Clockwork Angel - Booktube Review

Hey guys!

I think I could get used to this, writing then filming my book reviews, I quite like it! Haha
I'm sure you know already, but I gots me a booktube channel on which I talk about all things bookish! Here's my newest video, a review of Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare!

Hope you guys enjoy, and don't forget to subscribe!

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Title: Clockwork Angel
Author: Cassandra Clare
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Published: August 31, 2010
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy
Source: Easons

The year is 1878. 

Tessa Gray descends into London’s dark supernatural underworld in search of her missing brother. She soon discovers that her only allies are the demon-slaying Shadowhunters—including Will and Jem, the mysterious boys she is attracted to.

Soon they find themselves up against the Pandemonium Club, a secret organization of vampires, demons, warlocks, and humans. Equipped with a magical army of unstoppable clockwork creatures, the Club is out to rule the British Empire, and only Tessa and her allies can stop them...

Producing words for this review was unbelievably difficult. Or I guess I should say is, because I'm still writing it.. but anyway! Not because it was perfect in all aspects and mind-blowing or anything, and definitely not because I didn't enjoy it, but I feel like my review should really do the book justice. So here it goes!

Cassandra Clare is an awesome writer, and that permeates the whole way through 'Clockwork Angel'. It's the sort of book where, even though the setting is more or less alien to us, and the story is fantastically fictional, you can still really connect with it and get a lot out of it. The book consists of a wonderfully unique plot in a wonderfully unique world, with awesome characters to whom you grow quickly attached, and it's all topped off with Clare's intriguing and evidently thought-out writing.

Clockwork Angel  (mid-prologue) begins with our protagonist Tessa, who receives a Britain-bound boat ticket from her brother, Nathaniel, who she hasn't really seen or heard from in a while. With her aunt's recent passing, and nothing else really tying her to Southampton, she decides to venture off to London, where her life is quickly and utterly changed.

That, the beginning, was my main problem. Though the plot was very interesting and Tessa seemed a compelling character, I just couldn't get into the book. And I think that's the case with a lot of Cassandra Clare's work, for me anyway; it just doesn't immediately click, for some reason or another. Maybe because she already has this big, awesome concept and story in her head and doesn't really slow down to explain it to us in the beginning, but I really don't know. However, as the story progressed, and Tessa joins up with Will, and then later, all the others at the London Institute, I could feel myself being really drawn into the story.

I guess that now makes sense, seeing as the the plot wasn't really set in place for a little while into the book, at which point I was loving the book! Another reason was that it took a bit for our characters to develop, which I really appreciated afterwards.

Tessa, Will and Jem were definitely the three central characters, I mean, that was obvious before reading the first chapter, so naturally, they were developed to a greater extent than the other characters. They each had three, very distinct personalities, and at first you just sort of take them at face value, because it's entertaining to see how they interact and whatnot, but as the story flows, you're shown exactly why they are how they are.
There was this particular part, when Tessa was learning of the boys' pasts, and I actually just stopped to acknowledge the reality of these characters; they weren't just 2-dimensional anymore, and I loved that! Oh and I also really enjoyed the relationship between the three, or more specifically between Jem/Tessa and Will/Tessa. Obviously, going into this series, I was aware that there would be a love triangle, but I was surprised at how natural it felt. They were like the more mature versions of the characters in Clare's other series, The Mortal Instruments haha!

The last 100 or so pages, were what really made it for me. The well-written action scenes, the huge plot twist that I did not see coming, everything! It all linked up perfectly. A great first book for what I expect to be an awesome trilogy!

Have any of you guys read this yet? What did you think of the ending?

Thanks for reading guys!

Birthday Book Haul

Books are dangerous.. and bookshops, even more so. 

After holidays in Barcelona, I still had a bit of birthday money left in my back pocket and what better thing to spend it on, than books right? Well that's what I seemed to have in mind when I walked into Easons. Honestly, I had only intended to get Legend, by Marie Lu, but you know, the temptation was just too strong! Haha

No but anyway, here are the books I bought!

The Scorch Trials
By James Dashner

I read The Maze Runner near the end of Summer 2013, which was quite a while ago, I know. I was so satisfied with the ending of the first book, and it didn't end with much of a cliffhanger, so I didn't really want to pick up the second, in case I wouldn't enjoy it. But I'm gonna give it a chance anyway, since I've heard some really positive stuff about the rest of the series!

The Fault in our Stars
By John Green

I've actually already read this, but it was on iBooks on my phone, and being one of my top reads of 2013, I just had to get the physical copy, you know, for re-reads and stuff!

All Our Yesterdays
By Cristin Terrill

You would not believe how long I've been waiting for this book to show up in my local bookshop! And you can only imagine how excited I'd gotten when I finally found it haha! It's a shame that it wasn't the one with the original cover, which was what caught my attention in the first place, but I'm still excited to read it!

Clockwork Angel
By Cassandra Clare

There's this awesome booktuber, namely Katytastic, who has raved about this book, and series, enough to make me want to read it. A few other people I know have recommended it too, so I decided to give it a go!

 &  

Legend and Champion
By Marie Lu

First of all, there was a 3 for 2 sale in Easons today, right? But the problem was, the only book by Marie Lu included in the sale was Champion. So I got that, and because it obviously didn't make sense buying only the third book in a series, I also got the first. I couldn't find Prodigy though, which is kinda sad and ruined all my plans! Haha



 &  

City of Ashes and City of Glass
 By Cassandra Clare

For some strange reason, I've only read the first book in the Mortal Instruments series, the City of Bones. I didn't love it, but I liked it, and really want to find out what happens with Jace and Clary, so I got the next two books! Again, part of the 3 for 2 sale.. haha



   &

Hunger and Lies
 By Michael Grant

This is sort of similar to my Legend series problem, but in this case, I couldn't find the first book of the series! I must have visited like fifteen different bookshops, including shops in the UK and Spain, might I add, yet I found every other book in the series except the first. It was really annoying, but because I had a really good feeling about the series, I went ahead and got the second and third books!

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So, I guess I won't be buying lunch for school anytime soon, if you know what I mean *nudge nudge*.
Yeah.. I'm broke! Hahaha. Man, I really need to get a part-time job!
Anyway, what do you guys think of my pathetic willpower? Do you, perhaps, have the same problem? Haha

Thanks for reading guys, see you!