The Darkest Part of the Forest

The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black is a stunning novel that captivates you from the first page. I heard about this wonderful book from a tumblr blog I follow, and the book exceeded my expectations!

Two kids, a brother and a sister, live in the strange town of Fairfold, where humans and fae live side by side. The faeries supposedly harmless magic attracts tourists, but Hazel and Ben know exactly how to stop the faeries, and they have, once. And in the center of it all, lies a glass coffin, in the woods. In it sleeps a boy with horns on his head, and ears as pointy as knives. Hazel and Ben were both in love with him as children, their childhood mixed with stories of the mysterious fae in the woods. The boy has slept there for generations, never waking.

And then he does.

Soon, the pair's world is flipped upside down. And because a hero is needed to save them all, Hazel is pulled into a game of trickery, magic, and trust, while trying to remember her past as a knight. But she is swept up into new love, shifting loyalties, and the harsh sting of betrayal, and despite her best efforts, it might not be enough. 


This book was beautifully written, from the first page to when you close the book. It had magic, mystery, and the perfect amount of romance. I am very happy to have picked up this book, and Holly Black is an amazing writer, and I can't wait to read more of her books!

I give this book 6/5 Bookish Badges for giving me a boost out of the reading slump I was stuck in!

 ~ Chloe

Fahrenheit 451

Wow! Two posts in a week! This has never happened before! But this was an English assignment, and you guys deserve at least another post before I go offline again, so I decided to post this little gem for you all!

Guy Montag lives in a world without books. His job is to burn the books that threaten his society, and he does it gladly. He is called a fireman, but firemen don’t put out fires anymore, they use fire to burn. They burn the books, and the houses they were stored in. It is against the law to read any of the books they burn, and no one questions what could be inside. Guy does his job, does it well, and never questions what he is doing, continuing his boring life with his wife, Mildred, and the television screens she calls her “family”.  But all this changes one night when he meets a 17-year-old girl named Clarisse. With a few questions, and a few stories, she changes Guy’s worldview completely. But he pretends to ignore it, until he finally can’t. He sees a woman burn, and starts wondering why she was so interested in the books that supposedly mean nothing. Soon, he can’t stop thinking about it, and the ideas Clarisse put into his mind. Guy slowly begins to question everything he has ever learned, and what he can do to change it.

The Diabolic By S.J. Kincaid

Hi everyone, it has been a while! Sorry for not posting in forever, (Yes, I know there is 10 people writing on here we have no excuse,) but here is a book review for you all!

“A Diabolic is ruthless.A Diabolic is powerful.A Diabolic has a single task: Kill in order to protect the person you’ve been created for.”

The diabolic by S.J. Kincaid is a very well written novel which captivates you from the first sentence. The book focuses on the concept of humanity, and what being a human means, and why someone is classified as a person.

Nemesis is a Diabolic, a humanoid teenager created to protect a galactic senator’s daughter, Sidonia. They have grown up side by side, but are not sisters. Nemesis is expected to give her life up for Sidonia, and would do so, gladly. She will take lives with no hesitation, as long as it keeps her safe.

When the power hungry emperor learns that Sidonia´s father is going against the law by participating in a religion, he summons Sidonia to court, as a hostage. There is only one way for Nemesis to protect her friend ; she must become Sidonia. Nemesis travels to the court as Sidonia, now a killing machine masquerading in a world of corrupt politicians and two-faced senators’ children. It’s a gauntlet with threats on every side, but Nemesis must keep her true abilities a secret or risk everything, including Sidonia, the one person she must keep safe.

As the Empire begins to fracture and rebellion looms closer, Nemesis learns there is something more to her than just deadly force. She finds a humanity truer than what she encounters from most humans. Amidst all the danger, action, and intrigue, her humanity just might be the thing that saves her life, and the empire.

I give this book 4.5/5 Bookish Badges! Happy Reading!
- Chloe K.

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Hoi Readers!

Looks like I'm the only one posting. Oh whale. Anyways, sorry for not posting the whole of November. Today's review is on one of the books which I recently finished. Six of Crows is set in the same universe as The Grisha Trilogy. In the second book, there are spoilers for that so I highly recommend you read that first. This book was aammmaaaaazzzziiiiiiiiinnnnnnnggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg excuse me but seriously, you should read it.

And now for the synopsis: (I'm too lazy to write my own so I'm analyzing the set synopsis)

--------

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price--and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone...

A convict with a thirst for revenge.

A sharpshooter who can't walk away from a wager.

A runaway with a privileged past.

A spy known as the Wraith.

A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.

Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz's crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction―if they don't kill each other first.

---------

So what I got from this when I first read the synopsis was that it's probably a normal, everyday, criminal book. I only started reading it because of the author. As I read on, I realized that this was no everyday crime novel. There was magic, monsters, and the heist was not just stealing treasure, but a person. The six "crows" in Kaz's gang (counting himself) develop strong relationships throughout the two novels. While Six of Crows has it's fair share of romance, the story does not center around it, and rarely puts that in front of the main plot.

I rate this book 5/5 bookish badges (honestly why would I write a review on a book I don't like ha).

-Hanna

I'll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson

HI READERS!

This is the cover for the paperback edition. 

Well we haven't written on here in an extremely long time! We're more active on the instagram, @our_bookish_blog (even though it's only me now T^T)! Anyway today's review is on one of my newest favorite book, I'll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson.

This book will make your heart hurt. It's about a pair of twins, Noah and Jude. When they were 13, they were inseparable, calling themselves NoahandJude. Jude is a daredevil, cliff diving, and talks for both of them. Noah is quiet and antisocial and falling in love. At 16, something has happened to tear them apart in unimaginable ways. It also would seem as if they switched personalities. Now Jude is the quiet and antisocial one,  while Noah is the one who wears the “flame retardant” as his 14 year old self called Jude’s personality.

It's told in alternating chapters, Noah telling the early years (13-14), and Jude narrates the later years (16 and onwards). They each tell half the story and "if they can only find their way back to one another, they’ll have a chance to remake their world" (Official Synopsis). This book has won many awards, and I can see why. I'll Give You The Sun will tear you into pieces and put you back together again. This book will change your perspective on family, the world, art, and most importantly, love. Everyone should read this heart wrenching book! I rate this 6/5 stars!

Half Bad by Sally Green

Hi Readers! 

Today's review was actually written for a school project. Here it is!

This book sucked me in from the beginning, I couldn’t put it down! Half Bad is about a young witch (he's male, but in this book the magical people are all called witches), Nathan who lives in modern day England. 

The Magical community is divided into 2 sections, the Whites and the Blacks. White witches are good, Black witches are evil. Nathan is half white and half black. The white witches do not trust him, and he’s never met a black witch. 

What makes matters worse is that Nathan’s father is the most dangerous black witch in their community. Nathan has to survive this brutal community, where he is the only half white, half black (called a half code). 

People who liked Harry Potter should read this book. While it’s not as good as Harry Potter, it’s definitely close! There’s magic, conflict, a little bit of romance, and so much more. I rate this book 4 out of 5 bookish badges, it’s a must read for fantasy lovers!

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

Hey everyone! I haven't posted in ages! But since I'm back in school, and I had to do a book report, I decided to post this on here. (If you are my teacher reading this no, I did not plagiarize this from here I write on a blog and you can ask me about it if you want.)



Fablehaven by Brandon Mull is a well written novel about a magical world called Fablehaven. The main theme for this book would probably be family. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read about magical settings or magical worlds. The plot was intriguing and the characters felt like someone you could meet in real life. It was put together really well and it Fablehaven almost felt like a real place. The only problem I had with this book was that the plot felt a little rushed. Other than that this book met my expectations, (which were quite high to begin with), and might have went a little over them too. This book isn’t very long (only 351 pages) but it’s worth the read. But I bet what you guys want is the summary so here it is!

When Kendra and Seth have to go to their grandfather's house for two weeks, what they weren't expecting was a mansion. They certainly wasn't expecting fairies in his yard nor witches in the forest near his house. But unfortunately that's what they found. It is soon revealed that their grandfather is the caretaker of a magical preserve called Fablehaven, and he is testing them to see if they can be the next caretakers. But when something goes drastically wrong, the siblings must find a way to restore what was lost on their own.
I rate this book 4.5/5 Bookish Badges. Thanks for reading!
-Chloe

To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

Hi Readers! 

Sorry for not posting in a month again (You'd think that with 10 writers we'd manage to keep up with posting) but I have a review for you today! Hopefully, we can post more since summer is over. (This review is probably going to be shorter than most)

This book is a YA novel with romance, drama, and all the good aspects of a YA novel. It's not fantasy, unlike most of the books I've reviewed, but it's perfect when you're in a book slump.

To All The Boys I've Loved Before is about Lara Jean Song, a sixteen year old Korean-American girl, who writes love letters. She keeps them in a hatbox her dead mother gave her (her dead mother is not a spoiler I swear). When she writes, she says all the things she never would say in real life, for they are for her eyes only. But when all her letters gets sent, her love life gets mixed up in ways she never imagined.

I rate this book 5/5 bookish badges. My favorite scene in this book is during Halloween and she dressed up as Harry Potter characters and it was amazing.

Thanks for reading!
~Hanna

HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD REVIEW!

HI READERS!!!

I am way too excited today.... Oh well. Anyway I just finished the "eight story" and ohmygods the feels. I'm pretty sure you know who this book is by, but this is a review for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Special Rehearsal Edition) by J. K. Rowling, John Tiffany, And Jack Thorne. Don't worry, in this review, there will be no spoilers, just my personal opinions. But really, if you haven't gotten the book, GO AND GET IT!!!! It's Harry Potter, after all.

Well since I can't summarize it I'm just going to stick the official synopsis so no spoilers here!

It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.

While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places. (From harrypottertheplay.com) 

This totally lives up to being the "eight story". There's magic and adventure, basically everything you would expect in a Harry Potter book! The plot itself is ....interesting, but the literal book, is truly amazing. I give it ∞ bookish badges!!!!!!!!!!!!! This could also be that I am just super physced that there is another Harry Potter book, but I think not. What are you waiting for! Go out and get your copy!! And remember #keepthesecrets! Especially to those poor souls who preordered it on Amazon. Get it at Barnes and Noble or another local bookstore. 

I should reread it now! 

~Hanna

P.S. Yay the picture is up!

20 Things To Do While Waiting for Harry Potter and The Cursed Child

Hi Readers! 

So this is going to be a pottermoreish post. With like a list of suff and such. Oh like the house series thing we did earlier! Anyways here it is!

1. Reread all seven books in the 7 days you have left
2. Watch all eight movies in the 7 days you have left 
3. Scream in the 7 days you have left 
4. Scream some more in the 7 days you have left 
5. Go on pottermore in the 7 days you have left 
6. Cry because there is 7 days left
7. AHH IT'S THE AMAZING NUMBER 7 ASDFGHJKL 
8. Go on the official play website and fangirl/fanboy over the website in the 7 days you have left
9. Read the discription over and over in the 7 days you have left 
10. Try to contact scholastic for an early copy in the 7 days you have left 
11. Try to contact J.K. Rowling for an early copy in the 7 days you have left
12. IT'S NUMBER 12 AS IN NUMBER 12 GRIMMUALD PLACE AHHH THE FEELS
13.  PREORDER THE BOOK if you haven't in the 7 days you have left
14. Read NextGen fanfic in the 7 days you have left 
15. Write fanfic in the 7 days you have left 
16. Draw fanart in the 7 days you have left 
17. Look at fanart in the 7 days you have left 
18. Find textposts in the 7 days you have left
19. Watch Potter Puppet Pals on YouTube in the 7 days you have left 
20. Watch A Very Potter Musical on YouTube in the 7 days you have left 

And there most likely will be more but this is it all for now! Thanks for reading! 

-Hanna 

The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson

Hi Readers! 

Sorry for not posting in like a month but this should (hopefully) suffice for now. 

The Unexpected Everything is one of the books I finished on the really long plane ride to Singapore. It has a good plot, and is realistic fiction.

The Unexpected Everything is about Andie, a teen girl who has her future planned out. She was supposed to attend  a top-tier medical school this summer, but due to her father's politics her application is cancelled. With nothing to do for the summer, and all the jobs taken, when she sees an intriguing flyer advertising a summer job, she decides that checking what it's all about would have no harm. Now she's walking dogs, hanging out with her friends, and spending well needed time with her dad. She also meets Clark, her um romantic interest and SPOILER a well known author.

I rate this book 5/5 bookish badges. It's a extremely good book (most of the books I read are....) and everyone should read it!!!
-Hanna

The selection by Kira Cass

WOW ITS BEEN A MONTH SINCE OUR LAST POST WHAT EVEN. Sorry everyone but we all are on vacation and stuff... Anyway I haven't been able to read much since I'm too lazy to take out my kindle or try and write something for here... But hopefully this book review will be sufficient for annother month (jk I'm going to get other people to try and write befor this can happen again) but without firther ado, here is the review!

The Selection by Kira Cass is a intriguing

novel (in a series) which main theme is (again) love. The plot is well written, the twists are well thought out, and the way it's all put together is amazing. But I guess you want the summary so here I go!

America Singer lives in a place called Illea, where the inhabitants are separated by castes basted on their profession, or their parents profession. It ranges on a scale of 1 to 8, 1 being royals and 8 being the criminals. America just so happens to be a 5, which is quite low. She hears of a competition being hosted at the place for all of the eligible girls in Illea. The winner gets the prince's hand in marriage, and all of the girls participating get bumped up to a 3 and their family gets a sum of money for however long they are gone from home. Unlike the other girl, though, as soon as America heard about this competition she wants no part in it. Her mother tries to convince her to enter her name, but she still isn't sure if she wants to do it or not. When a friend of hers begs her to do it, she enters. On the day of the choosing, she sits there hoping she doesn't get chosen, but of course, she does. Now America Singer as been entered in the competition of a lifetime. She might find love, she might make some friends, and possibly meet enemies. But what I can tell you is that she will be a changed person. After all, this is the selection.

Just to warn you this book is in a series of 6? Idk 5? But you've probably read Jorina's reveiw of The Crown which is the last book in this series so happy reading!

I rate this book 4/5 stars

- Chloe

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Hi Readers! 

This has taken me forever..... Two more days of school and FREEDOM! Anyway, here's the review for Carry On!

It's sort of a companion novel to Fangirl, and I recommend you read Fangirl first, but it isn't necessary to. Be sure to read Fangirl anyway.

Carry On takes place in Watford School of Magicks (No I didn't spell magic wrong, that's just how it's spelled in the book). With the main character as Simon Snow. Yes, the Simon Snow I mentioned in my review of Fangirl. (Click here to read it if you haven't yet) Simon attends magic school at Watford, and in his first year, the Crucible,  a fancy test in which the students at watford get their roommates, puts Simon with his nemesis, Baz, Simon knows he's in for an interesting time at Watford.

Now Simon's in his eight year, and there are many weird problems at Watford. For example, the magic is running out, and a magic hungry monster is rampaging, wearing Simon's face. It's up to Simon, aka the worst chosen one who's ever been chosen (thanks Baz) to solve this! I mean he is the chosen one........ Carry On Simon, carry on.

I give this 6/5 bookish badges (I seem to be going over the limit a lot) and I hope you enjoy this fast paced fantasy - romance novel!
~Hanna

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Greetings, companions of old!

I'm sorry to have left you without any of my writing to read. As you might have read in the other writers' posts, "blame school". Actually, that's rather selfish of me to pretend that I didn't simply get lazy and not commit to my writing times. But no matter, I'm back now. You can finally be satisfied.

In other news, I got a lot of reading done. Which brings us to today's post about Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas.

Celaena Sardothien is 18 years old. She is also the most talented assassin in all of her kingdom.

Or was, before she was captured and sent to the mines of Endovier to serve a life sentence as a slave. The mines wreaked destruction on her body, leaving her weak and permanently scarred. After two years, however, she is retrieved from prison by the Captain of the King's Guard and recruited to fight in a competition that could win her freedom. If she can fight and defeat the champions of many other lords throughout a series of challenges, she will be granted the title of the King's Assassin and be used by her tyrannical overlord to carry out the dark deeds he commands.

Though Celaena is by far the most thoroughly-trained and talented competitor in the competition, she finds that her years spent in the mines of made her far weaker than she would have expected. Simply training for the competitions often leaves her collapsed and vomiting. In addition to her slight weakness, the Crown Prince requires that she conceal her skills and her true identity until the final battle that she might surprise her competitors and use that to her advantage. She commits herself to becoming stronger, and with the assistance of her new-found companion, the Captain of the Guard, spends many hours each day preparing on her own time. 

Throughout the book, Celaena is also struggles with court etiquette and the affections of both the Prince and the Captain of the Guard. As if all this wasn't enough to make her head spin, she is warned from beyond the grave about an evil that begins killing the competitors one by one!

Will Celaena survive this competition? Can she win? Find out in this thrilling novel, Throne of Glass!

By my rating, this book earns 4/5 bookish badges! The layered development of both the main and secondary characters is impressive.

WARNING: Book contains some profanity.

That's all for tonight!

Phillip

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Hi Readers! 

 Well so I haven't been posting again. Blame school (Yay only 11 days left for me!). Well today's review is on one of the best books EVER in my opinion. For one, the main character is basically me. Or every fangirl ever. I guess that's why it's called Fangirl.Well her's the review! (I'm going to use many fangirl terms on this).

Cath is a serious fangirl. Her life basically revolves around her fandoms. Well one fandom. The Simon Snow novels (Harry Potter but more complicated). Since it's her life she has to be good at it right? Well she's not just good, She's amazing at it! She writes Simon Snow fanfiction, which tens of thousands of people read on the internet daily.

Her twin sister, Wren, has mainly grown out of the fandom (how), but Cath hasn't. Since they're going to college, Wren tells Cath that she doesn't want to be roommates (Chloe you better not do this to me). That's just the start of her problems! With a fiction writing professor who really dislikes fanfiction and a interesting roommate, Cath's in for a very interesting college year!

This book has a companion novel, Carry On, also by Rainbow Rowell. I recommend that you read this book before reading Carry On, as that book is a companion to Fangirl. I'll be getting a review for Carry On very soon! Fangirl easily gets 6/5 Bookish Badges. I hope you enjoy one of my favorite books!
~Hanna

Messenger of Fear by Michael Grant

Well I haven't posted in a while... But now I'm back, and with a review for you all!

 Anyway, here's another Michael Grant novel...

Messenger of Fear by Michael Grant is a interesting novel about balancing the good and evil in the world. To be honest, this wasn't one of the best books I have ever read, but it wasn't the worse either. You might want to read this book if you have nothing else to read, but don't read it if you have 50 other books.

When Mara wakes up in a mysterious place with no memory of who she is other than her name, she can sense that something is very wrong. She encounters a boy who goes by the name of Messenger. She learns that the Messenger sees the darkness in peoples hearts, and the damage it inflicts upon the world. If they go unpunished, he offers the wicked a game. Win, and they can go free. Lose, and they will live out their greatest fear. She isn't sure why any of this has anything to do with her, but she will find out soon enough.

As she helps the messenger prefom his "duties" she starts to wonder, Why was she chosen to be the Messenger's apprentice? What has she done to deserve this terrible fate? But she might never learn, and if she does, it will be too late. She will already have been the Messenger of Fear.

I rate this book 3.5/5 bookish badges. It isn't a bad book, but it isn't the greatest one either. Or maybe I just think that Michael Grant's other books were better...

- Chloe

c;

Ellohay! I have made a story. 21 (sometimes 18 or 33 I don't know why) pages long. Hoorah! but now I have to edit. I ruined the beautiful writing by adding magic into the sic-fi. I know, the horror, the horror! Anyways, I love to write. So this post comes down to one question. Do you want to read my writing? (Honestly it's not too great me being in junior high haha) But like this post (can you even like it?) Or leave a smiley face below. c;
~Toodles~
Kiwi
c:

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Hey Readers!

It's Saturday already?! Well I was reading again... I do that a lot don't I? Today's review is about another book I read last week.

Graceling is about Katsa, a spirited and smart teenage girl. In this fictional world, certain people have a grace, a special talent that makes you good at one thing that can be anything. Katsa's is killing. As the king's niece, she is forced to use her...interesting skills as the king's personal assassin. Katsa, who doesn't like this sort of treatment, has to figure out how to escape her uncle and the meaning of her Grace.

This book will give you many feels, start a couple new ships, and satisfy your need for a good fantasy novel. I rate this book 3.5 bookish badges, because the plot could be a bit confusing at times.

~Hanna

P.S. I have not read the sequel, Bitterblue yet, but I have heard it's also really good!

Guest Post! The Sin-Eater's Daughter by Melinda Salisbury

Hey Readers!
Kate has another review for you all! Thank you Kate for this brilliant review on a book that I have never heard of. ~Hanna

The Sin Eater’s Daughter

By Melinda Salisbury

Twylla is a girl. Or more than a girl. Or not. No one really knows who Twylla is. Most claim she is Daunen, the spirit of the Gods’ child. But she is also the Sin Eater’s Daughter. And she is known as the executioner in the kingdom, for using her powers gifted to her by the gods to kill criminals in the jail. She used to have a friend, somebody who knew her. But she was forced to kill him, as he knew a dark secret. One so big not even she knew. And Twylla has been lonely since that moment.

Until one fateful day.

Twylla is assigned a new guard, Lief. And it is not long before her other guard falls deeply ill, leaving Twylla and Lief alone with nothing but time on their hands. They grow close, as friends or perhaps something more than just friends. 

And then the prince (Merek) who has been away for two years returns.

Because he is almost 20, and that is when he is supposed to marry Twylla. As Daunen, she is deemed fit for a prince. And she always knew she was going to marry Merek. At least until she met Lief anyway. But before Twylla can figure out her love life, many deaths occur. And an old myth resurfaces. The tale of the Sleeping Prince. A prince who, if awoken, would completely destroy the kingdom Merek and Twylla are destined to rule. A prince who would, if anyone would, be awoken by the queen. The hated queen, the despised queen, the loathed queen, the queen who rules by way of fear. 

Can Twylla stop the queen, the sleeping prince, and find the meaning of true love all at once?

All while telling truths from lies?

This fantasy book is action-packed and gripping. Personally, I read it in one night because I could not put it down. I would easily rate this book 5/5 bookish badges.

--Kate

The Crown Review *Spoilers*

"It's like they're two halves of the same heart in different bodies"- Eadlyn S The Crown Pg. 44
*Spoilers*
Hello fellow Fangirls and Fanboys,
So I've read the Crown and it's amazing.
Number one- No I'm not telling you who gets chosen to be Eadlyn's 'The One', I'm not that evil, (Er
Number two- Yes there will be spoilers, so beware,
Number three- These are my personal thoughts, not yours
Number four- NOOO it's the last book :(

My Thoughts
Oh wow, Eadlyn has matured so much in the 5th book! Let's just say nobody dies *claps*, but there are new ships! So for example *Spoiler* HALE AND EAN!! But Eadlyn decides to spare their lives by not telling anyone and letting them go. There any plot twists, and before you hate on Josie, Josie actually matures *gasps*.

Basic Summary
Eadlyn Schreave is back at it again with the selection. Narrowing it down to six Elites, Eadlyn is prepared to find her soul mate. But there are still many things to think about. Like what will happen to her if her mother doesn't survive? *Spoiler* Eadlyn becomes queen! *Squee*
Its not much, but I have many exams coming up, but I have another blog, (http://cherriesandcateyes.blogspot.ca) coming, SO BYE
-Jorina♡