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Brooke Reviews: An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

July 30, 2015 by brooke Leave a Comment

Brooke Reviews: An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa TahirAn Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
Published by Penguin on April 28th 2015
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Politics & Government, Young Adult
Pages: 464
Goodreads
three-half-stars
Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free. Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear. It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do. But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy. There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.

This was a highly anticipated read for me, because I’d heard so many good things and the response to this book was breaking all my social media. I was so excited to see what all the fuss was about. Immediate reaction upon finishing the book: That was great. Also extraordinarily frustrating. (And now I’ll attempt to explain…)

The premise is intriguing. I liked the whole spy thing and the reluctant soldier thing. It’s a bit slow in the beginning – the book opens with the murder of Laia’s grandparents and Laia’s subsequent separation from her brother. Laia is a sympathetic character – I felt for her not only because her family has been ripped apart but also because she’s struggling with the guilt of leaving her brother behind to save herself. She wishes she were more brave, more courageous. She’s disappointed with herself, but rather than wallowing in self-pity she seeks out the rebels, who may be the only people who can help rescue her brother.

I’m not always a fan of alternating perspectives, but Tahir pulled this off really well. Both Laia and Elias are strong narrators. It becomes especially interesting when their stories intertwine at the military academy. Although honestly, I’d have to say I liked Elias more than I liked Laia. Her emotional struggle endeared me at the beginning, but she became too bold too fast, and this was a little unrealistic.

Things began to go downhill for me a little over halfway. And that had nothing to do with the plot, which was still fast-paced and engaging. It had everything to do with the not-so-subtle hints Tahir was dropping about a possible romance between the narrators. And this bothered me because I realized I might be shipping the wrong ship. Elias and Helene are adorable, OKAY? It’s obvious he deeply cares about her, and then Laia shows up and suddenly he thinks he’s into her. This just didn’t work for me, and it really spoiled the tone of the rest of the book. And maybe the author is doing this purposefully…? Maybe the unpredictability is a good thing…? But I don’t think so because the book was originally supposed to be a standalone. (Does anyone else have trouble believing this??)

Anyhow, it’s difficult for me to get my feelings across because even though I really enjoyed it, there were several things that skewed my satisfaction. A review I read by a fellow blogger also pointed out the lack of world building. I actually hadn’t thought much about this, because I’d been so engaged. But there’s very little backstory/explanation/history provided for the Martial Empire. I walked away with more questions than answers.

I sound a bit negative, but this is just one of those books that gives you equal parts enjoyment and frustration. I’d still highly recommend it simply because it’s an engaging read. But I wanted to be honest with you about the drawbacks.

 

HAVE YOU READ THIS BOOK? SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS!! 

Filed Under: Book Reviews

Brooke Reviews: Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen

June 4, 2015 by brooke 1 Comment

Brooke Reviews: Saint Anything by Sarah DessenSaint Anything by Sarah Dessen
Published by Penguin on May 5th 2015
Genres: Friendship, Love & Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 432
Goodreads
three-half-stars
Sydney has always felt invisible. She's grown accustomed to her brother, Peyton, being the focus of the family’s attention and, lately, concern. Peyton is handsome and charismatic, but seems bent on self-destruction. Now, after a drunk-driving accident that crippled a boy, Peyton’s serving some serious jail time, and Sydney is on her own, questioning her place in the family and the world. Then she meets the Chatham family. Drawn into their warm, chaotic circle, Sydney experiences unquestioning acceptance for the first time. There’s effervescent Layla, who constantly falls for the wrong guy, Rosie, who’s had her own fall from grace, and Mrs. Chatham, who even though ailing is the heart of the family. But it’s with older brother Mac — quiet, watchful, and protective — that Sydney finally feels seen, really seen, at last. Saint Anything is Sarah Dessen’s deepest and most psychologically probing novel yet, telling an engrossing story of a girl discovering friendship, love, and herself.

Sarah Dessen is one of my favorite authors. She has this incredible talent for writing stories that never fail to move me. I really enjoyed Saint Anything, as it featured all of Dessen’s trademark elements (“Hate Spinnerbait!”). 🙂 Maybe not my absolute #1 of Dessen’s books, but definitely a great read.

I felt like there was a lot going on in this book, and maybe that’s why it didn’t quite capture me the way several of Dessen’s other books have (Just Listen, for example). Sydney is your average teenage girl, except her brother is in jail and she seems to be shouldering the guilt of what he’s done. Her parents are so preoccupied with her brother’s situation that Sydney feels invisible.

So there’s the whole brother-in-jail thing overshadowing everything in Sydney’s life, but she’s also dealing with the unwanted attentions of a much older (and creepy!) boy, a new school, and new friends. She doesn’t feel invisible around the Chatham family. And for the first time, she feels somewhat understood. The Chatham family is by no means perfect, but they’re super close and they truly care for each other. They teach Sydney about what it means to face her challenges and move on. Layla Chatham is hilarious. She brightens this book with all her quirks, including her OCD with french fries. And, of course, there’s Mac, who’s incredibly sweet and knows how to treat a girl.

I thought the romance really took a backseat in this book, but that was okay with me. A romantic relationship was not going to fix what Sydney was going through. Dessen always deals with very real issues in an incredibly insightful and sensitive way, and I really appreciate that.

Again, extremely enjoyable read. Glad to have this on my bookshelf.

Filed Under: Book Reviews

Brooke Reviews: The Conspiracy of Us by Maggie Hall

April 9, 2015 by brooke 2 Comments

Brooke Reviews: The Conspiracy of Us by Maggie HallThe Conspiracy of Us by Maggie Hall
Published by Penguin on January 13th 2015
Genres: Love & Romance, Mysteries & Detective Stories, Young Adult
Goodreads
three-stars
Avery West's newfound family can shut down Prada when they want to shop in peace, and can just as easily order a bombing when they want to start a war. Part of a powerful and dangerous secret society called the Circle, they believe Avery is the key to an ancient prophecy. Some want to use her as a pawn. Some want her dead.

To unravel the mystery putting her life in danger, Avery must follow a trail of clues from the monuments of Paris to the back alleys of Istanbul with two boys who work for the Circle—beautiful, volatile Stellan and mysterious, magnetic Jack. But as the clues expose a stunning conspiracy that might plunge the world into World War 3, she discovers that both boys are hiding secrets of their own. Now she will have to choose not only between freedom and family--but between the boy who might help her save the world, and the one she's falling in love with.

I really wanted to like this book more than I did. I am a huge fan of mystery, conspiracy, and romance (probably in that order), and this book promised all three. I think it definitely delivered, and yet I just couldn’t get super excited about it.

I liked the characters, but I felt as though I didn’t have enough time to get to know Avery in order to really root for her before she took off to Paris with a stranger. I know it’s fiction, and I know how much Avery wanted to meet her family, but I couldn’t help thinking, girl, he just pulled a knife on you! It was moments like these that made me question Avery’s judgement.

I will say that I really appreciated the travel aspect of this book. Paris and Istanbul sound incredible and I loved the historical details the author weaves into the story along the way. The Circle’s ties to Alexander the Great were particularly interesting.

And whatever Avery was lacking, Jack totally made up for it. I have a huge crush on Jack (maybe it’s his adorable British accent). The romance was adorable, and while there was insta-attraction, there was no insta-love. (Thank you thank you, Maggie Hall!)

The plot moved pretty quickly. I’ll most likely read Book 2. I liked this book, I just didn’t love it.

Filed Under: Book Reviews

I'm Brooke Harrison - I'm a 20-yr-old writer and voracious reader. Welcome to my YA book blog!
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