book reviews – Playground of Randomness

Tag: book reviews

22
Feb
2019

Fiction Friday: Book Review- P.S I Still Love You by Jenny Han (To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before #2)

P.S. I Still Love You (To All the Boys I've Loved Before, #2)

P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lara Jean and Peter are finally really together and they are an absolutely ADORABLE couple. But Gen is still lurking in the picture. Peter swears that there is nothing between them but why does it seem like Gen is more a part of Lara Jean’s life now than before?
With the reappearance of John Ambrose, another one of the boys Lara Jean wrote love letters to, Lara Jean is forced to consider who she wants to be with.
This was a cute read however I was in a book slump and struggled to finish it. I also cannot forgive Peter for allowing Gen back into his life (I don’t care what the reason was).
This was a fun, light read that I strongly recommend to anyone who enjoys contemporary. There were several new colourful characters introduced which was highly entertaining. I especially enjoyed seeing the development of Lara Jean’s relationship with Peter and John Ambrose.

View all my reviews

18
Jun
2018

Book Review: Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo (Grishaverse #3)

categories: Books, Reviews

Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I feel like everyone and their mother knows how underwhelmed I was with the first two books in this series. All Alina did was be weak or run after Mal (please can we turn this series into a drinking game? Take a shot every time Alina calls out for Mal).
However this book was a work of art. This book showed me why I love Leigh Bardugo’s writing and you get to see the kind of incredible plot twists that are visible in the Six of Crows trilogy.
Following her (failed) attempt at battle with the Darkling, Alina is incredibly weakened and more or less trapped with her Sun Summoning cult.
It isn’t long before Alina breaks free in a desperate attempt to save Rafka. A part of me just wanted to bang my head against something because OMG, have we not done this before??? Like in the last book. And the book before that. Please go marry Mal and hide in a corner of the forest because there is no way you can beat the Darkling.
But I told my snarky side to shut up and I gave this book a chance and I am so glad I did. This book was mind-blowing. I feel like the series as a whole was pretty meh but this book was an explosive finale would just made everything okay. Read this book. Even if you have to skip books 1 and 2, its okay. This book is amazing and I 110% recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy (especially since King of Scars will be out soon!)

View all my reviews

23
Feb
2018

Fiction Friday: Expelled by James Patterson

categories: Books, Reviews

Expelled by James Patterson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This was the first James Patterson book I ever read and it was sadly underwhelming. Theo gets kicked out of school for something he didn’t do and is determined to figure out who framed him. His idea? To go around with a video camera, asking questions to other student until he finds proof that he’s been set up. This is a pretty odd idea- in real life, no one would admit to setting someone else up so I don’t know what was going on with that strange plot point.
This book was incredibly well-written with an intriguing mystery (which really made up for Theo’s ridiculous camera idea). I loved how everyone seemed to have something to hide. However while the mystery compelled me to read non-stop, the ending was pretty flat and predictable.

View all my reviews

27
Oct
2017

Fiction Friday- Book Review: The Divine Heart by Danielle R Mani

categories: Books, Reviews

The Divine Heart by Danielle R. Mani
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
“The Divine Heart” tells the story of Elle who is waiting for a heart transplant. When the operation does take place, Elle is left with unusual side-effects. Convinced that her donor is trying to tell her something, Elle decides to track her down. But on her journey to discover the truth, Elle realises that everyone around her seems to be hiding something and no one can be trusted.
This book was spooky and thrilling and I loved every second of it. I had my guesses about what was going on (they were mostly correct) but the ending was still surprising. I loved the character of Robbie as well as Elle’s (gorgeous) doctor. This book had me second-guessing everything and everyone.
“The Divine Heart” is a beautifully written, heart-wrenching book that I recommend to anyone who enjoys a mystery or paranormal fiction. This is a read that draw you in and grips you till the very last page.

View all my reviews

20
Oct
2017

Fiction Friday- Book Review: Shadow Faerie by Rachel Morgan (Creepy Hollow #8)

categories: Books, Reviews

Shadow Faerie by Rachel Morgan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Shadow Faerie deals with the aftermath of Emerson’s decision in “Glass Faerie”. She is now about to be engaged to a possibly evil prince in return for his help in curing her mother. But no matter how much Em wants Roarke to help her, she is determined to escape the Unseelie Court and cure her mother. Em is convinced that there is no way that the Unseelies can keep her forever but they seem to be several steps ahead of her. The Unseelies are a wonderfully dark lot and I loved and hated them in equal measure. They were dark and twisted but incredibly intelligent. I loved the character of Aurora and look forward to seeing more of her. I also enjoyed how this novel showed a completely different part of the Creepy Hollow world. We finally get to see the Unseelie court that is mentioned so often in the other books. I also enjoyed the many plot twists in this book. I had no idea what was going to happen which made trusting any and all of the characters difficult.
My favourite part of this novel was the ending- Rachel Morgan always has the best and worst cliffhangers in her books but this book has an ending that I can live with until the sequel releases.
This book was impossible to put down and has incredible world-building. I can’t wait to read the sequel (or more books set in the Unseelie Court). This is a must-read for all fans of fantasy.

View all my reviews

22
Sep
2017

Fiction Friday: The Law of Tall Girls by Joanne Macgregor

categories: Books, Reviews

The Law of Tall Girls by Joanne Macgregor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Peyton is a very tall girl who makes a bet that she can get a guy who is even taller than her to take her on three dates and the prom. However finding a guy who is taller than her, interesting and single turns out to be a challenge. The number one person on Peyton’s “Tall Guy” list is Jay. But while Jay is taller than Peyton, gorgeous and charming, he is also taken. But when Peyton and Jay are both cast as the leads in the school play (an adaptation of Romeo and Juliet), things might turn a turn in Peyton’s favor. If she can keep all her secrets locked safely away from Jay, that is.
The whole idea of a romance between characters playing Romeo and Juliet in their school play seemed incredibly cliched but Joanne Macgregor carries this out in a wonderfully real way. I loved seeing all the effort that went into the play and the romance happened naturally. Instead of the play driving the romance, both the play and the romance seemed to happen at the same time which was great. As a tall girl, I found this book difficult to get into at first. It just reminded me of my awkward teen years (which I honestly didn’t want to be reminded of now. I’m an adult now. Being tall doesn’t bother me anymore but reading this book brought back alot of those old feelings of inadequacy). However which I got through my tall girl issues, I devoured this book. I loved Peyton and Jay’s character and I loved that their families had such interesting backstories (especially since so few YA novels mention parents and other relatives). This book was funny, entertaining and dealt with real-life issues. I definitely recommend this book to fans of YA contemporary fiction.

View all my reviews

18
Aug
2017

Fiction Friday: Book Review- Firsts by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn

categories: Books, Reviews

Firsts by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Mercedes has an unusual after-school activity. She helps virgins learn how to have sex. Mercedes believes other girls should have the special first-time experience she never did and so she coaches their boyfriends. But Mercedes’ life is about to get more complicated. As she tries to stop her unique service, things don’t work out as planned and everything starts to spiral out of control.

I absolutely loved loved loved this book. It was so well-written and the characters are so well-developed. Mercedes seems like a foolish girl but it’s hard to not feel sympathy for her. I especially liked how sweet Zach was no matter how often she pushed him away. This book was a great coming-of-age novel and I will definitely be reading it again. I recommend this to all fans of YA and contemporary fiction.

View all my reviews

11
Aug
2017

Fiction Friday: Book Review- Shooting for the Stars (Gravity #3) by Sarina Bowen

categories: Books, Reviews

Shooting for the Stars by Sarina Bowen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Stella has had a crush on Bear for most of their childhood. However after he turned her down in high school, Stella has to content herself with just being his friend. Until one night when he has a crappy day and Stella is the one who comforts him (and somehow they end up in bed together). But any chance of a happy ever after is ruined when Stella finds out that her brother- and Bear’s best friend- has been badly injured in an accident.
I’ve read most of the Ivy Years series and I really enjoyed it. I love Sarina Bowen’s writing style and her characters. However this book seemed really filled with angst which kinda spoiled it for me. I did still enjoy it but I miss the lightness of the Ivy Years (maybe I should just go and finish the last few books in the series).
I loved the romance between Bear and Stella. I also loved the characters of Hank and Callie and will definitely be tracking down their story. This is a great read that I recommend to anyone who enjoys romance novels.

View all my reviews

14
Jul
2017

Fiction Friday: Book Review- Secrets of a Wedding Night by Valerie Bowman (Secret Brides #1)

categories: Books, Reviews

Secrets of a Wedding Night by Valerie Bowman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When Lily discovers that Devon, the man who broke her heart, is about to be engaged, she writes a pamphlet that is sure to make his spineless fiance call off their engagement. Devon is furious when her plan succeeds and vows to get his revenge by seducing Lily. The problem is that the connection between them hasn’t really diminished over the years and they both clearly still have feelings for each other.
At first the whole revenge plan seemed incredibly stupid to me. It seemed like a really weak plot device. However it is carried off really well in this book which surprised me. I found myself enjoying this book immensely. Devon and Lily have a very clear chemistry which I enjoyed reading about. I also loved the colourful and well-developed supporting characters. This is a series that I am definitely going to follow. This book was compelling and well-written. Fans of romance and historical fiction will definitely enjoy this book and I recommend it whole-heartedly.

View all my reviews

10
Jul
2017

Book Review: One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus

categories: Books, Reviews

One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley and took ages to read it because I thought it would let me down. I had built this book up in my head to be totally amazing and I was scared that it wouldn’t meet my expectations. Luckily, I was wrong. This book was enthralling and I could not stop reading it. I actually felt sad once it ended because I had grown so attached to the characters (Death does tend to bring people closer. Just read this book if you don’t believe me).
Five very different students end up in detention after a misunderstanding…and then one of them dies. Simon’s death is quick and very carefully planned. The question is who did it? Simon ran a gossip blog and was not very well-liked. Anyone could have killed him. Unfortunately for the other student’s who were in detention with Simon, he knew secrets about them that he had planned to reveal the very next day.
This book should be called “All of Us are Lying” because everyone here has secrets which makes for an incredible story with several plot twists. This is a well-written book with characters that you can’t help but feel sorry for.
The ending was pretty obvious to me but it didn’t make it any less shocking. This was a beautiful, gripping read and I DEMAND THAT EVERYONE READS IT. EVERYONE!!!I don’t care who you are or what your reading preferences are. Just read this book. I promise you won’t regret it.

View all my reviews