![]() Cassidy Serhienko For as long as she can remember, Gwendolyn Allister has never had a place to call home—all because her mother believes that monsters are hunting them. Now these delusions have brought them to London, far from the life Gwen had finally started to build for herself. The only saving grace is her best friend, Olivia, who’s coming with them for the summer. But when Gwen and Olivia are kidnapped by shadowy creatures and taken to a world of flesh-eating sea hags and dangerous Fey, Gwen realizes her mom might have been sane all along. The world Gwen finds herself in is called Neverland, yet it’s nothing like the stories. Here, good and evil lose their meaning and memories slip like water through her fingers. As Gwen struggles to remember where she came from and find a way home, she must choose between trusting the charming fairy-tale hero who says all the right things and the roguish young pirate who promises to keep her safe. With time running out and her enemies closing in, Gwen is forced to face the truths she’s been hiding from all along. But will she be able to save Neverland without losing herself? Unhooked by Lisa Maxwell is a retelling of JM Barrie’s classic tale Peter Pan, and as a Peter Pan fanatic I was quite excited to read her book. I haven’t actually read that many retellings of this particular story, primarily because I just haven’t come across that many, but this one reminded me a lot of the Neverland episodes in the TV show Once Upon a Time (#CaptainSwan forever). Neverland is not a safe place. And everyone there is kind of an asshole honestly (still, you can hold me hostage on your ship anytime Captain *wink*). Gwen wasn’t a particularly extraordinary heroine. She’s more resilient and stubborn than your average girl, sure, I mean she’s been following her kinda cray-cray mother all over the world her whole life and dealing with her delusions so I hope she’s got a thick skin. Her character definitely got cooler towards the end when she started to accept her own abilities, and realized that she was going to have to get herself out of this mess because everyone around her is either evil as shit, crazy, or just plain ol’ sketchy. As a reader, you’re never sure who you can trust (obviously not Pan though, nobody’s more sketchballs than him). Is the Captain really a hero or a villain? With this book the answer is probably that he’s somewhere in between. Most characters are out to serve themselves, and no one is willing to tell Gwen what is actually going on, which is not only frustrating for her, but for me as well. JUST TELL HER WHAT’S GOING ON CAPTAIN and then smooch. Smooch all day long. Unhooked is full of it’s own interesting mythology, hot dudes, total nutcases, heroes and villains. It’s full of heart and heartlessness with just enough romance to make the reader sigh and enough danger to keep them on the edge of their seat. And, needless to say, Killian Jones (OUAT) isn’t the only Captain Hook I’d like to sail the seas with.
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![]() Meghan Brehon Going into Rebel of the Sands, I was hoping for something like The Rise and the Dawn (really, I just wanted The Rose and the Dagger, but that’s not the point). While it didn’t somehow have Shahzrad and Khalid, it did not disappoint. Rebel of the Sands takes place in a desert environment, though it is nowhere near ordinary. Humans and animals aren’t the only things that inhabit the desert, but also magical beings called djinn (and other variations of the creatures). The story’s protagonist, Amani, brought the sass and didn’t hold back with the badassery. She has quick tongue and never misses when there is a pistol in her fist. Her destiny seems to be to join the ranks as one of her uncle’s wives (where her husband can “beat some sense into her”), but this wasn’t how she wanted her life to go, so she took matters into her own hands. What makes this book the gem it is is not only the plot and interesting world it takes place in, but also Amani and her companion (saying his name is probably too much of a spoiler). The chemistry and the way they interact had me smiling constantly, there was never an awkward moment. This book is like a spaghetti western with a twist. There is magic and mythology, but also gunslingers riding around on horses and trains, while the female protagonist deals with self-discovery and a revolution. All of the different elements come together to make a fast-paced story with a plot loaded with just enough (major and minor) twists. I find that sometimes plotlines don’t run smoothly, there are exciting or interesting points, but then a lull causes me to lose interest. But with Rebel of the Sands, it moved along in such a way that I was always wanting to read on and see what happens next. After finishing Rebel of the Sands, all I could think was “What!? It’s over!? I need more!”. And the next step of course is to find out that indeed, there is a sequel… that comes out next year >:(. Typical. Plez, I need more Amani-sass! (and magic and whatnot).
perceptive. The secret she held from both the reader an her fellow characters was by far the most shocking for me. I won’t spoil anything for anyone who hasn’t read the book, but I did not see many of the things that happened coming. Where the secrets of the other three characters caught me off guard, Emilia’s made me gasp, close my book, and look around contemplating my entire existence (a little dramatic? Maybe. But it was so far out left field (in a good way)). This is not the only instance where the rug is ripped out from under your feet just as you think you have a handle on the scenario, however. Although, many times the bombshell nugget of information is alluded to before it happens, making the instance(s) with Emilia the most shocking.
I can’t stop myself, so* BEGINNING OF SPOILERS* (These are not borderline spoilers, if you read this it will pretty much ruin the book for you, so just stop). That ending was a roller coaster. Oh man. First Opi, then Emilia sacrifices herself for her daughter. But then Emelia gets on the boat, and you think that maybe she has been thrown a bone and her perseverance, bravery, and selflessness will reward her in the end. But of course not. When she has that beautiful vision of her life after the war, with her daughter and her friends I was so hopeful that it was an epilogue that I had myself half convinced. It obviously wasn’t, so then I was hoping the book would end there so that I could pretend like it did turn out alright, and Emilia made it back over to Florian, Joana, and Klaus. But of course not. Sepetys just had to tie up those loose ends to make sure there is no way I can pretend Emelia raised Halinka and lived to old age. *sigh* *End of Spoilers* Sepetys’ intense research pays of with the accuracy and eloquence in her novels. The characters she creates are so real, and always manage to worm their way into my heart (I hate the cheesy sentiment, but hey, what can I do? Those characters are legit). For anyone who hasn’t read this novel (or any of Sepetys other works) all I can say is just do it *insert image of Shia Labeouf*. If you want to learn a little bit of history while at the same time making some new literary BFFs, check it out. ![]() Cassidy Serhienko Louisa Clark is an ordinary girl living an exceedingly ordinary life -- steady boyfriend, close family -- who has barely been farther afield than her tiny village. She takes a badly needed job working for ex-Master of the Universe, Will Traynor, who is wheelchair-bound after an accident. Will has always lived a huge life -- big deals, extreme sports, worldwide travel -- and he is not interested in exploring a new one. Will is acerbic, moody, bossy -- but Lou refuses to treat him with kid gloves, and soon his happiness means more to her than she expected. When she learns that Will has shocking plans of his own, Lou sets out to show him that life is still worth living. Me Before You brings life to two people who couldn’t have less in common -- a heartbreakingly romantic novel that asks, What do you do when making the person you love happy also means breaking your own heart? Me Before You first came on my radar because of Emilia Clarke’s instagram posts about the movie adaptation she’s starring in alongside Sam Claflin. The trailer immediately made me want to pick up the book, but it took me until now to actually do it (how is it possible that there were no copies in Saskatoon?). I expected the novel to be reminiscent of The Fault in Our Stars, but Me Before You stands on its own. I was in turn laughing and crying, sometimes at the same time. The situations the characters found themselves in were always complex. Will can be a bit of a jerk, but when you find yourself thinking about how rude he is to Louisa who is really just trying to help, it’s pointed out (usually by Will himself), that the fact that he has to rely on other people for everything is one of the most enraging parts of his situation. For a guy with such a clear outlook on life (Will-ism - “You only get one life. It’s sort of your duty to live it as fully as possible”), it’s a bit of a mystery that he makes the choices that he does. But I loved the fact that he changed Lou as much, if not more, then she changed him. Lou may have been fearless when it comes to fashion, but she lived life timidly. Will opened her eyes to a whole world of possibilities, whether or not she realized he was doing it. KIND OF A SPOILER AHEAD, I GUESS. The only thing I can complain about is how long Patrick (Lou’s long-term, jerkface boyfriend) stuck around. Lou never really stood up for herself to him, and I think that considering what a pushy asshole he was, she should’ve. I also wish that she really stood up to her family. Yes it was clear that they loved her, and they did what they could for her, but it’s not like they appreciated her, or were even really nice to her most of the time. Treena always made her feel small, and they seemed to insist that she was a bit pudgy and useless. MINOR, ALMOST NOT A SPOILER, SPOILER OVER Me Before You is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time, and Will and Lou’s story is going to stick with me for awhile. Jojo Moyes novel forces you to think about the lengths you’d go to for someone you love, and what choices someone should and shouldn’t be allowed to make, and most of all, she makes you want to jump headfirst into life (and buy yourself a pair of bumblebee tights). |
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