February 2018 Reading Wrap-Up!

Hi all!

Welcome to my February Reading Wrap-Up! I had yet another great month. In 28 days, I finished a total of 6 books. Not bad at all. I succeeded in completing both my Monthly Classics Challenge and the Sassy Book Club pick for Feb. In between, I managed to tackle a few books on my TBR which made me very happy. Without further ado, here is my list of spoiler-free reviews:

1.) VICIOUS (BOOK #1 OF THE VILLAINS DUOLOGY) BY V.E. SCHWAB (KINDLE BOOK)

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PLOT: Despite being published in 2013, I read this book for a couple of reasons: 1.) people are still raving about how incredible it is and 2.) the sequel, Vengeful, comes out later this year. In this wicked story, we follow two geniuses and roommates by the names of Victor and Eli. They are both highly ambitious, cunning and intelligent. Together, they begin work on a research paper to discover how some humans obtain special abilities whilst under extreme stress/trauma. However, when they try to become EO’s (ExtraOrdinary) themselves, things start to go horribly wrong. Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison with a mission to eradicate the power-hungry and destructive Eli who is murdering every EO he can find. The plot moves back and forward through time, highlighting the events that saw friends become enemies, heroes become villains and the ordinary become extraordinary.

MINI REVIEW: Okay, I surrender! I completely understand the hype now. This was my first Victoria Schwab experience and I can confidently say, I will be coming back for more. To me, this novel read like a film. I could picture every action sequence, piece of dialogue and setting so vividly. It flowed extremely well. What I liked most about this book was that both main characters were supremely unlikable. Neither of them were good people. They did terrible things from start to finish and yet, that’s what made them so interesting. I was also fascinated by the interwoven themes of religion vs. science which I didn’t expect to come into play. I wouldn’t say this was the best book I have ever read but it was thoroughly enjoyable and very fast-paced. I’m really excited for the sequel now after that mind-blowing ending!

RATING: I gave it 4.5/5 stars. 

2.) GEMINA BY AMIE KAUFMAN AND JAY KRISTOFF (AUDIO BOOK – RE-READ) (BOOK #2 OF THE ILLUMINAE FILES) 

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PLOT: I read Gemina in 2017 and beyond loved it. It is one of my favourite books of all time. With the upcoming release of Obsidio (Book #3) next month, I decided to re-read it via audio book to get me even more excited than I already am. I did the same with Illuminae last year. Did I mention I am attending the Obsidio book-launch in Melbourne on March 9th?! Okay, I need to calm down. Without spoiling anything, all of the characters who survive in Illuminae are featured in Gemina. Gemina follows on from Illuminae however it introduces two new main characters, Hanna Donnelly and Nik Malikov. Both are based aboard the station Heimdall unaware of what is coming towards them. Hanna is the station captain’s privileged daughter and Nik is an edgy member of a notorious crime family. When evil corporation BeiTech, attacks Heimdall, the pair work together to save everyone they love and their home from utter annihilation.

MINI REVIEW: I have written a full, spoiler-free review for both books. Click: Illuminae & Gemina by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff (Spoiler-Free) Book Review. I will just mention however, that it is so worth reading and listening to Illuminae and Gemina. Both are incredible experiences in and of themselves. I loved all the gun-fire, eerie music and sci-fi sound effects that came with the audio book. I can also state that I love Gemina more than Illuminae but only by a small percentage. If you haven’t started this series yet, what are you waiting for?!

RATING: 1,000,000 stars!!!

3.) GREAT EXPECTATIONS BY CHARLES DICKENS (PHYSICAL BOOK) – MONTHLY CLASSIC PICK FOR FEBRUARY 2018

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PLOT: How stunning is my uncle’s vintage copy of Great Expectations? This classic tale follows orphan Pip Pirrip, raised by his abusive older sister and her kind husband, Joe Gargery. At a young age, Pip wishes to be a blacksmith like his brother-in-law but when he meets the beautiful Estella (who scorns him for being grubby) he dreams of becoming a gentleman instead to win her affections. When Pip is just a teenage apprentice blacksmith for Joe, he learns that he has come into a large fortune bestowed upon him by a mysterious benefactor. He leaves for London immediately under the tutelage of Matthew Pocket and his son Herbert in order to prepare him for his ‘great expectations’ and to secure Estella’s heart.

MINI REVIEW: Firstly, I have to say that I loved the character names in this book: Pip, Uncle Pumblechook, Mr. Wopsle, Biddy, Magwitch etc…Secondly, I can see why this is such a renowned classic. It is beautiful, heart-warming, quite funny at times and altogether wholesome. I’m not going to lie, it read very slowly for me despite being quite a short book. There were a lot of old English terms that I didn’t understand and I struggled to get through some of the chapters but overall, I thoroughly enjoyed it. So much happens in what I originally assumed was a simple story. I particularly loved the reveal of Pip’s benefactor along with some of the other shocking revelations. Charles Dickens was such an introspective author for his time. He wrote his characters as though he knew the very core of them. It’s not something I’ve come across very often in all my years of reading. I am planning to read more Dickens throughout the year.

RATING: I gave it 4/5 stars.

4.) GIRL IN PIECES BY KATHLEEN GLASGOW (KINDLE BOOK) – SASSY BOOK CLUB PICK FOR FEBRUARY 2018

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PLOT: This was our Sassy Book Club pick for February 2018. The live show will be held March 4th, 11am EST in the United States on Kassie’s YouTube channel. Just to preface, there is a huge trigger warning for self-harm in this story. Charlotte (Charlie) Davis wakes up in a special care facility alongside other girls that ‘cut.’ She refuses to speak but as the story progresses, we learn more about the tragic events in her life that led her to this place of refuge, safe from the monsters of her past. One day, she is released and sent to Arizona to start her life over. There, she meets a charismatic drug-abuser named Reilly who forces her to confront former demons and ultimately decide if she is going to choose recovery over what is familiar.

MINI REVIEW: Honestly, this book was very dark, raw, confronting and heartbreaking. I don’t typically read stories involving such heavy subject matter but as I mentioned in my previous wrap-up, a book club is a great way to expose you to new things. At the beginning, I felt really uncomfortable reading it and that was purely because I have never been exposed to a world of cutting and self-harm. It was a completely foreign topic to me. As the story progressed however, I found myself enjoying it much more. I rooted for Charlie’s recovery and was proud of the steps she took to heal her life. I learnt at the end that the author herself was a cutter so be assured, this is a very realistic and respectful take on self-harm.  My only critique is that I wish we would’ve been given a bit more detail regarding Charlie’s traumatic past. I believe all young girls should read this book. It covers very important issues and will leave you feeling grateful for the little things.

RATING: I gave it 4/5 stars.

5.) MORE HAPPY THAN NOT BY ADAM SILVERA (OVERDRIVE BOOK)

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Let me just quickly explain what Overdrive is. It is an app that connects to your local library account so you can read their free books online for a few weeks before they are ‘returned.’ Pretty cool right? Also, a great way to save money!

PLOT: I finally read my very first Adam Silvera book! More Happy Than Not is a sad story about a boy named Aaron Soto who lives in the Bronx. His father has just committed suicide, he is recovering from his own attempt to take his life and his family are struggling to find happiness again. Aaron loves his creative girlfriend Genevieve but when she leaves for art camp, he finds himself becoming closer to his new friend Thomas. It isn’t long before Aaron realises he might be gay but instead of embracing his identity, he begins to consider a memory-alteration procedure at the Leteo Institute in order to forget who he truly is.

MINI REVIEW: Adam Silvera tends to write books that pack an emotional punch. Boy did this one hit me right in the feels – multiple times! My heart was hurting so much by the end. There were a few reveals that I didn’t see coming and was not mentally prepared for. The author himself is gay and through this story, he shares an important message about being happy with who you are regardless of your sexual orientation. I found Aaron to be such a relatable character. All of us at some point in our lives have wished we could forget certain painful moments. What matters most is how we deal with that pain. I loved the writing in this book, the pacing and the way it made me feel.

RATING: I gave it 5/5 stars. It was wonderful.

6.) ONE OF US IS LYING BY KAREN MCMANUS (PHYSICAL BOOK)

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PLOT: This story has some serious Breakfast Club vibes combined with a murder mystery twist. A Geek, Jock, Criminal, Princess and an Outsider meet in detention one afternoon. The Outsider, who manages a school-gossip app, is set to spill many dirty secrets about his fellow classmates the following day. However, he is never given the chance. In just the first ten minutes of detention, he is killed. All four teenagers are now the prime suspects for his death but who did it?

MINI REVIEW: I had been so eager to read this book ever since it was released in 2017. I love a good mystery to solve. I paid attention to every small detail throughout the story just to see if I could figure it out before the big reveal. How did I go? I didn’t see it coming! It was an epic story full of twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end. The character development was excellent. The four main characters are completely different people by the time you turn the last page. I could easily see this becoming a mini-series on Netflix. It was awesome!

RATING: I gave it 5/5 stars. 

I hope you enjoyed my monthly wrap-up. What was your favourite read of February 2018? What are you planning on picking up in March? I would love to know!

Peace & Love xoxo

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