ARC Review: Isle of Blood and Stone by Makiia Lucier

Title: Isle of Blood and Stone
Author: Makiia Lucier
Publication Date: April 10th 2018
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Part of a Series?: Yes, Book 1 on 2 of a Duology
I Got A Copy Through: HMH Teen (THANK YOU!)
Buy Links: Amazon US || Barnes and Noble || Wordery || Kobo || Books A Million || Chapters Indigo || Google Books

Blurb Description: Ulises asked, "How can I look at these maps, see this riddle, and do nothing? They are my brothers."
Elias reached across the table and flicked aside two shells with a fingertip. The map curled into itself. "It's bound to be a goose chase. You know that?"
"Or a treasure hunt," Ulises countered, "and you've always been good at those."
Nineteen-year-old Elias is a royal explorer, a skilled mapmaker, and the new king of del Mar's oldest friend. Soon he will embark on the adventure of a lifetime, an expedition past the Strait of Cain and into uncharted waters. Nothing stands in his way...until a long-ago tragedy creeps back into the light, threatening all he holds dear.
The people of St. John del Mar have never recovered from the loss of their boy princes, kidnapped eighteen years ago, both presumed dead. But when two maps surface, each bearing the same hidden riddle, troubling questions arise. What really happened to the young heirs? And why do the maps appear to be drawn by Lord Antoni, Elias's father, who vanished on that same fateful day? With the king's beautiful cousin by his side-whether he wants her there or not-Elias will race to solve the riddle of the princes. He will have to use his wits and guard his back. Because some truths are better left buried...and an unknown enemy stalks his every turn.

It’s been a while since I read anything an adventure/ mystery type of book that didn’t focus so much on a rebellion but more on a quest and a riddle, which is also why I was so excited about this book going in!

In all honesty, it took me forever to connect with all of the characters. On top of the main characters and the plot, there were also so many secondary characters, and LOCATIONS and well, it took me a while to connect and care about this world.

As soon as I did, however, Isle of Blood and Stone suddenly became a whole lot better. There was one clue after another coming to light, a fearless girl and hints of romance, actual political problems and betrayals and murder and I really liked it.

Let’s break it down:

IDEA:

I’ve never actually read a book about a cartographer, especially one set in a fantasy world, and I was SO INTRIGUED by the idea behind it all. I’ve loved books about solving clues and cases since I first read Nancy Drew and I was really looking forward to this book.

PLOT:

Like I said, it was a little difficult to connect with the world, despite the fact that I was excited to read the book. I find this happening so much more often with fantasy novels these days (Am I reading too much? Is there such a thing?) but after sticking to the book, I did manage to come out on the other side.

I really liked the plot structure, and all the secondary characters. I loved how Elias uncovered the conspiracy that started a war eighteen years ago, the map-making elements and the personal growth every character went through. I especially loved mundane things that built up the world in the book – small, political things that made everything so much more real.

CHARACTERS:

While I liked the characters (specifically Lady Mercedes and Lady Reyna) I didn’t fall in love with them. I liked their stories, and felt happy at their ending and liked the way they were grown, that essential spark was just missing.

I definitely liked Elias’ curious mind and kind soul, and his relationship with Lady Mercedes was adorable.

WRITING:

I don’t know if it was the characters or the writing, but while I find no real fault with this book, it lacked something that kept me from falling head over heels in love with it.

I, in a nutshell, liked this book fine but I didn’t love it, and I don’t know why.

CONCLUSION:

It was a different book, with amazing world building and ended up being a great one time read. It’s just not the kind of thing I loved so much to pick up again.

Makiia is the author of historical fiction and historical fantasy for young adults. She grew up on the Pacific Island of Guam (not too far from the equator), and has degrees in journalism and library science from the University of Oregon and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Her debut novel, A Death-Struck Year, was called a "powerful and disturbing reading experience" by Publishers Weekly. It was a finalist for Germany's top book prize for children, the Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis, as well as Japan's Sakura Medal, and was named an ABC Best Books for Children Selection by the American Booksellers Association.

Her second novel, Isle of Blood and Stone, will be available in Spring 2018.

What are some of your favourite adventure novels?
I feel like we don't see NEARLY enough of the genre and I'd love to hear your recommendations!

 

All That Girl Power // REVIEW: Daughter Of The Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller

Title: Daughter Of The Pirate King (Daughter Of The Pirate King #1)

Author: Tricia Levenseller

Publication Date: February 28th 2017

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends (Macmillan)

Part of a Series?: Yes, Book 1/2 of the Daughter of the Pirate King Duology

Buy Links: Amazon || Barnes and Noble || Wordery || The Book Depository || Books A Million || Google Play Books || Kobo || Indigo || 

Blurb Description: There will be plenty of time for me to beat him soundly once I’ve gotten what I came for.
Sent on a mission to retrieve an ancient hidden map—the key to a legendary treasure trove—seventeen-year-old pirate captain Alosa deliberately allows herself to be captured by her enemies, giving her the perfect opportunity to search their ship.
More than a match for the ruthless pirate crew, Alosa has only one thing standing between her and the map: her captor, the unexpectedly clever and unfairly attractive first mate, Riden. But not to worry, for Alosa has a few tricks up her sleeve, and no lone pirate can stop the Daughter of the Pirate King.

When I first read about this on Netgalley, I remember not reading the synopsis and basing my NEED to read this book purely on the title alone.

I guess that’s why it took me SO LONG to bring it to the top of my lung crushing, bookworm drowning TBR pile but now that I finished it, I AM SO SO HAPPY THAT I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO READ THIS BOOK BECAUSE IT IS EASILY ONE OF THE BEST I’VE READ THIS YEAR!

“I believe we create ourselves to be what we want.”

Instead of describing this book, I’m going to rant about ALL THE GREAT THINGS that I LOVED TO THE BOTTOM OF MY FANGIRLING HEART (and I hope you will want to read it too!)

1.       ALL THE GIRL POWER: What’s better than a Badass Female Main Character who is ALSO the captain of her own ship? A SUPER SASSY Protagonist with the ability to hold her own EASILY in a ship full of enemy male pirates, FIGHT LIKE NOBODY’S BUSINESS and also HAS A CREW FILLED WITH THE MOST AWESOME SAUCE AND LOYAL GIRLS. (Who I am SO SO EXCITED to read more about in book two.)

2.       ALL THAT BANTER: One of the things I loved the MOST about this book was THE EASY, sometimes sassy, sometimes flirty banter that Tricia Levenseller managed to create that made a book about pirates, mythical sea creatures, hostages and treasure SO MUCH MORE FUN. (If that is even possible) SERIOUSLY. Some AMAZING DIALOGUE.

3.       ALL THAT FLIRTING: I LOVED LOVED Riden and Alosa together. It was such a FUN, refreshing romance with NO PINING, all honour, attraction and flirting and I LOVED IT. (Yes, I have used the word ‘love’ about 36,289 times in this review already) I loved the kissing scenes, I loved the turmoil that went through Alosa’s head during those moments, and I loved them. I cannot WAIT to see what book two does with them.

4.       ALL THOSE PLOT TWISTS: Most days, I can predict where a fantasy will end up. Daughter of the Pirate King, however, had me saying ‘OH HOLY WOW. I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING.’ These are such AMAZING twists too, fitting pieces in place and WOW. LOVE. (Yes, again)

5.       ALL THAT ALOSA KALLIGAN: Move over Celaena Sardothien, MY NEW FAVOURITE BADASS FEMALE CHARACTER IS HERE. This girl takes NO NONSENSE, has ALL THE SASS AND THE BRAINS AND THE FIGHTING SKILLS and well, I LOVED LIVING IN HER HEAD FOR A FEW DAYS.

There was NOTHING AT ALL WRONG WITH THIS BOOK. In fact, IT WAS SO PERFECT I COULD CRY.

A fast paced, swashbuckling tale with an amazing cast and ALL THE GIRL POWER. I’m so in love, all I want to do it read it again. 5 stars.

Tricia Levenseller writes historical fantasies for young adult readers. Her debut, DAUGHTER OF THE PIRATE KING, is set to release Feb. 2017 from Feiwel and Friends, an imprint of Macmillan Publishers.

Initially from a small town in Oregon, Tricia now lives next to the Rocky Mountains with her bossy dog, Rosy. She received her degree in English Language and editing and is thrilled that she never has to read a textbook again. When she’s not writing or reading, Tricia enjoys putting together jigsaw puzzles, playing volleyball, and watching shows while eating extra-buttered popcorn.

What is you FAVOURITE Pirate Book/ Movie?

Who is your favourite badass female character?

Have you heard of/ read Daughter of the Pirate King? Is it on your TBR? 

I can't wait to chat with all you lovelies!

Complete Perfection // REVIEW: A Crown Of Wishes by Roshani Chokshi

Title: A Crown of Wishes (The Star Touched Queen #2)

Author: Roshani Chokshi
Publication Date: March 28th 2017
Publisher: St Martin's Griffin (Macmillan)
Part of a Series?: Yes, Book 2/2 of the StarTouched Queen Series
I Got A Copy Through: Macmillan International (THANK YOU!)
Buy Links: Amazon IN || Amazon US || Amazon UK || Barnes and Noble || The Book Depository || Wordery || Kobo || Books A Million || Chapters Indigo || Google Books

Blurb Description: An ancient mystery. An unlikely union. For one young princess in a state of peril, a dangerous wish could be the only answer…
She is the princess of Bharata—captured by her kingdom’s enemies, a prisoner of war. Now that she faces a future of exile and scorn, Gauri has nothing left to lose. But should she trust Vikram, the notoriously cunning prince of a neighboring land? He promises her freedom in exchange for her battle prowess. Together they can team up and win the Tournament of Wishes, a competition held in a mythical city where the Lord of Wealth promises a wish to the victor. It seems like a foolproof plan—until Gauri and Vikram arrive at the tournament and find that danger takes on new shapes: poisonous courtesans, mischievous story birds, a feast of fears, and twisted fairy revels. New trials will test their devotion, strength, and wits. But what Gauri and Vikram will soon discover is that there’s nothing more dangerous than what they most desire.

“He’d built his life on wanting the impossible – true power, recognition, a future – and now magic had found him when he’d stopped looking.”

I bought myself a copy of Roshani Chokshi’s The Star Touched Queen last year, and immediately dove in. While the book started off absolutely brilliantly, in the middle, the writing and the magic fused to become a very vague thing which had me not loving it as much as I hoped I would.

I wasn’t sure if I would read A Crown of Wishes but Roshani with her One Line Wednesdays, all the bloggers saying it was amazing and also, THE COVER THAT IS TOO GORGEOUS FOR WORDS convinced me to put it on my Wish list, and then the LOVELY folks at Macmillan sent me a review copy! *sends happy hugs*

Truth be told, I’M SO SO SAD that this book is over because I LOVED EVERY SINGLE MINUTE OF IT, and now I’m going to miss Gauri and Vikram SO much.

This book was BRILLIANT. I loved everything in it and everything it offered me. Let me break it down for you:

Image by Brittany's Book Rambles

1.       ROSHANI’S WRITING: If NOTHING else will make you believe in Magic, Roshani Chokshi’s writing style will. The way she crafts her words together, her descriptions about things both ordinary and extraordinary and just her general ability to bring everything alive on a page is unparalleled. I had at least four moments where I just sat back after a particularly well done scene and just MARVELLED AT THIS LADY’S SHEER TALENT.

2.       GAURI AND VIKRAM: I loved these two characters together, but even more than that, I LOVED THEM INDIVUDIALLY TOO. The fact that this story was told from both their points of view, and showed us how they thought, their dreams, hopes and desires separately and then slowly, how they wanted the other was EVERYTHING I was looking for.

I loved that there was no real distinction between general male and female roles. At no point was Gauri the weaker one or vice versa, and that the two of them needed each other equally. Their power, their wit and their courage was equally matched, which is just what all fantasies, contemporaries and real relationships need to be.

Image by Brittany's Book Rambles

3.       THE BANTER: Honestly, BEST. BANTER. EVER. I LOVED it. They were these two firecrackers being set off by and it was hilarious and filled with chemistry and made their relationship so much better. My heart exploded into feels in the last chapter of the book in the Ujjain gardens because AWWWWW. Seriously, best relationship development I’ve seen in a while.

4.       THE PLOT: The plot is only second-best to the magical writing and perfect characters in this book, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t GREAT anyway. I can’t describe it without spoiling the magical journey that Roshani’s journey will take you on, but suffice it to say that IT IS A VERY WELL CONSTRUCTED BOOK.

Undeniably magical and witty, A Crown of Wishes is a book shaped masterpiece. 

Roshani Chokshi is the New York Times bestselling author of The Star-Touched Queen and the upcoming A CROWN OF WISHES, releasing March 28, 2017. Her work has appeared in Strange Horizons, Shimmer, and Book Smugglers. Her short story, "The Star Maiden," was longlisted for the British Fantasy Science Award.    Pinterested in A CROWN OF WISHES? Check it out here!  Pinterest

Have you gotten the chance to dive into Roshani Chokshi's books yet? What did you think of them? 

What are some of your favourite fantasy/ mythology filled books? 

HOW GORGEOUS ARE THESE COVERS ANYWAY? 

I can't wait to hear from you!

A Mystically Fabricated Reality // REVIEW: The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

Title: The Dream Thieves (The Raven Cycle #2)

Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Publication Date: September 17th 2013
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Part of a Series?: Yes, Book 2/4 of The Raven Cycle
I Got A Copy Through: Scholastic India (THANK YOU!)
Buy Links: Amazon IN || Amazon US || Amazon UK || Infibeam || Flipkart || Snapdeal || Wordery || Barnes and Noble || The Book Depository || Google Play Books

Blurb Description: Eerie, romantic and compelling this supernatural love story weaves together ancient myths, forgotten legends and the strange fates of a young psychic and a group of prep school boys caught in a web of murder, mystery and magic! 
If you could steal things from dreams, what would you take? 
Ronan Lynch has secrets. Some he keeps from others. Some he keeps from himself. 
One secret: Ronan can bring things out of his dreams. 
And sometimes he’s not the only one who wants those things. 
Ronan is one of the raven boys — a group of friends, practically brothers, searching for a dead king named Glendower, who they think is hidden somewhere in the hills by their elite private school, Aglionby Academy. The path to Glendower has long lived as an undercurrent beneath town. But now, like Ronan’s secrets, it is beginning to rise to the surface — changing everything in its wake. 
'Of the Raven Boys, Entertainment Weekly' wrote, “Maggie Stiefvater’s can’t-put-it-down paranormal adventure will leave you clamoring for book two.” Now the second book is here, with the same wild imagination, dark romance and heart-stopping twists that only Maggie Stiefvater can conjure.

 “In that moment, Blue was a little in love with all of them. Their magic. Their quest. Their awfulness and strangeness. Her Raven Boys.”

In one word, I will proceed to describe this BEAUTIFUL MONSTROSITY of a book: AAAAAAAHHHHHH.

Like I said in my review of The Raven Boys, I had COMPLETELY FORGOTTEN how amazing this series was, the eccentricities and personalities of each of the characters since when I read it three years ago, and reading The Dream Thieves consecutively after was SUCH A LITTLE TREAT, and I need more.

The Dream Thieves picks up a little time after when The Raven Boys ends, with the boys and Blue trying to find Glendower, and dealing with *spoiler alert* Adam sacrificing himself willingly to wake the ley line up and figuring out the repercussions, and Ronan trying to manage the monsters in his dreams, and trying not to bring them back to real life.

While this book is slightly more angst-y, here are some of the things I LOVE:

   1.        MAURA SARGENT AND THE GRAY MAN: I didn’t really care for Blue’s mother in the first book (not because she was a BAD character, but because she didn’t really have much of a purpose in book one) but with the Gray Man in the picture (no spoilers on who he is. PFFT to all you people that love spoilers.) IT WAS THE CUTEST THING EVER, and the two of them pretty much overtook all my shipping capabilities!

2.       RONAN LYNCH: I knew from book one that this BROKEN boy would undoubtedly be my favourite character in the series, and I LOVED HIM SO MUCH IN THIS BOOK, I just wanted to reach in (like the book was one of his dreams) and hug him close. (He probably wouldn’t have appreciated it much, but HEY.) Ronan’s powers, coming to terms with them, learning to use them and understanding that with great responsibility comes with his power was so BEAUTIFULLY done, I give Steifvater a standing ovation.

     3.       THE PLOT: I don’t think there’s a better way to combine magic and reality and complex characters that what Maggie Steifvater has done in The Raven Cycle. I ADORE that there is so much mysticism and magic and love and friendship and pride in the air, combined with a quest and the supernatural. It is the perfect blend of our dry realities and all the unseen everyday magic and I LOVE IT.

Thing that I didn’t love ALL that much:

     1.       THE ANGST: Unfortunately, there was a TON of angst and self-loathing and UGH SO MUCH PAIN in this book, that it felt a tad overdone (?) and I would have REALLY preferred more of the ACTUAL QUEST over all the ANGST, but I will take in it stride nevertheless.

I’m going to sit here and slowly die until I get my hands on Blue Lily, Lily Blue, but I CANNOT recommend (throw in your face) this series more.

A Magic Filled, Dream Like Masterpiece that will have you questioning the existence of your reality!

HAVE YOU READ THE RAVEN CYCLE? Who is your favourite Raven Boy?

Have you read any other Maggie Stiefvater books? Which books of her should I put on my immediate TBR? 

What are your favourite books on magical realism? 

I can't wait to hear your thoughts!

Review: Rebel Of The Sands by Alwyn Hamilton

Title: Rebel Of The Sands
Author: Alwyn Hamilton
Publisher: Faber & Faber (UK)
Publication Date: February 4th 2016
Part of A Series?: Yes! (Book One of A Planned Trilogy)
I Got A Copy Through: Guardian Children's Books

Blurb Description:"Tell me that and we'll go. Right now. Save ourselves and leave this place to burn. Tell me that's how you want your story to go and we'll write it straight across the sand."
Dustwalk is an unforgiving, dead-end town. It's not the place to be poor or orphaned or female. And yet Amani Al'Hiza must call it 'home'.
Amani wants to escape and see the world she's heard about in campfire stories.
Then a foreigner with no name turns up, and with him she has the chance to run. 
But the desert plains are full of dangerous magic. The Sultan's army is on the rise and Amani is soon caught at the heart of a fearless rebellion...
An epic story of swirling desert sands, love, magic and revolution.

When I first looked at the cover of Rebel of the Sands, I knew that it was a book I had to have. I didn’t care what it was about, this was cover love at first sight. My love only deepened when I actually read what the book was about: ‘A Sharpshooter. A Dreamer. A damn good liar.’ and I had chills running down my back!

To be quite honest, I don’t think my words can quite capture the essence of what this book has in store for you when you pick it up (because you REALLY should) so I’m going to try and capture it from some of the many lines that were so awesome, I HAD to re-read them over and over.

‘I didn’t seem to mind proving myself dumb if it meant proving someone else wrong.’

You know badass heroines, right? We all love them. There’s Katniss Everdeen and Celaena Sardothien and Mare Barrow. Here’s the thing though, how many of said actually SAID they were badass, because Amani does. And Amani is AWESOME!

She’s a fearless dreamer with perfect aim and a will to live, and I assure you, you will LOVE her.

‘No one could see me, a girl with a stolen gun, shooting until my fingers were sore and my aim was good enough that I could’ve knocked a shot glass out of a drunk’s shaky fingers.’

The book opens with Amani trying to get out of the bleak existence she can’t help but detest. She’s meant for greater things; she’s meant for places where your gender doesn’t make you lose respect, where it’s okay to not be ashamed to have been born a girl. (SHE SAYS THIS, YES.)

*FREAKS OUT* *BOWS HEAD IN RESPECT*

I loved that in the middle of an Arabian Night’s story, we had FEMINISM, and equality and non-discrimination. These were really life issues that every girl in the world faces – East or West – and Alwyn handled it all brilliantly.

‘I was a desert girl. I thought I knew heat.I was wrong.’

But, of course, a book is NOT complete without the smoldering boy who gets our heroine completely! Although in most novels, she just falls right into his arms without much thought and he does almost all of the work. SO NOT THE CASE! Amani, even if she was wrong, wasn’t afraid of doing what she needed to get what she wanted, even if it meant hurting him. And the CHEMISTRY! *Swoons* *Finds Ointment for Burns*

‘These ideas could make men shout for rebellion even when it meant they would hang for it.’

The blurb promises you rebellion and love and magic, and IT DOES NOT DISAPPOINT! From the stories of Djinn to Ghouls to Skinwalkers, to the passion between Jin and Amani and through all the characters with their dangerous powers and powerful personalities, this book will grip you and never let go.

I guess I just need to end with: ‘Red Queen meets The Hunger Games in this masterful Arabian Nights setting, leaving readers spellbound.’

What do you guys think of that cover? Who is your favourite Badass Heroine? 

Let me know what you think - I love hearing from ALL of you, and I will also be sure to stop by your FANTASTIC blogs!

REVIEW: Nexis (Tricksters, #1) by A.L.Davroe

Title: Nexis (Tricksters, #1)
Author: A.L.Davroe
Publisher: Entangled Publishing: Teen
Publication Date: December 1st 2015
Part of A Series?: Yes 
I Got A Copy Through: NetGalley 

Blurb Description: In the domed city of Evanescence, appearance is everything. A Natural Born amongst genetically-altered Aristocrats, all Ella ever wanted was to be like everyone else. Augmented, sparkling, and perfect. Then…the crash. Devastated by her father’s death and struggling with her new physical limitations, Ella is terrified to learn she is not just alone, but little more than a prisoner.

Her only escape is to lose herself in Nexis, the hugely popular virtual reality game her father created. In Nexis she meets Guster, a senior player who guides Ella through the strange and compelling new world she now inhabits. He offers Ella guidance, friendship…and something more. Something that allows her to forget about the “real” world, and makes her feel whole again.

But Nexis isn’t quite the game everyone thinks it is.

And it’s been waiting for Ella.

**MY REVIEW**

The world as we know today is gone. Humans with imperfections are a thing of the past. Machines that needed human help to function have been coded out of existence. And the best and brightest of humanity have been chosen to live in Domes - to safeguard their existence, and to protect them from the Disfavoured.

The Aristocrats are the definition of perfection. Hair, eyes, body shape, and even their voices and laughs can be Modified and Altered. Babies can be Customized, making them perfect from the minute they're born, clothes are made of the finest materials, parties are only ever thrown in the grandest manner, and citizens are kept in line through their G-Chips.

The thing with humans, though, is that we are never happy with what we have. And the Aristocrats? Nothing they do is for love, but more for standing in society. And then Warren Drexel creates Nexis. A virtual reality game of the world we lost, designed to give everyone anything they desire. 

Nexis is the new IT thing - what all Aristocrats must have; what they must succeed at. Exempt for the creator's daughter, Ellani Drexel, who resents the game because her father loves it more than her.

Until her father dies in a freak accident, and the last thing Natural Ellani told him was that she hated him, and all that's her of the last of her family is a game she thought she would never get into.

In Nexis, Ellani finds herself living a more real life than the one she was living back in the Real World. With Nadine, Morden, Opus and Gus, the Tricksters, Ellani finds herself on a quest to enter the mysterious Anansi Chamber, and falling in love with a boy she can't ever have, all while her state appointed guardian is faking her death, denying her prosthetic legs and keeping her under lock and key - a futuristic Cinderella. 

But Ellani is just one piece is a very dangerous game, one that is both real and not...

A little into reading Nexis, I though that this book would be one I hated, or this series would be one that I didn't particularly want to follow through until the end, but Nexis and A.L.Davroe proved me wrong on all counts - Nexis was a BRILLIANT book, be it the writing, execution, storyline, twists, characters and even the love story- it was absolutely mind blowing, and I can't wait to recommend it to everyone I know.

I don't know why I loved it, I just did. And by loved it , I mean I LOVED LOVED LOVED LOVED LOVED LOVED it, so much so that I finished it in one sitting in lieu of studying for an exam that was just the next day- and I didn't event feel guilty about it! I can't explain why I loved it, but I did. Even if you think gaming books are not for you, or that the description sounds way too sci-fi for you, or too out there - Nexis isn't actually like that. It's written for all YA readers, and whoever you are, I assure you that you will have the time of your life reading this masterpiece.

I have just one question: WHEN IS BOOK TWO COMING?! And is there a paperback I can get my hands on?

Review: The Walled City by Ryan Graudin

Title: The Walled City

Author: Ryan Graudin

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: November 4th 2014

Part of A Series?: No, Standalone

I Got A Copy Through: ARC via Guardian Children's Books

Blurb Description: 730. That's how many days I've been trapped. 18. That's how many days I have left to find a way out.
DAI, trying to escape a haunting past, traffics drugs for the most ruthless kingpin in the Walled City. But in order to find the key to his freedom, he needs help from someone with the power to be invisible....
JIN hides under the radar, afraid the wild street gangs will discover her biggest secret: Jin passes as a boy to stay safe. Still, every chance she gets, she searches for her lost sister....
MEI YEE has been trapped in a brothel for the past two years, dreaming of getting out while watching the girls who try fail one by one. She's about to give up, when one day she sees an unexpected face at her window.....

In this innovative and adrenaline-fueled novel, they all come together in a desperate attempt to escape a lawless labyrinth before the clock runs out.

**MY REVIEW**

"There are three rules of survival in the Walled City: Run fast. Trust no one. Always carry your knife.

Right now, my life depends completely on the first. Run, run, run."

Sunless, lawless, ruled by gangs that deal in two things- drugs and prostitutes. The Walled City is a nightmare. Hell, even. It is death personified with hope being crushed out. And yet, there are always those that break the rules…

Dai. Running away from a crime he didn't actually commit and into the Walled City from his huge mansion, he has only one chance at redemption. A chance that will very likely cost him his life.

Jin Ling. Run, run, run. It's all she does. In the quest to find her sister who was taken by the reapers to be a brothel girl, she finds herself breaking all her rules. Trust, friendship, and worst of all, the dream of thinking about what the future holds for her.

Mei Yee. Staring out of her window that gives her only an ounce of the freedom she wants deep inside, all she is told is that this is her life. There is no way out. And yet, there is a mysterious boy who stands outside her window, promising her a life filled with seashells and happiness…

While it took me a while to actually get hooked onto the Walled City, the book itself was genius! Ryan Graudin's writing was BRILLIANT; her words are so soulful, her each line tinted with mystery, hope and desperation all together that I couldn't help but fall in love!

"Instead of dreaming about dancing in zero gravity, making footprints in moon dust – he's six feet under. Shattered beyond repair; broken just like everything else I leave behind."

I would most definitely recommend The Walled City – to anyone who wants to feel hope – really feel it – in a place where it is crushed out. 5 glowing stars!