Showing posts with label war. Show all posts
Showing posts with label war. Show all posts

Friday, 20 November 2015

Review: The V Girl by Mya Robarts



Synopsis
In post-apocalyptic North America, rape and sexual slavery are legal. Lila Velez, desperately wants to lose her virginity before the troops visit her town and can take it away by force. She makes plans to seduce her only friend, Rey, the most attractive man in her town. Lila does not love him but he is the only man who has shown her true affection, an affection she is willing to take as a substitute of love.

Lila’s coping mechanism to her mother’s rape and kidnapping is her secret. A secret that will bring her closer to Aleksey, a foreign, broody man. Lila does not trust him because his links to the troops and his rough, yet irresistible appearance. Aleksey offers Lila an alternative to her plans, a possibility that terrifies her…and tempts her in spite of herself. 

All the while Lila will have to find a way to live in the constant company of death, slavery, starvation, sexual abuse and the danger of losing the people she loves the most.

Due to mature content, this book is intended for +18 readers.

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My Review

4 Stars!!


The V Girl is Mya Robart's debut novel and I think she did a very good job on it.It is set in post-apocalyptic North America, a time where sexual abuse, violence and death is a norm. The topics and parts of this book had darkness to it yet it didn't overpower the story. Its a dark subject but it didn't make the book a sort of depressing, gloomy book that it could have been. There were a lot of elements to it with some twists I wasn't expecting.

Lila is a character that has to grow up fast and she becomes head of the family. She is the one everyone relies on and looks up to. With a sick brother and a younger sister to protect from anyone who may try to rape her.She is called V girl since she is a virgin and it is something she wants to get rid of. She wants to lose her virginity with her consent because if or when she gets recruited the soldiers will definitely rape her and take it by force.In her haste to get rid of it she becomes desperate. She decides to ask her friend Rey who she has known forever and trusts.Things don't go to plan when Aleksey Fürst enters the scene.

“You usually can’t recall all the people you’ve shared laughs with. But you rarely forget the people you’ve shared your tears with.”

First of all Lila at points really annoyed me with her desperation to get rid of her virginity like I understood why but she made silly rash decisions that left her in awkward situations. They could have all been avoided and she did do some immature things. I know she is young and I guess that's on me since I usually read adult novels due to the maturity factor.I felt like she jumped to conclusions without thinking things through.

Because I loved Aleksey, I'm sorry but Rey had to be on my shit list. I don't think I've ever liked two guys in a book where they both like the heroine. I love one of them and have to hate the other, I just can't help it. I know Rey wasn't a bad guy but no, just no. I stacked everything against him when I fell for Aleksey. This isn't a love triangle but at times felt like it but not to the point where it put me off since I can't stand love triangles.

I would have loved some chapters to be in Aleksey's point of view since he was quite a mysterious character and I wanted to know more about him. I didn't want this book to end nearing the end I felt a little panicky since I felt like there was quite a lot left, that needed to be added yet there were so little pages left. Will we get more? I felt like it was left quite unfinished like there may be more in store.I felt like the deflowering bit was quite stretched out, like I just wanted it done with and to see their relationship slowly building and becoming stronger.

Mya Robarts..Can we have little Aleskey babies? That would be so awesome! I'd love a novella or something showing them both in the future.There were a few characters I wanted t know more about, what happened to them and so on like Rey's brother and Tristan!

Looking forward to more from this author :)


*Arc provided by the author for an honest review*

Monday, 21 October 2013

Review: Making Faces by Amy Harmon



Synopsis
Ambrose Young was beautiful. He was tall and muscular, with hair that touched his shoulders and eyes that burned right through you. The kind of beautiful that graced the covers of romance novels, and Fern Taylor would know. She'd been reading them since she was thirteen. But maybe because he was so beautiful he was never someone Fern thought she could have...until he wasn't beautiful anymore.
Making Faces is the story of a small town where five young men go off to war, and only one comes back. It is the story of loss. Collective loss, individual loss, loss of beauty, loss of life, loss of identity. It is the tale of one girl's love for a broken boy, and a wounded warrior's love for an unremarkable girl. This is a story of friendship that overcomes heartache, heroism that defies the common definitions, and a modern tale of Beauty and the Beast, where we discover that there is a little beauty and a little beast in all of us

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My Review
5 BEAUTIFUL, HEART-BREAKING, EMOTIONAL STARS!


"I think people are like that.When you really look at them, you stop seeing the perfect nose or straight teeth.You stop seeing the acne scar or the dimple in the chin.Those things start to blur, and suddenly you see them, the colors, the life inside the shell, and beauty takes on a whole new meaning."

Oh where do I start? This book made my heart-ache so bad and it really makes you view people ourselves differently.Are we so shallow that we love/idolise people based on how they look no matter how ugly they are deep down? Or that we hate and bully because we can't see the beauty deep down? or that we don't even give some people a chance to show their beauty because they don't have a perfect face and body?

This is a inspiring, brilliant book which rendered me speechless.It explores the aspect that a beautiful face doesn't necessarily mean a beautiful person.Are we truly blind can we not see the true beauty within? Do some people feel that an ugly person doesn't feel the same as a beautiful one?

To me everyone is beautiful in some way or another.Never judge someone by the face they wear.The beautiful good looking man can be an abusive evil person, and someone with a disfigured face may have a heart of gold, don't let looks fool you.


"If God makes all faces, did he laugh when he made mine?
Does he make the legs that cannot walk and eyes that cannot see?
Does he curl the hair upon my head til it rebels in wild defiance?
Does he close the ears of a deaf man to make him more reliant?
Is the way I look coincidence or just a twist of fate?
If he made me this way, is it okay, to blame him for the things I hate?
For the flaws that seem to worsen every time I see a mirror.
For the ugliness I see in me, for the loathing and the fear.
Does he sculpt us for his own pleasure, for a reason I can't see?
If God makes all our faces, did he laugh when he made me?


This poem right here really got to me! Its written by one of the main characters called Fern.Fern is not pretty or beautiful like her friend Rita who all the guys seem to chase after, she doesn't have straight hair or teeth, not an amazing body, nope none of that but she has a beautiful heart and soul.Fern has always had a crush on Ambrose but then again who wouldn't he was beautiful but Fern saw more than what met the eye.She fell for his intelligence, his heart, his mind and much more.But Fern never expected Ambrose to ever like her back, why would he?


Ambrose had it all, beauty, popularity, girls and he was the best at what he loved, wrestling. He had is all going in life until he decided to join the army and drag four of his good friends with him. What happens when his life in the army explodes and everything changes.
What happens when Ambrose isn't beautiful anymore?
What happens when he has no friends left?

"Ambrose knew what it felt like to be whole, to be perfect, to be Hercules. How cruel to suddenly fall from such heights. Life had given Ambrose another face and Fern wondered if he would ever be able to accept it."

Bailey is Ferns cousin and best friend they have always stuck by each other and I loved their relationship.Bailey has Duchenne muscular dystrophy. He may be bound by his wheelchair but this guy is a true hero. Bailey makes you think a lot about all the things we take for granted, about all the things we complain about. Are we really so blind that we don't see that there are people in worse conditions than you and me?


Imagine knowing that you will die before you get old? 
Imagine living day to day life knowing death is around the corner.
Imagine knowing that you cant have a relationship, or a family because you really wont be around for long.



"How do you stand it, Bailey? Looking death in the face for so long?"
Bailey shrugged and glanced at him curiously.
"You act like death is the worst thing."


Bailey has always wanted to be a wrestler, his dad is the coach and even though he cant wrestle he always comes to every practice.Bailey thinks of Ambrose as his hero, what he would do to be in Ambrose's shoes for just one day. To do all the things he can do, even if it is just for one day.After Ambrose's life changes Bailey teaches him a lot, about living in the moment, about never taking things for granted. I felt so sorry for Bailey I really wanted to have the power to give him what he wanted for a day ahh I wanted to curl up into a ball and scream why is life so unfair!?

"I have no pride left, Ambrose!" Bailey said. "No pride. But it was my pride or my life. I had to choose. So do you. You can have your pride and sit here and make cupcakes and get old and fat and nobody will give a damn after awhile. Or you can trade that pride in for a little humility and take your life back."

When Ambrose returns Fern wants to help him, everything has changed yet she still finds him beautiful. Ambrose is filled with guilt, shame, self hatred and he just can't get over is. He can't face everyone, the people who idolised him, the people who wanted him to succeed and those who always thought he would do them proud.


"You are still beautiful," Fern said softly, her face turned to his..
"I think that statement is more a reflection of your beauty than mine," Ambrose said eventually..


Fern is just so damn cute as a kid awww bless her heart she is so damn beautiful with such a pure heart.She has been kicked down by people around her yet she walks through life with a smile.fern and Ambrose form a special relationship she understands him..she used to feel the same thing.She used to feel ugly too.

Three lives all connected, these three main characters take you on an inspirational journey..So grab some tissues and start reading!


"..Maybe then I could get some action.Problem is, how am I going to get a handful of tit if I can't lift my arms?"
Ambrose choked, laughing at Bailey's irreverence, but Bailey continued, unfazed.


Omg I loved this book, it was sweet, funny, so damn emotional and bloody beautiful! At the start I was like hmmm third person POV oh no! I prefer first person POv so the start I felt was a little slow and the flipping from past to present had me a little confused but as soon as I got into it ahh I could not stop!
This is the first book I have read by Amy Harmon and it wont be the last.This was very well written and I am so glad I got an arc.


"Do you think about how I look when you kiss me?"
"Yes." His voice was raspy."I think about your long red hair and your sweet mouth, and the way your little body feels when its pressed up against me, and I just want to put my hands on you.Everywhere.And I forget that I am ugly and alone and confused as hell."



**ARC provided by the author for an honest review**

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