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A Throne For Sisters
A Throne For Sisters
4
4.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This was a fairly good novel that teaches you that lying can bring you more harm than good, even if it buys you a little happiness. It also teaches you that no matter what, you can't escape those who wish to harm you. Even if the people who do so change. The story was the best to help create the intrigue in the story itself, but it did have a lot of errors that left something to be desired. I have to say the characters were pretty interesting, even if their backgrounds, personalities and such were lacking. An example being the sisters. They were given some distinct personality traits and an ability that made you want to know more about them, yet it hinted at their past making you really wish it would be delved into, so you can understand their situation and their different ways of thinking. I can only hope more will be revealed in the rest of the series, though with how the story is going, makes me wonder if it will ever be touched base again.

Though the novel is written in a way that allows the reader to see what each girl is doing on their own, you can't help but want a better way to see this happen. It really makes things confusing, going from one chapter to the next, knowing you will see what one girls doing this chapter and the other girl next chapter, but it can be hard when trying to make a timeline of the story. If the chapter headers would at least give you a time period so you knew exactly what was going on when, it would definitely had helped. I got the gist it was supposed to be each chapter was happening at the last chapter was, but it drove me insane when I found myself thinking that what this girl was doing might be happening after the girl I just finish reading about. I would have loved a better transition.

I also found, though the book had some good conversations, when they got voiced, that their weren't a lot of conversations going on in the book and the details of the scenery didn't make up for this. I am used to being able to see what the characters are thinking in the middle of conversations, but to not have a whole lot of them was very disappointing. It felt as if the conversations were skipped at times, just giving you a basis of what was discussed, when I would have loved to know more. I understand mundane conversations being skipped, but when the two characters are falling in love, it would be nice to have more conversations, details on the different characters actions, etc. However, none of that happened. Just brief sentences about it.

Though, I will probably read the rest of the series, just to figure out what happens next and because I am a little OCD about finishing series I start, I fear it won't stand up to my standards. With that said, I do think this book would be good for teens. It is fast paced, doesn't dwell on some of the finer details someone like I would enjoy, and had a great idea in the story plot. I would rate this book 2 stars out of 5 stars because of how it was written. I would have definitely loved more and hope in the future books, Rice will give us just that and not skimp out on things that may help the story become deeper and much more fulfilling.
  
Glass (Crank, #2)
Glass (Crank, #2)
10
8.5 (6 Ratings)
Book Rating
(This review can also be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomethingyearold.blogspot.com">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).

After reading Crank by Ellen Hopkins, I knew I had to read the sequel. It just had to be done. I enjoyed this book a lot, not as much as the first book in the series, but it was still good.

Glass begins where Crank left off. Now Kristina has a baby to take care off. Kristina believes she can control the monster now that she has Hunter to take care of. Little does she know it's not as easy as that. Will Kristina finally give up the monster for good this time to become a good mother?

The title of this sequel to Crank is a great one. Glass is one of the many slang names for the drug Meth. I love the way Hopkins continues to use a slang name for Meth.

Again, I do like the cover to this book. I do prefer the first cover as I loved the black and white simplicity of it. However, the purple cover with the title written in Meth looks good too.

As with the first book in this series, the world building is perfect. It's so easy to lose yourself in Kristina's world. The scenes for each chapter are so easy to imagine.

The pacing of this book is a bit slower than the first one. However, the pacing is still very good. I didn't devour this book like I did Crank, but I still loved it. I don't know why, but Glass just read a bit slower.

Like with the first book in the series, there isn't that much dialogue between characters. However, I loved the internal dialogue Kristina has with herself. It makes Kristina come across as more real and vulnerable. There is swearing in this book so if that bothers you, you don't want to read this book.

I still think Kristina is a fabulous character, and Hopkins does a fantastic job of portraying her like a proper Meth addict that came from a great home life. Kristina is a very well written character, and I really, really loved learning more about her. I was a bit saddened that Chase wasn't really in the second book as I loved him in the first. We do get to meet Trey though who I didn't really like, not because he wasn't written very well, but because of the way he treated Kristina. Brad was definitely one of my favourite characters.

This book is also written in verse like the first one. I like this because it makes the story more interesting to me. Plus, I like it when a book has a short chapter. Long chapters in books really annoy me for some reason.

Glass is a fantastic book and continues from the first book rather smoothly. The pacing is not as fast as the first book, but it's still a great sequel. I've now started on the third and final book in the series.

I'd recommend this book to everyone aged 16+ due to the bad language and the themes.

I'd give Glass (Crank #2) by Ellen Hopkins a 4.5 out of 5.
  
Everything I Know About Love
Everything I Know About Love
Dolly Alderton | 2018 | Biography
9
5.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Funny and heartwarming
My friend sent me this book as a housewarming gift as something she thought I'd love, and she couldn't have been more right.

Dolly Alderton is a similar age to me, and whilst some of her life experiences have been a little more extreme and over the top than mine, I could see so much of my life, thoughts and emotions in this book. Never before have I read a non-fiction book that really gets me until now. Dolly has a nice uncomplicated writing style that's fun and easy to read, and the way she recounts her stories is often hilarious and very heartwarming. I liked how the book was structured and plotted for the most part, I especially loved the chapters entitled "Everything I Know About Love age", these were the most poignant and real to read and I was virtually in tears every time I read these, and especially so after reading the last chapter about thirty. There are some chapters and extracts in this book that are a little long winter or unnecessary, but apart from these this is such a fun heartwarmingly sweet book that is definitely worth a read, especially if you're feeling a little disillusioned about love. There are some truly wonderful (albeit a tad cheesy) messages in this that are really meaningful.
  
The Magicians Guild is the first of the Black Magician Trilogy and was published in 2001, Followed by The Novice (2002) and The Black Magician (2003). The story starts with a young Slum Dweller named Sonea as she discovers her magical potential after throwing a stone through a magical barrier. Going in the run Sonea has to deal with both the magicians guild after her and the growing chaos that is her loosing control of her power. After being found by Lord Rothen and helped achieve control, Sonea must face a difficult trial for both entrance to the Guild and Mentorship between Rothen and the sinister looking Fergun.

Canavan stated on her website that the initial inspiration which ended up being part of the first chapter came form her watching a documentary of the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona where a report about the government taking the host cities homeless and sending them to other cities/towns. Later that night she saw herself and several others being herded out of a city...by magicians hence the first chapter.

Now when I first found the book I was in a Waterstones (Well known British bookstore) mindlessly looking....wasn't even expecting to buy a book and I came across The Magicians Guild. Finding the blurb interesting I bought it and after reading it I fell in love and I ended up rushing to buy the other two books. Hearing the influence of the first chapter reminded me of the influence Susanne Collins the writer of the Hunger games series had of flicking through channels and hearing two different news posts.