Nora and Kettle by Lauren Nicolle Taylor Book Review

Nora and Kettle by Lauren Nicolle Taylor

“We stay in this never land between our two beds.

  

I think the synopsis of the novel is a bit misleading. I was hoping to do a bit of reading...just until the 2 characters officially meet but here’s the thing, they don’t properly meet until about 60% of the novel.

 The beginning of the book is way too rushed; slam bam in the middle of a certain major event and it’s very sudden which is off putting to me but as the book continues there’s good character building/world building especially surrounding Kettle.

As you’d probably guess the book is a retelling of Peter Pan but it’s done in a way in which we see more into Nora’s life and Kettle’s life and the situation they’re put in. Their lives are full of situations which a child/teenager should never be in which fits the idea of Peter Pan and running away.

When they do finally meet it has a good built up and the aftermath is this cute bit where Kettle is afraid that Nora won’t settle in to his lifestyle but she’s just grateful to be away from her old life.

However similar to the start the ending was rushed with the romance and the happy ending which didn’t suit the book.

  ★★★☆☆

Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin Book Review

Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin

“Because she was the predator this time. Not the prey. Never again.

Wolf by Wolf follows Yael as she impersonates Adele Wolfe to enter a tournament. Adele is the past winner of the tournament – a motorcycle tour from Berlin to Tokyo in the post war1956 where Hitler won WW2 – Yael’s mission is to win the tour and kill Hitler.

Yael is one of two girls in the competition and I’m thankful the author didn’t go down the cliché route with focusing on the fact she’s different from other girls.  She also isn’t portrayed as the perfect/innocent main character – she does kill and injure and these flaws shape the person she is. With Yael and the other characters not all the information about them was given at once which was good as it was it interesting to learn things about them further on in the book.

This book is really tense which is expected as it’s a book surrounding a competition but the way it’s built up is good and it’s not too over the top or too little. Plus there are many secrets that are revealed throughout the novel with a twist ending.

The concept of the book surrounds the fact that Hitler won the war. The world building was good and shows what Hitler did after the war and how he’s like now. It was interesting historical background and I liked the concept.

The writing style is really easy to read with a mix of present and past chapters to link the story. The portrayal of the race and the general plot made the book enjoyable.

  ★★★★☆