September Book Wrap Up 2018

Hello friends, today’s Blogtober post is my reading wrap up of September, and boy are there a lot of books! I had a holiday in September so I got a week of pure reading (and no sleeping) so that meant I read a total of 12 books!

So because of that, my summaries are a bit short. I’m building up the courage to write all the reviews… haha. I hope you enjoy!

You must be strong enough to strike and strike and strike again without tiring.

The first lesson is to make yourself strong.

After the jaw-dropping revelation that Oak is the heir to Faerie, Jude must keep her younger brother safe. To do so, she has bound the wicked king, Cardan, to her, and made herself the power behind the throne. Navigating the constantly shifting political alliances of Faerie would be difficult enough if Cardan were easy to control. But he does everything in his power to humiliate and undermine her even as his fascination with her remains undiminished.

When it becomes all too clear that someone close to Jude means to betray her, threatening her own life and the lives of everyone she loves, Jude must uncover the traitor and fight her own complicated feelings for Cardan to maintain control as a mortal in a Faerie world.

Yes I know I’m one of the blessed lucky souls that got my mitts on an arc of Wicked King by Holly Black! Yes it is as good as you hope, no I am not okay. A full review to come, but let me just tell you that I am devastated at how long I now have to wait for the next one!

Vicious by V.E. Schwab, Victoria Schwab
Published by Titan Books on January 10th 2014
Genres: Science Fiction
Pages: 340
Goodreads

A masterful tale of ambition, jealousy, desire, and superpowers.

Victor and Eli started out as college roommates—brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong. Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find—aside from his sidekick, an enigmatic woman with an unbreakable will. Armed with terrible power on both sides, driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the archnemeses have set a course for revenge—but who will be left alive at the end?

In Vicious, V. E. Schwab brings to life a gritty comic-book-style world in vivid prose: a world where gaining superpowers doesn't automatically lead to heroism, and a time when allegiances are called into question.

I was a bit late to Vicious but boy am I glad I read this! I was sent Vengeful from the publisher so knew I had to read this one first. It was the first V E Schwab book I’d read and I loved it so much. My full review can be found here.

Vengeful by V.E. Schwab
Published by Tor Books on September 25th 2018
Genres: Science Fiction
Pages: 480
Goodreads

Eli Ever and Victor Vale were only medical students when their mutual discovery that near-death experiences can, under the right conditions, manifest extraordinary abilities.

They were best friends, and rivals, and then enemies. They were dead, then alive, and then---Eli killed Victor, once and for all.

Or so he thought---but Sydney Clarke felt otherwise, and used her own superpower to tip the scales. Now, a trio hides in the shadows, while another takes advantages of post-death life to take over the city of Merit.

If there can be life after death—will there be calm after vengeance, or will chaos rule?

Of course I then read Vengeful and OH MY GOSH it was sooooo good. I really feel for the people who had to wait five years before they could read the follow up because it was spectacular. Full review is here.

Two Dark Reigns by Kendare Blake
Series: Three Dark Crowns #3
Published by HarperTeen on September 4th 2018
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy
Pages: 464
Goodreads

#1 New York Times bestselling author Kendare Blake returns with the highly anticipated third book in the Three Dark Crowns series!

Katharine sits on the throne, Mirabella and Arsinoe are in hiding, and an unexpected renegade is about to wage a war of her own. The crown has been won, but these queens are far from done.

AHHH I was SO excited to read the next instalment in the Three Dark Crowns saga and it did not disappoint! I loved hearing more about the Triplets, Arsinoe is still my favourite and I cannot WAIT for more.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Published by Scholastic Press on September 14th 2008
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy
Pages: 374
Goodreads

Winning will make you famous. Losing means certain death.

The nation of Panem, formed from a post-apocalyptic North America, is a country that consists of a wealthy Capitol region surrounded by 12 poorer districts. Early in its history, a rebellion led by a 13th district against the Capitol resulted in its destruction and the creation of an annual televised event known as the Hunger Games. In punishment, and as a reminder of the power and grace of the Capitol, each district must yield one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 through a lottery system to participate in the games. The 'tributes' are chosen during the annual Reaping and are forced to fight to the death, leaving only one survivor to claim victory.

When 16-year-old Katniss's young sister, Prim, is selected as District 12's female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart Peeta, are pitted against bigger, stronger representatives, some of whom have trained for this their whole lives. , she sees it as a death sentence. But Katniss has been close to death before. For her, survival is second nature.

I listened to the audiobook of Hunger Games in September. It was part of a read-a-thon with some friends. It was really interesting to listen to the book that I loved when I read it. I still loved re-reading but there were new things I noticed, like how the films portrayed Peeta and Catniss… also the narrator wasn’t the best.

This Mortal Coil by Emily Suvada
Published by Simon Pulse on November 7th 2017
Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction
Pages: 425
Goodreads

Catarina Agatta is a hacker. She can cripple mainframes and crash through firewalls, but that’s not what makes her special. In Cat’s world, people are implanted with technology to recode their DNA, allowing them to change their bodies in any way they want. And Cat happens to be a gene-hacking genius.

That’s no surprise, since Cat’s father is Dr. Lachlan Agatta, a legendary geneticist who may be the last hope for defeating a plague that has brought humanity to the brink of extinction. But during the outbreak, Lachlan was kidnapped by a shadowy organization called Cartaxus, leaving Cat to survive the last two years on her own.

When a Cartaxus soldier, Cole, arrives with news that her father has been killed, Cat’s instincts tell her it’s just another Cartaxus lie. But Cole also brings a message: before Lachlan died, he managed to create a vaccine, and Cole needs Cat’s help to release it and save the human race.

Now Cat must decide who she can trust: The soldier with secrets of his own? The father who made her promise to hide from Cartaxus at all costs? In a world where nature itself can be rewritten, how much can she even trust herself?

So you know I LOVED This Mortal Coil by Emily Suvada. I re read it in preparation of reading This Cruel Design, and it did not disappoint. If anything it cemented how amazing I thought it was.

This Cruel Design by Emily Suvada
Published by Simon Pulse on October 30th 2018
Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction
Pages: 432
Goodreads

Cat thought the Hydra epidemic was over, but when new cases pop up, Cat must team up with an enemy to fix the vaccine before the virus spirals out of control in this thrilling sequel to This Mortal Coil, which New York Times bestselling author Amie Kaufman says “redefines ‘unputdownable.’”

The nightmare of the outbreak is finally over, but Cat’s fight has only just begun.

Exhausted, wounded, and reeling from revelations that have shaken her to her core, Cat is at a breaking point. Camped in the woods with Cole and Leoben, she’s working day and night, desperate to find a way to stop Lachlan’s plan to reprogram humanity. But she’s failing—Cat can’t even control her newly regrown panel, and try as she might to ignore them, she keeps seeing glitching visions from her past everywhere she turns.

When news arrives that the Hydra virus might not be as dead as they’d thought, the group is pushed into an uneasy alliance with Cartaxus to hunt down Lachlan and fix the vaccine. Their search takes them to Entropia, a city of genehackers hidden deep in the desert that could also hold the answers about Cat’s past that she’s been searching for.

But when confronted with lies and betrayals, Cat is forced to question everything she knows and everyone she trusts. And while Lachlan is always two steps ahead, the biggest threat to Cat may be the secrets buried in her own mind.

OMG THIS BOOK. Honestly This Cruel Design shattered me. I didn’t think Emily could top This Mortal Coil but she did.. Full review to come.

Arthur is only in New York for the summer, but if Broadway has taught him anything, it’s that the universe can deliver a showstopping romance when you least expect it.

Ben thinks the universe needs to mind its business. If the universe had his back, he wouldn’t be on his way to the post office carrying a box of his ex-boyfriend’s things.

But when Arthur and Ben meet-cute at the post office, what exactly does the universe have in store for them?

Maybe nothing. After all, they get separated.

Maybe everything. After all, they get reunited.

But what if they can’t quite nail a first date . . . or a second first date . . . or a third?

What if Arthur tries too hard to make it work . . . and Ben doesn’t try hard enough?

What if life really isn’t like a Broadway play?

But what if it is?

I don’t often read Contemporary, but What if it’s Us really blew me away! You need to add this one to your lists.

Nine by Zach Hines
Published by HarperTeen on August 7th 2018
Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction
Pages: 260
Goodreads

In an alternate world startlingly close to our own, humans have nine lives—and they can’t wait to burn straight through them.

As you shed lives, you shed your awkward phases: one death is equal to one physical and mental upgrade. Julian’s friends are obsessed with the idea of burning lives, but Julian is determined to stay on his first for as long as he can. His mother, the ultimate cautionary tale, burned through her first eight in just a few years, and Julian has no intention of succumbing to the debilitating rebirth sickness that she inflicted on herself.

But the regime has death incentives aimed at controlling overpopulation, and Julian realizes that he’s going to have to burn at some point—especially when he becomes a target for Nicholas, the manipulative leader of the Burners, the school’s suicide club. And when Julian eventually succumbs, he uncovers suspicious gaps in the rebirth system that may explain exactly why his mother went so far down the rabbit hole years ago. Along with a group of student dissenters, Julian sets out to find answers and is soon on the verge of exposing the greatest conspiracy ever unleashed on the world.

He has just eight more lives to uncover the brutal truth.

I really loved the premise of Nine and the book did not disappoint! It was a bit different to what I expected but I really enjoyed it. I’ll be reviewing it soon.

Killer T by Robert Muchamore
on September 6th 2018
Genres: Young Adult
Goodreads

Harry and Charlie are teenagers who meet at a time when gene-editing technology is starting to explode. Now, with a lab in the garage, anyone can beat cancer, enhance their brain to pass exams, or tweak a few genes for a year-round tan and perfect beach body.

But in the wrong hands gene-editing is the most deadly weapon in history. Killer T is a synthetic virus with a ninety per cent mortality rate, and the terrorists who created it want a billion dollars before they'll release an antidote...

I did not like this book. The writing was…. Why are we still writing about women like this in 2018? More of my thoughts on this are on Goodreads.

These Precious Scars by Emily Suvada
Published by Simon & Schuster on September 25th 2018
Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction
Pages: 37
Goodreads

A free YA short story - what would you pay for the chance to escape?Jun Bei, Cole, Anna, Leoben, Ziana. Five children with extraordinary potential.

They don't get many visitors at the remote laboratory where they live under the eye of legendary geneticist, Lachlan Agatta. The man and woman who arrive are nothing like the others.

They're from Cartaxus and offer the children something rare and unfathomable: escape.

But freedom means different things to the five children. For one of them, getting want they want may mean betraying everyone else.

MORE THIS MORTAL COIL. I was spoilt this month. Honestly this novella was amazing. I loved it! A great insight into their lives before the start of This Mortal Coil.

Teeth in the Mist by Dawn Kurtagich
on June 2019
Genres: Young Adult, Horror
Pages: 400
Goodreads

A genre-bending epic horror-fantasy, inspired by the legend of Faust, spans generations as an ancient evil is uncovered—perfect for fans of Kendare Blake and Ransom Riggs.

Seventeen-year-old Zoey has been fascinated by the haunted, burnt-out ruins of Medwyn Mill House for as long as she can remember—so she and her best friend Poulton decide to explore the ruins. But are they really alone in the house?

In 1851, sixteen-year-old Roan arrives at the Mill House as a ward—one of three, all with their own secrets. When Roan learns that she is connected to an ancient secret, she must escape the house before she is trapped forever.

This haunting horror and captivating mystery redefines the horror and fantasy space.

TEETH IN THE MIST. Amazing. Chilling. I was properly creeped out a number of times. It doesn’t come out until 2019 but honestly you  need to add it to your Goodreads.

What did you read this month? Any of these? Let me know <3

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