Beware of the book dragon!

It's no secret that I absolutely love Liv Evans's writing and I love dystopian fiction, and this last installment of The Derivatives Rising trilogy is no different. Friends (and foes), this book is no joke — at well over 700 pages, I think it was definitely the best possible way to end the series. Heck, I finished it and then went straight to Liv's DMs to ask "what the frick?!" I highly recommend reading both The Underground and The Hub (books 1 and 2) before jumping into this one, but you do you and be my guest if you're an agent of chaos. I truly didn't expect Free Citizens to be full of twists, however, it's got everything I could ask for in an ending of a YA dystopian trilogy, twists included! I certainly loved how Liv captured the world and characters, and developed both still in this last book! As someone who often struggles to visualise written word, to be able to actually have kind of a picture in mind in my head is actually something. The char...

The Voidstalker Extraction by Liv Evans My rating: 5 of 5 stars An excellent sci-fi, full of adventure! I enjoyed the universe, and felt that it was definitely something had me hooked into this one whilst flying in a big metal bird (that's right - I read this one in a single sitting, between Sydney and Auckland!) I cannot wait for book 2 in the series! NOTE: I was given a copy by one of the authors for review, and this has not by any way influenced my review. View all my reviews

The Deep by Rivers Solomon My rating: 3 of 5 stars I'm not sure how to put this one. It's unique. And I liked it. But I only really retained the vibe from it, given it has such a slow pace. Rating: 3.25/5 View all my reviews

Enclave by Claire G. Coleman My rating: 4.7 5 of 5 stars TWs: racism, alcoholism, homophobia, xenophobia, death, mental illness This is an excellent dystopian novel - slow to start, but a kick in the teeth by the time you're halfway through! It has foci of homophobia, segregation, and slavery, and Coleman really does highlight these well in contrast to those who are white (privileged) in so called Safetown. A must read. Rating: 4.75/5 View all my reviews

The First Thing About You by Chaz Hayden My rating: 3 of 5 stars TWs: death (off-page), hospitalisation, alcohol use, drug use (off and on page), bullying I can definitely see A LOT of people reading this book! I really liked how the characters were flawed, even though I did find it hard to breeze through this read because of it. I did like the gritty-ness of teenage life through the lense of a disabled teen, a perspective not seen in a lot of books. Thanks to Walker Books Australia for a copy of this book as part of their bookclub. View all my reviews

Heart of Silver Flame by S.D. Simper My rating: 4 of 5 stars A very punchy sequel to Sea and Stars! I'm very mad about the cliffhanger ending, but surely it means that the next one is going to have that HEA we're all after! View all my reviews

The Heartstopper Yearbook by Alice Oseman My rating: 5 of 5 stars Ah yes, I needed more Heartstopper content in my life! I really liked this 'yearbook'!! View all my reviews

The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well by Meik Wiking My rating: 3 of 5 stars TW: one disability slur I think that this is an insightful readm albeit a small one. View all my reviews

Dusty in the Outwilds by Rhiannon Williams My rating: 4 of 5 stars TW: Death This is definitely a twisty book, suited for those who are fans of middle grade (and those also young at heart)! I like how there was secrets and mystery, but in a fantasy setting. It made it all the more fun! Rating: 3.75/5 Thank you to Hardie Grant for a copy of this title for review! View all my reviews

Night Lights by Sarah Epstein My rating: 5 of 5 stars TW: mentions of drugs, domestic abuse/violence, homophobia, death There's just SOMETHING about small Australian town thrillers that Sarah does well, and this one certainly doesn't disappoint! A dual timeline - alternating between events and the aftermath kept me intrigued even at its twistiest point. There was also drama and tension, there was atmosphere, a dysfunctional family, and there was character development. All these things just really hit the spot for me. Also Nika. I'd hate for something to happen to that little bb. Such a precious character. Note: I received a paperback copy from Sarah herself, and I'm reviewing voluntarily because I really love her writing! View all my reviews

The Killing Code by Ellie Marney My rating: 5 of 5 stars TW: Murder, racism, blood/gore, sexual assault mentions, assault, serial killer, war themes, misogyny This was a brilliant read. Gripping, and I just really was simply keen for this one ever since the project was called Arlington Hall. It didn't disappoint at all - it has espionage, it has adventure, and it has that Ellie Marney vibe. The research that has gone into this book also shows, and I also loved the quotes from the real world codegirls at the start of each chapter - it made the book feel all that more real!!! Read this one on audio and I definitely recommend it wholeheartedly! View all my reviews

Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir My rating: 5 of 5 stars This book. BRB crying over this one. Nona is everything. That is all. View all my reviews

 What an epic space opera cross time-travel book! It has twists, it has drama, and plenty of action. This is one of my favourite scifi reads of the year so far! Having to piece together everything? An absolute delight. I loved each twist as it came, and I am rather fond of the interactions with Leeg. The writing was fast-paced, and I flew through this one pretty quickly — to nobody's surprise. The plot really worked for this aspect. I also enjoyed the multitude of characters, even though I was sometimes forgetting who was who in the book (this was probably a me thing).  Overall, this is just as smart as it is fun. I definitely recommend this one to those who like a bit of scifi! Rating: 4/5 Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the arc digitally for review!

Without being spoilery, what a sequel!  Picking up straight after the events of book 1, There are still the themes of racism and classism, but we see a lot of character growth within battling these topics.  I enjoyed seeing more development, and I also appreciated the use of pronouns in the book. I also really loved the wit and humour used. The writing felt mid-paced, so it did feel slower to read than what I expected, but that's okay. Overall, I do think that this sequel stands out just as well as the first one! Rating: 4/5 Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this title for review!

Songs by Honeybird is a book that not only focuses on songs and music, but also other themes such as racism. It is rather historical, but the themes are still somewhat relevant. I found the characters did have some interesting perspectives. This book was certainly medium paced, and I found that this matched the story well. Even though I didn't connect with the characters myself, I did appreciate each one's section and they all contributed well to the story. Overall this book is one for those music history buffs. Music is universal.  Rating: 3.75/5 Thank you to Mindbuck Media/Wampus for a copy of this title to review!

Book TWs: Loneliness, mental health, sexualised content (including jokes) This graphic novel tells the story in pictures, without words. It is certainly a unique take on the graphic novel scene, and it's genuinely refreshing.  I also really enjoyed how this book used a colour palette that was super limited! It highlighted the important theme of the story, loneliness - even though with the lack of words, I do feel that the meaning of the palette and main theme is subjective. I also loved seeing the bustle of the fictional city and how it plays on the yearning for a connection, as played out by the main two characters in this story. I do feel like this was also tied into how I perceived the story. I recommend this for those who want something different to read - where a picture tells a thousand words. Rating: 4/5 Thanks to Algonquin for a copy to review and spotlight this V-Day - you can see my spotlight on my instagram, instagram.com/chemicalbookdragon

 This one is advertised as a The Hunger Games meets The 100, and I was hooked by that! I did think that The Last She ticked the boxes for action. Whilst I enjoyed the action, the writing felt a bit choppy, and at some points, confusing. That being said, this one was certainly quick paced, and I liked the apocalyptic parts of the story. I just wished there was more character growth and world building. The writing definitely made it fast paced, and wild. I just wished it was refined a bit more, honestly. I did enjoy the perspectives and how they kind of alternated every chapter between Ara and Kaden. Whilst I did enjoy this, it felt a little too reliant on the instalove trope, something I just simply don't understand. I'd recommend this one for those looking for a fun action dystopian fiction! Rating: 3.5/5 Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this title for review.

Book TW: drugs, drinking, homophobia It's been a while since I read a boy band book. This one tackles a lot of the more uglier side of being famous, and it's definitely eye-opening.  The writing was fast paced, and I definitely ate this one up quickly! It was hard to read at times though, with the  homophobia of the band manager and the management in general. I do appreciate how it this book was not all about the glitz and glammer, and more about the issues surrounding each of the band members, with the homophobia experienced, or alcoholism and partying, not having a voice in songwriting, or just trying to keep the band together. This is definitely a book that takes the concept of boy bands that little bit deeper. Rating: 4/5  Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this title for review!

This was such an interesting YA fantasy read, with a Polish touch. The premise for this one was interesting - two enchantresses vying for a prince's heart. I was intrigued. I also was there for the enemy x enemy love.  Whilst this one took me a while to yet into (like most fantasy), I really enjoyed it, and I was here for it also being sapphic as heck. The writing just made it super immersive, and I really did enjoy the cultural aspects. Rating: 4/5 Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this title for review!

TWs: slavery, sexual abuse. This was certainly an interesting plot, and I found the execution to be interesting. It involves a couple of mentions of cyborgs (I wish there was more!), and a kind of two-tier society. The premise of keeping girls as captive by a monster also seems reminscent of the beauty and the beast tale, be wary of the slavery and abuse within the writing though. Whilst the world building isn't quite there, I do understand that there is a connected universe in the author's other books, but I did appreciate the way the plot was done, especially with Sienna wishing to escape the Master.  Overall, this was a quick read, and I do recommend it for those looking for a quick scifi read. Rating: 3/5  Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this title!