The Light Between Us by Katie Khan

Posted on by TheBookHaven

Genre: Fiction/Science Fiction

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

To find a novel as enjoyable as The Light Between Us is almost like a syzygy – it happens once every ten years. Khan’s ability to portray the trials of time travel and long lost love whilst simultaneously highlighting strong female friendships is a masterpiece in itself.

The story follows Thea, a grad at Oxford, who is studying physics. Fueled by her interest for time travel, Thea wishes to further her study of it but is renounced by her professors. She secretly builds her own ‘time machine’ – a glass prism which she attaches a laser to to reflect light. With the help of her friends, a failed attempt results in one of them going missing. Where did she go? Or more importantly, what point in time did she go to? With the help of her long lost friend, Issac, Thea finally gets the answers she’s looking for but at a questionable price.

What a delightful read. It did start off a bit slow, but once I got to know the characters more and mystery was added in to the storyline, I was hooked. Katie really has a knack for writing realistic, authentic people. They’re just so human. She interweaves her characters with interesting concepts that have me turning the page to find out more.

My points of interest:

– Thea was such a great main character. We get to see two versions of her in two parallel dimensions so her character range was interesting to explore. She’s smart and career focussed but still has the emotional capacity to understand there’s more to life than her work. She was just so human.

– The romance was well fitted to the novel and didn’t distract or deter from the core storyline. Thea and Issac have been plutonic for years but we see them slowly fall in to the love territory through strength bonding experiences and beautiful flashbacks of their initial days as friends. I felt inexplicably drawn to them, and felt the natural progression of friends to lovers was done cohesively.

– The science behind time travel and the explaining of quantum physics was done so in a manner that anyone could understand it. I’ve had a fondness for quantum physics since reading Dark Matter by Blake Crouch, so I was intrigued by the concept of a prism that reflected light being used to time travel, or as we learn, a way to alternate dimensions. We were walked through the logistics of it and it was spoken about fluidly and concisely for even an unknowledgable reader.

– Strong female friendships made this story such a standout in modern literature. We have a group of women who are all well educated, supportive of one another and never undermine each other. Despite having vastly different personalities, they unite in support of one another and are always there at times of need.

Overall, The Light Between Us has solidified Katie Khan as an auto buy author for me. Her knack for writing realistic characters and creating unique storylines in the sci-fi universe makes me excited for what’s next in the genre.

Let’s just say, she’s one to keep an eye on.

Brightly Burning by Alexa Donne

Posted on by TheBookHaven

SPOILERS

Genre: YA Science Fiction

Rating: 4/5 stars

Are you looking for the retelling of the year? Stop your search, Brightly Burning is the pick for you. Jane Eyre set in space, it has the essence of the classic but reimagined in a futuristic setting to spin an old favourite.

The story follows Stella Ainsley, a teacher and engineer aboard the lowly ship, the Stalwart. Earth is inhabitable due to an ice age, and most of its citizens have been evacuated in to space. Orphaned at a young age, Stella has come to call the Stalwart home, but dreams of bigger things when it seems the Stalwart has been chosen to deorbit and go back to Earth. Money is tight, and there’s no way to know for sure if it’ll make the travel back. A surprise acceptance for a position as governess on another ship, the Rochester, changes her life around. She gives up her scrappy life for one with advanced technology, more food/water rations and a dashing captain, Hugo Fairfax. But nothing stays perfect forever. Stella hear’s strange laughs during the night. Hugo’s life is in danger. And when her own life is on the line, she must ask the mysterious Hugo the very questions he’s been keeping secret for a very long time…

I liked this book. I adore the concept of Jane Eyre so to entwine it with my love for science fiction made this an obvious buy for me.

The good:

– Stella was just great to read about. She’s quirky, smart and likeable in the aspect that she’s very down to earth and a normal teenager. She has her wits about her which definitely ties to the original Jane Eyre we all know and love.

– Hugo’s character was done well, despite what could have been obvious holes with his character. Like the original Rochester, he’s still a drunk and moody character and Alexa Donne still made that believable despite ageing him nineteen.

– The little nuances the author paid homage to made this book so the much more enjoyable. Twisting names from Blanche Ingram to Bianca Ingram for Hugo’s betrothed, and keeping the same linear storyline to the original were amongst many other great choices in the fluidity of the retelling.

The bad:

– Whilst the first half of the book felt strong, the second half fell for me. I was hoping for the plot to stay true in some aspects to Jane Eyre, but I found it steered too much in the other direction and lost some of its beauty. We found out who was trying to hurt Stella and Hugo, and instead of focusing more on this reveal, Donne focussed more on a new idea she brought in: the reveal that Hugo and his employees created the virus that was wiping out the poor citizens across the fleet. I would have loved for the mystery of who was committing the crimes to take centre point for more of the novel.

– A perhaps minor detail that also bugged me was when Hugo deorbits and goes back to Earth to escape his inflictions and is burned considerably in his crash landing. It was so intrinsic in the original Jane Eyre that Rochester loses his eye sight and Jane finds him blind, and it bugged me that Hugo had burns but his eyesight was perfectly intact. I would have loved that direct link to the original as it’s so monumental that their love for one another transcends superficial boundaries.

Overall, I’m really glad I read this book. I’d highly recommend it for all its romance, adventure, and original take on a beloved classic.

Shuffle, Repeat by Jen Klein

Posted on by TheBookHaven

Genre: YA Contemporary

Rating: 4/5 stars

Rebel. Jock. One wants to break free of high school’s cliches and another wants to be a part of all its traditions. How will two people from different worlds learn to tolerate each other?

Shuffle, Repeat follows June, an academic rebel who dreams of leaving high school and all its pathetic traditions. Enter Oliver, the school jock who takes her to school everyday after an agreement between their Mums. Oliver’s optimism about high school and all its greatness and June’s pessimism soon clash so they settle it with music – whoever comes up with a point to validate their views on high school gets to choose the song on the playlist, much to the others chagrin. Soon the songs fade to the background as they find out more about each other, and see that the world isn’t as black and white as they once thought…

I liked this book. Appearances weren’t what they seemed and I felt all the teenage angst and hilarity interspersed worked well.

My points of interest:

– June was an intellectual MC who was also this high school rebel. She disliked all the popular cliches of high school (like prom) but also prided herself on her smarts. Her boyfriend and friends all shared these views and I liked reading about it. She had the brains to back up her views.

– Oliver was…interesting. He’s your typical jock but I found myself warming to him a lot. He was quirky and had layers and tried to do the right thing despite mixing with the ‘popular’ ones. His caring side came out with June and I lived for those scenes.

– The music aspect only lasted a little while as conversation happened more freely once June and Oliver got to know each other. Since the whole premise was about the music, it should have had more of an impact, but it didn’t bother me as much as it should. I wanted to know more about them so I was okay to let it drop.

– I liked the friends to lovers aspect of the book. Despite both MC’s having partners, their chemistry was hard to miss and I was waiting for them to figure it all out and respectively get together once they were both single. Opposites do attract, you know?

Overall, this book is that gritty, no nonsense high school drama book you need. It has the romance factor to keep you enticed and will surprise you with its scope of storytelling. Give it a go!

Whisper by Lynette Noni

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Genre: YA Science Fiction/Dystopia

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Whisper was a treasure of a tale about secrets, hidden identities and superpowers.

The story follows Jane Doe, aka Subject 684, at the Lengard facility in Sydney, Australia. She’s a subject there and has been mentally and physically tested every day for over two years. Her reason for being there is unknown but it’s hinted at her possible powers throughout the first part of the book. All comes to a halt when she is assigned to work with Ward, a teenager like her who’s objective is to bring out her power. We find out Jane is a Speaker, and more importantly a Creator – an ability to speak words with intent and also create just by speaking. She’s the first Creator in a long time and Lengard soon finds her invaluable. She joins learning ranks with other Speakers to learn her craft and eventually be used by the government as a weapon. Things change though when Jane learns about the Resistance, rogue Speakers who question Lengard and its training and tell Jane about hidden experiments existing within its walls. Jane must decide for herself if she should trust Ward and her friends or if she should question her past and see past Lengard’s clean pristine surface…

This was a surprise read. I read it a bit blindly and just enjoyed having it all unfold. It was set in Australia which is rare to read about in YA these days, and I found the characters were likeable. I think I’m also really into superhero/superpower books these days and was happy this book had that and also great camaraderie.

Points of interest:

– I liked the story. I miss reading books where things unravel and you’re almost as blind as the MC. Jane unbeknownstenly is part of a bigger picture and home truths are discovered about Lengard throughout the book.

– Jane Doe was more interesting than her name suggests. We only get so much from her in the book as she’s discovering more about herself as you read, but she has a nice quality to her that makes you root for her.

– I liked the group of characters. The general camaraderie was awesome and I liked how everyone had their own personality. The humour was great.

– Ward and Jane’s relationship was interesting to read about. He played a lot of mind games with her but I liked how Jane held her own. Her honesty about her whole situation was refreshing and I’m intrigued to see her character arc.

– It’s set in Australia! YA books are never set there I feel so this was a breath of fresh air.

– It has a mild love triangle which is bearable. It’s a cheesy YA trope but I like it sometimes and felt Whisper did it right. The book had little romance and was more plot driven, so the love triangle was there but not overpowering.

– Without spoiling, we had a literal mad scientist as a villain! He’s crazy, deranged and just 100% believes in his messed up theories and I found my heart racing with his scenes.

I’d really recommend this book. Whisper had all the components of a great scifi/dystopian novel that I haven’t read in awhile, and blends it altogether with a stellar set of characters. Pick this one up!

In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware

Posted on by TheBookHaven

Genre: Adult Mystery/Thriller

Rating: 4/5 stars

Two old friends. A renewed connection. A cabin in the woods. Murder. What lies come out of the woodwork?

In a Dark, Dark Wood follows Nora, an author who unexpectedly gets invited to her estranged friend’s Clare hen weekend. Without speaking for over ten years, Nora cautiously accepts the invite to stay in the middle of the woods with a bunch of strangers for a couple of days. Things go sour when Nora realises that Clare is marrying her childhood sweetheart James, a romance she has never truly gotten over. Add mystery footprints in the snow, a secret message on a ouija board and a potentially loaded shotgun, and what was supposed to be a relaxing weekend turns into a nightmare. Sometimes old lies have a way of manifesting themselves, and the monsters aren’t always lurking in the trees…

This is my second novel by Ruth Ware, and I’ll straight up say I liked The Woman in Cabin 10 just that bit more. This book was her debut novel, and was good, but some minor issues in the ending left me disheartened. I still appreciated the story and suspense, and I’m starting to feel that the MC’s of Ruth’s stories are characters I really like.

What I liked:

– I’m not too good with horror or anything gory, and I’m lucky Ruth isn’t like that with her books. They’re more thriller than anything, and I appreciated the suspense.

– Nora was a likeable MC. I hear some people give flack to Ruth’s characters for being whiny or unlikeable in their opinion, but I’ve liked both that I’ve read so far. I find them relatable and just normal. Except for the occasional stupid choice they make, I like reading from their POV.

– The setting was eerie and added to the story. A glass cabin in the woods coated by snow raised the terror factor, and the constant feeling of being watched through the glass from outside was uneasy to read about. The characters were constantly conscious of it, causing underlying tension.

What I didn’t like:

– Clare annoyed me. She was meant to be this character that everyone loved and wanted to be like, but of course, she came across snobby and unlikeable. Why please someone like her? I understand that when you have history with someone, you turn a blind eye, but I always struggle to see past these things.

– The ending bugged me. The reveal of the murderer and their reasoning just felt odd. It was a shame after the lead up for the ending to be that way.

Overall, In a Dark, Dark Wood was a good read with great pacing and suspense all along. Despite the ending, I look forward to picking up more of Ruth Ware’s books.

The Queen’s Rising by Rebecca Ross

Posted on by TheBookHaven

Genre: YA Fantasy

Rating: 5/5 stars

Passion. Destiny. Politics. War

Who shall be named Queen?

The Queen’s Rising was an unexpected delight with its royal ties, political wars and slow burn romance. The story follows orphaned Brienna, one of the girls at Magnalia House in Valenia studying one of the five passions: wit, knowledge, music, art and acting. She comes to the school as a favour of her grandfather’s and eventually chooses knowledge as her passion with Master Cartier as her teacher. Failing to find a patron on her seventeen summer solstice to take her on, Brienna is horrified at what will come next but all changes when she starts having visions from her ancestors about the infamous Stone of Eventide. The stone vanished centuries ago and with its recovery, the rightful heir to the Maevana (rival kingdom to Valenia) empire will come to power. With all hell breaking loose with its current King, and Valenia ties strained, Brienna has become the source of knowledge the people have been waiting for.

She is accepted from a disgraced patron who has plans to use her visions to locate the stone and after meeting the rightful heir to the throne through him, she is set to work using her visions. But all is not what it seems, as Brienna’s past comes into play and she is torn between following her new family or her old one…

I loved this book. I put it off for awhile as it seemed daunting and I find lots of fantasy books are too similar. This one had me captivated. The characters were likeable, the political warfare between Valenia and Maevana was so interesting, and the slow burn romance between Brienna and Cartier was really great. Everyone had secret identities so the twists just kept on coming.

My favourite points:

– The slow burn romance between Brienna and Cartier was so lovely to read. You didn’t know if they were going to get together as he’s technically her teacher and there’s at least a ten year age gap, but it felt suitable. Not creepy. He was so respectable and sweet to her and when I say it was a slow burn romance, it really was, which made it all the much sweeter.

– The politics were so interesting to read about. It wasn’t too technical and the rivalry between Valenia and Maevana was well explored. The magic element also added an extra layer to the story and I liked how this book set it all up for the sequel.

– The twists weren’t major but there were enough that caught me off guard and surprised me. Everyone had alter egos and I was hooked reading it all unfold. I definitely had moments where I was like, “What!” and I’m looking forward to seeing where the characters go next.

– The pacing of the book was done well. I was interested throughout the novel as there were enough plot points to keep my focus. I just wanted to know what was going to happen next.

Overall, I highly recommend this book. It’s intriguing, passionate and magical and has a strong storyline to keep you interested. The set of characters were likeable and I’m excited for the sequel next year to come out.

Renegades by Marissa Meyer

Posted on by TheBookHaven

Genre: YA Fantasy/Science Fiction

Rating: 4.75/5 stars

Good vs evil.

Superheroes vs villains.

Who wins in the end?

You may think you know the answer but Renegades will make you question it. Marissa Meyer writes a tale from the villain’s point of view and with all its multilayered characters and rich landscape you’ll find the lines get blurred and wonder…

Who put them there in the first place?

The story follows the Renegades, a group of superheroes who run Galton City and keep it safe from the Anarchists and other rogue superheroes. We see things from Nova’s (alias Nightmare) perspective as one of the Anarchists who wants to overthrow the Renegade Council and restore power to the people so that all people with superpowers can live freely. She’s the niece of Ace Anarchy, the founding member of the Anarchists, and with his death by the hands of Captain Chromium, the Renegade leader, she wants justice served. Leaving her group of misfits behind, Nova goes undercover as a newbie Renegade (new alias Insomnia) to learn how to destroy the structure from within and bring upon the destruction needed to ruin the Renegades. Introduce Adrian (alias Sketch), Captain Chromium’s son, who wants Nightmare’s blood for her deathly past schemes, and a secret project undergoing at Renegade headquarters, Nova has more to worry about than she first thinks.

Man, I loved this book. It was reminiscent of the Reckoner trilogy by Brandon Sanderson which I absolutely adored, and I found I struggled to put it down. The characters were just great and I appreciated the scope of the world. I had faith in Meyer’s writing and she delivered.

The characters I adored:

– Nova (Nightmare) was awesome. She has light and dark elements to her and even with the moral ambiguity, I still felt a warmth to her. I’m interested to see her character arc in the next book and for us to see her powers more.

– Adrian (Sketch) was just adorable. I’m appreciating that guys in books now are more varied. He was nerdy and cute but smart. He wasn’t arrogant or demeaning – he just saw the best in others. Also, his power was to sketch things and bring them to life. Seriously, how cool is that?

– The Sentinel was a new character that joined the cast, and I liked how he was really ambiguous. Is he good? Is he bad? No side claimed him but he added that extra layer of depth to the book.

– The Anarchists were just awesome. I liked Leroy (Cyanide) the best as I felt he spoke a lot of wisdom and was Nova’s closes ally, but Honey (Queen Bee) was also so quirky and unique. Winston (The Puppeteer) was that comic relief the book needed.

– The Renegade Council held the right stature and demeanour to not make a ‘superhero’ novel seem cringey. They wore capes and superhero costumes but it never felt cheesy or funny. I understood their perspective on things despite seeing things from the anti heroes perspective, and could see they were doing their best to build a safe society with rules.

Only issue:

– Nova’s powers as Insomnia were so similar to Nightmare’s that I just thought it was obvious that they were the same person. Like how did the Renegades not see that? Also, Adrian disappearing mid scenes and coming back as The Sentinel and no one batting an eye was strange too. I just think everyone would have noticed their alter egos.

Overall, I’m really glad I read this book. It was a riveting read with a great set of characters to set the scene. I’m excited for Archenemies to come out to see how the stakes can rise even higher!

Love & Luck by Jenna Evans Welch

Posted on by TheBookHaven

Genre: YA Contemporary

Rating: 4/5 stars

A heartwarming story crisscrossing over Ireland’s main tourist spots, Love & Luck is that book that you’ll want to curl up with in front of a fire.

Following Addie, the friend of Lina’s we were introduced to in Love & Gelato, we see her go to Ireland for her Aunt’s wedding. She’s suffering from heartbreak after things ended badly with her boyfriend, and as a result, her close bond with one of her brothers, Ian, is tarnished as they were on the same football team. Knowing she’s going to Italy to see Lina soon with Ian, she feels relieved, but all goes to hell when Ian bails before their plane leaves. Introduce Rowan, the Irish friend Ian’s befriended who he’s going on a musical odyssey with around Ireland, and Addie is left to tag along on this journey with them. With her handbook, Ireland for the Heartbroken, on hand, she travels with them around Ireland’s beautiful landscape in the hopes of healing her broken heart.

So I like Love & Gelato just that bit more as it was more ‘romancey’. This book focused more on a sibling bond which was nice with some romance aspects woven through. But I’m realising Jenna Evans Welch writes these great witty books so I’m going to put my hand up for whatever she gives us next.

Some points of interest for me:

– Addie’s internal monologue was so witty and I just loved reading it. Her reactions were everything and I liked how she was depicted: strong willed, ferocious and caring.

– I like the guidebook aspect in the book as it added an extra layer of information about Ireland. The history of some of Ireland’s spots was lovely to hear about and the lady narrating it was so endearing and funny.

– Ian and Addie’s relationship was an interesting plot focus. There’s different forms of love, and seeing a sibling bond play out with all its ups and downs was interesting. I liked how protective her brothers were of her, and how Ian always had her best intentions.

– Ian and Rowan’s friendship bewildered me for a minute. When we first met Rowan, Ian was sneaking off with him and I just remember thinking, “Are they together?” I just felt they had a secret and that them being together would be a plot point. But no, just friends as Rowan and Addie had something throughout the book.

– I liked how the book had this theme about not judging a book by its cover. Ian was meant to get into college through football but really just wanted to get into writing about music. Addie discovered more about herself through her journey and found she was way stronger than she thought. And then Rowan learning how to move on from his parents divorce. We see the characters as one sided but then they gain so much depth the more we read.

If you want that cute contemporary read to warm your heart, pick up Love & Luck. It balances important themes with the lightness of a contemporary and will make that travel bug in you come out!

Legendary by Stephanie Garber

Posted on by TheBookHaven

Genre: YA Fantasy

Rating: 4/5 stars

The stakes higher, the lies more bold, Legendary takes what you thought of Caraval and turns it on its head.

The story primarily focuses on Tella this time round, as she searches for her lost mother. Finding a cursed Deck of Destiny cards when she was younger has meant her fate has been written out and her future out of her hands. Each of the Fates on the cards shows her something different about herself, and she is convinced that she’s the reason her mother disappeared. All comes to a head when one of the Fates, the Jack of Hearts, appears in the flesh and promises her mother’s return if she enters and wins Caraval and brings its leader, Legend, to him to have the power to unlock all the Fates. But she’s also told she could destroy the Fates if she locates the Deck of Destiny again and gives it to Legend to end them. Does Tella win and free her mother while simultaneously unleashing all evilness into the world? Or does she locate the Deck of Destiny and give it to Legend to destroy the Fates but lose her mother? Emotions run high and moral dilemmas come into play as Tella must decide for the first time what her fate must be…

So Legendary was a definitive step up from Caraval for me. I wasn’t a big fan of Caraval, but found I warmed to Tella in this book. I enjoyed the magic element in the book but to be honest, still found something lacking. I’ll try and some it up here.

The good:

– Tella held her own. She still had that playful flirtatious thing going on which heavily bugged me in Caraval, but she had her wits this time round and made better decisions. She’s smarter than she appears.

– Jacks. He’s the villain but gosh I liked him. He’s layered, twisted, has a warped perception on things, but I just loved his scenes. I want more of him to see his character arc.

– The magic element was so enjoyable. I was only 20 pages in but felt myself enraptured in the magic of it. The world felt sprinkled with it and Garber’s writing aided in this. The different Fates were also a great addition to the series.

The bad:

– I still don’t know what it is about Dante, but I don’t like him. He’s untrustworthy and I found I just couldn’t make him a book boyfriend. I look forward to Finale to see where he goes.

– There was a lot of repetition with information being related multiple times. We were told the same facts over and over again just to make sure we understood which I can appreciate, but it was done a bit too heavily. It was sometimes two paragraphs in a row saying the same thing but phrased differently.

– There were too many outcomes for the plot and rules were broken to make new outcomes possible. I thought there were only a couple of options when it came to how Tella could save her mother, but clauses were found and new pathways opened up which made me think: anything could happen. But not in a good way. It felt like the easy option was made possible and to be honest, it’s the cheat way of writing a book to do this.

To sum it all up, I enjoyed Legendary for what it brought to the table, but am still feeling like I’m missing something. I look forward to reading Finale to see what happens and for it to hopefully improve the series like Legendary did. Hopefully it keeps going up.

Dreamology by Lucy Keating

Posted on by TheBookHaven

Genre: YA Contemporary

Rating: 4/5 stars

A book where literally anything is possible, Dreamology encaptures the whimsical sense of being in a dream while intertwining it with the realities of falling in love for the first time.

The story follows Alice, whose dreams have been filled with Max since she was six years old. He’s her boyfriend in her dream state, and they achieve the impossible every night where they go literally anywhere.

All things come to a stop when Alice moves house and goes to her new school and sees Max, in the flesh, in the same classroom as her. Is it really him? Is she going crazy? Does he recognise her too? The lines between reality and make believe start to blur while Alice tries to make sense of it all…

I really enjoyed this book. The premise sounded interesting, and like with most contemporaries, it had depth to it that made me like it even more.

My good points:

– Alice was an exceptional MC. She was so witty and I just loved reading from her POV. She was quirky and out there and I just related so much. Do you know those weird things you think in your head or say out loud? Things people who are socially awkward do? Yep, Alice said them and it instantly made me feel at home.

– Max was sweet. He was shy but you could see his bond with Alice was so strong. They really were each other’s life forces in a way.

– Oliver was a great side character. He was troublesome and charming with the ability to lighten up Alice’s life. He’s the kind of friend you want as he really could turn your frown upside down.

My bad points:

– The direction of the plot was kind of a let down for me. I thought it’d follow Alice seeing the guy from her dreams in real life, and him not know her. She’d have to get to know this new Max whilst also convincing him they’re perfect for each other. This sadly wasn’t the plot. Very early on Alice sees Max and it turned out they both dreamt of each other. A company called the CDD (Centre for Dream Discovery) became part of the story as they both went there when they were younger to help with nightmares they were having. A mix up in therapy, and they both started dreaming of each other. A bit out there, I still think I’d have preferred a slow mystery for the romance.

– Alice’s relationship with her mother wasn’t explored enough. We see Alice at the end write to her mother to see her, and her mother respond by saying she didn’t have time to. It was heart wrenching and awful, but Alice’s response was hardly conveyed. I also felt her mother’s departure from the family wasn’t explained enough either.

Overall, this book was the cute read I was after. The characters were really likeable and I just loved the premise. Give this one a read if you like a bit of make believe in your life!