The Daily Prophecy

Patrick Ness- Release. 
RATING: 2/5.
Patrick Ness' books always make me feel stupid. It's like I'm not clever enough to truly grasp his intentions, because I can't figure out how the two stories combine. It felt like I was reading two books at the same time and they didn't mesh together in my head.

The first story is about Adam and how he deals with his homosexuality and his family, who are very religious and believe it is something he can be cured of. They try to avoid the topic, but whenever they can they make it clear they aren't willing to accept him. No matter what he does, it is always wrong. The moment his father tells him that is is hard to love him, but that the tries, my heart completely shattered for Adam. The fact that there are people in the world who think like that is just unbelievable to me. Love = love, no matter what, as long as it makes you happy.

Adam's romantic moments with his boyfriend made me melt and it was good to see he was so supported by him. The sex scenes were nicely done. Also his friendship with Angela! That was one amazing girl.

The other story is about a Queen and a Faun. She is possessed with the spirit of a girl that was strangled to death and she is now on the hunt to get justice. The Faun is hopping along to sort of protect her? The story was really poetic, but I struggled with it. I didn't understand what this story had to do with Adam.. and why it was there in the first place. I just don't see what it adds to the overall story.

So yeah. I'm starting to believe Ness' work is just not for me?



Jennifer Donnolly – Lost in a book. 
RATING: 2.5/5
It's an easy and fast book, but she has made Belle really un-Belle-like at times for the plot. Moments where I thought 'this is NOT how Belle would act' but I tried to see this as a complete seperate story. You really have to overcome the idea that this is similar to Beauty and the Beast from Disney, so once I let go of that it became more enjoyable.

The inclusion of Death/Love was interesting. I was confused by the first chapter, yet intrigued by the way this was going to play out. It was an unique twist to add to the tale.

The plot would have benefited from more character building for the Beast, but again, the author probably did so for the plot. The whole story is driven by Belle's unhappiness in the castle, so the more lonely she gets, the more desperate she wants to leave. The idea of traveling to this other world through a book was great; it was one of the things I loved about the live 2017 version. The darker turn at the end was nicely done.

In the end, it was enjoyable, but not mind-blowing and definitely not as close to the original tale as I thought it would be.


Samantha Shannon – The Song Rising. 
RATING: 5/5.
I always struggle to review books in the middle of a series, so I'm going to be vague.

The first thing I want to say is that I loved it. There is a slow start, but once the story kicks in it is one thrilling ride. Samantha has truly set up an interesting story filled with fascinating characters.

This sequel is all about Paige and her search to find a solution to destroy the new detection systems. They make it impossible for Clairvoyants to go out in public, so the stakes are high. This leads Paige into the heart of Manchester, where she may or may not be able to find help.

I also loved her struggle between following her heart in her romance or being the leader everyone expects her to be. The fact that the romance always take a back seat is something I really appreciate, since there are so many important things that keep Paige busy. It feels realistic, yet it never gets overwhelming. This book could easily be too chaotic to follow, but Samantha is able to keep it all under control. I need more!

Lexa Hillyer – Spindle Fire. 
RATING: 2.5/5.
In the beginning of the book there is an introduction from someone, who says that the author also writes poems; I was expecting a lot from her writing-style, but to be honest it felt a bit choppy to me. It wasn't clicking with me and that prevented me from getting sucked into the story.

I thought it was great that this book features a blind character without giving her these over-the-top powers to make her bad-ass. Isabelle simply rocked and the fact she can't see added something extra to her personality. Aurora was less interesting to me, because she felt more distant. I couldn't connect with her, but I did like her part in the story. The switch from POV between the two sisters was distracting though and it made the story slow.

 There could have been more exciting twists and turns, although I did like all the original elements the author put in the story; like the way the fairies take something before they bestow a gift on the princess and that we get to see Aurora's dream while she is asleep.

Overall, an okay book.

Ernest Cline – Ready Player One. 
RATING: 4/5.
5/5 for voice. Wil Wheaton did one hell of a job in portraying the voice of Wade. He had me completely hooked. 3/5 for the overall story. I loved the plot, but the pace is slow and tedious. There are a lot of descriptions and detail, which could be a bit too much for my taste.

I loved Wade. I really liked Artemis, 'H' and Soto + Deito. It is a diverse cast with good dynamics.

I was appalled by the fact that some people were willing to kill in order to win the game, but also not surprised, because it is definitely something that would happen in real life too.

Wade is a Gunther; one of the many people who are trying to find a hidden egg in a virtual world called the Oasis. It was created by Holiday, who left his entire fortune up for grabs after his death. Five years have passed and no one has found the first clue yet, until Wade stumbles upon it. This is the beginning of a life/death race to find the Egg.

Like I said, there are parts that the author wrote with MANY descriptions. I love details, but sometimes I wish the story would move forward a little faster. I'm not sure if I would enjoy this as a written book, because it was definitely thanks to Wheaton's brilliant storytelling that I kept listening.