All the Bright Places  

By Jennifer Niven 

Blurb: 
The Fault in Our Stars meets Eleanor and Park in this exhilarating and heart-wrenching love story about a girl who learns to live from a boy who intends to die.

Soon to be a major motion picture starring Elle Fanning!

Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.

Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death.

When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink.

This is an intense, gripping novel perfect for fans of Jay Asher, Rainbow Rowell, John Green, Gayle Forman, and Jenny Downham from a talented new voice in YA, Jennifer Niven.

Review: 
I got recommended this book by one of my friends and all I have to say is thank you! I really needed this book in my life at this point of time, even though I swear they recommended it about a month ago after I finished watching To All the Boys I Loved Before and I was sat crying my eyes out. But I did get round to reading it and I thought it was exactly what I needed.

This book starts off when Theodore Finch has just been 'awake' for 6 days. The 'asleep stage' I am to believe that is when the depression is quite bad and all you want to do is hide and stay out of everyone's view and not do anything. Where as the 'awake' is where you still feel the numbness and just slide through day to day life.

Violet is also another main character and it goes between the two point of views. Violet is also suffering with depression and PTSD in my opinion, this is because she was involved in a car crash when she was younger after going to a party with her sister and her sister died.

I found the amount of reference to mental illnesses within the book really good because there is not many books that actually explain how the person is feeling when they are suffering. It was great to read the different backgrounds of the characters and how their depression/PTSD started as everyone's is different.

These two characters met on the bell tower within school when Violet was going to attempt suicide and Finch was seeing how it felt to be so high up. Finch ended up saving Violet's life but Violet gets all the praise for saving Finch's.

These two characters then start to become friends and spend time with one another. Their friendship develops throughout the book due to having to complete a geography project together.

Each of these characters personalities developed drastically throughout the book and I definitely felt more connected to them. There was no part within this book that made me angry or start to dislike the characters. I felt sorry for Theodore for what he had to go through when he was a child with his dad. I also felt sorry for Violet as she blamed herself for everything and I know how that feels, so I could relate a lot to her.

I'm not too sure why this book didn't reach the 4 star mark. I know it didn't reach the 5 star mark because I didn't enjoy it a great amount that stopped me from putting it down. Maybe it didn't reach the 4 star mark because I wish it was longer and I wish there was more of a story to it rather than just visiting different places for a geography project, it would have also been nice to discover more about Finch's family. As well as Violet's friend Amanda who Finch met at the counselling session.

The ending of this book is quite sad really but it was expected in a way. In a way I wasn't really wanting that ending I wanted something better.

I'd recommend this book if you want a love story, a book about depression, family problems and sisterly love. You'll need tissues that's for sure.

Favourite Characters: Violet

Read: 22/10/18 - 27/10/18

3 stars out of 5

Written by Sammie

All the Bright Places  

By Jennifer Niven 

Blurb: 
The Fault in Our Stars meets Eleanor and Park in this exhilarating and heart-wrenching love story about a girl who learns to live from a boy who intends to die.

Soon to be a major motion picture starring Elle Fanning!

Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.

Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death.

When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink.

This is an intense, gripping novel perfect for fans of Jay Asher, Rainbow Rowell, John Green, Gayle Forman, and Jenny Downham from a talented new voice in YA, Jennifer Niven.

Review: 
I got recommended this book by one of my friends and all I have to say is thank you! I really needed this book in my life at this point of time, even though I swear they recommended it about a month ago after I finished watching To All the Boys I Loved Before and I was sat crying my eyes out. But I did get round to reading it and I thought it was exactly what I needed.

This book starts off when Theodore Finch has just been 'awake' for 6 days. The 'asleep stage' I am to believe that is when the depression is quite bad and all you want to do is hide and stay out of everyone's view and not do anything. Where as the 'awake' is where you still feel the numbness and just slide through day to day life.

Violet is also another main character and it goes between the two point of views. Violet is also suffering with depression and PTSD in my opinion, this is because she was involved in a car crash when she was younger after going to a party with her sister and her sister died.

I found the amount of reference to mental illnesses within the book really good because there is not many books that actually explain how the person is feeling when they are suffering. It was great to read the different backgrounds of the characters and how their depression/PTSD started as everyone's is different.

These two characters met on the bell tower within school when Violet was going to attempt suicide and Finch was seeing how it felt to be so high up. Finch ended up saving Violet's life but Violet gets all the praise for saving Finch's.

These two characters then start to become friends and spend time with one another. Their friendship develops throughout the book due to having to complete a geography project together.

Each of these characters personalities developed drastically throughout the book and I definitely felt more connected to them. There was no part within this book that made me angry or start to dislike the characters. I felt sorry for Theodore for what he had to go through when he was a child with his dad. I also felt sorry for Violet as she blamed herself for everything and I know how that feels, so I could relate a lot to her.

I'm not too sure why this book didn't reach the 4 star mark. I know it didn't reach the 5 star mark because I didn't enjoy it a great amount that stopped me from putting it down. Maybe it didn't reach the 4 star mark because I wish it was longer and I wish there was more of a story to it rather than just visiting different places for a geography project, it would have also been nice to discover more about Finch's family. As well as Violet's friend Amanda who Finch met at the counselling session.

The ending of this book is quite sad really but it was expected in a way. In a way I wasn't really wanting that ending I wanted something better.

I'd recommend this book if you want a love story, a book about depression, family problems and sisterly love. You'll need tissues that's for sure.

Favourite Characters: Violet

Read: 22/10/18 - 27/10/18

3 stars out of 5

Written by Sammie

The Gender Game (The Gender Game Series, book 1)

By Bella Forrest

Blurb: 
A toxic river divides nineteen-year-old Violet Bates's world by gender. 

Women rule the East. Men rule the West. 

Welcome to the lands of Matrus and Patrus. 

Ever since the disappearance of her beloved younger brother, Violet's life has been consumed by an anger she struggles to control. Already a prisoner to her own nation, now she has been sentenced to death for her crimes. 

But one decision could save her life. 

To enter the kingdom of Patrus, where men rule and women submit. 

Everything about the patriarchy is dangerous for a rebellious girl like Violet. She cannot break the rules if she wishes to stay alive. 

But abiding by rules has never been Violet's strong suit.

When she's thrust into more danger than she could have ever predicted, Violet is forced to sacrifice many things in the forbidden kingdom ... including forbidden love. 

In a world divided by gender, only the strongest survive...

Review: 
This book starts off with a very heart destroying scene where Violet is trying to save her brother Tim by helping his escape from Matrus, because he had failed the testing and was sent to the mines in the North. From this scene onwards it takes a huge turn and carries on with Violet's life after seeing her brother fall into the toxic river.

I started this book in a huge reading slump and was enticed within the first two pages. At the start if the book there is only one main character who struggles with keeping her emotions under control and lashes out if something angers her or someone does something towards her family members. After living in several prisons over several years she is given an opportunity to redeem herself and all of her crimes forgotten if she completes one task successfully. This is when the second main character shows themselves and you get to see the true independent woman Violet is in an environment where she is supposed to be weak and follow men's orders. A third character shows themselves at this point too and is quite close to being classed as a main character because of the amount they are mentioned in the actual story.

These characters stories are well described and are in a great amount of detail for the first book. This leads you to become attached to them and want to keep reading to see what other things happen to them.

Throughout the whole book I felt I was constantly trying to guess what would happen next but I was always wrong, this kept me turning the pages and wanting to read more.

There was only one thing I disliked about this book and to be honest I'm just being picky, it was the ending! It was a proper kick in the teeth and pulled at all my heart strings. It made me want to read the next one straight away, which I did thankfully as it was already out so I feel sorry for the people who read it first and had to wait for the second book.

Overall I'd highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys an adventure, huge twists, love stories and a quick simple enjoyable fast paced book that you don't mind pulling at your heart strings. I'd recommend that you have some tissues near by and maybe a pillow to scream your anger into.

Favourite Character: Violet
Read: 12/07/18 - 15/07/18

5 stars out of 5 

Check out my review of Book 2: The Gender Secret

written by Sammie

The Gender Game (The Gender Game Series, book 1)

By Bella Forrest

Blurb: 
A toxic river divides nineteen-year-old Violet Bates's world by gender. 

Women rule the East. Men rule the West. 

Welcome to the lands of Matrus and Patrus. 

Ever since the disappearance of her beloved younger brother, Violet's life has been consumed by an anger she struggles to control. Already a prisoner to her own nation, now she has been sentenced to death for her crimes. 

But one decision could save her life. 

To enter the kingdom of Patrus, where men rule and women submit. 

Everything about the patriarchy is dangerous for a rebellious girl like Violet. She cannot break the rules if she wishes to stay alive. 

But abiding by rules has never been Violet's strong suit.

When she's thrust into more danger than she could have ever predicted, Violet is forced to sacrifice many things in the forbidden kingdom ... including forbidden love. 

In a world divided by gender, only the strongest survive...

Review: 
This book starts off with a very heart destroying scene where Violet is trying to save her brother Tim by helping his escape from Matrus, because he had failed the testing and was sent to the mines in the North. From this scene onwards it takes a huge turn and carries on with Violet's life after seeing her brother fall into the toxic river.

I started this book in a huge reading slump and was enticed within the first two pages. At the start if the book there is only one main character who struggles with keeping her emotions under control and lashes out if something angers her or someone does something towards her family members. After living in several prisons over several years she is given an opportunity to redeem herself and all of her crimes forgotten if she completes one task successfully. This is when the second main character shows themselves and you get to see the true independent woman Violet is in an environment where she is supposed to be weak and follow men's orders. A third character shows themselves at this point too and is quite close to being classed as a main character because of the amount they are mentioned in the actual story.

These characters stories are well described and are in a great amount of detail for the first book. This leads you to become attached to them and want to keep reading to see what other things happen to them.

Throughout the whole book I felt I was constantly trying to guess what would happen next but I was always wrong, this kept me turning the pages and wanting to read more.

There was only one thing I disliked about this book and to be honest I'm just being picky, it was the ending! It was a proper kick in the teeth and pulled at all my heart strings. It made me want to read the next one straight away, which I did thankfully as it was already out so I feel sorry for the people who read it first and had to wait for the second book.

Overall I'd highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys an adventure, huge twists, love stories and a quick simple enjoyable fast paced book that you don't mind pulling at your heart strings. I'd recommend that you have some tissues near by and maybe a pillow to scream your anger into.

Favourite Character: Violet
Read: 12/07/18 - 15/07/18

5 stars out of 5 

Check out my review of Book 2: The Gender Secret

written by Sammie