terrifyinglyficional

My First Review Requested By The Publisher! - Trapped In Silver Review

Trapped In Silver by Emily Sowden

This book basically follows our main character Ava who is basically thought by everyone as someone who would never make it in life. She's accustomed to being lied to and was always let down as her father left her, having only her adoptive brother to support her. As she's attacked by a monstrous group of men who have an overly large obsession with her, Ava escapes to a unfamiliar land. When she receives news that her brother is missing, she involves herself in a war to unravel her nightmares and find the truth between love and betrayal.

I was given this book by the Publisher and the Author in exchange for an honest review!

This book definitely gave me mixed feelings and had me on the boarder line on whether or not I liked it or I didn't. There were some aspects of the novel that I really liked and some I really didn't.

To start off, I didn't like the main character Ava. I didn't like the fact that she continued to make mistakes. Don't get me wrong, with her background story and not being able to trust people let alone the small character development near the end was understandable. But I was hoping that she would have smartened up a little bit after the first or second time. I also didn't feel like her character development was as strong as I would have liked it to be.

I also really wished the pace in this novel was a little faster. To me, there were moments in the book where the chapters were really strong concepts and had me on the edge of my seat; but there were also a few chapters that were so slow to me. I'd like to see a more steady pace in the next book!

But to bring up some positive sides, I loved Emily Sowden's writing itself. The words she uses and the way she puts it all together flowed so nicely to me. It was more enjoyable to just read the flow of the words and how the words portrayed what they mean to.

I also loved the world! I loved the build up of the world and felt like it was my favourite part of the novel. The creatures were well-written about, the environment was very detailed. It was nice to read through it all and picture it in my head.

But in my opinion, for a debut novel, Emily Sowden did a great job! I love her writing style, I love the world that she has created and I am very excited to get into the next book regardless and can definitely picture a lot of growth within her upcoming novel(s)!

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, by jessreadsalatte

I Bet You Never Guessed These! - My Top 5 Favourite Authors (2017)

So every year, my interest in books seems to evolve and grow and I always seem to find new writers and branch into new genres. So I thought, yearly, I would do a little "Top 5 Favourites" where in the future I can see how my love for literature grows!

This list was made by authors I've been enjoying more recently, but obviously has been produced since I started getting into reading and writing as a more serious hobby!

Obviously everyone's opinions are different. I'm not saying that because I love these authors, you should too. Although, if you agree then thats great!

With that being said, here's my Top 5 Favourite Authors as of 2017!

5. Leigh Bardugo

This is one of my more recent decisions as I just got into Leigh Bardugo at the beginning of this year. But as most know, her infamous duology Six of Crows was one of my favourite books/duology/series I've read in 2017. Since then, I've been hooked on her writing; specifically books that involve the Grisha Universe but her writing in general is just lovely.

4. Rick Riordan

This really shouldn't be a surprise! I love how he writes different series that all pertains some form of mythology. Unlike most who grew up with Harry Potter, I grew up with Rick Riordan. I loved the Percy Jackson series as a kid and I feel like as I grow, so does his writing. As I've read a mix of his old writing and his new recently, I'd definitely say that Rick Riordan's work just gets better and better!

3. Cassandra Clare

This as well and the rest shouldn't really be a surprise! Cassandra Clare is best known for her work involving the Shadowhunting World is one of my top favourite books of all time. Very similar to Rick Riordan and Leigh Bardugo, I love how Cassie Clare writes different series, that are based in the same world. It's one of the books that got me into reading avidly and I feel like every day and I get a little more obsessed and a little more disappointed that I'm not a Shadowhuter.

2. Sarah J. Maas

What can I say, I love Sarah J. Maas' work. From her extensively addictive and easy to love - or hate - characters to her very intricate worlds, I can never get enough of Sarah J. Maas' writing! Her writing style` is something I can never tone down about when I'm discussing it with other readers. Might I add, Sarah J. Maas is also just a lovely and relatable human herself. She's just great in general!

1. Stephen King

And lucky number one goes to the King himself, Stephen King. I have just recently got into his work and I am loving the journey already. Typically, I don't read Horror novels but Stephen King definitely brought me out of my reading comfort zone and now I am addicted! I can easily say that although I haven't read King's writing as much as I have with the previous authors, he definitely has a well-deserved spot as Number One!

Honorable Mentions!

J.K Rowling

I adore J.K Rowling ever so much and I love the Harry Potter series with my life. Although, I'm not a huge fan of her other works which places her in a spot for honorable mentions! I read her other works when I was quite young which is why it didn't really interest me, but I'll definitely give them a shot later in the future!

Jane Austen

This one is also a fairly new one. I'm just getting into reading more of Jane Austen's books and short stories but I don't feel as connected or in love with her writing just yet to make it into my top list! Hopefully after I read a few other ones, she'll make a deserving place on my top list!

Like I said, these are my own opinions and they will probably change later in my life when I branch out into other authors and genres!

I'm curious as to what your top authors are! Leave a comment down below or on my instagram photo; just like the one above and tell me your favourite author/your top favourite authors!

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, by jessreadsalatte

Still One Of My Favourite Series! - Cinder Review

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Cinder is Sci-Fi variation of Cinderella where our main character, Cinder is a cyborg. Cinder's brain gives her the ability to fix things in the blink of an eye making herself the best mechanic in New Beijing. This grabs the attention of Prince Kai in which he asks Cinder to fix his android before the ball. Cinder accepts the challenge and wants to impress the Prince, until her younger - human stepsister is hit with a deadly disease. Cinder's stepmom blames Cinder and volunteers her to be a guinea pig for a cure. Until scientists find remarkable things about her that make her worth millions.

The Lunar Chronicles is definitely one of my most well-loved series. Just the uniqueness of the plot and how it turns typical fairytales into sci-fi twists catches my attention and extends my love for the series.

Personally, Cinder is my least favourite book of the series; although its still well written.

I love the choice of characters. The dynamic between Cinder and her android Iko, as well as her younger sister Peony is one of my favourites. Also her relationship with Prince Kai had me internally screaming since he popped up at her booth and asked her to fix his android. Personally, I was rooting for them since the beginning.

I also really enjoyed the beginning and the end of the book. I found the last bit of the beginning driving into the middle of the book to be a little slow. I also found the plot to be a little predictable. I want enough plot twists and unpredictable scenes where I would want to throw my book at a wall. As negatively aggressive as that sounds. Had the book had those things, I would have given it a five stars.

My favourite aspect of the book is how it really falls into the roots of the original Cinderella story, but has its own twists to make it a sci-fi variation!

And if you are planning on reading this series and are basing your decision on my opinions, do not fret or give up on this book! Like I said, it is one of my favourite series and Cinder is my least favourite book. Once you pull through Cinder, the rest of the series gets better and better by book!

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, by jessreadsalatte

My Most Controversial Review... - 13 Reasons Why Book and Show Review

13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher

13 Reasons Why follows our main character Clay Jensen's point of view in his journey, listening to tapes. But the tapes aren't just any tapes. After school one day, Clay receives a package containing seven tapes. Voiced by Hannah Baker, a girl Clay once had a crush on; each side of the seven tapes tells a story of why - or who make Hannah Baker kill herself.

I have debated on whether or not I wanted to post this review for a while, but thought it might be helpful if you, or someone you knew wanted to get into any of the mediums - especially the show.

Book

There was so much about the book that made me on the boarderline between liking and not liking it. Starting with the plot/concept of this book. Mental Illness related books are very hard to read or write without thinking that the plot romanticizes Mental Illnesses. Now, would I say 13 Reasons Why romanticizes Mental Illness? Definitely not. Did I think the fact that Hannah purposely recorded 13 sides of seven tapes to convey which individuals made her end her life was a little bizzare? Absolutely.

Now, looking into Hannah's point of view, I definitely understand that she recorded the tapes as a revenge sequence - but I didn't really think the tapes were necessary, although it does make a staple plot prompt.

Generally though, when you read what Hannah's peers did to her that made her end her life, its high school things that I feel like almost everyone can relate to - especially women. Bullying, harassment, men feeling the need to touch your body without asking. And although its disgusting and uncomfortable to read about, it gives some people who have gone through the same things, an outlet to relate in a sense.

I've met so many people who have told me "Jess, I love 13 Reasons Why because I can relate to it." Would I say the same thing about myself? Probably not, but it still gives an outlet to those to can.

One of the things that I really like most about the book than with the television show is that it gives straightforward reasoning about what made Hannah uncomfortable. With the show, I found a lot of the time I thought, "Okay, well thats not really a big deal.." Where as, with the book, it gives a better explanation. Almost like a "You did this and although it sounds like its not a big deal, it caused this."

One of the things that I disliked the most about the book was Clay's thoughts and reactions while listening to Hannah's tapes. I loved the fact that they separated Hannah speaking on the tape with Clay's thought process and actions by the font. But man, there were so many times I wanted to smack Clay. Hannah would talk about something serious and Clay would think about what he was going to have for dinner or something. I thought Clay's thought process was a little too specific and should have just related to what Hannah was talking about.

Also, the use of characters isn't as prominent as in the show. Most of the characters in the show aren't mentioned in the book at all. Which was a bummer. (If you thought the show did Jeff dirty, read the book.)

Now, there are multiple endings to the book depending on which copy you decide to read from. Just as a little heads up; I found that out after I had finished the book. Regardless, there isn't much of a difference between novels otherwise.

Television Show

I would not recommend the show to anyone under the age of 15.

Just to begin, if you are planning on watching the televison show or your child has interest in watching the televison show; I would highly suggest discussing mental health with your child, or even reconsider whether or not you would allow them to watch the show because it is very triggering.

The televison adaptation has been given a lot of positive reviews by press and media - but also very negative because of the situations being portrayed. And before I forget, there are trigger warnings at the beginning of episodes containing serious content because the show seems almost realistic.

Again, your opinions and views may differentiate between what you are comfortable with and what you are not. Just like the book, I've met people who have found an outlet where they related to the show but I've also met people who were so disgusted and uncomfortable with the show.

Personally, I really enjoyed this adaptation. A lot better than the book to be honest. I didn't relate to the show or books, but found the way they portrayed the book to be quite interesting. I really liked the character choices and even how they expanded characters and made people who had no name in the book, a prominent character in the show - Jeff for example.

I also really liked how in the show, you saw Clay's relationship with everyone who was mentioned on the tapes. You see how the tapes not only affect Clay; but how it affects the others.

One of the negative aspects of the show that I didn't like was how broad the show's version of Hannah's reasonings were. Like I mentioned earlier, some Hannah's reasonings on the tapes made almost no sense when you watched the show. There was a lot of moments where I watched the show and thought "why was she upset about that?" until I re-read the book and thought "OHHHH, that makes so much sense now."

Unlike the book where it took place in one night, the book takes a series of days which I think is an important aspect of the plot. I found that the show takes the situations a little too triggering. You'll understand what I mean if you've read the book and watched the show. Some things from the book were switched to a more triggering situation for the sake of television which I didn't enjoy either.

The show also just got renewed for a second season and although I did like the show, I'm having many doubts for the second season. I think it should have stopped at the end of the season/book and been left as a one season thing. Although, if the new season proves me wrong, I will be impressed.

Regardless, looking into 13 Reasons Why before you get into either mediums is something I would highly suggest! Reactions and what you're comfortable with is different for every person.