Bookalicious // a ya book blog

October 13, 2016 by Bianca Leave a Comment

Review: Did I Mention I Miss You? by Estelle Maskame

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Title: Did I Mention I Miss You?

Series: DIMILY Trilogy
Book Number: #3
Author/s: Estelle Maskame

Publication Date: December 1st, 2016
Publisher: Black and White Publishing

Pages: 408

Synopsis:

Eden’s on her way back to Santa Monica for the summer, and she hasn’t seen Tyler since the devastating fallout of their forbidden relationship. Eden claims to have moved on—but Tyler wants to rekindle the flame.

He convinces Eden to visit his new home in Portland, Oregon, where he has set up a center for troubled teens. Eden’s proud of what he’s built, but the last time they were together, it nearly destroyed Eden and their family. Then a tragedy draws them together, and Eden must search her heart and decide if Tyler is worth the risk once and for all.

my review contains spoilers for the first and second books (only)

I had to make sure everything was perfect, before sitting down to indulge in this book, after all, it was the final instalment of one of my favourite series and the end of this novel meant the end of Tyler and Eden’s story. Oh God, did I really want to go through this?

I often associate atmospheres (particularly in books) with vision-board-type descriptions. I feel like DIMILY was a palette of pink, orange, and blue, with vintage polaroids of roads lined with palm trees and the Hollywood hills. DIMINY was a view of New York, Central Park in the front-centre, with a selection of happy colours mixed in with dull blues and greys. Did I Mention I Miss You?, however, was black. The mood set from the get go was dark, angry, sad. Fourth of July, rather than being a memorable and happy holiday, was depressing – as if the memory had been coated with a monochrome filter. Whilst I miss the beautiful joy in the first two books, the raw emotions created by Estelle Maskame were extraordinary and rather necessary for creating a flawless plot.

One thing I must comment on is the phrase “I fire him a questioning glance.” It’s one of the very few things negative in this book, but nevertheless, the frequency of this sentence was super annoying.
Probably the only other negative aspect of this book was that I was waiting and waiting for something big to happen. Please, if you’ve read this book, tell me what you think of my judgment?

“That’s the thing about distance: It either gives you time to move on form someone, or it makes you realise just how much you need them.”

I’m kind of in two minds about that, though. Like, on one hand I like the natural vibe but I just wanted a super cheesy romantic SOMETHING!! AHHH!! The ending was perfect though. It kind of screamed “we’ve been through Hell and back again but we sure aren’t going to stop here. Not now, not ever.” It was pure and honest and made you believe it was a true story.

I must say, Estelle Maskame’s DIMILY series was the perfect trio of novels to lift me out of this ridiculously huge book-hiatus. I hadn’t finished a single book in numerous months (I was feeling guilty to the max.) and I pulled the idea to reread Did I Mention I Love You? out of thin air, and boy don’t I regret it. Every sentence I read was poetic and overflowing with elegance, the words danced around in my head like you’d imagine fairies would around a flower patch. Maskame’s characters lept into my mind every waking second, and all I could think was “what are they going to do when I open up the book again”. I’m truly grateful for the literary brilliance I have discovered over the past year, and I always will be.

“Oh, little Eden from the forests of Portland, welcome to the real world.”

This sure is not the greatest review I’ve ever written, but I wasn’t expecting it to be when I began writing it. I wanted this post to be a raw collection of my feelings, penned whilst flipping through the pages. To truly understand the significance of a light hearted romance, with a teaspoon of sass and a cup of darkness, you must seek out Maskame’s DIMILY series; it will make you smile, laugh, cry, and long for more.

Thank you for joining me on this journey! 🙂

Have you read Estelle’s DIMILY series? Who was your favourite character, and which was your favourite book?

October 10, 2016 by Bianca Leave a Comment

Rita Stradling on How to Survive Under Dracon Rule

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Title: Rex

Series: The Dakota Kekoa Series
Book Number: #2
Author/s: Rita Stradling

Publication Date: October 11th, 2016

Pages: 430

Purchase: Amazon

I saw Majanka, from Enchanted Book Promotions, asking for book bloggers to help the word get out about Rita Stradling’s new novel, Rex, and as soon as I had read the synopsis, I was glued – precisely why I chose to host a tour stop! I’ve invited the incredible author, Rita Stradling, to write a guest post, and at the very bottom of this post is an excerpt of Rex (which you should definitely read – it is incredible)!!

Enjoy! 🙂

[Read more…]

December 22, 2015 by Bianca 2 Comments

Review: Did I Mention I Love You? by Estelle Maskame

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Title: Did I Mention I Love You?

Series: DIMILY Trilogy
Book Number: #1
Author/s: Estelle Maskame

Publication Date: December 1st, 2015
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Pages: 421

Synopsis:

Love is everything but expected.

Eden Munro came to California for a summer of sun, sand, and celebrities- what better way to forget about the drama back home? Until she meets her new family of strangers; a dad she hasn’t seen in three years, a stepmonster, and three stepbrothers.

Eden gets her own room in her dad’s fancy house in Santa Monica. A room right next door to her oldest stepbrother. Tyler Bruce. Whom she cannot stand. He has angry blue eyes and an ego bigger than a Beverly Hills mansion. She’s never felt such intense dislike for someone. But the two are constantly thrown together as his group of friends pulls her into their world of rule-breaking, partying, and pier-hanging

And the more she tries to understand what makes Tyler burn hotter than the California sun, the more Eden finds herself falling for the one person she shouldn’t…

Did I Mention I Love You? is the addictive first book in Wattpad sensation Estelle Maskame’s DIMIY trilogy: three unforgettable summers of secrets, heartbreak, and forbidden romance.

[Read more…]

December 7, 2015 by Bianca Leave a Comment

A Letter from Suzanne Collins

November the 18th was an emotional day for Australian fangirls. Most readers have that one book (or series) that unlocked the gates to the world of books; a place in which they spend their time obsessing over fictional characters, wishing they lived in fictional lands and, of course, reading. Lots and lots of reading. In fact, it’s rare to find these people doing anything but that.

Without a doubt, these bookworms, prior to flipping this significant book’s pages, would have read before. They’d have travelled through numerous mythical lands, probably even having ridden dragons before, but I can assure you that every reader has this one book that means the world to them, and whilst Harry Potter is certainly favoured, The Hunger Games held the key -to the land of the books- for many bookworms.

Now, back to all of the emotions (did you really think that you’d get away from this?). On the 18th of November, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 was released to the public in Australia, beckoning the very end of the Hunger Games era, for this is the final book-to-movie adaptation of Suzanne Collins beloved trilogy.

It comes as no surprise to us, of course. We all knew the day would eventually come. We’d been preparing our tissues since 2008- when Collins released the first book in the adventurous, awe-inspiring series.

I was personally thrilled with the result of Francis Lawrence’s work on the movies, particularly Mockingjay Part 2. It stayed true to the words written on the 392 adored pages, perfectly conveying every ounce of emotion weaved in between the 100,269 words. I’d like to applaud Jennifer Lawrence on her admirable portrayal of Katniss Everdeen- notably in the Buttercup scene (yes, the one in which you could hear the entire audience stifling their tears, that’s the one). Joshua Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth on their outstanding imitation of the lover-boys and Willow Shields on her small but all-the-more mighty performance as Prim, the ~~explosive~~ adorable little sister.

Suzanne Collins is tying off the world of Panem with a bow, too. She understands as well as we do that the end is the end, and that is final. Here are her last official words on the Hunger Games series and franchise:

Having spent the last decade in Panem, it’s time to move on to other lands. But before I do, I’d like to say a tremendous thank you to everyone associated with the film franchise. I’m thrilled with how this quartet of films, which I find both faithful to the books and innovative in its own right, has been brought to life on the screen.

In an earlier letter I credited director Gary Ross for his wonderful rendering of the first book, but now I turn to Francis Lawrence who has so amazingly helmed the rest of the franchise. Creating three big budget films in three years, that’s a feat in itself. But I doubt many could do it with his incredible visual style, edge-of-your-seat action sequences, and hardcore commitment to difficult themes. Thank you, Francis, for showing up, for staying, for always hearing me out, for your unfailing good nature, and for bringing your remarkable talent to these films.

Billy Ray, Gary Ross, Simon Beaufoy, Michael Arndt, Danny Strong and Peter Craig, gifted writers all, thank you for sharing your pens, brains, and wealth of experience as we transformed three books into four scripts. A screenplay is a very different animal than a novel, and it was a pleasure and an education to work with you and watch you weave your magic.

There’s no Hunger Games without Katniss. I hoped for someone good enough, and I got someone who exceeded all my expectations. Jennifer Lawrence, your emotional depth, luminous presence, and sheer power carry this story and I will always be grateful to you for opening the door and allowing it to come into your life. And for the rest of the cast, if I had a chance, who would I replace in these films? No one. I don’t think there’s a weak link in the chain, and what an exquisite chain it is. I still can’t believe half of you came on board. You blow me away with your ability to bring out the humanity of these characters from under outlandish wigs, while fighting lizard mutts, pumped with tracker jacker serum, waging war and so much more. Thank you for volunteering for the Games and inhabiting these characters with such texture, color, humor and pain.

Much thanks to our masterful Production Designer Phil Messina and the many top-notch designers who signed on. It has been a delight to watch you fashion and expand the world of Panem, whether by hand-crafted or computer-based means. From the excess of the Capitol to the claustrophobic hive of District 13 to the violent scenes of civil war, you have taken the ball and run with it in fabulously detailed and thoughtful ways, grounding the fantastical, and fusing disparate elements into a cohesive reality. And to composer James Newton Howard for his moving and evocative scoring of the franchise, which so hauntingly reflects the heart of the story.

For my producers, Nina Jacobson of Color Force, who was there from the beginning, and Jon Kilik, who joined us soon after, thank you both for bringing your dedication, energy, and many talents to this huge project. I can’t emphasize enough how grateful I am to you and the excellent team at Lionsgate for protecting the work, for not swerving away from the harder moments, and for allowing the themes and narrative of the books to play out as originally conceived. And sincere appreciation to Tim Palen for his brilliant marketing campaign, Julie Fontaine for her stellar PR, and the entire gang at Lionsgate for tirelessly presenting the franchise to a global audience.

Thousands of people have worked on these films in a myriad of ways, prepping, shooting, in post production, and promotion. Please, anybody seeing them, take a few moments to watch the credits and acknowledge the enormous collaborative effort that goes into making a franchise.

For me, The Hunger Games Trilogy is part of a larger goal to introduce the ideas of just war theory to young audiences, but how much wider and more varied an audience came with the films, and the credit for that goes to all of you who contributed so much to this project.

Finally, to all the readers and viewers who have accompanied Katniss on her journey, thank you for playing a role in The Hunger Games, you are truly a vital part of the experience.

May the odds be ever in your favour!

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December 6, 2015 by Bianca 3 Comments

Review: Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

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Title: Illuminae

Series: The Illuminae Files
Book Number: #1
Author/s: Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Publication Date: October 20th, 2015
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Pages: 599

Purchase: Amazon | iBooks | Booktopia | The Book Depository

Synopsis:

This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do.

This afternoon, her planet was invaded.

The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.

But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet’s AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it’s clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she’d never speak to again.

Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.

This morning, Bianca woke up thinking it would be an ordinary Saturday.

This afternoon, she was trying not to die from Illuminae-deprivation-itis (yes, of course that’s an actual thing… What are you talking about?).

As exemplified by my lack of reviews recently, I haven’t read a whole lot for a couple of months. Life just decided to get in the way of me flicking through pages and consequently, my motivation to read as much as before died a little, but Kaufman and Kristoff managed to bring it back with their brand new novel, Illuminae – part one of the Illuminae Files [trilogy to-be].

I discovered this treasure after trawling through Amie’s website during my These-Broken-Stars-Hangover and preordered it back in September. Shipping issues delayed the book by 20 ARDUOUS DAYS but as soon as I got my hands on the novel, it was impossible to put it back down again.

The BFGIB (Bianca formula for getting into books) states that it will, on average, take a third of the book’s pages to get you hooked (hence why I urge friends to read up until 50% when they complain about not enjoying any given story), but Illuminae completely tore my theory apart – only taking a single interview (18 pages) to grow an attachment between myself and the story.

“I am frequently underestimated. I think it’s because I’m short.”

The moment you open Illuminae, you know it’s going to be different from every other book you read. There is no space for ordinary pages as the book is filled to the brim with interrogations (Amie Kaufman’s signature style, it seems), eMails, journal entries, inter-ship instant messaging, AI-processing pages, surveillance footage summaries, Ezra’s wonderful illustrations and other exclusive records. The novel was set out as a compilation of files and documents eMailed from a group (called ‘Illuminae’) to a mystery person we are only introduced to as ‘Director’ (this is revealed in the very end, and it, no doubt, is going to be the basis on which part 2 of the Illuminae Files will be written on). This unique style makes the world appear more realistic to readers, and the novel more engaging to read (however, it’s amazing plot has a lot to say for that, too).
“I listed to his heartbeat. Hear him breathe. As thought becomes motion and motion become all that lies between him and the end. As the black is burned blue with the light of tiny funeral pyres. As his missiles and bullets take away his enemies, all they were and will ever be. I can taste it in his sweat. Hear it in his whispers. See it in the tiny photograph he has taped to his console. All he thinks of amid this loveless dance, all he cares about here on the edge of forever, is her. He does not want to die. Not because he is afraid. Simply because he cannot bear the thought of leaving her behind. And there, in that tiny moment, I envy him.”
Throughout the book, there are about a dozen recurring characters who have all been built, by Kaufman and Kristoff, to perfection. The two most predominant personalities, Ezra Mason and Kady Grant had two completely different backgrounds, of which interlaced before the setting of the actual story depicted in Illuminae – the two characters had been dating for some time and broke up the morning of the attack which isn’t something I have seen in any YA novels, to date. Or any novels, for that matter. Each character – large or minor – had their own personalities that conversed perfectly and established witty, serious or emotional conversations at the appropriate times – conveying a purposeful element of human-likeness, even when the subjects are in the midst of a zombie apocalypse… ~~Kind of.~~

“Perhaps bravery is simply the face humanity wraps around its collective madness.”

I noticed some similarities between Amie Kaufman’s co-authored book ‘These Broken Stars‘ and Illuminae, including the setting in space and the interviews, but it didn’t pose a problem for me, personally. I think it is lovely when an author has a trademark style, but others may perceive this as boring, useless and lacking originality.

I had two favourite aspects in the pair’s novel; the fact that the AI system had a sense of self (which caused quite a few issues) and the impeccable amount of romance – not too little, not too much and it was always meaningful.

One of the most talked about subjects, when discussing artificial intelligence, is how they could take over the world and destroy humanity; especially if they were self aware. Kristoff and Kaufman took this to a new height when AIDAN (Artificial Intelligence Defence Analytics Network, virtually the brain and beating heart of the Alexander-78V) was aware of its job -keeping as many people alive as possible- and knew it was more powerful than any of the humans aboard, which essentially drove it crazy.

I’ve read a decent amount of reviews touching on the subject of the romance aboard Illuminae and how it was too much, too cliche. I’m not going to go into a lot of detail, but the one thing I kept in mind when reading the ‘love story’ bits was this: when your family is gone, and you have the one person that you used to love in front of you, the only remnant of your home planet, what would you do? (& I advise that all prospective readers keep it in their head, too.)

So, overall, this book was AMAZING!

If you loved Amie Kaufman’s ‘These Broken Stars’, you’re going to adore this novel, and even if you didn’t, Illuminae is a fresh idea that is fit to intrigue even the fussiest of bookworms. 😌

ALSO: Illuminae’s film rights have been bought by Brad Pitt’s ‘Plan B Entertainment’ who created ‘12 Years a Slave‘ and ‘World War Z‘. Read more here!

Are there any book-to-movie adaptations you’re looking forward to? Who would you cast as the main character and why?