Scookie Reviews

FIVE FEET APART by Rachael Lippincott et al. 2 Stars Verdict:  Too predictable. Stella and Will have CF. They should always stay at least SIX feet apart. (Light spoiler which is given away in the title too: they don't.) That's pretty much the entire book. The voices are strong and the references are modern which helps it feel slightly 'fresher' than those who have trod around the sick kids plot before, but I spent most of the book waiting for something more to happen. This book taught me a lot about CF that I didn't learn in biology class - the loneliness, the survivors guilt, the strict medication schedule - all the things that don't make up the diagnosis but can be there too. Before this, my knowledge of CF was alleles and lung function. From reading other responses to this title, I appreciate how it raises awareness. My brain started to wander off around the half-way mark. I couldn't help thinking there wasn't much pulling Stella and Will...

GIRLS OF PAPER AND FIRE #1 by Natasha Ngan  4 Stars Verdict: A beautiful and difficult tale. With a book like this, I think it’s important to point out that it’s not for everyone. It explores the theme of sexual abuse in a way that’s unavoidable, unskippable. The scenes aren’t graphic, but the emotion is, or at least it felt like that to me. Please bare that in mind before reading. Lei is part of the Paper cast, meaning she’s human from head to toe, unlike the power and magical chimera-like casts that are afforded the better status in Ikhara. She’s taken from her small village and made into one of the chosen eight concubines of the bull king. Unlike the other concubines, Lei refuses to submit to the 'honour' of being a Paper girl. When I heard this was a fantasy novel inspired by Asian culture, I had to have it. Asian mythology has inspired my own writing, so I couldn't wait to sink into this tale, and the world building definitely delivered. The premise is dark...

ONE OF US IS LYING by Karen M. McManus 5 Stars Verdict: Addictive. Five students go into detention, and only four come out alive. The police and media are circling in on the four remaining students from that fateful detention, all of them liars in one form or another. But who is the killer? I read this book like I eat chocolate - page after page consumed without ever wanting to stop. It's the type of story you get caught up in, binge, and then are quite happy to put it away and move on to something else - a quick, light read, but not a thinker. It's a whodunit that kept me guessing, although I had my suspicions... The narrative switches between the four students, each of them with very different lives and different issues. The characters start off feeling very cliche: a jock wanting a baseball scholarship, a pretty-girl being pushed around by her popular boyfriend, a smart but geeky girl, and a Nate, who felt the least cliche in that respect with his not caring att...

HEART OF MIST by Helen Scheuerer 5 Stars Verdict:  One of the best fantasy book I've read this year! Bleak wants a cure for her illegal magic, if possible, but mostly, she wants wine every day. A summons from the king is a death sentence to her. Henri is the queen of Valia, a race of strong female fighters, but she isn't the queen of the realm. A choice she makes could send her people to war with the true king. Dash is a stable boy, but he's also best friends with the blind princess. He dreams of being a knight, or even just meeting one. They live in a land which is threatened by a growing mist, one only those with magic can survive. I loved this right from the start. Beautiful descriptions, dark humour, and a pace that doesn't let up. This is my ideal story. It had a good balance of action, character, and pace, the three entwined as the plot moved ever forwards, each detailed, but not too heavy to handle. I thought there could perhaps be more world bui...

THE MOONLIGHT PALACE by Liz Rosenberg 4 Stars Verdict: A light historical novel about a poor princess in Singapore. Note: I listened to the audio-book version. Agnes lives in the Kampong Glam Palace in Singapore, once grand but now in the 1920s it's falling apart. Without a male heir or enough income to support their family, Aggie worries they'll be forced to leave her childhood home. This is a nice story. It's low key, with the plot never being frighteningly exciting, but still interesting, especially as it's based in Asia. Agnes is a strong young woman of her time, but naive and young all the same. She meets a few suitors, experiences a few festivals, and wants a job to help her family's income situation. As I said, the story is quite low key. The characters are also all very nice or vaguely interesting. Aggie's family is endearing, from Nei Nei Up to Nei Nei Down. My favourite character was the curiously blind jewellery store owner. It sounded...

THE DEATH CURE by James Dashner 3 stars Verdict: Well, that didn’t answer anything. #1 - The Maze Runner #2 - The Scorch Trials The Trials are over, supposedly. It’s time for Thomas to get his memories back, and help Wicked with the final stage of their cure. Oh, Maze Runner. You absolute tease. I’ll try my best to describe the reading experience without any spoilers, so basically I’ll keep it vague and hope you know what I’m talking about. The whole book is basically a delay in getting any real answers to the mountain of questions posed thus far. Motives are swept under the rug, specifics are ignored, and the events that could have provided answers were sidestepped around. And then it ends on a cliché which doesn’t feel satisfying at all. Despite all that, it’s still entertaining. It still has its good moments, and unexpected twists, making it easy to sit and read for hours at a time. Then again, the entertaining parts are also frustrating. There’s so much action...

THE SCORCH TRIALS by James Dashner 4 Stars Verdict:  Action packed, just don't overthink it! #1 - The Maze Runner #3 - The Death Cure Out of the maze and into the frying pan, Thomas and his friends now have to make it across the scorched earth if they want to be cured of the Flare. To get there, they'll have to survive the Cranks who already have the flare, and some are more Gone than others... This series is very readable, even though it doesn't give a lot of answers or make a lot of sense. The chapters are short, most ending on a slight twist or revelation, and there's plenty of action, drama, and danger. The characters also come out of their shells a bit more, and the true world starts to rears it's scorched head, constantly throwing new challenges in Thomas' way. I had the same issues with this book as the last. Thomas's journey is very entertaining, but the answers are loose tie ins that will fall to bits if you pull at them. It just doesn...