Category: Tragedy

Book Review- A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder

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A Good Girl's Guide to MurderAs you may or may not know, I love murder mysteries. I don’t read them very often, but when I get my hands on a good one, I become obsessively tangled in the lives of the characters and the mystery, and make no mistake, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is no exception.  It was funny and thrilling at the same time, and I felt really connected to the characters in a way that I haven’t felt in a long while. I shipped Pippa and Ravi with such intensity it was weird, and I literally said ‘YES!’ out loud when *MINI SPOILER ALERT* we find out that they start dating in the end.

Synopsis: Pippa is the heroine of the story, a nerdy teenage girl at the brink of a life-changing event- leaving for university. Pippa is nothing of not curious, so when the opportunity arises for her to investigate a murder that shattered her hometown five years previously, she jumps at it. Enter  Ravi Singh, the secluded brother of Sal, cut off from the rest of the town for fear of constant judgment. It’s only when Pippa approaches him that they embark on a dangerous and thrilling adventure that would change their lives forever. Also, let’s not forget their adorable little ship-worthy moments 🙂 Actually, that’s another thing that I appreciated- the fact that their chemistry wasn’t cringey or forced, and didn’t get in the way of the story; it was well-paced and full of banter.

Fun fact-  I was so obsessed, ahem, intrigued, that I actually wrote down all my theories and possible outcomes. So thank you, Holly Jackson, for reigniting my appreciation for a good whodunnit. I can’t wait to read more of your work.

This book in three words- Mystery-Murder-Justice

-Hawi 🙂

 

Book Review- Paper Butterflies

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If there was one book I could give to every single person in the world, one book to share with everyone, it would be Paper Butterflies. It is absolutely breathtaking, it will make your heart break and your eyes weep and your mind think. There are  honestly very few words that have been invented to describe the pure genius this book has been written with, but I will do my best to capture it. I’m not really much of a crier bu t this book had me sobbing like a baby.

June’s life is a brutal one- when her dad is home, all seems well. When he leaves, though, she is at the non-existing mercy of her stepmother, a white woman who despises everything about her, from her corkscrew curls to her dark skin. Then June meets Blister, a boy from a loud, loving family. When she is with him, she feels free, almost like she can fly away from her house, only to be dragged back to reality every time she has to walk away. Scared stiff of the consequences, June has never told anyone about her dangerous reality. For how much longer can a paper butterfly stand underneath the immense weight of it all before it tears?

I am imploring you to read this book. It is currently my favourite book and Lisa Heathfield is truly a gifted and unique writer.

Thank you for reading and see you next time!

-Hawi

Book Review- Girlhood

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Girlhood

Sugars and Spice and Scars for Life.

I’ve always loved books that are about female friendship. There is just something so relatable about them, and that always helps in understanding and liking a book.

After her twin Jenna dies from anorexia nervosa, Harper decides to fulfil their childhood dreams and go to boarding school. She makes new friends, and she is happy.

Then she meets Kirsty, a new girl at Duncraggan Academy, who understands her in the way that the others couldn’t; she’d lost a sister, too. But as Harper and Kirsty become closer, more and more strange things appear about Kirsty as she tries to surface from a tangle of lies. Their friendship affects everything around them and unearths their darkest secrets and their deepest pains. Under the enormous strain of guilt and grief, will their friendships survive?

Something interesting about this book is that you don’t find ou the main character’s name for a while. Instead of finding that frustrating, I thought that was pretty interesting because it shows  Harper is so engrossed and possibly overshadowed by her twin that she forgets about herself most of the time.

I really loved it and recommend it if you like YA friendship books.

 

Book Review- Heartless

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heartlessThe saddest kind of book is when you already know it’s a sad ending, and we all know the Queen of Hearts. But what was her story before she became the tyrant she is known as today?

Lady Catherine Pinkerton is a sweet young girl with a dream to open a bakery with her best friend and maid Mary Ann. But when the King of Hearts tries to propose to her, her life changes. She doesn’t want to be married to the giggly, coward of a king! As she hides away from his affections, she falls for the king’s entertainer, Jest. Her mother and father, however, are adamant to her fantasies and care not for her dreams or happiness. As the faint-hearted king makes no attempt to save the village of Hearts from the beastly Jabberwock, Cath finally decides she’s had enough. She runs away to the warring city of Chess with Jest, in search of a new life. But things go wrong on the way, and in her Heart she knows she cannot escape the fate that waits her.

Murderer, Martyr, Monarch, Mad.

This book is absolutely heartbreaking. It ripped me to pieces by how sad it was. It really gives a new perspective on the Queen of Hearts and her life before her fearful rule, and what caused it.

I would recommend this to anyone at all, it’s so good.

Book Review- Letters to the Lost

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Letters to the Lost

The plot of this book is actually insane. A lot of writers would struggle to produce such a complex yet entirely enjoyable book, but Kemmerer has pulled it off with great ease.

Juliet has been going through some tough times. After her mother’s death, her only solace is writing letters at her grave. Her life takes a turn for the intriguing, however, when a mysterious boy writes back. Their mutual attraction grows and soon they are sharing their innermost secrets with strangers. Except they’re not, and as their anonymous love intertwines with their real ones, a dark secret surfaces that could destroy them both.

This book is a massive success, I would recommend to any dreamy romantics out there 😉

Book Review- The Lonliest Girl in the Universe

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The Lonliest Girl

What happens when your parents accidentally conceived on a spaceship, only to die, leaving you, an unlikely tween, alone in space?

Romy Silvers is now the only person on The Infinity, a spaceship headed for what is said to be a life-supporting planet after her parents, and everyone else aboard dies due to a fatal mistake in the system.

So when she discovers that another ship has been sent, she is elated. She communicates with the captain, a boy called J. Romy finds herself falling for him, but can you love someone you don’t know? Are there worse things than being alone?

I really enjoyed reading this; there were some parts where my sides ached from laughter and others where skin crawled with the skillful tension towards the end. It was just a thriller, and something different from all the other books.

Book Review- The Fault in Our Stars

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The-Fault-in-Our-StarsThe Fault in Our Stars is a lyrical, electrifying journey through illness, love and a whole lot of OKs.

Hazel has survived certain death by a miracle, but cancer is still evident. When she meets Augustus, a boy who has recovered from cancer, they fall for one another, but when a shocking truth reveals a dark reality, will their relationship survive?

I loved this book. I would recommend it to anyone who is a bit bored and needs some laughs and emotion in their lives 🙂

See you next post,

Hawi

Book Review- Everything, Everything

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Everything, Everything BookEverything, Everything is a beautiful, eye-opening book about love and the risks we take to ensure that we have it.

Madeline has SCED (Severe Combined Immunodeficiency) and is allergic to everything Outside. She hasn’t left the house in seventeen years.

Every day she has been through the same routine in a neverending cycle. But when Olly moves in next door, everything changes for Maddy.

This book was adventurous, lyrical and heartbreaking all at once. I loved every moment of it.

Don’t forget to read the book before you see the movie!

 

The Apple Tart of Hope

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apple-tart-of-hopeThe Apple Tart of Hope is truly amazing. It really is a masterpiece. It is about two people, Meg and Oscar, who take turns writing about their lives after a terrible mistake Oscar made.

Sarah Moore Fitzgerald and her gentle way of flooding this book with emotion render the reader quite speechless.

I really think this deserves a 5 star, simply because, as the Telegraph says:

‘ This novel is gentle.. but it has hidden powers, too.’

This book simply MUST be read.