Month: Apr 2020

University is everything for Phoebe. Its the fresh start she wants and she plans on making it the best experience possible, even more so when the only person she is going to know at her university is her school crush Luke. The book throws you into the world of university life – will Phoebe and Luke survive the year?

This is a book that I’ve had on my to read pile for such a long time now and lockdown means that I can actually sit down and guilt free read so I’ve finally read Freshers! I’ve been to university so I was excited to read a young adult novel set in this environment. I don’t know what I was expecting from this book but I’m so sad that I didn’t like this book as much as I thought I would. Yes, I read it and enjoyed it but I just didn’t love it.

For me I just didn’t like the story. Luke’s wanting to be accepted and going along with some truly awful things made my skin crawl when reading. It wasn’t just Luke, 90% of the men in this book are truly horrible. I completely understand that he’s just started at university and wanted to make friends but it still didn’t sit well with me. Reading about the kind of things that happen in this book would’ve completely put me off going to university!

Although I didn’t particularly gel with either Luke or Phoebe, I at least saw character growth in Phoebe. She learns not to judge a book by its cover in the form of a classmate and I truly admired her confidently making a decision towards the end of the book. However, I just didn’t care about her enough. Luke on the other hand, I felt zero growth. He was dwelling on the past, desperately wanted to fit in, used people and to be honest I don’t think he felt too much remorse over his actions. He was a tool from the word go and I wished Phoebe could’ve seen past her school crush.

On the other hand some of the book captures some parts of life as a university fresher well and I enjoyed the descriptions and that characters constant putting the kettle on when someone comes around. I liked that the book was set in York, a city I have frequently visited so I could completely picture the story in a real life setting. I did find some parts quite funny and I did like the way in which the book was wrote but personally the story / characters just weren’t for me.

If you want to read a book about a university fresher’s life then give this book a go. I know so many people who love this book so its definitely worth a go but sadly I just didn’t enjoy it as much as I expected to.

Synopsis – 

Uni beckons. Phoebe can’t wait to be a fresher – especially since her crush from school will be there too. She’ll be totally different at Uni; cooler, prettier, smarter…the perfect potential girlfriend. She’ll reinvent herself completely. But Luke’s oblivious, still reeling from the fallout of the break-up with her ex. Thrown head first into a world of new friends, parties and social media disasters – can Phoebe and Luke survive the year, let alone find each other?

 

Eve is the first girl to be born in fifty years. For the last sixteen years Eve was kept as a prisoner, her life being watched by the world as being the only female born for so many years makes her special. Eve has spent her entire life being told what to do and her life has been mapped out for her since before she was born but now she’s taking her life back and changing her fate as she escapes from her prison. Life on the outside isn’t as rosy as she imagined and Eve discovers that she is in more danger than she can imagine.

I have been waiting for this book since the second I finished book one in the series, Eve Of Man. I had such high expectations for this book and boy was I not disappointed. This book was everything I expected from the second book in the series. From the second it landed at my house in the post I excitedly started reading it and its been such a long time that I sat down and read a book in one go because I just couldn’t put it down. I feel like that sums up just how good this book is.

The story picks off exactly where Eve Of Man ended so I feel like in this case you’d be much better off reading book one before The Eve Illusion, it has too much of a back story that’s important to know and the more you know adds to your enjoyment of the story. This book was the perfect addition to the story, Eve has escaped and you follow her dilemmas about her next step in her life. Eve may have escaped but she doesn’t feel overly happen with the new situation that she’s in, its interesting to see read her thought processes as well as those around her who have lived years thinking Eve is a saviour.

The story is told from three points of view, Eve, Bram and Michael. I’m normally not a real fan of book told from multiple perspectives, I find I’m usually not invested enough in one of the perspectives to care when it switches. However, not once during read this book did I long for the perspective to switch back to another character’s. I was equally invested in each person’s story so when the chapter switches came I actually loved it in this book. Each of the different points of view adds something to the story and I felt like its one of the few stories which really benefitted from being told like this.

If you loved Eve Of Man you will absolutely love The Eve Illusion. The 2nd book in the series did not disappoint in the series, the only problem is the ending!! I read the last chapter in shock wishing that the book hadn’t ended! I really love this series of books so all that’s left now is to patiently wait for the final book in the series…

Synopsis –

Eve is the last girl on earth.

For the last sixteen years, Eve has been a prisoner. Guarded by the Mothers. Trapped by her fate. Watched by the world.

Until she took her chance, and escaped.

Eve finally has the freedom she has wanted for so long, and with Bram she has the love. But both come at a price. In this dangerous new world beyond the Tower, the regime are only ever one step behind. And together with the desperate rebel group fighting against them, Eve has found herself in more danger than she ever could have imagined.

With everything stacked against them, can Eve and Bram survive?

Merry has always felt somewhat of an outsider, she’s different to her family and friends because she’s a witch and she can’t tell anyone, top that off with the fact that she choses not to practice magic and her family is constantly feuding. Then fate plays a hand which leads her to meet Jack who she instantly falls for. The only problem? He’s centuries years old and has been bound by a curse. Can Merry break the curse and live happily ever after?

This was a book that I whim bought in one of my big Kindle book shopping sprees. I have mixed opinions on this book if I’m honest. On the one hand I actually found it quite an enjoyable read, it was a real world setting with fantasy elements effortlessly woven in and I loved that. However, the book was advertised as more of a fantasy romance novel and I personally didn’t feel like this much had much of a romance at all.

The relationship portrayed between Jack and Merry was an insta-love kind of romance. They had no reason to fall for each other as quickly as they did but the relationship never really progressed pass them talking about what he can remember in the years since he was curse, the odd kiss and Merry dreaming about him. I love a good romance in a novel but for me this book really didn’t need it and would’ve worked just as well without it.

Merry is a young character so she does make mistakes throughout the book. At times maybe she comes across slightly annoying but overall I liked following her story. She’s clearly struggling to accept that she’s a witch and I personally enjoyed the chapters where she is trying to learn magic, I felt it was good to have a lead character who doesn’t alway success the first or even second time. It made her more real. Her brother Leo, is a delight to read about. He puts his family as a priority and will drop anything to help, I would like to read more books set in this story’s world but based around Leo – he’s the real saviour for this book. Jack I didn’t really have an opinion on, he’s a character that I loved reading his backstory but present day him didn’t have the same love. To be fair though he had just woken up from a centuries old curse so it’s wonder his character is like he is!

The storyline itself was fairly minimal. Many chapters were spent with Merry just hanging around waiting for something to happen. I actually didn’t mind that as it meant you got more of a backstory from Jack. Normally I find things that have a somewhat repetitive story line quite an effort to read but this absolutely wasn’t the case with The Witch’s Kiss, it just seemed to work well in this book. The story also has somewhat of a Sleeping Beauty plot line and you could definitely see elements of that throughout but at the same time the story felt unique to a fairytale story. I did enjoy how the history was woven into this story and the flashbacks of how Jack became the person he is today.

Overall I enjoyed this book. It was an easy read and I really did enjoy reading it. Yes, I felt some things could’ve been improved but if you’re looking for a young adult fantasy novel that’s set in this world then I would 100% recommend this book.

Synopsis –

Sixteen year-old Meredith is fed-up with her feuding family and feeling invisible at school – not to mention the witch magic that shoots out of her fingernails when she’s stressed. Then sweet, sensitive Jack comes into her life and she falls for him hard. The only problem is that he is periodically possessed by a destructive centuries-old curse. Meredith has lost her heart, but will she also lose her life? Or in true fairytale tradition, can true love’s kiss save the day?