That Night by Cyn Balog || Review

Some things are better left buried.

This book was sent to me in exchange for an honest review by the publisher, via Netgalley. My thanks to both Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire. 

Name: That Night 

Author: Cyn Balog

Rating: 4 Stars

Pages: 320

Publisher: SOURCEBOOKS Fire

Published: June 4th 2019

^Please note: This is a trigger warning for suicide

A year ago, Declan killed himself in his family's shed with a gun. And Hailey's life fell apart. Her love, her forever, gone. No explanation, no hint, no nothing. Declan was the light of her life, the happiest person she knew and then he was gone. After spending time in an institution and several reckless activities later, the one year anniversary of his death is coming up and something isn't right. When Hailey is given a box of Declan's things, including a mysterious photograph with "This ends now," written on it, the fog in Hailey's memory starts to clear. Growing suspicious about the circumstances of Declan's death, she turns to her best friend and Declan's stepbrother, Kane, who appears to know more than he's letting on. What is everyone hiding from her, and does she want to know? 

Deciding that she does, Hailey's fog starts to lift and she finds herself uncovering the truth about Declan, his death and even herself. 

MY DUDES. I love a good mystery book, a what happened, a whodunnit, I LOVE THEM. So when I read the blurb of this book on Netgalley, I was immediately like "I need to read this book." And I wasn't disappointed. Drawn in by the opening chapter, I found myself wanting to know more about Declan and why he did commit suicide. The character building in this book was a breath of fresh air. I have recently read a book with two dimensional characters and this book was quite literally the opposite. The characters in this book had so much depth and so much potential, and a lot of it was lived up too. I liked who I was supposed to like, I hated who I was supposed to hate, the lines got blurred, I loved everyone, I hated everyone. I loved it. 

The story is split into flashbacks before Declan kills himself and the memories that Tina has before this event, and then the days following the one year anniversary where the fog is starting to lift. Declan is presented as a saint, but I loved the whole "Some saints don't get their atonement" conversation with Nina. Nina was a character I wish we got more of in this book as I think she had a lot of potential. 

Reading this book, I found myself really buying what the author was selling for the most part. The only thing I didn't really like about this book was the lack of parental input. I would've wanted to see more of the relationships with the parents being developed further, whether that be Declan and Kane's parents or Hailey's own. I wanted to gather their input of the situation at hand and whether they suspected something further went into Declan's death than a simple, unexplained suicide. 

Overall I would really recommend this book for fans of mystery, YA and contemporary books as I think it's a good read, it has a good plot and it's easy to follow. 

As always hit me up on my socials: 

Instagram: @conniedalt

Twitter: @connie_dalt

Email: conniedalton@hotmail.com

Goodreads: https://goodreads.com/sunstormsandthunderclouds

When the Light Went Out by Bridget Morrissey || Review

"You're a billion pieces, building and unbuilding, stacking and unstacking, hinging and unhinging, pushing, pulling, leaning, standing, falling, all to create something bigger than you." 

This book was kindly sent to me for review, via Netgalley, by SOURCEBOOKS Fire. Many thanks to both!

Name: When the Light Went Out 

Author: Bridget Morrissey

Rating: 3.5 Stars 

Pages: 320

Publisher: SOURCEBOOKS Fire

Published: June 1st 2019

Marley Bricket was the light of their friendship group, she kept everybody on their toes with their annual scavenger hunt called the Adventure, her stories and she made small town life bearable. Everybody knew they, Marley and her friends. When the Adventure comes around, they all get more than they bargained for. A gun that wasn't supposed to be loaded. An accidental shooting. Marley Bricket, dead. 

Five years later, her friends all get together after her memorial, the first one with them all together, for one last adventure. But will finishing what Marley started years ago raise more questions than answers and make everyone fall back into the spiral of grief and loss? 

I wanted to love this book. I really really did. 

And I didn't hate it. 

The writing was great, I really enjoyed the alternating point of view between the day that Marley died, and the days of the Adventure. It flowed well. But the present day point of view almost made parts of the throwback chapters redundant, it answered your questions too early I feel, which potentially made the book drag along a little. The ending was suspected. It made it hard to read and follow the flow. But the author really does have a lovely way with words, there were so many sections of this book I found myself taking note of and highlighting along the way because they encapsulate the process of grief so well. 

Grief is a really difficult topic to write about, especially grief from bereavement. How do you put loss in to words? Morrissey does it very well and the sections that spoke on grief were poignant and raw. They sat with you through the story and you can really feel what the main characters are expressing. 

That being said however, one reason this book isn't rated higher is the main characters. Ollie and Nick were the youngest two of the group and the two that were there when Marley died, Nick pulled the trigger and Ollie watched as Marley was killed by a gun that wasn't supposed to be loaded. That type of trauma is bound to mess anyone up, especially eleven year olds. But something about Ollie didn't sit well with me, I found her character reckless for the sake of being reckless and her unhealthy obsession with Marley was kind of unsettling in places. Particularly when she dresses as Marley to go to her memorial every year. That in particular made me feel a little weird. Ollie's voice is the narrator in this book, she's followed by the spirit of Marley, this presence of Marley was nice but I felt like it could have been developed further. 

I wanted a bit more from that aspect of the book. 

Now looking at Nick, he was a good character. But in terms of him and Ollie and their budding romance, it didn't seem like it was something that was for the best. It seemed too predictable and too cliche for the book, and in my opinion, Ollie forgave him way too fast for not talking to her in five years. 

Something that was unprecedented from this book were the conversations about mental health and whether Marley knew the gun was loaded when she told Nick to pull the trigger. It was a conversation that fit well into the story and made it even more harrowing than before. 

Overall Rating: 3.5 stars, this book didn't fully hit the mark with me, but it was also a good read. I wouldn't call it a favourite but I don't hate it.

As always hit me up on my socials: 

Instagram: @conniedalt

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Email: conniedalton@hotmail.com

Goodreads: https://goodreads.com/sunstormsandthunderclouds

The Lost Coast by Amy Rose Capetta || Review

"Sometimes lost is where you need to be for a while."

This book was kindly sent to me for review, via Netgalley, by Candlewick Press. Many thanks to both!

Name: The Lost Coast

Author: Amy Rose Capetta

Rating: 5 Stars 

Pages: 352

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Published: May 14th 2019

The Lost Coast follows the journey of six LGBTQIA+ witches navigating through Tempest, California, they are searching. Searching for themselves, for their friend, for the one they love. They Grays have lost one of their own, Imogen, although there physically has lost herself. Her personality, her spark, her magic, just gone, and The Grays need the help of Michigan newcomer, Danny, who while she was looking for something new, the Grays were looking for her. 

However, Danny doesn't know where to help because she believes her only power is kissing girls and making small town people uncomfortable. 

They must come together to figure out what happened to Imogen, piece together the bits of the story that don't make sense, they have to solve why they keep finding bodies, and how the story of a ghost from the previous century connects. This is a story of finding friendship in unexpected people, love in unexpected places and best of all, MAGIC. 

I didn't know what to expect from this book, and I know I say that a lot, but I genuinely didn't. I find some stories containing LGBTQIA+ characters can usually fall into being a cliche, where their identification label is their sole character trait, but this book wasn't that at all. This book explored sexuality and gender identities in such a nice way, where the characters were more than just who they decided they wanted to kiss or what they were attracted too. It was integrated as an important part of these characters and their journeys but I liked that the author didn't use it as the only thing about these characters, for example, Leila is fiesty, she has heartache and she's real, Rush is quiet and intelligent, musically literate and has sythesthia (another thing I'd never really seen a YA author tackle.) 

My favourite character was Danny. Danny was super interesting, and she was a lot more complex than I first thought. I felt like she was so kind, sure she was looking for a new life and she was looking for new friends, but what The Grays were asking her to do was a lot, and she did it. She knew that Rush and Imogen were a thing, and despite falling for Rush, she was still determined to help them out in finding Imogen. 

The writing style of this book drew me in straight away. I love trees. I love being in the forest, I love being surrounded by trees, so straight off the bat, the ethereal description of being surrounded by Redwood trees made me really happy. It really made for a magical setting and it set up how beautiful the region of the Lost Coast must be. I think Amy Rose Capetta has a really beautiful writing style, it flows really well and the layout of the book and the alternating points of view didn't affect the flow of the story in the slightest. I think the story had enough twists and turns to keep the reader fully immersed and I read this book in one sitting. 

Overall Rating: 5 Stars. I think this story fills a gap that is missing in YA Witch Lit, it covers a ground that I feel some authors are afraid to cover/haven't covered in a good way and if it sounds like a book you'd be interested in, I would recommend you pick it up! 

As always hit me up on my socials: 

Instagram: @conniedalt

Twitter: @connie_dalt

Email: conniedalton@hotmail.com

Goodreads: https://goodreads.com/sunstormsandthunderclouds

Scorched Souls: The Chosen Trilogy #3 by Jeff and Erynn Altabef || Review

I received a digital copy of this book in exchange for a honest review, with thanks to the authors, Jeff and Erynn Altabef!

Title: Scorched Souls
Series: The Chosen Trilogy #3
Author: Jeff and Erynn Altabef
Publication Date: 24th October 2016
Publisher: Evolved Publishing
Pages: 300
My Rating: 5 stars 

Not everything is black and white. 

Sometimes, things will surprise you with how grey they are. 

Juliet has to make a choice. Who will she trust and who will follow her on her mission to stop the Alphians and the Deltites ripping the Earth apart in an ancient feud? But with unlikely allies along the way, and a lot riding on her shoulders, will Juliet be able to cope with the pressure? 

Along with Juliet. as she meets the Prime Elector for the first time, we follow the story from Connor's point of view as he struggles to better himself in the world around him, and Barrett, an Alphian who has been sent on a hell bent mission by his father. 

Can they stop the world as they know it from being destroyed? Or will their differences hinder them?

I read the first two books of this series sometime last year, and I really enjoyed it, as dystopian (at that stage) was my favourite YA Genre. That's changed now, however, I still found myself really loving and enjoying this world as we followed Juliet through her mission. I loved how much we got to see her grow throughout the three books, she went from trusting very few, to trusting openly and being a more likable and well rounded heroine. 

My first two reviews can be found here: 

Wind Catcher (Book One): https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1416679117?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

Brink of Dawn (Book Two): https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1417738661?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

You can see even in my previous reviews how much my views on Juliet changed! I thought she was rash in the first book, yet better in the second. This book I thought that she was pretty brilliant. She was strong and brave but also amazingly human! I think that's what is lacking in Dystopian books sometimes, the human side of it. 

Connor made for an interesting character too, we watched as he fell in love with Juliet, and how he also failed miserably in love. We learn about his troubled background, orphaned, drinking, the lot. But we also see his fire to become a better person in this book. And I think that's why I felt so gravitated towards his character. He was hopeful. 

Barrett was the spanner in the works. 

I didn't know what to think of him at first, thinking he was just a teenager against his father's rules, but through him we learn that not everything is how it seems. It teaches us that there is good in both sides of the divide, and there is also bad. It forces Juliet to not only think, but for the reader to think that there is always two sides to a story. 

Overall, I think this was a brilliant wrap up to the trilogy, all this week WIND CATCHER WILL BE FREE AND BRINK OF DAWN WILL BE ON SALE to celebrate the release of this book! 

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Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake || Review

*This book was sent to me by the Publisher, Macmillan Children's Books in exchange for an honest review, major shout out to the team over there, for not only an ARC but also a finished copy!*

Title: Three Dark Crowns
Series: Untitled Series
Author: Kendare Blake
Pages: 405
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
Publication Date: September 20th 2016
My Overall Rating: 4 stars 

Three sisters. 

One throne. 

A fight to the death. 

Fenbirn has a queen that rules every generation, it's been that way for centuries. Every past and present queen has been gifted with power from the goddess that allows them to govern along with the elite families that share those talents. 

It's tradition. It's political. It's deadly. 

Three daughters are born, but only one can assume the throne when she's 16. Separated at a young age, each princess must hone in on their individual power before being pitted against one another to the death. 

Arsinoe is a naturalist, she manipulates animals and plants...technically. Her powers haven't manifested yet and her fellow naturalists are beginning to panic. She wants to leave Fenbrin, but Fenbrin won't let her go. Desperate times are beginning to call for desperate measures...

Katharine is a poisoner, her powers are weak, her anxiety is high and the poisoner families are willing to do anything to keep a hold of their reign, but Katharine has to decide who she can trust, and who may have alternative agendas...

Mirabella is an elemental, she's the strongest of the triplets and she can manipulate the world around her. However, she's plagued with nightmares of the night she and her sisters were separated and feels affection towards them. 

There is no compromise. 

I've never read a Kendare Blake book before, I'll be honest. I've been very close to it, but other books have just taken precedence or been more convenient at the time, but when I read the blurb of this book I just knew...When you know, you know. I knew that this book and I were going to be a better OTP than Hazel and Augustus, Ron and Hermione and probably most of your favourite OTPs. 

The premise of this book was just so good. Like swear words good. So when I got an email from Pan Macmillan with the opportunity to read this book early, I nearly hit the roof. Yes girl, one million percent, yes. And to my shock, I actually got a copy. A beautiful proof copy with gold indent on the cover and a purple background. 

 However, when you get hit with a reading slump, one as momentous as mine has been this year, there is no telling what books you will be able to and won't be able to read, I think I've read half a book since August until I finally sat down and read this one. Yesterday. 

I've had this book on my shelf for months. Months. And I only read it yesterday.  

And I was blown out of the water. Over the hill. Far far away and all of that because this book is just so enchanting. There's something about a power play, especially between siblings, that I love and Kendare Blake writes it so well. It's enchanting. It's dark. It's kind of like Half Bad by Sally Green got punched in the face with A Song of Fire and Ice by George R R Martin (without all the other bits y'know what I mean.) 

However, my biggest surprise came as I snuggled up with this book, 6 cups of Lemsip and an episode of Doctor Who when my mum shouted up the stairs, "Are you expecting a book from that publishing company?" And my thoughts were immediately, "What?" THEY SENT ME A FINISHED ARSINOE THEMED BOOK PACK (see picture of book cover.) WHAT! They have themed covers for each sister and I got probably my favourite sister's cover. Although Katharine is anxious and Mirabella is hesitant to hurt her sisters, I liked Arsinoe the best. She was kind of against the system and I like the rebel behaviour. It speaks to the inner rebel in me! 

Overall, this is a brilliant book and I can't wait to see where Kendare Blake will take it. 

QOTD: If you had to pick between being a Naturalist, a Poisoner or an Elementalist, what would you choose and why? 

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Eat Sweat Play || Review

Thank you to the publisher, Pan MacMillan, for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review. 

Title: Eat Sweat Play
Series: N/A, Stand-alone 
Author: Anna Kessel
Publisher: Pan MacMillan
Publication Date: 16th June 2016
Pages: 257
My Rating: 4.5 stars 

You're probably thinking, Connie, why are you reading a book about sport? The girl who defiantly stood against PE teachers for 7 years, the girl who played many games of hockey in their school uniform as a punishment for "forgetting their kit," the girl who hated having classes on the top floor sciences rooms because it meant walking up 4 flights of stairs from the sixth form centre? 

I know, crazy right. But what might shock you more is the fact I actually enjoy sports, I'm just not very good at them. I've probably played at least every sport at least once in an attempt to excel at it, few were successful, and this book called to me as a lot of the times playing sports, I was the only girl. When I did Judo, I was the only girl for many years until a few more joined just as I was leaving, when I played football on Wednesdays after primary school, I was the only girl. So when I got emailed about reading this book, I was immediately interested. 

Anna Kessel is a sports writer for the Guardian and the Observer and is the chair/so-founder of Women in Football, which is where I'd heard of her name before. In this book she talks freely about the taboos of women in sport including Periods and Pregnancy and how women shouldn't be treated any different than men due to our physicality and how we should take control of the opportunities that sport provides. 

I thought that this book was incredibly well written. Kessel uses humour to keep the reader interests as she discusses many different issues and positives about the sports world. One of my favourite chapters in the book was about how having a background in sport can make you more confident and successful in the workplace. She didn't put women down in anyway, she actually lifted them up in every instance she could, and that's something that I'm always behind. I loved how she spoke about children, and how they need to be encouraged to participate in whatever they please (at least sports related) and how their gender shouldn't be a hinderance. 

We need to teach them [kids] that their bodies are their own, not merely vessels for saucy snapchat pics, but useful, strong, powerful aids to being a successful woman in the modern world. 

Another part of this book that I truly loved from the onset was that this book wasn't written by somebody who had played sport their entire lives, in fact, Anna even opens the book stating, "I don't play sport, I bunked PE my whole school life, and if a ball comes anywhere near my face I blink." That instantly sets a warm and humorous tone and you don't feel excluded if you aren't particularly sporty, there is also no terminology that you can't understand and there's no focus on one specific sport, it doesn't exclude anyone or anything. 

Just another note on why I enjoyed this book so much: so much Serena William love! How somebody can't support that, I don't know. 

QOTD: Do you play any sports? If so, which ones?

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