ARC Review: Court of Fives by Kate Elliott

Title: Court of Fives Series: Court of Fives #1 Author: Kate Elliott Published: August 18, 2015 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (Hachette)  (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: In this imaginative escape into an enthralling new world, World Fantasy Award finalist Kate Elliott begins a new trilogy with her debut young adult novel, weaving an epic story of a girl struggling to do what she loves in a society suffocated by rules of class and privilege.  Jessamy's life is a balance between acting like an upper class Patron and dreaming of the freedom of the Commoners. But at night she can be whomever she wants when she sneaks out to train for The Fives, an intricate, multi-level athletic competition that offers a chance for glory to the kingdom's best competitors. Then Jes meets Kalliarkos, and an unlikely friendship between a girl of mixed race and a Patron boy causes heads to turn. When a scheming lord tears Jes's family apart, she'll have to test Kal's loyalty and risk the vengeance of a powerful clan to save her mother and sisters from certain death.

**** I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This fact has not changed my opinion. ****

When I finished this book I was at a loss for words. For like the first time in my life. Kidding, but in all seriousness me being speechless is pretty rare. I an opinionated person. I mean I have this blog so that I can express my opinions. But one thing I know for sure is that this book was fantastic!

My favorite thing about Court of Fives was the characters. When I had first learned about this book I had seen it compared to Little Women. I was kind of nervous about that comparison, as a big Little Women fan, but it did kind of work. It isn't a total retelling or even reimagining, it just has the same kind of spirit of Little Women. It's about the daughter of a military man with a tight-knit family of sisters and a loving mother. She is caught between what she wants and society wants for her. Jessamy was a fantastic heroine for one thing. She may seem a little cliche with elements from some of our favorite kickass female protagonists but she was still really complex and has some great character development. What I liked most about Jes is that she cared so much about her family. The heart of this story is really the connection between the family. Her sisters were not always very likable at times but you knew they all loved and cared about one another. It was a great dynamic and when Jes did what she did for them I wanted her to succeed.

But what really captivated me about this book is the world that Kate Elliott has created. Kate is a veteran fantasy author and that definitely shows in the world that she has crafted here in Court of Fives. It's not overly complex, which is nice. At the beginning it sort of lulls you into a subtle understanding of not only what is going in the world of the Fives but also the larger society. The Fives is an elite contest that is run by people for celebration and entertainment. It's like gladiators meets American Ninja Warrior. Throughout the book we learn a lot about the Fives and I found it both confusing and fascinating. But what I really liked was the larger society. It's a world ruled by class. The Patrons stifle the Commoners who are essentially treated as slaves. I wasn't entirely clear on this relationship but one thing was clear, our MC being of both classes made things challenging for her. But her unique position allowed for us to explore the world from different angles and see it's strengths as well as it's flaws. It made for an interesting dynamic. But it's also a world at war where cunning and power is valued. It had elements of some ancient civilizations but it was all creative and something all it's own.

The two separate parts of the world both made for really interesting plot development as well. The first half of the book was all about the Fives and the main character's desire to run them. But then as things developed all of that was dwarfed by some way more serious happenings in her life. Everything really built to a thrilling conclusion with tons of action along the way. But what impressed me the most was how well-plotted it was. To be entirely honest there were moments where I didn't think everything would have any connection but they did. It all really came full circle but there is so much more to learn and explore.

Court of Fives was a fast and thrilling read that I absolutely loved despite a few things that left me a little confused. Kate Elliott has created a fascinating world I'm excited to explore more and complex characters that you will love reading about. It's a great read.

I give Court of Fives by Kate Elliott 9 out of 10

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy. Fans of dystopia or fantasy that focus a lot on the political intrigue will definitely love this book. It had so many great elements tand will have you on the edge of your seat and turning pages long into the night.

Have you read Court of Fives? What did you think? Thank for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

ARC August Update

Hi Everyone,

In case you didn't know, I'm taking part in ARC August an amazing event and challenge hosted by the lovely ladies at Read Sleep Repeat. The goal of the event is to read as many ARCs as you can to get that TBR pile under control, increase your Netgalley percentage, or just prepare for all the upcoming releases. I've participating for the past two years and I love doing it so that I can tackle my BEA books which all seem to have September or October releases (although this year I had a bunch of August releases which was even more perfect).

With the month being half over, I thought I would give you a quick update just to let you know how I'm doing. My goal was to read a total 10 ARCs, an ambitious goal because I am also doing a reread of the Throne of Glass series. A week ago I would not have thought that I would have been on track with that goal, but here I am. I have read a total of 5 ARCs so far this month (plus one non-ARC and the first 3 books in the Throne of Glass series).

The Books

Reawakened by Colleen Houck Rating: 9 out of 10 [My Review]

Of Dream and Rust by Sarah Fine Rating: 9.5 out of 10 [My Review]

Six Impossible Things by Fiona Wood Rating: 7 out of 10 [My Review]

Legacy of Kings by Eleanor Herman Rating: 7.5 out of 10 [My Review]

Court of Fives by Kate Elliott Rating: 9 out of 10 [My Review to Come]

Still to Read:

Dumplin' by Julie Murphy

A History of Glitter and Blood by Sara Milynowski

Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray

Hunter by Mercedes Lackey

The Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow

How's your August going? What have you read? What are you planning to read? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING! 

ARC Review: Legacy of Kings by Eleanor Herman

Title: Legacy of Kings Series: Blood of Gods and Royals #1 Author: Eleanor Herman Published: August 18, 2015 by Harlequin Teen  (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Imagine a time when the gods turn a blind eye to the agony of men, when the last of the hellions roam the plains and evil stirs beyond the edges of the map. A time when cities burn, and in their ashes, empires rise.  Alexander, Macedonia’s sixteen-year-old heir, is on the brink of discovering his fated role in conquering the known world but finds himself drawn to newcomer Katerina, who must navigate the dark secrets of court life while hiding her own mission: kill the Queen. But Kat’s first love, Jacob, will go to unthinkable lengths to win her, even if it means competing for her heart with Hephaestion, a murderer sheltered by the prince. And far across the sea, Zofia, a Persian princess and Alexander’s unmet fiancée, wants to alter her destiny by seeking the famed and deadly Spirit Eaters.  Weaving fantasy with the salacious and fascinating details of real history, New York Times bestselling author Eleanor Herman reimagines the greatest emperor the world has ever known: Alexander the Great, in the first book of the Blood of Gods and Royals series.

**** I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This fact has not changed my opinion. ****

I really wanted to love this book. It seems like a total "me book." I'm a sucker for Greek mythology and ancient history plus YA fantasy is my kryponite so this had all that together. With the historical setting of the Hellenistic period and lots of fantasy elements and magic, this should have been the perfect book for me. And while it did have some really great elements, in the end it was just okay for me.

There are really a lot of things to love about this book. One of my favorite things about this book is the historical setting. I love when an author does their research and the history comes alive. Here, the author is a historian writing fiction for the first time and it shows. She takes real historical figures like Alexander the Great and his family and adds fiction characters and situations to the mix. At times it reads so much like a historical text that you may even question what actually happened. Fans of historical fiction will probably agree with me in saying that, that is a good thing. But the other great thing about the hstorical setting is the rich detail that Herman used. Whether it's explaining the clothing, the locations, or the battle scenes it's all is explained in exquisite detail that helps you perfectly visualize the period and the setting of the book. The historical setting is fantastic and full of rich detail that make it one of the best things about this book.

I also really loved the fantasy elements of this book. You could actually argue that a lot of this was also based on the actual history. This is a culture whose every day life incorporated spiritual, and arguably, magical elements. It seemed perfectly natural to read about talk of oracles, the Gods interfering in daily life, and sacrifices. A few of my favorite characters were the ones who had a direct tie to the more magical elements of the story.  And we've only scratched the surface of the magical system, the history, and the prophecies at play here. This book really lay the groundwork for that part of the world and I know that will be a bigger part of the series as it develops.

But while the idea behind the prophecy and magic in this world was good, the mystery didn't work for me. If you follow me on Goodreads or even Twitter, I'm sure you saw my whining about the mystery here and how I went through the Five Stages of Bookish Grief. I figured it out pretty early on, which in and of itself isn't a bad thing but the reveal didn't happen until much later and it started to feel frustrating. The character was doing a good job of searching for clues, which I always like, it's not like the narrative was telling us to pay no attention to the mystery. But instead every time I thought she was going to find out the truth something outrageous would prevent her from getting verification and it got to be frustrating and like it was taking away from the general plot develop. But that plot development too was a bit muddled.

You see there are a lot of moving parts here. The book is told from seven different perspectives. Fantasy novels love doing this, don't they. They like showing us all different sides of the story and letting us connect with all different characters, That's exactly what happens here. There's no clear antagonist or protagonist because each character is one or the other at different times. I usually love that. You get to know them on a deeper level and it gives them a really odious nature. That did in fact happen and for some characters it was a really good thing and made them complex and interesting but it also got in the way of connecting with them, especially hen it came to the exposition part of the story. Many of the perspectives overlap but it isn't until the very end until they all come together and until then, the constant change in perspectives was a bit overwhelming.

But in terms of the characters there were definitely some really great ones. Arguably the two main characters are Alex (a young Alexander the Great) and Katerina or Kat. They both had really interesting storylines that incorporated most if not all of the other POV characters in some way. Kat's desire for knowledge, and let's face it revenge, was compelling and she had some good character development. Alex too had some great development but to a lesser degree. I think the book would have been perfectly engaging if it was just those two who took center stage. But then we wouldn't have had my favorite perspective, which is Cyn. Her storyline was fascinating and I wish she got a bit more of the limelight. Then there were other characters whose perspectives don't seem to fit in yet. I liked Zofia's storyline, it was definitely interesting but it doesn't make sense to the larger story yet and I think would have been better suited as a novella at this point and then added to the larger story when it fit with the full narrative. Same thing with Jacob, although he did fit into the central plot. In general the characters were interesting and complex.

On the whole Legacy of Kings was an entertaining read. It suffered a bit from First Book Syndrome but I am interested to see where things go with the series. Many elements didn't work for me like the mystery and the constantly changing perspectives but it also had a lot to like including a great historical setting. an interesting fantasy world, and complex characters.

I give Legacy of Kings by Eleanor Herman 7.5 out of 10

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Borrow. But if you are not a fan of books with lots of point of views you may want to pass on this one. Fans of historical fiction. especially if you like historical fantasy or fantasy should check this book out. It had a lot of really great elements especially in terms of the setting and world-building.

Have you read Legacy of Kings? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. It was great talking with some of you about it on Twitter when I finished reading so feel free to chat with me there about this and other things. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Discussion Post: Star Ratings and How I Review

I've been thinking about star ratings lately. I saw a discussion post on Cornerfolds about a month ago where Tracey was talking about how she is thinking about going to half star ratings. It got me thinking about my star ratings and how I review books.

Part of what has made me think so much about ratings is because it's different across platforms. Goodreads uses a five star rating and I use a 10 star. But they don't perfectly line up. Things I give 3 stars on Goodreads aren't necessarily 6's to me and vice versa. Plus I like to do half stars because it gives me more variety.

But I do feel like I often use the same rating over and over again. I've been considering going to a five star review system or maybe even something different. But before I do that let me explain the method to my madness.

On Goodreads:

I'm pretty good about updating my Goodreads (especially lately) when I'm in the process of reading. Although sometimes I'll forget to add a book until I want to add a thought. I sort of think of Goodreads as my first line of defense (offense?). It's my guideline for my actual reviews.

I went through a long stretch of time where I would forget to cross-post my reviews on there because I wanted to make them more detailed and I realized that didn't work. But then I decided to go back to the way I used to do it where as soon as I finish a book I give a star rating and write up a quick review. You could say that these are my initial thoughts on the book. (I actually really like when people do initial thoughts and then a full review, Brittany from The Book Addict's Guide does that).

In case you were wondering, here is what those star ratings on Goodreads mean to me.

1 star - Hated It

You will probably never see me rate a book 1 star. I would without a doubt DNF anything I hate that much and I don't rate books I did not finish. That's not a fair representation of the book for me. (I'm not saying you can't do that, it's fine. I've done it in the past, I just don't do it that way anymore).

2 star - Didn't Like It
Equally rare but not as illusive. I have rated a few books 2 stars. These are the few books that I say that I legit hated. They either made me angry while I was reading them or I felt like they were boring regurgitation of something else.

3 stars - It Was Okay
This is pretty common for me. I tend to give 3 star ratings to books that were basically very "meh" for me. Like it didn't impress me or more likely, there were some elements that I loved and some elements that I hated.

4 Stars - I Liked It
I love a good 4 star rating. Without a doubt this is my most common rating. I give this to probably 2/3rds of the books I read. For me, these are good books that maybe had one major element that I didn't like such as the characters, the pacing, or the world-building.

5 stars - I Loved It
I give a pretty good amount of 5 star ratings. These are books that did blow me away or books that I loved even if they had an element that I didn't like. It doesn't have to be perfect to get a 5 star rating from me but it has to be pretty close.

But like I said, these Goodreads reviews are my initial thoughts. Sometimes I will like a book because of the way it finished but the more I think about it, elements don't sit well with me or I'll get that book hangover feeling and realize that I loved a book much more than I thought when I closed it. In these cases I wonder about whether or not I should go back and change my ratings. Lately I think I am being more critical then I used to be and I'm giving more 3 stars to things I would have given 4 stars. Or maybe a few months ago I was being a little bit more generous. Have you ever changed a star rating after a few months? Or after writing your full review?

On the Blog:

So once I have my Goodreads review written, I move on to writing my review of the book for the blog. I usually take a day to sleep on it in this case. I want some time to collect my thoughts and let the initial glow of finishing the book wear off.

When I'm writing my full review, I usually take my Goodreads review as the jumping off point. Sometimes I will use the actual language from that review and elaborate, other times I will paraphrase or check back for the general sentiment. I try to read books as close to release date as possible so there isn't usually a big gap between when I read it and when I post my review. This review also tends to be a little bit more critical. Now that I've taken the time to consider what I liked or didn't work for a book my thoughts are much more detailed.

This can actually be a bad thing at times. I will often write a review of a book that I loved and have critical things to say about it. In these cases I feel like I need to justify my thoughts and explain that I really did like the book. Also sometimes I think I'm being too generous with a book I didn't like. I don't want to trash it. Just because I didn't like the romance doesn't mean you won't. My intention is rarely to talk you out of reading a book. It's just to prepare you for it. I've actually read some reviews of books where the person didn't like elements that I knew I would like. We all have different tastes, these are just my thoughts... literally (see what I did there).

So after the review is written, that's when I make my star rating. Sometimes when I finish writing the review I'll realize that maybe I didn't like it as much as I though initially so I'll make a different star rating than I first planned. Or I'll give it a higher rating because the review is just a flailing session. The star ratings are just a representation of the review, they're not the content to me.

But here's what they mean.

1-4 stars
This will never happen. I will always DNF a book that is capturing my interest so little.

5 stars- Awful
I have given a 5 star review though. This is my way of saying a book was awful. Maybe there was one redeeming thing about it but in general I kind of hated it. These are books that when I'm done I wish I had DNF'd it because I ended up seriously hating it.

6 Stars - Pretty Bad
It was okay but in general it just didn't hold my interest and there were more things I disliked than things I liked. These are also books that I probably should have DNF'd. Sometimes I'll even give a book 6 stars because I was really liking it until the very end where I wanted to throw it across the room.

7 stars - Okay
If I rate something 7 stars it's kind of like my 3 stars on Goodreads. It was okay but didn't blow me a way. I'm like the pH system when it comes to review, this means a middle of the road book.

7.5 stars - Above Average

This is where I start using half stars because it was a little better than okay but not great. A 7.5 star review typically means that were were a few major things that I didn't fully connect with but I enjoyed the book.

8 stars - Good
An 8 star read was a good book for me. I enjoyed it but there was maybe one huge thing that I didn't really like. All in all a really good read that had some really fantastic elements but something was missing or something didn't work. I would still call this a 3 star read on Goodreads but it was better than okay.

8.5 stars - Pretty Good

Pretty Good. These are books that I liked a lot but there was either one thing I didn't like or a few small things that I didn't really enjoy. Maybe I didn't connect with the characters or the world-building was problematic. Usually I will give something 8.5 stars if I gave it 4 stars on Goodreads but while writing the review I have a lot of things that didn't work.

9 stars
Really Good. These are books that I really liked but there were maybe a few small things that I didn't enjpy. This is probably my most frequent rating her on the blog. It's what I consider my 4 star rating. I'll often give a 9 star rating to something that I didn't expect to blow me away and it kind of did, or vice versa. A really great read but didn't blow me away.

9.5 stars
Fantastic. This is a book that was nearly perfect but there was one minor thing that I didn't like so much. I will rate these books with 5 stars on Goodreads because I loved them but with a very critical lens they aren't perfect. I sometimes think I'm too generous with this rating but that's not a bad thing.

10 stars 
Flawless, a new favorite.  I've given a book 10 stars because I didn't immediatley find something I didn't like. But to me these are mostly those books that just blow me away. The books that gives you a book hangover. The books you can't stop talking about or pushing on others. Those books you truly loved and you want everyone to know it.

Those are my are my rating systems. I hope it helps you understand not only the distinction between my Goodreads and blog ratings but also why I gave a book a specific ranking. How do you rate and review? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Crossing Over: Hard to Categorize Genre Fiction

It's time for this month's edition of Crossing Over. If you're not familiar with Crossing Over it's a feature where I recommend an adult book with crossover appeal based on a YA book that is similar. It's basically an if you liked, then try but for crossover books. I'm trying to make this a more regular thing where I pick the books based on that month's theme but this is my freebie month so instead I'm doing one that I have been trying to make work for months now and it hasn't because they're two different genres but similar books.

The Falconer by Elizabeth May  
Read My Review / Add to Goodreads

Despite being set in the 19th Century, The Falconer has a very futuristic appeal! It combines lots of different elements of things that I love including a strong and complex female protagonist, steampunk and SciFi-esque technology, and fantasy elements like pretty nasty fairy-like supernatural creatures that most people in the world don't even realize exist. And while our protagonist is pretty kickass she doesn't have to do it alone, she has help from a sympathetic fairy who knows what he's talking about. Unlike a lot of people I don't really ship this ship but it didn't spoil the book for me. Plus, this book is so action-packed that the romance doesn't pull focus. But be prepared it has a really mean cliffhanger ending that cuts off right at the climax.

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon
Read My Review / Add to Goodreads

Despite being set in the future, The Bone Season has a very 19th Century feel! It combines lots of different elements of things that I love including a strong and complex female protagonist, science fantasy that includes technology but also a magical system that's superpoweresque, and fantasy elements like pretty nasty fairy-like supernatural creatures that most people in the world don't even realize exist. And while our protagonist is pretty kickass she doesn't have to do it alone, she has help from a sympathetic creature who knows what he's talking about. I also don't really ship this ship but it is growing on me. Plus, this book is so action-packed the romance doesn't pull focus. But be prepared it has a cliffhanger ending that cuts off right after the climax.

These are two really engaging and action-packed novels that are basically fantasy but are so hard to categorize. They not only have crossover feel in the way that they will appeal to fans of both YA and genre fiction but they also cross genres so they're good books if you are trying to explore a type of book you don't often read.

Have you read The Falconer and/or The Bone Season? What did you think? What historical fiction crossovers do you like? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Top Ten Tuesday: Author Who I've Read The Most From

A weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

I mean if I'm being really honest this list would be R.L. Stein, Ann M. Martin, Beverly Cleary, and so many more books that I read when I was a kid. Instead I am going with books that I have read in recent years.

1.) Janet Evanovich - 19 books
Far and away my most read author. I gave up on the Stephanie Plum series about five years ago but I still made it all the way to sixteen. Plus I've read her heist series that she's written with Lee Goldberg. In fact I'm about to make it an even twenty thanks to that series.

2.) Brandon Sanderson - 9 books
My second most read author and I was just introduced to him a year ago. He's now an absolute favorite though. I've loved every book of his that I read: the Mistborn trilogy, the Reckoners trilogy, and the Legion books. I need to read more.

3.) J.K. Rowling - 8 books

It helps that the Harry Potter series was seven books long so it's not really that big a feat to have read 8 books from her. I want to read more of her books too. I would like the Cormoran Strike novels.

4.) Ann Brashares - 7 books

I was a huge fan of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants books. I've read all five, even the terrible 10 years in the future book that reads like a soap opera. I've also read her YA dystopia which was okay and My Name is Memory that was pretty good.

5.) C.S. Lewis - 7 books

This one is also not a huge feat. I mean, I read the Chronicles of Narnia series. But it's still seven books so it makes the list. This is also the only one that I haven't read in recent years, but when I was checking Goodreads (thanks for the tip Nikki) it popped up.

6.) Gregory Maguire - 6 books

In my opinion Gregory Maguire does retellings so well. I loved the Wicked Years series which is way more complex then you think. It is very much like a traditional fantasy. I've also read Confessions of An Ugly Step Sister which was okay, and Egg & Spoon which I liked.

7.) Douglas Adams - 5 books

Again, just one series but five books. Five amazing books. The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy is one of my all-time favorites. It's a hilarious space opera and the audiobooks are top notch.

8.) Libba Bray - 5 books

I read my fifth Libba Bray book recently and I'm reading my sixth this month. Everything I have read from her I have loved, especially her historical fantasies. I started with The Gemma Doyle trilogy, then Beauty Queens, then The Diviners. And they keep getting better.

9.) George R.R. Martin - 5 books

Yet another author where I have just read one full series. I've read and love the A Song of Ice and Fire series. I need the next books in this series to find out what happens.

10.) Sarah J. Maas - 5 books

I'm such a fan of Sarah's fantasy series. I of course love the Throne of Glass series, I'm rereading it afterall but also A Court of Thorns and Roses.

I'm sure there are many of you who have read way more than five books from a particular author. In general I don't read very long series and because my tastes are so vast I've read a little bit from a lot of different authors.

What about you? What re your most read authors? Leave me a comment of your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

ARC Review: Six Impossible Things by Fiona Wood

Title: Six Impossible Things Author: Fiona Wood Published: August 11, 2015 by Little Brown Books for Young Readers  (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Fourteen year old nerd-boy Dan Cereill is not quite coping with a reversal of family fortune, moving house, new school hell, a mother with a failing wedding cake business, a just-out gay dad, and an impossible crush on Estelle, the girl next door.  His life is a mess, but for now he's narrowed it down to just six impossible things...

**** I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This fact has not changed my opinion. ****

I went into this book not really sure what to expect, I was a little nervous to say the least. I'm not a big fan of contemporary romances but something about this book seemed interesting to me. I'm glad I gave it a chance though because because despite the fact that I think this is a book that will appeal to fans of contemporary romances a little bit more than it appealed to me, I did enjoy it.

For me it was a compelling coming-of-age story, something I do actually enjoy in my YA contemporary. Dan, our main character, is going through a tough time. Life as he knows it just got upended and he takes this as an opportunity to start fresh. Which I can definitely understand. It also led to some interesting character development. Yes this was about Dan becoming his best self but it was also about him figuring out who that is, but it does kind of come off as cliche at times. While it's genuine to the teenage experience, the desire to be cool didn't come off well at times. And I think that's because while Dan is described as being sort of a nerdy kind of guy that's not to way he really comes off. He's more of your average guy next door, an Everyman. But he's also not easy to like at times and wow, does he make some really bad decisions. And despite never really connecting with him and his choices, seeing him grow and evolve throughout the book was one of the must satisfying things.

The romance too was not something that I fully connected with but in the end, had a satisfying conclusion. I think my problem is that I also never really connected with Estelle either. She just seemed kind of bland to me. She had the trappings of being a Manic Pixie Dream Girl, but thankfully she wasn't that way at all. Though unfortunately I didn't really feel like I got to know her very well. She was honestly most likable in the beginning when she and Dan had barely met. Then suddenly they were friends and it made the relationship between her and Dan seem a little superficial. But that being said, I did ultimately liked the way it ended. And I think that it was teenage romance done right though. Instant attraction, but an actual relationship grows with time. Although there were some really frustrating moments on the characters' part when it came to the romance. 

On the whole it was well-paced and surprisingly well-plotted. Six Impossible Things isn't really light and fluffy, which I prefer in my contempt, but it's also not super serious either. It took me through an interesting ride that was both a romance and a coming-of-age story and kept me reading until the very end. It was a quick read and I breezed through it. I enjoyed the experience despite the fact it didn't quite blow me away. If you are a fan of YA contemporaries that walk the line between serious and lighthearted, pick this one up.

I give Six Impossible Things by Fiona Wood 7 out of 10

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Borrow. If you are a contemporary fan then maybe pick this one up from the library. It's an interesting book that is definitely readable and a you'll finish it in no time at all but it didn't quite blow me away.

Have you read Six Impossible Things? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!