Review: Paper and Fire (The Great Library #2) by Rachel Caine

Title: Paper and Fire (The Great Library #2)

Author: Rachel Caine

Published: 27 August 2016
Publisher: Faber Factory Plus Ffp
Source: Allen and Unwin in return for an honest review
Aust RRP: $16.99
Reviewed: Sapphired Dragon
Rating: **** 1/2  

My Review:

I am completely loving this series. I adored book 1 and raved about it in my review last year so I was both eager to get my hands on book 3 but also apprehensive as it had been a year since i read the first book, and I wondered how I would now connect with book 2. I needn't have worried as the moment I opened it and started reading the first page, I was right back in to the story.

Now that we know just how corrupt the library is, and that there is a figurative axe above the heads of Jess, Scholar Wolfe and Jess' fellow recruits, it was hard not to feel the air of malice and mistrust dripping off every page as the characters constantly worry about whether they are making progress in their mission or are heading for a trap. The pace of the story worked well with a good mix of action, character interaction and story progression.

I also loved Ms Caine's world building. The mix of old and new due to the library holding back or suppressing certain technologies made for an interesting world and Ms Caine's writing painted vivid pictures of the main locations of Alexandria, London and others to make the reader feel like they are really there in the moment. In a world where Knowledge (and the library) hold all the power, things like religion and technology have not made their mark as strongly and Ms Caine reflects this wonderfully in her world building, which gives the story all that much more authenticity.

I also think I love pretty much all the main characters in this book; Jess, Glain, Khalila, Scholar Wolfe, even Dario. They are also drawn so vital and alive and real, that you cannot help but connect to them. The only one I had trouble connecting to in this book was Morgan but that cpould be a by product of the estrangement between jess and Morgan and the beginning of the book as Jess struggles with his guilt about being the one to put Morgan in the Iron tower.

Overall, I was just as riveted in book 2 as I was in book 1, and the story just keeps getting better and better. I cannot wait for book 3.

I have no hesitation in giving this book 4 1/2

Sapphired Dragon xx

About The Book:

Paper and Fire (The Great Library #2) by Rachel Caine

In Ink and Bone, New York Times bestselling author Rachel Caine introduced a world where knowledge is power, and power corrupts absolutely. Now, she continues the story of those who dare to defy the Great Library—and rewrite history…

With an iron fist, The Great Library controls the knowledge of the world, ruthlessly stamping out all rebellion, forbidding the personal ownership of books in the name of the greater good.

Jess Brightwell has survived his introduction to the sinister, seductive world of the Library, but serving in its army is nothing like he envisioned. His life and the lives of those he cares for have been altered forever. His best friend is lost, and Morgan, the girl he loves, is locked away in the Iron Tower and doomed to a life apart.

Embarking on a mission to save one of their own, Jess and his band of allies make one wrong move and suddenly find themselves hunted by the Library’s deadly automata and forced to flee Alexandria, all the way to London.

But Jess’s home isn’t safe anymore. The Welsh army is coming, London is burning, and soon, Jess must choose between his friends, his family, or the Library willing to sacrifice anything and anyone in the search for ultimate control…


Purchase: Angus & Robertson Bookworld  | Booktopia  | Book Depository

Review: Thicker Than Water by Brigid Kemmerer

Title: Thicker Than Water

Author: Brigid Kemmerer

Published: 4 January 2015
Publisher: Allen & Unwin Children's
Source: Allen & Unwin
Reviewed: Sapphired Dragon
Rating: **** 1/2  

My Review:

Imagine you have just moved to a new town with your mother. A town where you know absolutely no one. Then your mother is murdered, and if that wasn't bad enough, everyone in the town thinks you did it. You finally meet someone you can connect with in this town and they are the sister of three of the cops that are the most hell bent and proving your guilt.

This is the situation we find Thomas Bellwether in at the beginning of this newest paranormal thriller from Elementals series author Brigid Kemmerer and this novel is Ms Kemmerer at her best.

Right from the beginning I felt for Thomas and the situation he was in and desperately wanted him to prove his innocence As story built and grew, I found my belief wavering...Was he the killer? I think I changed my mind back and forth at there 3 or 4 times before the electrifying and chilling conclusion finally gave me an answer.

I loved that this book kept me guessing from beginning to end. Ms Kemmerer layered it exactly right so that every new revelation added more questions for every answer that you got and the reader got to go on the journey of discovery with both Thomas and Charlotte to try to find out what really happened that night.

The strong plot line is not the only great thing about this novel. I also loved the characters. The story is told in alternating points of view by Thomas and charlotte and Ms Kemmerer did a wonderful job in giving each of them a distinct voice so that even if each chapter didn't have the name of the character narrating it, the reader would be able to tell straight away. I also felt the characters were well written and easy to connect with. I felt Thomas' sense of isolation in this town where everyone thought he was a killer and I felt Charlotte's irritation and sense of claustrophobia at the constant over protectiveness and constraints laid on by her brother, parents and grandmother.

I loved her best friend Nicole, in part because we share the same first name but mostly because I am a sucker for a well drawn loyal best friend and this best friend's personality leaps out of the page at you. I loved Charlotte's brothers protective ness of their sister even as I chafed at the bit for Charlotte. Ms Kemmerer really captures the different personalities and this helped bring the story to life.

If you are a fan of a good YA thriller but not a huge paranormal fan, don't be put off as whilst there is a paranormal vein running through this book, it is first and foremost a thriller and a chilling one at that. One you won't want to put down till you have turned the last page and then mulled over it some as you digest the ending.

I devoured this book in less than 24 hours and am extremely happy to give this book 4 1/2 stars.

Sapphired Dragon xx

About The Book:

Thicker Than Water by Brigid Kemmerer

Thomas Bellweather would never knowingly hurt someone he loved. But when his mother is murdered inside their locked house, he is the only suspect. Even his cop-stepdad can't protect him forever in a new town where no one knows or trusts him.

The only person who believes him is Charlotte, sister to three protective cops and straight-up dangerous to Thomas. She knows there are pieces missing in the puzzle, and she's determined to find them.

But finding things that are hidden could get them both killed.

 

Purchase: Allen and Unwin | Bookworld | Amazon | Booktopia  | Book Depository

Review: Their Fractured Light (Starbound #3) by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

Title: Their Fractured Light (Starbound #3)

Author: Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

Published: 18 November 2015
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Source: Allen & Unwin
Reviewed: Sapphired Dragon
Rating: *****  

My Review:

After reading books 1 and 2 of this series in the last couple of months, I was eager to get my hands on the final book of the trilogy and let me just say that Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner sure know how to write a finale!

I absolutely adored this book! It had me enthralled from start to finish. I loved the characters, the story, they way they used the chapter intervals to help bind it all together as well as helping us to understand more about the whispers. There was so much in this book in the way of action and suspense yet there was also romance and a spectacular tale told both on planet and in space.

The two main characters change for each of the three books and it is only in the third book that we have met even met one of the main characters prior to the book's beginning but it doesn't matter because right away we are pulled in by the voice of these characters and cannot help but want to follow their story further. This book is told from the alternating point of views of the two main characters Sophia and Gideon and this is mostly their story. Which just happens to intersect with characters with we have fallen in love with in the first two book.

We had previously met Sophia in This Shattered World, albeit briefly, and it was nice to see more about what makes her tick and how the previous events on Avon have affected her. Having always been good at reading people, she has honed her skills as a con artist since we last met her in her efforts to find and kill Monsieur LaRoux, whom she blames for the death of her father. Gideon we meet for the first time in this book and instantly warmed to him. A computer hacker, who has been on the streets since he was 12, he is street smart, sarcastic, intelligent and focused on his goal of tracking down the person he believes can fill in the blanks on what happened in Avon in the wake of Flynn Cormacs famous Avon Broadcast.

I liked the chemistry between Sophia and Gideon, though both of them had more secrets than the total of their ages combined. They really seemed to complement each other which helped with the flow of their stories and made it much more believable as they grow closer despite the secrets.

I also loved that though there were many different threads in this story and indeed the series, Ms Kaufman and Ms Spooner have weaved them with the skill of a master Loomer in the way they they have all come together in this last book. Whether they are weaving around each other or intersecting, there is always so much going on at any one time yet never once it is overwhelming or confusing but instead making connections, that we don't necessarily see coming and manage to finish each of the series man characters journeys in a conclusion that will have you gripping your seat to the last minute but leave you both immensely satisfied yet secretly yearning to remain in that world just a little longer...please....

Whilst I am incredibly sad that this trilogy is over, I cannot help but love this book and give it a intergalactic five stars!!!!!

Sapphired Dragon xx

About The Book:

Their Fractured Light (The Starbound Trilogy #3)  by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner



A year ago, Flynn Cormac and Jubilee Chase made the now infamous Avon Broadcast, calling on the galaxy to witness for their planet, and protect them from destruction. Some say Flynn’s a madman, others whisper about conspiracies. Nobody knows the truth. A year before that, Tarver Merendsen and Lilac LaRoux were rescued from a terrible shipwreck—now, they live a public life in front of the cameras, and a secret life away from the world’s gaze.

Now, in the center of the universe on the planet of Corinth, all four are about to collide with two new players, who will bring the fight against LaRoux Industries to a head. Gideon Marchant is an eighteen-year-old computer hacker—a whiz kid and an urban warrior. He’ll climb, abseil and worm his way past the best security measures to pull off onsite hacks that others don’t dare touch.

Sofia Quinn has a killer smile, and by the time you’re done noticing it, she’s got you offering up your wallet, your car, and anything else she desires. She holds LaRoux Industries responsible for the mysterious death of her father and is out for revenge at any cost.

When a LaRoux Industries security breach interrupts Gideon and Sofia’s separate attempts to infiltrate their headquarters, they’re forced to work together to escape. Each of them has their own reason for wanting to take down LaRoux Industries, and neither trusts the other. But working together might be the best chance they have to expose the secrets LRI is so desperate to hide.

Purchase: Booktopia  | Book Depository | Amazon | Allen and Unwin

Teaser Tuesday #110 : Their Fractured Light (The Starbound Trilogy #3) by Amie Kaufman and MeaganSpooner

Welcome to Teaser Tuesdays.

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

1. Grab your current read

2. Open to a random page

3. Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

4. Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My current read is Their Fractured Light (The Starbound Trilogy #3) by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner and my two lines are from page 7of 400

Then he's shrugging out of his LaRoux Inductries uniform until he's just wearing an undershirt, tattooed arms bare for half an instant. He turns the garment inside out, revealing a garishly striped shirt matching the high-fashion trend of the moment--and just like that, he melts into the crowd.

Their Fractured Light (The Starbound Trilogy #3)  by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

A year ago, Flynn Cormac and Jubilee Chase made the now infamous Avon Broadcast, calling on the galaxy to witness for their planet, and protect them from destruction. Some say Flynn’s a madman, others whisper about conspiracies. Nobody knows the truth. A year before that, Tarver Merendsen and Lilac LaRoux were rescued from a terrible shipwreck—now, they live a public life in front of the cameras, and a secret life away from the world’s gaze.

Now, in the center of the universe on the planet of Corinth, all four are about to collide with two new players, who will bring the fight against LaRoux Industries to a head. Gideon Marchant is an eighteen-year-old computer hacker—a whiz kid and an urban warrior. He’ll climb, abseil and worm his way past the best security measures to pull off onsite hacks that others don’t dare touch.

Sofia Quinn has a killer smile, and by the time you’re done noticing it, she’s got you offering up your wallet, your car, and anything else she desires. She holds LaRoux Industries responsible for the mysterious death of her father and is out for revenge at any cost.

When a LaRoux Industries security breach interrupts Gideon and Sofia’s separate attempts to infiltrate their headquarters, they’re forced to work together to escape. Each of them has their own reason for wanting to take down LaRoux Industries, and neither trusts the other. But working together might be the best chance they have to expose the secrets LRI is so desperate to hide.

 

Purchase: Booktopia  | Book Depository | Amazon

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or share your ‘teasers’ in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks!

Review: The Lake House by Kate Morton

Title: The Lake House

Author: Kate Morton

Published: 21 October 2015
Publisher: Allen and Unwin
Source: Allen and Unwin in exchange for an honest review
Reviewed: Sapphired Dragon
Rating: *****

My Review:

This book was one of my first forays into Kate Morton's writing, but after hearing so many good things and the fact the description of this book seemed right up my alley, I couldn't resist requesting it and I am so glad that I did as this book was beyond amazing.

 

At nearly 600 pages, you could be forgiven for being a little intimidated by this book but within a few pages, I was completely lost in the tale, captivated by the story unfolding around me.

 

The story at its core centers around the disappearance of baby Theo on Midsummer 1933. A mystery that has baffled police right up to 2003 when DC Sadie Sparrow from London, on leave after mistake that could cost her career comes across the old family House, Loeanneth and becomes interested in the case even though its been cold for over 50 years.

 

This book extends across three main time periods, namely parts of 1911 though world war 1, early 1930s and 2003 and seen mainly through the eyes of three main protagonists, Alice Edevane and her mother Eleanor Edevane, both of whom were there that fateful Midsummer night and Sadie Sparrow, unaccountably hooked on the mystery and determined to see it through.  Three women, all with secrets of their own colouring their thoughts and feelings.

 

The use of multiple points of view could have been terribly confusing but Ms Morton instead uses them to expertly weave a tale covered in layers that are slowly peeled away to reveal more of the story as Ms Morton brings her characters and the reader ever closer to the truth.

 

Ms Morton's writing style is rich in imagery and flows beautifully as she creates a picture of Cornwall, the house  Loeanneth  and the various surrounds.  Those words on the 600 pages are never wasted, everyone of them crucial to the story,  placed exactly where they should be and tightly woven into the plot. It the perfect combination of writing, story and character to keep me totally invested throughout.

 

The advance praise that this book has received is most definitely well deserved as Kate Morton proves herself to be a master story teller with a beautifully crafted tale that is full of mystery, secrets, drama and romance.

 

I absolutely adored this story and give it 5 stars!

 

Sapphired Dragon xx

About The Book:

The Lake House by Kate Morton

Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon | Booktopia | Allen and Unwin

A missing child.

June 1933, and the Edevane family's country house, Loeanneth, is polished and gleaming, ready for the much-anticipated Midsummer Eve party. Alice Edevane, sixteen years old and a budding writer, is especially excited. Not only has she worked out the perfect twist for her novel, she's also fallen helplessly in love with someone she shouldn't have. But by the time midnight strikes and fireworks light up the night skies, the Edevane family will have suffered a loss so great that they leave Loeanneth forever.

An abandoned house.

Seventy years later, after a particularly troubling case, Sadie Sparrow is sent on an enforced break from her job with the Metropolitan Police. She retreats to her beloved grandfather's cottage in Cornwall but soon finds herself at a loose end. Until one day, Sadie stumbles upon an abandoned house surrounded by overgrown gardens and dense woods, and learns the story of a baby boy who disappeared without a trace.

An unsolved mystery.

Meanwhile, in the attic writing room of her elegant Hampstead home, the formidable Alice Edevane, now an old lady, leads a life as neatly plotted as the bestselling detective novels she writes. Until a young police detective starts asking questions about her family's past, seeking to resurrect the complex tangle of secrets Alice has spent her life trying to escape.        
 

Teaser Tuesday #107 The Lake House by Kate Morton

Welcome to Teaser Tuesdays.

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

1. Grab your current read

2. Open to a random page

3. Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too muchaway! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

4. Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My current read is The Lake House by Kate Morton and my two lines are from page 40 of 592

It was tempting to assume the house was empty, but Sadie had been sent on call to enough homes of the elderly to know that the appearance of abandonment often presaged a sorry story inside. A dull brass knocker shaped like a fox's head hung lopsided from the chipped wooden door and she lifted a hand towards it before lowering it again. What would she say if someone answered?

The Lake House by Kate Morton

Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon | Booktopia | Allen and Unwin

A missing child.

June 1933, and the Edevane family's country house, Loeanneth, is polished and gleaming, ready for the much-anticipated Midsummer Eve party. Alice Edevane, sixteen years old and a budding writer, is especially excited. Not only has she worked out the perfect twist for her novel, she's also fallen helplessly in love with someone she shouldn't have. But by the time midnight strikes and fireworks light up the night skies, the Edevane family will have suffered a loss so great that they leave Loeanneth forever.

An abandoned house.

Seventy years later, after a particularly troubling case, Sadie Sparrow is sent on an enforced break from her job with the Metropolitan Police. She retreats to her beloved grandfather's cottage in Cornwall but soon finds herself at a loose end. Until one day, Sadie stumbles upon an abandoned house surrounded by overgrown gardens and dense woods, and learns the story of a baby boy who disappeared without a trace.

An unsolved mystery.

Meanwhile, in the attic writing room of her elegant Hampstead home, the formidable Alice Edevane, now an old lady, leads a life as neatly plotted as the bestselling detective novels she writes. Until a young police detective starts asking questions about her family's past, seeking to resurrect the complex tangle of secrets Alice has spent her life trying to escape.

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or share your ‘teasers’ in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks!

Review: Lair of Dreams (The Diviners #2) by Libba Bray

Title: Lair Of Dreams (The Diviners #2)

Author: Libba Bray

Published: 26 August 2015
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Source: Allen & Unwin
Reviewed: Sapphired Dragon
Rating: **** 1/2   

My Review:

As Evie O'Neill might say, this is posi-tut-ely one the most enjoyable reads I have had this year. In fact I think I may have enjoyed this one more than book of The Diviners!

Right from the beginning we are swept in to the atmosphere and feel of the twenties, the glamour and danger and excitement of being on the cusp of the future of the 20th century.

It is a few months after Evie O'Neill was revealed as a diviner after solving the Pentacle murders and Diviner fever has hit 1927 New York with more diviners coming out of the woodwork. Evie is living her dream, with her own radio show and being known as the Sweetheart Seer and parties every other night.

However on the other side of town, a sleeping sickness has hit and is starting to worry authorities as those who catch it go to sleep and never wake up and starting to reach epidemic proportions...

One of the things that I loved about this novel was the eclectic mix of characters from all walks of New York 1920s life and the threads of their story, all different, all riveting yet somehow still connected. Ms Bray expertly weaves all these different threads so intricately and yet the result is a cohesive, multi faceted story that I couldn't put down.

This is a big book with nearly 600 pages, yet reading the story you didn't feel it, as the flow was brilliantly paced and kept me glued to the pages until I reached the conclusion and even then I wanted more.

I want to talk more about the characters as I loved them. We learned more about the ones we had already particularly Henry, Sam and Memphis and we were also introduced to a new character Ling Chan, a dream walker like Henry who has recently lost much of the use of her legs from infantile paralysis. It is through a chance meeting with these two, that it is discovered that there is in fact a paranormal aspect to the sleeping sickness epidemic that only this eclectic group of diviners can solve.

I loved that we got to delve further into the back ground of these characters and really get to know them better and I loved the way these threads intermingled with the ongoing story.

Ms Bray's wonderfully writing style really brings the 1920s to life in this, evoking sentiments of the era - both good and bad and this story flows gloriously through the different stories and threads of this tale and I for one did not want to leave.

I give this book 4 1/2 stars!


Sapphired Dragon xx

About The Book:

Lair of Dreams (The Diviners #2) by Libba Bray

After a supernatural showdown with a serial killer, Evie O'Neill has outed herself as a Diviner. Now that the world knows of her ability to 'read' objects, and therefore the past, she has become a media darling, earning the title 'America's Sweetheart Seer'. There's just one downside - a sham engagement to the irritatingly handsome Sam Lloyd.
But not everyone is so accepting of the Diviners' abilities… and across town, a mysterious sleeping sickness is spreading through Chinatown, leaving dead dreamers in its wake.
Can the Diviners descend into the slumberland and catch a killer?

Purchase: Amazon | Allen andUnwin  | Book Depository

Review: Ink and Bone (The Great Library #1) by Rachel Caine

Title: Ink and Bone (The Great Library #1)

Author: Rachel Caine

Published: 26 August 2015
Publisher: Faber Factory Plus Ffp
Source: Allen and Unwin
Reviewed: Sapphired Dragon
Rating: **** 1/2  

My Review:

Even though I loved the Morganville Vampires Series and probably would have read this anyway just because it was written by Rachel Caine, it was actually the premise of this novel and series that made me eager to read and review this title.

In this brand new series from Rachel Caine, not only did the great library of Alexandria survive, it has flourished and become the major power in the world in the present. Set in the year 2031, in an alternate future, the owing of books is illegal and punishable by death and all knowledge is controlled by the great Library.

The story is seen through the eyes of Jess, son of a book smuggler who is ordered to undergo the training to be a scholar in the library as his father wants to have a spy on the inside. This suits Jess with his love of books and knowledge and not wanting to go into his father's business.

However right from the beginning, things are not what they seem nor is anyone he meets and suddenly the line between right and wrong is not as clear cut as it used to be and he is no longer sure who is on which side.

I loved this book from the very different premise, to the direction the story took to the characters in the novel. I found myself in the story from the beginning and intrigued as to how the story would play out.

In a well paced novel with action all the way through, I loved the intrigue of the sub plots and counter plots and the twists and turns. Some of which I saw coming and others which came as a surprise. All served, however, to make this a very compelling and exciting novel.

I love stories about libraries and books (funny that :-P) and I loved the way Rachel Caine turned the whole premise of Knowledge is Everything on its head and showed the darker underbelly of a world where knowledge surpasses everything else.

On a completely aesthetic note, I absolutely adore the covers for this novel both the paperback cover and the hard cover, of which I own both. The hard cover has been created in the style of the leather bound books of old. Even the feel of it is gorgeous! And I love the design on the paperback also.

This book combines action and adventure with a well written, incredibly intriguing story and interesting characters, none of whom are what they seem.

An awesome start to a brand new series. I give this story 4 1/2 stars


Sapphired Dragon xx

About The Book:

Ink and Bone (The Great Library #1) by Rachel Caine

In an exhilarating new series, New York Times bestselling author Rachel Caine rewrites history, creating a dangerous world where the Great Library of Alexandria has survived the test of time.…

Ruthless and supremely powerful, the Great Library is now a presence in every major city, governing the flow of knowledge to the masses. Alchemy allows the Library to deliver the content of the greatest works of history instantly—but the personal ownership of books is expressly forbidden.

Jess Brightwell believes in the value of the Library, but the majority of his knowledge comes from illegal books obtained by his family, who are involved in the thriving black market. Jess has been sent to be his family’s spy, but his loyalties are tested in the final months of his training to enter the Library’s service.

When he inadvertently commits heresy by creating a device that could change the world, Jess discovers that those who control the Great Library believe that knowledge is more valuable than any human life—and soon both heretics and books will burn.….


Purchase: Bookworld | Amazon | Booktopia  | Book Depository

Review: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

Title: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

Author: Jesse Andrews

Published: Movie Tie-in copy published August 2015 - first published 2012
Publisher: Allen and Unwin
Source: Allen Unwin in return for an honest review
Reviewed: Sapphired Dragon
Rating: **** 

My Review:

I went in to this book not knowing too much about it but having heard good things nonetheless and was incredibly pleased with the result as I found this to be a very entertaining read.

Whilst quite different to a lot of what I have been reading lately, I loved the voice and the off beat perspective of the main character which injected humour into an already fun read.

Greg S Gaines describes himself as a slightly overweight pasty white Jewish boy and his philosophy on life is to be mildly friendly to all groups at his high school but not recognised as belonging to any one group and so to avoid being on any one's or group's radar ever and this is how he intends on spending his senior year.

However when his mother forces him to spend time with Rachel, a girl he maybe sorta pretended to date back in Hebrew school, who has just being diagnosed with Leukaemia, he finds his nicely carved niche as being unmemorable slowly slipping away.

What I like about this novel is that whilst it doesn't take itself too seriously, it still nicely balances with the somewhat serious topics of the book.

The characters are all richly drawn and I could easily picture them in my head and see them interacting at a high school and I especially loved the refreshingly unfiltered thought process we constantly see in Greg's head.

I also loved the writing in this novel. The story itself was well paced and I zoomed through it and I found the writing style both easy to get into and to move through as I got further into the story.

This novel is a humorous, entertaining and fun to read and I can't wait to see how it will all play out in the movie being released next month.

I am so glad I chose to read and review this novel and I give it 4 stars :-)

Sapphired Dragon xx

About The Book:

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews


Greg Gaines is the last master of high school espionage, able to disappear at will into any social environment. He has only one friend, Earl, and together they spend their time making movies, their own incomprehensible versions of Coppola and Herzog cult classics.

Until Greg’s mother forces him to rekindle his childhood friendship with Rachel.

Rachel has been diagnosed with leukemia—-cue extreme adolescent awkwardness—-but a parental mandate has been issued and must be obeyed. When Rachel stops treatment, Greg and Earl decide the thing to do is to make a film for her, which turns into the Worst Film Ever Made and becomes a turning point in each of their lives.

And all at once Greg must abandon invisibility and stand in the spotlight


Purchase: Amazon | Allen andUnwin  | Book Depository