REVIEW: Flight of a Starling by Lisa Heathfield

Rita and Lo, sisters and best friends, have spent their lives on the wing – flying through the air in their trapeze act, never staying in one place for long. Behind the greasepaint and the glitter, they know that the true magic is the family they travel with.
Until Lo meets a boy. Suddenly, she wants nothing more than to stay still. And as secrets start to tear apart the close-knit circus community, how far will Lo go to keep her feet on the ground? (via Goodreads)

Like Paper Butterflies before it, Flight of a Starling is a lesson in how to write heartbreak. It didn't grip me at all at first as the story felt very slow moving, but I persevered and I'm so glad I did. The language is imaginative and colourful throughout, resulting in a beautiful story.

Even though I knew what was coming from the first chapter, the sadness still crept up on me and hit when I least expected it. Flight of a Starling is a masterpiece.

Stars: ★★★★☆

I received a copy of Flight of a Starling from Electric Monkey via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

My Week In Books (17th June)

Happy weekend everyone! I've torn myself away from reading in the sun to bring you up to date with my bookish week, so let’s begin!

The only book post I received this week was from the lovely Walker Books via L. D. Lapinski. There shall be reviews of both Phantom Limbs and Truth Or Dare in the next issue of Shift_, so keep your eye out for that.

I finally finished Lord of Shadows! Boy was it good. I'll have a review of it up soon, but for now let’s just say I cannot wait for the next book.

My Week In Books (10th June)

Hello readers! How has your week in books been? I was lucky enough to receive two books I'm very excited about!

The lovely people at Usborne sent me a copy of Being Miss Nobody by Tamsin Winter ahead of something very exciting I'm planning soon. I was also very lucky to receive a signed copy of Day 7 by Kerry Drewery, and I can't wait to read it!

I've only managed to read half of Lord of Shadows this week, it's so big! It's full of angst and sexual tension, and is everything I could want from this series.

GUEST POST: The Sin Eater's Daughter by Melinda Salisbury

Hello, I’m Steph - a self-confessed Sin Eater’s Daughter superfan. I can’t recommend books without recommending these. If you haven’t read them, here’s 5 reasons why you should:

• The characters – complex, endearing, fearless
• The lands – ruthless, unforgiving, beautiful
• The villains – chilling, dark, compelling
• The covers – striking,  haunting, mesmerising
• The stories – like diving into an old fairytale, mixed with new fairytales; heart-breaking, devastating, incredible

The Sin Eater’s Daughter introduces you to imprisoned Twylla: scared and feared.
The Sleeping Prince brings you Errin; fearless and loving.
The Scarecrow Queen depicts character journeys and destinies reached.

They’re all beautiful stories woven incredibly well.

--- Thank you to Steph at A Little But A Lot for this wonderful guest post. ---

GUEST POST: Under Rose-Tainted Skies by Louise Gornall

My favourite YA book? Under Rose-Tainted Skies by Louise Gornall, for sure. A recent read for me, but that doesn't affect my love for it.

The instant connection I had with Norah meant that I whizzed through this and couldn't find a single fault with it. It's such an honest, open, real, and raw own voices account of mental health that it's a must read for everyone, whether they're suffering with their own problems or just want to learn a little more about life with agoraphobia and OCD.

--- Thank you to Charlotte at Bookmarks And Blogging for this wonderful guest post. ---

My Week In Books (3rd June)

It's half term, which can only mean a very busy book week!

I was lucky enough to receive six books this week! Special thanks goes to Steph for sending me a few of the above books.

The lovely people at Walker sent me a book proof of The Loneliest Girl In the Universe and I can't wait to read it!

I've read three books and started on my fourth. Truth or Dare, After the Fire and I Have No Secrets are all thoroughly brilliant reads. I'm now onto Lord of Shadows, and I can't wait to revisit the Shadowhunter world.

REVIEW: Truth Or Dare by Non Pratt

A powerful and moving novel about bravery from the Guardian's "writer to watch" Non Pratt, perfect for fans of Rainbow Rowell, John Green and Holly Bourne. How far is too far when it comes to the people you love? Claire Casey hates being the centre of attention. But if it means getting Sef Malik to notice her, it’s a risk she’s happy to take. Sef is prepared to do anything to help his recently disabled brother. But this means putting Claire’s love – and life – on the line. Because when you're willing to risk everything, what is there left to lose? (via Goodreads)

I was so excited to get my hands on Truth or Dare, and I wasn't disappointed in the slightest. This is a truly moving and cleverly told story of love in all its forms, and captured my heart from page one.

Non’s ability to capture the teenage voice is second to none, and it was a delight to see the same story seen from different perspectives. It really helped to understand where the characters were coming from, and why they made the choices they did. Thought provoking and emotional, Truth Or Dare is a must read for everyone.

Stars: ★★★★★