Reason to Breathe by Rebecca Donovan

About the book

Reason to Breathe is the first book in the Breathing series by Rebecca Donovan and it is a new adult novel. The book was published by Penguin on 17^th January and it is 544 pages long.

Plot Synopsis

All Emma Thomas wants is to be invisible. Unlike everyone else at her school, she only has one friend and doesn’t want any more. Emma buries herself in her school work, extracurricular activities and sports. It takes enough effort to hide the terrors she faces at home without having people asking a million questions about her.

New guy in school, Evan, is about to change all of that. He’s the first person in a long time to show any kind of attention towards Emma and she has no idea how to react to him – short of pushing him away and telling him she doesn’t want to know. However, she cannot keep herself to herself forever and as romance builds, she finds herself becoming more and more invisible every day, which is a prospect that terrifies her.

What I thought

This one has been sitting on my to be read pile for quite some time. University work had taken over my life and I just didn’t have time to read my own books. Once that had died down though, this was near enough at the top of the pile.

Protagonist Emma has a terrible family life, something that we learn about very early on in this book. Her one and only friend Sara knows some of what happens at home but Emma never lets her in on the complete truth. Living with her aunt and uncle, Emma does not have the most stable of lives. Her aunt is an evil bitch who physically abuses her and makes her life a misery. Reason to Breathe is very hard hitting from the beginning, as Emma’s secrets are revealed to the reader. Emma appears to just be the girl at school who wants to do well, the over achiever, but really she doesn’t want people to see what a complete mess her life is.

I haven’t read many books about violence and physical abuse and I found this one to be absolutely shocking. Rebecca Donovan does not shy away from the scenes where this is happening to Emma and instead, shows the horror of it completely. Certain scenes made me feel very uncomfortable and quite sick at times due to what was happening. Although this was shocking, it really made me realise just how bad Emma’s life was. I don’t think I would have understood as well without being shown in graphic detail. However, although her aunt is doing all kinds of horrible things to her, Emma never says anything to anyone. She tells Sara everything is ok and it’s not as bad as it seems, typical qualities for someone in Emma’s position I would say. While this I could understand, when some really bad things happen, Emma is too quick to say she is fine. She doesn’t want her little cousins being taken away from their family and this is what I couldn’t get my head around. If your aunt is beating the crap out of you, would you want two small children being around that environment with the possibility of it ever happening to them?

Although I had problems with the way Emma acted and reacted sometimes, I did like her as a character. I could understand the way she lived her life, with the sole purpose of getting through high school and away from her aunt. I do think she was a little too quick to push everyone away but I could also understand why she did it. It was nice to see Emma eventually come out of her shell though and little by little, she became a new character altogether. I also really loved her friendship with Sara. Although her only friend, Sara was someone that Emma could trust and someone who she had fun with – something very much needed in her life. I loved reading about the times where Sara and Emma were together because it made the book more light-hearted at times.

Love interest Evan was someone I absolutely loved. As the new guy in school, Emma hasn’t even noticed him until he speaks up in a class. From that moment, he doesn’t leave Emma alone – not in a weird, stalker way though. He likes Emma and he likes her outspoken, no bullshit attitude. The relationship between these two characters is a strange one because of Emma’s situation. She tells him from the beginning that she cannot and does not do relationships or friends but he keeps trying anyway. I liked that there were no games between these two and each of them were really upfront about what they wanted with each other. I was glad to see Emma finally begin to let Evan in though as I did begin to feel a bit sorry for him.

The two aspects of romance and abuse are interwoven wonderfully and are connected the whole way throughout the novel. Reason to Breathe is about Emma really becoming herself and dealing with the life she has at home, while trying to make things better for herself. This book is absolutely heart-breaking at times but there is so much beauty within some of the other relationships. The ending was completely shocking and not at all what I was expecting. I can’t wait to read the second book, Barely Breathing, to find out what happens next. 

Film Review: Django Unchained

About the film

Django Unchained is an American action/ western film that was released at the cinema on 18^th January. The film is rated 18 due to strong language and bloody violence and it has a run time of 165 minutes.

Plot

Set in 1858, Django is a slave. After being bought by the Speck Brothers, Django and a line full of other slaves are being transported. However, Dr. King Schultz is a bounty hunter and needs Django’s help with finding a particular group of men whose true identity is only known by a few people. After freeing Django and killing the Speck Brothers, Dr. Schultz makes Django a free man and also teaches him how the bounty hunter world works, giving him a life again. Django has his own reasons for what he does though, after his wife Broomhilda was also sold as a slave and him tracking her down leads both himself and Dr. Schultz straight to ruthless plantation owner, Calvin Candie.

What I thought

Quentin Tarantino is probably my all-time favourite film writer/ director and I’ll go watch anything that has his name on it. Due to being insanely busy though, I only just managed to watch this one at the cinema just before it got taken off the screens.

In true Tarantino style, Django starts off the way you would expect it to – violent and bloody. However, mixed in with this is a fantastic beginning to the plot. We get to see some of Django’s past and the reasons why he is now a slave and chained to a load of other men. While the film does start off in an exciting way, there is a lot of time spent introducing characters and really getting to know Django and his new found friend Dr. Schultz. Being quite a long film, I can see that some people would get annoyed with the slightly drawn out lead up to the real action. I don’t see it this way though. Django and Dr. Schultz have a long journey ahead of them and plenty of people to find and kill so I liked the first half of the film very much.

Starring as Django is Jamie oxx, who in my eyes is always fantastic in every role. As a character, Django starts off as quite a scared and timid man after everything he has been through. He’s a man who has lost not only his wife but also the better life he had before. Meeting Dr. Schultz gives Django a second chance and an opportunity to make things right. In this film, Foxx has taken on a role really hard to play and one which takes a whole lot of emotion and determination to pull it off. Over the course of the film, Django becomes a much stronger and more confident character which really suits Foxx well. I thought his performance was outstanding throughout and he coped extremely well with everything he had to do in this role.

Dr. Schultz, played by Christopher Waltz gives the film most of its comedy, for the first half of the film anyway. Waltz plays a funny and likeable German man who likes to make the most of his heritage. I loved this character so much because for the most part, he was very serious about his job as a bounty hunter but he Waltz managed to pull off every single comedic line with enthusiasm and conviction. The lines were also not over done so they came across as very natural which is all down to Waltz’s acting ability.

Other cast members and characters worth a mention are Leonardo DiCaprio and Samuel L. Jackson. DiCaprio plays plantation owner Calvin Candie, who is full of himself and very cocky. DiCaprio gets the personality of this character exactly right and to the point where he becomes quite creepy at times. This character is supposed to be the big bad guy of the film but I found him to be more than that. Candie is a complex and complicated character with much more to him than you would think at first. Then there is Samuel L. Jackson, playing Stephen. Stephen is Candie’s right hand man pretty much but also a slave. I know my sister didn’t even recognise who was playing this part until someone told her who it was – he’s that good. Stephen brings in a bit of a twist on racism in this film as he is often spitting out racist comments himself even though he is a black slave in the same boat as many others.

Speaking of racism, it has been said by some that this is the most racist film made in a long time. However, Django Unchained is a film about black slaves in the late nineteenth century so I didn’t really expect anything different. Tarantino shows racism and slavery in a way that I can’t think has been done before. If you know Tarantino’s films, you know that he always tells things like it is and isn’t scared of being a bit controversial. He doesn’t censor anything concerning slavery and instead, is extremely truthful about how things could have been. Different sides of slavery are also shown, with differences being seen between slaves in wealthy houses and those who aren’t. I loved the plot due to how true and shocking it was at times.

In regards to blood and gore, although the film starts off with plenty, it doesn’t really stay this way. I actually thought that Django Unchained was one of Tarantino’s more reserved films because I was waiting for more blood throughout. I wouldn’t say the lack is a bad thing though and it does show that Tarantino is capable of doing other things too. This is an extremely violent film though and some scenes are quite hard to stomach so be warned.

I thoroughly enjoyed Django Unchained and will definitely be buying it on DVD.  

Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

About the book

Clockwork Princess is the third and final book in The Infernal Devices trilogy by Cassandra Clare. The book was published on 19^th March by Walker and it is 592 pages long. Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy for review.

Plot Synopsis

After having a pretty bad run of it so far, Tessa Grey has finally found a place she can be happy. Living in the London Institute for Shadowhunters, she has a life she can be proud of. As she begins to prepare for her wedding to the silver haired Jem, things begin to go from bad to worse.

Mortmain hasn’t been heard from in months but everyone at the Institute knows that he is up to something. In order to complete his plan, to be able to use an army of automatons known as the Infernal Devices, he needs Tessa. Only she is able to give him what he needs and he will stop at nothing to get her. With both Will and Jem claim to love Tessa as much as the other, but who will be the one to save her?

What I thought

Cassandra Clare is probably my all-time favourite young adult author. I have loved every single one of her books to date and I don’t think she’ll be letting me down any time soon. Clockwork Princess was heavily embargoed but the lovely Hannah at Walker sent me a copy on release day so it arrived the day after. Due to having so much uni work on the go, it isn’t often anymore I get to pick up a book so soon after it arriving and manage to finish it in a day. With this one I stayed up until I was finished reading – I couldn’t put it down.

Clockwork Angel is nearly 600 pages long – that is one beast of a book and to be honest, it hurt my hands reading it. Did I care? Not one little bit. It was worth the pain. Cassandra Clare drops is right back into the Victorian London setting and back with much loved characters, Tessa, Will and Jem. Will is secretively in love with Tessa, who is engaged to his best friend and parabatai, the closest two Shadowhunters can be. Although set in the world of Shadowhunters, those who go around killing demons, there aren’t as many in this series as in The Mortal Instruments series. Instead, we follow a crazy villain who wants to put together an army of automatons.

In the previous book, Clockwork Prince, I felt that protagonist Tessa really came into her own. She’s different from everyone else and there were many questions as to why. When I thought most of that was answered, this book threw me for a loop and introduced a whole range of new and exciting things. Tessa is still the same kick ass, outspoken and free-willed character that she has been before but this time, I felt as though she had matured that little bit more. Previously, she has been quite the Victorian lady but now she is ready for adventure and jumps at chances to be part of the excitement.

Love triangles are quite overdone in young adult novels but with this one, it is perfect and definitely needed. Will and Jem are both fantastic characters and strangely, different and the same at the same time. I have always been torn between the two and could never have picked between them myself. As this is the last book in the series, there are obviously answers to who Tessa ends up with. Yes, the plot summary says she is engaged to Jem but obviously, there are some twists and turns along the way. However, in regards to the love triangle, there were some pretty steamy scenes in Clockwork Prince and I found that aspect to be quite lacking here and I wanted more!

Plot wise, Clockwork Princess in non-stop. Not only do we have Mortmain sneaking around, trying to kidnap Tessa and finally carry out his evil plan but we also have politics of the Clave. I loved the aspects of this book regarding who would be running what, who would be taking over from who and all the back stabbing and secrets behind it all. The mix of the Shadowhunter world along with the intense and exciting plot regarding Tessa and Mortmain was amazing. Clockwork Princess has so much more to offer than just tying up loose ends. Cassandra Clare actually adds in new plot lines which is what made this book so exciting for me. Not only was I finishing a trilogy but I was also finding out so much more about the world she has created too. 

So, as the end of a trilogy, I’m trying to write this review without there being any spoilers, which is damn hard. What I will say though is that Clockwork Princess was everything that I wanted and more. Cassandra Clare has created a world in which there are funny, sweet and brave characters, a world with insane amounts of problems but one which is exciting beyond belief and a world where anything really can happen. I was a mixed bag of emotions while reading this as it had me laughing, crying to the point where I couldn’t see and really excited about what was going to happen at the same time. Cassandra Clare, this was a perfect ending to a perfect trilogy. 

Nantucket Blue by Leila Howland

About the book

Nantucket Blue is a contemporary young adult novel by Leila Howland. It was published by Hyperion Books with a release date of 7^th May. Thanks to the publisher for providing me with an e-book for review through NetGalley.

Plot Synopsis (Taken from Goodreads.com)

For Cricket Thompson, a summer like this one will change everything. A summer spent on Nantucket with her best friend, Jules Clayton, and the indomitable Clayton family. A summer when she’ll make the almost unattainable Jay Logan hers. A summer to surpass all dreams.

Some of this turns out to be true. Some of it doesn’t.

When Jules and her family suffer a devastating tragedy that forces the girls apart, Jules becomes a stranger whom Cricket wonders whether she ever really knew. And instead of lying on the beach working on her caramel-colored tan, Cricket is making beds and cleaning bathrooms to support herself in paradise for the summer.

But it’s the things Cricket hadn’t counted on--most of all, falling hard for someone who should be completely off-limits--that turn her dreams into an exhilarating, bittersweet reality.

A beautiful future is within her grasp, and Cricket must find the grace to embrace it. If she does, her life could be the perfect shade of Nantucket blue

What I thought

I love a good contemporary read, especially one set during the summer. This weather we are having here is horrible and really cold at the minute so books like this really cheer me up and make me look forward to the summer and some warmer weather.

Nantucket Blue wasn’t really what I expected it to be. The book started off really well, showcasing the friendship between protagonist Cricket and best friend Jules. The pair are inseparable and plan to have the best summer ever together in Nantucket before heading off to college. However, tragedy in Jules’ family prevents this from happening and Jules shutting Cricket out. I hated how this friendship was so easily broken up. I understand the reasons behind this happening but I had mixed feelings about these reasons. To me, Jules just came across as a bitch and it made me dislike her very quickly.

However, even with Cricket and Jules not talking to one another, Cricket still heads off to Nantucket for the summer with the hopes of making everything ok again. For me, Cricket was extremely young and a bit naive. She heads off to a place she has never been before, thinking it would all work out perfectly. Even after Jules tells her she can’t stay with them, Cricket turns up anyway. She was a lovely, sweet character and I really did want her to do and be better. As a character, she was extremely genuine and a nice person but this didn’t always do her any favours. I was glad to see that during her time in Nantucket, Cricket grew up a hell of a lot.

Nantucket Blue has a very unexpected romance. While it was a nice touch, I think it could have been much better. The romance was lacking in many places and it was hard to see the passion between Cricket and her love interest. I think this may be due to who he is but it just wasn’t very believable for me. This whole aspect of the book was a little one sided most of the time which made me think it just shouldn’t have been included. I would have much preferred more time being spent on just Cricket and her really getting to know herself without having a boy get in the way.

Due to the romance aspects and Cricket being a bit of an idiot for some of the time, the plot wasn’t fantastic for me. I wanted more about it being the summer; I wanted more beach time and more excitement. Instead, I got a lot of time spent in the hotel where Cricket got a job and then her also working for some guy writing a book. While some of these aspects were interesting, they just weren’t very summery. While I didn’t dislike this book by any means, it just wasn’t the best summer read out there. 

Double Clutch by Liz Reinhardt

About the book

Double Clutch is the first book in the Brenna Blixen series by Liz Reinhardt. It was originally published in paperback on 29^th September 2011 but has been repackaged by Corgi for release on 6^th June. The book is 304 pages long. Thanks to the publisher for providing me with an e-book for review.

Synopsis (Taken from Goodreads.com)

Who to choose . . .?

Thrust back into school life after a year in Denmark, Brenna Blixen is soon making new friends and catching the eye of two boys with bad reputations. There’s the dark and mysterious Saxon, and the gorgeous and sexy Jake.

They’re both totally hot and totally into Brenna.

But Saxon and Jake have unresolved history and Brenna’s caught in the middle.

It’s time to make some tough choices, fast.

What I thought

I’m always on the lookout for new authors who write contemporary young adult/ new adult books so when I saw this one up on Net Galley I thought I would give it a go.

Brenna Blixen has just moved home after living in Denmark for a year with her mother and stepdad. She was home schooled there and going to a real high school is a pretty big deal. However, Brenna isn’t doing high school like everyone else. She’s spending half of the day there and the other half of the day at a Tech school to study graphic design. On her first day at each school, Brenna meets Saxon and Jake, two guys who instantly catch her attention.

What I liked about Brenna was that she was very strong and determined. After deciding that it was Jake she wanted, Brenna wasn’t afraid to voice her opinions and thoughts to Saxon and she wouldn’t take any crap from him either. Brenna was also very sweet at times, extremely clever and a bit sassy too. However, there were times that Brenna really bugged me. The dialogue in Double Clutch is somewhat unrealistic at times and this is where I got annoyed. Brenna would be having a conversation with someone then say something that didn’t sound like her at all or something that just sounded beyond cheesy and silly.

Double Clutch has the same conversational problems with the male characters too but Jake more so than Saxon. Both of the boys are super hot and both have something really addictive about them so I could see why Brenna was torn to begin with. Jake has that bad boy, mysterious past thing going on while Saxon is so upfront about what he wants and will most definitely go for getting that. While Jake has this big mysterious past, which is explained too early in the book for my liking, he talks and acts like the nicest guy there ever was. Maybe a bit too nice. His conversations with Brenna were annoying beyond belief because he was just so sappy. Don’t get me wrong, I like a nice guy character but this was a bit sickening at times.

The plot was pretty good though for the most part. Brenna is trying to figure out who she really is when it comes to being at school again in America and I liked this aspect of the book. It was good to see her reconnect with one old friend at least and for her to begin sorting her own life out. Reinhardt gives us the chance to really get to know all three main characters which means that you are able to make a better decision about whether you like them or not. However, far too much emphasis is put on the relationship aspect of this book and I feel as though Brenna could have been so much more had she not relied on Jake so much. This is a book with a love triangle but I feel as though Reinhardt tries to do something a little different with it while being a bit clichéd at the same time.

Overall, Double Clutch is an ok read but there were quite a few things which annoyed me throughout. I am interested to see what happens next though with the story coming to quite an exciting end. 

Book to Film Review: Hitchcock

About the film

Hitchcock is a biological drama film that was released at the cinema on 8^th February. It is based on Stephen Rebello's non-fiction book Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho. The film is rated 12A and it has a run time of 98 minutes.

Plot

In 1959, Alfred Hitchcock has just opened his latest film, North by Northwest. However, while it is well received, a reporter insinuates that it is time for Hitchcock to retire. Not happy with this remark, Hitchcock is on the lookout for the project that will prove everyone wrong. He turns down many proposals, such as Casino Royale, and instead, wants to adapt a horror novel called Psycho, which is based on the life and crimes of serial killer Ed Gein. However, his faithful wife Alma is right behind Hitch on this one, even if it means mortgaging their house and putting up all of the money themselves, hoping the film the will be a hit.

What I thought

As a lover of horror films, knowing that Psycho was the first slasher film was not a big deal to me. However, I didn’t know anything behind the making of such an iconic film or the person who made it. So, when I got an email from Cineworld saying I could go to an advance screening, I was so happy that I actually had the night off work and could go.

Anthony Hopkins plays the lead, Alfred Hitchcock (Hitch) and a good job he does in the role too. Hitch, although getting on to retirement age, is a character quite full of life. He walks around the film studios as if he owns the place, does what he wants and speaks to people however he wants. Although this should have made him extremely arrogant, he was quite funny with it. Psycho delves into the life of Hitchcock and the events which lead to him making Psycho.

However, the film really is more about Alma, his wife. Playing Alma is Helen Mirren, who is just fantastic in this film. Alma is used to standing in the back, always being a few feet behind Hitch at premiers and not being recognised for how she helps out. However, she seems content with her life and her place in Hitch’s and gets on with things as best she can. Alma is a fiery woman and is used to getting what she wants. Mirren really pulls of this character well and you can see the passion in her throughout the whole film. I really do think that Mirren was the best person cast in Hitchcock.

Hitchcock puts across the idea that Hitch was not the mastermind behind his films that everyone thought he was. Here, Alma has a hand in the projects he picks, the actors he hires and the rewriting of the scripts. I’m not quite sure about how true all of this is though. I’m sure Alma did have some sort of say in Hitch’s decisions, helping him as a wife would do, but was it really as much as this film makes out? At all of the defining moments of the making of Psycho in this film, Alma is there giving her opinion and fixing things that Hitch cannot see. While it was interesting to see what kind of input Alma had in Hitch’s life, I’m just not sure I believe it all.

Unfortunately, minor characters were not that impressive at all. Playing Janet Leigh is Scarlett Johansson who I am not the biggest fan of. In Hitchcock, it is explained that Hitch has a bit of an obsession with his blonde leading ladies and that is where Leigh’s character comes in. However, Hitch doesn’t seem overly obsessed to me and not anywhere as near as bad as he is made out to me. Johansson playing Leigh wasn’t a bad choice, and while she is quite convincing, her performance still didn’t make her like her any more. Johansson gives Leigh likeableness, due to her being sympathetic, caring and nice when it comes to working with Hitch. Leigh is also a family woman so she has morals in regards to the kinds of films she would make. However, I found both Johansson and her character a bit bland.

Even though is a bit of a mixed review, I did really enjoy this film. Getting insight into the life of such a famous film maker was so interesting. I really enjoyed getting to learn about his family life and who he was as a person, not only someone who made great films. Hitchcock, surprisingly, was quite an emotional film for me, especially when it came to seeing how his relationship with Alma was. Hitchcock isn’t perfect, and it definitely could have been better but it was funny, interesting and emotional all at the same time. 

The Vincent Brothers by Abbi Glines

About the book

The Vincent Brothers is the second book in The Vincent Boys series by Abbi Glines. It was published (pb) by Hot Key Books on 7^th March and the book is 208 pages long.

Synopsis (Taken from Goodreads.com)

Sawyer Vincent is still heartbroken over his breakup with Ashton Gray - made worse because he lost her to his brother - but Lana McDaniel thinks she might just have a cure. Lana's lived in her cousin Ashton's shadow all her life, but now she's taking the lead and is determined to make Sawyer her man. But can she be sure that Sawyer's not just using her to get back at Ashton? And what if Sawyer sees through her new sexy version of herself and discovers the shy, geeky girl she used to be?

What I thought

The Vincent Boys was one of my favourite New Adult books that I first read and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on more from Abbi Glines, especially this book. I wanted it so much that I pre-ordered it, something that I haven’t done with a book for so long now.

The Vincent Brothers takes place not long after the end of The Vincent Boys with main characters having just graduated high school and ready to spend their summer having a hell of a lot of fun. Ash and Beau are now a couple but Sawyer is still down about it.  Ash’s cousin Lana has spent her time back at home giving herself a serious make over so that she can finally get the attention of Sawyer now that she’s spending the summer with Ash. The book, is told with a dual narrative from both Sawyer and Lana which means we get to find out how each one is feeling.

Unfortunately, I can’t say that I loved Sawyer as much as I loved Beau. In this book, Sawyer is a completely different person to the one we first meet in The Vincent Boys. No longer is he the sweet and considerate guy who was once with Ash but instead, we get a bit of an asshole in his place. To begin with, the only reason why he wants anything to do with Lana is to make Ash jealous, which immediately made me dislike him a little bit. While he does redeem himself at times, he was still far from perfect. He drops Lana without any notice at times and then begs his way back into her life. However, there were good things about Sawyer too. He realised that he was not the same person without Ash and it made him able to explore who he really is. I did like seeing him come out of his shell more and for him to be more adventurous and fun.

I really liked Lana though, which is maybe why I disliked Sawyer a bit. Before the summer, she was very much the quiet and reserved girl next door but after deciding she wanted to get Sawyer for herself, she made herself over. I don’t really agree with changing so much about yourself for a guy but it worked. I felt sorry for Lana quite a lot of the time though because she put up with so much from near enough everyone in her life. I could totally understand the way she acted sometimes and her reactions to certain situations, even if she did go over the top a few times.

If you’re looking for a steamy book, this one definitely does the trick although not quite as steamy as The Vincent Boys. The chemistry between Sawyer and Lana was extremely intense and I really loved the scenes between the two. Both characters are quite inexperienced when it comes to relationships and sex (even with Sawyer and Ash being together for years) and it was nice to see them finding out who they are and what they wanted with each other. I think that while these scenes were not nearly as hot as in The Vincent Boys, they were a bit more realistic and fun at the same time.

The plot was a bit predictable at times but it was also very entertaining. There is quite a lot going on throughout the whole book and with the reintroduction of some secondary characters, there are plenty of personalities going around. Summers are perfect settings for these kinds of books because it means that words are not wasted on days in school. The summer allows the plot to be fun and free and enables the characters do to some great things like going camping together. It was nice to see other characters included in the story so that it wasn’t all about Sawyer and Ash the whole time. I also really liked the ending of this book, which really wrapped things up with Sawyer, Ash, Beau and Lana.

While I didn’t love this as much as The Vincent Boys, I did still really enjoy it.