Half Lost (Half Bad #3) - Sally Green [Review]

Book: Half Lost

Author: Sally Green

Published: 31st March 2016

Publisher: Penguin

Pages: 384

Rating: 3/5 stars 

I'll temper this review by firstly stating that I loved the second book in this trilogy. Like, loved it. It's one of my favourite books from 2015. And I was set to love this book. Up until the last 50 or so pages, I did love it. But then everything went to shit. Like, seriously, I'll get on to that in a minute. The ending of this book will REALLY polarise fans of the series. 

Now, I'm not saying don't read it, or don't start the series, because you might just love it, everybody likes different books and that's great. I'm all for diversity of tastes. However, I'm writing this review to express my specific opinion of the last book in the series. Whereas I gave the first and second books solid 4 and 5 star ratings respectively, I'm awarding this book 3 stars. And that's pretty much only because I liked the other books. If I hadn't enjoyed the first two books so much, this would be getting a 2 star rating. 

Why the strong opinion, you might ask? Well, I feel it is impossible to review this book properly without giving away some particularly spoiler heavy details, so if you prefer to read the book without encountering spoilers, I would suggest you look away now.

Seriously, I'm basically going to spoil the end of the series, if that's not cool with you, go read the books first. 

...

Okay, now onto the juicy stuff. I would normally stage this review by talking about my thoughts on the characters, the plot, the setting, the writing etc. But all of that is unnecessary in this review, because there are (only) 3 key things I strongly disliked about this book, and they all happen within the last 50 pages or so.

Picture the scene. Me, happily reading the conclusion to one of my (previously) favourite series, excited to see how the characters end up, hoping that Nathan (our protagonist) will have a happy life after his previous unfortunate years. Then BAM it hits. The ending. This is it. What will happen? Who will die? Who will live? How will Green wrap up this exciting series?

Oh. Is this it? This is a joke, right?

(1) Firstly, she kills off Gabriel. YES YOU HEARD THAT RIGHT FOLKS. The main draw of this series was the *unusual* decision by Green to make the main character (Nathan) bisexual, and introduce a love interest in the form of gay best-friend type Gabriel. Gabriel was great. He was kind, handsome, and an altogether good guy who gave Nathan some of his happiest memories. They *officially* got together in this book and were set to live by the river together somewhere peaceful. Or they would have done, had Gabriel not been quickly killed off (rather randomly) in the last few pages. 

Which left me screaming to the heavens - WHYYYYYYY???

(2) Secondly, after Gabriel has departed this world (RIP Gabe), it is revealed that Nathan has a son (say waaa?), and Annalise is the mother.

Yup folks, previous father-murderer Annalise who we all wanted to kill ourselves at the end of the second book has apparently given birth to a baby in secret and it was kept from her whilst she was imprisoned etc. Oh yeah and she doesn't die in this book either. No, she gets to live in New York with her new fain husband and son (I guess??) while Gabriel is dead and Nathan is miserable. Exactly the ending I wanted - NOT.

(3) Nathan, miserable and distraught, goes off to live in the woods, by himself. For several pages. He is eventually joined by his brother Arran and Adele who give him a few gifts and continue to stop by occasionally to check on him. Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, we are introduced to the ludicrous idea that because Nathan can transform himself into living animals, he can now adopt the shape of plants and trees (because they're living, I guess?). ERM WHAT. At this point, I think to myself, if he turns into a tree I'm so fucking done.

...

Yes, you guessed it. The novel ends with him becoming a tree. A literal tree. He watches over Gabriel's corpse. It would be poetic if it wasn't so FUCKING RIDICULOUS. Like, who at Penguin thought this was a remotely satisfying ending? (At least this explains the cover art, I suppose...)

As I say, some people will love this book and find it meaningful and poetic but I am not one of those people. I wanted to hurl my copy of the book out of the window as soon as I finished reading.

At the end of this book all I'm left with for my emotional investment, time and money is another dead gay kid (surprises there), a redundant child, and the adventures of tree-boy.

You couldn't make this shit up. Oh no wait, someone did and now it's a published book. Go figure. 

The Night Manager [Review] - Spy Sensation

Strike a pose.

How to introduce The Night Manager? That might be a bit tricky; one look at its impressive cast would probably send you into a fanatical, wheezing fit, if you’re a fan of great British TV. Fortunately, in this daring drama Tom Hiddleston is available on hand as the enigmatic hotelier-turned-spy to resuscitate you…maybe.

Hello? {from the outside} 

Based on the John le Carré novel of the same name, this adaptation of The Night Manager has been updated to suit current day situations and events, moving from the setting of the Cold War to the Arab Spring. The production budget has clearly been set quite high, as the camera blissfully sweeps across luscious oceans, capturing every intricate and scenic detail of gorgeous mountain tops and stunning villas: a true testament to the drama’s grandiose nature. It’s certainly an incredibly cinematic and artistic TV drama, and it knows it. Full of riveting drama, sex, and mystery, the series may as well be a prolonged TV film for its careful construction of every artistic element of its production and editing, but you’d expect nothing less, considering the magnitude of its actors.

They see me rollin', they hatin'.

Television is perhaps a more suitable medium for an adaption of a le Carré novel, and the six part mini-series has plenty of time to fully explore the elements of the thrilling espionage plot. This therefore guarantees a better chance at success, and for the most part, the first palpable taste of The Night Manager is satisfying and offers up a juicy and easily digestible piece of television gold.

Jonathan, I think you have lupus ~it's never lupus~

Tom Hiddleston stars as the notorious ‘Night Manager’, Jonathan Pine, who is recruited quite suddenly by Angela Burr (Olivia Colman), an intelligence operative who has made it her life’s mission to take down arms dealer and ‘worst man in the world’, Richard Roper (Hugh Laurie). In order to do this he must assimilate himself into Roper’s world through unconventional methods, whilst also trying not to be uncovered by any of Roper’s group, including his girlfriend Jed (Elizabeth Debicki), and suspicious associate Major Corcoran (Tom Hollander). As suspected, Hiddleston is utterly convincing in his role, able to show the darker, more committed side to his character that comes with his need to infiltrate big business, whilst also switching between the smart and more faux-courteous side of the role.

#jine4eva

Laurie also flexes his villainous side, proving he doesn’t always have to be the good guy. Laurie manages to embody every characteristic of the ruthless Roper, despite not being on screen for more than a few minutes at a time, which is quite a feat for even a seasoned actor. There is something utterly commanding about his screen presence that is captivating if only for every few fleeting seconds before he saunters off no doubt to orchestrate another crime or two.

Did I leave the stove on?

If you want to read more about my thoughts on Olivia Colman's impressive performance, and the Laurie/Hiddleston play-off then you can do, here.

The Winner's Kiss (The Winner's Trilogy #3) - Marie Rutkoski [Review]

Book: The Winner's Kiss

Author: Marie Rutkoski

Published: 29th March 2016

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Source: eARC provided by publisher via NetGalley

Pages: 496

Rating: 5/5 stars

The last in the Winner's trilogy of books, I was well and truly zazzed for this book (I know, who says zazzed anymore?) - but seriously, I was freakin' excited. 

However, I was slightly cautious because, as I had loved the first two books, I didn't want to be disappointed - so it's fair to say I had high hopes. 

Having now finished this book, it brings me so much joy to say this is THE BEST of the series. Hands down. Seriously, go read the series just for this final book. 

Firstly, for fans of Arin and Kestrel, you can be satisfied that they spend a good portion of this book together, and there's no love triangles or anything like that. Their relationship is played out nicely throughout the book and left me feeling content when I had finished (trying not to give too much away). I think fans will be happy with their story development.

Kestrel is very likable in this book and I was really interested to see how her character developed after the initial events at the start of this book. She has been through A LOT (I mean, girl has had some trials) and she's definitely had a rough go of it, and her character really grows and changes a lot in this book, which I appreciated a lot. 

The sections of the book that focus on Arin are super interesting, and his story-line is very engaging and his character is given a lot more depth in this book, which makes his decisions and actions far more believable. I couldn't predict where his story was going, which I personally enjoyed. 

Rutkoski brings such a poetry to her writing, it truly is a pleasure to read and I wish I could start all over again and read the series for the first time. 

The plot is very engaging and action-packed (with some nice moments for reflection, too) which left me frantically reading through the pages as, boy, I was gripped. Definitely some edge of the seat moments too. 

Ultimately, I am thrilled with how the series has finished, and I would love more stories with some of the secondary characters (and some of my personal faves) like Roshar, or Risha, and I feel like there could definitely be more to find out about the Dacran Queen too. 

So if you're wondering whether to pick up this book, I would thoroughly recommend it, and if you've never started the series (why??) then definitely get cracking, they make a wonderfully written and thoughtful trilogy. 

Foxes - All I Need [Review]

Southampton sweetheart Louisa Rose Allen – stage name Foxes – has been performing professionally since 2011 and has garnered a lot of attention in recent years following her Grammy Award winning ‘Clarity’ collaboration with Zedd. She’s come a long way since her Youth days, and this is evident in her most recent music, which is far more emotional and raw than any of her previous Glorious works, which were almost pristine in their production and a little too glossy on occasion. Her latest album, All I Need, combines pure pop splendour with emotional lyrics to create songs that possess style and substance; when it comes to making a catchy track that still maintains its meaningful nature, very few people do it better than Foxes.

Whilst her previous album was quite ethereal and wistful, All I Need is a far more serious take on her life and her heartbreak, showcasing the darker sides of relationships in devious ‘Devil Side’, a dramatic and edgy ballad that breaks the formula the singer has so dutifully followed before. The raw emotion continues on Scar, a meaningful song where we get to hear Foxes’ impressive voice crack and waver a bit as she truly immerses herself in the music, inviting us in to see a different side to the seemingly upbeat singer.

There is plenty of variety in Allen’s intriguing album, and the calypso-esque Cruel is a tropical tune that is a clear stand-out, while Feet Don’t Fail Me Now shakes things up with a jazzy banger complete with rhythmic clapping and piano beats that make you want to get up and dance. Rather than sticking to what works for her, Allen takes noticeable risks – some pay off, some don’t – especially with ‘Wicked Love and Money’. The former starts off in typical Foxes fashion (melody similar to Youth) but then does a complete switch, changing the tempo and producing a more candy-coated track that is juxtaposed with the harsher nature of the lyrics, making for a thoughtful and overall effective tune. The latter unfortunately does not have the same effect. Is it more than a bit ironic that one of the few songs that doesn’t really have an impact is the eclectic track where Foxes sings dutifully that “Money can’t love you/ Money can’t hold you”. Perhaps Foxes is proving her point a bit too well. This track does absolutely nothing and lacks almost any personality and sense of self.

Despite this, it would be appear Allen has managed to create a new album that, for the most part, has ‘all you need’. The upbeat songs with melancholy undertones are still there of course – but they are presented far more brutally and bare, not overpowered by sweeping synths or powerful percussions. All I Need highlights Allen’s ability as a personable songwriter and also utilizes her infectious vocals to its advantage, resulting in a collection of songs that show just how you produce pop that is both meaningful and conscientiously catchy.

Sia - This is Acting [Review]

Exploding into the mainstream music scene in 2014 with 1000 Forms of Fear, after simultaneously performing and writing songs for years, Sia has become an unstoppable force in the industry. Penning several successful tracks for other artists including Rihanna and Beyoncé, Sia made the transition from behind the scenes to centre stage – despite the fact that she isn’t all too fond of fame itself, and chooses not to show her face during performances, opting instead for her signature silver crop wig. What does a successful song writer do when the tracks she creates are turned down by their intended artist? Fuse them all together to create an interesting new album, of course!

This is Acting is all about the different ‘roles’ Sia is playing by taking on songs designed by her for other artists, and in this way, she is toying with different personas, and acting her way through their ‘style’. In some songs this is quite literal, as she puts on slight accents and adjusts her vocal delivery to give a convincing performance as that star – ‘Move Your Body’ is a prime example of this, as Sia puts on an uncanny Shakira impersonation that the Colombian would be proud of. This is acting at its best, and Sia is a seasoned professional.

A risky venture, Sia manages to pull it off for the most part, and in some cases we get some unexpected gems from the singer. ‘Cheap Thrills’, an exotic EDM mash-up that is very ‘Pon De Replay’ – it’s almost an exciting game in itself to guess who each song was written for – and full of good old summer fun. If you’re on the look-out for the next ‘Chandelier’ then you may find it in the form of ‘Alive’, a powerful anthem that stretches Sia’s vocals to their limits; the end result is quite something. ‘Unstoppable’ is an invigorating delight that is a cheat-sheet for how to make the perfect pop song, whilst ‘House On Fire’ will surely add a bit of spark back into your life with its passionate simplicity.

Of course, for every success there are usually a few missteps, and Sia is not without fault, as tracks like ‘Reaper’ fall flat and don’t possess the same power or acting prowess to see them through to a sturdy finale. Similarly for ‘Sweet Design’ which sounds like a disappointing tribute act to some jazzy pop singer.

While This is Acting is almost like parody, and far from her most personable album (after all, that is kind of the point), it is actually rather clever in the way in which it manipulates songs written for other singers and gives them the ‘Sia effect’. What this means for her future is uncertain, but Sia’s latest album is a testament to her impressive ability as a songwriter and most importantly, her versatility as an artist.