review policy.

(Note: I review books for free, but I do accept small donations to improve my services. Read until then end for more information.)

Here's what you need to remember when applying for a book review:

• I accept books from publishers and authors (independent authors are great too). I will be glad to support and review books of newly published authors. 

• All books sent to me are considered for review. I always make sure to inform the author or publisher if I am unable to review their book for some reason.

• As of the moment, I am only reviewing two books a month. Details such as date of posting will be revealed through email.

Listed below are my favored genres (not in order). Some are genres that I continuously engage myself with, and some are genres I want to try. Fiction and non-fiction, both are okay with me.

• Crime and Detective

• Fairy tale re-imagined

• Fan Fiction

• Fantasy

• Historical Fiction

• Horror

• Magical Realism

• Mystery

• Mythology

• Narrative Nonfiction

• Poetry

• Realistic Fiction

• Romance

• Science Fiction

• Self-help

• Short Story

• Suspense/Thriller

• Young Adult

Format:

Physical copies or eBooks are fine. Please indicate in your email if you are willing to send a physical copy worldwide or if your book is only available as an eBook. Take note that I am from the Philippines. I also accept ARCs but please indicate it on your e-mail together with the Title, Author's Name, Synopsis and the expected date of publication of the book.

Unsolicited Books:

Unsolicited books from trusted publishers and authors will also be considered for review. There are no problems with you automatically sending me your book. I will inform you if I am not interested in reviewing it, but I will make sure that your book gets delivered to another blogger or booktuber who might be interested in reviewing it.

You can contact me through my e-mail:
contact.zeecruz@gmail.com

Again, my reviews are currently free for authors, but I am accepting small donations through Paypal and ko-fi.

Paypal: contact.zeecruz@gmail.com
Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/lovezee

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let's get real about reading slumps.

Hi. You may be wondering why you're seeing this in your subscriptions. Or maybe you just clicked it by accident. But thank you for clicking and taking time to read this post. I am previously called Bittersweet Reads. I used to post book reviews, recommendations, author guest posts and more! 

But as I started college a few years back, I decided to go on a hiatus. The circumstance that I was in made reading books impossible as I needed to focus on studying. I drifted away, and it was such a pain in the ass.

It is now 2020 and I've got nothing better to do because of the pandemic. So instead of wasting my precious time doing nothing, I decided to revamp and use a simpler name, Zee Reads Books. 

Now that we got that out of the way, I wanted to use this post to re-introduce myself to my audience. That is, if I have any audiences left.

I went through a very tough reading slump amounting to 4 years of not finishing an actual book. I stopped reading books completely when I was in 2nd year college, which is around 4 years from now. Since then, I've touched and opened books several times, but I never had the will to finish reading them. It seemed as if my brain vomits the words and information that I get from reading those books. I really had a hard time. If I were to create an analogy, it felt as if I was experiencing a withdrawal syndrome from not reading books. Eventually, I got by through reading fan fictions from websites such as Archive of Our Own and Wattpad. Believe me, they write well too. But still, reading a book that you can actually hold and smell is different. I remember books being my instant serotonin boost, a vital part of my life growing up. And I can't deal with it any longer.

As I mentioned earlier, in that four-year reading slump, I actually tried getting out of it. I remember this recommendation from a booktuber who said that to get out of your reading slump, you should try to read your favorite book again. That way, all the feelings you felt as you were zooming through its pages will come back to you, making you want to read more. I did that. I was desperate. At that time, my favorite books were Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta and The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton. The funny thing is, they're the type of books that you need to completely immerse yourself into for you to enjoy it. Not that other books do not have that type of depth, it's just that when I was reading both books myself, I did not immediately like it. So in a nutshell, I tried reading Jellicoe Road only to end up re-reading the first few pages over and over again. It wasn't igniting that fire inside me, the reader side of me. So I backed off for a while, feeling defeated.

But today, I think I've really had enough.

I took two lighter reads with me in this new place that I am staying at, hoping that I can finally get out of this slump. I am not pressuring myself to read more for the remaining months of this year. Just two. They're The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks and Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan. I've read both of these before and I really enjoyed them. Compared to the other books, these are more on the contemporary side, so it won't be hard (hopefully) to finish them. If you see me review them or other books on this blog then that would mean I finally got out of this hellish reading slump.

To end this post, let me just quickly advertise this blog by saying that I am once again open to book review requests, guest posts, cover reveals etc. More services offered will be revealed in another post. Until then, please stay safe. Wear your masks and hydrate!

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Perfekt Order by St. Bende

PERFEKT ORDER

THE ÆRE SAGA: BOOK ONE

By: S.T. Bende

NOW ON SALE FOR JUST $0.99!!

Genre: Upper YA Fantasy (Norse Mythology)

Back Cover Copy

All's fair when you're in love with War.

For seventeen-year-old Mia Ahlström, a world ruled by order is the only world she allows. A lifetime of chore charts, to-do lists and study schedules have helped earn her a spot in Redwood State University’s engineering program. And while her five-year plan includes finding her very own happily-evah-aftah, years at an all girls’ boarding school left her woefully unprepared for keg parties and co-ed extracurricular activities.

So nothing surprises her more than catching the eye of Tyr Fredriksen at her first college party. The imposing Swede is arrogantly charming, stubbornly overprotective, and runs hot-and-cold in ways that defy reason . . . until Mia learns that she’s fallen for the Norse God of War; an immortal battle deity hiding on Midgard (Earth) to protect a valuable Asgardian treasure from a feral enemy. With a price on his head, Tyr brings more than a little excitement to Mia’s rigidly controlled life. Choosing Tyr may be the biggest distraction—or the greatest adventure—she’s ever had.

Buy Links

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Add PERFEKT ORDER to your Goodreads TBR

Goodreads

Perfekt Order Excerpt:

“Can I come in?” Tyr asked. His hands were still open—maybe to prove he was unarmed. Not that it mattered much—a guy who could fly and battle a creature that size wouldn’t need a weapon to debilitate me.

I gave him my finest stink eye.

“Please, baby. Let me explain.”

My eyes darted wildly between the forest and my boyfriend. There was a beast in the woods, but there was a man unaffected by gravity on the porch. One who had most definitely lied to me. I wasn’t sure which unnerved me more.

What I really wanted was to understand; understand how Tyr had done what he’d done; understand how he and Freya seemed human enough, but obviously weren’t; understand how that wolf was so powerful; understand how, if Tyr was an alien or a superhero or a mutant or whatever he was, how we could possibly have any kind of a relationship; understand why everyone but me had Henrik’s absolutely awesome lighters.

“I’m coming inside.” Tyr walked slowly, palms up, and stepped through the door. Then he walked backwards to the closet, where he hung up his crossbow and the two space guns. He shut the door gently, entered a code that I assumed locked the room, and closed the cover on the keypad.

I still hadn’t moved.

“Can I touch you?” he asked.

I nodded. Tyr slowly moved to my side. He took one of my balled fists and pulled me from the door.

“No more secrets,” he vowed. He pulled the lighter out of his back pocket and threw it off the porch. “Henrik didn’t make a special lighter. This is all me.”

He held out one hand and muttered something in Swedish I didn’t understand. Light shot from his hand and I spun around to follow its trajectory. It hit what looked like a clear screen at the edge of the woods, and traced an arc around the house in a half-dome, encasing the property in a silvery coating. Tiny spots floated gently from the dome, like thousands of luminescent snowflakes, and soon the ground around the house was covered in a glittery powder. Tyr snapped his fingers and the powder disappeared. Everything was as it had been—it was as if the whole night had never happened.

My knees buckled as the room started to spin. Tyr caught me just before I hit the ground. He swept me up in his arms and carried me to the couch.

“Okay, prinsessa. Time for the talk.”

He tucked a heavy throw around my legs and sat next to me. He kept one of his shoulders an inch from mine. I cautiously turned my head to appraise him. On the outside, nothing had changed. His eyes were the same midnight blue, his jaw the same perfect square, and the enormous arms folded calmly across his chest were the same ones I loved to curl up in.

But everything felt different. I realized I had no idea who this man actually was, where he came from, and what else he was capable of. The only thing I knew for sure was that I needed answers. Real answers, this time. No more secrets.

I drew a shaky breath and spoke the words that would change my life forever.

“Who are you?”

AUTHOR BIO:

Before finding domestic bliss in suburbia, S.T. Bende lived in Manhattan Beach (where she became overly fond of Peet’s Coffee) and Europe… where she became overly fond of McVities cookies. Her love of Scandinavian culture and a very patient Norwegian teacher inspired the books of The Elsker Saga and The Ære Saga. She hopes her characters make you smile, and she dreams of skiing on Jotunheim and Hoth.

Find S.T. on Twitter @stbende or her website (www.stbende.com). While you're at it, introduce yourself to @UllMyhr and @TyrFredriksen -- when they’re not saving the cosmos from dark elves, they love meeting new friends . . . especially the human kind.

Want to connect with fellow Norse god fans? S.T.'s readers have created a Facebook group! Head over to the RagnaRockstars page to chat with other readers, talk with S.T., and get access to exclusive content... including Ull POVs and sneak peeks at upcoming Ære Saga books!

AUTHOR LINKS

Connect with S.T. Bende at:

WEBSITE - AMAZON - INSTAGRAM - FACEBOOK - TWITTER - WATTPAD - GOODREADS

TUR is currently available for FREE to newsletter subscribers!

Skål, y’all!

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Perfect Summer Reads of 2016

Hello readers! I am finally back with a long overdue post. As much as I would like to write a full post about my whereabouts, it would not really be as interesting as this. I am finally starting my school vacation, so I am delighted to share with you my perfect summer read recommendations!

Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson

If you are looking for a book about friendship and self-growth this is definitely for you. Since You've Been Gone takes place in the summer before Emily's senior year. Her bestfriend, Sloane went missing and left her with a list to do while she's away. List of activities that she is too afraid to risk on. And of course, the rest is for you to find out! I read this a year back and haven't reviewed it since. So I might just do that.

On the Fence by Kasie West

This probably isn't new to your eyes nor your ears. I think contemporary books like Kasie West's works are really in the trend. This is a very adorable summer romance. A bit cliche but duh, a cliche love story is always great.

Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

Seeing the pattern now? HAHA. Okay. So this is a book I haven't read but am planning on reading for such a long time. And I recently heard a non-spoiler review of this which makes me want to read it more! Obviously, the book takes place on summer. Although I am not sure if there's a romance element here as I have not read its synopsis yet. I do know however, that this might make someone cry since this is about a family spending one last summer at their old lake house after a devastating news (this I''ve heard from a youtuber). Sounds exciting!

This next book would probably be too obvious but anyway ...

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

I mean duh. How would I not include this? And I am actually recommending you the whole trilogy so yah better get them books and start reading. The storyline involves childhood friends which is a sucker for me. I love me some great childhood friend romance. Although I must admit, I didn't like the end of the second book. Whoops.

That is it readers! I hope that you liked my recommendations and also, let me know some of your favorite summer reads! 

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Guest Post: From Reader to Writer by Dane Cobain

From Reader to Writer: How My Love of Books Led Me to a Career as a Writer

by Dane Cobain

I’ve loved books for as long as I can remember – my parents used to use them to keep me quiet in the back seat of the car on long journeys, and they worked a treat. A lot of people can’t read while travelling, but this early habit has led to me reading on the bus during my commute to work, which is where I usually get the most reading done.

When I was about fifteen, I sold the vast majority of my books on eBay, a decision I’ve since regretted – I’ve spent the last five years trying to rebuild that collection, and I’m back up to about 1,000 books, which I’ve been working on reviewing for SocialBookshelves.com, my book blog. I have about another 50 reviews to go before I’ve reviewed everything I’ve ever read, although not all of the reviews have been posted.

And it was SocialBookshelves.com that led, indirectly, to my publishing deal with Booktrope. As well as reviewing books, I also interview a lot of other authors, and many of these came through Allie Burke and Jesse James Freeman, two of the early members of the Booktrope crew. Jesse asked if I could share that they were open for submissions, I said I could go one better than that, and the rest is history.

For me, it’s important for writers to be readers because you can learn so much about the craft just by seeing what other people are doing and by learning from their mistakes, or by taking techniques that they’ve used and improving upon them. They say that there’s no such thing as an original idea anymore and that execution is the key – I don’t necessarily agree with that, but I do think that literature is a melting pot, and that it’s your job as a writer to take what’s already out there and to improve upon it.

I’ll always be a reader first and foremost; after all, as a writer, I write books that I’d want to read myself, and that’s how I make sure that I don’t just descend into self-indulgence. It’s a strategy that seems to work, at least so far, and I’m still keeping up my book blog because even after being published, it’s one of the greatest assets that I have from a marketing point of view. Plus, it’s a lot of fun to read and to write about the books that you love.

That’s why, when Clarisse was interested in hosting a guest post, I thought it would be fun to write about reading – two of my lifelong loves, coming together. It’s been a lot of fun – thanks for having me, and if you’re a keen reader yourself then be sure to check out No Rest for the Wicked. I’ll see you soon!

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GIVEAWAY! Dark Lands: Requiem by Lyn I. Kelly

Dante Alighieri, in his Divine Comedy, colored a view of Purgatory that has long reigned in the imagination. To some, Purgatory is a place where purification happens and redemption can be found. To others, it is a space for tortured souls living in limbo. All agree, though, that Dante is the definitive source for that world.

In his new book Dark Lands: Requiem, author Lyn I. Kelly offers a new twist on a tale of good versus evil in a setting seemingly nearby Dante’s Purgatory. A culmination of Kelly’s lifelong love of writing and quest to bring unique stories to the public, the story follows a brother and sister as they wake to find themselves in a land existing between life, death, and time, where the fate of the universe hangs in the balance.

“I started contemplating the idea of this other world of which we are completely ignorant, where the fate of our world is eternally in play between the most benevolent and most wretched souls to have ever lived,” Kelly said. “I began to flesh out the idea, and Dark Lands: Requiem was born.”

While Kelly has been creating unique stories his entire life for comics and other periodicals, Dark Lands: Requiem is his first novel. He feels strongly that the fantasy genre has enough witches, zombies, werewolves, and vampires to go around, but there is always room for something new. He set out to find a fresh take where everything previously known is suspended in constant turmoil.  

“Independent authors like myself have creativity to add to the marketplace.Dark Lands: Requiem is different in that it does not offer warring factions of vampires and werewolves or an authoritarian government determined to crush all resistance, nor does it take place during any kind of apocalypse,” Kelly said.

For more information, visit lynikelly.wordpress.com.

Dark Lands: Requiem

By Lyn I. Kelly

ISBN: 978-1-4834-3423-0


Available in softcover, hardcover, e-book

Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and LULU

Lyn I. Kelly is a graduate of the University of Texas in Austin. Writing since the age of eleven, he has been published in Diamond Comics, Newsweekand more. When he’s not writing or spending time with his wife and four children, he is also a marathoner. Kelly resides in Keller, Texas. Dark Lands: Requiem is his first novel.

And since you stick with us until the end, here is a giveaway for you guys!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Cover Reveal: Perfekt Control by S.T. Bende

PERFEKT CONTROL

THE ÆRE SAGA: BOOK TWO

By: S.T. Bende

Genre: Upper YA Paranormal/Fantasy (Norse Mythology)

Perfekt Control is an Upper YA Paranormal/Fantasy Norse Mythology that will be released on February 9, 2016. It is the sequel to Perfekt Order: The ÆRE Saga Book One.

Book Blurb for Perfekt Control

Rule the realms.

Brynn Aksel is a valkyrie—a battle goddess tasked with protecting both the God of War and the future of Asgard. She fends off giants and dark elves with an iron fist, a glossy smile, and no less than perfekt control. She’s focused one-hundred-percent on rising through the valkyrie ranks, and not at all on her lifelong crush on Henrik Andersson—the one guy in all the realms who could be her undoing.

Henrik serves as War’s other bodyguard, and he’s too focused on protecting their shared charge to realize that Brynn’s a girl. When an unprecedented surge of darkness abducts the Goddess of Love, Brynn’s already-steely focus is singularly directed on her new assignment—accompany Henrik to recover the realms’ source of light before the cosmos descends into chaos.

While battling demons, dragons, and the not-quite-dead, it becomes clear that immortality does not equal invincibility. And when Hel herself puts a hit on Brynn, the valkyrie has to decide if staying in control is worth losing everything . . . or if it’s time to rule the realms.

PRE-ORDER NOW!

iBooks | Amazon | Kobo | B&N | Smashwords

ADD PERFEKT CONTROL TO YOUR GOODREADS TBR

Before finding domestic bliss in suburbia, S.T. Bende lived in Manhattan Beach (became overly fond of Peet’s Coffee) and Europe… where she became overly fond of McVities cookies. Her love of Scandinavian culture and a very patient Norwegian teacher inspired the books of The Elsker Saga and The Ære Saga. She hopes her characters make you smile and that one day, waffles will be considered a health food.

Find S.T. on Twitter @stbende, her website (www.stbende.com), or send her an e-mail. While you're at it, introduce yourself to @UllMyhr and @TyrFredriksen -- when they’re not saving the cosmos from dark elves, they love meeting new friends . . . especially the human kind.

Want to connect with fellow Norse god fans? S.T.'s readers have created a Facebook group! Head over to the RagnaRockstars page to chat with other readers, talk with S.T., and get access to exclusive content... including Ull POVs and sneak peeks at upcoming Ære Saga books!

AUTHOR LINKS

Connect with ST Bende at:

WEBSITE | AMAZON | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | WATTPAD | GOODREADS

TUR is currently available for FREE to newsletter subscribers!

Skål, y’all!

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Book Review: The Distance Between Us by Kasie West

Add to Goodreads | Purchase on Amazon

Published by: Harper Teen on July 2nd 2013

Genres: YA, Contemporary, Romance, ChickLit, Realistic Fiction

Pages: 312

Format: Paperback

Book Blurb

Seventeen-year-old Caymen Meyers studies the rich like her own personal science experiment, and after years of observation she’s pretty sure they’re only good for one thing—spending money on useless stuff, like the porcelain dolls in her mother’s shop.

So when Xander Spence walks into the store to pick up a doll for his grandmother, it only takes one glance for Caymen to figure out he’s oozing rich. Despite his charming ways and that he’s one of the first people who actually gets her, she’s smart enough to know his interest won’t last. Because if there’s one thing she’s learned from her mother’s warnings, it’s that the rich have a short attention span. But Xander keeps coming around, despite her best efforts to scare him off. And much to her dismay, she's beginning to enjoy his company.

She knows her mom can’t find out—she wouldn’t approve. She’d much rather Caymen hang out with the local rocker who hasn’t been raised by money. But just when Xander’s attention and loyalty are about to convince Caymen that being rich isn’t a character flaw, she finds out that money is a much bigger part of their relationship than she’d ever realized. And that Xander’s not the only one she should’ve been worried about.

Let me tell you this, the story is SO cliche. BUT, for all the hopeless romantics out there, you'll like it as much as I do. I mean I say that a lot don't I? Me loving a book? Well anyways, I love how simple the storyline is. As a reader, I often look for a different genre, or a more complex plot than what this one had, but it is a good refresher. Life is great after all.

I think Kasie West is trying to stick to these type of contemporary, isn't she? The cliche ones? I've also read On the Fence and that's how I feel about it too. Cliche. But I don't mind. Every once in a while you will need a book with less drama and too much adorableness in it. The Distance Between Us is adorable in a way that it's not too sweet, because often times Caymen's character is very much sarcastic and headstrong. And that's what I like best about her character. She's not the typical type of teenager that goes head over heels in front of a rich handsome guy, but rather goes crazy in her mind. I hate those over-the-top girls. And she's a responsible daughter too. Xander on the other hand is such a cutie. He's your typical dream guy. He is rich, handsome, and a gentleman. He's the guy who doesn't care whether you're rich or poor. He's the guy you've been searching all your life (Kidding, that one's a bit over the top xx) Cliche, but sweet. I liked his character but not as much as I did like Caymen's because he is predictable. He never changed from the beginning until the last page. Although I must say, I wouldn't change a thing about this guy because he already started as a good guy in this story, why ruin it? I just hoped that Kasie West had a twist to his character or maybe a better character development. But he's good. He passed. He's definitely swoon-worthy. HAHA.

Oooh, and I remember something. Their pre-sipping of drinks is TOTALLY GOALS! *insert heart emojis* If you don't understand what I'm saying, I think an excerpt would be helpful.

"Monday morning I wave good-bye to my mom and open the front door to the shop. As I walk toward school, I notice a sports car that looks just like Xander’s parked a few doors down. I bend over to look inside, and when I straighten up again Xander is on my opposite side. I jump. He hands me a cup of hot chocolate and takes a sip from his cup.
I look at the cup—the same as yesterday’s. “I only want this if you drank out of it first,” I say, refusing to say, “What are you doing here?” That might give away that I care.
He grabs the cup from me, takes a drink then hands it back."

See? I adore how Xander doesn't really mind at all especially because he's a guy and guys tend to be weirded out by those things. HAHA. All that pre-sipping rituals are seen throughout the book so I suggest you take a look for yourself!

All in all the ride through this whole book is totally enjoyable. The romance is light, and fun. It'll make you smile unconsciously at times. The family stuff is a bit serious though.

Because the last page was so open ended and I did not really like that. Not all of the conflicts were resolved. But I liked the romance! I liked the characters too.

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Semestral Break Reads!

Yey! So semestral break just came for me, and of course the best way to celebrate is READING! I've already started some books over the months that I haven't posted, but none of them I finished. Soooo, I am probably going to try and finish them all.

The first book, which I am actually about to finish is THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US by Kasie West. Hmm. Not much to talk about this one since I will be posting a review after I finish reading it along with ON THE FENCE which is also by Kasie West. I finished On the Fence a long time ago but haven't had the chance to post a review due to hectic schedule. SO now, that I have three weeks free! I will be making it up to you with all those reviews.

I also just finished reading P.S. I Still Love You yesterday. A book I started reading just last Monday. So it was a pretty fast read. I will be posting a review soon as well. But I am telling you, you might want to bring some tissue while reading. You don't want your book to be soaked with tears. Or maybe it's just me. HAHA.

I will also be trying to read a lot more because as it say on my Goodreads account, I am 23 books behind my schedule. Sooo, should I read 23 books this semestral break? Nah kidding. I can't do that. Well, I can if I don't eat or move at all. JUST READ. Here are some of the books that I wanted to read for this break.

On top of my list is Black Widow: Forever Red by Margaret Stohl. It will be a completely different genre from the book I last read buuuuut, I am a huge fan of Black Widow! Especially when Scarlett Johanson portrayed her role in the Avengers. So, with that said, I am really looking forward to read this gem of a book.

Next is The Isle of the Lost by Melissa De La Cruz because who doesn't want to read a book from every villain's perspective? Ugh. This is super amazing I bet.

Not sure about these next two books actually, but I wanted to read The 5th Wave and Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey before the movie comes out on 2016. And I am pretty sure that when 2016 comes, I'll be super busy and won't have time to read these two. So I am planning to read them earlier. But like I said, I am not so sure yet.

Now this I've been wanting to read for so long because Regan from Peruse Project loves it! And I think Kat from Katytastic said she did too. So I'm not gonna lie, this is an impulse read. I personally don't know what this trilogy is about but I know that this will be a great read for the upcoming halloween. 

Now that is about it for this post. I hope that you guys enjoyed reading, and probably get some ideas on what to read for this month too. Will be posting another one soon. Goodbyiiieeeeeeeeeee!

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Book Review: Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

Add to Goodreads | Purchase on Amazon

Published by: Harper Teen on March 9th 2010

Genres: YA, Contemporary, Romance, Mystery, Fiction

Pages: 432

Format: Paperback

Book Blurb:

Taylor Markham was eleven when her mother abandoned her on the Jellicoe Road. At seventeen, she finds herself in a similar situation when her guardian Hannah, who found her on the Jellicoe Road, suddenly disappeared. Taylor's only clue is a manuscript about five kids that lived in Jellicoe eighteen years ago. As if leading the boarders of Jellicoe School isn't already stressful, she is now forced to face her past. Taylor untangles her problems one by one, leaving her with more questions about her recurring dream of a boy in a tree and surprisingly, the intimidating Cadet leader Jonah Griggs.

Trigger warnings for Jellicoe Road: abandonment, teenage sex, drugs

Jellicoe Road holds a lot of depth.

I heard a lot about Jellicoe Road through readers that I met on the internet as well as my favorite booktubers. It struck me as interesting, and I find myself checking out at a local bookstore’s cashier with Jellicoe Road on my basket of books.

Confusion was the first thing that I had to conquer as soon as I read the few pages of the book. I’ve never read anything in its genre and I felt as if it’s written in a very cryptic way. I didn't know whose perspective I'm reading, and it skips from one story to another. I didn’t think I was ready to read it so I placed it back on my shelf and let it stay there for months. But last week, as I was re-arranging my book shelf, I stumbled upon it again as if it’s calling me to read it. At that time, I wasn’t really reading anything so I thought I should give it another try. Though my feelings about Jellicoe Road remained conflicted, I read it continuously. I immersed myself in the book without pressuring myself to finish it quickly. I took my time to understand and absorb everything. And right now, it was one of the best decisions I made.

Amazed. This was what I felt after finishing Jellicoe Road. I couldn’t believe what I just read. It wasn’t extraordinary in a “Wow!” or “Oh my God” way, but the book tells you the story in a way that it would end up leaving a mark in your heart. I admire how Melina Marchetta weaved the story of the past and the present. Again, I must reiterate that reading the first several pages of the book might be confusing. It talks about townies and cadets, territorial wars─ all in a boarding school setting. Not sure if reading the excerpt at the back of the book will help, but I suggest you read it blindly. It’s the best experience.

This book made me feel all kinds of emotion. Not just happy and sad, but also frustrated, annoyed, angry, heartbroken and more. For someone who does not easily break or cry, I may have shed more than a bucket of tears for this one. Jellicoe Road is a beautifully crafted novel that you should not pass on.

The character developments also played a huge role in this one. All of the characters share similar issues, they are neglected teens. So naturally as a reader, I was looking forward to their backstory. What made their characters turn out this way? What should I look forward to? Will the character be the same throughout the novel? Because Jellicoe Road is full of twist and turns, each character’s journey was so meaningful and real.

Another warning that I should address is the fact that I am deeply in love with this book, but I do not think everyone will enjoy it. For someone to appreciate this book at the utmost level, one should be fully immersed in it. No other distractions while reading Jellicoe Road. As I’ve mentioned earlier, it can feel cryptic at times. It was written lyrically and the plot can be a bit heavy to handle. If you are up to that, then this book is for you.

To end this review, I must say that Jellicoe Road is very much deserving of its Printz Award. It is a rollercoaster ride that I never thought I would take, but gladly did. I will certainly keep in mind to recommend it to those who are open for discussions about it.

I would give this a hundred stars if I could.

Melina Marchetta was born in Sydney Australia. She gained a lot of recognition from her first novel, Looking for Alibrandi, which was made into a major Australian film in the year 2000. It won th Australian Film Institute Award for Best Film and Best Screenplay which Marchetta also wrote. She continued releasing hit novels such as Saving Francesca, On the Jellicoe Road, Finnikin of the Rock, The Piper's Son, and Froi of the Exiles. 

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