The Sin Eater Review

As a historical fiction lover, I was thoroughly looking forward to sinking my teeth into The Sin Eater by Megan Campisi. A beautiful cover with very little explanation for it was about. While the blurb gives little information,

An old adage says that there are really only two stories: a man goes on a voyage, and a stranger arrives in town. This is the third: a woman breaks the rules

I was intrigued to read on to find what the book was about. The book is set in the 16^th Century and focuses on the main character, May, who commits a minor crime and pays for it with significant consequences. She becomes the titular character, a sin eater, someone who people call for when a loved one is dying and she takes on board all of their sins as her own. It also involves food, as particular foods represent particular sins and then there is a feast afterwards where the sin eater will eat these foods in the presence of the deceased person. It’s all very strange and reminded me somewhat of a dystopian world where women are viewed as inferior and given this job to repay for their sins.

I loved the idea of this book, something completely different for the genre of historical fiction. I was fascinated by the relation of sins to different items of food, the role of the sin eater and wondered while this was fictional, if something similar was around in the medieval times. The portrayal of the main character of a sin eater was a wise choice too. All too often, the main character of a book would be someone who would be confronted with a character like this but it was eye opening to read through May’s perspective. She went through so many changes at such a young age but approached them with grit and determination. She was really the only character in the book that you really got to know. The other characters were all minor and many were not even referred to by their first names. I was a little confused by the nicknames of the characters living in the castle and they seemed to blur into one. I was not able to identify anything about them and feel it would have been beneficial to know more about them to engage more with the plot.

Another crucial aspect of the plot was the mystery. I love reading about mysteries and trying to decipher who did what, it really draws my interest to a book and makes me want to keep reading. The mystery in this book started off well, trying to work out who committed the crimes by using clues. By the end of the book, it got a little strange and even once it was solved, I found myself very confused as to what actually occurred and ‘who dunnit’. Again, this may have been due to my lack of connection to these other characters and forgetting who was who.

My favourite part of this book would be the writing. It is woven together beautifully, the author carefully considering the language to use to make it feel authentic to the time period. While I may not have been completely engaged with the plot and the characters, it was the writing that kept me reading on. I admire the way that Campisi created the character of May and how she built her up over time: from a fragile young girl who seemed frightened and lost, to a strong, determined and capable young woman who had to grow up almost overnight. She had to face such hardships but would not let others get her down.

I’d recommend this book to those who enjoy historical fiction that is a little bit different, with dark undertones. It is an interesting book that makes the reader think about life through a different lens.

Thank you to Pan Macmillan for providing me with a copy to read and review! The Sin Eater is available for purchase now in Australia, in stores and online!

Review: Ember Queen by Laura Sebastian

Ember Queen is the final installation in the Ash Princess trilogy, where we follow Theodosia and her journey towards reclaiming her country which was taken away from her and her family. It is a conclusion of epic proportion that emphasises the justice that should prevail. As this is the final book in the series, there will be spoilers for previous books so if you have not read Ash Princess or Lady Smoke and you do not want spoilers, maybe avoid reading until you catch up! Or if you love spoilers, read along!

The synopsis:

Princess Theodosia was a prisoner in her own country for a decade. Renamed the Ash Princess, she endured relentless abuse and ridicule from the Kaiser and his court. But thought she wore a crown of ashes, there was fire in Theo’s blood. As the rightful heir to the Astrean crown, it runs in her veins. And if she learned nothing else from her mother, she learned that a Queen never cowers. Now with a misfit army of rebels to back her, Theo must liberate her enslaved people and face a terrifying new enemy; the new Kaiserin. Imbued with a magic no one understands, the Kaiserin is determined to burn down anyone and everyone in her way. Theo must learn to embrace her own power if she has any hope of standing against the girl she once called her heart’s sister.

I came into this book with high expectations. I thoroughly enjoyed the first two books in the series and with the (semi) cliff hanger at the conclusion of Lady Smoke, was determined to see Theo finally rise to power. This book ultimately builds up to the final hurrah where we see Theo and her allies working towards their goal of regaining the power that was taken from them years ago. This has been the focus for Theo since the beginning of book one so to become so close to the goal in this book creates an air of anticipation. The plot is well paced throughout as it builds gradually before reaching the climax in the ‘final battle’ between Theo and the Kaiserin. While many books rush to get to this point, Sebastian successfully builds the excitement and anticipation as many other things are happening in the background. I loved the inclusion of each of the leaders being immersed in each other’s dreams and how while they thought they were safe during this ‘down time’, they eventually discovered they were susceptible to injury.

Another aspect of the book which I really enjoyed and think stood out from other fantasy books, was the magic system. While it has been included in the other two books in the series, I feel like it really made a huge impact in this final installation. The different powers and the impact of characters, including Theo, going into the mines gave them powers beyond their control. I thought it was great that they also freed all the prisoners in the mines too as they could have just kept them there to work for them so that Theo and co could have an even greater hold of power. I admired the way that the characters came to terms with their powers and aimed to use them for the greater good, especially Blaise. Throughout the series he struggled with his strength but in this book, he finally sees how it can contribute in a positive way. The friendship that builds throughout the series feels so authentic and it is great to see that even though Theo and the others are so different, that they can come together to fight for the greater good. Art was a personal favourite of mine and it was wonderful to see her grow over the trilogy and reach her potential despite several setbacks.

I feel like the conclusion of Ember Queen was what the readers were hoping for but it was not without heart ache. It was certainly an epic ending which gave justice to the storyline we have been working towards since the beginning. Like all great fantasy books, it was not without some plot twists which threw what we were expecting out the door. I was on the edge of my seat and finished the second half of the book in one sitting as I couldn’t wait to read what was going to happen next. 

Overall, a wonderful fantasy series that focuses on a strong female protagonist and her hoping to reach the justice that she deserves for herself and her family.

I rated this book: 4 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ember Queen by Laura Sebastian is available to purchase in Australian bookstores and other shops where books are sold from today

Thank you to Pan Macmillan Australia for providing me with a copy to review!

Review: The Lost Ones by Anita Frank

The Lost Ones by Anita Frank is historical fiction, with an eerie, haunted feeling which leaves the reader hanging until the final pages of the book. It delves into the lives of two sisters who are brought back together by catastrophic events of World War I and their supernatural experiences in an old manor. It is suspenseful, keeps the reader guessing throughout the plot and uncovers many notorious secrets which some characters thought they had concealed forever.

The synopsis is as follows:

Some houses are never at peace… England 1917

Reeling from the death of her fiancé, Stella Marcham welcomes the opportunity to stay with her pregnant sister, Madeline, at her imposing country mansion, but she arrives to find a house of unease and her sister gripped by fear and suspicion. Before long, Stella is troubled by the same strange incidents that plague Madeleine- sobbing in the night, little footsteps on the stairs- and as events escalate, she finds herself drawn to the tragic past of the house. Aided by a wounded war veteran, Stella sets about uncovering Greywick’s dark past- secrets the dead whisper from the other side…

From the outset of this novel, I was entranced by the vivid, descriptive writing. The prose was written beautifully and the sentences flowed on so effortlessly. It was pleasurable to read and made me as a reader feel as though I was bearing witness to the events which were unfolding. The descriptions of the various areas of the manor also made it easy to imagine myself there, back in 1917. Unlike many authors, Frank was able to successfully write characters as though they were from that time period. The language, their actions and everything in between was notable for that time.

One of the highlights of this book were the characters. Each of the characters had defining characteristics which were able to be developed throughout the course of the plot. Stella was a well-rounded character who was grew so much and was able to come to terms and identify her own personal issues which were plaguing her over time. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing her friendship with Annie develop, despite their differences in social standing. Another character stand out for me was Cook: while she was a minor character, I liked her inclusion and features throughout the text and her influence overall in the text. The interactions between the characters was also great and their dynamics with each other, which changed over time.

From the beginning, the mystery is what draws the reader into the text. There is mystery regarding so many elements of the book, including but not limited to the characters back stories and the strange events unfolding in the house. It captures the attention of the reader, as we want to continue to find out why things are occurring and what is influencing them. The haunted incidents are creepy yet by the epic conclusion of the book, the reader is able to understand why they are ultimately occurring. Stella and Annie are key detectives in the mystery and over time, have the ability to uncover the grisly truth. Another strength of the book is that the mystery continues to puzzle the reader until near the end. This allows the author to maintain the attention of the reader until the conclusion, when the mystery is resolved and old issues are confronted.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed being immersed into the mysterious world of The Lost Ones. The plot, the characters and the haunting mystery all tied together to create a cohesive and engaging text which accurately drew upon historical events in a meaningful way. I would highly recommend this text to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, mystery or literary fiction.

I rated this book: 4 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to Harlequin Publishers for providing me with a copy for review

The Lost Ones is available for purchase in Australia now!

Review: Supernova by Marissa Meyer

Supernova by Marissa Meyer is the epic conclusion to the popular superhero versus anti-hero series, Renegades. As a final book in a trilogy, it does not let fans of the series down as it packs a punch. It has the action and characters that we have all come to love, as well as a very intense plot which thickens as you get further through the book. 

On a side note- I have briefly mentioned something that is unleashed in this book which some may consider a spoiler (but I do not go into detail about it, rather just mention what it does), so if you haven't read the other books, you should feel safe to read on as it doesn't really spoil anything! It is something I thought was a great inclusion so wanted to ensure I mentioned it in my review. 

The synopsis:

Nova and Adrian are fighting to keep their identities and superpowers secret. While the battle rages between their alter egos and their allies, there is a darker threat shrouding Gatlon City. Nova and Adrian must brave lies and betrayal to protect those they love. Unless they can bridge the divide between heroes and villains, they stand to lose everything, including each other.

Supernova is a huge book, totalling 550 pages. As it is so large, I will only attempt to skim the surface and mention some of the main parts that I enjoyed. Overall, while it is gigantic in size, the plot is constantly turning as the reader keeps turning the page to see what is going to happen next. I came into Supernova hyped, as I could not wait to see what was happening next in the saga. It follows on directly from Archenemies as Nova comes to terms with an act she committed which has serious repercussions for not only herself but the Anarchists and the Renegades. The tensions between the two enemies strengthens as a weapon is released which takes superpowers away. I enjoyed the inclusion of Agent N, as it made the characters wary of who may be in possession of it and that they needed to act carefully so that they were not affected by it. By having a substance in the book like that, something that essentially takes their super human powers away, it really keeps you guessing as to who has it, who will it impact and what will their losses be. The book is centred around people with powers and by including that element and by threatening to make them human, there is a strong sense of living on the edge through the plot.

Meyer creates the most realistic characters who the reader can really empathise with. It was great to see these characters develop further in this final instalment and see the different issues that they were faced with and how they tried to confront them. Nova and Adrian have so much depth and in this instalment, really begin to question where their alliances belong. They have to be two of the best written protagonists I have witnessed in a book before. I love how we get to read from both of their POV, to witness both sides of the story. Meyer does not force you to take the side of either Nova or Adrian, but allows you as the reader to see both of their lives. This is present throughout each of the books but I feel makes the most impact in this book as there is so much more going on. I also really enjoy all of the side characters. In a book with so many characters, you would assume you wouldn’t find out much about them but throughout Supernova, we learn so much more about each of the minor characters. They are so well developed and each have their own backstories which adds to the book in so many ways. I would possibly love to see a spin-off series with some of the other characters as the focus as I believe Meyer has created a wonderful world which can be built upon in the future.

Another aspect of this book I thought was great was the pacing. Often large YA books appear intimidating and are extremely slow and painful to read. Thankfully, this was quite the opposite. While reading Supernova, I never found myself bored or fidgeting. The action packed plot and superb writing kept me engaged from start to finish. There was always something else that kept me hooked to finish reading it.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Supernova and would highly recommend the series to anyone who finds themselves looking for a new YA series to sink their teeth into. While I am not normally one to reach for books about superheros, this series has opened my eyes to a whole new genre of YA fiction which I hope will grow in the years to come. Meyer writes in such a way that draws the reader in and they do not want to finish until the book is complete.

I rated this book: 4 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to Pan Macmillan for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Supernova is available to purchase in bookstores around Australia now!

Wearing Paper Dresses: Review

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Wearing Paper Dresses by Anne Brinsden! 

Wearing Paper Dresses is a raw tale, detailing the struggles and triumphs of life in the extremely remote Mallee region in north western Victoria in the middle of the 20^th Century. The story focuses on the life of young protagonist Marjorie and follows her and her family’s journey over a number of years. The reader is a witness to the rural lifestyle and shows that no matter how far away you are, the Mallee is always with you.

The synopsis is as follows:

You can talk about living in the Mallee. And you can talk about a Mallee tree. And you can talk about the Mallee itself: a land and a place full of red sand and short stubby trees. Silent skies. The undulating scorch of summer plains. Quiet, on the surface of things.
But Elise wasn't from the Mallee, and she knew nothing of its ways.

Discover the world of a small homestead perched on the sunburnt farmland of northern Victoria. Meet Elise, whose urbane 1950s glamour is rudely transplanted to the pragmatic red soil of the Mallee when her husband returns to work the family farm. But you cannot uproot a plant and expect it to thrive. And so it is with Elise. Her meringues don't impress the shearers, the locals scoff at her Paris fashions, her husband works all day in the back paddock, and the drought kills everything but the geraniums she despises.

As their mother withdraws more and more into herself, her spirited, tearaway daughters, Marjorie and Ruby, wild as weeds, are left to raise themselves as best they can. Until tragedy strikes, and Marjorie flees to the city determined to leave her family behind. And there she stays, leading a very different life, until the boy she loves draws her back to the land she can't forget...

Delving into the world of ‘country’ based fiction is something new to me but is opening my eyes to a whole new genre of writing. This book, while written in third person, allows the reader to imagine they are present and a witness to the events which are unfolding through the vivid descriptions of setting. While not having travelled to the region, Brinsden successfully captures the essence of the region for all readers as the familiarity becomes apparent as we progress through the narrative. I really enjoyed how it also spanned over a number of years so we could see the family over time and how they adapted to life in the country and their triumphs and struggles. I did find it confusing at times, when shifting between time, to work out how much time had passed and how old the characters would have been. I’m unsure if this was intentional and for the reader to work out, but it did make it a little hard to follow. By the end, I assume Marjorie was in her early twenties but it was not disclosed.

One of my favourite elements of this book was the characters and their relationships and how they developed and faltered over time. Marjorie was bold and daring, Pa was set in his ways, Elise was confused and Jesse determined. Each of the characters were developed so well throughout the narrative as we beared witness to their highs and lows. In particular, Elise was a stand out. Coming from the city, she was already a social outcast when she relocated to the Mallee region. Despite her best efforts to fit in, she found herself in a downward spiral towards insanity which began to severely impact those around her. After catastrophic events occurred, she further distanced herself from her family and the world. The author did this in such a way that the character remained authentic as she believed it was the environment impacting her actions and moods. I liked seeing the relationship between Marjorie and Jesse develop over time as well. From the beginning with him being coined a childish nickname by Marjorie, to them leaning on each over as times became tough and their families became infested with issues. Despite time passing and locations changing, they still had a special bond which held them together.

While I enjoyed the pace of the book, the characters and the country setting, I feel as though the book did lack an overall plot. The plot emphasises the importance of place on the characters and their lives and tells their experiences over a period of time. Despite this, I feel like other than a retelling of events, there was no climax but by the end, there did seem to be a resolution in place. Overall, the story with its chronological tale with flashbacks squeezed throughout, was one I will remember for a long time due to the memorable characters and beautifully descriptive settings.

I rated this book: 3 stars ⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to Pan MacMillan for providing me with a copy of Wearing Paper Dresses for review and for the opportunity to participate in the blog tour!

Wearing Paper Dresses was released in September is now available for purchase in bookstores and retailers throughout Australia

Wayward Son review

Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell is the highly anticipated sequel to fan-fic favourite Carry On. Continuing on, presumably a few months after the previous novel, Wayward Son addresses some of the repercussions from the previous book as the characters go international to save the day. All the favourites return as well as some equally awesome new characters who pack a punch.

The synopsis:

Simon Snow did everything he was supposed to do. He beat the villain. He won the war. He even fell in love. Now comes the happily ever after, right? So why can’t Simon get off the couch? What he needs is a change of scenery. That’s how Simon and his two best friends end up in a vintage convertible, tearing across the American West.

That’s how they end up in trouble.

This book drew me in, again, through the wonderful characters that are immersed within the pages. I really love sequels as you get to see the characters who you got to know so well again and watch their development over the course of the book. While the first book is so focused upon Simon, this book gave more attention to the other main characters and their personal struggles after finishing school. The inclusion of the new characters was great too: I really like Shepard and how energetic and enthusiastic he was about helping the gang. The vampires in Las Vegas were a welcome addition as well, who doesn’t love reading about vampires living in the casino capital of the world? Baz’s interactions with them were great as well, while he was originally hesitant, he knew that he was going to be the only one successful enough to get their support. The multiple perspectives were a welcome inclusion as well. By providing multiple narrators in a book, the reader is able to gain a better insight into how they think and the actions that they take. They are all written so differently and I admire the author’s ability to do this.

One element of the book I was a little confused about was the relationship between Baz and Simon. At the conclusion of Carry On, Simon and Baz had become an item and their relationship had blossomed. In Wayward Son, they are barely talking and I found this really interesting as it was never disclosed as to what the issue was that caused this. Whilst I enjoyed the banter which the two always find, I was hopeful that their relationship would develop further in this book.

A highlight of the book for me was he road trip element. Following the characters through their travels in a new country adds uncertainty and adventure and it kept me guessing as to what was going to happen next! Being to the United States myself before, I liked being able to follow along on the places that they visited and the experiences that they had. I also wish I had powers to fill my car up with fuel without needing to pay for it! The inclusion of the different types of slang in the two different countries was interesting as well and I applaud Rowell for doing this as no two countries have the same slang and it was nice to see it included within a book.

One issue I found within the book was the focus on trying to find Agatha. The characters spent the entire book focused on trying to find Agatha while they did not seem to address the other underlying issues which were impacting them. Agatha treated them pretty poorly and it surprised me that they would be so willing to travel across the Atlantic to go and see her despite her ignoring them. Her storyline within the book was intriguing and I spent most of the book assuming what was going to happen and was blindsided with what did occur.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my experience of reading Wayward Son and feel that any true Rainbow Rowell fan will adore it as well. It has the well developed characters, an interesting plot and the banter between the characters that everyone loves.

I rated it: 3.5 Stars

Thank you to Pan MacMillan for providing me with a copy of Wayward Son for review.

It is now available for purchase in Australia where books are sold.

Aus YA Bloggers Blog Tour: I am Change review

Good morning everyone and welcome to my blog stop on the Aus YA Bloggers, in conjunction with Walker Books, tour for I am Change by Suzy Zail. 

I Am Change is a revolutionary book which focuses upon female empowerment and determination in the face of a society where women have no voice. It tackles some very complex and serious issues within Ugandan society and is influenced by a number of women from the country. Zail has taken elements from each woman’s story and woven them together to create a heartfelt narrative which gets to the core of the lack of human rights in the country, especially in regards to women. From the outset, it is an extremely moving and emotionally challenging read but has the power to provide those women with a voice of their realities in the 21^st Century.

The narrative follows Lillian, a young girl living in a small African village, and her plight to fight for change in a society where women are considered to solely bear children and look after their family. While the norms of her society are against her, Lillian is strongly determined to show her family and her village that she is capable of so much more than just getting married off at a young age and having a large family.

From the outset of the book, it is clear that Lillian is a strong willed and determined young girl. She, unlike many other girls her age, is completely focused on attending school and getting as far in her education as she can. This isn’t considered the norm as it is in developed countries, as it is really only the boys who are expected to further themselves. While she is subject to many setbacks, her goal never seems to waver. Despite her family trying to prevent her from going to school and throwing obstacles at her, she still tries her best at everything that she does. When all this is going on, the raw emotion in the writing is evident. The reader is able to sense the fear instilled in Lillian, that her dream of completing her education is slowly being torn away from her.

This book is so raw and emotional and makes the reader aware of the injustices still going on the other side of the world. There are various triggering scenes which include rape, domestic violence and female genital mutilation. These are unfortunately all things which are still occurring in the daily lives on Ugandan women. Female students are exploited at school by male, dominating teachers who believe that they are there to rule over the female students. These girls are taken advantage of so that they are able to have the rights that the male students are given automatically. Lillian’s friend is one of the girls who is affected by this and Lillian wants to seek revenge but due to her standing, this seems like an impossible task. One of the saddest scenes in this book regards Lillian’s sister, Nakato. Nakato went missing years ago and when Lillian goes to the city, she sets herself a goal to find her. The reader discovers that the only reason Nakato fled was because she did not want to her genitals to be mutilated, which was considered to be a custom of their tribe. Due to this and the fact she was unable to return to her family, Nakato resorted to a life so far from what she had hoped for herself.

Another aspect of the book which really drew out the emotion was when the characters were talking about marriage. In the 21^st Century, it is still common practice for girls under the age of 16 to be married to men more than double their age. The characters in this book were no exception as some of Lillian’s school friends were married off. Lillian was horrified by this and wanted to ensure that she was not subject to this, as she believed that people should marry for love and not to improve their social standing.

Overall, I am Change is a book which I believe all young girls should read (but maybe not until they are 15-16). While it did take me a little while to get into the book, by the end I was in awe of Lillian and the strength she possessed over her short life thus far. It is a book which promotes women’s rights in countries where women still have little rights and are treated incredibly poorly. It raises awareness of issues which, in Western countries, many people would consider to have disappeared many years ago. I hope that by raising more awareness of the injustices of these women, that change is able to occur in the future and these traditional views of these countries are able to adapt to be more inclusive of all.

I rated this book: 3 and a half stars out of 5

Thank you to Walker Books for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review and for Aus YA bloggers for providing me with the opportunity to participate in the blog tour!

I am Change is available now in Australian bookstores.