Review: Children of Eden by Joey Graceffa

Title: Children of Eden
Author: Joey Graceffa
Hardcover, 288 pages
Published: October 4th 2016
Publisher: Atria/Keywords Press
Genre: YA > Science Fiction > Dystopia
Source: print ARC via publisher

Rowan is a Second Child in a world where population control measures make her an outlaw, marked for death. She can never go to school, make friends, or get the eye implants that will mark her as a true member of Eden. Her kaleidoscope eyes will give her away to the ruthless Center government.

Outside of Eden, Earth is poisoned and dead. All animals and most plants have been destroyed by a man-made catastrophe. Long ago, the brilliant scientist Aaron al Baz saved a pocket of civilization by designing the EcoPanopticon, a massive computer program that hijacked all global technology and put it to use preserving the last vestiges of mankind. Humans will wait for thousands of years in Eden until the EcoPan heals the world.

As an illegal Second Child, Rowan has been hidden away in her family's compound for sixteen years. Now, restless and desperate to see the world, she recklessly escapes for what she swears will be only one night of adventure. Though she finds an exotic world, and even a friend, the night leads to tragedy. Soon Rowan becomes a renegade on the run – unleashing a chain of events that could change the world of Eden forever.

Purchase at: Amazon / B&N / Kobo / Book Depository / Indiebound

Wow, where do I begin? Well, I guess I could start with the fact that one of my favorite Youtubers wrote a freaking YA novel and an amazing one at that. I've been a huge fan of Joey Graceffa for some time now. He's not only highly entertaining but super sweet and down to earth. It's always a treat when a movie, TV or Youtube personnel decided to write a book, stepping out from behind the camera/video to do something different, like be an author. I really did have high expectations for Children of Eden and I right to expect Joey to turn out an outstanding story because he most definitely did! 

The story takes place in the future in a dystopian setting where the earth is dead, killed off by humans long ago. A visionary/scientist named, Aaron al Baz creates a protected city called Eden where all of the remaining humans live and thrive, for the most part. With a limited amount of resources, Eden has a law that there can only be one child born to each family. If a second child is born it will be put to death.  Once the first child is born they are to undergo a surgery to have dull lenses implanted in their eyes to be recognized as a first child. 

Rowen was born a twin. Her brother Ash lives the life as the first child while Rowen is hidden away from the world to keep her safe. She is tired of never being able to live a real life and having to be confined indoors always. So one night Rowen decides she's had enough and decides to climb the wall separating her home from the rest of Eden. The unthinkable happens when she slips and falls over the side of the wall. Now stuck on the outside, she has no other choice but to explore this mysterious Eden, all the while hiding her face and eyes so not to be seen or worse, caught. She runs into a friend of her brothers, a girl named Lark. Lark is against everything Eden stands for and helps Rowen get back home safely. The next day her Mother tells her something that will forever change Rowen's world forever. A secret that finally comes out leads to an event that will rock Rowens very existence and that now forces her to be on the run through an unfair new world that is ruled by very bad people. 

The people she meets along the way are her only hope in surviving Eden and learning to live as a second child in a world that forbade's people like her. Rowen comes to learn that Eden really isn't as it seems. Someone is hiding a big secret, one that will change her entire world and those around her. Rowen knows what she must do but the truth coming out may very well get her killed. 


Children of Eden has the most exquisitely written world-building I've ever read. The landscapes were so vividly real to the imagination. The way the author writes about Eden and explains it in such details gave me a much better look into Rowen's world. I felt like I was standing beside her looking on while her life was turned upside down. 

Rowen is one of the characters in a book where you just can't help but love her and feel for her with all she was meant to endure. Throughout the book I had so many different emotions surface while reading. Sadness, anger, understanding, happiness, and even love. I found myself wishing I could tell her that she is worthy of being alive and love. She is such a strong heroine, one that never gives up on what she believes is fair and just. Someone who would do anything to help others and save them from what lies that have been hidden about Eden all along. 

The secondary characters all equally played their parts in the story. I even didn't mind the love-triangle that was begging to form between Rowen and two other of the characters. I'm not sure who I'm rooting for because both are amazing characters. The story itself is very unique and entertaining. It's unlike any other Dystopian novel I've read. The concept was brilliant and really well throughout. Joey Graceffa is such a fabulous story-teller and it really shows through his youtube channel. He's thought up and starred in so many youtube "movies". Childen of Eden for me was a wonderful first installment of a book series I know everyone will love. I can't wait to read what happens next! The ending was left on such a huge cliff-hanger! Aaaaahh!!! 

I highly recommend Children of Eden to all Dystopian and sci-fi lovers! 
You're going to love this book! 

 4 and 1/2 STARS Totally Awesome! I loved it, would read again.

About The Author: Joey Graceffa

Youtube / Twitter / Facebook / Instagram

Joey Graceffa is one of the leading content creators and actors on YouTube. His memoir, In Real Life: My Journey to a Pixelated World, was published in 2015 and became an instant New York Times bestseller. Joey ranked third on Variety’s 2015 #Famechangers lists and has been featured in numerous publications such as People, Forbes, Entertainment Weekly, and The Hollywood Reporter.  In 2013, between his daily vlogs and gameplay videos, Joey produced and starred in his own Kickstarter–funded supernatural series, “Storytellers,” for which he won a Streamy Award, and was recently announced for a season 2 in 2016 in partnership with Legendary and Style Haul. In 2016, he debuted Escape the Night, a surreality competition series for YouTube Red. Joey is a passionate storyteller and carries that sentiment into all of his projects, now with his latest fictional narrative, Children of Eden. For more information, please visit ChildrenofEdenBook.com.

Review + Giveaway: Never Missing Never Found by Amanda Panitch

Title: Never Missing Never Found
Author: Amanda Panitch
Hardcover, 306 pages
Published: June 28th 2016 by Random House Books for Young Readers
Genre: YA - Thriller, mystery
Source: ARC from publisher

A juicy thriller about a girl who returned from the missing. . . . Hand to fans of We Were Liars, Bone Gap, and Vanishing Girls.

  

Some choices change everything. Scarlett chose to run. And the consequences will be deadly.

Stolen from her family as a young girl, Scarlett was lucky enough to eventually escape her captor. Now a teen, she's starting a summer job at an amusement park. There are cute boys, new friends, and the chance to finally have a normal life.

Her first day on the job, Scarlett is shocked to discover that a girl from the park has gone missing. Old memories come rushing back. And now as she meets her new coworkers, one of the girls seems strangely familiar. When Scarlett chose to run all those years ago, what did she set into motion? And when push comes to shove, how far will she go to uncover the truth . . . before it's too late? 

Purchase at: Amazon / B&N / Kobo / TBD / Indiebound

Thrillers/Mysteries are one of my favorite genres of books. Put it in a YA setting and BINGO! We have a winner! So when the opportunity came along to read and review Never Missing, Never found on my blog, I jumped at the chance to sink my teeth into this story. 

The book is about a girl named Scarlett. When she was just a young child, Scarlett was kidnapped and imprisoned at a home only to finally escape her captor many years later. 

Happily back with her family after years of being away, Scarlett decides she wants to try and move on with her life by getting a job and maybe making some friends for some normalcy. She ends up getting hired at a local amusement park but on the very first day of work she finds out that the girl who hired her has gone missing. This news hitting all too close to home begins to worry her that what happen to her may be happing all over again to another innocent girl. With constant flash backs, Scarlett recalls or relives what happen to her from the day she was taken, from the day she escapes her kidnappers once and for all. But what if those memories are not always what they seem.... sometimes the mind decides to block out or even change even the smallest of details of what tragic events happened to us. Scarlett will need to find a way to remember what really happen to her, in turn being the key to finding the missing girl. Of course, nothing is at it seems and the kidnapper may be closer than Scarlett she realizes....so much so maybe even one of her new co-workers or friends. Finding the truth may cost Scarlett her life....but is it worth it? You'll have to read the book for yourself.

What I really loved about Never Missing Never Found is the story is being told from a past and present time-line. One chapter goes into what is happening present day and the next focuses on her time while being held hostage for all those years. The reader will learn all the horrifying details of what really happen to Scarlett while being locked away. Until the end where both story-lines meet for the thrilling and shocking reveal, I personally did not see coming... The ending had me thinking, Oh. My. God! What did I just read?! 

I've read some amazing thrillers in my time but this one was a doozy!  For me, the ending can either make or break a YA thriller and in this case, it totally made it, awesome! 

A few more things i enjoyed about the book were: number 1 - Scarlett's character devolvement from when she was kidnapped/working and making friends up until the ending of the book. As the book begun I knew right away I liked her. She was strong-willed, edging, and but sweet-natured. She held her family and friends close but her memories even closer. You wanted to feel bad for her but at the same time, you knew she would find a way to fight even if it took her a while to do so. I wasn't all that thrilled by the secondary characters besides her love interest and her little sister but that didn't hinder my overall opinion about the book. Another thing I look for when reading any thriller/mystery is if the story keeps me interested throughout the entire book or just select chapters. In this case, I was enthralled the almost whole time. I couldn't wait to find out what happen next, what new memory Scarlet would relive order to help find her missing co-worker. 

I did have a couple areas of the book that I did happen some trouble with, one being towards the ending. I was confused about what happen at a certain point. I feel the author didn't thoroughly describe what happen. Of course, you wouldn't understand what I'm talking about unless you knew the ending but for me, this point in time could have been explained better. Also while most of the book had me completely engross in it there were a few chapters I feel dragged on and on... Other than that it was definitely a solid YA thriller that i really enjoy reading. 

As I've never read anything but the author Amanda Panitch, I was happy to have found I now have another new author to add to my favorites. I definitely will be reading more by her in the very near future but until then I so recommend to you all to check out this book. You so will not be disappointed. 

Totally Awesome! I loved it, would read again.

Enter to win a hardcopy of the Never Missing Never Found by Amanda Panitch below using the rafflecopter form. Open to US residents only!

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Review: I Love My Hair: A Coloring Book of Braids, Coils, and Doodle Dos by Andrea Pippins

Hello, book-nerds! 

I'm starting something new on my blog and that is reviewing coloring books! I've had a lot of requests to review them lately ever since "adult" coloring book popped onto the scene. I don't know about you but I absolutely love to color, even as a kid. It's always been such a fun and relaxing activity. 

Today I will be reviewing, I love my Hair by Andrea Pippins.

Hope you enjoy my first ever coloring book review. :)

I Love My Hair: A Coloring Book of Braids, Coils, and Doodle Dos

by Andrea Pippins

Paperback, 84 pages

Published November 10th 2015 by Schwartz & Wade

For fans of Johanna Basford’s Secret Garden and Enchanted Forest comes a hip, gorgeous doodle coloring book about all things hair. Unlike other adult coloring books, which depict nature scenes and cityscapes, this title celebrates strong, confident women with a passion for style, design, and fashion.

Revel in the mesmerizing patterns and intricate details of Andrea Pippins’s delicate pen-and-ink illustrations, ready for you to color, complete, and embellish. Lose yourself in page after page of bold hairstyles and accessories, from rows of braids, to Mohawks, to sweeping updos, to cascades of ribbons and beads. Be transported to another world as you ink in Medusa’s slithering coiffure, Cleopatra’s elaborate headdress, and Marie Antoinette’s towering bouffant.

Perfect for experienced color-inners and newcomers alike. Coloring enthusiasts of all ages will love this empowering and stylish book. So go ahead—let your hair down, grab some pens or pencils, and add some color to your life.

Purchase at: Amazon / B&N / Publisher / Indiebound

Let me first talk about the overall designs featured in the book. 

After receiving the book I went through it page by page checking out what types of things I would be coloring and I must say I was blown away by how remarkably gorgeous the art work truly is. There was so much detail and time that went into designing these pages. I can't begin to image how much work goes into designing one of these for others to enjoy coloring in. Author and Illustrator Andrea Pippins did such a beautiful job capturing the essence of beauty through the use of hair in all cultures and points in time, like the one above of Marie Antoinette. 

Take a look at this page with butterflies and flowers as hair. I used Prismacolor colored pencils to make use of shading and to add some contrast to make it stand out. The curves (lines) were easy to color in and heavy enough to be able to standout around the color. Just those few butterflies I colored took about 20 minutes because of the attention to detail.

I love how unique this page is too. She looks like she is peeking out beneath her hair, but also blending into herself. Almost like she's hiding a secret only her hair butterflies know.

The page below I colored with my best friend, Courtney. I colored the left side and she colored the right. This one was taking a lonngggg time to color. There are so many small spaces to color in that it took a while to each one. While although we did not finish, it looks stunning so far. Don't you think? Once again the usage of flowers is added to give it a special touch. 

Throughout the book, there is also a lot of words and sayings about hair and self-image. All of which are positive for young girls and adults, saying not only to love your hair you were born with but to love yourself. 

I used markers on this page. I was pleasantly surprised by how awesome the colors came out. Even more so I was happy to see the colors did not bleed through the pages. The book has nice and thick paper used with is great for coloring with markers, which can normally run through page onto the other side.

Here is one I finished coloring. Yes, it's a mermaid. Her hair is luxuriously full of sea-life and seashells. I used colored pencils again for this page. I went with purple and blue for the base colors of her hair. Some light shading was scattered throughout. The attention to detail is outstanding. There's so much going on on this page but it all ties together beautifully to create this mysterious mermaid who rules the seas.

 

A closer look

I love my hair coloring book is full of richly designed art work but easy to color with your tool of choice. I preferred the colored pencils because I can shade with them but markers work perfectly too for a nice bright pop of color. I highly recommend this coloring book to everyone who enjoys coloring or for those who haven't colored since they were kids. It's a definite time killer and a great way to express your creativity. All of the pages are exquisitely illustrated with such detail right down to the smallest of curls to the largest of hair brushes. 

I had so much fun coloring in I Love My Hair and I think you will too! 

Let your imagination take you into a world of hairbow and clips, pigtails and perms, words of love and motivation, and of course HAIR!! 

Totally EPIC! One of the best coloring books I have colored in.

Mini Review: Marrow by Tarryn Fisher

Title: Marrow
Author: Tarryn Fisher
Kindle, 296 pages
Published: April 10th 2015
Publisher: N/A
Genre: NA - Contemporary Romance, Thriller, Mystery
Source: Bought via Amazon

In the Bone there is a house.

In the house there is a girl.

In the girl there is a darkness.

Margo is not like other girls. She lives in a derelict neighborhood called the Bone, in a cursed house, with her cursed mother, who hasn’t spoken to her in over two years. She lives her days feeling invisible. It’s not until she develops a friendship with her wheelchair-bound neighbor, Judah Grant, that things begin to change. When a neighborhood girl, seven-year-old Neveah Anthony, goes missing, Judah sets out to help Margo uncover what happened to her.

What Margo finds changes her, and with a new perspective on life, she’s determined to find evil and punish it–targeting rapists and child molesters, one by one.

But hunting evil is dangerous, and Margo risks losing everything, including her own soul.

Purchase at: Amazon | B&N | TBD | Kobo 

This book was seriously messed up just like other Tarryn Fisher books, and I therefore crown her the queen of all beautifully messed up stories.

When I started reading Marrow, I had no idea what I was getting into - I didn't read the synopsis nor check out the categories that it was under. So naturally, I was thrown off guard by what this book is about. I expected a messed up romance, but what I got was a psychological thriller.

Margo is a vigilante - she hunts down murderers, rapists and child abusers. The main character is messed up, and the story is gory. To be honest, I wouldn't have read this book had I known that. I found it hard to get into this book at first, but after a while, I got used to the story and I started getting into it. However, I still wasn't completely having fun because I was just completely thrown off guard.

I must say, the twist in the end really made me like the book more. It was very unexpected but at the same time made so much sense. I didn't like that there were still questions left unanswered in the end of the book, but overall this story is enjoyable.

2 stars. Ah, it's okay. 

7 Reasons Why I Couldn't Bring Myself to Like: The Sin Eater's Daughter by Melinda Salisbury

Title: The Sin Eater's Daughter
Author: Melinda Salisbury
Audiobook
Published: February 24th, 2015
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Genre: YA - Fantasy - High Fantasy - Magic - Romance
Source: SYNC Summer Free Audiobooks

A startling, seductive, deliciously dark debut that will shatter your definition of YA fantasy.

Sixteen-year-old Twylla lives in the castle. But although she's engaged to the prince, no one speaks to her. No one even looks at her. Because Twylla isn't a member of the court.

She's the executioner. As the goddess-embodied, Twylla kills with a single touch. So each week, she's taken to the prison and forced to lay her hands on those accused of treason.

No one will ever love her. Who could care for a girl with murder in her veins? Even the prince, whose royal blood supposedly makes him immune to her touch, avoids her.
But then a new guard arrives, a boy whose playful smile belies his deadly swordsmanship. And unlike the others, he's able to look past Twylla's executioner robes and see the girl, not the goddess. Yet a treasonous romance is the least of Twylla's problems. The queen has a plan to destroy her enemies-a plan that requires an unthinkable sacrifice.

Will Twylla do what it takes to protect her kingdom? Or will she abandon her duty in favor of a doomed love?

Purchase at: Amazon | B&N | TBD | Kobo 

The Sin Eater's Daughter is a huge disappointment of a book. I think the only thing that salvaged this to 2 stars for me is the twist at the end, which I completely did not expect. Aside from that, I don't even know what to praise anymore. I mean, I guess the story is quite original, but nah, unfortunately, it's not my cup of tea.

Here's why I couldn't bring myself to like this book:
1. The world. The world was basically constricted to Tywlla's room and temple and a few parts of the castle. Yes, there were talk of other Kingdoms, but none of them were explored.

2. The plot. Because the world is constricted to Twylla's room and temple, there was not much of a plot except for the evil queen and the romance. Granted, there were a lot of revelations, but still, the world and plot seemed to be narrow-scoped to me, compared to most fantasy novels.

3. The love triangle. Oh, it was so predictable that she would fall for Lief! I mean, what ever happened to girls wanting to marry Princes as the cliché? In novels nowadays, cliché means loving the other guys, and thus it's what's predictable nowadays.

4. What is up with that ending? The novel has an open-ending that I don't get, and there were many loose ends still not tied. What ever happened to the Kingdom, the prince and Lief? There are still so many questions left unanswered, and overall I'm just not satisfied with that ending.

5. It was a boring read. I didn't feel compelled to read it, and the only reason that I didn't put it down is because I have a hard time not finishing books and feel the need to finish them once I reach pass 50%. I keep waiting for amazing things to happen, but until the twist and after the twist, everything was just boring for me.

6. I can't connect to the characters. Twylla is stupid and both Lief and Merek felt manipulative to me. The queen is evil, we all know that, and her mother is a bitch. Everyone in this novel infuriated me at some point, and I just couldn't find a single character that I liked.

7. Self-pitying Twylla. In the end, Twylla was talking about everything was her fault, bla bla bla, and said that she should stop pitying herself. But what does she do a few pages later? Go back to pitying herself, of course. Ugh, Trylla, you infuriate me!

Overall, I didn't like the world nor the plot, didn't get a proper ending, and dealt with characters that infuriated me. If it were not for the unexpected twist, this would have been a 1-star book. I think it's safe to say that I wasted my time trying to finish this novel, when clearly I didn't connect to it from the start. 

2 stars. Ah, it's okay. 

Review: Unlit Star by Lindy Zart

Title: Unlit Star
Author: Lindy Zart
Kindle, 258 pages
Published:  May 28th, 2014
Publisher: Self Published
Genre: YA - Romance - Contemporary

We are not guaranteed anything, not even this life.

Rivers Young is the popular guy untouchable by reality. He is like a star—bright, consuming, otherworldly. The thing about stars, though, is that they eventually fall, and he is no different.

He falls far and he falls hard.

Delilah Bana is the outcast enshrouded in all of life's ironies. Alone, in the dark, like dusk as it falls on the world. When Rivers hits the ground, she is the night that catches him. In the darkness, they meld into something beautiful that shines like the sun.

Only, the greater the star is, the shorter its lifespan.

Purchase at: Amazon | B&N | TBD | Kobo

"You're saying one day I'll be a butterfly,” he says skeptically. I look up. “I'm saying you've always been one.”

From its synopsis to its simple yet attractive book cover, Unlit Star caught my attention when I first found out about it. I've been wanting to read this book for a while now, and I was lucky enough to finally be sent an email regarding an Amazon book lender. As soon as I got the book, I started reading.

“Something remarkable can always be the result of something devastating, if you choose to find that one positive in a nest of negatives.”

At first I thought I was going to be disappointed by this book. I mean, the writing was beautiful, no doubt, and the story had a lot of potential. But the beginning was just too wordy - full of narratives - and a bit repetitive without revealing anything important. Then as I read on, I felt more and more into the book and I couldn't help but love it.

 “We always think we have more time and that is the wrong way to think, because time is something we never have enough of.”

This book is really amazing. The main story arc is simple and may be a bit cliché, but the whole story really is not like any other I've read. Delilah Bana is a confusing main character with her own very unique personality. She may not seem very realistic at times, but I sure do admire her! Oh, and Rivers! Rivers is such a smooth talker I just want to smack him sometimes, haha! Put these two together and I got an epic love story that made me laugh multiple times, making me look like an idiot in public a while ago.

“And isn't it weird that no one wants to change who they are, yet they aren't even trying to be themselves? Just a thought. We're all so focused on being somebody, and it's usually never the real us.”

Lindy Zart's writing style in this novel really amazed me. Her words flowed really smoothly, like a calm ocean. Everything really worked together and there so many uplifting, inspirational and relatable quotes. There were also so much feels, and the family element is not to be ignored. Both don't have perfect families, but what they have is pretty amazing. Lindy Zart has a powerful way of writing in a way that her one-liners drove so much impact. This book makes me think that I really should read her other works as well. 

 Totally Awesome! I loved it, would read again.



Here's also a handwritten typography of my favorite quote from the novel.

Review: The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye

Title: The Crown's Game (The Crown's Game #1)
Author: Evelyn Skye
Kindle, 399 pages
Published: March 17th 2010
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Genre: YA - Fantasy - Historical Fiction - Romance
Source: via Edelweiss

Vika Andreyeva can summon the snow and turn ash into gold. Nikolai Karimov can see through walls and conjure bridges out of thin air. They are enchanters—the only two in Russia—and with the Ottoman Empire and the Kazakhs threatening, the Tsar needs a powerful enchanter by his side.

And so he initiates the Crown’s Game, an ancient duel of magical skill—the greatest test an enchanter will ever know. The victor becomes the Imperial Enchanter and the Tsar’s most respected adviser. The defeated is sentenced to death.

Raised on tiny Ovchinin Island her whole life, Vika is eager for the chance to show off her talent in the grand capital of Saint Petersburg. But can she kill another enchanter—even when his magic calls to her like nothing else ever has?

For Nikolai, an orphan, the Crown’s Game is the chance of a lifetime. But his deadly opponent is a force to be reckoned with—beautiful, whip smart, imaginative—and he can’t stop thinking about her.

And when Pasha, Nikolai’s best friend and heir to the throne, also starts to fall for the mysterious enchantress, Nikolai must defeat the girl they both love... or be killed himself.

As long-buried secrets emerge, threatening the future of the empire, it becomes dangerously clear... the Crown’s Game is not one to lose.

Purchase at: Amazon | B&N | TBD | Kobo 

I had a hard time deciding what rating to give this book because while I didn’t really enjoy it, I didn’t really hate it either. However, upon thinking about it, I realized that I have no desire to read the next book, so I decided to just give this book 2 stars. I know a lot of people loved this book, and I really wanted to love this book because of the amazing concept, but it turns out that I am yet again the black sheep.

What I Liked:
1. The premise of this book is very interesting: Set in Russia, the two enchanters born of that time (1800’s) were to enter in the Crown’s Game to duel each other until one dies and the other becomes the Grand Enchanter of Russia. I mean, it has magic and it’s set in Russia! I really was interested in that plot, and I felt like it would be a really unique book.

2. The vivid descriptions: In the game, the enchanters were tasked to please Pasha for his birthday celebration, so the enchanters created a lot of beautiful things such as fountains, magical boxes that would create masquerade gowns, islands, etc. The author did a really great job of describing these, and I felt like I was able to see those things clearly.

3. The writing: Not that it was anything special, but I felt like the writing was good. I had no problems with the pacing and choice of words. And as mentioned above, the author is really good in descriptions without being too overbearing with words.

What I Didn’t Like:
1. Multiple POVs: I don’t usually have problems with multiple POVs, especially when the book is in the third person perspective, but I was just annoyed in the execution of it in this book. At first I thought there was already this set amount of narrators, but throughout the book, new ones just keep popping out. I would prefer it if from the start, I knew which people would get to narrate the novel, because I was just confused at times why there were new ones popping out, even neat the end of the book.

2. Love Square?: I don’t really like love triangles, but this novel has a love square! It was infuriating because I was really looking forward to the magic element of the novel, but at some point the focus became the romance. And can I just say how predictable it is that Vika and Nikolai would fall in love with each other? I think I would have preferred it if it became Vika + Pasha and Nikolai + Renata, just for the sake of being different for once.

3. Bland: I don’t know, this book just wasn’t interesting enough for me. I was really looking forward to reading this book the longest times, but it fell short of my expectations. In my opinion, it lacks the excitement that I wanted it to have, so I didn’t really mind if I was interrupted or anything.

2 stars. Ah, it's okay.