I have had this book on my shelf ever since it was first released and I finally got round to reading it! I am a huge fan of the 'Throne of Glass' series so expected quite a bit from 'A Court of Thorns and Roses'. As usual, Sarah J Maas did not disappoint.

'A Court of Thorns and Roses' is the first book in a new series by Sarah J Maas which follows the peasant girl, Feyre. When Feyre kills a wolf in order to feed her family she is thrust into the dangerous world of faeries and is held captive by Tamlin, the mysterious fae whom she begins to develop feelings for. Feyre is a strong-willed, witty huntress and I loved following her journey into this world. She fights endlessly for those she cares about which was really enjoyable to read. Tamlin - the secretive but charming fae - reminded me a lot of Dorian Havilliard from Maas' 'Throne of Glass' series which probably explains why I loved his character so much. The relationship between these two characters was wonderfully written and I genuinely cared about their progress throughout the book.

Plot wise, I wouldn't say that this book had as good a story line as 'Throne of Glass' and I wasn't particularly drawn in by the synopsis. Despite this, Maas' writing style in 'A Court of Thorns and Roses' has definitely improved since her first novel. She created a beautiful world with her eloquent descriptions and dialogue. I had a perfect vision of the scenery and each character's appearance. The final plot twist proved Maas had really considered each detail that went into the dialogue as I most certainly wasn't expecting what was revealed towards the end. Honestly, it was the final reveal which pushed this book from four stars to five and had my heart beating faster than I had expected it to! I loved the retelling of 'Beauty and the Beast', and it was really lovely to be able to make the odd connection to the original fairy tale,

I would say that the final section of the book could have been stretched out for a lot longer, Perhaps she could even have added a few bits here and there to this book and developed the final section into a book of its own. Of course I have no idea what she has planned for the next book in the series, but structurally the new setting and characters confused me slightly. Secondly, I didn't particularly enjoy being left with no cliffhanger at the end of the book. Although there is no doubt in my mind that I will be reading the second installment as soon as it is released, I don't feel any particular urge to find out what exactly happens next.

Despite the odd criticism, I did really enjoy this book and was not at all disappointed by Sarah J Maas. To anyone who loved 'Throne of Glass' or just young adult fantasy in general, don't hesitate to pick this up!

5/5 stars

I'm super late with this considering I actually went to see this film the day it was released but I'm reviewing it anyway! And, if you haven't seen the film or read the book don't worry; I will warn you if I'm about to reveal a spoiler.

This film was pretty emotional for me. I saw the first film as soon as it was released, and read the books only weeks before that. I was 13, innocent and small when I discovered 'The Hunger Games'. Now I'm 17, stressed out and still small. I've done a lot of changing in that time (little growing however) but this franchise is something that has been there throughout all of it. I never actually read or watched Harry Potter as a child. I never had the excitement and thrill when the latest book or film came out. This series is essentially my Harry Potter, so you'll understand my slightly biased and emotional connection to it. Every year I've gone to see the latest film on the day it's released, and it broke my heart to watch this one and realise it was all over.

I loved every moment of this film. The special effects were all incredible and so realistic I could easily have been there with them. It had me jumping from my seat on multiple occasions despite being perfectly safe in the cinema. I haven't read the book in several years but I recall it being even darker than the last two. The issues and themes it dealt with - which the previous books lacked in -  were brought wonderfully to the screen.

Despite its political and weighty story line, this film had the just the right amount of comedy. Its dry humour was executed sharply and had the entire cinema chuckling at all the correct moments. The addition of a little comedy also contributed to the depth of each character. As a huge fan of the books and films, and as someone who admits to feeling arguably unnecessary feelings towards various characters, I was already very much invested in each character and their progress throughout this film. I have, however, seen it mentioned in several reviews that audience members who simply attended the screening because it was "the last hunger games film and there wasn't much else on" also felt a similar connection to every character. As I mentioned earlier, I was so drawn into this film it was like I was experiencing everything along with them. This feeling was very much increased by the astounding performances of the cast. Particularly Jennifer Lawrence (Katniss Everdeen), Sam Claflin (Finnick Odair) and Josh Hutcherson (Peeta Mellark). As usual Jennifer Lawrence stunned me in her role as Katniss. It is clear she puts her heart and soul into each scene allowing the audience to entirely connect with her character. Every expression she makes perfectly portrays Katniss' varied emotions and you can see in her eyes the fear she so often experiences. Sam Claflin featured very little in this film, much to my disappointment. This, however, made no difference to Claflin's performance. He mastered every scene and perfectly brought across the hidden emotions of the much-loved Finnick Odair. Peeta Mellark goes through a lot of traumatic experiences in this final film and Josh Hutcherson was so successful in bringing Peeta's difficulties to life it honestly hurt me to watch his character suffer so much.

When it was first announced that the concluding book in the trilogy would be split into two films I was sceptical. Was there enough action in the book to produce two exciting films? Was this simply a ruse to make more money? I can now say that splitting it into two films was a successful idea. It allowed for a lot more detail from the book to be added into the film, something all fans of the books will very much appreciate. One in particular was the *minor spoiler alert* game of "real or not real" played by Peeta and Katniss whilst Peeta struggles to regain his true memories. This addition added a lot more depth to their relationship which was truly heart-wrenching to witness.

Director Francis Lawrence did a wonderful job in bringing one of my favourite trilogies to life. This film was tense, funny and heart-breaking at exactly the right moments and did an incredible job in concluding the franchise. 4.5/5

The first book I read by Patrick Ness was the beautiful 'A Monster Calls' which won every prize in children's fiction, and left me sobbing my eyes out like no book had ever done before. For me at least, it would be hard to top that. I wouldn't say this book quite reached the level of 'A Monster Calls' or even the brilliant 'More Than This' but it certainly does its best.

'The Rest of Us Just Live Here' is award winning Patrick Ness' latest novel and follows the story of Mikey and his friends who just want to graduate high school and get away from their claustrophobic town and their troublesome families. Easier said than done when you live in a world where "indie kids" (aka the Chosen Ones) are constantly fighting off the undead, battling vampires and just generally causing mayhem. Mikey and his friends may not be the "chosen ones" but they certainly have their fair share of struggles. From anxiety to alcoholic parents, these subjects are tackled sensitively by Ness and he manages to give a huge amount of depth to each character. Mel - Mikey's older sister - was, without doubt, my favourite character from this novel. Her relationship with her siblings could only be described as beautiful. A particular moment possibly half way through the book that demonstrates exactly why I chose her as my favourite character actually forced me to squeal "yes!" out loud. You'll know exactly what I mean when you read it.

I have to admit, I liked the concept of the book slightly more than the book itself. How many times had I been watching 'The Avengers' and thought about the economic damage and the cars of innocent civilians that had just been crushed? When I heard about this book I was extremely excited to see how Ness would explore the lives of ordinary people surrounded by these dramatic happenings we are so used to reading about. As much as I adored and chuckled at the short paragraphs at the beginning of each chapter that describe what the "indie kids" are getting up to, I couldn't help but be slightly disappointed. It's something I can't quite put my finger on, helpful I know.

That being said, I did award the novel 5/5 stars on Goodreads. The way Patrick Ness managed to turn what could have been a pretty uneventful, ordinary story into something funny and compelling astounds me. I felt an attachment to each character and could hardly put it down. If you're looking for something as incredible and thought provoking as 'A Monster Calls' or 'More Than This' you may not be so interested in this particular book, but it certainly draws you in and proves that even the most ordinary lives can be extraordinary.