Saturday, October 8, 2016

Review: Seraphina


Title: Seraphina (Seraphina #1)
Author: Rachel Hartman
Publisher: Random House
Year published: 2012
How I got this book: I listened to it as an audiobook on the app StoryTel
My rating: 4 stars

Goodreads synopsis:
Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons int he kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as amassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high. 

Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered - in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen's Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.

My thoughts:
Seraphina spent a long time on my TBR before I finally got around to reading it. And I'm so glad that I did. This is a book I really enjoyed, and it was easy to get into.

Despite this being a fantasy book, I didn't feel like I had to try to get into the setting. It just came naturally, and the world opened up as you read. I really liked the dragons in this book, and the fact that they can take human forms. I haven't really read a lot of books with dragons, so I don't know if this is anything new, but I found it interesting and it really made the story something special.

We only follow Seraphina's perspective in this book, which works wonderfully. We discover her own secrets as she uncovers them all, and we learn about the world with her. 

Though I found this to be a light-hearted book, I also think it brought up injustices we have in our own society. Especially racism towards each other, depending on how we look and come from, and not how we are as people.

This is a book I will recommend to anyone who enjoys a good fantasy book, because I really think they'll enjoy this. Even if you're not a big fan of fantasy, I suggest you give it a shot. It's not going to be for everyone, but you'll never know unless you try it. 

Buy this book?
Amazon (US)
Amazon (UK)
BookDepository (worldwide, affiliate link)
AdLibris (Norway)

Thursday, October 6, 2016

Review: Wrecked


Title: Wrecked
Author: Maria Padian
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
Publication date: October 4th 2016
How I got this book: I got it as an arc through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
My rating: 5 stars

Goodreads synopsis:
Everyone has heard a different version of what happened that night at MacCallum College. Haley was already in bed when roommate, Jenny, arrived home shell-shocked from the wild Conundrum House party. Richard heard his housemate Jordan brag about a cute freshman he hooked up with. When Jenny formally accuses Jordan of rape, Haley and Richard find themselves pushed onto opposite sides of the school's investigation. But conflicting interests fueling conflicting versions of the story may make bringing the truth to light nearly impossible - especially when reputations, relationships, and whole futures are riding on the verdict.

My thoughts:
This book brings up a really important topic, especially with everything happening at schools right now. 

We don't read from the victim's perspective in this book, but her roommate, Haley. We also read from Richard's perspective, the roommate of the accused rapist. I found this as an interesting twist, because as readers, we don't ever know more than what Haley and Richard know. 

The story is gripping, and I found it really hard to put down. I wanted to keep reading, find out what happened and how everything was going to turn out. Though the main focus in the book is about the case, and finding out what happened, we also get to know Haley and Richard, and how their relationship evolves, despite being on two different sides.

I found the characters in this book to be really relatable, and likeable, most of the time. I really connected with Haley, and yes, she was selfish at times, but she's only human. We meet plenty of characters, and most of them felt like real people that you got to know.

Between each chapter we are also told what really happened, but only in small parts. We don't really know everything until the end of the book. 

I felt like this was a realistic story about sexual assault at colleges, and it was heartbreaking. The book is called Wrecked for a reason. We see how much resistance the victim gets through both the school, and the other students around them. It's great that authors are writing about it, and encourages the debate. This is a topic that needs to be addressed, and it's amazing that authors like Padian does it in such a wonderful way.

Buy this book?
Amazon (US)
Amazon (UK)
BookDepository (worldwide, affiliate link)
AdLibris (Norway)

Sunday, October 2, 2016

Wrap Up: September



Hello!

This month was my last one with no school and no worries, so I fille expect to read a lot less in October. I managed to read 17 books in September, and even started an 18th. I'm super pleased with myself, and I am so grateful that I was able to read as much as I was during the summer. 

Gravbøygen våkner (Alvetegnet #1) by Sigbjørn Mostue - 3,5 stars
Nissedreperen (Alvetegnet #2) by Sigbjørn Mostue - 3 stars
Krakens gap (Alvetegnet #3) by Sigbjørn Mostue - 3,5 stars
These are all Norwegian books, and they have not been translated to English, and therefore don't have any English titles. Roughly translated, Alvetegnet means "the sign of the elves"

Percy Jackson's Greek Heroes by Rick Riordan - 3 stars
Paris for One by Jojo Moyes - 4 stars
The Muse by Jessie Burton - 4 stars

Honeymoon in Paris by Jojo Moyes - 4 stars
The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes - 4 stars
Photographs from the Edge by Art Wolfe - 3,5 stars - REVIEW

You're the One That I Want by Giovanna Fletcher - 4 stars - REVIEW
Seraphina by Rachel Hartman - 4 stars - REVIEW
Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas - 5 stars - REVIEW

The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson - 4 stars
The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien - 4 stars
On the Other Side by Carrie Hope Fletcher - 4 stars

1984 by George Orwell - 4 stars
Wrecked by Maria Padian - 5 stars - REVIEW