This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab | Book Review

 

 

Title: This Savage Song
Author: Victoria Schwab
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Release: June 7, 2016
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy, Paranormal
Series: Monsters of Verity #1
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 427

There’s no such thing as safe.

Kate Harker wants to be as ruthless as her father. After five years and six boarding schools, she’s finally going home to prove that she can be.

August Flynn wants to be human. But he isn’t. He’s a monster, one that can steal souls with a song. He’s one of the three most powerful monsters in a city overrun with them. His own father’s secret weapon.

Their city is divided.
Their city is crumbling.

Kate and August are the only two who see both sides, the only two who could do something.
But how do you decide to be a hero or a villain when it’s hard to tell which is which?

I absolutely loved this book. It took me a while to get into it because the beginning had a lot of info dumping, but it was necessary. This world is so complex and written so wonderfully. I really enjoyed what Victoria Schwab did with this world/book. This book needs to be read immediately!

What I really loved about this book was how the monsters were created. The town that this book takes place is called Verity and is divided into two. The South (run by Flynn) and the North (run by Harker). Monsters overrun the city and are created when violet crimes are committed. The theme really is violence breeds violence. One of our MCs is August Flynn, who is a monster known as a Sunai. The Sunai are created by the most violet crimes and can steal your soul by a song. August plays the violin and tries so hard to not be what he is. He dreams of being alive, and human. His internal struggle is so heartbreaking that I just want to carry him in my pocket and protect him. I really got sucked into the story because of August.

Kate Harker, on the other hand, is such a badass. She is determined to prove to her father that she is his daughter. She is ruthless, strong, and doesn’t let anyone talk down to her. She gets in your face if you are talking about her and shows you she isn’t afraid of her. I really enjoyed the dynamic she shared with August.

Speaking of Kate and August, oh my god these two are wonderful together! This book had no romance in it and while I appreciated this because that’s not what this book is about…I ship these two so hard. Their interactions, their walls going down while with each other, their protectiveness and loyalty, sigh. I really wouldn’t mind if these two got together in the next book! I wouldn’t mind at. all. ❤

Overall, this book was great! If you haven’t read it yet you really need to. Victoria Scwab is quickly becoming one of my new favorite authors and I am completely okay with this.

until next time,

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

Where do I even start with this review? I can tell you right now it’s going to be very “professional” and more of a blubbering mess because that’s exactly what I am!!

First of all, this book was utter perfection. I have literally not one negative thing to say about it. The way JK wrapped up the entire series into a nice pretty bow (maybe not so pretty because it was heartache after heartache) was so nicely done because everything, everything, came full circle! Absolutely everything connected so well together that I am still in awe how this amazing woman even did it! No wonder everyone bows down to her.

Now I am going into spoilery territory because like I said in my other review, I assume everyone has read the series and I am the last lone reader. So read at your discretion. 

Harry  really made me love him this book even more. He was so selfless and protective over this friends, maybe to a fault, that it was truly heartbreaking. He literally thinks he had to go into dangerous paths on his own because he didn’t want anymore else to get hurt because of him. His bravery is so inspiring. He didn’t even think twice when faced upon his own death. Once he founds out what he needs to do to defeat Voldy he doesn’t even hesitate! He just does! I cried my eyes out so many times over this Boy Who Lived. I just can’t deal.

I am also glad to see he still had some of his sass. Even when facing Voldy. I don’t know how many times I laughed when Voldy would say to him “Do you dare-“ and Harry just interrupts him with “Yes, I dare.” Like please shut up while I school you, RIDDLE.

Hermione, oh my god Hermione! I loved her so so so much in this book. I am not even talking about her brain or power to work through her broken heart when Ron left and how determined she was to keep going to make sure they found the Horcruxes, but her strength and quick reflexes while in battle! She grew so much over the series. She started taking down Death Eaters and taking names! GO HERMIONE! YOU GO GIRL.

Plus, I may or may not have cried when Ron wanted to save all the house elves and Hermione just laid one on him! ❤

Though it was a little frustrating when Harry had a clear gut instinct that they had to go to Godric’s Hollow or search for the Deathly Hallows and Hermione kept trying to talking him out of it because “if Dumbledore knew about them why didn’t he just tell you, Harry?” Umm..maybe because Dumbledore never told Harry ANYTHING, HERMIONE! Maybe because of that! When did he ever actually tell him straight out what to do. He left Harry figure things out for himself so he knew the risks and was able to make up his mind about what he needed to do.

Before this “review” gets too long I will make a quick list of everything that I enjoyed.

THE EPIC

• The Deathly Hallows and how they tied into the overall story.
• The Elder Wand and wandlore behind how to retrieve it.
• DUMBLEDORE’S PAST!!! Oh god, my heart literally cannot take it!
• Harry’s struggles to believe Dumbledore was the man he thought and still was “Dumbledore’s man through and through” regardless of what his past showed.
• Dumbledore and Grindelwald. Oh lordy XD
• The Horcruxes! It was so interesting to see what objects Voldy used and where he hid them. I never felt bored once while we were searching for them.
• Neville! ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ He was almost a completely different person. So brave
• The Prince’s Tale. I am not crying I am not crying I am not crying
• Remus asking Harry to be Teddy’s godfather. 😥
• THE BATTLE OF HOGWARTS!!!
• Molly vs. Bellatrix
  
• Harry’s meeting with Dumbledore at King’s Cross. Seriously, Jo? as if my eyes weren’t already burning from all these tears!
• The Resurrection Stone and Harry’s parents and Remus and Sirius. :”(
• HARRY VS VOLDEMORT!!!!
  

Seriously, I could go on forever but I won’t because I know you know how bloody brilliant this book and series is. I don’t even know how many times I actually had to physically walk away from this book because of how much I was crying. During every emotional scene or death I had to get up and go do something else. This book was heavy on my heart and I don’t think I can get over it.

Overall, I am so glad I finally decided to read this series and feel I am a better reader now because of these books. With that being said…

That’s a wrap on Harry Potter!

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Harry Potter series reviews:

• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

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Until next time,