18 things repost – Girl Detached

Note: This is a repost of my original post from my old site 18 things before.

Girl Detached by Manuela Salvi

Aleksandra has issues with her voice. Stress makes her stutter, and her life is one of stress. She can only speak clearly on stage, freed by the words of the character she plays. Then, when Aleksandra befriends her new neighbour Megan, and through her meets charming, handsome Ruben, it seems she has discovered a doorway into a different world, and a different Alek. But Ruben wants Aleksandra to play a particular role for him, and it is one that will come close to destroying her.

At first I was unsure what to expect with Girl Detached after being told it was about prostitution as I’ve never read anything like it before. I was also very intrigued after being told it had been banned in Italy. This hooked me almost right away and I hadn’t even read a word!

We meet the voice of the story – Aleksandra – and straight away are told her story and begin to develop a liking for her. As a vulnerable young woman buried in confusion and loneliness she captivates the reader to want to protect her through the pages. It was uncomfortable to think that Aleksandra and I are virtually the same age, yet she has gone through this horrible experience.

As the story progresses we see the way Aleksandra and the world of prostitution entwine and slowly destroy her life bit by bit. It was heart wrenching to see her get obliviously closer and closer to danger. A lot of times, I found myself wanting to scream at the book to warn her and to give her some advice.  Her shielded upbringing meant she was blinded from things many might assume as obvious.

It was eye-opening to see a world we only hear about the way the media wants us too. Having read this, I realise that I have myself been shielded (or possibly censored) from the nitty, gritty truths about women in prostitution. It was shocking and at times difficult to read but it was an important read. I want to applaud the author Manuela Salvi for overcoming the (in my opinion) idiotic censorship of this novel to bring its important and eye-opening story to those everywhere. This book is astonishing and I encourage everyone to read it. Let your mind be opened by this gritty, honest read.

Disclaimer: I was lucky enough to be given this book as a proof at YALC for free however that has had no effect on my opinion.

The Auctor Trilogy Review

When seventeen-year-old Addie Auctor’s mother is murdered by her father, she must confront many secrets that her family has hidden from her. The worst of these secrets is that Addie’s father, Donovan Hawthorne, is still hunting Addie because of an ancient blood feud between her mother’s family, the Auctors, and her father’s family, the House of Hawthorne. In order to be protected from the House of Hawthorne, Addie and her brother, Augustus, are sent to Initiation at an exclusive University, the Wicked Cabal.
Initiation is nothing like Addie expects. She is immediately separated from Augustus and thrown in with four complete strangers – Fallon, Maddox, Liam, and Tempe. Addie must try to forge friendships with her fellow Initiates while they solve clues, battle mystical creatures, and explore increasingly dangerous places.

After Addie’s mum dies, she’s thrown into an unknown world full of magic, monsters and secrets. She’s forced to go through a school initiation with a group of strangers whilst not being told anything, except that her father wants her dead.

I thought Addie was very brave jumping straight into this world without any information other than that her father has killed her mother. I wouldn’t have had that much trust to let anyone take me straight into an unknown world. I thought this was a tad unrealistic but who knows what we’d do in those circumstances and if our lives were under supposed threat. It was a good plot device though, as it meant we as readers didn’t know why things were happening either.

I loved Addie so much. I don’t think I’ve loved many characters more than I love Addie. I honestly thought about her and her life for days after finishing this book. It was all I could think about. As for the other characters, I couldn’t stand Addie’s brother Augustus. I thought he was horrible and controlling over Addie. It infuriated me so much. And the twist with Fallon – wow! I wasn’t expecting that. I also loved Addie’s friendship with Tempe, it felt so genuine.

I liked the inclusion of the flash back to Constance, it made me have so many questions. I still do, so I can’t wait for the next one. The challenges they faced were shocking and brutal for a school initiation but I loved how they faced them head-on with determination. Plus, there was a dragon. In my opinion, you can’t beat dragons (even if they’re evil). This book was brilliantly written and had me so gripped that I read this book in a matter of days (which for me in exam season, is an achievement). I would 10/10 recommend.

If this has interested you, I would totally recommend that you go buy a copy here.

If you’ve read this book before, let me know what you thought in the comments – I’d love to know.

Note: I was given this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I Dare You Book Tag

I was tagged by Jess at bookendsendings in the I Dare You book tag.  The rules are:

• You must be honest
• You can’t not answer a question
• You have to tag at least four people

Here are my answers

1. Which book has been on your shelves the longest?

The Sesame Street Players Present The Little Red Hen. I’ve had it since I was very small and would never get rid of it. I loved this story so much when I was younger.

2. What is your current read, your last read and the book you’ll read next?

I’m currently in the middle of two books I need to reread for my English Alevel; In Cold Blood and Jane Eyre as well as reading The Outliers for pleasure. My last read was the Auctor Trilogy (amazing by the way – my review is coming soon). The book I’ll read next will be The Scattering (the sequel to The Outliers).

3. What book(s) did everyone like and you hated?

I tried to read the Hobbit and literatly couldn’t get past the second page.

4. Which book do you keep telling yourself you’ll read, but you probably won’t?

The Divergent series, it’s been on my shelf for years but I never reach for them.

5. Which book are you saving for “retirement”?

I’m not saving any for actual retirement (that’s a long long way off). I am however, saving loads of books for summer after my exams are finished including The Bone Season, Rebellion and The Hate You Give.

6. Last page: read it first or wait till the end?

People do that?? How could you read the last page first?? I don’t understand. I always wait until the end.

7. Acknowledgements: waste of ink and paper or interesting aside?

I think the acknowledgements are a lovely idea. I don’t always read them but when I do they can be quite interesting.

8. Which book character would you switch places with?

Hermione’s daughter. She gets to experience Hogwarts without any of the dark lord stuff ruining the magic and awe of it.

9. Do you have a book that reminds you of something specific in your life?

The Series of Unfortunate Events remind me of the time in year 4 when I made a fuss at school as a boy in my year had got to read the series which was on the year 5 shelf and I didn’t. I read them because of this. I did not like the fact he was allowed to read year 5 books and I was not.

10. Name a book you acquired in some interesting way.

I got Robyn Silver from being the first to run to the Scholastic stand at YALC 2016 and saying the special word. Not that interesting but I cannot think of anything else.

11. Have you ever given away a book for a special reason to a special person?

Not that I can think of. Though I wanted to give a copy of Am I Normal Yet? to all of my friends last year when I read it, but I didn’t as that would have been very expensive. I did recommend it though.

12. Which book has been with you to the most places?

Jane Eyre. I took it to a Uni offer holder day to Exeter and it’s been to college and work. It goes with me incase I need to read something in my free time as it’s then productive and revision too.

13. Any “required reading” you hated in high school that wasn’t so bad two years later?

I hated Shakespeare in school due to reading King Lear, but now that I’ve read Much Ado About Nothing, I have realised he’s not too bad.

14. What is the strangest item you’ve ever found in a book?

A receipt?

15. Used or brand new?

I prefer brand new when I can. However, growing up I normally brought used books if they were in an okay condition.

16. Have you ever read a Dan Brown?

He was on my shelf for a couple of years but I never wanted to read it over my other books. I loved the movies though and would like to one day.

17. Have you ever seen a movie you liked better than the book?

Jane Eyre. Much Ado About Nothing. Literally just classics.

18. A book that NEVER should have been published.

I’m not sure how to answer that as everyone likes different things. But if you forced me to answer, Trainspotting. I thought it was an awful book that I can barely understand and it is just disgusting.

19. Have you ever read a book that’s made you hungry, cookbooks being excluded from this question?

The feast in the Hunger Games before they go into the arena springs to mind. I’m not sure if it actually made me hungry though.

20. Who is the person whose book advice you’ll always take?

Amber from The Mile Long Bookshelf.

That’s all 20 questions. Thanks Jess for tagging me, it was fun. I tag:

• Nat from The Tween Book Blog
• Amber from The Mile Long Bookshelf
• Denise from Riot Grrl Reads
• Louise from Book Murmuration

EDIT: If you’d like to tag yourself, feel free to. And please send them to me (comment below or @butterflybourne on Twitter), I’d love to read your answers.

Note: Many of the books mentioned are in the image at the top of the page if you wondered what they were. 

Marvin’s Curse – Short Review

How would you handle the dead?

After losing his dad, 17 year old Marvin finds he can see and talk to the dead, an inherited ‘gift’. Bonus, you might think, but Marvin hates it. It makes him different and he just wants to be ‘normal’. He meets Stella in the graveyard that backs onto the house he’s just moved into.

‘My name is Stella, Stella McCartney. It says so inside my trousers.’ (!?!)

A mysterious business card reveals that Stella has lost her memories and all signs point to Moghador, a gateway to hell where a pawnbroker holds the answers.

Having lost his dad and been forced to move house, Marvin is understandably distraught. With his new start, he wants to ‘fit in’ just like any other teenager. Wants however aren’t always achieved and Marvin discovers he can see and talk to the dead. After befriending a ghost called Stella, Marvin has to travel to hell to get the answers he’s seeking.

Marvin’s Curse by Debra Edwards is unique, creative story; I’ve never read anything like it. I really loved the idea of the plot and the relationship between the characters. It was well written and the characters were well built and allow us as readers to feel different emotions towards them. Marvin’s annoyance was completely understandable and his want to fit it is completely relatable to most teenagers. I felt sympathy for Stella and her situation and a lot of hatred towards Old Kendigan.

Sometimes I found it difficult to pick up but once I did pick it up, I wanted to know what was going to happen. Overall, it was a good read with unexpected twists and I personally loved the ending.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review. I originally read it a couple of years ago and posted a 4 star review on Amazon where you can also buy an e-copy.

The Scarecrow Queen – Review

 Warning! Contains small spoilers.

As the Sleeping Prince tightens his hold on Lormere and Tregellan, the net closes in on the ragged band of rebels trying desperately to defeat him. Twylla and Errin are separated, isolated, and running out of time. The final battle is coming, and Aurek will stop at nothing to keep the throne forever . . .

I was so excited to finally get to read the final book in this fab trilogy, and it was so worth the wait. This book was flipping amazing. The ending was perfect, it couldn’t have ended it a better way. I’m so pleased that Twylla got her happy ending.

I was a tad bit nervous to read the book as Melinda Salisbury isn’t exactly a known softy and from Twitter talk I was expecting there to be something horrible it the book. Unless I have no heart, I never felt like it was majorly ripped out. Yes, there were sad and gruesome bits but nothing that you wouldn’t expect from a war/rebellion. There was nothing like I was expecting – thank goodness! (I was imagining some real horrors).

I loved that the narrative was split between Twylla and Errin. I still couldn’t tell you my favourite between them; I love them both.  The most annoying (and very clever) part was that each character section ended on a cliff hanger. It meant I couldn’t put it down. Everything went on hold, including my homework. Homework was not the priority when there was a war raging between the Sleeping Prince and the Rising Dawn. I needed to know.

I feel like I need to have a little shout of to Sister Hope. I feel like she’s such an underrated character. Leif, however, is such a confusing character. By the end I still couldn’t work out whose side he was actually on but I am glad that he can cause no more trouble.  In this book I thought Merek was a great character although in book 1 I thought he was a bit of a selfish stereotypical prince – his return made me smile though and I thought it was brilliant that he got to become friends with Errin and get to try again with Twylla.

Filled with myths, history, battles and suspense, this book was the perfect end to an amazing series. I would recommend it to anyone and everyone. If it’s on your TBR and you haven’t read this series yet, why not??? If you’ve read the series, let me know whether your heart was ripped out at any point.

The Scarecrow Queen is the final book in the Sin Eater’s Daughter trilogy and can be brought online or in bookshops.

Missing the old blog??

As you may or may not know, last year I wrote my blog http://www.18thingsbefore.weebly.com. I decided to stop writing it as I had turned 18 and was unsure what to do with it so I decided to start this blog. However, recently I have been missing it and the types of posts I used to post. So I am excited to start posting a mixture of posts again.

However, due to exam season looming, I won’t have the chance to write a lot of new content from April onwards.  I’m really excited to have the time in summer to blog without feeling guilty that I should be working. Until then though I won’t be having zero posts. I’ve decided to share some of my old posts from my old blog http://www.18thingsbefore.weebly.com. I hope you guys enjoy them.

Let me know what types of things you would enjoy reading on my blog.

Remade – Review

Leon and his younger sister, Grace, have recently moved to London from New York and are struggling to settle into their new school when rumours of an unidentified virus in Africa begin to fill the news. Within a week the virus hits London. The siblings witness people turning to liquid before their eyes, and they run for their lives. A month after touching Earth’s atmosphere the virus has assimilated the world’s biomass.

But the virus isn’t their only enemy, and survival is just the first step . . .

Since I read the first Time Riders book, I’ve loved Alex Scarrow’s writing, so when last year I saw he was releasing a new series, I got really excited. I’ve finally got round to reading it and OMG it is terrifying. It seems that, currently, I am drawn to books/TV where a deadly virus spreads quickly. And jeez this one is horrific. Alex Scarrow does not hold back on description (the toilet scene) and it really is disgusting, gory and creepy. I didn’t overly understand all the science bits but it did make the virus seem more real, which is terrifying; this virus is the scariest, most unnatural thing. We’d all be dead if it was real. *shudders*

I love the relationship between Leon and Grace. I feel like it’s a sibling relationship done right with the correct balance of love, hate and teasing. Leon steps up to a leadership role when things go wrong and wants to protect his sister with all of his heart. It was so nice to read. As someone who has a younger sibling, it made me realise I would do anything to keep them safe. The ending, however, was heart wrenching. WHY DID YOU HAVE TO DO THAT SCARROW?! WHY?? I think I sobbed like a baby for a good few minutes. I was glad however when karma was served. I don’t want to spoil anything but the character in question is a very rude word I shouldn’t put on here.

Whilst it ended on a cliff-hanger, I didn’t feel too annoyed. I think I was too sad to feel anything else. I really enjoyed this book and thought it was amazingly written with description so detailed I was afraid I might throw up if I imagined it too much. Reborn (book 2) is out in June and you can bet that I will be getting my hands on a copy to find out what other horrors Alex Scarrow has in store for the characters, and us readers, next.