Young Adult | Lost in a Good Book

Fairest (#3.5) by Marissa Meyer

27 Mar 2025 Leave a comment

by Amy in 4 Stars, Audiobook, Fantasy, Young Adult Tags: Audiobook, four stars, marissa meyer, rebecca soler, the lunar chronicles, young adult, young adult fantasy

Published: 27 January 2015 (print)/8 May 2017 (audio)
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends/Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd
Pages: 272/5 hrs and 33 mins
Narrator: Rebecca Soler
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
★ ★ ★ ★ – 4 Stars

In this stunning bridge book between Cress and Winter in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles, Queen Levana’s story is finally told.

Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest of them all?

Fans of the Lunar Chronicles know Queen Levana as a ruler who uses her “glamour” to gain power. But long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, Levana lived a very different story – a story that has never been told…until now.

This is a bridge book between Cress and Winter, books three and four in the Lunar Chronicles, and the story explores Levana’s childhood and how she became the ruler we know.

It was amazing to see her use of her powers and read about the normal Lunar life as natural and as every day. Given our only perspective before has been through Cinder and other character’s perspectives, it was great to be able to see the regular lives of Lunars and how their gift is used among the community. It also shows us how the events in her past affected who she’s become and all those references and secrets in the previous three books are answered and it was absolutely fabulous.

There is a hard line being balanced where you feel sorry for Levana and her life growing up, but at the same time you know that there are different paths she could have taken and different decisions being made. Narrative bias is also a key factor and it was intriguing to see Levana justify things to herself and how, while she is leaving out certain things, she does show the reader a darker side to herself, one that gives a glimpse at what she is truly capable and how the young girl in this story becomes the queen we see later on.

In showing us a younger Levana we also see a glimpse of the younger counterparts of other characters as well, those who lived in the palace with her. I enjoyed seeing the younger versions of the key characters, from babies to children and beyond. It wasn’t their story but through Levana’s perspective you can see how they circled her world and were in her life in different ways. This is also true for characters only mentioned such as Queen Channary or Winter’s father. It’s a great connection to the main books and connects the series together really well.

Levana is both a victim and a villain and having these conflicting emotions when we see such a one sided view of her previously was a bizarre feeling. Not to justify bad childhoods for being a terrible adult, but Meyer makes us see that there is a lot more to Levana’s story than it first appears and the trauma and pain she’s suffered were bound to have an effect on her one way or another.

The story is third person but Meyer gets us inside Levana’s head and we see everything she thinks and feels, a clever move on Meyer’s behalf. We’re able to see that she is shameless in her actions but she also shows a lot of passion and pride, even hopelessness and loss which are interesting choices. Ironically it humanises her and you see the malice within but also the girl starved of attention and love. I loved this story a lot, it was great to see the rise to power and the changes Levana makes, something we can see even as she edits herself and we can’t entirely trust her thoughts.

This definitely works to be read between books three and four, but it is something I came to after finishing the series and it gave me a reflective enjoyment about the events in Winter and the relationship Levana has with the characters I had fallen in love with.

You can purchase Fairest via the following

Dymocks | Booktopia

Wordery | Blackwell’s | Angus & Robertson

Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust | Audible

Long Lost Review: Night Swimming by Steph Bowe

13 Mar 2025 Leave a comment

by Amy in 3 Stars, Australian Women Writers, LGBTQIA, Long Lost Reviews, Young Adult Tags: #llr, long lost review, Long Lost Reviews, loveozya, steph bowe, three stars, young adult

Long Lost Reviews is a monthly meme created by Ally over at Ally’s Appraisals which is posted on the second Thursday of every month. The aim is to start tackling your review backlog. Whether it’s an in-depth analysis of how it affected your life, one sentence stating that you only remember the ending, or that you have no recollection of reading the book at all.

Published: 03 April 2017
Publisher: Text Publishing
Pages: 336
Format: Paperback
Genre: Contemporary Young Adult
★ ★ ★ ★ – 3 Stars

Imagine being the only two seventeen-year-olds in a small town. That’s life for Kirby Arrow—named after the most dissenting judge in Australia’s history—and her best friend Clancy Lee, would-be musical star.

Clancy wants nothing more than to leave town and head for the big smoke, but Kirby is worried: her family has a history of leaving. She hasn’t heard from her father since he left when she was a baby. Shouldn’t she stay to help her mother with the goat’s-milk soap-making business, look after her grandfather who suffers from dementia, be an apprentice carpenter to old Mr Pool? And how could she leave her pet goat, Stanley, her dog Maude, and her cat Marianne?

But two things happen that change everything for Kirby. She finds an article in the newspaper about her father, and Iris arrives in town. Iris is beautiful, wears crazy clothes, plays the mandolin, and seems perfect, really, thinks Kirby. Clancy has his heart set on winning over Iris. Trouble is Kirby is also falling in love with Iris…

I read this book in 2017 and unfortunately I recall absolutely nothing of it. So much so that every time I see my draft review for it (which literally only contains the blurb, not even a single note or thought) I think I need to reread it because I can’t even summon up any recollection at all. This has obviously not improved as the years went on and I still recall nothing and the hope of suddenly remembering pieces of plot diminished further. I should reread it, but for now I am making it a Long Lost Review because if these are for anything it is for those book we read in 2017 and remember nothing of it whatsoever.

I also feel given the passing of Steph Bowe that I should reread. And I may. But for now I will say I read it, gave it 3 stars, and nothing in the blurb sounds even remotely familiar. At a stretch I could say it was one of the earliest F/F books I’d ever read. Maybe the first? Seems like a hard thing to pin point but I do recall that being a stand out reading the blurb.

Dear Wendy by Ann Zhao

18 Feb 2025 Leave a comment

by Amy in 5 Stars, Audiobook, LGBTQIA, Young Adult Tags: angel pean, ann zhao, aroace, aromantic, asexual, Audiobook, daisy guevara, elaine wang, four stars, lgbt, LGBTQIA, natalie naudus, nicky enders, rebecca wang, tara sands, young adult

Published: 16 April 2024 (print)/16 April 2024 (audio)
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends/Books on Tape
Pages: 368/9 hrs and 28 mins
Narrator: Nicky Enders, Angel Pean, Natalie Naudus, Tara Sands, Ann Zhao, Daisy Guevara, Elaine Wang, Rebecca Wang
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
★ ★ ★ ★ – 4 Stars

Sophie Chi is in her first year of college (though her parents wish she’d attend a “real” university rather than a liberal arts school) and has long accepted her aroace (aromantic and asexual) identity. She knows she’ll never fall in love, but she enjoys running an Instagram account that offers relationship advice to students at her school. No one except her roommate can know that she’s behind the incredibly popular “Dear Wendy” account.

When Joanna “Jo” Ephron (also a first-year aroace college student) created their “Sincerely Wanda” account, it wasn’t at all meant to take off or be taken seriously—not like Wendy’s. But now they might have a rivalry of sorts with Wendy’s account? Oops. As if Jo’s not busy enough having existential crises over gender identity, whether she’ll ever truly be loved, and the possibility of her few friends finding The One then forgetting her!

While tensions are rising online, Sophie and Jo grow closer in real life, especially once they realise their shared aroace identity and start a campus organization for other a-spec students. Will their friendship survive if they learn just who’s behind the Wendy and Wanda accounts?

I am so glad I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. I have been trying to diversify my diverse reads and this is such a rare identity in books I needed to read it and it turned into an amazing story! There are many asexual book lists (aromantic even rarer) and so often it’s vague, implied, a throwaway comment that people can hang their hopes on, but Zhao holds nothing back and makes it clear these girls are aroace and are proud of it.

Jo/Wanda is definitely the antagonist in starting the feud between the pair. She takes it as a joke then intentionally antagonises Sophie/Wendy. Publicly too which is poor form. But Zhao balances on the line because I was waiting for it to go too far and become the main conflict but Jo stops right before it becomes too hurtful. This self-awareness of intent with Jo is great too because she always tries to maintain the jest in her actions so having her change would be a bigger shift than a light hearted taunt. It is always light hearted to their credit, though I was waiting for someone to log into the wrong account and out themselves and mess it up. For all the different ways this could have played out I really enjoyed how Zhao works this storyline. There’s tension and suspense, while remaining heartfelt, honest, and wholesome.

I love having a book where there are set feelings/identity. The focus is then on a different story and not only on exploring character feelings. Not that having books only about that are bad, I have loved more than my fair share, but sometimes it is nice to have a plot with a diverse character and not have the diverse character be the plot. The aroace representation in books is so low (finding any openly or definitive asexual or aromantic rep in books is hard) and I am glad this one shines brightly with an amazing story and amazing set of characters.

I did enjoy the note from Zhao at the beginning about hoping this story helps people realise their identity or at least start to understand what it means, it is so often misunderstood and dismissed. It helps not having a non-fiction book or essays to gain understanding when you can see it play out in a storyline.

If anybody thinks there’s too much discussion about identity in this book and think people wouldn’t have these conversations obviously haven’t met the right people. Besides there are thousands of books discussing feelings and flutterings in stomachs and crushes that go on for entire books. Why can’t there be a few that talk about how it can be exhausting having none? Especially against a society that expects it. I loved how Zhao puts forward their own version of the Feelings Book by giving us one where the point is not having any.

I liked that the advice columns keep going, I like that there is no major incidents, I like that despite being in their heads and falling prey to overthinking there are real reactions and solutions. It’s a pain to keep saying it, but it is refreshing when people are sensible about things and storylines don’t go over the top for the drama in unrealistic ways. Why can’t we have two friends fighting who need to work it out? There is still a will/they won’t they element, especially since there is precedent for no they won’t already with a character. I’d rather have two friends look at whether they can forgive one another than have something be a drama that has no weight, sexuality expression aside.

400 pages/10 hours and 70+ chapters makes it feel like the book is slow and dragged out, and sometimes it does, but it is a medium paced story, a lot of little things happen and it fills a range of side elements like exploring characters, plus the culture and community at the school. The complexity of the book world and having each character have their own friends and family around them meant there was a lot to explore and Zhao gives everything the right pace and attention.

This is a great book that gives attention to a little know part of the diversity alphabet and hopefully it’s one people can fall in love with. If not for the refreshing identity exploration, than an amazing rivals plot and finding new intense friendships.

You can purchase Dear Wendy via the following

Booktopia

Blackwell’s | Angus & Robertson

Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust

Long Lost Review: Cress (#3) by Marissa Meyer

13 Feb 2025 Leave a comment

by Amy in 4 Stars, Fantasy, Long Lost Reviews, Young Adult Tags: #llr, four stars, long lost review, Long Lost Reviews, marissa meyer, the lunar chronicles

Published: 4th February 2014
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Pages: 552
Format: Paperback
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
★ ★ ★ ★ – 4 Stars

In this third book in the Lunar Chronicles, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, now with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army.

Their best hope lies with Cress, a girl imprisoned on a satellite since childhood who’s only ever had her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker. Unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.

When a daring rescue of Cress goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a higher price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has.

I’ve been trying to get reviews out for this series for years and my stubborn perfectionism needs me to put them out in order. The issue is, if I haven’t taken notes, I am now years past when I read it and I only have a fraction of plot floating around my head.

I loved this series and I love how Meyer gives us different fairy tale retellings in a whole new landscape but creatively ties them together in a way that is true both to their original stories and this beautifully complicate new world she has created.

I liked the shift from a tower to a satellite and it ties beautifully in the technological era that the rest of the series has been working with. It also continues the story we already know from Cinder and Scarlett, the kingdom is still in danger and the Lunar Queen still means trouble. But in between that, we get to meet Cress, a wonderful girl trapped on a satellite and left alone among the stars.

I enjoyed Cress’ character, each of this band of misfits has a different personality and their own strengths which I love. Now that they are coming together to save the world it’s good seeing these unique skills come together.

The continuation of Cinder and Scarlett’s stories is excellent, I love that they play roles in the bigger story and aren’t forgotten entirely once their book has finished. There isn’t a full equal sharing of the story, Cress still gets her own book, but as they’re all working towards their goal Meyer weaves in the others and their storylines prompt action.

There is a strong romance element for everyone to swoon over in each book and Cress is no different. Each of our heroes is matched up to their own true love which gives you some cute moments away from the dire peril. It plays into the fairy tale element so while it can feel predictable, it is a nice one where the tropes of the originals are still in play. Plus Meyer is once again giving us fun play on words with names and circumstances to delight us as Thorne and Cress come together.

I can’t remember much besides vague plot points but I did give it four stars and I remember really loving it. So based off vibes it was a great book and a great next step in the series to the epic conclusion.

You can purchase Cress via the following

QBD | Dymocks | Booktopia

Wordery | Blackwell’s | Angus & Robertson

Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust | Audible

The Pause by John Larkin

04 Feb 2025 1 Comment

by Amy in 5 Stars, Aussie YA Challenge, Top Five List, Young Adult Tags: #AussieYAChallenge, Aussie YA Challenge, contemporary young adult, five stars, john larkin, loveozya, young adult

Published: 1 April 2015
Publisher: Random House Australia
Pages: 319
Format: Paperback
Genre: Contemporary Young Adult
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ – 5 Stars

Declan seems to have it all: a family that loves him, friends he’s known for years, a beautiful girlfriend he would go to the ends of the earth for.

But there’s something in Declan’s past that just won’t go away, that pokes and scratches at his thoughts when he’s at his most vulnerable. Declan feels as if nothing will take away that pain that he has buried deep inside for so long. So he makes the only decision he thinks he has left: the decision to end it all.

Or does he? As the train approaches and Declan teeters at the edge of the platform, two versions of his life are revealed. In one, Declan watches as his body is destroyed and the lives of those who loved him unravel. In the other, Declan pauses before he jumps. And this makes all the difference.

One moment. One pause. One whole new life.

“Don’t abandon the miracle of your own existence because you don’t know how to ask for help.”

I keep being punished for not reading books when they first come out when I want to, only to realise how fantastic they are later when I eventually do. It’s happened four times now and I don’t seem to be learning my lesson.

First things first, this is a book that deals with suicide and a split timeline between following through and not. In a Sliding Doors meets The Lovely Bones style we see both lives of Declan: what happens if he jumps, what happens if he doesn’t. Not to be morbid, but there is an amazing first person perspective scene about jumping in front of a train. In the brief mention it manages to have a great balance between not being overly graphic and also being real about it. It shows the brain mechanics and impulses a person goes through, it shows the detail of what actually happens to your body, it includes the immediate regrets, not to mention the trauma of those who see it. It’s important to note that that part is brief. It’s a fleeting mention but it is well written and one I think is important to include.

There’s also great descriptions of teenage life and their thoughts and decisions. Larkin’s written a great teenage voice and the tunnel vision teenagers have about what is important and earth shattering in their life comes across. It’s great insight which helps you understand their actions and motivations; how they are hormone driven, and how they’re experiencing everything the first time: from friend issues, to family issues, to first love. Larkin comes in strong early on with the big emotions and it hooks you right in without glorifying or making it grotesque.

The best part is Declan isn’t special. He has mates who are typical teenage boys. Annoying sister, parent issues, and family dynamics. It appears to come from nowhere which is why it’s so great. It was a shock. It is unexpected. It’s great to show how something like this can happen to the most normal looking kid ever. The voice is believable and the relationships Declan has with his family is believable, even the different dynamics he has with each member of his family. You do behave differently around different people and his favourite parent is clear while unintentional.

The sliding doors moment and duel existence is perfect and you become captivated by this life now lived and the reminders it couldn’t have happened at all. There is Larkin’s voice on high with reminders that things will get better and setbacks aren’t the end of the world even if that thing was what was getting you through.

You’re also drawn along by What Happened to Aunt Mary? The mystery is woven throughout and as Larkin drip feeds us information before dumping the entire bucket on us all I can say it was amazing, especially given the emotional ride we’ve gone through with Declan so far.

There are so many things I would love to talk about and how wonderful and mind blowing they are but alas, spoilers. Even the smallest possibly vaguest things I don’t want to risk and ruin the revelations and joys I had reading this book.

When I finished this I basically went and gushed about it for ten minutes. It was amazing. I loved every part of it. It is sad and profound, it has so many lessons about life and humanity and hope. It is incredible how Larkin managed to weave in these important things that need to be hammered into every single person who ever thinks they are the alone or are the only one who feels a certain way. It’s natural but you can tell where The Lesson is but I don’t care. It also comes across through the voice of a boy who has been told this in a professional setting and is remembering it. He is using these lessons to live his life. The life he almost didn’t have.

Again, I kick myself for not picking this book up when I wanted to in 2016. I saw it for months on the shelf and I was drawn to it. But I never dove in. I’m glad I finally did because I loved it. It is only fictional but it’s also the story of so many people, not just teenagers. It’s obviously not perfect, it still has a few slightly non PC approaches to things but that’s really not important. The content is important. It’s about life getting better. About not giving into the impulses. How mental illness sneaks up on you and it’s ok to get help. Which for a 2015 book feels amazing.

Honestly it is a brutal book. It deals with big issues, it describes big issues with quite a lot of detail, and the consequences of both sides smack you in the face with the truth and reality. And that is why it is phenomenal. It never strays from being a YA voice, which is more important because it knows its audience. Larkin knows who is reading this, knows the message needs to get out that your teenage years are not forever. But also lets kids know that people of all ages go through things. You are not alone. I am trying hard not to write an entire essay about this book (and failing I know), but I cannot stress enough how amazing it is. If you can handle the brutality of it all – not only the few descriptions, but the emotional brutality, and the reality of life – please read it.

You can purchase The Pause via the following

QBD | Dymocks | Booktopia

Angus & Robertson

Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust