If I Stay by Gayle Forman.

Sometimes you make choices in your life and sometimes choices make you.

Summary:

Life can change in an instant.

A cold February morning...
A snowy road...
And suddenly all of Mia's choices are gone.

Except one.

As alone as she'll ever be, Mia must make the most difficult choice of all.

One of the most beautiful and heartbreaking stories I've ever read.

From the very first page this book wrapped me into its world and wouldn't let me leave until it was over, despite the emotions, the pain, the tears. I read this book from beggining to end in what felt like mere seconds and yet I savoured every minute of it.

I connected with all of the characters from the first words they said and my lord, did it kill me. It's such a sad story, yet it's still beautiful and shows how you should never give up, that there's always going to be someone out there to help you, to care about you.

This is honestly one of the best books I've read in a long, long time and I can't believe it's taking me so long to read it. Since The Fault in our Stars I decided that I would begin to branch out and read genres that I usually wouldn't, and I've gone on to read historical fiction, romance, horror and, of course, have fallen in love with contemporary. 

Each tale is so realistic that it no longer feels like a story, it feels like it's real life, as if it's happening right in front of you and I feel that this book is a perfect representation of that.

I could write pages and pages about how good this book is, but all I really need to say is read it. You'll feel what I felt when I read this and you'll just know.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

5/5 stars

Evershade by Alexia Purdy.

Summary:

Ever Shade A dark twist on faeries. For Shade, a chance meeting with a powerful Teleen faery warrior who wields electrical currents and blue fires along his skin, has her joining him on a treacherous mission for the good Seelie Faerie Court across the land of Faerie. Magic and malice abound and nothing is what it really seems to be. The evil Unseelie Queen and her treacherous allies are around every corner as Shade makes her way across the breathtaking landscapes of the world of Faerie, which exists alongside the mundane human world. Shade discovers her own uncharted magic and meets some of the most powerful warriors in Faerie while battling evil dryads, conniving Teleen guards and challenges on her life with every step in a world where nothing can be taken for granted. 

I'm going to approach this particular review I'm going to use a bad news - good news structure because in my personal opinion, although it wasn't a train reck and I didn't absolutely hate it, I feel that this book still needs a lot of work.

Regarding the writing, it's got an alright style but it has no wow factor. It doesn't make me think 'this is a book to lose sleep over'. To me it feels a bit clumsy and wooden and, in a sense, inexperienced. I guess the best way to put it is that it feels like a first draft. Which, actually isn't a bad thing, because issues like this can be fixed with some editing and going back over the book to give it a little bit of TLC. Despite that it's a good first draft. Unfortunately there's a difference between a good draft and a good novel.

Also, the character development is seriously lacking throughout the book. I feel like the characters don't at all feel like real people. They seem a bit like bad actors performing a new TV series that they pull the plug on after one season. The reactions given by the characters also were unrealistic and as a reader I felt a bit confused as to where they are at. At the beggining of the novel Shade has no disbelief for the fact that a strange man who has broken into an abandoned warehouse was shooting lightning out of his fingers and a women just simply upped and flew away; she holds no fear, no shock and all that is well and good but then within a few pages we see her change from this nonchalant reaction to disbelieving that faeries exist and acting shocked at the revelation when she'd just seen, first hand, a man turn into lightning and wasn't even that bothered by it. 

These things I felt made it hard to read.

But, despite this, I feel that the premise has promise and that the plot isn't actually that bad. Although the book didn't inspire me, it was entertaining and I felt that if it was just tweeked slightly here and there and built upon the foundation that the author has already built, it has the potential to become a great novel and one that I could enjoy beggining to end.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

3/5 stars.

Charming by Krystal Wade.

They say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, and that's great . . . as long as you don't die. 

Summary:

Sixteen-year-old Haley Tremaine had it all: top-notch school, fantastic family, and a bright future, but all of that changed when an accident tore her family apart. Now, an alcoholic father, a bitter younger sister, and a cold headstone bearing her mother’s name are all she has left.

Chris Charming has it all: a powerful CEO for a father, a prestigious school, and a fortune at his fingertips, but none of that matters when he lands a reputation as a troublemaker. Struggling to follow in his father’s footsteps, he reaches out to the one person he believes truly sees him, the one person he wants: Haley.

Little do they know someone's determined to bring the two together, even if it means murder.

So, as you've probably noticed from the lack of reviews lately, I've been in a slight reading slump. Which really, really sucked. It was really a result of lack of time due to college and the fact that I just couldn't get into the stories I read.

But Charming, well, Charming brought me out of that slump and now all I want to do is read and read and read until I can read no more.

This book is a really emotional book, from the very beggining it makes you feel. And cry...just a little...okay a lot. I could never imagine having to go through the things the main character, Haley, has to go through and it honestly pains me to see such a strong, kind girl who deserves the very best of life to have to suffer through things that no living thing on this earth should ever have to go through. It really does make you wonder about your own life and really made, me at least, thankful for the life I've been given. These are real problems that are out there and it really breaks my heart that this horror is actually someone's reality. And that's what makes you connect with the book on a personal level. It's all real, even though it's not. It feels real, the characters are perfectly constructed and deeply developed. What I guess I'm trying to say is that this books character development is a masterpiece.

I just cannot fault Charming. I was craving a horror and a horror I did get and I sped through this book until I reached the very end, which, I'd just like to add, was absolutely perfect. I fell in love with all the characters...well, except for a couple, but that's a given! Antagonists are just not made to be liked!

Overall I'd just like to say I absolutely loved this book, this masterpiece, this brilliant piece of writing. And can we have a moment to praise Chris freaking Charming. Yes please.

A definite five out of five stars.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Everneath by Brodi Ashton.

Ever yours.

Summary:

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath. Now she’s returned—to her old life, her family, her boyfriend—before she’s banished back to the underworld . . . this time forever. She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can’t find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these precious months forgetting the Everneath and trying to reconnect with her boyfriend, Jack, the person most devastated by her disappearance—and the one person she loves more than anything. But there’s just one problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who enticed her to the Everneath in the first place, has followed Nikki home. Cole wants to take over the throne in the underworld and is convinced Nikki is the key to making it happen. And he’ll do whatever it takes to bring her back, this time as his queen.

As Nikki’s time on the Surface draws to a close and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she is forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole’s queen.

Wow.

I think I need a minute after this one...or a century...more like a century.

What a book!

This novel really gripped me from the first page, I really wanted...no, needed to understand what was going on. The structure of this novel truly was brilliant and made us as the reader have to anticipate, drawing from the tension of digression to always keep you on edge.

I loved every second of this book.

Over the past year I've been trying to branch out and try new and different genres of books that I honestly never thought I'd enjoy, and I have been loving it, but I didn't realise how much I missed a good dark romance. It's like this genre is my home. I love it.

I also loved the characters in this book and the way the author creates mixed feelings for each and every one. And the concept was absolutely fantastic; so well thought out and carefully pieced together like a puzzle.

And can I just say that I absolutely adore the cover! I'm a confessed cover buyer and this beauty is what drawed me in. It's absolutely gorgeous.

And I have to say I truly didn't expect that ending. Not at all.

Oh my, I need the next book.

Right now.

I need it.

I had no hesitation giving this book a big five stars. Five stars that it deserves.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Love Of The Undefined by Amelia Carter.

'I gave her a look that could have caramelised a creme brûlée'

Summary:

Louise is an average 16 year old girl. Well, almost. She eats a lot, sleeps a lot and has sarcasm listed as her second language. She is also a lover of chicken kievs, but that's beside the point. There's just one thing that set's her apart from others. Issues. Lots and lots of issues. Oh, and a stalker who claims he's going to teach her how to love herself. Sweet sixteen, huh? Where did that phrase ever come from.

Yes everyone, that is me up there along next to the title of my new book, Love of the Undefined.

I poured my heart and soul into this book, so you can image my dissapoint meant when publisher after publisher declined my submission. It even got to the point where I'd submitted to the last publisher in the UK that accepted unsolicited manuscripts, who also declined aswell.

I was about to give up, but my friends and family persuaded me not to let it get me down, so I didn't.

I self published!

Again...

But, this time I decided to set the price as....drum roll please....free!!

I was never in it for the money, I just want people to read my work, the feeling I get every time someone enjoys my book is indescribable. It's only currently available as an Ebook but if it does well I'll be releasing it also as a paperback!

I was absolutely amazed when in under 24 hours I'd reached 50 sales and already had reviews coming in of 5 stars. 50 might not seem a lot, but when you've been self published and find yourself lucky to get one sale a day, 50 is, well, a lot!

And today (under three days after publication) I surpassed the next mile stone of 100 sales.

If you do decide to read my book, be sure to let me know what you thought and don't forget to add it to your goodreads!!!

Love of the Undefined: http://www.lulu.com/shop/amelia-carter/love-of-the-undefined/ebook/product-21991596.html

May the odds ever be in your favour.

The Scorch Trials by James Dashner.

                                                               Phase Two.

                                                              The Scorch Trials.

                                                              There are no rules.

                                                              There are no guidelines.

                                                              Make it or die.

Summary:

Solving the Maze was supposed to be the end. No more puzzles. No more variables. And no more running. Thomas was sure that escape meant he and the Gladers would get their lives back. But no one really knew what sort of life they were going back to.

In the Maze, life was easy. They had food, and shelter, and safety... until Teresa triggered the end. In the world outside the Maze, however, the end was triggered long ago.

Burned by sun flares and baked by a new, brutal climate, the earth is a wasteland. Government has disintegrated—and with it, order—and now Cranks, people covered in festering wounds and driven to murderous insanity by the infectious disease known as the Flare, roam the crumbling cities hunting for their next victim... and meal.

The Gladers are far from finished with running. Instead of freedom, they find themselves faced with another trial. They must cross the Scorch, the most burned-out section of the world, and arrive at a safe haven in two weeks. And WICKED has made sure to adjust the variables and stack the odds against them.

Thomas can only wonder—does he hold the secret of freedom somewhere in his mind? Or will he forever be at the mercy of WICKED?

No, I am still not, nor will I ever be over the feels of this book.

What even was that?

I can't quite tell whether that ending was pure genious or pure torture.

So, as you will know from my previous review of The Maze Runner, the first book in this series (you can check that out here if you're interested:  ) this series was off to a great start. Botth baffled and amazed by the first books pure genious I thought that it couldn't get any better - boy was I proven wrong.

This book was both fast paced and kept me hooked from page one. The whole way through it I always found myself admiring it's cleverness and the outstandingly creative way that everything fits together like a puzzle.

I thought that it couldnt get any worse for the gladers - that at least things would make a little bit more sense, but instead they were thrown into even more chaos and confusion than The Maze! Not to mention that this book left even ME more confused than the last.

Strangely, that feel of unknowing makes me love the book even more, makes my brain attempt to grasp at loose straws to try and figure it all out.

I just can't name one fault in this book; beautifully written with a killer of a story.

5 stars all the way.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My Top Ten Books of 2014.

  

So, I'd like to start off this post by saying happy new year! I would also like to appologise for my recent lack of posting - I haven't been lazy, I promise, I've just been in a major reading (and writing) slump, that I have only just recently come out of.

I promise that I will begin posting again soon as I have just started up a new fashion and beauty blog called Mangled Beauty with my best friend in which a schedule was forced upon me and effectively gave me a kick up the bum, so I hope to put the skills I have learnt to good use on here.

[ just a side note, if you would like to see our new blog the link is here:

www.mangledbeautyy.blogspot.co.uk ]

Anyway, what better to get my blog reactive than a new year! Hope this ones a good one and here below is a list (in no particular order) of my top ten books of 2014 along with reasons why they are awesome. Enjoy.

1. The Programme.

This book has made its way into one of my favourites. Fast paced with a dystopian world which is surprisingly, and scarily plausible, its mixture of action and suspense makes for a truly awesome read. I am proud to be a fan of this book and can't wait to buy the sequel when I next find myself with money.

[ link to my review of this book: http://dontberuderead.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/the-program-by-suzanne-young.html ]

2. The Maze Runner.

I steered away from this book for too long, taking it from stereotypical face value and thinking that it would be a book for young boys that I myself wouldn't enjoy. Boy was I wrong. I'm so glad I decided to have a peak at the trailer for the movie (which showed me how incredibly awesome it was) because that was what drove me to run to the shops to buy the book. Such an interesting concept and I loved the character development also.

[ link to my review of this book: http://dontberuderead.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/the-maze-runner-by-james-dashner.html ]

3. Breathe.

This was a recent read for me (meaning I finished it last night) and this is the book that brought me from my reading slump. Hallelujah. I honestly sped through this book, readng it in a day and a half. If I had to describe my first thoughts of the beggining of the book it would be major love triangle! Actually maybe square would be a better term. Anyway, that wasn't all there was to this book, this held complexity on so many levels and I loved the way how everything was intricately and cleverly put together. An outstanding book that you should all read.

4. Gone.

Another book I stupidly avoided so long and ended up kicking myself when I realised what I had been missing. This book kept me hooked from start to finish and had me questioning why? at every corner. I just had to know what was going on, anbd as you can imagine, this landed me with more than a few sleepless nights (woopsie). I can't wait to read the rest of this series in 2015.

5. The Moment Collector.

I'm not usually one for mystery books, or sad books for that matter and although this one held both, I still found myself falling in love. This book is what I like to call 'imperfectly perfect'. The characters aren't perfect, you don't find yourself always agreeing with them, or always loving them the whole way through, even if they aren't villians. But, even so, this book still finds a way to riggle into your heart, even if you have to give a few days...weeks...months, to get over. Nope, I'm still not over it.

[ link to my review of this book: http://dontberuderead.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/the-moment-collector-by-jodi-lynn_25.html ]

6. Slated.

This book kept popping up in all of my feeds with high reccomendations everywhere, and when I saw the gorgeous cover (I have a thing about eyes) I just knew that I had to buy it. I still remember reading this vividly because I had to stay at my aunties for a few days as my parents went away (and took my dog with them...believe me, it was torture) and Slated was my book of choice. I sped through this book in 2-3 days (trust me, when you have college, a few days IS speeding through a book) and I loved every second of it. I was totally hooked on this one and I'm sure you'll be too!

7. Don't Let Go.

Another romance, I know! What was with me this year! Anyway, this is a real heart warmer and I was just in the mood for a really contemporary romance that wasn't for teens. I absolutely loved this book and although I was worried that perhaps I was too young an audience for this book, I was very quickly proven wrong. A truly lovely romance that coulkd most definitely make a grown man cry.

[link to my review of this book: http://dontberuderead.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/don-let-go-by-sharla-lovelace.html ]

8. The Revealed.

I absolutely loved this book. Again a completely different concept (it never ceases to amaze me how so many stories are out there, all different from one another) that is so cleverly put together to keep you on you're toes. This book actually proved to be very different from my initial thoughts and manages to change course drastically part way through which was a thrill. This one is definitely one to put on your wishlist.

[ link to my review of this book: http://dontberuderead.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/the-revealed-by-jessica-hickam.html ]

9. The Fault In Our Stars.

Yes, I have to admit, at first I did avoid this book due to the massive hype surrounding it. I was also pretty touchy about the subject of cancer so, for too long a time, I acted like it was the plague turned paperback. But, finally, I gave in and decided to give it a read after I got so many reccomendations from too many people. I love it. It's an absolutely beautiful book and although it made me cry I will cherish it forever. This is one to stay in your heart.

10. Divergent.

Divergent was another that took me a while to give in to. Sometimes I just have too much pride for my own good. But, I'm glad that I did, these books, though evil, have such a great plot line that I can almost forgive what Veronica Roth did. Almost, but no cigar. And no, I don't care that some people think that dystopians are 'getting old'. A dystopian is like Peter Pan, it NEVER grows old. I will always love dystopians and what you say about that is irrelevent because I am divergent and I cannot be controlled.

I hope you all enjoyed hearing about my top ten books of 2014 and I'm sure you all have a fantastic year ahead of you!

*Salutes four fingers into the air*

May the odds ever be in your favour.