The Brown Review

Author: TJ Klune Rating: 5/5 Recommend:  A truly heartwarming novel, if I've ever read one. There is magic and children and an island by the sea... what's not to love? The House In The Cerulean Sea tells the story of Linus Baker - an ordinary government official tasked with an extraordinary job. Mr Baker is a Caseworker for the Department In Charge Of Magical Youth; in other words it's his job to make sure that all of the magical children in the human community are being properly taken care of in their orphanages.  On an exceptionally dull Wednesday when Mr. Baker is suddenly charged with a Priority Level 4 assignment - going to an island for a month and sending reports about the welfare of the 6 children there - little does he know that his life is about to be changed completely forever. And this is where our delightful story begins... I never fail to marvel at the power of authors - how their words and imagination can influence your feelings so that you go from feeling ...

Author: Mina Hardy Rating: 4.4/5 Recommend: Okay, wtf did I just read? Wow. I did not expect to be blown away by this. But, I was. For a duration of 24 hours, I doubted, screamed, accused, and then finally, finally, I cackled wickedly when at the end of the novel my suspicions were proved right. Mina Hardy has written such a fantastic, messed-up thriller, that I am able to compare it to the likes of Colleen Hoover's Verity. Job well done Mina. After All I've Done follows the story of Diana Sparrow: victim of a recent car accident and surgical operation, Diana now suffers from anaesthesial amnesia. In other words, she has no recollection whatsoever of the events that happened 2 months before the accident and the events that happened during and after. But, that's okay though - Diana has a loving mother-in-law who feeds her delicious food 24 hours a day, and walks into her house unannounced also 24 hours a day. But, that's just love right? Diana wouldn't know. Her own...

Author: Emily Houghton Rating: 4.5/5 Recommend:  This is the kind of book that you finish in a single read. When you're feeling at your worst, like nothing in life is going according to plan, it's the kind of book that will show you how little your problems are compared to others. Emily Houghton's novel will then teach you how to stand up again. A beautiful read. Alice has had an accident. Due to a mishap at work, she is now the recovering survivor of a raging fire - but, at a steep cost. Alfie was in an accident too - but, after months spent recovering, he is finally close to being released from the hospital's rehabilitation ward. When Alice is shifted to the bed next to Alfie, the pair strike a bizarre friendship... but, can you be friends with someone you have never even seen? How much does appearance matter really? I loved the dynamic between Alice and Alfie! As the interactions between them grew, and they each slowly began to open up about the grief and loss in th...

Collected Image Author: Erin A. Craig Rating: A solid 5.0! Recommend: This novel is every fantasy lover's dream come true. It has the raw power needed to shove you out of your mundane life on Earth, and place you on the rocky salt shores of a time-old fairy tale - with some sinister twists that is. I loved every single word. Highly recommended. Annaleigh Thaumas is fourth among the twelve beautiful sisters living in the majestic manor of Highmoor (sound like any fairy tales you know?). Growing up surrounded by the salty sea waves and sharp craggy cliffs of their village, Annaleigh and her family are the People of the Salt - from the Salt they are born, and to the Salt they return.  A gorgeous depiction of Highmoor at the very top Everything at Highmoor was fine... until the mangled corpses of the Thaumas sisters started turning up all over the estate. After the death of Eulalie, the fourth among a series of gruesome accidents, the villagers are sure that the family is cursed....

  Author: Katie Vaz Rating: 3.8/5 Recommend: THIS BOOK HAS ILLUSTRATIONS. And it has deliciously creamy pages! If you love plants, cats, and charming stories scattered with beautiful, colorful illustrations. then you will love reading this book. Especially recommended for beginner readers.  My Life In Plants tells the story of Katie Vaz - starting with tales from her childhood and continuing through various events in her life. I picked this book up (in the hypothetical sense since I found it on Netgalley :V) simply because of it's cover and title. It promised a reading experience which I had last felt when seeing the gorgeous illustrations of Nick Sharratt in the countless Jacqueline Wilson novels I read in childhood. Coming September 2020! Though not a work of literary fiction, the artwork was definitely on par. Paired with the creamy patterned pages, I think it will be a joy to read as a hardcover! I had no idea who Katie Vaz was before stumbling across this book. But afte...

Author: Cassandra Clare Rating:  2.0/5 Recommend: No. Just don't. There is no bigger pain than spending a ton of money on a book which you believed in - despite everyone telling you not to - and then having to slog through the pages, miserably cursing your dumb decision all the while. I have read The Mortal Instruments. The Infernal Devices. Even Tales from the FRIKKING SHADOWHUNTER ACADEMY. All of those were classic Shadowhunter novels - drama mixed with monsters, and in the case of The Infernal Devices, some beautiful scenes of classic era London. I bought Chain of Gold expecting another thrilling story set in the Shadowhunter world - instead, I received a bore of a novel which has put me off the Shadowhunter world for good. Cassandra Clare wanted The Last Hours series to be set several years after the events of Clockwork Princess: with the children of our delightful heroes all grown up, she introduced a new set of characters in the backdrop of Edwardian Londond. Sounds great, r...