Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Six dangerous outcasts and one impossible heist. Kaz is offered a chance at a heist that could make him rich beyond belief. To pull it off he'll need an incredible crew.


Side effects of reading Six of Crows are, but not limited to: Shortness of breath. Heart palpitations. Nausea. Weak knees. Dehydration. Dizziness. Headache. Heartache. Constant sweating. High blood-pressure. Congestive heart failure.

“The heart is an arrow. It demands aim to land true.”   

Six of Crows is 185th book I've read this year. Yes, that means this is the book that put me at my goodreads reading goal this year. I am so happy that this is the book that made me hit my mark. It was the perfect book to reach my goal with. The world has been shouting, praying, and calling for diverse reads... Leigh Bardugo has answered. I liked but didn't love the Shadow and Bone trilogy, but it has nothing on this novel. With how much hype is surrounding this book I was oh so worried about reading it. However if Six of Crows isn't my top pick for the year, it will without a doubt at least be in the top five. It was amazing.

SoC is a novel with six main characters, depending on how you look at it five plus perspectives, breath-taking flashbacks, seamless world building, and twists that will make your tits drop. 

"A gambler, a convict, a wayward son, a lost Grisha, a Suli girl who has become a killer, a boy from the Barrel who had become something worse."

A direct quote and the most perfect sum up of the characters. Each one is so different from the other. Each one is a different race, different background, and has so many layers. Each one has a handful of amazing different aspects, and things about them that will constantly surprise you. I can't believe I'm about to say this but... Squad goals! We have Nina this wild-loud-in your face-curvy firecracker who will have you in stitches. Matthias who is this perfectly wounded warrior who will surprise the crap out of you. Wylan who is this lovable nerdy cutie-pie that had me blushing for days. Jesper the comic relief. And then there are my two favorites... Kaz and Inej. Ahh just loved these two so much. These two gave me everything I wanted in characters and more. Inej background story is lovey, her physical appearance sounds both breathtaking and unique, and her set of skills are completely bad-ass. She is basically a freaking ninja. Oh God, and the stories and quotes from her father!!! Break my heart why dontcha.

“Many boys will bring you flowers. But someday you'll meet a boy who will learn your favorite flower, your favorite song, your favorite sweet. And even if he is too poor to give you any of them, it won't matter because he will have taken the time to know you as no one else does. Only that boy earns you heart.” 

Kaz though. Oh Kaz! He was my favorite of favorites. His thought, his flashbacks, his story, his composure, his street smarts, his everything. I have none-zero-zip-nada complaints about him. How did Leigh managed to give us such a naughty character, make him have a limp, "force" him to wear gloves all the time, and still managed to have me swoon over him was beyond me. I want to have his babies. His bad-ass babies. I really have no complaints character wise. All these characters and their personal stories will shock and then steal your heart. Each will give you a taste of who they are and what they have become and it is truly stunning. I need to shut up about them before I spill all their secrets (which I really want to do right about now). I do really want to comment on my favorite part of this book. This is something that others might have over looked, but it is something that meant a lot to me. That's Inej and Nina's friendship. They aren't two girls that hate each other then become friends. They aren't two women who see each other as fierce competition or having to fight over a man. These two women see each other as equals AND THAT is how all women should see each other. Real women pick each other up not tear each other down. I don't think people realize how important that truly is. This needs to be highlighted in more books.

Even if the characters would have faltered (they don't) it wouldn't have mattered because the plot and world building are so solid. I heard a few people/reviews say the "middle of the book is kind of slow"... WHAT THE F ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!?!?? Every part of this book is flawless and demands your respect. There wasn't a moment I wasn't on the edge on my seat. Leigh gives you all these twist and turns without leaving you guessing on what your surrounding look like. She's built a world with so many stunning features. SoC is go go go, nonstop action novel that wont let you up for air. It is a roller-coaster ride of emotions and Wtf just happened moments. The first three parts of this book set the bait out, parts four and five has you snapping for the treat, and part six hooks and pulls you in. My jaw was on the floor for 99% of this book.

You might think you know what coming, BUT YOU WILL BE WRONG! So many well planned out plot  twist. So many ground shaking moments. So many heart crushing scenes. And that ending!!!! YOU CAN'T DO THAT TO PEOPLE!!! You can't leave us hanging like this!!!! OMG and I didn't even get to mention the romance!!!! I want to talk about it. Oh goodness do I want to talk about it! But I wont, and if you've ever read any of my review you know this is unheard of. I love love and not wanting to talk about it must only mean one thing... That it's really really good! Even with the massive amount to sexual tense and stolen glances it still doesn't even overshadow the plot. I'm not just talking about the romance with a certain pair, I'm talking romance among several. Like I can't even believe how much gooey lovey dovey moments she gives us and yet didn't drown us in it. Perfect just perfect. 

This book was EVERYTHING it was hyped up to be. I laughed, I cried, I fell in love, and I have been left a mess.   

This review was a lot longer than I ever imagine it would be. It is filled with cut off and run on sentences... I don't care either. I just had to get my jumbled thoughts down. This book is epic and everything. I already want to re-read it and I could quote it all day long. If Arrow wasn't coming on in a few I would just keep going on about it. If you read Six of Crows and didn't like it then there's only one thing to say about you... You have bad taste. 

10/10 Stars 
-Angela 

The Paper Swan by Leylah Attar

"They say it takes 21 days to form a habit. They lie.
For 21 days she held on. But on Day 22, she would have given anything for the sweet slumber of death.
Because on Day 22, she realizes that her only way out means certain death for one of the two men she loves."

"You can either choose love or you can choose hate, because where one lives, the other will die"

The Paper Swan I think so far this year has one of my favorite covers and titles. Then I read the synopsis and I knew I had to have it. It took me forever to find but at least it is mine...

This book messed with my mind yall. We start off with our main character leaning on the ground after getting kidnapped and about to have her head blown off. After reading that I was a little set back and confused. From the full synopsis on goodreads I thought this was going to be a book about a girl who dies and then has to choose between two guys and I assumed that one would be from when she was alive and one would be when she was dead. You know what they say about people who assume... Well that's what happened to me. It is not at all what I thought it was going to be... This is both a good and bad thing. The story bounces back and forth between present and past. It also switches POVs throughout the story. I thought all these things would turn me off, and the first half of the story it kind of did. 

We start with Skye's point of view and with her having been just kidnapped. Skye is this full of herself-snarky-rich brat. The first half I hated her!! No that's an understatement, I loathed her on a whole new level. Every time she spoke I wanted to peel my skin off. However by the end of the book I was completely on her side. Why the dramatic change? Because later on the Pov switches to her childhood and we get to see her and how she grew up as a child. Seeing these beautiful scenes with her, her nanny, and childhood friend Esteban living in Mexico are heartbreaking and so sweet. It slowly over the course of the book made me see her in a new light. Also the entire last half of this book had me loving her. She goes from this vile nasty human to this touching sweet realistic one. Then we have the kidnappers POV, Damian. He was beyond creepy when we first met him. So SO creepy. Then we get his backstory and a light shined on why he is the way he is, and it will floor you. I want to go so deep into his story and what got him to this dark place, but I wont be able to. He was another character that went from one that I wasn't easily relating to, to this amazing character with an extreme amount of character development. 

The best part of this novel was it's setting. I've never (at least I can't recall) have read a book set in Mexico. This automatically set the story apart from others I've read. Loved this. As far as the books pace it was constantly go go go. Again, another plus. It is a constant stream of action and thrilling moments. But the things I found flawed weren't just with characters in the first half. It was a lot of the scenes in the first half. Things would happen and I would seriously just think... 

Then something predictable would happen and I would just get annoyed all over again! Thankfully Attar made a huge comeback with the last half of the story. You start to realize how important those moments that might not have been your favorites at first really are. Things start tying together and all these little moments you didn't realize were bread-crumbed through out the book are revealed and it will just shatter you. The last half of this book is a complete five star read.  It makes up for so many things I thought were lacking in the first. Plus the twist are a 100 times stronger in the second half as well. The Paper Swan made me angry, then happy, then killed me, then had me crying, then had me falling in love with the story all over again. 

The Paper Swan was thrilling and gripping story about love and revenge. This story is bold and not one I will easily forget. 
 
8.5 Stars 
-Angela