Book reviews: Britt-Marie var här | The Black Prism | Vampire Academy: A Graphic Novel

Title: Britt-Marie var här (Britt-Marie Was Here)
Author: Fredrik Backman
Narrator: Marie Richardson
Original title: Britt-Marie var här
First published: 2014
Genre: Contemporary, Adult
Series: --
Publisher: Bonnier
Format: Audiobook
Time: 11h 13min
Finished: 
Summary: At first sight, Britt-Marie is a fussy, passive-aggressive busybody. But hidden inside her is a woman who has bigger dreams and a warmer heart than anyone around her imagines. When she finds herself alone for the first time in decades, she realises she's spent her life making choices for the sake of other people. Is it too late for her to change? And in a small town of big-hearted misfits, can Britt-Marie find a place where she truly belongs?

My thoughts: "Britt-Marie var här" is both a story about fitting in and breaking free. To go from accepting one's lot in life to demanding something better for oneself. To exit one's comfort zone and widen one's horizons. About feeling needed and wanted. About a world changing, but on a very small scale.
This was a very nice little story. I must say it was expertly narrated by Marie Richardson, whose voice fit perfectly with Britt-Marie's character. I suppose this book is sort of feelgood, while also being quite sombre at times. It's got some good wisdom to share, while also being a bit ridiculous at times. Overall, I wasn't blown away, but I liked it a fair bit nonetheless. Britt-Marie was a great character to follow, and the book almost made me feel something for football (other than utter despise). I liked the setting, because it was uniquely described and I felt like I've been in a hundred similar little towns in my life. Run down, but still loved. However, I didn't feel a lot for most of the characters, and the kids kind of annoyed me. But I appreciated Britt-Marie enough to look past that.
I recommend this book to anyone who wants to try out good Swedish literature, and who's looking for something uplifting, thought through, warm, and unique. I'd love to read more books centred around senior characters. I also recommend the audiobook in Swedish.
PS. The book has been translated to several different languages, including English, if you'd like to check it out.

Rating: 3,5/5

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Title: The Black Prism
Author: Brent Weeks
Original title: The Black Prism
First published: 2010
Genre: High fantasy, Adult
Series: Lightbringer #1
Publisher: Orbit
Format: Paperback
Pages: 735
Finished: 17/06/2020
Summary: Guile is the Prism, the most powerful man in the world. He is high priest and emperor, a man whose power, wit, and charm are all that preserves a tenuous peace. Yet Prisms never last, and Guile knows exactly how long he has left to live.
When Guile discovers he has a son, born in a far kingdom after the war that put him in power, he must decide how much he's willing to pay to protect a secret that could tear his world apart.

My thoughts: Oh, where to start? Perhaps with the expectations I had? They were high to say the least. Lots of people on BookTube had raved about the series, what with the somewhat recent release of the final instalment, and the reviews on Goodreads were raving. This was bound to be my new favourite thing in the world! What could go wrong? Everybody loved it!
A lot could go wrong, it would seem. Truly, a lot. I will keep myself as short as I can. Let's start with the protagonists. Kip, who is around 15 years old, is an insolent little brat and I'd rather see him dead. He has very few redeeming qualities. He is rude, insensitive, dumb, and immature. I wish him no happiness as a character, but I much less wish to hear more of his whining. Then there's Gavin, who is a so-called morally grey character, meaning the reader is supposed to like and feel for him despite him being morally dubious. Was he morally dubious? Yes. Did I like him? No. He's twice Kip's age but they have about the same mindset and maturity level. There is also Karris, the female protagonist. I didn't feel much of anything for her.
Next, there is the blatant sexism sprinkled lovingly all over this novel. The majority of the female characters were at some point, often at several points, described as sex objects. Their breasts, lips, butts, and hips were mentioned over and over again. Far too many times for me to keep up with the counting. Both Kip and Gavin express themselves in a very sexist manner and seem to have a immature (yes, I'm using that word again) view on women. To make up for the fact that Gavin can't have the love of his life, he's got a sex slave who looks like her to sleep with him instead. At several points Kip shows some minor 'weakness' or emotion and it's joked that 'he's almost as bad as a woman'. I didn't see any point to all this sexism and I grew tired of it very quickly.
Third is the writing style, plotting, and other. The style of the writing is very simple, almost juvenile. Not in any way elegant or beautiful. I almost think Brent Weeks must be a 15 year old himself in a disguise. The writing would also switch at random from third person view to first person to presumably show a character's thoughts, but would do so without any italic text or quotation marks.  The plot was repetitive. Kip almost drowns more than three times in the course of one book. Three times. Brent Weeks got obsessed with describing what it's like to nearly drown, and decided to include it several times for the same character and no one else. I've also read the word 'luxin' enough times for a life time through this book. There are several small but noticeable plot holes that I won't mention because they're spoilers.
What did I even like? I think some of the world building was interesting. The story had promise, but wasn't executed well. It was way too long. I'm glad I finished it, though, and didn't leave it half read. At least now I can write a review. I don't recommend this book to anyone I like.

Rating: 2,25/5

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Title: Vampire Academy: A Graphic Novel
Author: Richelle Mead
Illustrator: Emma Vieceli
Original title: Vampire Academy: A Graphic Novel
First published: 2011
Genre: Fantasy, YA
Series: Vampire Academy: The Graphic Novel #1
Publisher: Penguin
Format: Paperback
Pages: 144
Finished: 20/07/2020
Summary: St Vladimir's Academy isn't just any boarding school - hidden away, it's a place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They've been on the run, but now they're being dragged back to St Vladimir's where the girls must survive a world of forbidden romances, a ruthless social scene and terrifying night time rituals. But most of all, they must stay alive.

My thoughts: I read this for the challenge to read a book from a genre you wish you'd read more of for the 2020 Reading Rush!
While I loved the "Vampire Academy" series, the first book was my least favourite. It's a bit simple, shallow, and cliche. I wanted to read the graphic novel adaption to see if it added anything to the story of the first book that would make it better. I didn't find that was the case. The story became compressed because of this new format, and thus a lot of character and world building was lost on clumsy exposition and a frenzied pacing. It was, however, pleasant to see certain aspects of the story visualised, such as the St Vladimir school, the magic, and some of the characters that I thought was very well depicted. Overall I didn't fall head over heels for the art style, though satisfactory, or the shortened format.

Rating: 2,25/5

Book reviews: Till alla killar jag har gillat | PS. Jag gillar dig fortfarande | Nu och för alltid, Lara Jean

Title: Till alla killar jag har gillat
Author: Jenny Han
Original title: To All the Boys I've Loved Before
First published: 2014
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Feelgood
Series: Till alla killar jag har gillat #1
Publisher: Lavender Lit
Format: Hardback
Pages: 362
Finished: 31/05/2019
Summary: Sixteen-year-old Lara Jean Song keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. They aren’t love letters that anyone else wrote for her; these are ones she’s written. One for every boy she’s ever loved—five in all. When she writes, she pours out her heart and soul and says all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly, Lara Jean’s love life goes from imaginary to out of control.

My thoughts: This review will be short, because while I did like it a lot, there's not a lot of detail to go into. What enjoyed about this book had a lot to do with the characters and their relationships. This first novel focuses a lot on the relationship between Lara Jean and her two sisters, which was rather heartwarming at times. We also have the relationship between a single dad and his daughters, which was a representation of family structure that I loved to follow. And then there's the relationship between Lara Jean and the love interest, which was fun and not too expected (at least from my perspective). If I'd seen this as a movie, I'd probably have hated it, but in the format of a book, I found it cosy and nice. It was the best contemporary romance I've read EVER, I think!

Rating: 4,5/5

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Title: PS. Jag gillar dig fortfarande
Author: Jenny Han
Original title: PS. I Still Love You
First published: 2015
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Feelgood
Series: Till alla killar jag har gillat #2
Publisher: Lavender Lit
Format: Hardback
Pages: 339
Finished: 05/06/2019
Summary: Spoiler alert! Lara Jean didn’t expect to really fall for Peter. She and Peter were just pretending. Except suddenly they weren’t. Now Lara Jean is more confused than ever.When another boy from her past returns to her life, Lara Jean’s feelings for him return too. Can a girl be in love with two boys at once?

My thoughts: As the second book of the trilogy, this shifts the focus a bit from sisterhood to how Lara Jean deals with the troubles and doubts of romance. This novel brings up themes like jealousy, trust, and self doubt. I didn't find this as good of a read as the first book, but I did still enjoy it a lot, and I didn't get too tired of the romance. The author does a good job of making the reader agree with Lara Jeans thoughts and decisions, even if they seem hasty and irrational in hindsight. The romance is put to a test, and I like the problems it presented; they felt relatable and true to real life issues.

Rating: 4,25/5

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Title: Nu och för alltid, Lara Jean
Author: Jenny Han
Original title: Always and Forever, Lara Jean
First published: 2017
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Feelgood
Series: Till alla killar jag har gillat #3
Publisher: Lavender Lit
Format: Hardback
Pages: 342
Finished: 12/06/2019
Summary: Spoiler alert! Lara Jean is having the best senior year. And there’s still so much to look forward to: a class trip to New York City, prom with her boyfriend Peter, Beach Week after graduation, and her dad’s wedding to Ms. Rothschild. Then she’ll be off to college with Peter, at a school close enough for her to come home and bake chocolate chip cookies on the weekends.
Life couldn’t be more perfect! At least, that’s what Lara Jean thinks . . . until she gets some unexpected news. Now the girl who dreads change must rethink all her plans—but when your heart and your head are saying two different things, which one should you listen to?

My thoughts: This final novel in the trilogy takes place a year or so after the second book, and once again we have a shift of focus. Here, we witness Lara Jean's decisions about going her own way in life, and we see how she matures and handles disappointment and pleasant surprises. Throughout the series, I have loved to follow Lara Jeans life and perspective, as well as the feel good romance. I think this was a good end to the trilogy, and I highly recommend reading it (especially in summer time!).

Rating: 4,25/5

Book reviews: Just Dreaming | Rebel Belle | Miss Mayhem

Title: Just Dreaming
Author: Kerstin Gier
Original title: Das dritte Buch der Träume
First published: 2015
Genre: Fantasy, YA
Series: The Silver Trilogy #3
Publisher: Square Fish
Format: Paperback
Pages: 349
Finished: 06/05/2019
Summary: Spoiler alert! The course of dream travel never did run smooth--at least, not in Liv Silver's experience. Able to visit other people's dreams (whether they want her to or not), Liv has solved mysteries, unearthed difficult truths, fought madmen, and escaped life-threatening peril, all from the comfort of her own bed. But Liv's troubles are just beginning...

My thoughts: I didn’t let as much time go by as I did between reading the first and second book of this trilogy. I read “Dream On” in January and realized that I wanted to finish the series soon, before I forgot too much. Now I’ve completed the whole thing, and I’m happy that I did so now and not later on.
I appreciate Gier’s writing mostly because of the way she portrays her protagonists. Both Gwen from the “Ruby Red” trilogy and Liv from this trilogy share the same humour and absolute awkwardness when it comes to pretty much everything in life. I feel that I have been able to relate a lot to both of these characters’ quirky and insecure sides, as well as their sarcastic and snarky ones. What’s more, I love the interactions between Liv and other characters; she has such different ways of acting with them, which I find very realistic. The romance was also chill; it wasn’t necessarily explosive or too dramatic, like most young adult romances. No, it was more laid back, and their relationship went through problems that I felt are more true to actual teenage couple problems. I appreciated that a lot.

The main problem I found with this series was its handling of mental illnesses; more specifically psychopaths. Liv has the same assumptions about psychopaths that most people seem to have; that someone who “acts crazy” and has bad intentions is immediately labled as a psychopath. I found that the way in which the topic was treated in this series heavily alienated the illness in a way that definitely isn’t good for anyone. Ultimately, this is what lowered my grade from a 4,5/5 stars to 4,25/5 stars. It’s not a huge change in rating, but it matters to me.
Besides that flaw, I recommend this series to anyone who wants to read quirky and fun young adult fantasy, and to anyone who has enjoyed other works by Gier. Let’s hope more books by her get translated into English!

Rating: 4,25/5

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Title: Rebel Belle
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Original title: Rebel Belle
First published: 2014
Genre: Fantasy, YA
Series: Rebel Belle #1
Publisher: Putnam
Format: Hardback
Pages: 345
Finished: 18/05/2019
Summary: Harper Price, peerless Southern belle, was born ready for a Homecoming tiara. But after a strange run-in at the dance imbues her with incredible abilities, Harper's destiny takes a turn for the seriously weird. She becomes a Paladin, one of an ancient line of guardians with agility, super strength and lethal fighting instincts.Just when life can't get any more disastrously crazy, Harper finds out who she's charged to protect: David Stark, school reporter, subject of a mysterious prophecy and possibly Harper's least favorite person. But things get complicated when Harper starts falling for him—and discovers that David's own fate could very well be to destroy Earth.

My thoughts: “Rebel Belle” was the book that I decided to read for May month’s reading theme; something pink on the cover. If this cover isn’t pink, I don’t know what is.
I have earlier read the first two books in Rachel Hawkins’ “Hex Hall” trilogy, which I remember that I enjoyed a lot. This book had a lot in common with those books; the main character has the same type of humour and cluelessness in the face of epicness. “Rebel Belle” was a light read that didn’t demand much concentration or emotional dedication, which I can appreciate from time to time. Overall it was decent; the plot was pretty investing, the romance was nice, and the protagonist was entertaining. Nothing mind-blowing, but totally alright.

Rating: 3,5/5

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Title: Miss Mayhem
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Original title: Miss Mayhem
First published: 2015
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Series: Rebel Belle #2
Publisher: Putnam
Format: Hardback
Pages: 272
Finished: 23/05/2019
Summary: Spoiler alert! Life is almost back to normal for Harper Price. The Ephors have been silent after their deadly attack at Cotillion months ago, and her best friend, Bee, has returned after a mysterious disappearance. Now Harper can focus on the important things in life: school, canoodling with David (her nemesis-turned-ward-slash-boyfie), and even competing in the Miss Pine Grove pageant.
Unfortunately, supernatural chores are never done. The Ephors have decided they’d rather train David than kill him. The catch: Harper has to come along for the ride, but she can’t stay David’s Paladin unless she undergoes an ancient trial that will either kill her . . . or make her more powerful than ever.

My thoughts: Slight spoiler alert I'm sad to say that this second book in the series was a disappointment compared to the first one. I had several problems with it, though I admit I didn't hate it. I'm just underwhelmed. No one flaw was greater than the others for me, and had there been less of them, I might have liked this as much as the first. However, I expected more.
First of all, the story lacks character interactions in general. Because the main character does not interact with the other characters in the story (even though she mentions them in her narration) they fall flat, and the story starts appearing fabricated. Of course I know that the story is fictional, but a good book should have you feeling that the story has some truth to it. Miss Mayhem, or rather this series, does not deliver on that front.
Another problem was the plot of this book, which was typical for the second installment in young adult trilogies. Sure, things happened, but they were rushed through and easily forgettable, causing me to think that the author only wanted to brush over this novel in order to get to the third and final one. I can understand that urge, but a good trilogy contains three good books, not just two.
There were smaller things that it lacked as well. Most of all, I think it lost its charm. I laughed at parts in the first book, but I found no such moments in this one. I also found that the romance, which I enjoyed before, felt very bland now. In fact, all but one of the relationships between protagonist and supporting character were bland.
All of this, despite that I still kind of like the story and want to know what happens, urges me to give this book a lower grade than I thought I would. I will most likely not finish reading this trilogy.

Rating: 2,75/5

Book reviews: The Outsiders | En olustig början | Dream On

Title: The Outsiders
Author: S.E. Hinton
Original title: The Outsiders
Genre: Classic, YA
Series: --
Publisher: Puffin
Format: Hardback
Pages: 218
Finished: 01/01/2019
Summary: No one ever said life was easy. But Ponyboy is pretty sure that he's got things figured out. He knows that he can count on his brothers, Darry and Sodapop. And he knows that he can count on his friends - true friends who would do anything for him, like Johnny and Two-Bit. And when it comes to the beating up on "greasers" like him and his friends - he knows that he can count on them for trouble. But one night someone takes things too far, and Ponyboy's world is turned upside down...

My thoughts: This will be a short review, because I really liked this book. I read this for my exam project in school about the development of core messages and sub-genres of young adult literature in school and private since the 70's. To be honest, I wasn't stoked to read this. Sure, I wanted to read it sometime, but at the time that I picked it up I just felt that the genre wasn't what I needed at the time. I was, however, pleasantly surprised. “The Outsiders” offers likeable characters, a good narrative, an exciting plot, and some wisdom, as well as insight to the underclass youth of the 60’s USA. It’s a quick and easy read, and I do highly recommend it, seeing as it’s both a classic and a good book.

Rating: 4,5/5

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Title: En olustig början (An Uneasy Beginning)
Author: Lemony Snicket
Original title: The Bad Beginning
Genre: Middlegrade
Series: A Series of Unfortunate Events #1
Publisher: Richters
Format: Hardback
Pages: 170
Finished: 05/01/2019
Summary: Dear Reader,
I'm sorry to say that the book you are holding in your hands is extremely unpleasant. It tells an unhappy tale about three very unlucky children. Even though they are charming and clever, the Baudelaire siblings lead lives filled with misery and woe. From the very first page of this book when the children are at the beach and receive terrible news, continuing on through the entire story, disaster lurks at their heels. One might say they are magnets for misfortune.
In this short book alone, the three youngsters encounter a greedy and repulsive villain, itchy clothing, a disastrous fire, a plot to steal their fortune, and cold porridge for breakfast.
It is my sad duty to write down these unpleasant tales, but there is nothing stopping you from putting this book down at once and reading something happy, if you prefer that sort of thing.
With all due respect,
Lemony Snicket

My thoughts: This is the first book in the Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket, which Netflix series adaption I watched before reading this novel. As many other middlegrade books, it’s short and easy to get through quickly, and of course needs something extra to stand out in the sea that is middlegrade literature. This is offered by a witty and odd narrative, and a continued sense of unease through the whole book. The breaking of the fourth wall (by the narrator addressing the reading in person) also adds to the special character of this series. Although I’ve already seen the series, I’m looking forward to reading more of these books this upcoming year. The reason for the low-ish grade is because it didn't blow me away.

Rating: 3,5/5

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Title: Dream On
Author: Kerstin Gier
Original title: Das zweite Buch der Träume
Genre: Fantasy, YA
Series: The Silver Trilogy #2
Publisher: Square Fish
Format: Paperback
Pages: 317
Finished: 07/01/2019
Summary: Spoiler alert! Things seem to be going well for Liv Silver: she's adjusting to her new home (and her new family) in London; she has a burgeoning romance with Henry Harper, one of the cutest boys in school; and the girl who's been turning her dreams into nightmares, Anabel, is now locked up. But serenity doesn't last for long. It seems that Liv's troubles are far from over--in fact, suddenly they're piling up. School gossip blogger Secrecy knows all of Liv's most intimate secrets, Henry might be hiding something from her, and at night Liv senses a dark presence following her through the corridors of the dream world. Does someone have a score to settle with Liv?

My thoughts: It’s not been too many years (I think 2015?) since I read “Dream a Little Dream”; the first novel of the Silver trilogy. Kerstin Gier, a German author, has been one of my favourite writers since I first read her Ruby Red trilogy several years ago. What makes her writing and her books special is to a large extent her humour. The way she portrays her female protagonists as clumsy, witty, and goofy makes them stand out from every other bland YA main character out there. We follow Liv in this trilogy; a teenage girl who makes mistakes, has prejudices, and very much differs from the other characters in the book. Because, as it should be, the characters in Gier’s novels don’t blend together. Another thing Gier is good at is building worlds and plots that seem majestic and could be very serious and maybe even scary, but she makes them sort of fun and dainty, if that makes any sense. We’re kind of talking the opposite of The Lord of the Rings on the seriousness scale, but it’s still very entertaining. Imagine a contemporary young adult novel with a twist of time travel or dream travel. That’s what Gier’s books are like. Reading one of them is like drinking a mug of hot coacoa with whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon. I like it!
Spoiler content: (mark to see the white text) I’ve gathered from the Goodreads reviews that many people would’ve wanted Liv to end up with Grayson, even after reading this second book. I just frankly don’t agree with that, especially since the brotherly and sisterly bond between Liv and Grayson strengthens. I think Henry is a much more interesting partner choice for Liv, even if Grayson is a nice character.
Link to my review of the first book in the series.

Rating: 4,5/5

Book reviews: Dream a Little Dream | The Wasp Factory | The Ocean at the End of the Lane

Title: Dream a Little Dream
Author: Kerstin Gier

Original title: Silber
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Feelgood

Series: The Silver Trilogy #1

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.

Format: Hardback

Pages: 319

Finished: 20/07/2015

Summary: Mysterious doors with lizard-head knobs. Talking stone statues. A crazy girl with a hatchet. Yes, Liv's dreams have been pretty weird lately. Especially the one where she's in a graveyard at night, watching four boys conduct dark magic rituals.

The strangest part is that Liv recognizes the boys in her dream. They're classmates from her new school in London, the school where she's starting over because her mom has moved them to a new country (again). But what's really scaring Liv is that the dream boys seem to know things about her in real life, things they couldn't possibly know--unless they actually are in her dreams? Luckily, Liv never could resist a good mystery, and all four of those boys are pretty cute....

My thoughts:

I was obsessed with the Ruby Red Trilogy by Kerstin Gier for a good while, but at the time no other books by her had been translated to neither English nor Swedish, so I was left with either learning German or just wait for some publisher to get the brilliant idea of translating something. And someone finally did! I got Dream a Little Dream for my birthday and read it in July. I'm happy, though not surprised, to say I was far from disappointed. This book was all I could've hoped  for and more. The characters, especially Liv and her sister Mia, were so easy to relate to and I felt at home reading from Liv's point of view.

As for the dream world, I found it a really interesting concept that I've never even heard of before. I always like originality in books! And the humour! Gier's characters are the funniest there is to find out there. Well, at least some of the funniest. The only thing I found was less good with this book was the romance. I liked it, but I felt it lacked something. I hope to see more development in the upcoming books. The sequel will be out in January!

Rating: 5/5

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Title: The Wasp Factory

Author: Iain Banks (1954-2013)

Original title: The Wasp Factory
Genre: Adult, Thriller

Series: ---

Publisher: Abacus

Format: Paperback

Pages: 187

Finished: 24/07/2015

Summary: Meet Frank Cauldhame. Just sixteen, and unconventional to say the least:

"Two years after I killed Blyth I murdered my young brother Paul, for quite different and more fundamental reasons than I'd disposed of Blyth, and then a year after that I did for my young cousin Esmerelda, more or less on a whim.
That's my score to date. Three. I haven't killed anybody for years, and don't intend to ever again.
It was just a stage I was going through."

My thoughts:

I am putting it mildly when I tell you I have mixed feelings about this book. It was very, very, very different from what I usually read. I'd say the writing style is kind of similar to Stephen King and Terry Pratchett, a little. I won't tell you too much about the actual plot, because I think it's best if you go in not knowing a whole lot.
I had problems connecting with the main character at some points in the beginning. He has some opinions about certain things that I strongly disagree with, and he does things that I didn't always really understand the reason behind. But this is the kind of story where you get to know the main character in a very personal and intimate way. It's just the way it's written, and unfortunately that's not something that a lot of YA books include. It's very clear that this is the story of Frank, and we get to know him so well it's like he's a real person. In the end, I felt sympathy for Frank, but I think he's a bit crazy.
On the other hand, I really liked his father. Such a weird and quirky character. And I really felt for Eric, the poor guy.
All in all, not a book for everyone, but a great book for somebody. It was a very special read.

Rating: 3/5

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Title: The Ocean at the End of the Lane

Author: Neil Gaiman

Original title: The Ocean at the End of the Lane
Genre: Magical realism, Adult, Horror

Series: ---

Publisher: William Morrow

Format: Paperback

Pages: 178

Finished: 03/08/2015

Summary: Sussex, England. A middle-aged man returns to his childhood home to attend a funeral. Although the house he lived in is long gone, he is drawn to the farm at the end of the road, where, when he was seven, he encountered a most remarkable girl, Lettie Hempstock, and her mother and grandmother. He hasn't thought of Lettie in decades, and yet as he sits by the pond (a pond that she'd claimed was an ocean) behind the ramshackle old farmhouse, the unremembered past comes flooding back. And it is a past too strange, too frightening, too dangerous to have happened to anyone, let alone a small boy.

My thoughts:
I read and finished this book in one day as my first pick for BookTube-A-Thon. The Ocean at the End of the Lane went with the challenge to read a novel with blue on the cover.
I went into this book not knowing at all what it was going to be about. I like when I don't know, sometimes. It feels like I connect better with the characters if I don't already kind of know what's going to happen to them. So I won't talk too much about the plot, because I don't want to spoil anyone. All I'll say is it was a delightful adventure to read, and maybe just a bit magical.
Oh, and don't let the summary of the book mislead you as it did for me. This book is a lot more than it first may seem.

Rating: 4.5/5