Review: Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier

"I guess you saw what you wanted to see."

I actually finished this book yesterday, but I had to take a full 24 hours to think about what I wanted to say, because this book just has so much going on.

In terms of the thriller element, you can't fault it, and that's why I've given it five stars. I was hooked from the very first page, and even though this is a very gritty novel that deals with some very real issues, it is well-written and you can't help but want to read on. I couldn't put it down, even during the moments that were quite difficult to read.

I wrote myself some notes as I was reading this book, and one of the first things I wrote about the first chapter was this: 'First chapter = ?! Amazing! I'm hooked!' If the first chapter of this book doesn't make you want to read the rest of it, I don't know what will.

Our main character, Geo, is... peculiar, to say the least. I can't say I'm a massive fan - and I don't know if that was the point of her, but she wasn't a character for me. That being said, I think she is perfect for this novel; interesting and different enough to keep me reading the entire way through.

Highly recommend this if you want a gritty thriller full of twists and turns!

Review: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

I cannot even begin to describe how much I loved this. Well, put it this way: if I was going to write a book (it's on my list!), this is exactly the kind of book I would want to write. I just love the whole fantasy theme, court setting, mythical creatures thing... it's just my favourite type of book.

So, Feyre is a young girl who hunts in the enchanted woods in order to feed her family, who have fallen on hard times. While hunting one day, she shoots and kills what looks like a wolf, but is actually a faerie from Prythian - the faerie kingdom that exists at the expense of the human realm. As punishment for killing a magical creature, Feyre is sentenced to live out her days at the Spring Court, amongst faeries of all kinds, and it is here that she meets Tamlin. They fall in love, but all is not what it seems in Prythian, and Feyre is forced to prove her love in order to save the Spring Court and the entire faerie realm.

We also meet a character called Rhysand, who is very mysterious, and I cannot help but wonder how his relationship with Feyre will develop in the second and third books. This book has everything you could want from a fantasy novel, and I cannot wait to dive into the second book.