On My Bookshelf : Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson

Title: Since You've Been Gone

Author: Morgan Matson

Publication Date: May 6th, 2014

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Summary: The Pre-Sloane Emily didn't go to parties, she barely talked to guys, she didn't do anything crazy. Enter Sloane, social tornado and the best kind of best friend—the one who yanks you out of your shell. 
But right before what should have been an epic summer, Sloane just… disappears. No note. No calls. No texts. No Sloane. There’s just a random to-do list. On it, thirteen Sloane-selected-definitely-bizarre-tasks that Emily would never try… unless they could lead back to her best friend.
Apple Picking at Night? Okay, easy enough.
Dance until Dawn? Sure. Why not?
Kiss a Stranger? Wait… what?
Getting through Sloane’s list would mean a lot of firsts. But Emily has this whole unexpected summer ahead of her, and the help of Frank Porter (totally unexpected) to check things off. Who knows what she’ll find?
Go Skinny Dipping? Um…

My Review: This book was recommended to me by the wonderful Christine from thebookishdaydreamer.com. I'm glad she recommended it to me, because I'm normally not one to read contemporary books unless someone tells me too - I prefer paranormal or mystery books- but I'm glad I did this time, because this book blew me away. 
The writing was fresh and new and had wonderful imagery. I think this would be the perfect summer beach read. It definitely kept me turning pages, wanting to know where Sloane had gone, and how Emily was going to complete the items on the list - this book gets bonus points for having a main character named Emily! ;)
Overall, I adored this book, and I'm so glad Christine recommended it to me! This review is my way of recommending it to you, so go read it right now! 

On My Bookshelf : The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges

Title: The Gathering Storm

Author: Robin Bridges
Rating: 3.5/5
Publication Date: January 10th, 2012
Summary: St. Petersburg, Russia, 1888. As she attends a whirl of glittering balls, royal debutante Katerina Alexandrovna, Duchess of Oldenburg, tries to hide a dark secret: she can raise the dead. Katerina considers her talent a curse, not a gift. But when she uses her special skill to protect a member of the Imperial Family, she finds herself caught in a web of intrigue.

An evil presence is growing within Europe's royal bloodlines—and those aligned with the darkness threaten to topple the tsar. Suddenly Katerina's strength as a necromancer attracts attention from unwelcome sources . . . including from two young men.

The time has come for Katerina to embrace her power, but which side will she choose—and to whom will she give her heart?
My review: I feel a little late to the party on this book - it was published in 2012 - but I decided I would still review it, because it was a good book.
I found this book enthralling, but I also found it to drag quite a bit - I felt like not too much happened in the beginning, and then when it did happen, it all happened at once. A lot of information was dumped on the reader at once, which made it hard for me to remember what was what , which led to lots of confusion throughout the book. I did enjoy it, despite the parts that dragged, and I do recommend reading it if you, like me, love paranormal books and historical fiction - it even slips in some French words here and there, which is fun for books.
Overall, if you can handle a slow pace for the first quarter or so of the book, and like historical and paranormal books, I recommend it. :)

On My Bookshelf : The Beautiful and The Cursed by Page Morgan

Book : The Beautiful and The Cursed by Page Morgan

Expected Publication Date : 
Rating : 5/5 stars
Short summary(from Goodreads) : After a bizarre accident, Ingrid Waverly is forced to leave London with her mother and younger sister, Gabby, trading a world full of fancy dresses and society events for the unfamiliar city of Paris.

In Paris there are no grand balls or glittering parties, and, disturbingly, the house Ingrid’s twin brother, Grayson, found for them isn’t a house at all. It’s an abandoned abbey, its roof lined with stone gargoyles that could almost be mistaken for living, breathing creatures.

And Grayson has gone missing.

No one seems to know of his whereabouts but Luc, a devastatingly handsome servant at their new home.

Ingrid is sure her twin isn’t dead—she can feel it deep in her soul—but she knows he’s in grave danger. It will be up to her and Gabby to navigate the twisted path to Grayson, a path that will lead Ingrid on a discovery of dark secrets and otherworldly truths. And she’ll learn that once they are uncovered, they can never again be buried
Review :
If you love The Infernal Devices trilogy, you will love this book.
I've had my copy for forever, but when I first started it, it didn't capture my attention, so I shelved it until yesterday, when that beautiful cover caught my eye. 
Less than 24 hours later, I've turned the last page, and I still am thinking about the beautiful description and the beautiful world Page Morgan created inside this book. 
You will find yourself spell-bound from the first page to the last page, unable to stop turning pages.
I can't think of too much to say other than it's awesome, amazing, and if you love the nineteenth century, Paris, gargoyles, interesting characters, or good books, you will love this book. Do yourself a favor and go read it - I need to go hunt down a copy of the second book as soon as I get my allowance. 

This Time I'm Seriously Back

So I announced I was back from blogging hiatus a while ago, but then I started a project and went to a music festival with no wi-fi and didn't really get back into the swing of things, and then school started, so I didn't really end up being back from a blogging hiatus.
But this time I'm truly back, and glad to be back! I have a new Kindle that's linked with my Goodreads, and I will be posting a review of The Beautiful & The Cursed by Page Morgan as soon as I finish it, which should be soon - it's awesome so far, so I've been turning pages quickly- and then I'll be starting another book soon.
With school, I might post sporadically, but I will start posting again, so it's nice to be back. Feel free to send me review requests at emily@onemilysbookshelf.com, as I would love to review some new books!

Back from Blogging Hiatus!

Hey guys! 
It's  been... over 7 months, I think. I got super busy with school and NaNoWriMo(which I won with a grand total of over 100,000 words!) but school let out last week, and I just accepted my first review request in months, so I'm back! I'm going to be posting more and more regularly now that I'm back, if any of you didn't forget about my blog and are reading this. :)
I'm going to be planning some fun reviews author interviews and things for the next few weeks, so stay tuned...

Blog Tour : The Flame In The Mist by Kit Grindstaff

Book : The Flame In The Mist by Kit Grindstaff
Publication date : April 9, 2013
Pagecount : 464
Summary : Fiery-headed Jemma Agromond is not who she thinks she is, and when the secrets and lies behind her life at mist-shrouded Agromond Castle begin to unravel, she finds herself in a chilling race for her life. Ghosts and misfits, a stone and crystals, a mysterious book, an ancient prophecy—all these reveal the truth about Jemma's past and a destiny far greater and more dangerous than she could have imagined in her wildest fantasies. With her telepathic golden rats, Noodle and Pie, and her trusted friend, Digby, Jemma navigates increasingly dark forces, as helpers both seen and unseen, gather. But in the end, it is her own powers that she must bring to light, for only she has the key to defeating the evil ones and fulfilling the prophecy that will bring back the sun and restore peace in Anglavia. 
Stars : 5/5 stars!
My review : I normally don't read middle grade books, but since this book is upper middle grade and looked amazing, I decided to give it a try, and I'm so glad I did!
It's a great read for Halloween (which is only a couple of days away, so get this quick ;)) because of some spooky scenes, and an overall creepy feel.
I loved the characters, I think they all had very realistic, well-defined personalities, and it was a great read.
It's such a well-crafted story, very well thought out, and I loved all of the characters - even the villains. I was sad when it came to an end - Mrs. Grindstaff is wonderful at suspense, and keeping readers guessing on what is going to happen next.
Mrs. Grindstaff has a very unique writing style - and I mean very unique in a great way! She has very vivid descriptions, and very beautiful writing.
Overall, I loved this book, and definitely think you - and any middle grader whom likes reading - should give it a try!
Here's my little sister's take on this book(since she's 9, she's much more knowledgeable about middle grade books):
I would rate it 5 stars because I loved all of the characters, especially the rats, who have awesome names - Noodle and Pie.
I loved the main character, and I think the way Mrs. Grindstaff writes is incredible, I could picture everything she wrote about in the book, in my mind. I liked the way that the characters acted like they were really as young as they were supposed to be, since a lot of middle grade books have kids acting like they're adults.
I think it was a splendid book, and I will definitely be checking out any more books that she writes.
If our praise didn't manage to convince you to read this, check out the awesome trailer below - I'm sure it will!


Be sure to enter this awesome giveaway below! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Starry Nights by Daisy Whitney | A book Review by IrisjeXx

This review was originally posted on my blog IrisjeXx.  I would love for you to check out my blog and tell me what you think about it! Click on this link to go to the original post.

This book was given to me by Rachel from Hello-Chelly!

 

Starry Nights by Daisy Whitney
Published by Bloomsbury USA Childrens on September 3rd 2013
Pages: 288 Goodreads

Seventeen-year-old Julien is a romantic—he loves spending his free time at the museum poring over the great works of the Impressionists. But one night, a peach falls out of a Cezanne, Degas ballerinas dance across the floor, and Julien is not hallucinating.

The art is reacting to a curse that trapped a beautiful girl, Clio, in a painting forever. Julien has a chance to free Clio and he can't help but fall in love with her. But love is a curse in its own right. And soon paintings begin to bleed and disappear. Together Julien and Clio must save the world's greatest art . . . at the expense of the greatest love they've ever known.

Like a master painter herself, Daisy Whitney brings inordinate talent and ingenuity to this romantic, suspenseful, and sophisticated new novel. A beautifully decorated package makes it a must-own in print.

My Thoughts

 This was my first time reading a book that had Art as a main theme. So I can’t really say whether this book is really original in its kind or whether the premises of this book have been used before. What I can say is that when I read the synopsis I became interested right away.

I’ve always had art classes in school, so I think it is fair to say that yes I do love art. Now, I wont turn my blog in to one big discussion with myself on which art I like and which art I don’t, because if I do this post won’t ever be finished since of course all of that is totally up to the taste of one individual person. I do think that Daisy Whitney has made art more approachable for lots of people  with the way she describes them coming alive in the museum after dark is beautiful! The description of the sick paintings is very well done as well, the imagery is great! It is because of these vivid descriptions that made it so easy to fall in love with the paintings.

The mythological aspect of this story, the muses, wasn’t what I was expecting at all! I didn’t dislike it though, eventually it kinda fit the story.

The characters were enjoyable, though I did like some of the minor characters -such as Bonheur- way more than the main characters. There wasn’t anything wrong with the main characters but I just appreciated how Bonheur was the odd one out, his personality was really colourful and his odd behaviour made me laugh.

This story take place in Paris, the city of love! Though from reading the story alone it could be just as easy in another city. I only know that it takes place in Paris because of the Eiffel tower  being displayed on the cover. It was one of the things that I really missed while reading. Since I live in the Netherlands I’ve been to Paris myself and I would have liked for the city and views to be described some more. It just didn’t feel French to me in any way, and it definitely didn’t feel like Paris to me, while it is such a beautiful and vivid city!

The romantic aspect was were it turned bad for me. Julien and Clio fell in love a bit to quickly for my liking, quite a typical case of insta-love. It was very disappointing since the actual story about the paintings coming to life was great! Clio came out of the painting, they went on a date immediately when they don’t even know each other and fall in love. Just like that.

This insta-love is probably why I liked the main characters less as well. The insta-love had this effect that Julien and Clio had limited personality… This also resulted in me not really feeling the connection they were supposed to share. Julien just got out of this ‘bad’ breakup, and Clio had literally been stuck inside a painting for over a hundred year. So they were ‘meant’ to fall in love. It was like Clio just fell in love with the first boy she saw after coming out of that painting she had been trapped in. It just seemed forced and unreal to me.

Aside from all of this, the ending was completely cheesy. Which normally I don’t really mind if it fits the story! But the ending was just a little bit too convenient for my liking.

Overall this book was a bit of a disappointment. The idea and the framework was there, but the insta-love pretty much ruined it for me. I expected it to be a read that would be completely magical -You know the whole paintings coming to life in the night- but it turned out to be less. Not a horrible read, not at all! But nonetheless the expectations I had in advance were severely crushed in some aspects.

Rush Hunt : In Stone

Welcome to Rush Hunt. A YArush hosted scavenger hunt with exclusive content from a number of published and forthcoming Entranced titles, a huge prize, and loads of fun. Along the scavenger trail you’ll find a mix of YA and NA titles from Entranced Publishing’s Rush imprint.

Look out for these 11 titles!

The excitement starts October 25 and runs through to November 1. So hop along to the blogs on the list below and join in the fun. Each hosting blog will have exclusive content from a single title. If the post isn’t at the top of their blog look for the #RushHunt button in their sidebar, that should link to it. Not only will you get to read / see exclusive content, but there’s also a huge prize. That’s what you’re hunting for! Keep an eye open for the numbered clues in each post. You’ll need these in order to enter for a chance to win a massive stash of prizes.

Good luck!

How It Works...

On each blog you will find a clue, a clearly marked number somewhere in the post. Collect all these numbers from all the participating blogs, and simply add them together. The correct answer grants you entry into the Rafflecopter on the YARush blog for a chance to win some awesome prizes.

Participating blogs:

From Bows to Books - The Georgia Corbins

Chapter by Chapter - The Sacrificed

New Adult Addiction - Elected

On Emily’s Bookshelf - In Stone

Aussie Owned and Read - Shadow Born

Book-Marks the Spot - Forget Me Not

Lola's Reviews - Sleeper

Brittany and Bianca Blab Books - Adorned

Cosmochicklitan - Elsker

A Life Bound by Books - Vision of Shadows

Reading Rain Blog - Awakenings

Title: In Stone

Author: Louise D. Gornall

Publisher and Imprint: Entranced Publishing, Blush

Genre: YA paranormal romance

Release Date: July 1

Length: 120 pages

Blurb:

Beau Bailey is suffering from a post-break-up meltdown when she happens across a knife in her local park and takes it home. Less than a week later, the new boy in school has her trapped in an alley; he’s sprouted horns and is going to kill Beau unless she hands over the knife.
Until Eighteenth-century gargoyle, Jack, shows up to save her.
Jack has woken from a century-long slumber to tell Beau that she’s unwittingly been drafted into a power struggle between two immortal races: Demons and Gargoyles. The knife is the only one in existence capable of killing immortals and they’ll tear the world apart to get it back. To draw the warring immortals away from her home, Beau goes with Jack in search of the mind-bending realm known as the Underworld, a place where they’ll hopefully be able to destroy the knife and prevent all hell from breaking loose. That is, provided they can outrun the demons chasing them

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/In-Stone-ebook/dp/B00DPWS2ZK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1372619224&sr=8-1&keywords=in+stone+louise+d+gornall

Barnes&Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-stone-louise-d-gornall/1115883166?ean=2940016657608

Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/In-Stone/book-x70XQPDrdUmZlb-0thEl_g/page1.html?s=K7ERgO9lIU6XGznC2_hQOA&r=1

Add to Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17663217-in-stone

Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-1_shhtTZI

Review Snippets:

“Straight away I was drawn in by the story and Louise's fantastic writing style, and I really struggled to put it down.”

“If a story can have me so invested that it brings out those kind of emotions in me - whether happy or sad - then I know I've found another to add to my favourites, and In Stone was one of those books.”

“The plot was perfectly executed and delivers a thrilling ride filled with adventure, trails and an unexpected end.”

About the Author:

Louise is a graduate of Garstang Community Academy. She is currently studying for a BA (Hons) in English language and literature with special emphasis on creative writing. YA aficionado. Brit bird. Film nerd. Identical twin. Junk food enthusiast. Rumored pink Power Ranger. Zombie apocalypse 2012 survivor. She is also an avid collector of book boyfriends.

Author Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Louise-D-Gornall/111420465709804?ref=hl

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Rock_andor_roll

Website: http://bookishblurb.com/

In Stone is the first book in a YA urban fantasy series. It is told from the heroine's, Beau's point of view. The leading male character is a Gargoyle named Jack. We hope you enjoy this pivotal scene from In Stone retold from Jack’s point of view.

This forest is never ending. I’m trying not to run; the speed will kill her for sure, but it’s so hard. A mortal sprint simply isn’t quick enough. I need to find shelter, get her inside, away from the bitter air. Her waterlogged clothes are icing over, and her breathing is becoming more shallow by the second.

Her skin is chalk, and her lips cobalt blue. It makes me think of marble, which I detest. Marble is cold, stagnant, inert. Beau is none of these things. Was none of these things. But here she is, her body lying limp in my arms. If it weren’t for the occasional twitch under her eyelids, I’d think she were dead. I bite down hard, swallow the thought before it chokes me.

I’m afraid. Afraid I’m going to lose her.

At last, the trees come to an end and spit me out in front of a rock face. I make a beeline for the first crevice I see and slip inside. She groans as I lie her on the ground, and I don’t want to leave her, but I have to go back out and find wood.

I run, like lightning, quicker than I’ve ever run before, back into the forest. The ground is littered with sticks, I collect an armful before I’m back by her side and starting a fire.

I shouldn’t have left her on the train. What the hell was I thinking? I wasn’t thinking. She asked, threw in some emotional blackmail, and I couldn’t say no. She’s like liquor, has this uncanny ability to impair my senses.

I reach for the button on her jeans, but hesitate. Wrestle with the idea of how necessary it is to get her naked. I touch her leg. She’s wearing jeans that double as a circus tent. The denim is frozen solid and weighs a ton. I have no choice. Plus, a side effect of my immortality is warm skin. I once read that body heat helps combat hypothermia. I plan to shed my clothes too and then wrap myself around her like a blanket.

“You’re going to be all right, Beau. Just rest,” I say as I pull her fragile body against my chest and wrap my arms around her frozen shoulders. She takes a breath. Maybe she sighs. Like it matters; it’s the sweetest sound I’ve ever heard, and my grip around her tightens a little more.  

Rush Hunt Number: 11

Where the Stars Still Shine by Trish Doller | A book review by IrisjeXx

This review was originally posted on my blog IrisjeXx.  I would love for you to check out my blog and tell me what you think about it! Click on this link to go to the original post.

Where The Stars Still Shine by Trish Doller
Published by Bloomsbury USA Childrens on September 24th 2013
Pages: 308
Format: Paperback
Goodreads

Stolen as a child from her large and loving family, and on the run with her mom for more than ten years, Callie has only the barest idea of what normal life might be like. She's never had a home, never gone to school, and has gotten most of her meals from laundromat vending machines. Her dreams are haunted by memories she’d like to forget completely. But when Callie’s mom is finally arrested for kidnapping her, and Callie’s real dad whisks her back to what would have been her life, in a small town in Florida, Callie must find a way to leave the past behind. She must learn to be part of a family. And she must believe that love--even with someone who seems an improbable choice--is more than just a possibility.

Trish Doller writes incredibly real teens, and this searing story of love, betrayal, and how not to lose your mind will resonate with readers who want their stories gritty and utterly true

This book completely floored me.

Painfully Realistic and oh so beautifully written.

Callie, our protagonist in this story, has been on the road with her mother for as long as she can remember. Constantly on the move, never having the chance to take root anywhere. In the early course of the story, Callie is taken from her mother and placed back in the care of her father, the same care that her mother took from her all these years ago by abducting her.

While Callie is trying to adjust to her new surroundings, she is battling the loss of life as it was before. Her new life offers so much possibilities but with everything so foreign to her, I can’t help but understand her feeling off loss and confusion.

Callie’s life has been everything that a girl never should have to go through, yet she never truly loses herself. She is such a strong protagonist and very easy to admire more and more as you get pulled deeper into the story. There wasn’t a single moment that this story felt unreal to me. Every moment of reading remained painfully -while other moments beautifully- realistic. Making friends doesn’t come naturally, since she never had the possibility to make them. Romantically, Callie has no way how a relationship works, the only side she knows is the sexual side. In her new life, she has to learn this step by step and her problems don’t just magically disappear. This ads to the fact that the character development in Where the Stars Still Shine is immense. There where just so much layers that I found myself peeling back again and again.

The romance between Callie and Alex builds slowly. They don’t magically fall in love, but they learn to trust each other as they go. Besides that, I found that Alex Kosta, appealed so much more to me than most guys in YA books. He had this maturity to him and his character was well-developed as well. He is one of the layers to this story. There was just so much more to him then meets the eye.  He has his own reasons for being how he is and as the story progresses Callie and Alex find the trust to confide in each other.

Another thing that made this story just so beautiful is the way it ends. There is no fairy tale ending. It’s as realistic and brutally honest as the rest of the story. Most of the time I don’t really like open endings, because I feel as if at the ending there are so many things left unfinished, but there simply was no better way to end this story. In the end, nobody knows where to the future will go, but Callie does end up in a place that is way better than the place she was during the early events of this book.
This read is definitely on of the best reads I’ve had this year. Trish Doller has pulled me in with her beautiful and realistic way of bringing a story across, and because of that, she has now landed herself a place among the list of my favorite authors!

This being said, there is just one more thing I would wish to share with you. This is one quote that I noticed and wrote down right away the first time I read it. It sums up Callie’s personality in just one sentence and perfectly brings across why I loved her as a protagonist. You’ll have to see if you continue reading to see the quote, but if you haven’t read the book I would strongly advise against, as it may spoil the ending for you. Because honestly, I want for you to have the same experience while reading as I had.

The Quote:
Hope blooms on the surface of my sadness. It's improbable that our relationship will survive the time and distance. Except improbable is not impossible. There are so many maybes in life, but sometimes you just have to put your faith in possibility

Unbreathable by Hafsah Laziaf | Book Review by IrisjeXx

This review was originally posted on my blog IrisjeXxhttp://irisjexx.com/unbreathable-by-hafsah-laziaf-book-review/. I would love for you to check out my blog and tell me what you think about it!

 

 

Unbreathable by Hafsah Laziaf
Published on October 29th 2013

Self Published
Pages: 379
Source: Hafsah Laziaf
Goodreads

 

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review in any way.

The Story :One hundred and fifty years ago, Earth was destroyed, and the remaining humans fled to the dusty red planet of Jutaire, where the only oxygen is manufactured, food is scarce, and death strikes often.

When Lissa's father discovers Earth still exists, she accidentally inhales the toxic air of Jutaire, and in one breath, discovers she isn't quite human.

Her father hangs for his discovery, and Lissa knows the Chancellors will come for her, for she saw the Earth that night too. With nothing to lose, she sets out to expose the truth. It isn't long before she meets Julian, a beautiful boy who can breathe the toxic air like she can - and shows her that the Jute, the original inhabitants of the planet, are more tangled in their lives than she knows.

But the Chancellors are only pawns in a greater game - one where the Jute control everything. Worse, the Jute plan to leave Jutaire for Earth, but to get there, they need her. And they'll stop at nothing until Lissa is in their clutches, even if they kill every human in the process.

The race for Earth has begun.

Unbreathable is a tale of love, redemption, and sacrifice, and one girl's struggle to find her place in a world where she doesn't belong.

My Thoughts :When I first read the summary and saw the cover of this book I remember tweeting Hafsah Laziaf if she was still looking for people to review it for her (I mean have you seen the cover? It’s gorgeous!). Unfortunately she wasn’t looking for reviewers anymore, but she was in fact still looking for people on her Street-Team. I signed up and here we are!  I finished it a few days ago and here comes the much awaited review.

If there is one thing I like in my books it would be a strong protagonist. Check. Lissa was everything you would want in a protagonist. she is strong willed, fights for what she wants and believes in. She really matured throughout the book and reading from her perspective was fun, her thoughts felt genuine which made it much easier to feel ‘in touch’ with her.

Thinking back I think the main thing I liked so much about Unbreathable would be the characters. As mentioned above it holds a strong protagonist. But aside from Lissa, the other characters are just so well thought out and well-written. There’s a distinction going on between the ‘good’ and ‘evil’ characters but all of them are just so well developed! They grow and change throughout the story and even though there is some stereotyping going on, in a sense they are all unique in their own way. And not to forget not ‘quite’ human. Hafsah Laziaf did an amazing job with these characters because they managed to surprise me just when I’d thought I had figured them out.

Since I am talking about characters, I might as well go on with Julien and Rowan, because yes there is a love triangle in this one. I spoke about the distinction between good and evil before. Insert that here. This is also what I meant with the stereotyping. I do think it is awfully typically for YA to have a love triangle (and not to forget the parental issues). Now, this might sound really negative, but it wasn’t that bad. It actually worked. Lissa is in love with Julien and is in serious denial about Rowan. Most love triangles feature a protagonist that isn’t able to make a choice between two guys, which is NOT the case in Unbreathable. Yes she is facing a though spot, because Julien and Rowan are total opposites (and I can’t forget to mention that they are brothers either) but she has made her choice. I am not telling you because that would be a major  spoiler, but I can tell that she is confused for a while but then stands by her decision. And boy is that refreshing!

Plenty of action, great word building,  and a superb ending! *sigh! That ending!*
A tale about love, hope, and forgiveness. A beautiful debut for Hafsah Laziaf! I look forward to reading more of her work.