September Book Subscription Unboxing

These are all the books that I got in September subscription boxes.

BookCase.Club 

This is the mystery/thriller box.

Sting by Sandra Brown. This is about a man and woman who kind of have sparks from across a bar but he is there to kill her. He changes his mind and kidnaps her instead and then they go on the run because other people want her too.

The House Of Secrets by Brad Meltzer and Tod Goldberg. This is about a woman who gets into a car accident that kills her father and injures her brother, but when she wakes up she doesn’t know who she is. The cops question her about her father, after finding the a dead man with a notebook belonging to Benedict Arnold in his body.

My YA Reading Club

This is the real world box.

Go set A Watchman by Harper Lee. I was really happy to see this in the box this month. I have read this and really enjoyed it and wanted to add it to my collection eventually.
Emma: A Modern Retelling by Alexander McCall Smith. This is a retelling of Emma by Jane Austen. I haven’t read Emma yet but it’s high on my TBR so I’ll read this after I’ve read the original.

Battle In Seattle. This is the DVD for the month. Starring Woody Harrelson, Ray Liotta, Michelle Rodriguez and Charlize Theron. This is about a peaceful demonstration to stop the WTO talks that escalates into a full scale riot, which leads to a state of emergency.

Book Of The Month

Emma In The Night by Wendy Walker. This is about two sisters who disappear one night and three years later one of them comes back, but her story has some holes in it.

Lies She Told by Cate Holahan. This follows a thriller author who is writing her next novel, but then the things she writes about end up happening in some way in her real life as well.

My Thrill Club

This is the horror box. My FAVORITE box this month!

Doctor Sleep by Stephen King. I was so excited when I saw this in the horror box this month. I have not read The Shining yet but this is the sequel and I have been wanting it for a while. I have heard some mixed reviews but I’m excited to read it after I’ve read The Shining.

The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich. One night at a high school three students are murdered and one, Carley ends up missing. A diary is found in the ashes belonging to Kaitlin, who turns out to be Carly’s alter ego. This moved to the top of my TBR and will definitely be on my Halloween TBR next month.

Behemoth. This is the DVD for the month. Starring Cindy Busby and Ed quinn. This follows a local logger and and seismologist who lead a rescue attempt after something has awakened an enormous beast who wrecks apocalyptic devastation across the planet.

Those were the books that I have received this month. I am so excited for many of them and can’t wait to dive in.

Keep reading…Lola

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Book Review: Library Of Souls by Ransom Riggs

This review will contain some spoilers if you haven’t read the two previous books.

Library Of Souls is the third and final book in the Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children Trilogy. 

This book picks up where Hollow City ends, with Jacob, Emma and Addison stuck in a phone booth at the train station, trapped by a Hollowgast. After Jacob discovers that he can control Hollowgasts, they escape the station and continue on their journey to not only find Miss Peregrine and the other Ymbrynes, but also now their friends who have been kidnapped by Wights.

I can’t say enough about these characters. I love every single one of them. It was so fun to jump back into the world and spend time with them again. I feel like so much happens in these books but I don’t feel like the story is rushed or anything. I love the twists and turns, I love the suspense and of course, I love the romance. I really enjoyed learning more about Peculiardom and all the different people that inhabit that world. 

Now, onto the story. I love that Jacob learns more about his Peculiar ability and his grandfather in this book. It was fun seeing him have a new ability and the fact that he could control Hollowgasts was brilliant. In the beginning of the series, he doesn’t think that he is Peculiar and then he learns that he has the ability to see Hollowgasts. Then he kind of diminishes his Peculiarness and wonders what’s so great about him and his power. In Library Of Souls, Jacob learns how special he is and how great his ability is as well. He can not only see Hollowgasts, but he can control them as well. He has the ability to control the one thing that is the most dangerous to Peculiars. I love how strong and confident he becomes at the end of the series.

The one thing I found kind of strange was how trusting Jacob, Emma and Addison seemed to be when it came to meeting Sharon. They got on the boat with him to go to Devil’s Acre without really knowing anything about him. They did question him and were a little suspicious but I feel like they kind of just took the chance a little too quickly, especially after what Caul did, allowing them all to think that he was Miss Peregrine. They knew he wasn’t a Wight, but Sharon knew so much about Peculiardom you would think they would have asked a few more questions before trusting him enough to get into his boat with him. I was glad that in the end he helped them though, I really ended up liking Sharon a lot.

Mr. Bentham. From the moment he entered the novel and met the children, I wondered about him. At first he seems shady with the things he has lying around his house, but then he tells Jacob that he knew his grandfather and he tells them his story and who he really is. Then he tells them his plan and asks them for help in putting an end to the Wights and Hollowgasts. I was surprised by some of the things we find out about Bentham and at one point I was disappointed, but I really liked where his character went and how everything ended up.

Of course there were deaths. There is a Peculiar war, how can there not be causualties? I was surprised by the number of deaths though, I was actually expecting quite a few but there was only one death involving a character that was around from the beginning of the series, you just find out about it after it happens. 

I had so many emotions while reading this book. I laughed and cried, I was surprised and heartbroken. I thought there were some horrible things that happened but there were also some sweet things that happened as well. I was really happy with the way this series concluded. I am going to miss the Peculiar children, Miss Peregrine and all of Peculiardom. This really was such an amazing series with so much excitement and so many wonderful characters. I really hope we get some more of this world again soon. I have heard that Ransom Riggs is coming out with a new Trilogy that takes place in London with Peculiar children but I haven’t been able to find anything conclusive yet.

This is a series that I definitely see myself revisiting over and over again in the coming years. I gave Library Of Souls 5 stars on Goodreads. Go and check this series out!

Also, the photos that are included in this book are amazing and creepy and I loved them all!

Keep reading…Lola

Book Review: The Boy Most Likely To by Huntley Fitzpatrick

This review contains some minor spoilers if you haven’t read My Life Next Door, but I don’t think I spoil anything you wouldn’t know if you read the synopsis.

The Boy Most Likely To is a companion novel to My Life Next Door. I have a review of that up as well so check it out if you want to hear about that one.

My Life Next Door focused on Samantha and Jase and this novel focuses on Jase’s sister, Alice and Jase and Samantha’s friend, Tim.

Tim is still going to AA meetings and trying to keep his life together, he moves into the Garrett’s garage apartment and he and Alice start to grow closer. One day someone from his past shows up with news that threatens not only his sobriety, but his budding relationship with Alice as well. Tim and Alice have to learn to navigate their relationship and decide if taking the risk is worth it to them, all while trying to grow up and be responsible people.

I loved this book so much. I loved My Life Next Door more, but I think that’s because Jase is my dream boy! This book definitely had more drama in it and the relationship between Alice and Tim wasn’t as quick and easy as it was with Jase and Sam.

Tim had major issues with alcohol in My Life Next Door and his life was going downhill. He was thrown out of multiple schools and couldn’t keep a job. Becoming friends with Jase and Sam was really good for him. Jase’s dad gave him a job at his hardware store and talked him into attending meetings with him. In The Boy Most Likely To, he’s continuing AA meetings, even going on his own, he moves into the garage apartment at Jase’s house and he continues to work at the hardware store. He also starts working towards getting his GED. Tim’s character in this book was almost like a different character. Of course he still struggled to stay sober and keep his life on track, but he was trying really hard and working on himself every day. In the end, he found that he had something worth trying for.

Alice for the most part is still the same. She keeps her boyfriends at arms length because she doesn’t want to end up hurt. She doesn’t let herself feel anything and she’s a tough girl who doesn’t think she needs anybody. She likes to take charge and be in control then there are no surprises. When she starts to have feelings for Tim, it’s new territory for her. She’s scared, the first boy that she wants to really try something with and the first boy that she really has true feelings for, is also the boy with the most potential to hurt her. Being with Tim is scary and a risk. She doesn’t have control over her feelings and she doesn’t have any control over Tim staying sober. Alice begins to realize that people can change and that maybe going after something you really want is worth the risk after all.

I enjoyed Tim and Alice’s relationship so much. They started out with Tim having a crush on her and Alice not willing to even look twice at him. Then they sort of become friends and start a flirtatious thing. But then they begin to hang out and really become close and they begin to develop feelings for each other. I really liked how their relationship evolved slowly from friendship into something more. Of course when things are just beginning to happen, someone from Tim’s past comes back into his life and everything spins out of control for a little while. Tim and Alice have a lot of things to think about and deal with. They have some major decisions to make and they need to decide if they are better working it out together or if they should go their separate ways. There is definitely more drama in their relationship than there was in Jase and Samantha’s, but that’s how some relationships are and it was Alice and Tim so that really was no surprise. I think in this case, the drama made the story all the more entertaining and just worth it in the end.

Of course I also loved that we got some more Jase and Samantha. We got some really sweet moments plus an extra scene at the end of the paperback. I loved seeing all of the characters come back from the first novel. George! Oh how I loved my George. Also I really loved baby Patsy this time around. I thought it was so sweet and funny that she loved Tim so much and always called him “hon”. I loved the part where Alice and Tim are sitting out on the lawn and Patsy tells Alice “mines”. I laughed out loud on that one. I think the little kids bring something so different to each of these books and I don’t think that either of the books would be the same without them.

Again, I loved this and I am really loving Huntley Fitzpatrick’s writing. I am looking forawrd to reading other stuff from her as well. I gave this 5 stars on Goodreads and of course I highly recommend it to everyone.

Keep reading…Lola

September TBR

These are the books that I am hoping to read this month.

What I Thought Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick. I have really been enjoying Huntley Fitzpatrick’s work so I’m excited to read this one. This follows Gwen, she comes from a family of house cleaners and fishermen and wants to leave the Island life behind her. Of course there is a boy and romantic drama and I can’t wait!

99 Days by Katie Cotugo. I have been hearing lots of bad reviews for this book but I thought I would give it a try. The only thing I know about it is that it follows a teenage girl who has a boyfriend but ends up sleeping his brother (I’m not sure if this is a cheating situation or not) and she gets shunned by the community.

Reality Boy by A.S. King. I don’t know much about this book except that it’s about a teenage boy who has grown up on a reality show because of his mother and he has some bad anger problems.

The Prince Of Venice Beach by Blake Nelson. I have had this book for over a year and I finally want to pick it up this month. If I remember correctly, it’s about a homeless boy on a beach who offers to help find a runaway.

The Here And Now by Ann Brashares. I picked this up just because of the author. I love the Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants series so naturally I need to read another of her books. This one is about a girl who comes from a different time and place in order to save the human population but the rule is she can’t fall in love, which of course she does.

I’m excited to get to all of these this month.

Keep reading…Lola

August Wrap Up

Dream Boy by Jim Grimsley. This is about two teenage boys who fall in love in the 70s. It was such a good book and the movie adaptation is just as amazing. I highly recommend both. 5 stars.

Library Of Souls by Ransom Riggs. This is the conclusion to the Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children trilogy. I have a full review coming up soon for this. 5 stars.

The Boy Most Likely To by Huntley Fitzpatrick. This is a companion novel to My Life Next Door and it follows Alice and Tim from the first book. I loved it and a review will be posted next Tuesday. 5 stars.

Final Girls by Riley Sager. I loved this book so much. It was amazing. I’ll have a full review up in a couple weeks. 5 stars.

Swimming Lessons by Claire Fuller. This book was better than I thought it was going to be. It’s about a woman who has written letters to her husband and put them in books that he owns (he has thousands). These letters tell him the truth about their marriage and when she has written the last one she disappears, presumably from drowning. I think it’s definitely worth checking out if you enjoy a little mystery. 4 stars.

The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. After reading the graphic novel I really wanted to read the book and I enjoyed it just as much as I thought I would. I can’t believe it took me so long to pick it up. 4 stars.

Barely Breathing & Forever Breathing by Heather Allen. These are the second and third books in the Just Breathe trilogy. These books are about two teenagers who find out that they come from a line of mer-people. The first book Just Breathe is about them finding out that their grandmother was a mermaid and that when you turn 18 you need to decide to stay on land or live in the sea. The second and third books take place after they have made their choice and explore those choices and what it means for them, their families and their futures. I really enjoyed this trilogy. They were quick and fun reads. I gave all 3 books 4 stars.

That’s what I read in August and I am extremely happy with how my reading month turned out. Happy September!

Keep reading…Lola

Peculiar Book Tag

Today I am doing a book tag. I love doing tags and I recently finished the Miss Peregrine trilogy and I thought it was the perfect time to do the Peculiar Book Tag. This tag was originally created by Jessethereader on BookTube. Check his channel out, I have been obsessed with him lately.

Abandoned House: What is a book that you abandoned but gave another chance and ended up enjoying- Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K. Hamilton. It took me a while to read this book but once I really got into it there was no stopping me and I read all 22 books that she had out at the time in 2 months.

Vintage Photographs: A book that you would have loved to see illustrations in- Beauty And The Beast by Elizabeth Rudnick. I would have loved for this novelization of the movie to come with illustrations.

Loop: A series that you wouldn’t mind reading on loop back to back- The Hazards Series by Alyssa Rose Ivy. This is a New Adult series that follows college age girls and their romances and I am obsessed with it.

Peculiar Children: A characters ability that you desire to have for yourself- Adele from Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough. I would love to be able to dream of a place and go there in my sleep.

Miss Peregrine: Your favorite character that is a leader- Cinder from The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. I love this series and just think that Cinder is a great leader.

Jacob: Favorite story where a regular kid discovers an extraordinary world- Vampire Kisses by Ellen Schreiber. I love that Raven dreams of being a vampire and then finds out that they actually do exist.

Emma: A fierce and fiery character- Cassie from The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey. I just love that Cassie is a kick ass girl who is willing to fight all evil at any cost.

Millard: A book that seems to be invisible but needs to be read by more people- The Last Leaves Falling by Sarah Benwell. This is a YA book about a 17 year old boy who has ALS and it’s such a good book that I have never heard anyone talk about.

Olive: A book that you bought that floated to the top of your TBR- The Boy Most Likely To by Huntley Fitzpatrick. After reading My Life Next Door, I had to read this one as soon as I could.

Hugh: A book that caused a lot of feelings- My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick. I loved this book and talk about it all the time!

Enoch: Without spoiling a book, what character would you bring back- Hannah from 13 R3asons Why by Jay Asher. This isn’t a spoiler because it’s right there in the synopsis. I read the alternate ending where Hannah does live and I would have loved to see where that could have gone.

Brownwyn: A physically strong character- Wolf from The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. He is a fighter and actually enhanced to be strong. Plus, I love him!

Hollowgast: A book you read that felt like an experiment gone wrong- Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. I just didn’t like this book at all.

Wights: A book that felt like it had consumed tropes that you’ve seen be done before in other books- Twilight by Stephanie Meyer. I had a hard time deciding for this one but I went with Twilight just because it’s not the first vampire book and it’s not the first vampire/human romance book. I still love it though.

That’s the Peculiar Book Tag. I tag anyone who wants to do it. Have fun!

Keep reading…Lola

August Lit-Cube Unboxing

When I found out that the theme for the August Lit-Cube box was Steampunk Alice In Wonderland, I decided to splurge and get it. I was not disappointed. The box is $34.95 per month. I used a coupon code from someone I follow on Instagram so I spent a few less bucks but this is definitely a more pricey box that I won’t be getting every month. This is what I got…

The book is Curiouser & Curiouser by Melanie Karsak. ($14.99) The card says, “To save the Hatter, Alice must work with the one man she despises so much that she might still love him.” It also came with a bookmark showing the other Steampunk Fairy Tales that Melanie Karsak wrote including Beauty And The Beast, The Snow Queen and Snow White.

An Exclusive Queen Of Hearts Rose Tea created by Lit-Cube ($4.99) and to go along with that, a Steampunk inspired tea infuser. ($2.99)

I also got Steampunk Wonderland inspired aromatherapy smelling salts in a cute little bottle, ($7.99) and I think my favorite item out of the whole box is the Steampunk Wonderland old fashioned watch necklace. ($19.99)  It works and it so incredibly cute. I love it!

The box was definitely worth it when you add up the price for each item and I am really excited to read the book, as I’ve mentioned before, I love Fairy Tale retellings. Go check the boxes out at lit-cube.com. The August box is sold out but the September theme is Apple Spice And Everything Nice and you can order it for the next 4 days.

Keep reading…Lola

Book Review: If The Creek Don’t Rise by Leah Weiss (Blog Tour & GIVEAWAY)

This review is a little bit different from my others. I am participating in a Blog Tour for this novel from August 14th-September 1st. There is also a GIVEAWAY going on for that time as well and three of my readers will win a finished copy of the book. The Giveaway rules and link, as well as other information will be posted below. Good luck everyone!

If The Creek Don’t Rise by Leah Weiss is a novel that is being released on August 22, 2017. Thanks to Sourcebooks and Netgalley for the ARC. Also a special Thank You to Leah Weiss for including me in her Blog Tour.

The novel follows Sadie, she is 17 and pregnant and has been married to Roy for fifteen days. Since they have been married, Roy has been beating her regularly. The town knows but they just look the other way. She loves Loretta Lynn and carries around a magazine with her on the cover but she can’t read. The new teacher in town tells her that she’ll help teach her to read and Sadie begins to wonder if there’s more to life than being Roy’s wife.

The story is told from multiple characters. There is the preacher Eli, his sister Prudence, Sadie, Sadie’s grandmother Gladys, Gladys’ friend Marris, the local “witch” named Birdie, the new school teacher Kate, Tattler Swan, Sadie’s husband Roy and Roy’s friend Billy. Each new perspective has their own story but Sadie weaves into each one. The town witch wants to help her get rid of Roy, the teacher wants her to help her learn to read so she has more options in life and Roy’s friend Billy has always had a crush on her and wants to be with her himself. 

I thought at first that this book was not going to be for me because of all the different character perspectives but it kind of read like short stories that all came together in the end. At least that’s what it was like for me. There were certain stories I liked more than others but I was expecting that. I loved Sadie and Roy’s parts the most.

I really enjoyed most of the characters. I thought they were all realistic. They could be your next door neighbor. I loved Birdie the most for some reason. I could imagine some of the things she said, and I imagined her with a southern accent and it just made me laugh. I hated Roy but he was definitely a good villain and I loved seeing into his head during his perspective.

I thought the ending was a little abrupt and I would have liked to see it unfold a little bit more. I loved what Leah Weiss did for Roy’s story and was shocked by what happened. I was sad for parts of Sadie’s story especially towards the end but I also see why it was perfect at the same time. I also would have loved to know what Sadie and some of the other characters would be doing a few years later.

The novel reminded me a little bit of Where The Heart Is by Billie Letts at some points. The pregnant teenager, the loser boyfriend, the woman who wants to help, etc. I think people who enjoyed that novel will love this one as well. Also, if you are someone who doesn’t like multiple character narration, still give this a go because that was something I thought I wouldn’t like and I ended up loving it, it really does give a little something extra to the novel and I don’t think that it would have worked as well if it had been a one person narration.

I really enjoyed this novel. I gave it 4 stars on Goodreads. Definitely look it up and check it out.

Keep reading…Lola

Enter the GIVEAWAY using this link…

No purchase necessary to enter or win. Open to legal residents of USA who are 18 years or older. Winners will be selected by Random.org and be notified by email. Winners have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is selected. By providing your information in this form, you are providing your information to Sourcebooks. Sourcebooks does not share or sell information and will use any information only for the purpose of this giveaway. 

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/NTRjYTdhZjdlZjllOTI4OGFhZGI5NGU3ODI3MzgxOjU1MQ==/

Want to learn more? Check out the landing page for If the Creek Don’t Rise here…

http://books.sourcebooks.com/if-the-creek-dont-rise/

Here is where you can purchase If The Creek Don’t Rise:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2tpTQQ2

Barnes And Noble: http://bit.ly/2ttlyMC

Indiebound: http://bit.ly/2s6a11q

Book Depository: http://bit.ly/2sVtu80

ALSO: Check out these other participating Blogs as well…

August Book Subscription Unboxing

These are the books that I got in subscription boxes in August.

Book Of The Month

Fierce Kingdom by Gin Phillips. This mystery takes places in three hours and follows a woman and her young son when they spend an afternoon at the zoo. As the zoo is closing and they are getting ready to leave, the mother sees something that sends her running back in.

Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert. This is a YA novel that deals with bipolar disorder and same sex relationships.

The Lying Game by Ruth Ware. This follows a group of women years after leaving boarding school, where they were known for The Lying Game. Something happens that apparently uncovers a secret they had been hiding and didn’t want anyone to find out. This was an August Extra book.

My Thriller Club

This is my first box and I already love it. You can choose the Horror Box, the Mystery Box or the Thriller Box. You can also choose whether you get two books and one movie or one book and two movies. I chose the Horror box of course and two books and one movie. The box is $14.99 per month with free shipping.

Season To Taste by Natalie Young. This is about a woman who murders her husband and eats him. Need I say more?

Slade House by David Mitchell. This one is kind of hard to explain but it’s basically every nine years these twins invite someone who is different or lonely into their house and at first they never want to leave, but then they find that they can’t leave.

The Attic. I have watched this movie and it was so creepy and strange. I loved it. It’s about this family who move into a house that turns out to be haunted and the person haunting it is an evil look-alike of the girl that lives there and nobody believes her.

BookCase.Club

This is the Mystery/Thriller Box.

The President’s Shadow by Brad Meltzer. This is about a secret society founded by George Washington with the intended purpose of keeping the president safe. An arm is discovered in the Rose Garden on the White House grounds and it turns out that it is some sort of message for Beecher White, who works in the archives and whose job is to keep secrets safe.

Pop Goes The Weasel by M.J. Arlidge. This is described as Jack The Ripper in reverse. Married men who lead double lives are murdered and their hearts are sent to their families.

My YA Reading Club

This is the Real World Box. You can also get the Fantasy Box. For $14.99 a month you get two hard cover books and one movie for the genre that you choose.

Dreamers Often Lie by Jacqueline West. Jaye fractures her skull in a skiing accident and when she wakes up she lies to everyone and says that she is fine so that she can get back to her starring role in her schools play of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, but what she doesn’t tell them is that she has been having hallucinations that characters from Shakespeare’s plays have entered the real world, including Romeo, who walks into her classroom and soon she doesn’t know how much is real and how much is in her head.

Drowning Is Inevitable by Shalanda Stanley. This is a novel about four teenage friends who are on the run from police after one of them kills their father during a violent fight.

The Gridiron Gang. This movie is about a counselor at a juvenile detention facility deciding to start a football team with his young charges in order to give them a sense of self-respect and social responsibility. I have seen this before and liked it.

A Mighty Wind. This follows some former folk groups who get back together and put on a concert in memory of their manager who has just died. I watched this and actually really enjoyed it.

*In June I got Grace Is Gone and I watched it thisw month and loved it. It’s about a man whose wife dies in Iraq and he takes their two daughters on a trip until he can figure out how to tell them that their mother is gone.

Those are all the books and movies I got this month. I am so excited to jump into every one of them. The problem is chosing where to start!

Keep reading… Lola

Also for those of you who haven’t seen my Blog Tour Post, I am participating in a Blog Tour for Leah Weiss’ upcoming novel, If The Creek Don’t Rise. There is also a Giveaway, where three of my followers will win a finished copy of her novel. The Giveaway ends September 1st. The link is below to enter if you would like to.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/NTRjYTdhZjdlZjllOTI4OGFhZGI5NGU3ODI3MzgxOjU1MQ==/

Heartless Spoiler Free Review

Heartless by Marissa Meyer is a young adult retelling about the Queen Of Hearts from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. 

Catherine is a baker and dreams of one day opening her very own bakery. Her mother disagrees and believes the best thing for her is to marry the king. At a royal ball where she is expected to recieve his proposal, Cath meets Jest, the Court Joker. Cath and Jest have an almost instant attraction and eventually end up entering into a secret courtship. Cath is determined to chose her own destiny, but when the unthinkable happens, she learns that fate may have other plans.

This is my first Alice In Wonderland retelling and I absolutely loved it. I really fell in love with Marissa Meyer’s Lunar Chronicles and was really excited when I heard about this book. I loved that she chose to focus on the Red Queen instead of Alice. I always enjoy a story about what a person is like before they turn into the villian. 

Catherine. I loved Cath, even knowing who she was going to become. I even found myself at times rooting for her and wanting her to get her happy ending, even though most of us know that it’s not the case. I really disliked her parents. Her father just went along with whatever her mother said and her mother was more worried about getting her daughter married off to the king than she was about her daughters happiness. Cath didn’t even want to be a queen, but her mother kept pushing it.

The humor. I loved the king, he was ridiculous and so funny, he made me laugh out loud sometimes. He came off as this dorky, unsophisticated man and nothing like I would think of when I think of a king. I thought it was funny that he had Jest help him write his letters to Cath, and that she knew which parts were Jest and which were the kings.

I enjoyed the scenes with the Cheshire cat. I was happy that he was included. I also really loved Hatta. I was so excited that the Mad Hatter made an appearance. I’ve always loved him. I thought it was fun to see him before his madness took over and to kind of learn a little about why he goes mad. I would love a Mad Hatter retelling, especially if it is written by Marissa Meyer.

Now, let’s talk about the romance. Jest and Cath were perfect. I fell so hard for this relationship. I loved how supportive Jest was of Cath wanting to open a bakery and even came up with a plan for them to be together and for Cath to have her dreams too. Of course, I knew that they weren’t going to get their happy ending, but I have to say I was heartbroken and a little shocked by how it ended. It does make sense why she became this heartless, mean person though. 

This is supposed to be a stand-alone but I would love a follow up. I want to know what happens to the king and Cath’s parents. I want to see more of Cath and her early reign as the Red Queen. I want the reactions of her parents and other people that knew her.

I love retellings and this one is definitely way up on my list of favorites. If you love Alice In Wonderland, the Queen Of Hearts or retellings, then this book is for you and you should really check it out. I gave it 5 stars on Goodreads.

Keep reading…Lola