Scookie Reviews

BEFORE AND AFTER by Andrew Shanahan 4 Stars Verdict: Unique take on weight loss and a zombie apocalypse. Trigger warning for eating disorders and body shaming. Ben is a soft soul struggling with mental health that centres around food. He's obese and hasn't left his flat in years. The day he's scheduled for surgery to remove his diabetic foot, the world seems to lose it's mind and turn into angry zombies.  I didn't like this book much at first. I could tell it was quirky, which appealed to me a lot, but it took a little while to get going, and then the apocalypse angle seemed...odd. I wasn't sure about it. The story jumps between day one of the apocalypse and Ben's weight story throughout his whole life beforehand. For a while, I only really enjoyed the flashback chapters. Here's where we really got to meet the main character and where I could understand him better. Here's where the charm and struggle of the book felt real.  There are a couple of fun...

MAGIC BITTER, MAGIC SWEET by Charlie M. Holmberg 3 Stars Verdict: A strange way to bake a cake. Note: I listened to the audio-book for this one, which was a new experience for me. Maire is a baker who can infuse her creations with emotions, enriching the eater with love, happiness, luck, strength - anything she puts her mind to. She only has memories of the last four years, and so doesn't know how she acquired this skill, and is happy to work in a small shop, selling her cakes for little or nothing. When marauders raid her village and turn her into a slave, Maire meets Allemus, a strange man who can see the magic in her and wants to use it in bizzare and nefarious ways. I think chapter one was my favourite. I loved the descriptions of the magical cake baking and the emotions it involved. The idea is simple yet beautiful, and created a world of ideas which I couldn't wait to explore. Most of the rest of the book I found...odd. There were bits to enjoy here and there...

UPROOTED by Naomi Novik 3 Stars Verdict: The intrigue vanished into an endless battle. Agnieszka lives in the valley on the boarder of the corrupted Wood, a forest with evil roots, full of malevolent creatures. The Wood is merciless, taking whoever it wants and twisting them into vessels to carry out its bidding. The only thing stopping the Wood from taking over her valley is the cold wizard, known as the Dragon. In exchange for his help, a young woman is handed over to serve him for ten years, usually the most beautiful, talented, and brave girl within the village. Agnieszka never expects to be chosen. At first I was afraid, I was petrified. Kept thinking I would never leave this lovely book aside. But then it spent so many words describing skirts and dirt and song, and I grew bored. And I struggled to read on. More seriously, I found the book slow from start to end, but I enjoyed the first half because I wanted to know more about the evil Woods and the mysterious Dragon. W...

THE GIRL IN THE TOWER by Katherine Arden 2 Stars Verdict: Again, not for me. After Vasya leaves her village to dispel rumours of her being a witch, she ventures through the woods, facing demons, bandits, and death itself. To survive as a lone traveller, she disguises herself as a man and unintentionally gains the attention of the Grand Prince. She must keep her true gender a secret to protect herself and her family. I'll be honest with you all: I received this title without knowing it was book two of a series. When I realised, I read book one, my heart sinking with every page. I didn’t like it one bit, and I don’t enjoy writing low reviews either. I would never have requested the book to review if it had been clearly labelled as book two of a trilogy I had not yet started. But I agreed to review it in exchange for a copy, and I am grateful to receive it, so here is my review. It actually started out a lot better than I expected. The narrative flits between Vasya facing t...

THE BEAR AND THE NIGHTINGALE by Katherine Arden 3 Stars Verdict: Not for me. Vasilisa grows up at the edge of the Russian wilderness, surrounded by the love of her siblings. She has a wild spirit that cannot be tamed for any suitor or convent, and finds she is able to see and protect the spirits that in turn protect her home. However, her stepmother fears them, and when the winter becomes harsh, and the Vasilisa is blamed. She must fight the cold, her stepmother, and be brave in the face of the demons to protect her home and the ones she loves. I think the author has gone to great lengths to make this book feel authentic. The Russian names and words were a lot to take in, so I was glad to be reading the kindle version for quick definitions. After a while, it's fairly easy to adapt to, and the language equates to strong 'feel' of medieval winters in the heart of Russia. Still, the prose felt hampered down with extraneous details, and the story in general was drea...

A GATHERING OF SHADOWS by V.E. Schwab 4 Stars Verdict: A great bridge to book 3. #1 - A Darker Shade of Magic The consequences of book one have set in. Lila has set off in the new world with a sink or swim attitude, and closes in on her dream of owning a ship. Kell struggles with Rhy’s life tethered to his, unable to live freely, fearing that they’ll share the consequences. Lila and Kell are drawn together once more, this time by the call of a tournament that pits magicians against each other in one on one battle, the Essen Tasch. Lila is one of my favourite characters of all time. She's reckless, and smart, and a darker shade of hero, and it always surprises me how boldly she challenges the world to seize her dreams. I also liked the newest character, Alucard, the likable pirate slash privateer who gives Lila a chance in the world she doesn't belong in. This book is easier to slip into, easier to enjoy from page one than the prequel. With less jumping around, the w...

A DARKER SHADE OF MAGIC by V. E. Schwab 5 Stars Verdict: Slow to start, totally worth it. Kell is a blood magician who can travel between the four worlds, each with a different affinity for magic but sharing the anomaly of the name 'London'. When Kell finds a dangerous artefact, he must return it to the darkest form of London before it falls into the wrong hands. I found the beginning slow with too much exposition, but intriguing nonetheless. At first I struggled to get to grips with the different worlds as they're each very different in description, history, characters - of course there needs to be a lot of world building in a book about multiple worlds, but it made Kell's narrative heavy to read. Yet, it had many redeeming quirks, like the elemental toy and the enchanted coat, which made me think the book could swing either way for me. I kept reading with an open mind. When Kell bumps into Lila Bard, the book really gets going. Lila's a thief who yea...

THE A TO Z OF YOU AND ME by James Hannah 4 Stars Verdict : Depressing but addictive. This is a book about Ivo, who has made a lot of bad decisions in life for not enough reasons. It's about drugs, and illness, and death; ruined friendships, lost love, and forgiveness. It's a depressing book, misery throughout, from rough beginnings to the very end. Somehow I blazed through it like fluff on fire so I know I found it engaging and meaningful. I felt hollow after finishing it. I adore the idea behind the chapters. The story is told through Ivo recalling the A to Z of body parts, each with a story behind them, and most of them reminding him of the girl he loves. It's a beautiful idea, although a soul crushing tale. One of the reasons I enjoyed it, is it explores a different life to my own, a very different set of friends, yet there was still room to relate. It has characters that go against what society prefers, characters who I wanted to understand better But th...

THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN by Paula Hawkins 5 Stars Verdict: More captivating than Gone Girl (controversial, I know!) I like characters to be a bit messed up in the head. I need them to do things I wouldn’t dare to, and get caught up in avoidable messes. This is definitely one of those books. Rachel. Pains me to even think of her. She’s miserable, living to regret, barely getting by. She’s completely hung up on her ex even though he’s clearly no good for her or anyone for that matter. Her life has hit rock bottom in the type of way that breaks both your ankles to stop you from getting back up. She watches a house from the train, or more specifically a young couple living a life she isn’t ready to part with, and because she’s a self-destructive meddler, she gets herself involved in their troubles. This isn’t her story, but she makes herself a part of it against her better judgement. There seems to be a lot of Gone Girl comparison, so I’m just going to say it: both my partner an...

THE KIND WORTH KILLING by Peter Swanson 4 Stars Verdict:  Light and thrilling, with darkness and killing. Two strangers meet in a airport bar and plot to kill a cheating wife. It starts fast and builds steadily, with a clever plot and devious characters. There are a couple of truly unpredictable moments making it a very entertaining read. In a book full of unethical characters, I’m surprised I found a character to root for. But I did. I felt sorry for Lilly, and I felt like she had logical reasoning behind her actions. Not that would hold up in court, mind you, but enough so that I wanted her to succeed, and I didn’t want her to get caught. Ted surprised me a lot. He seemed innocent and normal at first, but every character in this book has darkness in their past (and present). The book opens with a promise of murder, but it's getting to know the characters and their reasons for why they ended up where they are now which really drew me in. I found the book fascinating: ...

THE MARTIAN by Andrew Weir 5 Stars Verdict: Original, witty, intelligent - what more could you want? This is a futuristic novel about a man stuck on Mars, yet the details and atmosphere make it feel like it could be based on real events. Sci-fi isn't a genre I roam into often, but I'm glad I did for this one! Mark Watney is a fantastic main character. He’s resourceful and intelligent. He maintains a sense of humour throughout his plight, which turns what could have been a depressing situation into a problem solving adventure. I found it inspiring to read about someone who face countless challenges and failures, especially as they picked themselves up each time. He’s a hero to root for. Watney does a great job of explaining what’s going, using humour as a tool. The technical stuff gladly sailed over my head but I could still understand the point and I enjoyed how real and logical it felt. That said, I wouldn’t read another book like this. It works because it’s utterl...

GONE GIRL by Gillian Flynn  5 Stars  Verdict: Kinda messed up, aren't they? When Nick finds his wife missing in suspicious circumstances, he doesn’t react the way a loving husband should. That’s all I’m going to say (fearful of spoilers). The film is also very close to the book, so don't watch if you plan to read it! At first I enjoyed the two narrators, Nick's present day musings which are obliviously insensitive towards his wife, juxtaposed against Amy’s quirky diary entries of a girl falling in love. I'd say I had medium interest. The treasure hunt kept me semi-interested, and the mystery of the ‘gone girl’ seemed a little underwhelming considering how long this book was in the charts for. I think it’s fair to say this book starts off with an average plot written with flare, but no less average. When the twists began, the story began. It might have taken a while, but it was worth it. I could say ‘I saw it coming’ but that wouldn’t be the whole truth...

STARDUST by Neil Gaiman 5 Stars  Verdict: A gritty fairytale for adults. A star falls. Tristran proclaims he will fetch that star to prove his love to a woman who frankly isn’t bothered. Witches, dead princes, magic and a little gore, STARDUST is a fantastic modern fairytale that still feels traditional. This is a book for anyone who loves gritty fairytales. I loved the film, and now I love the book. Those are two very separate things. Of course the story is similar, but the style, the creativity, and the resolutions are very different. Compared to the film, Tristran felt flat to me, but the playful yet dark voice of the book makes up for what the male lead lacks. It’s a short book, but not a children’s book. I reckon I’d still have loved it as a teen. Bit of swearing, bit of gore, bit of sex. Best part? The resolve. I love clever round ups, playing on words and slotting pieces of the story together. Worst part? The ending. After a clever resolve, it turns into a...

LOST AND FOUND   by Brooke Davis  3 stars Verdict : Exceptional prose, terrible story - I'd recommend the author. I couldn't find a short blurb for this, just loads and loads of praise where a blurb should be. Instead I'll do my best to shorten the long blurb: Millie Bird is a seven-year-old girl whose mum leaves her alone in a department store, and doesn’t come back. Karl the Touch Typist is eighty-seven years old and once typed love letters with his fingers on to his wife’s skin. He escapes from a nursing home, knowing that somehow he must find a way for life to begin again. Agatha Pantha is an eighty-two-year-old woman who yells at passers-by and maintains a strict daily schedule, until she spies a little girl across the street. Together, Millie, Agatha and Karl set out to find Millie’s mum. Along the way, they will discover that the young can be wise, that old age is not the same as death, and that breaking the rules once in a while might just be the key t...