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theromantasynerd's Reviews (82)
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
đž âDaughter of the Moon Goddessâ is a captivating fantasy and the first book of a the Celestial Kingdom Duology written by debut author Sue Lynn Tan. Iâve been obsessed with Asian and Chinese mythology inspired fantasies lately, so this new release was on top of my most anticipated releases list!
đž It is inspired by the legend of the Chinese moon goddess, Changâe , in which a young womanâs quest to free her mother pits her against the most powerful immortal in the realm and sets her on a dangerous pathâwhere choices come with deadly consequences, and she risks losing more than her heart.
Daughter of the Moon Goddess begins an enchanting, romantic duology which weaves ancient Chinese mythology into a sweeping adventure of immortals and magic, of loss and sacrificeâwhere love vies with honor, dreams are fraught with betrayal, and hope emerges triumphant.
đž The plot does seem very similar to that of âStar Daughterâ by Shveta Thakrar⊠yet I am super intrigued to read this book! Thanks to Nadia for her amazing posts that tempted me into reading this book on kindle without waiting for my hardcopy to arrive đ⊠plus the setting and the hot chocolate were too fitting for me not to pick this book up tonight.
--------------------------------
đ âSome scars are carved into our bones âa part of who we are, shaping what we become.â
đ You know that an author has done a great job when you lose yourself in the fantasy world created by them and thatâs exactly what happened with me while reading âDaughter of the Moon Goddessâ by Sue Lynn Tan!
đ Synopsis :
A breath-taking debut fantasy and the first book of the Celestial Kingdom Duology, inspired by the legend of the Chinese Moon Goddess, Changâe.
Xingyin is the daughter of the Moon Goddess who escapes from her mother's home when her existence is discovered and starts to make her own way in the Celestial Kingdom, hiding the truth of who she is from everyone. She makes her way through the treacherous grounds of the Celestial Palace with its never ending intrigues, antics, and resentments. She encounters bullying and mistreatment, but also the draw and excitement of love.
We follow her as she journeys through the Celestial Kingdoms of immortals to discover her hidden powers and find a way to free her mother from her imprisonment.
đ Review :
To say that the world building was stunning is an understatement! Sue Lynn Tan has brought the scenes alive with her beautiful prose. The language is lyrical, beautifully flowing throughout.
Xingyin is a solid female protagonist and an incredible narrator. She's honorable, strong-willed, brave and smart.
Thereâs a harmonious blend of legends and mythology in this book. It has many common tropes like "MC with hidden powers", "Forbidden Romance", "Love Triangle", but they are well integrated with the main plot.
There's also some political drama happening in the background and to top it all off, this book has Demons and Dragons!
If youâre looking for an immersive high fantasy full of magic, romance and adventure, go for this book! I canât wait for the sequel đ.
-------------------------------
*UPDATE*
I recently re-read this book.
đ I have already put up a review of this book. I love YA fantasies inspired by East Asian mythology or legends, and I enjoyed reading about the legend of the moon goddess, Chanâge. The plot is undeniably captivating, the setting is whimsical and the book feels like pure escapism. Sue Lynn Tan has meticulously painted each scene in absolute detail with her beautiful words.
Thereâs loads of action in this book as well, so this oneâs the perfect pick for someone who enjoys that in fantasy books.
đ However, re-reading this book brought to my attention a few things that I had earlier missed. For starters, the writing seems a little childish for YA, but thatâs not too bad, because itâs smut-free so, even young readers can read and enjoy this book. The male MCs lacked dimension imo. The book skips a lot of time in a mere sentence, without any elaboration on the same and the dialogues seem pretty much the same for all characters whether it be the Emperor, an army general, a servant or a Prince. But I can forgive those cons for the sake of the riveting plot. I hope the author works on them and we get to see more of those cool dragons in the sequel, âThe Heart of the Sun Warriorâ, which releases in November this year.
đž It is inspired by the legend of the Chinese moon goddess, Changâe , in which a young womanâs quest to free her mother pits her against the most powerful immortal in the realm and sets her on a dangerous pathâwhere choices come with deadly consequences, and she risks losing more than her heart.
Daughter of the Moon Goddess begins an enchanting, romantic duology which weaves ancient Chinese mythology into a sweeping adventure of immortals and magic, of loss and sacrificeâwhere love vies with honor, dreams are fraught with betrayal, and hope emerges triumphant.
đž The plot does seem very similar to that of âStar Daughterâ by Shveta Thakrar⊠yet I am super intrigued to read this book! Thanks to Nadia for her amazing posts that tempted me into reading this book on kindle without waiting for my hardcopy to arrive đ⊠plus the setting and the hot chocolate were too fitting for me not to pick this book up tonight.
--------------------------------
đ âSome scars are carved into our bones âa part of who we are, shaping what we become.â
đ You know that an author has done a great job when you lose yourself in the fantasy world created by them and thatâs exactly what happened with me while reading âDaughter of the Moon Goddessâ by Sue Lynn Tan!
đ Synopsis :
A breath-taking debut fantasy and the first book of the Celestial Kingdom Duology, inspired by the legend of the Chinese Moon Goddess, Changâe.
Xingyin is the daughter of the Moon Goddess who escapes from her mother's home when her existence is discovered and starts to make her own way in the Celestial Kingdom, hiding the truth of who she is from everyone. She makes her way through the treacherous grounds of the Celestial Palace with its never ending intrigues, antics, and resentments. She encounters bullying and mistreatment, but also the draw and excitement of love.
We follow her as she journeys through the Celestial Kingdoms of immortals to discover her hidden powers and find a way to free her mother from her imprisonment.
đ Review :
To say that the world building was stunning is an understatement! Sue Lynn Tan has brought the scenes alive with her beautiful prose. The language is lyrical, beautifully flowing throughout.
Xingyin is a solid female protagonist and an incredible narrator. She's honorable, strong-willed, brave and smart.
Thereâs a harmonious blend of legends and mythology in this book. It has many common tropes like "MC with hidden powers", "Forbidden Romance", "Love Triangle", but they are well integrated with the main plot.
There's also some political drama happening in the background and to top it all off, this book has Demons and Dragons!
If youâre looking for an immersive high fantasy full of magic, romance and adventure, go for this book! I canât wait for the sequel đ.
-------------------------------
*UPDATE*
I recently re-read this book.
đ I have already put up a review of this book. I love YA fantasies inspired by East Asian mythology or legends, and I enjoyed reading about the legend of the moon goddess, Chanâge. The plot is undeniably captivating, the setting is whimsical and the book feels like pure escapism. Sue Lynn Tan has meticulously painted each scene in absolute detail with her beautiful words.
Thereâs loads of action in this book as well, so this oneâs the perfect pick for someone who enjoys that in fantasy books.
đ However, re-reading this book brought to my attention a few things that I had earlier missed. For starters, the writing seems a little childish for YA, but thatâs not too bad, because itâs smut-free so, even young readers can read and enjoy this book. The male MCs lacked dimension imo. The book skips a lot of time in a mere sentence, without any elaboration on the same and the dialogues seem pretty much the same for all characters whether it be the Emperor, an army general, a servant or a Prince. But I can forgive those cons for the sake of the riveting plot. I hope the author works on them and we get to see more of those cool dragons in the sequel, âThe Heart of the Sun Warriorâ, which releases in November this year.
đ First thingâs first. Can we please take a moment to praise the name of this book! âThey Both Die at the Endâ - the name itself gives away the tragic climax of the story⊠we know the protagonists are gonna die at the end of the story, the story is gonna be heartbreaking and youâre gonna end up in tears after reading it, yet thereâs something so intriguing about the name that you canât help yourself from picking up this book.
âThey Both Die in the Endâ is a story of loss, hope, and the redeeming power of friendship, written by one of my favourite Contemporary YA authors, Adam Silvera.
đ Summary:
A technology has been developed so that Death-Cast can call people up and inform them that they have only about 24 hours before they die. And itâs NEVER wrong.
One day, a little after midnight, two teenagers, Mateo and Rufus receive the dreaded call from Death-Cast. Mateo and Rufus are total strangers, but, for different reasons, theyâre both looking to make a new friend on their End Day. Using an app called Last Friend (which is able to pair you with someone who knows itâs their last day), they meet each other for the first time, for one last great adventureâto live a lifetime in a single day. Their relationship grows as they learn more about one another, and how their stories end will completely shatter you.
đReview: This book swallowed me up completely! Mateo is shy and has more to him than meets his own eyes. The hardened Rufus finds out he is actually a good guy, who has just made some bad choices. The pair find some solace and peace in each otherâs company before they die. Mateo is the purest soul and he finally manages to live his life after years of hiding away. Rufus gets a chance to confront his past and live his dreams with Mateo. They bring out the best in one another and theyâve only got hours together đą.
I love Adamâs writing style and despite these heavy thoughts the book is quite uplifting and comforting.
âThey Both Die in the Endâ is a story of loss, hope, and the redeeming power of friendship, written by one of my favourite Contemporary YA authors, Adam Silvera.
đ Summary:
A technology has been developed so that Death-Cast can call people up and inform them that they have only about 24 hours before they die. And itâs NEVER wrong.
One day, a little after midnight, two teenagers, Mateo and Rufus receive the dreaded call from Death-Cast. Mateo and Rufus are total strangers, but, for different reasons, theyâre both looking to make a new friend on their End Day. Using an app called Last Friend (which is able to pair you with someone who knows itâs their last day), they meet each other for the first time, for one last great adventureâto live a lifetime in a single day. Their relationship grows as they learn more about one another, and how their stories end will completely shatter you.
đReview: This book swallowed me up completely! Mateo is shy and has more to him than meets his own eyes. The hardened Rufus finds out he is actually a good guy, who has just made some bad choices. The pair find some solace and peace in each otherâs company before they die. Mateo is the purest soul and he finally manages to live his life after years of hiding away. Rufus gets a chance to confront his past and live his dreams with Mateo. They bring out the best in one another and theyâve only got hours together đą.
I love Adamâs writing style and despite these heavy thoughts the book is quite uplifting and comforting.
âTwo Can Keep a Secretâ by Karen M. McManus đ€«
đ¶ Got a secret
Can you keep it?
Swear, this one you'll save
Better lock it in your pocket
Takin' this one to the grave
If I show you, then I know you
Won't tell what I said
'Cause TWO CAN KEEP A SECRET
IF ONE OF THEM IS DEAD đ¶
(Iâve loved this song ever since I heard it on PLL)
đ” Summary:
âTwo dead Homecoming Queens. Five years later, is the killer back?â
A perfect town is hiding secrets. Secrets that somebody would kill to keep hidden.
Echo Ridge is the town where Elleryâs aunt went missing at age sixteen, never to return. Where a Homecoming Queen's murder five years ago made national news (who had been in the same year as Elleryâs aunt). And now Ellery has to live there.
Malcolmâs older brother (who was also the Homecoming Queenâs boyfriend) was the prime suspect and left Echo Ridge in disgrace. But now he's back - just as mysterious threats appear around town, hinting that a killer will strike again.
Then another girl disappears. Ellery and Malcolm must race to unravel what happened before itâs too late.
đ” Review:
I canât give too many deets without spoiling the book for you đ . The book has two POVs of Ellery and Malcolm and the itâs pretty fast-paced. The writing is awesome and makes you rack your brains. You'll keep trying to guess who the murderer is but you'll never be able to guess correctly. It was so unexpected! This book makes you change your mind at the end of every page and when you finally reach the part of the âgreat revelationâ, you'll be horrorstruck!
The last line gave me the chills đ„¶ and I'm glad I didn't finish it late at night (*shudder*). The characters were awesome and it was really hard to guess the culprit.
@writerkmc is one of my favorite authors of the YA thriller genre. Her books are extremely intriguing and they have that high-school crime thriller/mystery teen drama TV show vibe (makes sense? đ). Small-town murder mysteries are her forte and sheâs been doing an incredible job at it.
đ¶ Got a secret
Can you keep it?
Swear, this one you'll save
Better lock it in your pocket
Takin' this one to the grave
If I show you, then I know you
Won't tell what I said
'Cause TWO CAN KEEP A SECRET
IF ONE OF THEM IS DEAD đ¶
(Iâve loved this song ever since I heard it on PLL)
đ” Summary:
âTwo dead Homecoming Queens. Five years later, is the killer back?â
A perfect town is hiding secrets. Secrets that somebody would kill to keep hidden.
Echo Ridge is the town where Elleryâs aunt went missing at age sixteen, never to return. Where a Homecoming Queen's murder five years ago made national news (who had been in the same year as Elleryâs aunt). And now Ellery has to live there.
Malcolmâs older brother (who was also the Homecoming Queenâs boyfriend) was the prime suspect and left Echo Ridge in disgrace. But now he's back - just as mysterious threats appear around town, hinting that a killer will strike again.
Then another girl disappears. Ellery and Malcolm must race to unravel what happened before itâs too late.
đ” Review:
I canât give too many deets without spoiling the book for you đ . The book has two POVs of Ellery and Malcolm and the itâs pretty fast-paced. The writing is awesome and makes you rack your brains. You'll keep trying to guess who the murderer is but you'll never be able to guess correctly. It was so unexpected! This book makes you change your mind at the end of every page and when you finally reach the part of the âgreat revelationâ, you'll be horrorstruck!
The last line gave me the chills đ„¶ and I'm glad I didn't finish it late at night (*shudder*). The characters were awesome and it was really hard to guess the culprit.
@writerkmc is one of my favorite authors of the YA thriller genre. Her books are extremely intriguing and they have that high-school crime thriller/mystery teen drama TV show vibe (makes sense? đ). Small-town murder mysteries are her forte and sheâs been doing an incredible job at it.
A book that inspires you to accept yourself as you are and be confident in your skin.
âDumplinââ by Julie Murphy is a contemporary YA coming-of-age story that follows Willowdean (nicknamed "Dumplinâ" by her mother), a plus-size teenager who has always felt comfortable with her body and herself. She doesn't care that her mother was a teen beauty queen or that people have poked fun at her weight. However, all of this changes when she meets Bo, a handsome teenage boy her age that has expressed interest in dating her. Suddenly Will is full of insecurities and can't bring herself to date him out of fear of what others would think and say. In order to prove to her self-worth, Will decides to enter and win the Miss Teen Blue Bonnet Pageant.
I thought the writing was amazing, it was snarky with a great use of vernacular that gave a very Texas vibe to the setting. Willâs character was brought to life through the amazing writing, she was super confident but relatable at the same time. You see her confidence shaken at some instances and she starts second-guessing herself which was quite realistic. For once, the main character isnât that stereotypical blonde, beautiful with striking eyes. By participating in this Beauty Pageant, Will wants to show that sheâs as beautiful as the skinny or average girl even though she may be bigger. Her snarky and sassy character is just so empowering!
Her relationship with Bo and how it made her second guess herself was also intriguing to read. The book is pretty fast-paced; you get to see whatâs inside of Willâs mind and her considering how other people see her. I love the message of the book and I feel itâs so important to have it in YA fiction because it encourages you to be confident in yourself and thatâs what makes you beautiful! đ€
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I was quite surprised by it. This book has also been adapted into a movie, so you could check that out too.
âDumplinââ by Julie Murphy is a contemporary YA coming-of-age story that follows Willowdean (nicknamed "Dumplinâ" by her mother), a plus-size teenager who has always felt comfortable with her body and herself. She doesn't care that her mother was a teen beauty queen or that people have poked fun at her weight. However, all of this changes when she meets Bo, a handsome teenage boy her age that has expressed interest in dating her. Suddenly Will is full of insecurities and can't bring herself to date him out of fear of what others would think and say. In order to prove to her self-worth, Will decides to enter and win the Miss Teen Blue Bonnet Pageant.
I thought the writing was amazing, it was snarky with a great use of vernacular that gave a very Texas vibe to the setting. Willâs character was brought to life through the amazing writing, she was super confident but relatable at the same time. You see her confidence shaken at some instances and she starts second-guessing herself which was quite realistic. For once, the main character isnât that stereotypical blonde, beautiful with striking eyes. By participating in this Beauty Pageant, Will wants to show that sheâs as beautiful as the skinny or average girl even though she may be bigger. Her snarky and sassy character is just so empowering!
Her relationship with Bo and how it made her second guess herself was also intriguing to read. The book is pretty fast-paced; you get to see whatâs inside of Willâs mind and her considering how other people see her. I love the message of the book and I feel itâs so important to have it in YA fiction because it encourages you to be confident in yourself and thatâs what makes you beautiful! đ€
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I was quite surprised by it. This book has also been adapted into a movie, so you could check that out too.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
One of my all-time favorite YA fantasy books is âSix of Crowsâ by the amazing Leigh Bardugo. Itâs based on a fantasy heist which is such a fresh concept. Bardugo describes it as the high-fantasy world of Grisha meets âOceanâs 11â. This is something that fans of the hit @netflix series, âMoney Heistâ will definitely enjoy. Leigh Bardugoâs writing and character development is truly out of this world! If you havenât read this one yet, add it to your TBR right the hell now!
adventurous
fast-paced
The adventures of this young and witty reporter, his trusted canine companion Snowy and the âblistering barnaclesâ moments of the cynical Captain Haddock make for the best childhood experience. Not to forget the intelligent but hearing-impaired Professor Calculus, incompetent detectives Thomson and Thompson, and the opera diva Bianca Castafiore. Undoubtedly, Tin Tinâs adventures became veritable study lessons of geography for entire generations đ!
Hergé sketched magic into his cartoons and unbelievable storytelling⊠which continues to fascinate young readers around the globe.
Hergé sketched magic into his cartoons and unbelievable storytelling⊠which continues to fascinate young readers around the globe.
This is a light and refreshing read written by the amazing Rachel Hawkins. Itâs fun and silly and definitely meant for a younger target audience.
Itâs set amidst a royal marriage between an almost-perfect Floridian girl and the Crown Prince of Scotland. But⊠they arenât the main characters of this deliciously royal romance. Daisy Winters is an offbeat sixteen-year-old whose older sister, Ellie, gets engaged to Scotlandâs Crown Prince Alex. Daisy has no desire to live in the spotlight, but relentless tabloid attention forces her to move to the seclusion of the castle across the pond.
The Princeâs rogue younger brother, Sebastian, is appointed to teach Daisy the ropes of being regal who kicks up scandal wherever he goes, and tries his best to take Daisy along for the ride. However, Prince Sebastian isnât Daisyâs love interest. Itâs the dashing, young MilesâSebastianâs best friendâwho Daisy develops the romantic connection with. It is a slow-burn romance and a combination of the YA enemies-to-lovers trope and the fake dating trope. The crown and the intriguing Miles might be trying to make Daisy into a lady, but Daisy may just rewrite the royal rulebook to suit herself! Daisy is an incredible narrator. She is witty, funny, and points out the backward ways of royalty any chance she gets. She calls out the royal familiesâ antics constantly, and as a result, isnât well-liked in the high society she is forced to become a part of.
This book definitely has the royal misfit vibe of the âPrincess Diariesâ and it reminded me of âThe Royal Weâ by Heather Cocks to a great extent. I wouldnât say I was mind-blown by it but this is a fun âpalate-cleanserâ which you need in between heavier reads - when youâre reading a high-fantasy series and youâre just bored of all the contemplation, betrayal and characteristic drama, you just need something exactly like this to keep you going.
Itâs set amidst a royal marriage between an almost-perfect Floridian girl and the Crown Prince of Scotland. But⊠they arenât the main characters of this deliciously royal romance. Daisy Winters is an offbeat sixteen-year-old whose older sister, Ellie, gets engaged to Scotlandâs Crown Prince Alex. Daisy has no desire to live in the spotlight, but relentless tabloid attention forces her to move to the seclusion of the castle across the pond.
The Princeâs rogue younger brother, Sebastian, is appointed to teach Daisy the ropes of being regal who kicks up scandal wherever he goes, and tries his best to take Daisy along for the ride. However, Prince Sebastian isnât Daisyâs love interest. Itâs the dashing, young MilesâSebastianâs best friendâwho Daisy develops the romantic connection with. It is a slow-burn romance and a combination of the YA enemies-to-lovers trope and the fake dating trope. The crown and the intriguing Miles might be trying to make Daisy into a lady, but Daisy may just rewrite the royal rulebook to suit herself! Daisy is an incredible narrator. She is witty, funny, and points out the backward ways of royalty any chance she gets. She calls out the royal familiesâ antics constantly, and as a result, isnât well-liked in the high society she is forced to become a part of.
This book definitely has the royal misfit vibe of the âPrincess Diariesâ and it reminded me of âThe Royal Weâ by Heather Cocks to a great extent. I wouldnât say I was mind-blown by it but this is a fun âpalate-cleanserâ which you need in between heavier reads - when youâre reading a high-fantasy series and youâre just bored of all the contemplation, betrayal and characteristic drama, you just need something exactly like this to keep you going.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
My favorite YA Fantasy Series â€ïž! AhâŠIâve been wanting to review it for the longest time now.
âThe Folk of the Air Trilogyâ by Holly Black follows Jude Duarte, a mortal girl who strives to find her place amongst the magical Fey. Unlike her twin-sister Taryn, who aspires to ascend the ranks by marrying a nobleman, Jude wants to make her own place in the High Court of Faerie as a member of the Royal Guard. But she soon realizes that in order to survive she needs to be as cunning and deceitful as the Fey themselves and that the stairway to power is fraught with shadows and betrayal.
This series is such a refreshing read after all those boring and overused plot lines based on the âchosen oneâ. This is nothing like it, Jude isnât âspecialâ by any means, yet she is smart and adamant enough to struggle and make her presence felt. Donât be deceived by the childish names of the books - âThe Cruel Princeâ, âThe Wicked Kingâ and âQueen of Nothingâ - thereâs magic, love, betrayal, scheming and conspiracy running deep through the pages of this series.
The writing is AMAZING! Itâs a first-person narrative from the POV of the protagonist, Jude, yet you never get to know whatâs going on in her mind! Jude keeps telling you what she feels and what sheâs thinking at the moment. You think youâve got it and then she surprises you with a move you never saw coming. The innumerable unpredictable twists in this series are bound to leave you awestruck.
Another reason why I love this series is that this breaks the stigma that fantasy books are unnecessarily long. Each book in this series is only about 350 pages long and there are only 3 books here, yet thereâs so much going on that the storyline is no less than that of a saga!
âThe Folk of the Air Trilogyâ by Holly Black follows Jude Duarte, a mortal girl who strives to find her place amongst the magical Fey. Unlike her twin-sister Taryn, who aspires to ascend the ranks by marrying a nobleman, Jude wants to make her own place in the High Court of Faerie as a member of the Royal Guard. But she soon realizes that in order to survive she needs to be as cunning and deceitful as the Fey themselves and that the stairway to power is fraught with shadows and betrayal.
This series is such a refreshing read after all those boring and overused plot lines based on the âchosen oneâ. This is nothing like it, Jude isnât âspecialâ by any means, yet she is smart and adamant enough to struggle and make her presence felt. Donât be deceived by the childish names of the books - âThe Cruel Princeâ, âThe Wicked Kingâ and âQueen of Nothingâ - thereâs magic, love, betrayal, scheming and conspiracy running deep through the pages of this series.
The writing is AMAZING! Itâs a first-person narrative from the POV of the protagonist, Jude, yet you never get to know whatâs going on in her mind! Jude keeps telling you what she feels and what sheâs thinking at the moment. You think youâve got it and then she surprises you with a move you never saw coming. The innumerable unpredictable twists in this series are bound to leave you awestruck.
Another reason why I love this series is that this breaks the stigma that fantasy books are unnecessarily long. Each book in this series is only about 350 pages long and there are only 3 books here, yet thereâs so much going on that the storyline is no less than that of a saga!
No one is born evil; it is the situations that make them so. âHeartlessâ, written by the undisputed queen of retellings, Marissa Meyer, provides a never-before-seen vision of Wonderland, narrating the untold story of the girl who would become the notorious Queen of Hearts. Fans of the classic favorite and the most remarkable piece of nonsense literature, âAliceâs Adventures in Wonderlandâ by Lewis Carrol might know the Queen of Hearts as an evil villain. This book serves as a prequel to this classic exploring how an innocent girl became a murderous madwoman. Before Alice, before the trial, before the roses were painted red and long before she was the terror of Wonderlandâthe infamous Queen of Heartsâshe was just a girl who wanted to fall in love.
Catherine was a young, beautiful girl dreaming of owning a bakery and falling in love for the first time. All her love, concentration and hope are in this bakery and Jest, the handsome and mysterious court joker who suddenly appears into her life. The last thing she wants, and everyone seems to be pushing her to be, is to sit on the throne and become the Queen of Hearts.
You know how the story is going to end before it even begins, which makes for a unique experience. Marissa Meyer has created a different yet familiar Wonderland, that still holds that cheeky, goofy, magical and absurd nature invented by Carrol back in the 1800's.
The writing style and the eccentric characters make this an interesting and heartbreaking take on the classic. Read this book and you will never look at the vicious Queen of Hearts the same way again. If youâre a fan of Carrolâs classic, or if youâre someone who doesnât want to invest in a series and is looking for a quick, refreshing fantasy stand-alone novel, you couldnât get a better book. This book reminds me of âMaleficentâ and some of Shakespeareâs characters whose circumstances made them choose the path of malice. Do you sympathise with such characters or hate them nevertheless?
Catherine was a young, beautiful girl dreaming of owning a bakery and falling in love for the first time. All her love, concentration and hope are in this bakery and Jest, the handsome and mysterious court joker who suddenly appears into her life. The last thing she wants, and everyone seems to be pushing her to be, is to sit on the throne and become the Queen of Hearts.
You know how the story is going to end before it even begins, which makes for a unique experience. Marissa Meyer has created a different yet familiar Wonderland, that still holds that cheeky, goofy, magical and absurd nature invented by Carrol back in the 1800's.
The writing style and the eccentric characters make this an interesting and heartbreaking take on the classic. Read this book and you will never look at the vicious Queen of Hearts the same way again. If youâre a fan of Carrolâs classic, or if youâre someone who doesnât want to invest in a series and is looking for a quick, refreshing fantasy stand-alone novel, you couldnât get a better book. This book reminds me of âMaleficentâ and some of Shakespeareâs characters whose circumstances made them choose the path of malice. Do you sympathise with such characters or hate them nevertheless?
The first ever YA novel written by the legendary Romance author, Rainbow Rowell and a heart-tugging read. Set in the late 1980âs âEleanor & Parkâ is a touching coming of age love story between two star-crossed misfits living in Omaha, Nebraska.
Eleanor is the new girl in town and her wild red hair and patchwork outfits are not helping her blend in. She ends up sitting next to Park on the bus, whose tendencies towards comic books and rock music of the 80âs donât jibe with the rest of his familyâs love of sports. They sit in awkward silence every day until Park notices that Eleanor is reading his comics over his shoulder; he begins to slide them closer to her side of the seat and thus begins their love story. Their relationship grows gradually - making each other music tapes and discussing X-Men characters - until they both find themselves looking forward to the bus ride more than any other part of the day. Things arenât easy and their worlds couldnât be more different. Eleanor is bullied at school, has had a difficult upbringing and a tumultuous home life. The coupleâs personal battles are also dark mirror images. Park struggles with the realities of falling for the school outcast and clashes with his father over the definition of manhood. Eleanorâs fight is much more external, learning to trust her feelings about Park and navigating the sexual threat in her abusive and controlling step-father, Richieâs watchful gaze. In rapidly alternating narrative voices, Eleanor and Park try to express their all-consuming love.
The books deals with a lot of dark themes and had a very authentic feel to me. Not all books have to be fun and pleasant and have happy endings. Life is often more complicated than that. When Eleanor meets Park, you'll remember your own first love and just how hard it pulled you under. So make sure you check out this book before you return to school after the holiday season. It isnât the mushy high-school romance youâre bored of⊠this IS different and so real! â€ïž
Eleanor is the new girl in town and her wild red hair and patchwork outfits are not helping her blend in. She ends up sitting next to Park on the bus, whose tendencies towards comic books and rock music of the 80âs donât jibe with the rest of his familyâs love of sports. They sit in awkward silence every day until Park notices that Eleanor is reading his comics over his shoulder; he begins to slide them closer to her side of the seat and thus begins their love story. Their relationship grows gradually - making each other music tapes and discussing X-Men characters - until they both find themselves looking forward to the bus ride more than any other part of the day. Things arenât easy and their worlds couldnât be more different. Eleanor is bullied at school, has had a difficult upbringing and a tumultuous home life. The coupleâs personal battles are also dark mirror images. Park struggles with the realities of falling for the school outcast and clashes with his father over the definition of manhood. Eleanorâs fight is much more external, learning to trust her feelings about Park and navigating the sexual threat in her abusive and controlling step-father, Richieâs watchful gaze. In rapidly alternating narrative voices, Eleanor and Park try to express their all-consuming love.
The books deals with a lot of dark themes and had a very authentic feel to me. Not all books have to be fun and pleasant and have happy endings. Life is often more complicated than that. When Eleanor meets Park, you'll remember your own first love and just how hard it pulled you under. So make sure you check out this book before you return to school after the holiday season. It isnât the mushy high-school romance youâre bored of⊠this IS different and so real! â€ïž