Before the Devil Breaks You - by Libba Bray

Title: Before the Devil Breaks You
Author: Libba Bray
Published: 3 Oct 2017
Series: The Diviners #3
Rating: 5 stars
Synopsis:
New York City.
1927.
Lights are bright.
Jazz is king.
Parties are wild.
And the dead are coming...
After battling a supernatural sleeping sickness that early claimed two of their own, the Diviners have had enough of lies. They're more determined than ever to uncover the mystery behind their extraordinary powers, even as they face off against an all-new terror. Out on Ward's Island, far from the city's bustle, sits a mental hospital haunted by the lost souls of people long forgotten--ghosts who have unusual and dangerous ties to the man in the stovepipe hat, also known as the King of Crows.
With terrible accounts of murder and possession flooding in from all over, and New York City on the verge of panic, the Diviners must band together and brave the sinister ghosts invading the asylum, a fight that will bring them fact-to-face with the King of Crows. But as the explosive secrets of the past come to light, loyalties and friendships will be tested, love will hang in the balance, and the Diviners will question all that they've ever known. All the while, malevolent forces gather from every corner in a battle for the very soul of a nation--a fight that could claim the Diviners themselves.

We are a country built by immigrants, dreams, daring, and opportunity.
We are a country built by the horrors of slavery and genocide, the injustice of racism and exclusion. These realities exists side by side. It is out past and our present. The future is unwritten.
This is a book about ghosts.
For we live in a haunted house.

I listened to this as an audiobook.

Theta and Memphis are my adorable mixed couple, Sam and Evie are my sweethearts, David and Henry are my passionate pair, and Ling and Alma are my cuties. I also loved Conor and Mabel and Isaiah. However, Roy can go die in a hole please and thank you.

I still absolutely adore January's voice in the narration of this series too, plus all of the voices she can do for them. In this one, she was even able to do a young Sister Walker voice and a robot voice. Her singing voice is pos-i-tutely divine and when the argument in the library happens, there's no "said so-and-so" but you can still tell exactly who's who because of how well January does their voices. I'd also like to think that the character Alma LaVoy, has the same surname as January as a sort of thank you. 

The sex scenes seemed pretty meh to me, possibly because they all happened at the same place in the book. It was good that Ling wasn't thrust into those scenes though as that is definitely not the way her character would behave.

Henry looked from Ling to Alma and back again. His mouth slid into a sly smile. "Oh my."

I do have a theory though. Maybe Theta and Sam are related in some way? I could be completely wrong though, but I'm probably going to think that until the next book comes out and I can find out.


Henry's fake songs are also quite nice to listen to, even though they're made up on the spot at random times. Also, at one stage we'd barely hear from or about Jericho which I noticed, but it didn't phase me too much as I was more invested in the other characters at the time.

I seem to see new sayings in each book in this series that I have yet to hear too but sticks with the 1920s feel. "She's a real tomato", "then you're all wet", "something left-handed about him".

Libba Bray read the author's note at the end which was a nice touch.

He put a hand to the cool, painted stones bearing witness to so many names, so many histories. In the mural, there were painted lines for the Underground, like scars stretched across the skin of the infected nation. There were wounds and then there were wounds. Some were so great Memphis had no idea how they could ever be healed.

Spoilers!

Yes, I did indeed cry when Mabel and Conor died.


I also guessed that Blind Bill was Geome Johnson.

The part about making more Diviners was an interesting twist though. I also noticed the foreshadowing we'd seen, after we'd found out that the Fitter Families tents were the ones finding the Diviners.

End Spoilers!

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All books in this series:

    1 | The Diviners
    2 | Lair of Dreams
    3 | Before the Devil Breaks You

    4 | The King of Crows

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them - by Newt Scamander (J.K. Rowling)

Title: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Author: Newt Scamander (J.K. Rowling)
Published: 8 Nov 2012
Series: -
Rating: 4 stars
Synopsis:
An approved textbook at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry since publication, Newt Scamander's masterpiece has entertained wizarding families through the generations. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is an indispensable introduction to the magical beasts of the Wizarding World. Scamander's years of travel and research have created a tome of unparalleled importance. Some of the beasts will be familiar to readers of the Harry Potter books - the Hippogriff, the Basilisk, the Hungarian Horntail ... Others will surprise even the most ardent amateur Magizoologist. This is an essential companion to the Harry Potter stories, and includes a new foreword from J.K. Rowling (writing as Newt Scamander) and six new beasts!

I would like to take this opportunity to reassure Muggle purchasers that the amusing creatures described hereafter are fictional and cannot hurt you. To wizards, I say merely: Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus.

I listened to this as an audiobook and followed along in my physical copy (The Hogwarts Library Edition). This audiobook is so awesome! It's read by Eddie Redmayne (who plays Newt Scamander in the movie) and there are sound effects of the animals he's describing too. 

The sound effects in the audiobook include the sounds that the beasts themselves make, but also when Newt Scamander beats back a beast or two with his travel teakettle. There's eggs cracking, leaves rustling, wings flapping, feet stomping...

Eddie Redmayne also reads the foreward from the book that Dumbledore has written - including telling you about a wonderful charity called Comic Relief. As he reads the book, it sounds like someone is explaining their own findings to you - not just like someone reading aloud from a book. You can hear the amazement and concern in his voice.

The 'About the Author' section is also read out as it tells you about Newt Scamander himself - his history, plus his wife and their pet Kneazles.

The physical book also has spaces where Harry, Ron and Hermione have written in the book and the cover of the book is quite lovely.

The illustrations are really good too. Unfortunately there isn't a picture for every beast, but the ones that are there are done well.

Worrying means you suffer twice.

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All books in this series:

    -  Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander
    -  Quidditch Through the Ages by Kennilworthy Whisp
    -  The Tales of Beedle the Bard

Lair of Dreams - by Libba Bray

Title: Lair of Dreams
Author: Libba Bray
Published: 25 Aug 2015
Series: The Diviners #2
Rating: 4 stars
Synopsis:
After a supernatural showdown with a serial killer, Evie O’Neill has outed herself as a Diviner. With her uncanny ability to read people’s secrets, she’s become a media darling, earning the title “America’s Sweetheart Seer.” Everyone’s in love with the city’s newest It Girl…everyone except the other Diviners.
Piano-playing Henry DuBois and Chinatown resident Ling Chan are two Diviners struggling to keep their powers a secret—for they can walk in dreams. And while Evie is living the high life, victims of a mysterious sleeping sickness are turning up across New York City.
As Henry searches for a lost love and Ling strives to succeed in a world that shuns her, a malevolent force infects their dreams. And at the edges of it all lurks a man in a stovepipe hat who has plans that extend farther than anyone can guess…As the sickness spreads, can the Diviners descend into the dreamworld to save the city?

Evie: I've spent the last two hours worried that you were bleeding o death in a ditch. Now that I know you're okay, I just want you bleeding to death in a ditch.
Sam: Aww, Lamb Chop, you missed me.

I listened to this book as an audiobook.

The sleeping sickness was an interesting thing to red about, and it reminded me a bit of Freddie Kreuger.

George was so sweet that I just wanted to cuddle him. It was nice to see that Ling's parents were a mixed couple - her mother was Irish and her father was Chinese. It was nice to see all the main characters that we'd been introduced to meet each other too and how they interacted.

January LaVoy does such a great job as the narrator. Every time she did the dream voice or the creepy ghost voices, I literally needed to turn a light on as I was starting to get that creeped out. But when she had to sing was absolutely beautiful, especially the Slumberland song. I did also nearly forget that Adelaide Proctor existed though which I was a little miffed at myself for.

I do have a question though, what's with the Goodly Heritage people? They've been mentioned a few times and I'm beginning to wonder why.

Reading about Nora and was super creepy too! I could just be turning into a bit of a wuss by now instead though.

It's good that there were multiple sayings from the time period too - such as "it's the elephant's eyebrows", "you're the berries", "let's ankle", and "nothing doing".

I loved getting to see Henry's backstory and Will's past though as it made me connect with those characters a bit more.

Spoilers!

I didn't cry when Louie was leaving, but I did tear up quite a bit. I'd guessed that he was maybe dead, but I didn't want to believe it.

I also guessed that Wai-Mae was dead and the lady with the veil too. Quite glad I got that one right. But I also guessed that Blind Bill was the cursed man in the story that he was telling, and by now I feel like that was sort of easy to guess.

End Spoilers!

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All books in this series:

    1 | The Diviners
    2 | Lair of Dreams
    3 | Before the Devil Breaks You

    4 | The King of Crows

The Diviners - by Libba Bray

Title: The Diviners
Author: Libba Bray
Published: 18 Sep 2012
Series: The Diviners #1
Rating: 4 stars
Synopsis: 
Evie O’Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City—and she is pos-i-tute-ly ecstatic. It’s 1926, and New York is filled with speakeasies, Ziegfeld girls, and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is that she has to live with her uncle Will and his unhealthy obsession with the occult.
Evie worries he’ll discover her darkest secret: a supernatural power that has only brought her trouble so far. But when the police find a murdered girl branded with a cryptic symbol and Will is called to the scene, Evie realizes her gift could help catch a serial killer.
As Evie jumps headlong into a dance with a murderer, other stories unfold in the city that never sleeps. A young man named Memphis is caught between two worlds. A chorus girl named Theta is running from her past. A student named Jericho hides a shocking secret. And unknown to all, something dark and evil has awakened.

I listened to this as an audiobook.

The introduction was read by Libba Bray which was a great personal touch to the book.

January LaVoy did a pos-i-tute-ly wonderful job of narrating this audiobook. Her voice changed for each of the characters and you get the vibe of 1926 in her tone of voice. She's even able to make Naughty John's song sound creepy enough that I had to turn on a light while listening to it at night.

Naughty John, Naughty John, does his work with his apron on. Cuts your throat and takes your bones, sells 'em off for a coupla stones.

There were multiple points of view, but it didn't feel like it took anything away from the story. I also quite liked the backstories of the characters.

I'm somehow amazed that Evie doesn't remember the party she hosted at the start with the creepy Ouija board they played with where they let out Naughty John in the first place.

I originally liked Blind Bill, but at the end I wanted to punch him in the face a bit. I no longer like him because of what he did during the book.

Any librarian or scholar will tell you, close is not the same as accurate.

The walrus without a zoo comment made me snort. I'll have to try and remember that one.

The language made it feel like you were there in the 1920s with the characters. Saying things like 'the cat's meow', 'old girl', and even one I hadn't heard before: 'things will be jake'.

Will: Mothers love all their children equally.
Evie: No they don't. That's just what we all agree to say

I think Sam Lloyd or Memphis Campbell might be my favourite characters.

I love the sarcasm and the sass in the book. Also how the magic and realism join together well.

I salute your spunk. But I question your sanity.

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All books in this series:

    1 | The Diviners
    2 | Lair of Dreams
    3 | Before the Devil Breaks You

    4 | The King of Crows

The Last Academy - by Anne Applegate

Title: The Last Academy
Author: Anne Applegate
Published: 30 April 2013
Series: -
Rating: 5 stars
Synopsis:
What is this prep school preparing them for?
Camden Fisher arrives at boarding school haunted by a falling-out with her best friend back home. But the manicured grounds of Lethe Academy are like nothing Cam has ever known. There are gorgeous, preppy boys wielding tennis rackets, and circles of girls with secrets to spare. Only . . . something is not quite right. One of Cam's new friends mysteriously disappears, but the teachers don't seem too concerned. Cam wakes up to strangers in her room, who then melt into the night. She is suddenly plagued by odd memories, and senses there might be something dark and terrible brewing. But what? The answer will leave Cam—and readers—stunned and breathless, in this thrilling debut novel.

I listened to this as an audiobook.

There is nothing worse than someone knowing you like somebody.

I hadn't heard about this book before but the synopsis sounded interesting so I decided that I would give it a try.

I wanted to die. I continued to want to die all the way across the soccer field, and the baseball diamond, past the pool and the tennis courts, along the theatre, and down to Kelser House.

The picture that appeared in my head when Cam talked about the milk dispenser at the boarding school was quite amusing. Or should I say, a-moo-sing!

The flashes that Camden occasionally sees - like the duct tape over someone's mouth or stitches along someone's collar bone - was quite an interesting twist and I was wondering where it was going to lead to. It was all explained in the end though.

Trying to figure out the location of any given teenager on campus over the weekend, might as well get yourself a cowboy hat and take up cat herding. I mean, you'd be less frustrated.

When Camden asked Barnaby Charon That Question? Wow. That put a shock through my system. I wasn't expecting that. I was maybe thinking something similar, but not that.

Spoilers!

I cried when we found out that Mark died as a baby from SIDS. I thought the baby clothes had been from a baby brother his Mum lost or something, but I think my heart would have preferred that over the reality.

I had the same reaction when Camden went through the scrapbook of her friends deaths too. Along with Tammy's not-so death.

End Spoilers!

The Tattoo Thief - by Alison Belsham

Title: The Tattoo Thief
Author: Alison Belsham
Series: -
Published: 3 May 2018
Rating: 3 stars
Synopsis:
A policeman on his first murder case
A tattoo artist with a deadly secret
And a twisted serial killer sharpening his blades to kill again...
When Brighton tattoo artist Marni Mullins discovers a flayed body, newly-promoted DI Francis Sullivan needs her help. There's a serial killer at large, slicing tattoos from his victims' bodies while they're still alive. Marni knows the tattooing world like the back of her hand, but has her own reasons to distrust the police. So when she identifies the killer's next target, will she tell Sullivan or go after the Tattoo Thief alone?


One, two, cut a tattoo
Three, four, flay some more
Five, six, my bloody fix
Seven, eight, will not wait

I received this book as an ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

There were some characters dealing with things that was nice to see in a book. Multiple Sclerosis (MS) was mentioned as Francis' mother and sister have it,  Francis went to church regularly, and Marni has diabetes. The down side was that diabetes was only mentioned at the start and during the end scene.

While reading the book, I did have many questions, but pretty much all of them were answered. Questions such as: Who's Paul? Who's the Collector? Did the Thief kill Ron? Who's Luke?

It was quite fun to try and guess who he Thief and the Collector were as the book went on too. I'm sure that I guessed nearly all the characters in my quest to find out who it was. I guessed Rory, Steve, Thierry, Paul, Bradshaw, and Tom Fitz to name a few. The real answer as to who the Thief and Collector were did shock me a bit though.

There are multiple points of view in the book, and they're not in a pattern so it did take me a little to figure out who was up to what at the start of each chapter. 

Spoilers!

Finding out that Marni and Thierry were targets was another shock.

Also, when I found out that the Thief was a woman, I actually had to stop reading to try and wrap my brain around that piece of information. It was a bit disappointing that I wasn't able to correctly guess who the Thief was as we had never officially met her along the way.

End Spoilers!

Whisper - by Lynette Noni

Title: Whisper
Author: Lynette Noni
Published: 1 May 2018
Series: Whisper #1
Rating: 4 stars
Synopsis: 
Lengard is a secret government facility for extraordinary people,” they told me.
I believed them. That was my mistake.
There isn’t anyone else in the world like me.
I’m different. I’m an anomaly. I’m a monster. 
For two years, six months, fourteen days, eleven hours and sixteen minutes, Subject Six-Eight-Four — ‘Jane Doe’ — has been locked away and experimented on, without uttering a single word.
As Jane’s resolve begins to crack under the influence of her new — and unexpectedly kind — evaluator, she uncovers the truth about Lengard’s mysterious ‘program’, discovering that her own secret is at the heart of a sinister plot … and one wrong move, one wrong word, could change the world.

I received this book as an ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Another book from an Aussie author! This book is also set in Sydney.

Little Abby was adorable, Enzo is awesome, Cami would make an amazing best friend (plus I really want to try her pancakes), and Ward and Kael are tied as my favourite male characters. Also, if Vanik could go fall off a cliff, I would greatly appreciate it. I'm sure a lot of character from the book would too.

The web of a family tree that Cami and Ward have was quite a twist and I wouldn't have guessed who was involved. Another twist was when we find out about Kael's family tree. Another one that I definitey wouldn't have guessed. Both of which do make sense in a way after you find out about them though.

Little Schrodinger was quite cute and the name was quite fitting for him too. I want to pet him on his little fluffy head!

Jane Doe's real name is quite pretty. I won't spoil what it is though.

About Jane Doe's parents? Wow. That's all I'm going to say.

Definitely recommend this book to anyone who thinks they may want to read it.

You are brave.
You are powerful.
You are heard.

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All books in this series:

    1 | Whisper
    2 | Weapon

More Than a Number - by Tia Souders

Title: More Than a Number

Author: Tia Souders

Published: 28 March 2018

Series: -

Rating: 3 stars

Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old Grace Michaels is determined to be thin, even if she dies trying.
Part of the in-crowd at Providence High, she is steps away from being asked out by the most desired guy at school, winning a prom queen nomination, and her parents’ approval. If she can just get skinny enough, be pretty enough, and popular enough.
But Grace is thin on the outside and fat on the inside. No amount of weight-loss ever seems enough. Convinced the melting pounds will solve her problems, every pound lost brings her closer to her goals. But flesh and bone can only hide the weight of her secret for so long.

Trigger Warning: eating disorder, bullying, body image issues

*previously titled "Something of Substance"*

I received a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

This book was a hard one to read at times and I definitely had to take breaks while reading it. It was about body issues, bullying, weight loss, and it included real high school emotions. 

I wanted to cuddle Jake and make him my best friend, Dex was kind of rude and a bully, Jen and Lindsey were bitches and bullies, and Cara is the best friend everyone wants in their lives.

The multiple roses with notes was quite cute, along with the speech after Grace finally has them all. I also correctly guessed who gave Kelly a rose, even though I was sure I had to be wrong.

I felt like Grace felt insignificant against her twin sister Kelly, wanted her parents to be proud of her, was fat shaming herself, like she felt inadequate, and like she was seeking popularity.

However this book also tells us about the issues faced when you lose too much weight - period loss, always being cold, being tired all the time, and having your hair fall out. I was confused by the couple of hospital scenes before it was explained too as it felt a little like they were randomly spread out.

At the end, Grace realises that happiness is all that matters though which is definitely the positive message to end this book on.

This book is a bit of a wake up call about what can happen, so please seek help with eating disorders!

"You can."

This Shattered World - by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

Title: This Shattered World
Author: Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner
Published: 19 Nov 2014
Series: Starbound #2
Rating: 5 stars
Synopsis:
Jubilee Chase and Flynn Cormac should never have met.
Lee is captain of the forces sent to Avon to crush the terraformed planet's rebellious colonists, but she has her own reasons for hating the insurgents.
Rebellion is in Flynn's blood. Terraforming corporations make their fortune by recruiting colonists to make the inhospitable planets livable, with the promise of a better life for their children. But they never fulfilled their promise on Avon, and decades later, Flynn is leading the rebellion.
Desperate for any advantage in a bloody and unrelentingly war, Flynn does the only thing that makes sense when he and Lee cross paths: he returns to base with her as prisoner. But as his fellow rebels prepare to execute this tough-talking girl with nerves of steel, Flynn makes another choice that will change him forever. He and Lee escape the rebel base together, caught between two sides of a senseless war.

You dragged me out of my bar, shot me, forced me to breathe chemical fumes, took me into the middle of nowhere, drugged me, then tied me to a post in an underground cave. How do you THINK I'm feeling?

I listened to this as an audiobook.

As the book goes on, you get to see Flynn and Jubilee go from enemies to allies to friends, which I love. You get to watch the relationship between the two change and grow.

My favourite thing about Lee was her sarcasm. She had similar responses to what I might have said myself.

"My hero," the words pop out, dripping with malice before I can stop them. Mock the guy AFTER you get your water, I remind myself.

I  cried when the explosion went off though. If you've read the book, you'll know why.

For some odd reason, I also pictured McBride as Jai Courteney who plays Eric in the Divergent movie. Couldn't tell you why, but that's how I pictured him. Maybe because they're both jerks and super mean?

I'm the one who wants to talk to you. She's the one who wants to break your legs. Let's start with the talking.

I like how this book ties in with the first in this series, These Broken Stars, as we see a bit of Tarver and Lilac, and we also hear things from the Whispers.

Amie and Meagan do a wonderful job of writing these books together and can't wait to read the last one!

__________________________________________________

All books in this series:

    1 | These Broken Stars
 1.5 | This Night So Dark
    2 | This Shattered World
    3 | Their Fractured Light

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue - by Mackenzi Lee

Title: The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue
Author: Mackenzi Lee
Published: 27 June 2017
Series: Guide #1
Rating: 4 stars
Synopsis: 
Henry “Monty” Montague was born and bred to be a gentleman, but he was never one to be tamed. The finest boarding schools in England and the constant disapproval of his father haven’t been able to curb any of his roguish passions—not for gambling halls, late nights spent with a bottle of spirits, or waking up in the arms of women or men.
But as Monty embarks on his Grand Tour of Europe, his quest for a life filled with pleasure and vice is in danger of coming to an end. Not only does his father expect him to take over the family’s estate upon his return, but Monty is also nursing an impossible crush on his best friend and traveling companion, Percy.
Still it isn’t in Monty’s nature to give up. Even with his younger sister, Felicity, in tow, he vows to make this yearlong escapade one last hedonistic hurrah and flirt with Percy from Paris to Rome. But when one of Monty’s reckless decisions turns their trip abroad into a harrowing manhunt that spans across Europe, it calls into question everything he knows, including his relationship with the boy he adores.


"Alright, everyone into the study, NOW," Felicity barks in a tone that is essentially verbal castration, and not a one of us protests.

I listened to this as an audiobook.

I'd heard good things about this book and that the main character's voice sounded a bit like melted butter, so I decided to try it. Just an FYI, they were right about his voice!

It's beginning to feel like he's shuffling his way through the seven deadly sins in ascending order of my favorites.

I think that Felicity was my favourite character as she didn't take shit from anyone. They want her to be a pretty girl in her dresses who simply sits and sews, but she didn't want that. Behind the covers of sappy romance novels, she actually reads surgical books - books from a man's world.


Ladies haven't the luxury of being squeamish about blood.

Henry sounds like he's probably an alcoholic, always looking for the next drink and counting down since the last one he had.

"What we once were, that you are now. What we are now, soon you shall be."

When Henry and Percy both realised that they loved each other and that it was reciprocated was quite cute. I'd spent nearly the whole book wondering if they knew or if the other loved the other boy too, so when they had the talk at the end of the book was quite lovely.

We are not broken things. Neither of us. We are cracked pottery, mended with laquer and flakes of gold. Whole as we are, complete unto each other Complete and worthy and so very loved.

Spoilers!

Percy having epilepsy is an unusual point to have in this book, it also made me realise that I don't think I've read a book where a character has epilepsy yet in my life. It was interesting watching Percy deal with everything life dealt him through Henry's eyes though - a male of colour, having epilepsy, and being sent to an asylum after their tour.

The panacea being inside a human heart is an interesting turn of events too. I'd never thought about anything being like that before. When you hear about the cure-alls or something similar, your first thought is probably the same as mine where you'd think that it's something you drink - but having to eat the human heart is a new thing to see for me.

End Spoilers!

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All books in this series:

    1 | The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue

 1.5 | The Gentleman's Guide to Getting Lucky

    2 | The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy

    3 | The Nobleman's Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks