Book Review | War Is Over by David Almond

Short review for a super short story! I received a package via Candlewick Press filled with some ARCs and this gem was among them. Almond wrote War Is Over out of respect for the hundred year anniversary of the First World War.

This book is an illustrated short story about a little boy named John. His father is away at war and his mother seems to always be at work at the munitions factory. War doesn't sit well with John and he begins to feel for social outcast Uncle Gordon and for some reason has a sudden connection with a picture of a boy from Germany.

I was in love with the illustrations by Litchfield and how Almond didn't hold back on his talk of how war was. I'll be passing this one onto one of my client's so she can read it! I think it's a book that she could learn from as well as enjoy simply for the poignant story itself. 

The Fever King (Feverwake #1) by Victoria Lee

Title: The Fever King
Author: Victoria Lee
Publication Date: March 1, 2019

Publisher: Skycape
Pages: 412
Source: Paperback copy from publisher
Rating: 3/5

Synopsis from Goodreads:
In the former United States, sixteen-year-old Noam Álvaro wakes up in a hospital bed, the sole survivor of the viral magic that killed his family and made him a technopath. His ability to control technology attracts the attention of the minister of defense and thrusts him into the magical elite of the nation of Carolinia.
The son of undocumented immigrants, Noam has spent his life fighting for the rights of refugees fleeing magical outbreaks—refugees Carolinia routinely deports with vicious efficiency. Sensing a way to make change, Noam accepts the minister’s offer to teach him the science behind his magic, secretly planning to use it against the government. But then he meets the minister’s son—cruel, dangerous, and achingly beautiful—and the way forward becomes less clear.
Caught between his purpose and his heart, Noam must decide who he can trust and how far he’s willing to go in pursuit of the greater good.


Review:
I was so lucky to have gotten the chance to read this book so early! Although I didn't really get invested into the characters until the last end of the book, I know I'll have to tun into the next book to see exactly what happens. It doesn't end in a big cliff-hanger, but it does leave you holding up grabby hands for more.

A few of the things that stood out to me was the world-building, the amount of gayness, and my love for Noam and Dara. As I said above, it took me awhile to connect with them, but the way Lee has written him keeps him at a distance not only from Noam, but also us as readers for a bit. Once some secrets come out, Dara won't fail to be your favorite character either. ;)

The Fever King isn't a genre I usually read, so it was confusing to me at first. I stuck with it, and I'm so happy I did. Stepping out of your comfort zone while reading isn't always a bad things. Sometimes you do find rare gems, this is one.

The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is truly a magnificent and unique book. This book is a murder mystery I know I'll be raving about for months to come!

Who is trying to kill Evelyn Hardcastle? That's the question Aiden Bishop has been tasked to answer. He has eight days to solve the murder. If the murder isn't solved, Aiden starts back over from day one in a continuous time loop that will replay over and over again until he puts a stop to it.

As if this isn't already doozy of a task, Aiden wakes up in a different body of one of the guests who've been invited to the ball at Blackheath, the estate of the Hardcastle's. Some of his hosts are a little more helpful than others. While in their bodies, Aiden adopts their personalities, memories, skills, and shortcomings. All of these characters and their traits are necessary in order to catch Evelyn's killer.

This book demands nothing but your full attention. You need to remember key details in order to be able to read this book. It can be confusing at it jumps in between characters quite often. I had no issue keeping up, but it does require quite a bit of concentration while reading. I haven't read a book this intricate or brilliant in quite some time.

This one really kept me guessing and had more than its fair share of mystery and intrigue. Along with a healthy dose of danger paired with the whole "who-dunnit" theme, The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle made its way up my "favorite books" list in no time.

If you want to read it for yourself, click here and it'll take you to where you can purchase this amazing book. I don't get compensated for any purchases you make via this blog.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review via Bookishfirst. All opinions herein are of my own and are not swayed by any outside factors.