Review: The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

'For here, in the very worst of circumstances, is the very best of humanity.'

There is no better way to describe this book, really. The problem that I have with books of this calibre is that to say that I enjoy them seems like the wrong thing to say. But I did thoroughly enjoy this.

Lale Sokolov is tricked into volunteering to go to Auschwitz under the guise of 'working', and he is given the job of Tatowierer, tattooing the identification numbers onto the arms of prisoners that arrive. He hates the job and everything it represents, but he does it because it grants him certain 'privileges', such as extra food rations, which he uses to help those who need it more.

One of these people is a young girl called Gita, who Lale falls instantly in love with, and it is their love story that becomes the centre of this book. This book is... hopeful, I guess, and reminds you that even when all seems lost, the basic goodness of people can help uplift you.

Review: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

I LOVED THIS! LOVED IT! Just wanted to get that out of the way. Also, look at that cover! It's a BEAUTIFUL book.

The Cruel Prince is primarily about a young girl called Jude, who, along with her twin sister Taryn and older sister Vivienne, is kidnapped and taken to the land of the fey, by the same man who murders their parents in front of their eyes. They are then forced to grow up in a world that they do not know, surrounded by faeries who believe that mortals are an inferior species.

As she gets older, Jude finds herself in a tit-for-tat power battle with the youngest prince of Faerieland, Prince Cardan, whose disdain for mortals governs his entire life. But all is not what it seems...

I could not put this book down. At all. I just had to know what happened next, and now I HAVE to have the next book (if there will be a next book) the second it comes out. I really hope there is a sequel, but this book ends in such a way that if there isn't one, it still works. I cannot say enough good things about this - a must-read for fantasy lovers.