Authors: Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian
Part of a Series? The first book in the Burn for Burn trilogy.
Synopsis: Lillia, Kat and Mary live on the picturesque Jar Island, where everyone knows everyone. The girls all want the same thing: revenge on someone who's done them wrong. When they find out that they can help each other, they team up and set out to take down the three people who have hurt them most - but soon realise that one simple act of revenge can spark off a whole chain of events.
Rating: 5 stars.
*Note: I wrote this a year ago when I had no blogging experience whatsoever. If I have any time in the future I'll try to do an updated review, but for now enjoy!*
So, first of all: this book is INCREDIBLE! The plot is so good, and it is very well-written; I think there was one paragraph that didn’t flow as well as every other one. It is told from three viewpoints - our main characters Lillia, Kat, and Mary - and each main character is easily likeable yet distinctly different. It’s interesting seeing how the three main characters interact with each other because they really are opposites - Mary is quiet, Kat is a rebel, and Lillia is popular - and how they changed throughout the book.
I could not decide throughout the entire book if I liked Rennie or not. There were points - such as when she was trying to catch Reeve’s attention - when I felt sorry for her, and other points - like when she ditched Kat - when I really didn’t like her.
The ending was… 0_0 (my face at the last few pages). I have no idea what will happen to Reeve in the second book, but I think he’ll pull through. And I felt for Lillia as she started to waver about all these schemes towards the end. And what is happening with Mary?! Are these powers real or in her head or–?
Overall, this is an amazing book, and I am so excited to read the second one! 5/5 stars.
Showing posts with label ashes to ashes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ashes to ashes. Show all posts
Sunday, 11 October 2015
Friday, 3 July 2015
Bowlerhatgirl Recommends...Contemporary Books!
Hi!
I thought I would do another recommendations post, this time recommending my favourite contemporary books! These will be split into two categories: mysteries and summery reads.
1. Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas - I loved this book so much that I think it's one of my favourite books of 2014! Anna and her group of friends go on holiday to Aruba, but the trip takes a sinister turn when Elise, Anna's best friend, is murdered. Soon, Anna is trying to clear her name, and we discover what really happened to Elise. This was incredible. It has one of the most shocking endings I've ever read, and I think anyone who likes mysteries will love Dangerous Girls.
2. The Burn for Burn trilogy by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian - I recently just finished this series, and I'm annoyed at myself for not reading them sooner! On the surface, Burn for Burn is about three girls - Kat, Lillia, and Mary - getting revenge on people who have done them wrong. But once you read Fire With Fire (for those of you who have, my review is here), it sets off in another completely different (but equally amazing) direction. The ending to Fire With Fire was as much of a shock as Dangerous Girls, and the plot remained fast-paced and unpredictable right up until the last page of Ashes To Ashes.
3. The Pretty Little Liars series by Sara Shepard - I have finished EVERY BOOK in this series. ALL SIXTEEN, AS WELL AS THE TWO EXTRAS. There are a lot of books in the PLL series, which often puts a lot of people off, but they are easy to read and I love them. Also, there are points where you can stop reading (after book eight or book twelve, I think) and the story will feel relatively wrapped up. The books are very different to the TV show, though, so if you want to read the books and have watched the show, make sure you know this beforehand. If you still really don't want to read eight books, Sara Shepard has another series out called The Lying Game series (Which I have not read every book in, yet), and a duology consisting of The Perfectionists and The Good Girls. All of these are full of twists and turns and mystery and characters doing bad things and trying to cover them up!
1. The Anna Lola Isla series by Stephanie Perkins - full of gorgeous boys, funny lines, and OTPs, any of these books are perfect for the Summer. Anna & the French Kiss is set in Paris, Lola and the Boy Next Door is set in San Francisco, and Isla and the Happily Ever After is set in New York, Paris and Barcelona, so if you want to travel the world while staying at home, you can! Each is adorable, and they're all linked together in a lovely way.
2. Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson - Emily is shy, and her best friend Sloane isn't. One day, Sloane disappears, leaving Emily a list of things to do. She hopes it will lead to her best friend, but it might take Emily further out of her comfort zone than she would have liked. I love how there are playlists and extras in this book, like in Amy & Roger's Epic Detour - which I would also recommend for summer - and it's just so wonderfully suited to summer!
3. 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson - this is quite similar to Since You've Been Gone, as both of the protagonists have tasks to do set by people they're close to, but 13 LBE takes us around Europe as Ginny follows her aunt's seemingly crazy instructions, all packaged in blue envelopes. Over the summer, Ginny meets friends, sees the world, and also meets a great boy, which I think is what everyone wants out of a summer! Like Stephanie Perkins' books, it allows you to travel to fantastic places like Rome, Scotland, and Amsterdam, and I love how Maureen Johnson writes, so I loved this book.
4. The Threads trilogy by Sophia Bennett - If you love fashion, Threads is probably your kind of book. It centres around Nonie, daughter of a famous model, and her friends Edie - who wants to save the world - and Jenny - who's going to be an actress - as they befriend a girl called Crow, who has the makings of an incredible fashion designer. The books cover a wide range of issues apart from fashion, like body image, poverty, and deciding what to do with your future, and they have a special place in my heart for being one of the first series to really stay with me (and one of the books managed to find a place in my bath as well, so is now twice the size of the others).
All of these books are wonderful contemporaries! I also have lots of contemporary books on my TBR list, so I may do another recommendation post later on in the year. Have you read any of these? What did you think? What are some of your favourite contemporary novels? Let me know in the comments!
Thanks for reading(:
I thought I would do another recommendations post, this time recommending my favourite contemporary books! These will be split into two categories: mysteries and summery reads.
Mystery/ Thriller Contemporaries:
1. Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas - I loved this book so much that I think it's one of my favourite books of 2014! Anna and her group of friends go on holiday to Aruba, but the trip takes a sinister turn when Elise, Anna's best friend, is murdered. Soon, Anna is trying to clear her name, and we discover what really happened to Elise. This was incredible. It has one of the most shocking endings I've ever read, and I think anyone who likes mysteries will love Dangerous Girls.
2. The Burn for Burn trilogy by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian - I recently just finished this series, and I'm annoyed at myself for not reading them sooner! On the surface, Burn for Burn is about three girls - Kat, Lillia, and Mary - getting revenge on people who have done them wrong. But once you read Fire With Fire (for those of you who have, my review is here), it sets off in another completely different (but equally amazing) direction. The ending to Fire With Fire was as much of a shock as Dangerous Girls, and the plot remained fast-paced and unpredictable right up until the last page of Ashes To Ashes.
3. The Pretty Little Liars series by Sara Shepard - I have finished EVERY BOOK in this series. ALL SIXTEEN, AS WELL AS THE TWO EXTRAS. There are a lot of books in the PLL series, which often puts a lot of people off, but they are easy to read and I love them. Also, there are points where you can stop reading (after book eight or book twelve, I think) and the story will feel relatively wrapped up. The books are very different to the TV show, though, so if you want to read the books and have watched the show, make sure you know this beforehand. If you still really don't want to read eight books, Sara Shepard has another series out called The Lying Game series (Which I have not read every book in, yet), and a duology consisting of The Perfectionists and The Good Girls. All of these are full of twists and turns and mystery and characters doing bad things and trying to cover them up!
Summery reads:
1. The Anna Lola Isla series by Stephanie Perkins - full of gorgeous boys, funny lines, and OTPs, any of these books are perfect for the Summer. Anna & the French Kiss is set in Paris, Lola and the Boy Next Door is set in San Francisco, and Isla and the Happily Ever After is set in New York, Paris and Barcelona, so if you want to travel the world while staying at home, you can! Each is adorable, and they're all linked together in a lovely way.
2. Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson - Emily is shy, and her best friend Sloane isn't. One day, Sloane disappears, leaving Emily a list of things to do. She hopes it will lead to her best friend, but it might take Emily further out of her comfort zone than she would have liked. I love how there are playlists and extras in this book, like in Amy & Roger's Epic Detour - which I would also recommend for summer - and it's just so wonderfully suited to summer!
3. 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson - this is quite similar to Since You've Been Gone, as both of the protagonists have tasks to do set by people they're close to, but 13 LBE takes us around Europe as Ginny follows her aunt's seemingly crazy instructions, all packaged in blue envelopes. Over the summer, Ginny meets friends, sees the world, and also meets a great boy, which I think is what everyone wants out of a summer! Like Stephanie Perkins' books, it allows you to travel to fantastic places like Rome, Scotland, and Amsterdam, and I love how Maureen Johnson writes, so I loved this book.
4. The Threads trilogy by Sophia Bennett - If you love fashion, Threads is probably your kind of book. It centres around Nonie, daughter of a famous model, and her friends Edie - who wants to save the world - and Jenny - who's going to be an actress - as they befriend a girl called Crow, who has the makings of an incredible fashion designer. The books cover a wide range of issues apart from fashion, like body image, poverty, and deciding what to do with your future, and they have a special place in my heart for being one of the first series to really stay with me (and one of the books managed to find a place in my bath as well, so is now twice the size of the others).
All of these books are wonderful contemporaries! I also have lots of contemporary books on my TBR list, so I may do another recommendation post later on in the year. Have you read any of these? What did you think? What are some of your favourite contemporary novels? Let me know in the comments!
Thanks for reading(:
Monday, 1 June 2015
May Book Haul & Wrap Up!
Despite being in the middle of exams, May has been quite a good reading month for me! I read four and a half books, and all of them were really good. I also seemed to have been in a reviewing mood this month; I reviewed three out of the four books I read! And yes, I know I said I was on a book-buying ban, and yes, it does say book haul in the title. BUT, I only received two books: Rook by Sharon Cameron, which I pre-ordered in April and looks STUNNING, and Night School by C.J.Daugherty, which I received from Atom books. So that's progress, right? Let's be honest, fellow booklovers, when we say, "I'm on a book-buying ban", we really mean, "I will be less books this month, but not none."
Onto the books I read in May!
The book I'm currently reading is Night School by C.J. Daugherty, and a review of it will be up as soon as I can!
What books did you read in May? What was your favourite? Let me know!
Thanks for reading(:
Onto the books I read in May!
- Cinder by Marissa Meyer. I LOVED this book. At first, I was a little unsure of what to expect as there has been so much hype around The Lunar Chronicles; I was worried that I wouldn't love it as much as everyone else. Luckily, I was pleasantly surprised! I gave this 5 stars, and my full review is here.
- Fire With Fire by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian. It had been a while since I read Burn for Burn, but I really enjoyed it when I did, and this sequel did not disappoint. 4.5 stars. Full review here.
- And then I read Ashes to Ashes by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian, the concluding book in the Burn for Burn trilogy, and...wow. 4.5 stars. Full review here.
- The final full book I read in May was The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare, Maureen Johnson, and Sarah Rees Brennan. Overall, I loved each story, and it was so nice to be back in the Shadowhunting world I love. The Bane Chronicles was humorous and full of the fantabulous High Warlock of Brooklyn, before he became the High Warlock of Brooklyn. The writing styles of the authors mostly blended together well, and there were malec feels, which made me very happy! And a certain wonderful Welsh Herondale in it, which made me VERY happy. I would have done a full review on it, but school got in the way. Anyway, I gave this book a 4.5 stars, which seems to be my average review rating of this month! What can I say? I read some great books in May!
The book I'm currently reading is Night School by C.J. Daugherty, and a review of it will be up as soon as I can!
What books did you read in May? What was your favourite? Let me know!
Thanks for reading(:
Tuesday, 26 May 2015
Ashes to Ashes - Review
Title: Ashes to Ashes
Author (s): Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian
Synopsis (from Goodreads): New Year's Eve ended with a bang and Mary, Kat and Lillia may not be prepared for what is to come.
After Rennie's death, Kat and Lillia try to put the pieces together of what happened to her. They both blame themselves. If Lillia hadn't left with Reeve... If Kat had only stayed with Rennie... Things could have been different. Now they will never be the same.
Only Mary knows the truth about that night. About what she is. She also knows the truth about Lillia and Reeve falling in love, about Reeve being happy when all he deserves is misery, just like the misery he caused her. Now their childish attempts at revenge are a thing of the past and Mary is out for blood. Will she leave anything in her wake or will all that remain be ashes?
Part of a series? The concluding book in the Burn for Burn trilogy.
Rating: 4.5 stars.
This was just as tense and exciting as the other two books in the trilogy. Ashes to Ashes was also pretty heart-breaking, the epilogue especially! It rounded everything up and didn't leave any loose ends, so the trilogy truly feels finished, however much I didn't want it to end!
*SPOILER FROM THIS POINT ON!*
For those of you who have read my review for Fire with Fire (and my review of Burn for Burn, which is lurking somewhere on my Tumblr...I don't know how to use Tumblr, ok?), you'll know that I love Reeve and Lillia. Like, I REALLY love them together. In Fire with Fire, this was hard, as it was kind of a forbidden love and a part of me knew that I shouldn't want them to be with each other. Happily, however, in Ashes to Ashes I could fully ship them with no guilt! They were adorable, and when he bought her the rose I had a large fangirl moment.
Which was why the ending was painful. I think a lot of people like Alex and Lillia together, but I'm not one of them. I don't like Alex as a character; he just feels too perfect. Reeve and Lillia not ending up together hurt, but at least they were moderately happy after Mary.
Mary was quite terrifying at times! I wasn't expecting her to become a proper, revenge-seeking ghost after she's been so kind and timid throughout the first two books, but she certainly did it well! I think the scariest moment was when she ruined Lillia's room and made her leave Reeve; the fact that Han and Vivian put that scene after a happy one made it much more effective. I liked how we still had chapters from Mary's point of view, even though she's a ghost, as it was interesting to read from the 'vengeful spirit's' perspective.
Kat remained my favourite character, staying strong and adding humour to an otherwise quite angst-y book. She helpfully provided us with a life lesson or two, such as 'reading and driving is some dangerous shit' and 'quitting smoking during a freaking ghost exorcism was a dumb-ass move'. Her loyalty towards Mary at the beginning was touching and showed how true she believed her friendship with her to be.
Ashes to Ashes didn't feel slow or boring at all, and while there were a few moments that occasionally didn't flow as well as usual, it was a strong conclusion to a strong trilogy. I liked how Han and Vivian took elements of a typical ghost story- the vengeful ghost, the abandoned house - and weaved them into a relatable, refreshingly new plot. I was not expecting for the Burn for Burn trilogy to go in the direction it did, but I love it!
Author (s): Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian
Synopsis (from Goodreads): New Year's Eve ended with a bang and Mary, Kat and Lillia may not be prepared for what is to come.
After Rennie's death, Kat and Lillia try to put the pieces together of what happened to her. They both blame themselves. If Lillia hadn't left with Reeve... If Kat had only stayed with Rennie... Things could have been different. Now they will never be the same.
Only Mary knows the truth about that night. About what she is. She also knows the truth about Lillia and Reeve falling in love, about Reeve being happy when all he deserves is misery, just like the misery he caused her. Now their childish attempts at revenge are a thing of the past and Mary is out for blood. Will she leave anything in her wake or will all that remain be ashes?
Part of a series? The concluding book in the Burn for Burn trilogy.
Rating: 4.5 stars.
This was just as tense and exciting as the other two books in the trilogy. Ashes to Ashes was also pretty heart-breaking, the epilogue especially! It rounded everything up and didn't leave any loose ends, so the trilogy truly feels finished, however much I didn't want it to end!
*SPOILER FROM THIS POINT ON!*
For those of you who have read my review for Fire with Fire (and my review of Burn for Burn, which is lurking somewhere on my Tumblr...I don't know how to use Tumblr, ok?), you'll know that I love Reeve and Lillia. Like, I REALLY love them together. In Fire with Fire, this was hard, as it was kind of a forbidden love and a part of me knew that I shouldn't want them to be with each other. Happily, however, in Ashes to Ashes I could fully ship them with no guilt! They were adorable, and when he bought her the rose I had a large fangirl moment.
Which was why the ending was painful. I think a lot of people like Alex and Lillia together, but I'm not one of them. I don't like Alex as a character; he just feels too perfect. Reeve and Lillia not ending up together hurt, but at least they were moderately happy after Mary.
Mary was quite terrifying at times! I wasn't expecting her to become a proper, revenge-seeking ghost after she's been so kind and timid throughout the first two books, but she certainly did it well! I think the scariest moment was when she ruined Lillia's room and made her leave Reeve; the fact that Han and Vivian put that scene after a happy one made it much more effective. I liked how we still had chapters from Mary's point of view, even though she's a ghost, as it was interesting to read from the 'vengeful spirit's' perspective.
Kat remained my favourite character, staying strong and adding humour to an otherwise quite angst-y book. She helpfully provided us with a life lesson or two, such as 'reading and driving is some dangerous shit' and 'quitting smoking during a freaking ghost exorcism was a dumb-ass move'. Her loyalty towards Mary at the beginning was touching and showed how true she believed her friendship with her to be.
Ashes to Ashes didn't feel slow or boring at all, and while there were a few moments that occasionally didn't flow as well as usual, it was a strong conclusion to a strong trilogy. I liked how Han and Vivian took elements of a typical ghost story- the vengeful ghost, the abandoned house - and weaved them into a relatable, refreshingly new plot. I was not expecting for the Burn for Burn trilogy to go in the direction it did, but I love it!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)