Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - J.K. Rowling

Synopsis: When a letter arrives for unhappy but ordinary Harry Potter, a decade-old secret is revealed to him. His parents were wizards, killed by a Dark Lord's curse when Harry was just a baby, and which he somehow survived. Escaping from his unbearable Muggle guardians to Hogwarts, a wizarding school brimming with ghosts and enchantments, Harry stumbles into a sinister adventure when he finds a three-headed dog guarding a room on the third floor. Then he hears of a missing stone with astonishing powers which can be valuable, dangerous, or both."

Although coming across a book you've never read can be a wonderful experience, I think there's nothing more important than rereading some of your favourite books, particularly if they are ones that you have grown up with, such as the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling.

Despite having read The Philosopher's Stone many times already I was still captivated and amazed by the magical world of Hogwarts. Rowling's writing style is so alluring as she uses classic narrative devices with flair and originality. She also displays a great level of descriptiion of everything and everyone, but in a way that doesn't become tiresome to read. The character development in this novel is fantastic and even the smaller characters have a description and a back story to them. This brought a great sense of realism to the story as it allowed me to grow a connection with them as well as the protagonists.

I was particularly fond of how Harry grew as a character throughout this novel. He had a very lonely and unhappy decade with the Dursley's which caused him to be a very secluded character and although it gave me a great sense of sympathy for him, I was happy that that was the upbringing he had as opposed to the one he would have had if he stayed in the wizarding world - being famous before he could walk and talk would have resulted in him growing a lot like Malfoy. Despite his upbringing however he was humble but quickly became used to being hated and alone, but once he arrived at Hogwarts he had a greater sense of home. This allowed him to grow into a stronger character who would do anything to protect the people he loved and stand up for what he believed in, even if some of the choices he made were rather foolish.

One of the best things about this story is the pacing. Although the novel has a somewhat slow start, it was really intriguing to read. Not much in terms of excitement happens until Hagrid turns up in the novel but up until that point it was still an enjoyable read, despite being rather slow paced. I loved how Rowling threw in a bit of adventure and action here and there throughout the novel to add excitement and to build up to the conclusion of Harry, Ron and Hermoine going after the Philosopher's Stone. Everything from the moment they came across Fluffy for the second time is fast paced and keeps you on the edge of your seat and I believe the way in which Voldermort's character was brought into the story at the conclusion was impressive on Rowling's behalf.

Overall this novel takes you on a magical and wonderful journey of self discovery, friendship, courage, the supernatural and binary opposition.

I give J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone ★★★★★

Reliving Harry Potter

It's safe to say that Harry Potter was a massive part of many people's childhood, including mine. Just the excitement of picking up the next book in the series and locking myself in my room for two days to finish it is something I'll never forget and I hope it continues to play a massive part in the live's of generations to come as well.

However, despite being loved worldwide, I feel as if not enough people talk about and celebrate Harry Potter any more (whether it be through the books or the movies) and it's a real shame because if it wasn't for Rowling, Harry and his friends and Hogwarts I probably wouldn't be as invested in reading as I am today.

So, as a result of this, I've decided to set myself the challenge of rereading all seven Harry Potter books over the remainder of the summer holidays and post reviews on them. Although I know enough from my memory to review them without having to read them again, I sort of feel as if I'm obliged to because they've been such a massive part of my life and it's kind of exciting to get back into the series and fall in love with it all over again.

Be sure to let me know in the comments section what your favourite Harry Potter book is and how many times you've read the series!

Dare You To - Katie McGarry

Synopsis: Beth is the bad girl that no one wanted, not even her parents. Ryan is the high school hero that everyone wants a piece of, even if no one knows the real him. If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's mum they'd send her mother to jail, so seventeen year-old Beth protects her at all costs. Ryan Stone is gorgeous, a popular jock and the town golden boy with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even his friends. Their paths should never have crossed but now they're each other's only life line.

Dare You To is the heart-warming novel by Katie McGarry about two teens, Beth Risk and Ryan Stone, from two very different lives. Beth has spent her life floating from home to home, unwanted and unloved by those she thought she could trust and Ryan has struggled to live up to his parent's expectations and their demands to have him live his life the way they see fit. The two find themselves unexpectedly thrown together by Beth's uncle and soon discover that there's more to each other than they initially thought.

Much like her previous work, Pushing the Limits, this novel is beautiful, mysterious and heartbreaking to read. McGarry has such a compelling and delicate writing style that holds so much emotion and she has a way of making you feel so strongly about each of her characters that there is no in between about them; you either love them or you hate them.

You can't help but sympathise with and admire Beth. Despite everything she's been through with everyone she thought she could trust running out on her and having to deal with an alcoholic mother with an abusive boyfriend, she remains such a determined and strong character. At times you want to hit her for being so judgmental and always seeing the bad in people, but then you just want to comfort her for keeping it together and always fighting for what she believes in regardless of how many times she get hurts.

Ryan on the other hand is a little more difficult to sympathise with because despite a few things he's not sure about in regards to his future and where he stands with his relationship with his family, he more or less has everything together. Fortunately McGarry uses his character to break the boundaries and show what a terrible judge of character we can all be and how easy it is to wrongly stereotype someone because of past experiences or your general thoughts about them without actually knowing anything of the person or what they've faced.

The way in which Beth and Ryan's relationship builds is really tantalising to read despite being a little cliché. When they first meet they got off to a particularly defective start but after Beth's uncle reintroduces them to each other they begin to notice an attraction and connection with each other, both of which initially believe the opposite person doesn't feel, so they avert their feelings for a while. But even when they do begin to express their feelings there's always something that gets in their way, thus causing emotional confusion for both characters and a slightly frustrating relationship.

Despite being dual narrated by Beth and Ryan, a lot of the novel refers back to Beth's past and the strong narrative enigma that flows throughout the story; what happened to Beth's father and what is her mother hiding from everyone in her bedroom? McGarry does an admirable job of building up the tension of the story throughout the novel to the penultimate revealing of both questions and keeps you guessing about what could possibly be going on. Although not as terrifying and astonishing to discover as Echo's story in Pushing the Limits, Beth's life is really interesting to learn more about and highlights the fact that just because you don't have it as bad as another person does not mean you shouldn't be any less dejected by the matter.

Admirably, Dare You To is a novel about love, loss, trust and betrayal between two teenagers and their relationship which began with a dare and became an attraction they can't resist.

I give Katie McGarry and Dare You To ★★★★★

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner - Stephenie Meyer

Synopsis: "Bree Tanner can barely remember life before she had uncannily powerful sense, superhuman reflexes and unstoppable physical strength; life before she had a relentless thirst for blood.. life before she became a vampire. All Bree knows is that living with her fellow newborns has few certainties and even fewer rules: watch your back, don't draw attention to yourself and, above all, make it home by sunrise or die. What she doesn't know is her time is running out."

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer follows the 'short second life' of Bree Tanner as she tries to come to terms with her transition from ordinary girl to a being of the supernatural world as a vampire. Her life as a vampire starts to look up from her old life, which was full of disappointment and despair, until a battle with a coven called The Cullens changes everything.

I'm not going to be one of those people that says the Twilight Saga is awful because at the time of reading it I thoroughly enjoyed it and it empowered me to read more books, but at the same time I don't love it. However when you compare this novella to the remainder of the Saga its clear which comes out on top, and that's this novella.

Like most novellas this one isn't crucial to the story it originates from, the Twilight Saga, and therefore isn't one that has to be read in order to understand the events of any of the books. It is however a story that provides a lot of insight to the supernatural world outside the town of Forks.

I fell in love with Bree's character instantly in this novella. She was just an ordinary girl from a difficult and troubled background who was thrust into a world of the supernatural, lies, heartbreak and eventually death. What was really compelling about her is that she just seemed so natural and real to read and wasn't at all superficial, unlike many of the characters from the remainder of the Saga.

Thankfully Meyer's writing style becomes more mature and pleasurable to read in this story and I think that's because it's more of a survival story as opposed to a love story. Although Bree does find love, Meyer focuses on Bree's struggles in understanding her new world and surviving for as long as she can.

Obviously the relationship between Bree, and her love interest Diego, is going to draw comparisons to that of Bella and Edward and fortunately for this story Bree and Diego come out on top. When Bree loses Diego she's heartbroken, of course, but her world doesn't fall apart around her, unlike Bella's. In fact Bella's world does more than fall apart, she falls apart too. She becomes weak, pathetic even, in the fact that she can't live without the man she loves. Bree however doesn't allow herself to be defined by a man or her relationships and that's why she's such a strong and lovable character - despite everything she's been through she doesn't stop in her attempts to break free of Riley's power and become the independent vampire she knows she can be.

It's a shame really that the novella was so short because the story had so much more potential and I just wish Meyer had allowed her to become a part of the Cullen clan.

I give Stephenie Meyer and The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner ★★★★

Crossing the Line - Katie McGarry

Synopsis: "Lila McCormick first met Lincoln Turner when tragedy struck both their lives.

But she never expected their surprise encounter would lead to two years of exchanging letters - or that she'd fall for the boy she's only seen once. Their relationship is a secret, but Lila feels closer to Lincoln than anyone else. Until she finds out that he lied to her about the one thing she depended on him for the most."

Crossing the Line by Katie McGarry follows the story of Lila McCormick, best friend of Echo Emerson from Pushing the Limits, and her relationship with Lincoln Turner whom she met at the funeral of Echo's brother. The two have an unexpected connection and grow closer as they regularly write to each other in an attempt to forget that they live 12 hours from each other. But their relationship soon takes a sharp turn as Lila questions whether she can trust the boy she thought she knew.

This novella is a short and sweet read but isn't really much more than that, which really disappointed me as I'm such a massive fan of McGarry as she has the ability to make you feel so engrossed by a character and has a beautiful and unique writing style.

Saying that however I was immensely irritated by Lila in this novella, which is a shame because she was a really likable character in Pushing the Limits. I feel as if she was portrayed rather pathetic and childish manner - I was reading about a grown girl who couldn't hack a night by herself and gets angry and hurt over the most ridiculous of things. It was understandable that she was hurt by Lincoln lying to her but I was expecting something really explosive and gripping, instead it turned out to be nothing more than a silly teenage drama.

I was also frustrated by how short this novella was. Yes, novellas are meant to short, but I feel as if McGarry could have stretched to at least 100 pages so I could get more insight into what happens with their long distant relationship and whether Lincoln succeeded in Summer school to join Lila at the University of Florida.

Fortunately though McGarry seems to have mastered a style that many authors have failed at by introducing new characters and minor characters from Pushing the Limits in a way that refreshes your mind about who is who. I went into this novella having forgotten who Lila was but the way in which McGarry explained the first time she met Lincoln is just one example of how she cleverly refreshed my mind on who was who from the previous book, allowing me to understand any references made.

It was also nice to see how this novella links with the previous story, and future stories, with some references to Echo and Noah.

I give Katie McGarry and Crossing the Lines ★★★

Weekend Reads #5

The book I set to start reading last weekend was Undone by Cat Clarke and it was a truly phenomenal read. I can't even begin to describe just how much I loved it. I'm in the position where I wish I could unread it and forget about everything that happens just so I can enjoy it all over again.

So this weekend I've decided that I'm finally going to continue with Katie McGarry's novels (all of which are part of a YA romance series) and kick-start the weekend with her novella, Crossing the Line, which comes after her debut novel, Pushing the Limits.

I adored Pushing the Limits because it's such a raw, beautiful and real novel, not to mention it finally gave me hope for the romance genre, so I have high hopes for all of her novels. Fortunately Crossing the Line is only available in ebook format and as a result it's available for free on the Amazon store.

As it is most likely to be a really short read, I also plan to read Dare You To which is also by Katie McGarry. I was so excited for this book to come out but I held off for a while because it was so expensive, that is until last week when it was available for just 99p for the day - it's hard to believe that I used to despise Kindles because without one I'd be pretty lost.

Be sure to let me know what you plan to read this weekend in the comments section below!

Undone - Cat Clarke

Synopsis: Jem Halliday is in love with her gay best friend. Not exactly ideal, but she's learning to live with it. Then the unspeakable happens. Kai is outed online, and he kills himself. Jem knows nothing she can say or do will bring him back. But she wants to know who was responsible. And she wants to take them down.."

Before I go into this review I just want to apologise for how excessively long it's going to be, I just have so much (spoiler free) stuff to say.

Undone by Cat Clarke follows the story of Jem Halliday as she tries to come to terms with the sudden death of her best friend, Kai. Sadly, following a video published online outing Kai as gay, he commits suicide. As Jem's only and best friend she is distraught and contemplates joining Kai, until she discovers how vital it is for her to find out who is responsible for outing him so she can take them down.

At the start of this novel Kai is already dead and as a result we get to know him through Jem's telling of the past from the moment they met to the very last time she sees him. What I particularly loved about this approach is that even in the present day it didn't feel like Kai was dead because he remained such a massive part and key character of the story. I was able to remain connected with him and grow a greater understanding of why he committed suicide and the things he wanted in life for both himself and Jem, through letters he wrote for her before committing suicide. I found it such a refreshing element of the book as other novels I've read with a deceased primary character, such as Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, I've found it difficult to relate to and connect with the character. Typically the fact that the character is dead remains conscious in your mind, this however isn't the case with Kai.

I had mixed feelings about Jem. At one point I had so much sympathy for her and imagined how awful and depressed I would be if I was in her shoes, then at other points I found myself disliking her for becoming the very embodiment of the kind of people she despised and forgetting where she came from and what she set out to do. That however was okay because she wasn't the kind of protagonist that you have to develop a strong liking for because there is so much going on with the other characters that they all feel just as important.

Clarke really captured what school life is like for teenagers in the UK without taking a superficial and somewhat stereotypical approach, much like you see in American novels and TV shows. It's simply a case of unpopular kids, the inbetweens and the popular ones. But what was really interesting about the popular kids is that Jem comes to notice that people outside of their bubble don't really pay much attention to them, other than her, which is kind of funny because it raises the argument of are 'popular' kids in schools actually popular and considered so by their peers or is it simply a case of them making everyone assume, or assuming themselves, that they are?

In light of their popularity Clarke presents them as these shallow, perfect and attractive characters on the outside and then these fragile, caring and shelled characters on the inside and I loved that because at the end of the day they're human like everybody else - just because someone appears to have a near perfect life doesn't necessarily mean they do. They all have their insecurities, their flaws and things they're not proud of just like everybody else and it's great that Clarke captured that because you often find that YA characters are too perfect to be real and that can make it extremely difficult to connect with them - how are you supposed to love or hate a character that you don't consider possible in the real world?

I'd say that the only element this novel was slightly lacking was greater discussion of sexuality. Although it's discussed occasionally in Kai's letters and mentioned a couple of times by Jem, I felt that as the story is dominated by Jem's grief and her progression to getting revenge because Kai killed himself after being outed, that there should have been more about sexual orientation present in the book.

Finally, I want to talk about how gripping and insane the ending was; I just didn't see any of it coming. It was just so intense and tragic from the party in the woods onward. Everything that happened was such a massive surprise, there was no predictability to any of it and I found it so thought provoking and beautifully written and that's when I came to realise just how much I adore Clarke's writing style. There's a part of me that wishes there was a second book, even if it was simply a short novella, that picks up from the ending of this book and told from the point of view of a different character so I can find out what happens to all of the other characters. But at the same time I'm also so pleased that it's a stand alone book.

Ultimately, this is a passionate and gripping YA novel about love, betrayal and revenge and is guaranteed to keep you hooked from start to finish.

I give Cat Clarke and Undone ★★★★★

Looking for Alaska - John Green

Synopsis: Alaska Young. Gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, screwed up and utterly fascinating. Miles Halter could not be more in love with her. But when tragedy strikes, Miles discovers the value and the pain of living and loving unconditionally.

Looking for Alaska by John Green follows the life of Miles Halter who leaves his family and old life behind as he embarks on a new one at Culver Creek Prepatory High School in Alabama. At Culver Creek Miles discovers true friendship, something he's never experienced before, with his roommate, Chip 'The Colonel' Martin, and the mysterious but gorgeous Alaska Young. The three continually grow as friends, particularly Alaska and Miles, as they make their way through Junior Year, experiencing typical teenage drama, pranks, hurt, love and loss along the way.

There's only one word to describe John Green's writing style: beautiful. I don't know how he does it but Green has a way of making you fall so in love and become so engrossed by a character that they feel so real to you, it's almost as if the characters he creates are people you know from down the street or your friends at school. It doesn't feel like you're reading a book, which might I add is an awe-inspiring piece of fiction, it feels as if you're reliving endless precious memories and that's something I've only ever experienced with Green.

The story of Miles 'Pudge' Halter, Chip 'The Colonel' Martin and Alaska Young is so thought provoking and enticing to read. I love how Green built a friendship that portrayed a real sense of realism. There isn't an instant friendship between the three from the get go and there are arguments here and there and not knowing everything there is to know about each other, despite being so close, it's how a true friendship is. It was also refreshing to read a novel that portrayed some of the struggles teenagers face on a daily basis, contrary to many adult's belief that "we have it easy".

I particularly enjoyed the relationship between Pudge and Colonel because it was just so enjoyable and mirthful to read. One minute they'd be the best of friends and then the next they'd be pissing each other off over the most ridiculous things and that's just what best friends do, and it's a shame that there aren't many novels that have a strong 'bromance' relationship.

Although the book becomes heartbreaking to read it also remains lighthearted and relaxed. When tragedy strikes the key characters really come together to deal with their pain and pay tribute to their loss in the most hilarious and respectful manner possible. It became nostalgic to read because it made me think of the things I've gotten up to with my friends in the past, allowing me to connect further with the story.

Ultimately, this novel is a heartbreaking yet hilariously funny read that captivates you from the word go and takes you on a journey of true friendship, highlighting the best and worst of your own teenage years.

I give John Green and Looking for Alaska ★★★★★

Weekend Reads #4

So my original plan to start Looking for Alaska by John Green last weekend went down the drain as I wasn't willing to start it until I completed The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare, a feat which I didn't achieve until Tuesday.

With the completion of that book out of the way I was able to make a start on Looking for Alaska last night. I only got 39 pages into it but I'm already in love with it. Hopefully I'll get about half way through by the end of the tonight and then I'll be able to complete it by tomorrow night - in fact I will get it completed by tomorrow night because the BookTube-A-Thon starts Monday.

As a result of the BookTube-A-Thon kicking off on Monday I've decided to cheat a little and start Sunday night as I'm going to lose a lot of reading hours from Monday through to Friday due to school.

I've decided that I'm going to kick-off with Undone by Cat Clarke. I've had this book on my shelf since February and I've been dying to read it but I just haven't gotten round to it and I've also been quite skeptical about it as it's unlike anything I've ever read. That skepticism however has vanished since Claire Weller gave it an awesome review the other day, so now I'm really excited about starting it.

Be sure to follow my new twitter dedicated to my blog for regular updates on my progression of the BookTube read-a-thon when it starts Monday by clicking here or searching @insideofthebook

Top 5 Favourite Authors

I feel like I haven't read nearly enough books to have an all-time favourite author. However over my years of reading I've definitely come across some fantastic author's from all manners of genres, five of which really stand out for me as my top five favourite authors. I find these authors just generally amazing and thank them so much for the stories they have created; please note that this list is in no particular order.

Stephen Chbosky: What I love most about Chbosky is his ability to make a character feel so real to you. Whilst reading The Perks of Being a Wallflower, which might I add is one of my all-time favourite books, I felt a great connection to the character's. Chbosky acknowledges that no person is perfect and therefore in order for a reader to connect to a character they have to see that that character also isn't perfect, a feat that is rarely seen within the YA genre.

Lemony Snicket/Daniel Handler: Snicket/Handler is without a doubt one of my favourite childhood authors. The books from A Series of Unfortunate Events hold so much of my childhood and are consequently very nostalgic to me. I was so engrossed by the world he had created for the Baudelaire children and found his stories humorous and just generally enjoyable to read; hopefully I'll move onto some of Handler's adult novels in the near future.

Suzanne Collins: Let's be honest here, you were all expecting to see her here. What really stands out about Collins is her ability to make a book that is categorised to a certain age group appeal to anyone of any age and her triumph of dealing with a manner of complicated and difficult themes in a way that is easy to process and understand. It also wasn't until recently that I realised Collins is actually the author of Gregor the Overlander from The Underland Chronicles and that was easily one of my favourite childhood books, reckon I'm too old to carry on with the series now?

J.K. Rowling: It still shocks me that so many people have yet to lay hands on the Harry Potter series, it just baffles me because Rowling is such an inspiring author. I praise her use of imagination and her beautiful writing style as well as being an all round amazing and fluent storyteller. If it wasn't for Rowling then I probably wouldn't be the avid reader that I am today because she is the author that really got me into reading, I mean imagine a world without Harry Potter.

Katy McGarry: If you've yet to pick up a McGarry book then I pity you because you truly are missing out on such raw writing talent. I find McGarry's novels, such as Pushing the Limits, so captivating because they're so poetically and beautifully written. Her stories build an emotional connection with me that I've had little experience with with other authors. I cannot wait for whatever she writes next.

There are plenty of other authors I adore but at this moment these are the five authors that really stand out for me. Be sure to let me know who your favourite authors are in the comments section.

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones - Cassandra Clare

Synopsis: "Sixteen-year-old Clary Fray is an ordinary teenager, who likes hanging out in Brooklyn with her friends. But everything changes the night she witnesses a murder, committed by a group of teens armed with medieval weaponry. The murderous group are Shadowhunters, secret warriors dedicated to driving demons out of this dimension and back into their own. Drawn inexorably into a terrifying world, Clary slowly begins to learn the truth about her family - and the battle for the fate of the world."

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare book follows the life of sixteen-year-old Clarissa Fray whom witnesses a murder committed by three mysterious teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the murdered body disappears into thin air and it's hard for her to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing, not even a smear of blood, to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy? That question ultimately leads to Clary's journey of learning who she really is and the history of her family after she discovers a connection between the sudden disappearance of her mother, the three mysterious teenagers and an attack she receives from an alleged demon working for a mysterious figure of Clary's mother's past.

I was rather skeptical about starting this series as so many people love it and have hyped about it and I tend to find that when something is overly hyped, much like The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey, I over anticipate the read and find myself quite disappointed. This however wasn't so much the case with City of Bones, but saying that I didn't love it either.

To begin with I struggled to get into the story and the world Clare has created. However, once I became used to and found myself enjoying her writing style I found it easy to get lost within the story. I felt that Clare had managed to reinvent the fantasy genre of demons, werewolves, vampires and other creatures in a modern light (minus the sparkly skin) as well as pay homage to the classic traits of such beings that were portrayed by the likes of Bram Stoker in Dracula and other great authors.

Although the overall pacing of the book was a bit slow, I did enjoy the various action sequences portrayed as they were fast paced and I found myself easily visualising the events that were unfolding. The sequences were laid out in various points throughout the book so it was never a case of too much happening or not enough happening; it was just the right balance. I also found some of the twists that were thrown in so gripping to read as they completely threw me off guard and I love that in a book!

Saying that mind there were times when I really wasn't sure if I wanted to slap the main characters or if I wanted to slap Clare. I don't know what it is about these characters but I found them so hard to connect with and ended up hating the majority of them with the exclusion of Simon, Alec and Luke, all three of which aren't in the book all too much. If the reader can't build some sort of connection with the main characters then said reader is more or less done for. Yes, it's good to hate characters, but to hate the majority of them just takes the biscuit.

I also had a bittersweet experience with the ending. I just felt it was so rushed and I couldn't process what the hell was happening as I felt as if it was all leading up to this explosive finish when in fact it was incredibly slow paced with nothing exciting happening. Some of the things the characters did were ridiculous and I struggled to understand some of the things that were occurring which is weird because they were pretty simple happenings, the issue is just the way they were written. I also never found myself completely drawn into the book, there were times when I was captivated for a chapter or two but after that I grew bored and put the book down for the rest of the day which is why it took me so long to complete.

Overall City of Bones is a novel that brings back the traits of creatures such as vampires and demons that we all know and love and is gripping at times but boring at others. I won't be rushing out to purchase the sequel, City of Ashes, but I'll get round to it eventually.

I give Cassandra Clare and The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones ★★★

Pushing The Limits - Katie McGarry

Synopsis: "I can't remember the night that changed my life. The night I went from popular to loner freak, and my family are determined to keep it that way. They said the therapy was supposed to help. They didn't expect Noah. Noah is the dangerous boy my parents warned me about. But the only one who'll listen. They only one who'll help me find the truth. I know every kiss, every promise, every touch is forbidden. But what if finding your destiny means breaking all the rules?

Pushing The Limits by Katie McGarry is a heart-wrenching novel about two broken teens, Echo Emerson and Noah Hutchins, who are struggling to put the shattered pieces of their lives back together and unexpectedly find love along the way. The two are thrown together at the lowest point of their lives; Noah is on the brink of losing all contact with his younger brothers, the only family he has left, to their foster parents following the death of his biological parent, and Echo is battling with the memories of the most horrific night of her life. But the two quickly learn that the best way for them to get what they want is to work together.

Any book that gets you out of a reading slump is a pretty damn good book. Following my completion of The Fault in Our Stars by John Green I slipped into a reading slump, that is until I found Pushing The Limits. Everything about this debut novel from McGarry is beautiful, mysterious and heart breaking. McGarry's writing style is so effortless and enjoyable to read and as a result I was captivated by this book from the very first line.

The novel alternates between the POVs of both Echo and Noah and I absolutely loved that. Generally when it comes down to romance you tend to find that it's told from just the one point of view, so as a reader you struggle to understand how the other person is feeling and have to read 'I love you' a hundred times over throughout the book to be reminded that the other person probably feels the same way. The differing POVs also highlight just how different Noah and Echo's worlds are and showcase some pretty intense issues which include neglect, lies, self-loathing and abuse.

It was so refreshing to come across a novel where it wasn't love at first sight. Watching Noah and Echo learn to trust and open up to each other was really sweet and believable to read, but despite this the romance isn't the core to the story. Instead the story focuses on the personal journeys and struggles of both Echo and Noah. It's not a story about typical teenage dramas like girls fighting over boys and boys getting into fights for the sake of getting into fights, it deals with real issues that damage so many people on a daily basis. As a result you quickly sympathise with both characters and want to do nothing more than comfort them and hear their stories so you can help.

Both Echo and Noah are miserable in their lives, having faced a wad of bad luck, and it was so hard to process which of the two made my heart break more. As previously mentioned McGarry's writing style is so beautiful and well written that you understand the character's frustrations and anger at the systems and rules which are screwing up their lives as though they were your own. Within her style, McGarry successfully keeps the reader guessing throughout, you have the gradual understanding and development of Noah's past and how he came to losing his brothers and then you have the confusion and anticipation of what happened to Echo that resulted in her mind blocking out the night that changed her life for the worst.

Pushing The Limits is a captivating story that showcases the beauty of real love and the extremes a person will go to to protect the ones they love and overcome the demons that are fighting them from within.

I give Katie McGarry and Pushing The Limits ★★★★★

Weekend Reads #3

Last week I challenged myself with The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare, and I'm exactly 100 pages away from completing it, a feat I can easily achieve in one sitting tonight. As I've mentioned in previous posts I've found it an alright read, nothing has really stood out for me but it's been enjoyable to read nevertheless. Things are starting to pick up in terms of pace and action now so I'm really looking forward to finishing it, but saying that I feel like there just aren't enough pages left for all of the things that need to happen.

Following the completion of City of Bones I'll be moving onto Looking For Alaska by John Green. I originally planned to read this at the end of July but I'm literally too excited to wait. So far I've only read The Fault in Our Stars (click here to read my review) and I adored it, it's such an amazing novel. Green has such a beautiful writing style and he has the ability to captivate you from the very first page and I love that in an author.

Looking For Alaska follows the story of Alaska Young, a clever, gorgeous, funny and utterly fascinating girl and a boy called Miles Halter who could not be more in love with her. But when tragedy strikes, Miles discovers the value and the pain of living and loving unconditionally.

Now I'm not a particularly massive fan of romance novels but there's just something about John Green's work with it (and Katie McGarry's, might I add) that makes it so effortless, enjoyable and heartbreaking to read. I just can't wait to get City of Bones done and dusted so I can move straight onto this!

July To Be Read

For the month of July I plan to read a total of eight books, five of which I hope to complete between July 15th - July 21st for the read-a-thon that is being hosted via YouTube (click here for details on that). The most books I've ever completed in a week is three and that's simply because they were all part of series, thus making it easier to put one book down and pick the next up straight away. Therefore managing to complete five totally different books one after the other and reading over 2,300 pages in the space of seven days is going to be a challenge I'll most likely fail, but it's worth a shot.

Every person taking part in the read-a-thon is given the option to take part in the following challenges: read a book that is at least 500 pages, reread a book, finish a series, read a book that has been on your shelf the longest, listen to an audiobook and read a classic. For the first challenge I'll be reading Undone by Cat Clarke and for the second challenge I'll be rereading The Hunger Games: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins simply because I've read the first two books multiple times whereas I've only read Mockingjay twice. Night World: Volume 3 by L. J. Smith is what I'll be reading for the third challenge which is technically cheating as the final book hasn't be released yet, but it's been in the works for around 10 years now. The book I'll be tackling for the fourth challenge is Pure by Julianna Baggott. I won't be listening to an audiobook however simply because I can't stand them, and for the final challenge I'll be reading 1984 by George Orwell, a classic I was supposed to read for my AS English Literature coursework but in typical Cameron fashion I couldn't be bothered.

After that I'll also be reading Cherl: My Story by Cheryl Cole as I've never been one to read autobiographies so I figured her's would be a good place to start as I've heard good things about it. And finally, if I somehow find the time and effort, I hope to start Looking for Alaska by John Green. I love Green's writing style and his ability to make a reader become so engrossed by a book and it's characters. I've been wanting to start this book for ages but for some reason I haven't, but if I don't get round to it in July, which I hope won't be the case, then it'll definitely be at the top of my August list.

However before that I'll be completing The Mortal Instruements: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. I'm about three quarters of the way through and so far I've found it an alright book. This is most likely because I've long lost interest in the fantasy genre. Every book of the genre seems to be the same old human girl meets supernatural boy and they fall in love even though it's forbidden, I mean where's the enjoyment in that? Nevertheless the film adaption comes out in August so I figured I may as well give the series a shot.