestly I can’t recommend it highly enough. Such a clever and intricately plotted story and such brilliant writing. I absolutely loved it.

My Teaser

Yet instead of being angry he pities me. That’s the worst part. Anger’s solid; it has weight. You can beat your fists against it. Pity’s a fog to become lost within.

~ loc 236 The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

BlurbThe Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

How do you stop a murder that’s already happened?

At a gala party thrown by her parents, Evelyn Hardcastle will be killed–again. She’s been murdered hundreds of times, and each day, Aiden Bishop is too late to save her. Doomed to repeat the same day over and over, Aiden’s only escape is to solve Evelyn Hardcastle’s murder and conquer the shadows of an enemy he struggles to even comprehend–but nothing and no one are quite what they seem.

Deeply atmospheric and ingeniously plotted, The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is a highly original debut that will appeal to fans of Kate Atkinson and Agatha Christie.