The Secret of Drue Isle

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab My rating: 5 of 5 stars "Crime isn't that complicated," she said. "People steal because taking something gives them something. If they're not in it for the money, they're in it for control. The act of taking, of breaking the rules, makes them feel powerful. They're in it for the sheer defiance." She turned away. "Some people steal to stay alive, and some steal to feel alive. Simple as that." Magic. The symbol of power. Who does not like magic? However, there is a twist here. Magic is dying. There are always consequences, after all. No, let me rephrase that. There are four different Londons: Red, Grey, White, and Black. At least that is how Master Kell classifies. So, there are four versions of Londons. One might wonder then if there are four version of a single individual. Oh well, magic is at work. All these different Londons are on different stages of magic, black one being black. Dead. And the...

White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi My rating: 4 of 5 stars “White is for witching, a colour to be worn so that all other colours can enter you, so that you may use them. At a pinch, cream will do.” This book was another assignment. I loved the writing, and the story was well crafted. Oyeyemi brought her characters to life through words. However, what do you do if the villain is actually your house? What if that house protects only the women of the family? What if that turns them mad? I can say that it was a great way to remind myself of Edgar Allen Poe if nothing else. Some of the moments in the story are sick, but what isn't. Life is not fair. We say that to our self all the time. The tale is gothic. Weird things are supposed to happen. They do. I will be honest that I was grossed out multiple times. However, pain makes people do things. So, it is hard to blame the characters. The state of minds of this characters is so strong that it left me breathless. Each of them...

I Am the Weapon by Allen Zadoff My rating: 4 of 5 stars “I listen as I walk down the hall, measuring off the seconds before she closes the door. With a friend, you might close it right behind them. With someone you’re interested in, you might wait a few seconds before closing. And with someone you’re falling for . . . With someone you’re falling for, you don’t go inside. You wait and watch them go. Just like she’s doing now.” Well, I read this as a part of a class assignment. Maybe, I wouldn't have looked into this book otherwise, but oh well. I am glad that I got hands on this book through the school library. Note that this book was initially titled as 'Boy Nobody' and heaven knows that I picked up the book since I found the title interesting. Now, it is called 'I am the Weapon' as you can see. They obviously co-relate since the weapon is the boy who calls himself a nobody if you know what I mean. The best part of the book for me is something silly. There ...

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black My rating: 5 of 5 stars “Because you’re like a story that hasn’t happened yet. Because I want to see what you will do. I want to be part of the unfolding of the tale.” This was my first Holly Black book that I really finished and loved. Like truly loved. The whole concept was truly intriguing. If you are a fan of Sarah J Mass or Cassandra Clare, then you should definitely go for this one. You wouldn't be disappointed. So, as anyone else who read this book, you are going to completely hate Prince Cardan from the very start. However, don't be tricked by the deception! I agree that he plays a huge role in embarrassing as well as abusing Jude. Furthermore, it is obviously hard for a human to live with Fae folks. Obviously... Well, it is true that Cardan abuses her. Jude gets her way in abducting him though. She also learns the true nature of Cardan. He is a disappointment in his family. As such, he shows cruelness to others. Kindness is a we...

A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir My rating: 4 of 5 stars “Strange how monsters can reach from beyond the grave, as potent in death as they were in life.” The series was amazing from the very start. In all the books so far, Tahir uses words wise enough to reach the minds of the readers and just capture it to the fullest. I was engrossed in the books from the very start. The series gets nastier and only darker with each book. There is a ton of abuse throughout. I honestly get really frustrated when women are treated like objects in a society even if it's not real. It is not right. I guess some authors just use it as an element to raise awareness of a sort. It is laughable how some women are treated like animals and the others are feared. Some aspects are just weighed by the nature of the origin of the person. In this case, the land of scholars is under the conquerors. The things just keep getting worst and worst. Elias and Laia are both embers in ashes. As such, they mu...

13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson My rating: 4 of 5 stars "Some people believe that they are guided by the forces, that the universe cuts paths for them through the dense forest of life, showing them where to go." My first reaction: Oh no! What did you do? Ginny Blackstone, you lost the last letter. Why didn't you just read it when you had the chance! If I were to write the 13th letter it would go like this: Dear Ms. Johnson, I don't know why it took me a second try to read this book. I should have read it a long time ago. It was an amazing journey through and through if I must tell you. Your book affirmed that sometimes some madness is needed to reach higher up in life. I guess we all are mad here. At least that's what the Mad Hatter said. Some more than others like Aunt Peg, for one. We all hope to have someone like Aunt Peg in our lives. Some do, I suppose, even though they don't realize that. Just think about the person that inspi...

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater My rating: 3 of 5 stars “He strode over to the ruined church. This, Blue had discovered, was how Gansey got places - striding. Walking was for ordinary people.” I started reading this book because of the reviews I saw. As I started reading this book, it was clear that this is a book with words. So, I carried on reading, but at a point, I couldn't go further. I can say that I haven't read a book precisely like this one, so it was not a cliche read. However, it kind of got boring. It is clear that something is wrong in the small town where Blue lives. Of course, then there are Raven Boys. I thought that the whole concept of the fate was interesting. From the very start, we know that Gansey is Blue's soulmate. Then the whole contest is to see is how they get together. Gansey is a weird person, and that makes him my favorite character in the book. As such, I was surprised that Adam came out of nowhere and caused all the confusion. And...

In a Perfect World by Trish Doller My rating: 4 of 5 stars "Is that all we'll ever be to each other? Memories?" I was supposed to read this book a long time ago, but I rain checked several times. Yeah, my bad... The book is really serious through and through. The religion of Islam is at play it. I feel like it was quite realistic. I have seen people just assume wrong about the religion and the people related to it. They believe that since one person with the religion is bad means the whole community is the same. It is wrong, though. It is called stereotyping. Which leads to prejudice. Which leads to discrimination. What if this cycle was repeated with you. What if someone criticized you without any reason? Would you still hold the same view of the world then? The book is a love story. However, it is also a story about growing up. It is also about keeping an open mind and learn about a different culture while keeping ethnocentrism in some dark place. People are dif...

So, recently, I started writing on Wattpad. It made me wonder: Why in the world didn't I start writing on Wattpad a long time ago? Well, probably because I never thought about writing. It is a great platform though. However, how do you increase your popularity on Wattpad? There are millions of writers, after all. So, I strolled onto various posts of some other fellow Wattpaders to find out what they suggested. There are various ways you can gain popularity on Wattpad, they suggested. The first thing you can do is just search various writers and/or books and follow the writers. You might get lucky and then they will follow you. It happened to me although I went and did that without looking much into the matter. Some have follow for follow policy. Most don't though, so don't feel sad. It takes patience. The second thing you can do is add some books to a reading list. Just don't read them because they are the most popular ones. Read them because you feel that they are...

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo My rating: 5 of 5 stars “When everyone knows you’re a monster, you needn’t waste time doing every monstrous thing.” ― Leigh Bardugo, Six of Crows The book was amazing from the very beginning. It was quite eye-captivating. Well, when I started reading the first chapter, I was like whats going on here. Still, I kept reading. Surprisingly, the first chapter was just filled with minor chapters. It was just supposed to create a way for the rest of the novel. Also, I was not sure about multiple perspectives. However, each of the six characters is really important. There are stories within stories. When I say that, what I really mean is that they have their past and future. The gest is about how these two threads affect their present. There is also an issue about money. Greed can make people do stupid things. Each of this characters is going through certain things. Despite their various falling, they seem to stick together like glue, almost like family...