Book Review | The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma.

"Ori's dead because of what happened out behind the theatre, in the tunnel made out of trees. She's dead because she got sent to that place upstate, locked up with those monsters. And she got sent there because of me."

The Walls Around Us is a ghostly story of suspense told in two voices - one still living and one long dead. On the outside, there's Violet, an eighteen-year-old dancer days away from the life of her dreams when something threatens to expose the shocking truth of her achievement. On the inside, within the walls of a girls' juvenile detention centre, there's Amber, locked up for so long she can't imagine freedom. Tying these two worlds together is Orianna, who holds the key to unlocking all the girls' darkest mysteries.

We hear Amber's story and Violet's, and through them Orianna's, first from one angle, then from another, until gradually we beging to get the whole picture - which is not necessarily the one that either Amber or Violet wants us to see.

Nova Ren Suma tells a supernatural tale of guilt and innocence, and what happens when one is mistaken for the other." (synopsis and cover from (x)

When I saw that Nova Ren Suma had a new book coming out, I clicked the request button without even reading the premise. That is how big a fangirl I am about Nova Ren Suma. Unfortunately I was left with very mixed feelings.

Violet is a ballerina on her way to Julliard, her whole life ahead of her. Amber is in jail for allegedly murdering her abusive step-father. She also happens to be dead. The two are linked by one person: Orianna. Violet's best friend, and Amber's cellmate. But Orianna shouldn't be in jail, and only through Violet and Amber are we able to learn why.

The Walls Around Us opens with a bang and it took me a fair few chapters before the shock would stop. Ok, I will admit that perhaps I should've read the premise. But the cacophony of words left me with a lot of lingering confusion.

I'll start with the one thing I utterly adored. The writing. This comes as no shock to anybody who knows me. Suma's style is remarkable and her writing still manages to make me speechless, even after three books. Its lyrical quality is something I very deeply aspire to. If there's anything you should read this for, it's the writing.

And this is where the positives end, unfortunately.

Pacing-wise, The Walls Around Us was something I found very easy to put down. It just didn't capture my attention, and I think it's in part due to my detachment towards the characters.

I wasn't a fan of them. Violet in particular, I found nasty and wholly unsympathetic. This isn't usually an issue for me, but it unfortunately didn't work in this book.

As I mentioned above, I also found the book mildly disorientating. It certainly didn't last the entirety of the novel, but it did last as long as it took me to properly read the premise.

It really pains me that I didn't love this as much as I wanted to. While the writing was a stand-out element, I found everything else to be lacking. 2 stars.

Rating: ** (2 Stars)

Publication Date: 24th of March 2015

Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers

Goodreads | Nova Ren Suma's Website | Twitter

Want to buy this? You can get it here:

Book Depository | Fishpond | Amazon | Book World

Thank you to Algonquin Young Readers and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC.

Book Review | Falling Into Place by Amy Zhang.

"On the day Liz Emerson tries to die, they had reviewed Newton's laws of motion in physics class. Then, after school, she put them into practice by running her Mercedes off the road.

Why? Why did Liz Emerson decide that the world would be better off without her? Why did she give up? Vividly told by an unexpected and surprising narrator, this heartbreaking and nonlinear novel pieces together the short and devastating life of Meridian High's most popular junior girl. 

Mass, acceleration, momentum, force - Liz didn't understand it in physics, and ever as her Mercedes hurtles toward the tree, she doesn't understand it now. How do we impact one another? How do our actions reverberate? What does it mean to be a friend? To love someone? To be a daughter? Or a mother? Is life truly more than cause and effect?

Amy Zhang's haunting and universal story will appeal to fans of Lauren Oliver, Gayle Forman, and Jay Asher." (synopsis from (x)

Remember how, about a month back, I reviewed 'Take Back The Skies,' and was like, 'Well, I definitely feel like an underachiever,' because the author was my age and she'd published something? And not just any something, but a novel-something? Yes? Well, this is another case of that. But, the feeling is even worse because I adore this book.

'Falling into Place,' written by (18-year old) Amy Zhang, is the story of Liz Emerson. She is the most popular girl in school, and she has decided to commit suicide. One day after class, she crashes her car, and the next, she's fighting for life. Told from a non-linear and fascinating perspective, this book absolutely stunned me.

I'll try and refrain from gushing too much, but I can't promise you anything.

I'll start with my favourite, favourite thing - the writing. Oh my gosh, the writing. I loved, loved, loved it. Much like with 'We Were Liars,' I found that it was the writing that really pushed me along. It's got a peculiar quality to it: The very first page grips you and it feels like you can't breathe until you finish the novel. It's not a huge book, but it really packs a punch. Right in the stomach.

I also loved the perspective. I won't spoil it for you, but it's not your typical first-person narrative. It's not necessarily third-person either. I will say this though - I'm pretty sure I've never read anything like it (except maybe Cloudstreet? But Cloudstreet is in it's own field for unique perspectives, so let's not get into that.).

The characters were really, really well done. Liz (and her friends) had a real capacity to be mean girls and stay mean girls. Instead, Zhang created multi-faceted characters with a conscience and regrets. It was realistic and I loved it all. I also loved how the importance of friendship was reiterated throughout. No matter what goes on, being there for your friends should always be a priority.

There's one thing that really struck me in the book though. I'm not sure if it's necessarily a good thing or a bad thing, but it's something I need to mention. 'Falling into Place' makes you extremely aware of your mortality (and everyone else's). So, if you're like me, and prone to neuroticism, just be aware that you might have an existential crisis midway through the book.

I was in shock when the book ended. I'd kind of gobbled it all up within a day, and then it finished a little abruptly. I'm not criticising that - I think it was a good way to end. Just know that a state of shock is a not uncommon feeling.

I read in the blurb that people were comparing this book to Gayle Forman's books. While I definitely see that (especially so with If I Stay), it's executed very differently and can definitely stand on its own.

I love this book. It's on my top reads for 2014. 4.5 stars.

Rating: ****.5 (4.5 stars)

Publisher: Harper Collins Australia

Publication Date: 1st September 2014

Goodreads | Amy Zhang's Website | Twitter

Want to buy the book? You can get it here:

Book Depository | Fishpond | Bookworld | Amazon

Thank you to Harper Collins Australia and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC.

This review will also appear on Book Nerd Reviews.

Book Review | Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins.

"The cafe is boiling. The atmosphere is clouded with bittersweet coffee. Three years of desire rip through my body and burst from my lips: "Josh!" 
His head jolts up. For a long time, a very long time, he just stares at me. 
And then...he blinks. "Isla?"

Hopeless romantic Isla has had a crush on brooding artist Josh since their first year at the School of America in Paris. And, after a chance encounter in Manhattan over the summer break, romance might be closer than Isla imagined. But as they begin their senior year back in France, Isla and Josh are forced to face uncertainty about their futures, and the very real possibility of being apart.

Set against the stunning backdrops of New York, Paris and Barcelona, this is a gorgeous, heart-wrenching and irresistible story of true love, and the perfect conclusion to Stephanie Perkins's beloved series." (synopsis from (x)

The time has come, my friends. Isla and the Happily Ever After has finally been released (or, more rather, it finally arrived), and I am here to review it for you.

The first thing you'll notice about this book is that it is different to Anna and Lola. It's different in main character, in tone, in plot. Do not go into this novel expecting something similar to the prior two books. It isn't.

But I think it works.

The things I liked: the characters. This is a no-brainer, because Stephanie Perkins does character and she does it really, really well. Both Josh and Isla become multi-faceted and we see both the flaws and virtues of their characters develop throughout the novel.

I'll start with Isla. Islaislaisla. She's the main character in this little happily ever after (see what I did there?). I don't know why, but I have an unusually high affinity for this girl. This doesn't happen a lot for me. The last time I understood and felt for a character so wholly was Allyson from Just One Day. And no, it's not just because she's a redhead and I'm a redhead. Isla feels like a representation of a younger high-school-attending me.

Where Anna and Lola are sure of who they are as people, and where they want to go in life, Isla is different. She has insecurities - big ones. She's terrified of the future, because she doesn't know where she's going. She's shy. She doesn't like taking risks. Isla got to me in a way I never expected. I loved her (but I was also a little freaked out because I was so similar to her, it's scary).

Josh. Josh made me want a boyfriend. No, let me rephrase that (because let's be real here, I'm always wanting a boyfriend). Josh has made me rethink my stance of being on Team Cricket. I really liked that we got to see a different side to him in Isla. He is adorable. Now, I'm torn between the two, so poo you.

The two together were adorable. Very often, I found myself thinking 'Oh my gosh, you nerds. Stop it, I love you.' There are just a lot of very sweet moments in this book. Another way this book is different? There are some more explicit moments, so you know. Be aware of that. Because it took me by surprise.

Setting, as always, was done to perfection. I loved being back in Paris, and loved being (however briefly) in Barcelona even more. I wished we'd seen more of New York, but obviously, Europe was the place to be.

My main problem with the novel was the placement of conflict. Like I've mentioned a lot, Perkins doesn't keep to the similar formula she uses in Anna and Lola. It sent me into a bit of a loop. Why? Because instead of being one of the first things we're introduced to, it doesn't become a *thing* until we're on the other side of the halfway mark.

I guess it'd be easy to argue that Isla's insecurities are in fact, the conflict, but they're not really present until the *big thing* happens. But because of this, it felt like there wasn't actually much of a conflict. It isn't a huge issue, it's just messing with my mind a bit.

We do get to see some of Cricket and Lola, and Anna and Etienne. However, it is very, very brief. And something happens. But I'm not saying what, because that would be cheating.

Overall, a very sweet final companion novel. Isla, I love. Josh, I love. Conflict placement, not so much. 4 stars.

Rating: **** (4 Stars)

Publisher: Usborne 

Publication Date: 14th August 2014 (or, if you're from Australia, sometime in September)

Goodreads | Stephanie Perkins Website | Twitter

Want to buy it? You can get it here:

Book Depository | Fishpond | Bookworld | Amazon

This review will also appear on Book Nerd Reviews.