Mini Critique | The Love that Split the World by Emily Henry (Spoiler-Free)

I decided to try a new format with this review; instead of writing out full paragraphs, I wanted to keep my thoughts concise (hopefully) and write everything out in a bullet points. I think it worked out nicely. Let me know what you think! *cringes and hopes it goes well*

3.5 Teacups

Synopsis:

Natalie’s last summer in her small Kentucky hometown is off to a magical start… until she starts seeing the “wrong things.” They’re just momentary glimpses at first—her front door is red instead of its usual green, there’s a pre-school where the garden store should be. But then her whole town disappears for hours, fading away into rolling hills and grazing buffalo, and Nat knows something isn’t right.

That’s when she gets a visit from the kind but mysterious apparition she calls “Grandmother,” who tells her: “You have three months to save him.” The next night, under the stadium lights of the high school football field, she meets a beautiful boy named Beau, and it’s as if time just stops and nothing exists. Nothing, except Natalie and Beau.

Critique | A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab (Spoiler-Free)

3 Teacups

Goodreads Synopsis:

Kell is one of the last Travelers—rare magicians who choose a parallel universe to visit.

Grey London is dirty, boring, lacks magic, ruled by mad King George. Red London is where life and magic are revered, and the Maresh Dynasty presides over a flourishing empire. White London is ruled by whoever has murdered their way to the throne. People fight to control magic, and the magic fights back, draining the city to its very bones. Once there was Black London—but no one speaks of that now.

Officially, Kell is the Red Traveler, personal ambassador and adopted Prince of Red London, carrying the monthly correspondences between royals of each London. Unofficially, Kell smuggles for those willing to pay for even a glimpse of a world they’ll never see. This dangerous hobby sets him up for accidental treason. Fleeing into Grey London, Kell runs afoul of Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She robs him, saves him from a dangerous enemy, then forces him to another world for her ‘proper adventure’.

But perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, Kell and Lila will first need to stay alive—trickier than they hoped.

Critique | Firstlife by Gene Showalter

3.5 Teacups

Goodreads Synopsis:

Tenley “Ten” Lockwood is an average seventeen-year-old girl…who has spent the past thirteen months locked inside the Prynne Asylum. The reason? Not her obsession with numbers, but her refusal to let her parents choose where she’ll live—after she dies.

There is an eternal truth most of the world has come to accept: Firstlife is merely a dress rehearsal, and real life begins after death.

In the Everlife, two realms are in power: Troika and Myriad, longtime enemies and deadly rivals. Both will do anything to recruit Ten, including sending their top Laborers to lure her to their side. Soon, Ten finds herself on the run, caught in a wild tug-of-war between the two realms who will do anything to win the right to her soul. Who can she trust? And what if the realm she’s drawn to isn’t home to the boy she’s falling for? She just has to stay alive long enough to make a decision…

Series Sunday | Critique| Dead of Night

3 Teacups

**I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

I really loved the idea of this this book with love being outlawed as well as other beliefs. Or any beliefs for that matter. The pacing of this novel is very fast paced, almost too much so because I felt like things started happening all of a sudden and/or I missed some piece of information. The book starts with Aecker saving Opel from an attacker and her waking up with no memories of…well, anything. However, instead of showing signs of PTSD or trauma, she instantly falls victim to his good looks and warm smile because she “feels like she knows him.” The insta-love trope did not work for me here and I have no idea where it came from. One minute, she’s waking up with no memories, the next, it is a few weeks later, they’ve grown closer, and they feel empty without the other present.

The book continues like this, fast-paced with a lot of disconnect and sudden changes. While I like what happened, I needed more information guiding me through each change. **kind of spoiler alert** Opel wakes up and suddenly has her memories back. Could not tell you when, how, or why this happened. Suddenly she’s all like, ‘with my memories back, I can help!’ That’s great Opel, but when did that happen? I was left wanting a lot with this as the plot progressed and created more questions, but left a lot of them unanswered. The ending, while I get was supposed to be a cliffhanger, felt random. (Again with the sudden change of events.) Nothing leading to that point made any sense.

I wish that we would’ve been given more explanations of what “flaws” were outlawed. The only two I picked up on were love and faith. Other things aren’t explained until the last few chapters of the book, so I spent most of it wondering what on earth they were talking about. They were just these mysterious events that left the lands in ruins, basically.

Plot holes aside, I did enjoy the characters. Once Opel finally regained her memories, she seemed to gain personality as well. Her scenes with Noah were hilarious, especially when she hones in on her “observation” abilities and shares her findings with him. lol She’s an absolute badass! Girl can definitely hold her own. Aecker was great as well, his love for reading pulled at the heartstrings, and his devotion to Opel is endearing. I don’t know how he endures half of what he does, but it doesn’t seem to phase him. He just keeps fighting for love.

Would I recommend this book? Maybe, but I feel like there are some holes that need to be filled. It’s a little on the shorter side, so I feel like if it were a tad bit longer, the author could take the time to flesh out her ideas and give the readers a little time to catch their breath and grasp onto everything going on.

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Critique | Unwind by Neal Shusterman

Dates Read: October 21st, 2015 – October 23rd, 2015

4 Teacups

Source: Simon & Schuster Canada

I really enjoyed this book and the whole concept of parents having their “troubled kids”unwound. Would I ever wish it on someone or do it to my own child? No, but it was an interesting idea that Neal Shusterman dealt with nicely.

I liked the idea of not knowing what happens when you’re unwound and the air of mystery surrounding it as a result. I thought the chapter where we read Roland’s unwinding was going to be satisfying, but instead I found it deeply disturbing. I was literally left speechless. He was unwound and no one cared or mentioned it. Even when Connor wound up with one of Roland’s arms (which I am <i>not</i> ok with by the way), they didn’t spend a ton of time on it. Didn’t even bat an eye. It just, no.

Overall, I’d recommend the book. It’s a good sci-fi dystopian book with a pinch of horror thrown in.