The British Book Nerd

Incredible! :) You can check out my full review here.

Hilarious! :D You can check out my full review here.

You can check out my full review here.

Wonderful! You can check out my full review here.

You can check out my full review here.

Fantastic! You can check out my full review here.

Absolutely incredible! You can check out my full review here.

Even better than the first! You can check out my full review here.

An awesome book! You can check out my full review here.

You can check out my full Review here.

Awesome book! :D A big thanks to Daria who sent me this for review. You can check out my full Review here.

Icons took me much longer to read than I expected it too – not because it was a bad book, but because it was quite full on and a heavy read. The amount of detail and information in Icons is pretty overwhelming, but also fascinating and interesting at the same time. Right from the beginning of this book you are dropped into this post-apocalyptic world where Aliens - known as Icons - have taken over the earth and are ruling. The world itself is amazing and very descriptive, however I did find myself lost and very confused at quite a few times intervals throughout the book. It seemed as if Margaret Stohl had just wanted to cram as much information and details into the first book, when really I thought it would have been a bit better if she’d toned it down a little. However, this did not detract from the fact that this book was a wonderful read.

Dol is our main protagonist and lost her parents on The Day when she was just a baby. I loved Dol’s character, she was fantastic – but she was also; strong, loyal and well grounded – everything I love in a protagonist. I’m always on the lookout for awesome characters that I’d love to be friends with, and Dol definitely fits into that category. Dol definitely knew how to stand up for herself and say what she means, which I found really admirable. I can’t wait to see if she progresses into an even better character in the next book.

Ro is Dol’s best friend, they grew up together and have a special bond that is incredibly hard to describe. Their friendship was amazing to read about, and I loved reading the scenes where it was just the two of them together. Their friendship was so raw and deep and they have a wonderful connection. Lucas is the Ambassador’s son; Dol’s enemy is so many ways but also her ally – but Dol and Lucas also share a connection and attraction. I found it a little annoying how quickly Dol and Lucas fell for each other – a sense a bit of insta love – but their friendship was lovely. And lastly it’s Tima - the fourth and final one of our characters - and probably the most bad-ass in my opinion. I loved Tima’s character, she had a rough exterior, but inside she was very caring and a really awesome character.

Usually I’m not one for love triangles – at all – so when I realised that Icons would contain one, I was a little wary. However on this particular occasion, it did not make me cringe or become frustrated, and I was truly and honestly curious about who Dol would choose to be with. What I loved about Dol’s relationship with both Ro and Lucas was that they were entirely real, and she had genuine feelings for both of them. There are obvious and different reasons why she was attracted to each of them and I felt like I could actually feel the conflict raging inside her. To be perfectly honest though, I didn’t have a preference about who Dol ended up with. To me, it seemed more important that they should all keep together as friends – and think about love after that – but oh well.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading Icons – it may have taken about 30 pages or so to get into, but I thought it was a fantastic book. The plotline for the novel is incredibly unique and I’ve not read anything like it before. Margaret Stohl’s writing is lovely and such a pleasure to read – her writing style goes above and beyond what I expected. As I’ve not read anything by Margaret Stohl yet, I was a little apprehensive at first about starting Icons. So many people rave about the Beautiful Creatures series that she co-wrote with Kami Garcia, that I was worried that her writing style would be way overhyped – but it definitely wasn’t! I believe Icons well and truly earned the 4/5 star rating I gave it, and I probably would have given it more if it weren’t for the things I’ve mentioned and the fact it took me so long to get through. I can’t wait to find out what happens in the sequel to this book, I’m sure it’ll be just as good and go on to be a fantastic series!

Loved this!

There is always this little flicker of doubt in my mind when I start reading a sequel to a book I really enjoyed. I’m usually worried that the next book would not compare to the first, but I’m really glad to say that Confessions of an Almost-Girlfriend was just as good, if not better than Confessions of an Angry Girl! I usually read a few contemporary books, and then move onto another genre, but I always come back to contemporary, because there are so many fantastic books and they’re also really quick and easy to read. So after reading a few paranormal/supernatural novels, I was more than happy to pick up Confessions of an Almost-Girlfriend. And once I started to read it, I didn’t realise how much I’d missed the characters from this series and was really eager to find out what would happen to Rose in this book.

Rose’s character has developed so much in the space between the first book and this one and I thought that was great. She’s much more mature, open-minded and tries her best to keep a level-head throughout the book. I also thought that Rose was a lot more interesting to read about, it was great to see her trying to figure out who she really wants to be – and when she finally does, seeing her accept it and be happy about it. At the end of the day; Rose is just a teenager - teenagers mess up and make mistakes – and I believe that this book was great in portraying this. I loved how Rose’s attitude has changed since the first book as well; there was barely any of the bitchiness, like how she was towards her friend Robert in the first book. She actually seemed to take time to consider what she was going to say, rather than to let her mouth run away from her.

I’m pretty sure I mentioned in my review of the first book in this series, about how irritating I found Jamie’s character. Jamie seemed just as, if not more so annoying in this book – and I really felt like I really just wanted to attack him with a stick. In Confessions of an Almost-Girlfriend, we learn a little more about Jamie’s background and past, which I thought was great and I enjoyed reading about it, because there wasn’t much mentioned in the first book. However, he was also more brooding and unattached – don’t get me wrong, I love a bad boy just as much as the rest of you – but Jamie’s character just seems irritating and a big pain in the butt. It’s not fair of him to go around kissing Rose one minute, and then the next telling her she deserves better – make up your mind!

Overall, I really enjoyed reading Confessions of an Almost-Girlfriend and I thought it was a fantastic book. I love Louise Rozett’s writing – as I must have said lots of times before – it’s funny, interesting and quirky, but she can also create an air of seriousness. In the first book in this series, Louise was trying to get the message across about safe sex, and in this book I believe she was trying to let people know about the affects of psychical abuse, both physically and mentally. There are so many ways that Louise Rozett could have gone wrong with writing about these sensitive subjects, but she does so in a way that actually makes you stop to think about what you’re reading. I can’t wait to find out what happens to Rose in the next book; do Jamie and Rose get together? If not, does she find someone better (and in my opinion) more suited to her? I’m sure the next novel in this series will be just as good! I believe the 4/5 star rating was well and truly earned; Louise Rozett is going to go far with her writing, I can tell! I’d highly recommend this to anyone who loves a good contemporary romance series. Keep an eye out for it!

I really enjoyed this book! It was a little confusing at times, mainly because of the switching between present and past tense - but nothing too major.

Favourite quote:
'It turns out, if you bury bodies in a place regularly flooded by hurricanes, all the skeletons will pop out of the ground. Then you'll find your loved ones remains dangling from trees and fences, or even down at the beach, like something out of a horror movie.' - Page 24.

I would like to start off this review by saying, Anatomy of a Boyfriend is definitely not a book for younger readers – or for people in general who just don’t like sexual scenes. This is probably already obvious because of the title (and cover for that matter), but I just wanted to give you guys a heads up. I really enjoyed reading Anatomy of a Boyfriend; it’s a sweet and lovely story about first love and discovering sex. By the end of Anatomy of a Boyfriend, I was actually crying; not overly obsessive sobbing, but tears that trickled down my cheeks. I’m sure everyone remembers the first person they fell in love with – whether you’re still together or not, you know what it feels like; to feel you’re flying above the clouds and that nothing else matters but that person. But can you remember the feeling of losing the person you love? If not, I’m not really sure how you’ll be able to identify with the emotions in this book. But if you do, it’s sure to bring up some emotions about how it felt when you did.

Dominique is our main protagonist and plans to be a premed student in the fall when she goes to college. She has her entire life planned out in front of her and didn’t think anything could distract her from her path – until she meets Wes. I really loved Dom’s character; she was funny, kind, caring, interesting and really smart. All of these qualities I find really great to read about in characters. All of the emotions that Dom felt, were so raw and fresh that you could almost feel them radiating off the page. Even though Dom is seventeen in this book, I didn’t really feel like she was. To me, she seemed much younger throughout the book, maybe even about fifteen years old. Although there were times where she acted more her age, mostly she seemed very young. I don’t have any issues with this though, because so many people are like Dominique – and I believe that love has to ability to make someone seem younger or older than they are. It’s just the way it goes.

Wes is the love-interest in this novel, and quite frankly, I didn’t really like his character very much at all. I thought he was a little bland and dry, with not much personality. Sure, we learn that he’s shy and is a track runner – but that’s pretty much it. I was a little disappointed that there wasn’t a little more depth to his character, as I really couldn’t see what Dom saw in him. However Wes’s and Dom’s relationship was lovely and the chemistry between them was fantastic. They didn’t seem to do anything but make-out or sleep together in the book, but they’re teenagers – what do you expect? The only reason this book didn’t receive a 5/5 star rating, was because of Wes’s character, I’m not sure whether this is because he’s just not my type – or whether it’s to do with the fact that he wasn’t developed enough in my opinion. Either way, I thought his character let the book down quite a bit.

Even though I’m no longer a teenager and have been ‘of age’ for quite some time now, I found myself quite worried about leaving this book alone in the same room as my mum. Of course I’m not embarrassed about reading a novel with sexual scenes in, but I am embarrassed about the idea of having a conversation about these matters with my mum when it really isn’t necessary. My mum is an open adult and I’m sure she’s come across her fair share of sexual scenes whilst reading her own books – so why was I worried about leaving it alone? I honestly have no idea – maybe I just don’t want my mum thinking I’m constantly reading erotica. (Which I don’t – not that it matters though) As I have no experience in reviewing books that fall into this category, it’s hard to give my opinion on them. The sexual scenes in Anatomy of a Boyfriend were a little dry, but overall were pretty good. However, they did seem a little clinical, like they were written for a textbook – but giving the fact that the main character, Dom, is a premed student – it doesn’t seem that strange at all.

Overall, I thought Anatomy of a Boyfriend was a great read with some interesting and unique characters that I thought were really relatable. Daria Snadowsky’s writing is fun and quirky, but she can also create an air of seriousness when she needs too. I don’t believe this book should be read just by teenagers, I believe even older adults would probably enjoy it and identify with it – mostly because of the rawness of it. Daria Snadowsky is definitely an author to keep an eye on, I’m sure she’ll continue to grow and become an even more fantastic writer than she is now.