Five Survive by Holly Jackson [BOOK REVIEW]

June 18, 2023June 18, 2023 innah96Leave a comment

Going into “Five Survive” by Holly Jackson, I didn’t know what to expect, but I ended up enjoying the story so much. This is my second Holly Jackson book, “A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder” being the first one, a book I devoured! Five Survive was different because I listened to the audiobook, but Holly Jackson’s writing was still incredible.

There is something very odd about driving to work and listening to a story about six teenagers going on a road trip in their RV, and they’re suddenly being held at gunpoint. But this is the kind of atmosphere that excites me, and I can proudly say I enjoyed my eventful drives to work. There is an interesting, psychological game in the story. You take six characters that know each other or are related to one another, and you threaten to kill them. Unless one of them gives you a secret. And then you let time pass by and you’ve got yourself a social experiment and an incredibly intriguing story for a book.

Pages: 391

Genre: YA Mystery, YA Thriller

Publisher: Electric Monkey

Format I read it in: Paperback

Rating: ★★★★

Thoughts:

It’s that suspense of people breaking under pressure, revealing their deepest secrets and doing incredibly brave and reckless things in order to rescue the situation. All common sense goes out the window and only the survival mode is unlocked. The author has perfectly described the chaos that ensues in this vehicle in the duration of a few hours, all whilst giving every character a background story deep enough so we stay invested. Even though all the characters are equally important and have their own stories, I feel like Red stood out to me. I cared for her just a little bit more and felt for her. I also had chosen my villain in the story, and although I won’t reveal any names, I really wanted to slap this person and I am glad how that story wrapped up in the end.

In terms of the plot twists and reveals, I knew which person’s secret would be the one that matters, but I could not have predicted the other twists at all. Once some clues were revealed, (bad time for a knock, knock joke?) I could guess the majority of the rest, but I wouldn’t have figured it out on my own. If you want to read a fast-paced “escape-room-esque” YA mystery, “Five Survive” is a great place to start.

About The Author:

Holly Jackson was born in 1992. She grew up in Buckinghamshire and started writing stories from a young age, completing her first (poor) attempt at a book aged fifteen.

‘A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder’ is a YA Mystery Thriller and her debut novel. She lives in London and aside from reading and writing, she enjoys binge-playing video games and pointing out grammatical errors in street signs.

His Runaway Marchioness Returns by Marguerite Kaye [BOOK REVIEW]

June 15, 2023June 15, 2023 innah96Leave a comment

On the lookout for historical romance, one particularly set in the Victorian era? Read “His Runaway Marchioness Returns” by Marguerite Kaye.

I am extremely grateful to have received a signed copy of this book by the author herself. Not only that, but she also included a gift made by her own fair hands and I love keeping all my pens and pencils there. If you’re not familiar with Marguerite Kaye, she has written a lot of historical romances and her most recent book aside this one is her collaboration with Sarah Ferguson for the Buccleuch Family series, with “Her Heart for a Compass” and “A Most Intriguing Lady”, a book I still need to read myself.

Synopsis:

From convenient marriage…

To inconvenient attraction!

Industrialist Oliver—the new Marquess of Rashfield—has become Society’s most eligible bachelor. The problem is he’s already married! Honourable Oliver conveniently wed his best friend’s sister Lily years ago, but since then they’ve built separate, fulfilling lives. Now Lily has returned for a long-overdue divorce, but Oliver needs his Marchioness until he secures his inheritance. They’ve never shared a house… sparks are sure to fly!

Pages: 368

Genre: Romance, Historical Romance

Publisher: Harlequin Historical

Format I read it in: Paperback

Rating: ★★★

Thoughts:

The story of Oliver and Lily is very tranquil and unproblematic. They have their past of already having an arranged marriage and Oliver’s situation regarding his inheritance is proving difficult, so they’ve come under the conclusion to marry again. With the new marriage comes a lot of introductions and parties, something I greatly enjoyed while reading the book. Lily’s life in Paris was an interesting change in scenery. I loved her love for theatre and fighting for the performers’ rights.

It was very well flagged, how taboo it is for a woman to be in such an industry and profession and how ill perceived it was at the time – almost always associated with a bad reputation. I liked that Oliver’s views were modern regarding this topic as well as his views on his farms and how business should be run to benefit the workers. What I fear is that this wasn’t really the case. Usually at this time workers had to protest to get their say and it wasn’t always down to a good Marquess that changed the status quo.

I enjoyed Lily and Oliver’s romance. It was a slow burner at first, and then a case of not letting their true feelings show. Both tropes that I quite enjoy in a romance. It’s certainly one of those books you take with you to escape reality for a moment. My only reason for marking it a bit lower is that it’s not as memorable as other similar books I’ve read and I fear it will soon get lost with the other historical romances.

About The Author:

Marguerite Kaye is a prolific historical romance author hailing from Argyll’s West Coast. She is a voracious consumer of books, Scotland’s world-class larder, and the occasional cocktail.

Find out more on her website at www.margueritekaye.com

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Book Review · Books

Poisoned by Jennifer Donnelly [BOOK REVIEW]

June 10, 2023June 10, 2023 innah96Leave a comment

After reading “The Stepsister” by Jennifer Donnelly, I was keen to start “Poisoned” and read Snow White’s reteiling, but I wasn’t impressed.

Synopsis:

Once upon a time, a girl named Sophie rode into the forest with the queen’s huntsman. Her lips were the color of ripe cherries, her skin as soft as new-fallen snow, her hair as dark as midnight. When they stopped to rest, the huntsman pulled out his knife… and took Sophie’s heart.

It shouldn’t have come as a surprise. Sophie had heard the rumors, the whispers. They said she was too kind and foolish to rule – a waste of a princess. A disaster of a future queen. And Sophie believed them. She believed everything she’d heard about herself, the poisonous words people use to keep girls like Sophie from becoming too powerful, too strong…

With the help of seven mysterious strangers, Sophie manages to survive. But when she realizes that the jealous queen might not be to blame, Sophie must find the courage to face an even more terrifying enemy, proving that even the darkest magic can’t extinguish the fire burning inside every girl, and that kindness is the ultimate form of strength.

Pages: 410

Genre: Fantasy, Retelling, Romance, Young Adult

Publisher: Hot Key Books

Format I read it in: Paperback

Rating: ★★★

Thoughts:

Sophie, the main character, has a heart of gold that we instantly see. Then, the huntsman actually stabs her and takes her heart, leaving her dying in the forest. The lovely seven men in the house in the woods help her stay alive by building her a clockwork heart. This is probably the only things different compared to the Snow White story, aside for the King of Crows part.

For me, it felt like reading the original story again and that wasn’t why I picked this book up.

In “The Stepsister” , although it’s the Cinderella retelling, it was all about the stepsister and the author had the freedom to create her own story. However, here, Sophie just followed the trope of the original Snow White tale. I liked the metaphor of the heart – people losing their will, and their faith in the kingdom ruled by a ruthless queen. The metaphor of their freedom being taken away when ruling by fear is implemented.

I enjoyed Snow White losing her heart and then going on the adventure to find it. Although, I have to admit, I didn’t enjoy the part about the King of Crows and his connection to the queen. In the end, it felt like everything the queen had done was because she was forced to do it. This ended up making her not the true villain and having no responsibility nor accountability. What about all those people in the kingdom that suffered from her ruthless hands?

That being said, I liked the revelation of how the people in the kingdom lived. The promise of a better tomorrow with a queen that actually cares about her people. I also enjoyed the romance that wasn’t actually the main point in the story or a crucial element in the book plot. It was one of those cute side plots that kept me interested.

In the end, a bad taste in my mouth still stays with me after reading the book. There wasn’t a lot of originality and after I finished it, it felt like I finished Snow White, not a retelling.

About The Author:

Jennifer Donnelly is an American writer of young adult fiction best known for the historical novel A Northern Light. A Northern Light was published as A Gathering Light in the U.K. There, it won the 2003 Carnegie Medal, recognizing the year’s outstanding children’s book.

She lives in London and her debut novel, No Life for a Lady, will be published in Spring 2023.

Website