Sea Witch by Sarah Henning Review

I was fortunate enough to receive this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review. I was quite excited about reading this as it is marketed as sort of an origin story for Ursula from Disney’s Little Mermaid which is one of my favourite movies.

Evie is best friends with Prince Nik, the 2 of them are inseparable despite Evie being just a fisherman’s daughter and an outcast, however there used to be 3 of them. Four years ago Evie and Nik’s other best friend Anna tragically drowned. Then Annemette turns up seemingly from nowhere and she is the spitting image of Anna down to her freckles. But Annemette has secrets and so does Evie, secrets that if they were to get out would destroy everything.

I have given Sea Witch a rating of 3.5*. The idea is there but I just felt like the execution didn’t reach my expectations. I spent most of the book rooting for Evie and her love interest only for that to all change quite suddenly in the last few chapters – it just threw the book of balance.

It was a quick and easy read but the lack of world building and confusing order of flashbacks let it down. Nik and Iker were stand out characters and some of the descriptions of Denmark were beautiful.

I enjoyed it, just not as much as I wanted to. This would make a good holiday read.

How To Read More Books On A Budget!

I always considered myself to be a slow reader in the past but in April I challenged myself to read as many as I can, this is how I managed to read 10 books in April.

1. In April I did not have a tonne of money so I knew I wouldn’t be able to go to a bookshop and buy 10 books without spending a fortune. I bought a Kindle 4 years ago so had a look through the Kindle store. Most books in the Kindle format are cheaper than regular books (I have no idea why some aren’t!) so I downloaded a couple that I had seen pop up on Goodreads a lot and that my friend Bobbi had recommended. I know, I know, how dare you buy e-books blah blah blah, look I get that hard copies are nicer to hold and smell and curl up in front of a fire with but sometimes a readers gotta do what a readers gotta do.
2. So Kindle’s are great but I am also really forgetful and a lot of days found myself e-bookless and wanting to spend the little money I had on another book just so I could read something. The great thing about Kindle is that there is an app for your phone and also a way to read your Kindle books online. Bus journey without a Kindle? Read on your phone. At work with a few minutes to spare? Read on your desktop. Plus, they all sync up with each other so you never lose your place.
3. I also signed up to Netgalley, a website that will send you free, unreleased books in exchange for a review. This is a great way to access more books if you can’t afford to buy some. It can be very hit and miss with the books you receive, but you never know when you are going to stumble upon a future hit.
4. I don’t know about you but I have quite a few (ok, maybe more than a few) books lying around that I never got around to reading. Yes, new books are all shiny and pretty but that book gathering dust on a shelf for 3 years could be the book that is going to change your life.
5. And if e-books aren’t your friend then charity shops should be. Last week I picked up the entire Hunger Games trilogy for £2.25! Charity shops are the home of the bargain book find, just keep an open mind because it’s unlikely the book at the top of your TBR pile will be in there.

Ok, so most of these points you probably already knew but if I helped one broke reader out there then it was worth it.

Happy bargain book hunting!

Anya x

Nobody Real by Steven Camden

3⋆/5⋆

Unfortunately, I just couldn’t force myself to finish this book. I really, really wanted to enjoy it, the idea of a story written from the perspective of an imaginary friend sounded intriguing and I couldn’t wait to start reading it.

Nobody Real by Steven Camden is written from the points of view of Thor, a part-boy part-bear imaginary friend and his owner Marcie, who is finishing her A-Levels and getting ready to leave for university. The story is about them reconnecting and, whilst I enjoyed reading Marcie’s perspective of the story and found my younger self reflected in her thoughts, I found Thor’s narrative quite dull and lacking in personality.

I’ve given this book 2 stars just because Marcie’s character filled me with a sense of nostalgia and longing to be young again. I really dislike giving up on a book but after reading just over a quarter of it and not feeling a real connection to the story I had to stop.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me this book in return for an honest review.

Love at the Edge of Seventeen YA Anthology

3*/5*

Love at the Edge of Seventeen is an anthology of YA romance stories, each very unique with different themes.

Cara McKinnon’s novella ‘Three Jagged Pieces’ was by far my favourite in the anthology focusing on sexuality. It follows the story of Ava, Noah, and Sam as they each battle with their feelings for each other and is a very refreshing take on the classic love triangle trope so often found in YA stories.

Another standout story for me was ‘Her First Fever’ by A.E. Hayes. I don’t want to go too into the story as I don’t want to spoil it, however, I really liked the dynamic between Madeline and Johnny. The rest of the stories were just ok. If you enjoy romance with some fantasy elements thrown in, then there are a couple of stories in this anthology that you will enjoy.

Overall, it felt like McKinnon’s novella was the star of the show, but there is something for everyone in this anthology.

Thanks to NetGalley for sending me this book early to review.