Book Review- Blue is the Warmest Colour by Julie Maroh

Title:  Blue is the Warmest Colour / Le bleu est une couleur chaud

Author:  Julie Maroh

Published:   April 2010 by Glenat

Length:  157 pages

Warnings:  graphic sex scenes

Source: library

Other info: This got adapted into a film, La Vie d’Adele, which won the Palme d’Or.

Summary :  Clementine is a junior in high school who seems average enough: she has friends, family, and the romantic attention of the boys in her school. When her openly gay best friend takes her out on the town, she wanders into a lesbian bar where she encounters Emma: a punkish, confident girl with blue hair. Their attraction is instant and electric, and Clementine find herself in a relationship that will test her friends, parents, and her own ideas about herself and her identity.

Review: Clementine, age fifteen, sees a blue-haired girl in the street one day. Further meetings with this girl, Emma,  leads to attraction, eventually love.

I wanted to read this because a) it's a lesbian story that got quite a bit of buzz, and b) I need to practise my French. I was a little wary about reading this because I tried watching the film, got forty minutes in, and got bored. 

I knew I would not be bored by the graphic novel because we are told in the first few pages that Clem dies, and that we'll be seeing the story as narrated by her diary, being read by Emma.  This structure immediately made it more interesting, knowing it would come to an end, whether or not our characters wanted it to. However even though you know Clem's death is coming, the circumstances leading up  and the way we see it to it still build to make it heartbreaking when it happens.

The bulk of the story follows Clem throughout her teenage years. Watching her exploring her sexuality, all the milestones, are shown tenderly.  Although neither she nor Emma are perfect, and don't always fit together, it seems realistic. There is a long timeskip though, and thus while we see the events that leads to Clem's death, the scene the sets it all of is very unexpected, after  not seeing their relationship for about ten years.

I love Maroh's use of colour. In the flashback scenes when Clem is in love with Emma, it's greyscale, apart from highlights of blue. As their relationship changes, other colours are used, the shades and intensities appropriate to the scene. I can see why in my college library this got categorised under art.

Overall:  Strength 4 tea to a tragic tender love story.

 Links: Amazon | Goodreads | Author website |

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Book Review: Three Dark Crowns

Author: Kendare Blake

Publication Date: September 20, 2016

Publisher: HarperTeen

Series: Three Dark Crowns # 1

When kingdom come, there will be one.

In every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is born—three queens, all equal heirs to the crown and each possessor of a coveted magic. Mirabella is a fierce elemental, able to spark hungry flames or vicious storms at the snap of her fingers. Katharine is a poisoner, one who can ingest the deadliest poisons without so much as a stomachache. Arsinoe, a naturalist, is said to have the ability to bloom the reddest rose and control the fiercest of lions.

But becoming the Queen Crowned isn’t solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. And it’s not just a game of win or lose…it’s life or death. The night the sisters turn sixteen, the battle begins.

The last queen standing gets the crown.

“Three dark queens
Are born in a glen,
Sweet little triplets
Will never be friends

Three dark sisters
All fair to be seen,
Two to devour
And one to be Queen” 

“I want revenge." She whispers, and her fingers trail bloody streaks down Natalia's arms.
"And then I want my crown.” 

“Only a king-consort is fool enough to love a queen, he says quietly.” 

“No one really wishes to be a queen.” 

I have read, watched, and listened to so many reviews where readers say they did not enjoy this book. However, I am so glad that I went ahead with my gut feeling and read this book because I absolutely loved it. I have not had much experience with high/dark fantasy, but I am thinking that 2017 might just be the year for it. I had read over and over that the book starts slow and doesn’t get better throughout, but I, on the other hand, felt that the “slowness” was necessary in order to build the world and lay the foundation for this series. This world is so intricate and complicated and completely mystical that in order to full appreciate this series, you really have to understand all the tiny details. There are also a ton of characters that are introduced in this first book, but I was not confused or put off by that in the least.

You go into this book knowing that the underlying fact is that not all three of these sisters will be queens. Two must die. I have so many mixed emotions about where I think this series is going to go from here. I have read several reviews where people say they could not connect or disliked all three of the sister queens. I am right the opposite. I think they all were extremely developed and they all have attributes and/or things in their lives that made me empathize with them and root for them. I have a prediction of what I think will happen based on the ending, but I have no way of knowing if that will even play out how I think it will. I am so excited for more to come from this world. My 2017 reading year has started off with a bang!

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Book Review: The Sword of Summer

Author: Rick Riordan

Publication Date: October 6, 2015

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion Books

Series: Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard # 1

Magnus Chase has always been a troubled kid. Since his mother’s mysterious death, he’s lived alone on the streets of Boston, surviving by his wits, keeping one step ahead of the police and the truant officers.

One day, he’s tracked down by a man he’s never met—a man his mother claimed was dangerous. The man tells him an impossible secret: Magnus is the son of a Norse god.

The Viking myths are true. The gods of Asgard are preparing for war. Trolls, giants and worse monsters are stirring for doomsday. To prevent Ragnarok, Magnus must search the Nine Worlds for a weapon that has been lost for thousands of years.

When an attack by fire giants forces him to choose between his own safety and the lives of hundreds of innocents, Magnus makes a fatal decision.

Sometimes, the only way to start a new life is to die . . .

“My name is Magnus Chase. I’m sixteen years old. This is the story of how my life went downhill after I got myself killed.”

“The thing about fate, Magnus: even if we can't change the big picture, our choices can alter the details. That's how we rebel against destiny, how we make our mark. What will you choose to do?”

“Somebody once told me that a hero's bravery has to be unplanned - a genuine response to a crisis. It has to come from the heart, without any thought of reward.” 

“Blades before babes, you know what I’m saying?”   

Might I say that I can see myself potentially liking this series more than the Percy Jackson series? Would you be upset with me? Well, at any rate, it’s true. I was so involved in Magnus’s story and even at 499 pages, I flew the book and can’t wait to start book two. If you know anything at all about Rick Riordan, then you know how fascinated he is with Greek, Egyptian, and Norse mythology. Going into this book, I knew absolutely nothing about Norse mythology, and I pleased to say that after reading this book I have really learned a lot. While I read, I had Google sitting ready to go on my laptop and every time a new character was introduced, I started researching. It really made for a unique and enjoyable reading experience.

Magnus Chase is such a well-written character. He learns early on that he is the son of a Norse God, and just like with Percy Jackson, the adventure ensues from there. His voice had so much spunk and spark. I am not one that usually laughs out loud when reading a book, but with his voice I just could not help it. Plus his interactions and dialogue with other characters makes him seem all the more witty and charming. The book is filled with an array of lively characters, both large and small. And yes, we do get spotlights from Loki, Thor, and the All-Father himself, Odin. One of my favorite characters was Blitzen, who serves as Magnus’s sidekick and is there to offer guidance and help him figure out his role in this new world. I loved the way the book ended and I can’t wait to read more about Magnus Chase and all that he gets himself into.

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Book Review: This Is Our Story

Author: Ashley Elston

Publication Date: November 15, 2016

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Five went in. Four came out.

No one knows what happened that morning at River Point. Five boys went hunting. Four came back. The boys won’t say who fired the shot that killed their friend; the evidence shows it could have been any one of them. 

Kate Marino’s senior year internship at the district attorney’s office isn’t exactly glamorous—more like an excuse to leave school early that looks good on college applications. Then the DA hands her boss, Mr. Stone, the biggest case her small town of Belle Terre has ever seen. The River Point Boys are all anyone can talk about. Despite their damning toxicology reports the morning of the accident, the DA wants the boys’ case swept under the rug. He owes his political office to their powerful families.

Kate won’t let that happen. Digging up secrets without revealing her own is a dangerous line to walk; Kate has her own reasons for seeking justice for Grant. As investigates with Stone, the aging prosecutor relying on Kate to see and hear what he cannot, she realizes that nothing about the case—or the boys—is what it seems. Grant wasn’t who she thought he was, and neither is Stone’s prime suspect. As Kate gets dangerously close to the truth, it becomes clear that the early morning accident might not have been an accident at all—and if Kate doesn’t uncover the true killer, more than one life could be on the line…including her own.

When the new district attorney asked for my statement when I pleaded guilty…this was my story.

We all look at each other, each of us trying to figure out who it is. Only one of us knows the truth. And I’m going to make sure it stays that way.

The four of us sit on the couch, side by side, as a united front.

I saw this book on Goodreads about a month ago and I just kind of scrolled by it and didn’t really pay it any attention until I saw a booktuber on YouTube that I absolutely love and she was raving about it. After that, I checked out the synopsis and lo and behold I was hooked. I stayed up really late to finish this book because once the mystery was put out there I had to know the outcome. The storyline is original and I had no clue who committed the murder even up to the very end. The front of the book says it all: Five went in. Four came out. The murder mystery surrounds a hunting accident that is soon determined to be murder. Five boys go out hunting after a night of drinking and drugs and only four make it out of the woods alive. I was HOOKED!

The main character, Kate, was my favorite part about this book. She is working on the River Point case as part of an internship and gets in way over her head. The entire book was told from her perspective, other than a few tidbits after each chapter that is written from the perspective of one of the River Point boys, assumedly the killer. You don’t find out until the end just whose thoughts you have been reading, but it is so dark and creepy because it feels as if the boy writing has no remorse at all. Kate is a strong-willed young adult who wants justice for the victim and wants the killer to get what he deserves. I loved her character and thought she was really well developed. I will be checking out more from this author.

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Book Review: The Amateurs

Author: Sara Shepard

Publication Date: November 1, 2016

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Series: The Amateurs # 1

I need some answers about my sister. Help…

Five years ago, high school senior Helena Kelly disappeared from her backyard in Dexby, Connecticut, never to be heard from again. Her family was left without any answers—without any idea who killed Helena, or why.

So when eighteen-year-old Seneca Frazier sees a desperate post on the Case Not Closed message board, she knows it’s time to change that. Helena’s high-profile disappearance is the one that originally got Seneca addicted to true crime. It’s the reason she’s a member of the site in the first place.

Determined to get to the bottom of the mystery, she agrees to spend spring break in Connecticut working on the case with Maddy Wright, her best friend from Case Not Closed. However, the moment she steps off the train, things start to go wrong. Maddy’s nothing like she expected, and Helena’s sister, Aerin, doesn’t seem to want any help after all. Plus, Seneca has a secret of her own, one that could derail the investigation if she’s not careful.

Alongside Brett, another super-user from the site, they slowly begin to unravel the secrets Helena kept in the weeks before her disappearance. But the killer is watching…and determined to make sure the case stays cold.

“She was never going to know the truth about Helena. What happened to her sister was going to remain a mystery – and a recurring nightmare – for the rest of her life.”

"Also, if you think she was killed in December, why would I have called her in January?" He rolled his eyes. "You people are total amateurs."

Maybe if Seneca figured it out, everything else in her life that was spinning out of control would fall into place, too. All right, then: she was going. She was going to figure out what happened. It wouldn't solve all her problems. It wouldn't solve all her mysteries. But it was a start.

I know I am probably in the minority with this statement, but this is my first Sara Shepard novel. My favorite type of book is one that has a secret that unveils itself at the beginning, but makes you wait until the very end to find out what exactly that secret is. This is the first book in what I am hearing is going to be a series. We meet a few characters who are, for whatever reason, into reading about and solving longtime cold cases. Some of these characters are connected to cold case personally and this story follows one character in particular. At the beginning of the book, we learn about the cold case that surrounds these characters this time around. A web of lies, deceit, and downright twisted endings flows through this rather short novel.

I was able to get through this book in only a few hours and was pleasantly surprised by the entire thing. Although, without giving too much away, I will say that the end was completely twisted and I am rather anxious to see how Shepard takes the series from here. I am also anxious to see the development of some of the main characters. While I developed an interest in them, I felt that they were lackluster at times. I wanted more about them and the things that triggered them. I hope that we see more of all of them in the next additions to the series. I will say that the mystery was well thought out and that I did not see any of it coming. I look forward to more from Sara Shepard!

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The Last Eight Weeks

Technically this is about the last ten weeks, since the last decent post about this was before  Fresher's week and we're also one week into the holiday, but uni term length has already got me seeing life in eight week blocks. My first time at university has been a hectic couple of months, but something I want to share.

University life

It's brilliant. The texts we're doing (read about them here)  have all gotten better with studying, and all my tutors this term have been helpful.  There's been a lot of socials and chances to meet some lovely people. My college full of people who are extremely friendly, and we have some beautiful surroundings- just look at my library!

Theatre

Oxford has a lot happening on stage,, way more than I could ever fit in! But the shows that I've been to see (The Nether, the Queer Cabaret, Much Ado About Nothing, Jealous of Herself, The Last Five Years, Trojan Women) have all been high quality, that I liked for different reasons. Also, I'm writing for the Cherwell from time to time- it's exciting to be writing for more of a community (I still love this little blog though!)

Reading

I took eight books up for fun with me thinking I could do one a week. Hahaha. I got about halfway through The Republic of Thieves, and a little way in to Frangine. The thing is, when most of your time is spent reading, the last thing for relaxing is more reading, especially when there's shows to go see and people to be around and  the chance to not be solitary for once. So not much reading for the blog happened.   Now it's the holidays, there is much more time for reading. So this will  stay a book blog. Just not a busy one (though it hasn't been such for a long time).

Dancing

You may have noticed from my twitter that I really enjoy swing dance, and I knew when I went to uni I wanted to carry that on and maybe take up another style. Well, I trialled for the dancesport team which would do ballroom and latin, but I didn't get in. I also trialled for the rock and roll team, and I did get in! It's more energetic than I thought it'd be, and different in style, but there's also the chance to do acrobatics, which are a lot of fun, and competitions, which will happen in February.  Me on an official sports team... never thought that would happen!

YA Salon - 7th December

I had a day in London last week, where I got to catch up with a lot of friends- two hadn't seen since starting university, and then, later in the evening, many bloggers and authors I hadn't seen in some time. It was my first time at a YA Salon, and at this one, the focus was the book I'll Be Home For Christmas, an anthology where £1 of each sale goes to Crisis. It was a fun evening, with a fiendish Christmas in literature quiz, and the trial of  book blind dating, where a panel of authors answer questions, the person asking chooses one of them, and that author  gets to tell us about their story). The addition of mince pies and mulled wine made the night even better.

What next?

Well, now it's the Christmas holidays. I have catching up to do with my school friends, a trip to Devon with my dad's side of the family, a Christmas day with my mum's side, a lot of reading for both Latin and French before next term starts, and also need time to myself.  But I'm still enjoying the little blogging I'm able to do, so I'll try and keep that up. If you particularly want to see my life and books and happenings, you'll find me on Twitter or Instagram though. Until then, enjoy the holidays, let's hope for a new year bringing good news for a change, and goodbye for now.  

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Book Review: Heartless

Author: Marissa Meyer
Publication Date: November 8, 2016
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland and a favorite of the unmarried King, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, she wants to open a shop and create delectable pastries. But for her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for a woman who could be a queen.

At a royal ball where Cath is expected to receive the King’s marriage proposal, she meets handsome and mysterious Jest. For the first time, she feels the pull of true attraction. At the risk of offending the King and infuriating her parents, she and Jest enter into a secret courtship.

Cath is determined to choose her own destiny. But in a land thriving with magic, madness, and monsters, fate has other plans.

 
Sometimes your heart is the only thing worth listening to.

“But hoping," he said, "is how the impossible can be possible after all.”

It is a dangerous thing to unbelieve something only because it frightens you.

A heart, once stolen, can never be taken back.

I was really looking forward to this book and I hate to report that I was left unsatisfied and disappointed. Let me start off by saying that I did not, by any means, hate the story or the way the book turned out. I finished the book and wouldn’t say that I didn’t enjoy some parts of Catherine’s story. However, I will also say that I feel like a lot of this had to do with the start of the story. It took me forever to get past the first one hundred pages or so. I tried to keep my judgement separate from the Lunar Chronicles, but ultimately I found myself going back and comparing the two. I wanted the story to take more of a creative twist on things, like her other novels have done. I liked the familiar characters making appearances like the Cheshire Cat, the Jabberwock, and others, but I was still left feeling a little empty by the time I had finished reading.

I loved Catherine’s character, but I like there was so much more room for fleshing her out. I felt like something was missing from her. I wanted to see more of her flaws, imperfections, dark little desires, and awkward habits from the start of the book and I don’t feel like I ever got that. Another thing, that relates to what I was saying earlier about creativity, is that retellings are a dime a dozen. We get ten plus every year; this one was just like the rest. Where is the surprise? Where is the tiny, little tidbit that sets this apart from all the rest? It just wasn’t there. Like I said, there was plenty to like and enjoy, but I just feel like with fairytale retellings, we really have to be amazed!

 

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