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catstead's reviews
50 reviews
Mirage by Somaiya Daud
I was so appreciative and surprised when I received a copy of Mirage on my doorstep courtesy of Hachette Australia. This is one of the only titles that I was really looking forward to once I had found out about it through blogs and bookstagram. This story was one that I knew I had to read as soon as I read the synopsis and I am really glad and grateful that I was given the opportunity. Mirage is part of a trilogy and I am expecting great things from it!
Mirage follows the story of Amani, kidnapped from her home and family, to be the identical body double for Maram, the feared princess of the Vath. As the story unfolds, we learn so much about Amani and her history and the lore of her people. The characters that come into contact with Amani learn more about themselves and I love that aspect of the book. Idris is the fiance of Maram, and I loved watching him develop as he learns about where he came from through stories and poetry. Reading their romance and their relationship was heartwarming (although a little bit too quick for my liking) was really nice. Amani reached out to him and taught him about his heritage and I thought that was a really lovely connection.
There was something some humbling about watching Amani grow as she spends her time in the royal palace, she is always poised and so incredibly intelligent. I loved the way she interacted with people and how she had started to change the princess Maram. There was nothing I didn’t like about her personality. Amani was just fantastic and I credit Somaiya Daud for creating such a strong and passionate female protagonist.
As soon as I started reading Mirage it immediately felt familiar, like I already knew the world and the characters and that they were always something I had known about. I have never felt that way about a book and it was so amazing to feel so connected to a fictional place. It was as if everything that happened in that story was ancient lore and I had been told about it but didn’t know the complete tale. Thank you so much Mirage for immersing me so much into a fantasy world. I loved everything about this book and I cannot wait to read the next!
Mirage follows the story of Amani, kidnapped from her home and family, to be the identical body double for Maram, the feared princess of the Vath. As the story unfolds, we learn so much about Amani and her history and the lore of her people. The characters that come into contact with Amani learn more about themselves and I love that aspect of the book. Idris is the fiance of Maram, and I loved watching him develop as he learns about where he came from through stories and poetry. Reading their romance and their relationship was heartwarming (although a little bit too quick for my liking) was really nice. Amani reached out to him and taught him about his heritage and I thought that was a really lovely connection.
There was something some humbling about watching Amani grow as she spends her time in the royal palace, she is always poised and so incredibly intelligent. I loved the way she interacted with people and how she had started to change the princess Maram. There was nothing I didn’t like about her personality. Amani was just fantastic and I credit Somaiya Daud for creating such a strong and passionate female protagonist.
As soon as I started reading Mirage it immediately felt familiar, like I already knew the world and the characters and that they were always something I had known about. I have never felt that way about a book and it was so amazing to feel so connected to a fictional place. It was as if everything that happened in that story was ancient lore and I had been told about it but didn’t know the complete tale. Thank you so much Mirage for immersing me so much into a fantasy world. I loved everything about this book and I cannot wait to read the next!
Broken Things by Lauren Oliver
4.0
Broken Things by Lauren Oliver is a perfectly crafted and written YA fiction thriller that had me turning page after page after page. It’s probably the quickest I have ever read a book! Broken Things is about Brynn and Mia and their journey to uncovering who murdered their best friend Summer five years prior. The girls were accused and investigated as the main suspects of Summers murder. To be honest I went through a range of emotions about Summer; anger, sadness, empathy and annoyance. I was really surprised with the ending!
The girls had created a fan fiction dedicated to their favourite novel The Way Into Lovelorn and eventually it felt like the lines between reality and fiction were starting to blur. I really enjoyed that this story was told from the two girls perspectives and alternate between past and present. I didn’t feel overly connected to the characters and none really stood out as the star, I really loved the way that the story was told. Definitely a thriller without too many thrills, so I found Broken Things incredibly enjoyable. .
Other books I’ve read and enjoyed similar to this - One of Us is Lying
The girls had created a fan fiction dedicated to their favourite novel The Way Into Lovelorn and eventually it felt like the lines between reality and fiction were starting to blur. I really enjoyed that this story was told from the two girls perspectives and alternate between past and present. I didn’t feel overly connected to the characters and none really stood out as the star, I really loved the way that the story was told. Definitely a thriller without too many thrills, so I found Broken Things incredibly enjoyable. .
Other books I’ve read and enjoyed similar to this - One of Us is Lying
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