REVIEW // THE THOUSANDTH FLOOR

SPOILER FREE REVIEW // THE THOUSANDTH FLOOR BY KATHARINE MCGEE

Rating : 4.25/5 stars

I'm back with another review like phew! It's been awhile but I'm happy to be back on track with my blog so expect a lot from me these days alright!

This book is quite hard to explain as it follows five different point of views and does not have a specific plot or whatsoever so I think it's better for me to give out the synopsis that is written at the back of the book to avoid any unintentional spoilers. First off, what you need to know is that the setting of the novel is in Manhattan a hundred years later in 2118 and the whole New York City citizens reside in this huge thousand floor tower. The higher the floor you live in, of course the higher class you are. As I was saying we follow five different characters, firstly we have Leda Cole, beneath her flawless exterior belies a secret addiction - to a drug she never should try, and a boy she never should have touched. Next we have Eris Dodd-Radson, whose beautiful carefree life falls into pieces when a heartbreaking betrayal tears her family apart. And then we have Rylin Meyers, her job in one of the highest floor sweeps her into a world and a romance she never imagined. Watt Bakradi is next, as a tech genius with a secret, he knows everything about everyone but when he is hired to spy for an upper-floor girl, he finds himself caught in a complicated web of lies. And lastly living on top of everyone is the girl who is designed to be perfect, Avery Fuller. She seems to have it all, yet is tormented by the one thing she can never have.

So yea, firstly I want to say that this is obviously a character driven book and you have to immerse yourself into this set of characters to really like the book. As for the plot, there is no actual plot like fantasy books so it is an eye-opening experience to see where this book takes me as I have no idea what would happen next. One thing that intrigues me is how Katharine McGee tangles all the characters together, like in ways I didn't expect but really enjoyed. I really like the concept of the book as well, everything and everyone in a big and tall tower and I really love the castes concept like the higher floor you live in, the higher class you are. It is mind-blowing to the contrast between the upper class crowd and the lower class ones. I definitely learnt a lot of hidden clues about castes in this futuristic novel. The plot as I said could go anywhere without a specific plot line, and I was shockingly surprised by the ending and the last 100 pages of the novel. It was just a roller coaster ride as I did not see anything coming and everything happened in a whim but not in the way that makes you confusing and lost. I definitely think that there is a lot of drama in the book and everyone compared it to Gossip Girl but for me, someone who doesn't watch the TV show, I think it is still quite original and unique.

Next I want to talk about the characters. Boy oh boy, the side characters also have their own personalities and they too stand out in their own way. Let's talk about my Cord alright. He is just everything you want in a boyfriend like heads up girls! If you've read the book, you know what I'm talking about but as for you all who hasn't read it, I highly recommend you check it out (just for Cord) as the book contains a lot of amazingly developed characters. I've seen people's reviews saying that there is no difference between Avery, Leda and Eris but to me, they all seem different as the book progresses. You can picture how they would have dealt in situations and it definitely sets them apart. I think the character development is great especially for a debut novel with so many characters, Katharine McGee did a splendid job in creating different voices in the novel. My favorite has to be Watt like hands down! He is a tech genius (just in case you've forgotten) and boy oh boy! I have to say his chapters are so much fun to read from and he is just so adorable in general. I like how raw he is at the same time witty and I like how he interacts with Nadia (not gonna tell you who is she, you just have to find out for yourself) and boy! It is so different from the other characters! I also love Eris and the book did not do her justice! Like what even is with the ending! The other characters are okay, and if I were to talk about every single detail, this would be like 10 pages long. HAHA. But let's just say that beware of Leda alright, No spoilers here but just you see!

The writing style works quite well for me. I like how Katharine McGee writes and how she expresses her characters' feelings and thoughts. The writing style I'd say is quite descriptive but it works totally fine for me as the world is fast forwarded into 2118 and a lot of the technologies and words need to be explained. I really don't have much fuss over her writing and I like how she kept things simple and not like super complicated and messy.

So I think I covered all the aspects in the book and overall I really did enjoy the book and as a debut novel, I can see a lot of potential for the series to grow and expand out and I would definitely check out Katharine McGee's future works and I like this book enough to want to read the sequel which has already came out. If you are into futuristic novels with quite a sprinkle of drama and unexpected twists and turns, and of course heads up to Gossip Girl fans, you might want to check this one out because I promise you, the book as a whole would not disappoint!

REVIEW // WASTE OF SPACE

SPOILER FREE REVIEW // WASTE OF SPACE BY GINA DAMICO

I was sent and early e-copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
RELEASE DATE : 11 JULY 2017

RATING : 2.5 stars
This kind of like sci-fi, contemporary novel follows ten really diverse teenagers who are supposedly being sent out to space and to be a part of a reality show on DV8. Well of course, they aren't but they are convinced. Soon, things start to change and more drama in Laika, the name of the so-called spaceship. The story is mostly told through conversations, call records and also a little bit of articles and online posts.

The premise sounded super intense and I thought it had a lot of potential to be a very good book, that was why I requested for review in the first place. The book was relatively long, and I felt like it was a really long journey and draggy at a lot of points in the book. The chapters were so, so long I felt like ages as nothing really big happened throughout the book. There were of course some interesting parts of the book I enjoyed (and not gonna tell you because of spoilers) but overall, to view this book as a whole, this book was not really living up to my expectations and so I gave it a 2.5 stars rating.

The characters were one of the things I adored. They were all very diverse, not to mention some of them had hilarious personalities. This was totally a character-driven book as it focused on the characters more than the plot in my opinion. Some of the characters included a Japanese girl, a party-girl, a rich and seeking for attention kid, a know-it-all, an orphan and et cetera. Putting all of them together created funny and quirky moments and I really enjoyed that aspect of the book.

The writing style was a turn-off for me. I liked the idea of telling the story through conversations but somehow the way Gina Damico wrote was not my cup of tea! I found myself sometimes skipping lines and had the feeling of just reading it through just for the sake of finishing it and reviewing it. Nothing catchy in her writing, I'd definitely stopped and DNFed this book if it wasn't for NetGalley.

As a conclusion to this review, I was quite disappointed because I expected a thrilling ride but was led down. I have nothing else to say on this book so it's gonna be a very short review!

REVIEW // OPTIMISTS DIE FIRST

SPOILER-FREE REVIEW // OPTIMISTS DIE FIRST BY SUSAN NIELSEN

RATING : 5/5 STARS

I've received this as an advanced readers copy from NetGalley in exchange for a 100% honest review!

This book is a roller coaster ride with ALL THE FEELS!

Optimists Die First followed Petula who was a pessimist, she worried about taking the elevator, about touching public things and she even made a scrapbook of accidents so she could remind herself not to let her guard down or accidents might occur. Then she met Bionic Man, Jacob. They all officially met in YART class (youth art therapy class), along with the other students who had kind of like a mental block and living in guilt. They met and became friends and maybe even more than that.

Reading this book was such a roller coaster ride! There were ups and downs and some unexpected twists and turns throughout the book which just caught me off guard and maybe made me wept a little. It would play with your feelings, when you expected the story to go this way and Nielsen bombed a twist that went the other. The plot was good enough, but this book is definitely a character-driven book. This book also had a friendship element, I could definitely relate to the friendship part a lot and it was so realistic. It also deals with family issues and a little sprinkle of romance to lighten the book. It is totally that one book that almost all of you can relate to if you have troubles in friendships before or any experiences dealing with lies. The book is quite short and I flew through the last half of the book because not only it's short, but it's so dang good!

The characters. They were all so so likable, I felt like I knew all of the characters like they were my own friends. Their emotions and how they finally opened up and cared for each other, it was so so heartwarming and touching to see. Petula as a main character transformed a lot in the book, the Petula on the first page was a completely different person compared to the Petula on the last page! She definitely changed a lot towards the good side and becoming someone better. And of course, honorable mention goes to Bionic Man, Jacob Cohen. He, also changed a lot and at the start we would think him as a weirdo but when you finally finished the book, you could see the huge transformation!

The romance in the story, it was good but not that focused. I personally think that it was more focused on how the both of them made an impact in each other's life and how they encouraged them to break free from their fears and guilts and not cheesy words spat as a daily task. I really shipped them a lot!

The writing style was fun and easy! I surprisingly enjoyed her writing style from page one to the last page, it was so easy to catch up with and she writes so smoothly! The writing style is definitely one of the reasons why I flew through the book, because it makes you want to know what happens next and the writing pulls you down, captures you and make you plunge deeper into the story!

Overall, I really did enjoy this book and nothing much to criticize on. It's one coming-of-age book that everyone should pick up! I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to read a fantastic book in one sitting! Even if it's not for a one-shot reading, I'd advice everyone to give this a go!

REVIEW // KILL ALL HAPPIES

SPOILER-FREE REVIEW // KILL ALL HAPPIES BY RACHEL COHN

I was sent and early e-copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
RELEASE DATE : 02 MAY 2017

RATING : 4.5 stars
This book is basically about Vic who is graduating from high school, decided that she wanted to throw one last party at Happie's. Impromptu set-up and last minute decorations, the party was on and everyone was here! This is a book about an epic party gone wrong and maybe finding love and regain friendship in it!

Firstly let me just tell you HOW HAPPY I WAS WITH THE ENDING! THE LAST FEW CHAPTERS WERE THE BEST! I loved how everything was wrapped up and  it's an amazing contemporary! I was so happy with the friendship and romance in this book! OH MY GOSH! I NEVER REGRETTED REQUESTING THIS TITLE!

Plot, this book is set in the course of the day before the party, the party and the day after so it's a short period of time, only within the three days but the content was packed and so a lot of things happened in the book so even it's only set the day before, during and after the party it's an amazing book regardless!

A+ FOR THE WRITING! I may have just found a new favorite author! Rachel Cohn has the sense of humor that I needed in the book! It's so funny and witty and the way she described the things that happened, it's totally my cup of tea! I really, really loved the way she writes and how she conveyed events, things and characters into words.

CHARACTERS ARE JUST TOP NOTCH! My favorite had to be Zeke Zavala-Kim! He's such a cute character and so lovable! Of course, I also enjoyed Vic's narration and her thoughts when she was facing problems and et cetera. I really loved the friendship between Vic and The Cuddle Huddle, and the romance in the story was just SO DELICIOUS! I delved into the book thinking it would be a cliche kind of party but in the party, it was wrapped with friendship and maybe a little bit of love in it which was not what I've expected at all!

I rated this a 4.5 because I think the ending was kind of rushed and it ended in a blink of an eye! I want to know more of Thrope's backstory but was disappointed a little when it was just a short little paragraph of explaining but at least it did the job! I would totally recommend this to anyone who loves party books and a funny character! This one is a must read for those who like things to get out of control, and the ones who love to break rules, and of course, party!

REVIEW // THE SHADOW QUEEN

SPOILER FREE REVIEW // THE SHADOW QUEEN

The Shadow Queen followed Lorelai as she was the crown princess of Ravenspire. After her father's death, her wicked stepmother, Irina ruled the kingdom and Lorelai escaped along with her brother, Leo. Years later, she knew she had to get the throne back, and the only way to do that was to kill Irina. And then there's Kol, the king of Eldr after his father died in a war against ogres. He knew he had to seek alliance with Irina if he wanted to destroy the ogres in , and Irina wanted him to bring her Lorelai's heart, Kol knew he had to try.

I rated this book a 4.5/5 stars! This book was written following different POVs, Lorelai's, Kol's and occasionally Irina's. I didn't really enjoy this type of writing style but surprisingly it's an exception for this book! It was so capturing and its description was so vividly presented. The writing just kept me on the edge of my seat and the last thing I knew was that I finished the book in two sittings!

The storyline was well-plotted and everything was unexpected. I really liked how the story was retold, not entirely different but you could see bits and pieces of the tale Snow White throughout the book. It wasn't exactly like the fairy tale but you could totally see the parallels between the two stories. In the book, the world has a magic system and I really enjoyed how the magic was played out in the book. The magic system was really one of the things that captured me in the book and it was easily understood. It was really fascinating to see how different the magic system was compared to other systems in other books!

Unfortunately, this is a high-fantasy novel which means the world was a work of fiction. Throughout the book, there was not really any world building which made me wonder where was the protagonist all the time and it really could be improved to make the world better. Although there was a map on the front, the map didn't really do the job of portraying the places mentioned in the book as it was labeled vaguely. If the world building was slightly better, I'd have given the book a 5/5 stars as to me, the world building in books is one of the important elements in a good novel.

Now now, the romance in the book was just nice and sweet! The book was a fantasy novel and luckily it was more focused on the adventures than the romance. I found the romance just right, not too little and not too much and I really adored both of them and how they figured it all out and kind of unfolded their relationship. The romance was pretty obvious if you were aware of the characters, they were pretty much in love at first sight but trust me, it's not like those typical love at first sights story but it was well developed and i liked how it was, slow and steady and working its way towards the end.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book as it is C.J Redwine's debut retelling novel if I'm not mistaken, it has a pretty unique and fascinating concept and I highly recommend it to anyone of you who enjoys fantasy and fairy tale retellings out there!