Review: Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

Book: Unravel Me, Tahereh Mafi

Series: Shatter Me #2

Publisher: Harper Collins

Release Date: February 5^th, 2013

tick
tick
tick
tick
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it's almost
time for war.

Juliette has escaped to Omega Point. It is a place for people like her—people with gifts—and it is also the headquarters of the rebel resistance.

She's finally free from The Reestablishment, free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch.

Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible.

In this exhilarating sequel to Shatter Me, Juliette has to make life-changing decisions between what she wants and what she thinks is right. Decisions that might involve choosing between her heart—and Adam's life.

Rating: 5 stars

Unravel Me is the uniquely-written, exciting sequel in Tahereh Mafi’s trilogy. Juliette, Kenji, Adam and James have arrived in an underground rebel facility where Juliette has discovered she’s no longer alone; that there are others out there with special powers just like her.

I enjoyed this sequel just as much as the first book, if not even more. I thought it was a lot more action packed with plenty of character development. In Shatter Me, I spent the first part of the book very confused as I didn’t know why Juliette was locked up or why the world had gone to hell. Not having to focus on explanations meant Mafi could easily continue the story and introduced new, interesting characters that I really enjoyed.

I was going to complain about Juliette’s whining in this book, as well as her obsession with Adam and how she lived in her own bubble of pity and kept to herself, assuming everyone hated her. But then I read Kaitlyn’s review of how she saw Juliette:

“The truth is, though, Juliette’s attitude was a very important component of her growth. She was meant to be weak. How else would she become a much better person? The fact that she was constantly told to pull herself together showed how she was supposed to have her flaws. If the rest of the characters were blind to all her annoyances that were demonstrated, my thoughts would have been different. That would just detract from the story. With how Juliette was portrayed and how others reacted to her, it actually made the book even better.”

And I totally agree! If Juliette hadn’t been all “me me me” she would’ve been too selfless. Now I think she was the right mix of wanting to protect others while also wanting what’s best for her, and it made her growth way more realistic. We have to remember that Juliette was cruelly abused her whole childhood, and then kept in solitary confinement where she didn’t speak for almost a year. The girl is going to have problems, no matter how hard she tries. She’s going to find it hard to accept her gift as what it is: a gift. Or trust that people won’t be afraid of her. She has a lot of issues to overcome in the final book and I honestly can’t wait to go on the journey with her.

I absolutely ADORED Warner. My God. I thought he was an asshat in the first book, but after the novella in his POV and how he was portrayed here, I’ve officially fallen in love with him and I'm on his team. It’s weird though. I want to hug him while simultaneously whacking him over the head. The whole Adam-and-Juliette arc was pushed back in this book to explore his attraction to Juliette. I loved how his character grew here. He grew up with a terrible father figure and doesn’t believe he deserves mercy for some of the things he’s done, and I loved how Juliette realised that they understood each other in a way no one else did, not even Adam. She’s confused over her feelings for him, as she still cares immensely for Adam but she feels more open and secure with Warner; able to tell him things she can’t tell Adam. I can’t wait to see Warner grow and his relationship with Juliette explored in the final book.

While Adam and Juilette’s relationship was pushed aside (second book drama don’t you know), he was still a presence as he discovered new things about himself and struggled to keep Juliette in his life. I know we’ll learn more about his character in the final book.

Kenji is still as kick-ass as ever, with great lines and a wonderful presence. I love how Juliette began to treasure his existence and realise that he’s one of her favourite people.

The writing is still as beautiful and unique as ever. It’s told in a way like Juliette is writing everything down as it happens as there are still many crossed out lines, as if her thoughts are tangled together and she doesn’t know how to separate them.

I can’t wait to find out how this book is going to end. I honestly don’t even know; Mafi can take this book in any direction. Even with the love triangle, I have no clue who Juliette’s going to pick. Normally there’s one side that you know is a clear winner, and you just have to wait, but it’s anyone’s guess who she picks here. I’m still hoping for Warner though!!

Thursday Quotables #9: Unravel Me

Welcome to Thursday Quotables! This feature is the place where you highlight a great quote, line or passage you've discovered in a book you're currently reading. Whether it's something heart-warming, heart-breaking, funny or inspiring, Thursday Quotables is where my favourite line(s) of the week will be, and I invite you to join in! It's hosted by Lisa at BookShelf Fantasies, so be sure to check her out :)

The book I'm reading this week is Unravel by Tahereh Mafi. It's the second in a trilogy about a girl with a mysterious power so that anyone she touches gets really hurt. It's really good so far!

"How many times, I hear a voice whisper in my head, how many times will you apologise for who you are?"

I think this is really applicable to people, especially those who are quiet or have low self esteem, and just automatically apologise for everything even if it's not their fault. My mother used to always tell me to stop apologising all the time. Luckily I don't do it as much any more, but I love how this quote kinda makes you think that every time you apologise when it's not your fault, you're really apologising for who you are.

Have you read this book? What quotes grasped your heartstrings this week? Let me know in the comments below!

Review: Unhinged by Tempest C. Avery

Book: Unhinged, Tempest C. Avery

Series: Underworld #1

Publisher: Smashwords Edition

Release Date: April 6^th, 2013

Spencer Perry lost everything the day her boyfriend died. Even when he came back as a ghost, she was never able to return to her old self. Determined to find a way to bring both of them back--him from the dead and her from her depression--Spencer hops a ride with a Reaper across the river to the Underworld where she meets the god of the dead. Hadrian isn't what she expected Hades to be like, but when he agrees to a deal that can get her Micah back, she puts all caution aside and accepts. Too bad she didn't realize that she'd also just accepted a lot more than one gorgeous yet frustrating god. Bad things are happening all around her, and now she not only has to worry about keeping Micah's ghost status a secret from their friends, but also figure out who's behind all of the accidents. All signs point towards Hadrian, but something about that just doesn't feel right to her. Something that she hopes has nothing to do with her growing attraction towards him.

Rating: 4 stars

*I was given this book in exchange for an honest review*

I love reading retellings of fairytales, or a much loved tale taken in a different direction. This also goes for Greek myths. I’ve already read a few different retellings involving the Greek gods (such as Jennifer L Armentrout’s Covenant series, or Meg Cabot’s Abandon trilogy), so I was excited to see how Avery would take the popular tale of Hades and Persephone and turn it into an original and interesting story. And I have to say, I loved the way she put her own spin on it! She gives the characters different names (such as Hades being called Hadrian) and gives the myth a unique twist.

Our heroine is Spencer. After losing her boyfriend and love of her life, Micah, in an accident a few months ago, Spencer struggles to find a reason to get up in the morning. It doesn’t help that she still sees Micah’s ghost in her room all the time, giving her even less reason to leave the safety of her cave. Then, after a class on the myth of Hades and Persephone and the Underworld in school, Spencer has the bright idea of travelling to the Underworld to ask Hades to bring Micah back to life. Simple, right? Of course not! After meeting Hades (who turns out to be called Hadrian), he offers her a deal. Stay with him for six months, and he’ll bring Micah back. But instead of staying six months in the Underworld, Spencer spends 12 hours a day for a year, every night. And Spencer, only thinking about getting Micah back, agrees to this without really thinking it through.

And so the rest of the story is about Spencer’s growing friendship with Hadrian, learning more about the world of the Gods and trying to get back into her life after Micah’s death.

To be quite honest, Spencer annoyed the crap out of me. She wanted to have everything and was willing to do whatever it took to get it, not caring who might get hurt in the process. Thankfully she does grow by the end and learns about the price of having everything, but it was quite painful there for a while. She kept trying to pick fights with Hadrian and continually assumed the worst of him, so half the time she was with him she picked a fight that made him send her away. And yet, some of their scenes together just made me melt.

Hadrian has spent centuries alone, learning not to care about lowly little mortals. Yet there was something about Spencer that allowed him to open up his heart to let her in. You can tell he was just lonely, all by himself in that giant castle. Then there’s Micah, Spencer’s first boyfriend. His love for Spencer allowed him to stay above ground, even though they can’t touch whenever they’re together. He’s the good guy in this love triangle, the one who gets Spencer completely and whom she knows better than herself. There was a development in the end of this book that will make the situation between the three of them quite interesting in the second book. Even though I hate love triangles, I am hoping to the bottom of my soul that this won’t make me bang my head against the wall. Some authors are able to get them right. Please let this one be right!

I would recommend this book to those who love retellings, and have a fascination with Greek myths. If you enjoyed JLA’s Covenant series you might get a kick out of this. It’s a great take, and I can’t wait to get my hands on the sequel!

Review: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Book: Shatter Me, Tahereh Mafi

Series: Shatter Me #1

Publisher: Harper Collins

Release Date: October 2^nd, 2012

Juliette hasn’t touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal. As long as she doesn’t hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war – and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she’s exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior. 

Rating: 5 stars

This book has been on my TBR list for MONTHS now, and I FINALLY got a chance to read it. And I’m so glad I did! This book is spectacular. The description used by Mafi is wonderfully used, the characters are incredibly well-written, the story is unique, and the mystery surrounding Juliette is totally intriguing. There’s nothing bad I can say about it!

Juliette has been in confinement for 264 days. She’s hasn’t spoken to anyone or had any sort of human contact for that amount of time. All she can do is sit, wait and write. We discover throughout the course of the book why Juliette is afraid to touch anyone, as she has incredibly mysterious-yet-powerful powers that will hurt anyone she touches. However, there is always someone ready to exploit someone’s abilities if it means more power, so it isn’t long before Juliette is taken out of confinement by a man hoping to use Juliette to make himself more powerful. This man is called Warner. At first he seems like a total jerk, douche and a creep. However, as Juliette is forced to spend more time with him, we learn a little bit more about his character, and even though he’s still universally a douche, you also can’t help feeling a bit sorry for him. I couldn’t help being intrigued by him, to be honest. I can’t wait to see more of him in the coming books.

Another main character introduced is Adam. He’s a soldier under Warner, and is chosen by Warner to babysit Juliette as they knew each other as kids and had a special bond. I loved their chapters together, and how he helped Juliette realise that even though her powers mean she can be a monster, what makes her stand out is her choice not to be.

I think Warner and Adam are both very interesting as they both come from crappy families with unreliable fathers and unknown mothers, and yet they turned out so incredibly differently. I can’t wait to see Mafi expand on this in the coming books.

 And I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the writing in this book is spectacular. It’s incredibly original, something I’d never read before, and it totally urged me to keep reading even when the story lagged a little. It’s a little hard to describe, so I’ll just provide some examples:

“I'm oxygen and he's dying to breathe.”

“I always wonder about raindrops.

I wonder about how they're always falling down, tripping over their own feet, breaking their legs and forgetting their parachutes as they tumble right out of the sky toward an uncertain end. It's like someone is emptying their pockets over the earth and doesn't seem to care where the contents fall, doesn't seem to care that the raindrops burst when they hit the ground, that they shatter when they fall to the floor, that people curse the days the drops dare to tap on their doors.

I am a raindrop.”

You see? I feel like I can just picture everything she’s writing, and it’s so mesmerizing.

I cannot wait to continue this trilogy and find out what happens to these characters. I want to know more about Juliette’s powers, Warner and Adam’s characters, the war that’s currently waging in their world. I would definitely urge you to read it if you love fantastical, X-Men-type-powers, wonderful characters and completely original writing.

Feature & Follow Friday #7

Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! If this is your first time here, welcome! You are about to make some new friends and gain new followers -- but you have to know -- the point of this hop is to follow other bloggers also. I follow you, you follow me, everyone wins.

The Feature & Follow is hosted by 2 beautiful people: Parajunkee and Alison @ Alison Can Read.

This Week's Question:

Help us give our Feature Interview Questions a fresh look! What questions do you think we should ask our weekly features? - Suggested by Alison

Answer:

Mm... I think the interview questions are really good but if you wanted to change it up a bit maybe you could ask:

If your blog could feature only books by only one author, who would it be?

What got you into reading in the first place?

What questions would you ask? Let me know in the comments!

Thursday Quotables 8: Shatter Me

Welcome to Thursday Quotables! This feature is the place where you highlight a great quote, line or passage you've discovered in a book you're currently reading. Whether it's something heart-warming, heart-breaking, funny or inspiring, Thursday Quotables is where my favourite line(s) of the week will be, and I invite you to join in! It's hosted by Lisa at BookShelf Fantasies, so be sure to check her out :)

The book I'm reading this week is Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi. It's the first in a trilogy about a girl with a mysterious power so that anyone she touches gets really hurt, and one man trying to exploit that and turn her into a monster. It's really interesting and I think the description is amazingly well written.

"Hope is hugging me, holding me in its arms, wiping away my tears and telling me that today and tomorrow and two days from now I will be just fine and I'm so delirious I just might believe it."

I love that this quote makes our hero question the possibility of hope even though she has never had any reason to.

"It's nearly impossible to beat gravity when no one is willing to give you a hand."

Does it ever feel like the entire world is crushing your soul and spirit and everyone is just there watching but not helping in the slightest?  

Have you read this book? What quotes grasped your heartstrings this week? Let me know in the comments below!

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J Maas

Book: Queen of Shadows, Sarah J. Mass

Series: Throne of Glass #4

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA

Release Date: September 1^st, 2015

The queen has returned.

Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she's at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past . . .

She has embraced her identity as Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen. But before she can reclaim her throne, she must fight.

She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die for her. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen's triumphant return.

The fourth volume in the New York Times bestselling series contrinues Celaena's epic journey and builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world.

Rating: 5 stars

Oh, where do I begin? After the epic roller coaster of feels Heir of Fire took us on, I opened this book fully expecting 656 pages of tears, pain, rage, angst, joy, romance. And of course, this being the Throne of Glass series, and Sarah J Maas, this is exactly what I got and so much more.

Celaena Aelin has finally accepted her past and her true role as Queen of Terrasen. Now she’s ready to defeat the evil tyrant King, win back her kingdom, and face her past as the book-loving, vicious, badass assassin we all love. Even though she’s left her assassin life behind, this hasn’t made her any less unwilling to kill anyone who gets her in her way and let everyone know she’s no pushover. She’s gone through so much character development in the last two books, it’s almost like we’re reading about a different character. And in a way, we are. Celaena Sardothien doesn’t exist anymore. Only a true Queen exists now, and I love how much she embraced her true title.  I also loved how much she remembered her past in this book; her love for Sam, as well as the ten years she spent as an assassin with Arobynn Hamel. She accepted this part of herself without regret or hate; that her love for Sam and the training with Arobynn all shaped Aelin into a warrior queen and what will make her a terrific ruler.

We also can’t forget the men who will stand by Aelin’s side no matter what.

 Her relationship with Chaol seemed to have suffered while she was away training, but the circumstances they face together really help their relationship and I think really improve it for the better. They’ve come to truly respect each other’s skills and how important each of them is to the overall cause. I loved his loyalty and dedication to Dorian, and seeing just how far he was willing to go to save him. They have a friendship one should strive for!

Dorian broke my heart in this book as he struggled for control against the evil inside him. He is going to be facing a lot of turmoil in the following book, but with Aelin and Chaol’s support, I think he can come out fighting on the other side and move past the pain he’s currently facing right now.

Aedion Ashryver is the incredibly loyal Demi Fae Warrior and cousin to Aelin. I knew their reunion was coming up in this book and it was everything I’d hoped for and more. They hadn’t seen each other for ten years and I loved his devotedness to her.

And we can’t forget Rowan, now can we? Our favourite Fae prince makes an amazing return in this book, and his relationship with Aelin was just brilliant. I said in my review for Heir of Fire that they were my favourite non-romantic couple of the series and they proved why with some of their scenes in this book. Between their consistent teasing of each other, inside jokes and seeing just how far they’ll go to protect each other, I loved them. They have quite a development in this book that at first I wasn’t sure about, but towards the end I absolutely loved.

Manon Blackbeak also makes a return as the cruel, vicious but ultimately kind witch and Wing Leader of her clan. While I wasn’t sure about her in Heir of Fire, I came to love her POV and how much she developed. While she thought blind obedience was all that mattered, she meets someone who teaches her about something even more important: hope.

Thankfully this book doesn’t end on a cliff-hanger, but that won’t make me any less desperate for the next book in this series! It was still utterly perfect, but this was a whirlwind journey of emotion that won’t be forgotten any time soon. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for these characters in the next one!

London Calling!

I've been away for the last few days, but it's not because I was avoiding any of you, don't worry! I've been in London since Tuesday, and only got back earlier today! I didn't have any internet over there either (which was agonising), so I haven't been able to reply to any comments, but I never forgot about y'all.

I enjoyed my time over there so much I thought I'd share it with all of you. Four days is not a lot of time to fit into London as it is a giant city, but I think me and my friend managed to fit in loads, considering. And London is SUCH a beautiful city! The buildings, the streets, the culture, the people! I can totally see myself living there in the future. 

THE WEST END: THE LION KING

The Lion King is already one of my favourite movies, and I'd already seen the New York Broadway show, but the one on the West End is just as spectacular. The songs were mesmerising, the costumes were awe inspiring and the actors were amazing. If you're ever in London in the future, I would HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend going to it!

MADAME TUSSAUDS

The famous wax museum was great! I got so many pictures of some of my favourite celebrities, and they were amazingly lifelike. Even Kim Kardashian had a "selfie" option which you could buy! Here I am with my bae, first crush, the forever Edward Cullen - Robert Pattinson! Don't I look like I totally belong beside him? If only he'd realise that!

BUCKINGHAM PALACE

You could go on a tour to all the state rooms in Buckingham Palace, You don't realise just how big the palace is and all the work that goes into maintaining it 24/7. Seems like a really stressful job. I also saw the changing of the guard even though it was completely crowded.  It's so beautiful though, with an amazing history.

HARRY POTTER

By far my favourite part of the trip was seeing the Making of Harry Potter Studio Tour. We got to see all the props and costumes that were used in the films, all the technology that made them all seem so magical, and even got a pic to look like I was riding a real broom as a witch! I bought a Hufflepuff cushion too (as that's my House) and I learned so much more about the franchise I adore. I'm going to watch the movies with new eyes, that's for sure.

Just pushing my trolley into Platform 9 and 3/4...

Diagon Alley!

Overall, my visit to London was definitely an adventure I'll never forget. I definitely plan on going back in the future. For now, I'll smile at the wonderful memories I made and impatiently wait for my letter to Hogwarts. 

Review: Simon VS The Homo Sapiens Agenda

Book: Simon Vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda, Becky Albertalli    

Series: N/A

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Release Date: April 7^th, 2015

Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon is actually being blackmailed: if he doesn’t play wingman for class clown Martin, his sexual identity will become everyone’s business. Worse, the privacy of Blue, the pen name of the boy he’s been emailing, will be compromised.

With some messy dynamics emerging in his once tight-knit group of friends, and his email correspondence with Blue growing more flirtatious every day, Simon’s junior year has suddenly gotten all kinds of complicated. Now, change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he’s pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he’s never met.

Rating: 5 stars

This book made me so freaking happy. Like, I can’t even put into words how disgustingly ecstatic I am. I saw this book reviewed on Erika’s blog and she loved it so I wanted to give it a go. And wow. Thank you so much Erika for reviewing this book and showing me how amazing it is. I immediately gave it to my friend to read because I had to show the world how great this book was. And now I have to tell all of you how awesome it is!

It tells the story of Simon. He’s a 16 year old gay student who writes emails to someone named Blue. Neither know who they are in real life, yet Simon finds himself able to talk to Blue about important parts of his life he can’t even tell his family or friends. However, when a classmate of Simon’s finds his email, he blackmails Simon into getting him closer to Simon’s friend or Simon’s secret will be revealed to the entire school. And it’s not just Simon who could be exposed, but Blue too.  

I don’t read many books with male protagonists, but I’m so glad I did with Simon. I absolutely adored him as a character. He was funny and still totally serious as he tried to figure out what to do. And he was irresistibly cute. His infatuation with Blue was so adorable and had me squealing at all hours of the night. But besides that, he was an amazing friend too. He had a lot of friends in this book, and I don’t think he realised how lucky he was to have such great friends who would stand by him no matter what. I don’t think he realised what a great family life he had, either. They were so supportive of him, spent time together playing stupid games and would just crack jokes at each other. There was no doubt that any sudden outbursts of sexuality would ever affect how the Spier family felt about each other.

There were many modern references thrown into this book, from Harry Potter, to Tumblr, to Queen and Michael Jackson. I loved recognising the different references thrown in and felt it made the book a lot more relatable.

Simon and Blue’s relationship was amazing. We could see their emails every second chapter and I honestly couldn’t get enough. They’d both try and drop clues as to who the other person was, and seeing Simon try (and fail) to guess who Blue was had me racking my brains as well! And you still wouldn’t know until Blue decided to reveal himself. And when he did, my God, I think I just about spontaneously combusted. It couldn’t have been more perfect.

This book covers many important issues regarding sexuality, coming out, as well as bullying in school. These are all serious themes, some even quite controversial, but the author did an amazing job at not sounding preachy to the reader. It just sounded like a teenager wondering to the world why the hell there’s a “default” race, sex or way of life. It also covers people’s reactions to coming out, which I believe was handled excellently as well. I’m sure anyone would fear their friends or family not accepting them for who they are if they come out, or worse, treating them differently. We get some great examples of this when Simon reveals to his friends that he’s gay, and how they all have diverse reactions to it.

This book gave me a smile on my face from beginning to end. But it also had me crying my eyes out and getting completely irrationally angry as well. I think I had to scream into my pillow at one point.

It’s definitely become one of my top favourite contemporary reads of 2015. I urge everyone to read it if they see it at a library or book shop, because it’s well worth the read. Thanks again Erika for introducing me to this book!

Feature & Follow Friday #6

Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! If this is your first time here, welcome! You are about to make some new friends and gain new followers -- but you have to know -- the point of this hop is to follow other bloggers also. I follow you, you follow me, everyone wins.

The Feature & Follow is hosted by 2 beautiful people: Parajunkee and Alison @ Alison Can Read.

This Week's Question:

Name a movie you would have loved to read as a book (That is not a book already obviously) - Suggested by

Go Book Yourself

Answer:

Ooh this is a hard one! I've noticed a lot of people picked Titanic, and I have to agree, I think Jack and Rose would be an awesome couple and totally be my OTP! Other movies I think would be good as books are Dirty Dancing and Pretty Woman.

What about you? Let me know in the comments.

Thursday Quotables #7: Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

Welcome to Thursday Quotables! This feature is the place where you highlight a great quote, line or passage you've discovered in a book you're currently reading. Whether it's something heart-warming, heart-breaking, funny or inspiring, Thursday Quotables is where my favourite line(s) of the week will be, and I invite you to join in! It's hosted by Lisa at BookShelf Fantasies, so be sure to check her out :)

The book I'm reading this week is Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli. It's an amazing stand-alone contemporary read by a first-time author. It tells the story of Simon, who is gay, and an adorable online romance with a boy called Blue whom he emails constantly. This book has me smiling constantly, I love it. 

"Why is straight the default? Everyone should have to declare one way or another, and it shouldn't be this big awkward thing whether you're straight, gay, bi, or whatever. I'm just saying."

"White shouldn't be the default any more than straight should be the default. There shouldn't even be a default."

I love these quotes, because of the amount of truth in it. Whenever I see something in the paper that says "first gay man to do blank" or "first woman to do blank" or "first black man to do blank", I always wonder why is their sex or race or sexual orientation a factor here? There's never a "first white man to do blank", it's always just "man". This book has really opened my eyes to the prejudice gay people get, and how terrifying it can be to come out to someone. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who hasn't read it, it's amazing!

Have you read this book? What quotes grasped your heartstrings this week? Let me know in the comments below!

Book: Flipping The Scales, Pete Tarsi

Series: Flipping The Scales #1

Publisher: e-reader

Release Date: November 13^th, 2014

Rating: 4 stars

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

This book is beyond adorable. It’s a very enjoyable tail (haha!) about a human and a mermaid that switch places. I loved Tarsi’s twist on the mermaid myth, and how he made it completely his own.

 Mermaids are able to come to land for one day during the full moon. When two mers, Lorelei and Marina, come on land one month, disaster strikes when Marina’s tail goes missing. Enter Meredith, a studious seventeen-year-old human who accidentally stumbles across Marina’s tail and is unconsciously driven to put the tail on and go into the water.

Marina and Meredith are literally fish out of water as they try to adapt to their new habitats while their friends try and figure out a way to get the girls back to their normal states. All the characters in this book are wonderfully unique, different and likable.

The mermaid world that Tarsi creates is brilliantly done, and is never too far-fetched or unrealistic. Meredith and Marina learn new things because of their experiences, and the importance of friends and family. Meredith, who was always a very studious girl, learns to be more self-confident and not take life so seriously, while Marina, who was averse to being on land, learns the value of having new experiences and that it’s sometimes worth taking a risk.

Tarsi split the book 50-50 from Marina being on land with Meredith’s friends Jill and Hailey, and Meredith being in the sea with Lorelei. I loved the world Tarsi created the under the sea, and loved how Tarsi overemphasised the simplicity of everyday life. Driving and even kissing is something we take for granted, but is all a brand new experience for Marina.

Even though this book is a young adult novel, its language would speak to a younger audience, perhaps 12 onwards. But it’s still enjoyable enough for me, at 21, to appreciate. I’d love to pick up the sequel and see Tarsi expand this world of the mermaids and see what else he can create. 

The Sunshine Bloggers Award

I was nominated by 2 beautiful bloggers for this award: Carrie from A Book Goddess and Caroline from Just Another Bookish Blog. Be sure to check them out, they have amazing blogs!

"The idea of the Sunshine Award is that you nominate bloggers who put a little sunshine in your day, who are positive, creative and inspiring."

Rules:

• Answer 11 Questions provided for you.
• Nominate other bloggers and ask them 11 questions.

Not too hard! Let's go :)

Carrie's Questions:

What book are you most looking forward to in 2016?

Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard, the sequel to Red Queen. I'm re-reading that book in preparation for the sequel, I'm so excited!

What's your favourite TV show of all time?

Ooh, that's a hard one. I have a load of favourite TV shows. My favourites are Once Upon A Time, Grey's Anatomy, Vampire Diaries and Supernatural.

Ultimate OTP?

Easy. Adrian and Sydney and Katy and Daemon. Those two are my go-to couples for fangirling and squealing. 

What is your favourite indie book?

I don't really read indie books so I don't have a favourite here...

What is your favourite book genre? Why?

I love fantasy romance as I love reading stories set in fantastical worlds with magic powers that you would never find in real life. Plus romance is a must :P

Which supernatural creature is your favourite?

I'm willing to read about many different supernatural creatures but I guess if I had to choose I'd pick vampires as they're what introduced me to supernatural.

What do you do in your spare time?

I love just relaxing with my friends or going shopping. I don't really have hobbies if you were expecting me to play music or something, haha!

Winter or Autumn?

Winter! Best excuse to cuddle in front of the fire with tea and a new book :D

In a Zombie Apocalypse what would be your game plan? Do you think you'd live long?

Honestly? Probably not very long. I'd just run away screaming trying to prevent those zombies from eating my books. I'd sacrifice myself for them!

How old were you when you discovered your favourite author?

I was about 10 when I found Jacqueline Wilson, my first love.

What snacks do you like?

Nutella on toast with banana. Yum!

Caroline's Questions:

Contemporary or Fantasy books?

I love both, but I think I'd choose fantasy as I love the magical air to them. Noting in fantasy would ever happen in real life.

How did you come up with your theme on your blog?

I was researching loads of blogs coming up with ideas, and I saw one had loads of books as the background and I really liked that idea. The rest had no theme, I just liked the colour and font, haha.

Which type of subscribers do you prefer?

I don't have a favourite, it's whatever is easiest for the person following. People with Wordpress can't follow via google so they could use Bloglovin'.

What was your favourite book this year?

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard. Completely blown away!

Favourite snack to eat/drink while reading/blogging?

Tea! I'm unashamedly Irish with my love for tea, haha.

Do you do any sports?

NOPE.

What's your favourite stand-alone book?

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine. One of my favourite retellings of Cinderella.

What's your favourite childhood fairytale?

Cinderella. I've loved the idea that "a pair of shoes can change your life", and believing in your dreams. Disney's Cinderella is one of my favourite movies.

What band/singer would you love to see live?

My dream came true when I saw Taylor Swift live in June! Best day ever. 

Do you have a lucky number?

I like 7 because I won an Easter Egg when I was little by guessing the correct number in school, lol.

What kinds of non-fiction books draw your attention?

I don't really read non-fiction, so I can't answer this really.

My Questions:

What's your favourite genre?

When did you first start reading?

Where's your favourite place to read?

What's your favourite fairytale retelling?

What's your favourite book-to-movie adaptation?

What's your favourite book quote?

Paperback or ebook/kindle?

How much have you paid for a book?

Do you listen to music while you read?

Have you or would you read graphic novels?

Would you buy a book simply because it had a pretty cover?

I'm going to nominate these people in response:

Cari @ My Addiction: Books

Miranda @ Miranda's Book Blog

And anyone else who wants to do it!