five stars | Lost in a Good Book

The First to Die in the End (#0) by Adam Silvera

19 Jun 2025 Leave a comment

by Amy in 5 Stars, Audiobook, Young Adult Tags: adam silvera, anthony keyvan, Audiobook, five stars, jason genao, kyla garcia, lgbt, LGBTQIA, young adult

Published: 4 Oct 2022 (print)/4 Oct 2022 (audio)
Publisher: Quill Tree Books/Simon & Schuster Audio UK
Pages: 560/10 hrs and 24 mins
Narrator: Jason Genao, Anthony Keyvan, Kyla Garcia
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Contemporary Young Adult
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ – 5 Stars

It’s the night before Death-Cast goes live, and there’s one question on everyone’s mind: Can Death-Cast actually predict death, or is it an elaborate hoax? Orion Pagan has waited years for someone to tell him that he’s going to die, given his serious heart condition. Valentino Prince has a long and promising future ahead of him and only registered for Death-Cast after his twin sister nearly died in a car accident.

Orion and Valentino cross paths in Times Square and immediately feel a deep connection. But when the first End Day calls go out, their lives are changed for ever – one of them receives a call . . . the other doesn’t.

Told with acclaimed author Adam Silvera’s signature bittersweet touch, this story celebrates the lasting impact that people have on each other and proves that life is always worth living to the fullest.

I loved They Both Die at the End, I loved how Silvera originally brings us into this world and getting to see the prequel of how it began was amazing. The multiple characters give a great cross section of the city and those who will be affected by the first Death Day.

The way Silvera connects all the stories is clever and I loved seeing each storyline weave together and cross by one another. It was realistic and natural and even in a large city situation never felt unbelievable.

The twists about who was going to be first and how it was going to play out was amazing. The misdirection and the surprises were incredible and you are easily caught up in these beautiful boys and their budding relationship you easily forget someone is going to die. It happened with They Both Die at the End and Silvera once again breaks your heart by bringing these people together only to tear them apart.

As a huge fan of stories that take place in 24 hours this is a perfect use of the timeframe. With the Death Cast timeline and the deadline Silvera once again makes use of the entire 24 hours making you realise how much can happen to a person in the space of a day and how one person can change your life.

If you’ve read They Both Die at the End you can see where services and systems mentioned there come to light. I’m glad we get to see this in a prequel because as impactful as this is, the set up isn’t where the magic is unless you know how it’s implicated later on.

I loved the change in perspectives, and I loved how they are introduced by whether Death Cast called them or not. It is a brilliant teaser, and given we know some people are definitely dying, it is a great way to show how others are reacting to the first day of Death Cast and how it will impact their lives. These side plots are a great expansion on the world beyond Valentino and Orion and having them interwoven through was divine.

Once again you will be devastated even when you go in know how it will end and honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

You can purchase The First to Die at the End via the following

QBD | Dymocks | Booktopia

Wordery | Blackwell’s | Angus & Robertson

Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust | Audible

Long Lost Review: Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli

08 May 2025 Leave a comment

by Amy in 5 Stars, LGBTQIA, Long Lost Reviews, Young Adult Tags: #llr, becky albertalli, contemporary young adult, five stars, lgbt, LGBTQIA, long lost review, Long Lost Reviews, 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: 2 May 2023
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Pages: 416
Format: Paperback
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Romance
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ – 5 Stars

With humor and insight, #1 New York Times bestseller Becky Albertalli explores the nuances of sexuality, identity, and friendship in this timely new novel.

Imogen Scott may be hopelessly heterosexual, but she’s got the World’s Greatest Ally title locked down.

She’s never missed a Pride Alliance meeting. She knows more about queer media discourse than her very queer little sister. She even has two queer best friends. There’s Gretchen, a fellow high school senior, who helps keep Imogen’s biases in check. And then there’s Lili—newly out and newly thriving with a cool new squad of queer college friends.

Imogen’s thrilled for Lili. Any ally would be. And now that she’s finally visiting Lili on campus, she’s bringing her ally A game. Any support Lili needs, Imogen’s all in.

Even if that means bending the truth, just a little.

Like when Lili drops a tiny queer bombshell: she’s told all her college friends that Imogen and Lili used to date. And none of them know that Imogen is a raging hetero—not even Lili’s best friend, Tessa.

Of course, the more time Imogen spends with chaotic, freckle-faced Tessa, the more she starts to wonder if her truth was ever all that straight to begin with. . .

Sometimes you read too many books too fast and then suddenly what you think you read only last year turns out to have been read in 2023. Where does the time go? But this is a good Long Lost Review because my notes on it are few, the vibes are good, and I think it works based on what I remember about the story. The worst part is, this was in my Top Five of 2023 and it still didn’t get a real review so it’s a shame really to be reduced to a LLR but here we are.

This is a great exploration of identity and is a fantastic story about how being a passionate advocate for queer lives can also be damaging and toxic. Albertalli demonstrates with remarkable skill and grace, even a bit of compassion, that there still exists toxicity in queer spaces and there is always a chance of going too far.

Imogen’s journey of self-discovery is a wonderful reminder that there is no age limit on finding out who you are. Her inner monologue shows how unsettled she feels in herself, while also feeling so sure of who she is at the same time. As this becomes upended as the story goes along we follow this path as Imogen navigates her feelings, her friendships, and the lives of those around her to work out who she really is.

The cast of characters in this book are well rounded and complex. Even with so many characters in play they each get attention and are fully developed. It is easy to fall into their banter and support, as well as experience their ups and downs with them.

Gretchen is a great character in that she is a terrible but she is a perfect representation of what it means to police other people and to try and gate keep and control how other people experience their own lives. The challenge of having a friend like her, while also trying to be supportive and guided by their experiences and not your own, means Imogen tries her best to be an ally but at the same time deals with the problems Gretchen creates.

Being an older YA makes this story sit right at the cusp of leaving school/entering uni which is wonderful representation for anyone feeling like they need to have themselves worked out by the time they are 16 or before, like many queer YA books demonstrate. I enjoyed how it showed there is no time limit on discovering yourself and what makes you happy.

Full of realism and representation, Imogen, Obviously is a sweet and romantic story that deals with current and evergreen issues in the queer community from both inside and out. It’s light-hearted but not without conflict, and highlights the importance of friendship and being true to yourself.

Long Lost Review: Winter (#4) by Marissa Meyer

10 Apr 2025 Leave a comment

by Amy in 5 Stars, Audiobook, Long Lost Reviews, Young Adult Tags: #llr, five stars, long lost review, Long Lost Reviews, marissa meyer, the lunar chronicles, young adult, young adult fantasy

Published: 10 November 2015
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Pages: 827
Format: Paperback
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ – 5 Stars

Princess Winter is admired for her grace, kindness and beauty, despite the scars on her face. She’s said to be even more breath-taking than her stepmother, Queen Levana…

When Winter develops feelings for the handsome palace guard, Jacin, she fears the evil Queen will crush their romance before it has a chance to begin.

But there are stirrings against the Queen across the land. Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her allies, Winter might even find the power to launch a revolution and win a war that’s been raging for far too long.

Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter claim their happily ever afters by defeating Levana once and for all?

Depressingly I was so sure I had review notes for this so now I’m wondering if I imagined it. It was a five star read, I remember reading it, and yet I can’t remember what happens in it. I think 2020 wasn’t the year to read books you want to remember the plots of. Either that or I read too many books, it pushes the old ones out. The other option is of course I shouldn’t wait years to write the review and maybe take some notes.

This is a monster book, exceptionally long but thankfully I read it during a time I had plenty of time and nothing else to do so I got to really appreciate it. It is also a stunning conclusion to the epic build up we’ve had since Cinder and everything comes to a head in a thrilling conclusion. I remember loving the drama and the tension, everything is about to happen: revolution, all the planning and the plotting, the unification of our four heroines and their love interests.

Amazingly I remember less about this book than Cress and it’s probably twice as thick. I don’t remember feeling bored, or that the book dragged on due to its length. I think Meyer uses the pages well and with so much planning around the revolution I understand the effort to include it all. She’s paced it beautifully. If it was less detailed you just know someone would then complain they managed to overthrow a kingdom too easily if there wasn’t any war talk or detailed plans. Besides, this is the story. It’s about rebellion and about secrets and taking people out of power who aren’t easy to overthrow. It takes planning. We’ve had three books of love with a side of rebellion, now we get to rebel.

I am a bit sad three out of four of these reviews have been Long Lost Reviews. I feel like I’ve done them a disservice not reviewing them properly since I loved them so much. Which is ludicrous, the amount of reviews I’ve seen over the years which were some variation on “I loved this book!! 5 stars!!” and nothing else which have been perfectly acceptable. But it’s like that rule: it’s fine for others, but not fine for me.

I’m not sure if I could get a reread in of Winter to review better, it was a massive undertaking, even in audio form, which I think is how I got around to finally finishing the series in the first place. But I did love it, I remember thinking it was a fantastic conclusion to the series and an amazing way to bring together Winter’s original fairy tale (Snow White), as well as the overarching plot we’ve seen teased since Cinder.

In conclusion, I loved this book!! 5 stars!!

You can purchase Winter via the following

QBD | Dymocks | Booktopia

Wordery | Blackwell’s | Angus & Robertson

Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust | Audible

Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire

27 Feb 2025 Leave a comment

by Amy in 5 Stars, Audiobook, Fantasy, LGBTQIA, Wayward Children Tags: Audiobook, fantasy, five stars, lgbt, LGBTQIA, seanan mcguire, Wayward Children

Published: 24 March 2015 (print)/ 13 June 2017 (audio)
Publisher: Macmillan Australia/Macmillan Audio
Pages: 187/4 hrs and 4 mins
Narrator: Seanan McGuire
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Fantasy
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ – 5 Stars

Twin sisters Jack and Jill were seventeen when they found their way home and were packed off to Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children.

This is the story of what happened first…

Jacqueline was her mother’s perfect daughter—polite and quiet, always dressed as a princess. If her mother was sometimes a little strict, it’s because crafting the perfect daughter takes discipline.

Jillian was her father’s perfect daughter—adventurous, thrill-seeking, and a bit of a tom-boy. He really would have preferred a son, but you work with what you’ve got.

They were five when they learned that grown-ups can’t be trusted.

They were twelve when they walked down the impossible staircase and discovered that the pretense of love can never be enough to prepare you a life filled with magic in a land filled with mad scientists and death and choices.

I adored Jack and Jill in book one so seeing them have their own origin book was delightful. This dark story is probably a smidge horror, a bit gothic. Elements of stories like Jekyll and Hyde, Frankenstein, and those from Poe are evident, the dark science and magic combination and testing the realm of possibility. I was surprised I loved it so much given the slight gross moments and how much I hate horror, but the writing is captivating and you’re drawn in by the moors and the politics of those who live there.

From the discovery of their door and their journey into the strange land I loved every second of this book. I adored the eerie feel this story envelops you in right away. The moors are dangerous and fascinating places and seeing the twins find their place among the monsters was wonderful. I loved the darkness and the way McGuire doesn’t make it a bad thing, it’s good to have morbidity in a story, especially with how she’s established the types of people and where their true selves lie in the first book.

The best part is we know where Jack and Jill end up, we know they leave their land. So between devouring their story and seeing them blossom on the moors, you’re also keen to see how they could possibly ever leave a land so perfectly suited to them. Seeing Jack become her true self was divine and I loved their escape from their parents and how they were being moulded into what each parent wanted.

Having the knowledge of book one behind you, it is a bittersweet read too knowing what happens and seeing signs and the strain it places on the sisters, especially given how long they got to be in their world. If it’s a bit too dark you probably could skip it, but it’s a beautiful exploration of the way the doors work and an example of the various worlds that I can’t imagine ever not experiencing it, even with the tiny horror factor. It’s also a gorgeous story of falling in love and what it means to be alive and discovering the beauty of the world.

You can purchase Down Among the Sticks and Bones via the following

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