Bleed, Dax Varley – A Review.

Eeeeek, I’m back again with a review for you! This time it’s my read of Bleed by Dax Varley (I loved this one SO MUCH!) You can check it out here on Goodreads.

Overall rating – 5 out of 5 stars.

I want to start by saying that I wish I didn’t read this one on my lunch break, my stomach was churning within the first few pages as everything that was written was so vivid.

From the start I knew this book would be one for me, it grabbed my attention with it’s oddness, I’ve never read anything like it before, it was something special.

Our 5 main characters were so incredibly written that I felt like they were my friends! They were all from different stereotypical high school groups, but with their supernatural elements they all came together to form a tight knit group determined to get to the bottom of what was going on at their school…

The supernatural elements of these characters weren’t overwhelming in any way, they still behaved like normal teenagers – which I loved.

As the book progressed I particularly enjoyed how each character got their own specific chapter and then minor plot lines following their interaction with the evil that is infecting their lives. For me, this gave the book an edge and brought something different to the story.

I didn’t want this book to end because I was enjoying it so much, but even the ending was top notch, I couldn’t fault it and I loved how they all had to play their part. It finished the book perfectly.

Throughout the whole book the balance of supernatural and typical teenagers was kept, and with the added horror elements, supernatural themes and the evil being, Bleed ticked all of my boxes!

I cannot rate this book highly enough, I absolutely loved it.

Let me know if you’ve read Bleed by Dax Varley, and what you thought of it.

Until next time, Em xxx

The Chalk Man, C J Tudor – A Review.

Hello friends, I’m here to bring you a review of one of the books I actually got for my birthday last year, yes it has taken me that long to read it! It is: The Chalk Man by C J Tudor and you can view the synopsis on Goodreads.

Overall rating 5 out of 5 stars.

This was one of the best books I’ve read so far this year and we’re only a few weeks into 2021…

The prologue escalated quickly and hooked me in from the second I read it and really set the tone for the rest of the book.

Throughout the entirety of The Chalk Man I felt like I was on the edge of my seat, every time I turned a page or started a new chapter I wasn’t sure what to expect, which I really enjoyed. I had no idea what was going to happen and that thrilled me.

Every time I thought I’d guessed where the book was heading, I was thrown completely off track and I was wrong about well everything. Every aspect of this story was woven so cleverly, and only when I finished the book did I fully understand each different aspect.

My favourite part was how all of our questions were answered in the end, because there is nothing I hate more than when we’re left with questions!

Even though The Chalk Man was written solely from Eddie’s POV we didn’t miss any details, the writer ensured we learnt about the group of friends and their role within the story, minor characters who turned into huge parts of the book, and small details that were integral to the story.

One of the books selling points was how it switched between 2016 and 1986 every chapter, always from Eddie’s POV, making sure we got the historical details that we so desperately craved that built up to one of the best stories I’ve read this year.

At points, I felt scared, disgusted, traumatised and shocked by The Chalk Man – all the signs of a good book!

I just absolutely loved reading this book, it’s definitely one of my favourite 2021 reads.

Let me know if you’ve read this one and what you thought! Em xxx

The Christmas Bake Off, Abby Clements – A Review.

Hello fellow bookworms! I’m back again with another one of my 2020 reviews, due to a small break from my blog at the end of last year I am still catching up on my Christmas reads.

The Christmas Bake Off by Abby Clements.

Overall rating ❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️ out of 5 snowflakes.

This was the perfect read to kick off my December with, The Christmas Bake Off was absolutely adorable!

While this was only a short book that doesn’t mean it didn’t pack in a lot in the time that we had. The story was just so sweet, it made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, it had the perfect small village feel and the love for baking just oozed through the pages.

My favourite parts were definitely when Rachel’s daughter owned up to what she did – getting in that festive spirit! And when Bea won the competition, it would have been so easy for the author to pick the easy winner but it just reminded me that competitions aren’t always about who the “best” is, it’s the taking part and effort you put in that counts.

The ending of The Christmas Bake Off was absolutely perfect too, it rounded off the story but left it open for more!

I just loved this book and it kick started my Christmas reads perfectly, I’m so happy I read it.

Until next time, Em xxx