Ship It Or Rip It Part 4

Here is the fourth part of Ship It Or Rip It. I hope you're enjoying these installments. Let me know if there is anything else you would like to see on my blog.

Eddie Gallagher (These Shallow Graves) and Clary (The Mortal Instruments)

Oh gosh yes, definitely shipping this! Eddie loves girls thatare strong-willed and independent and who better than the fiery heroine of The Mortal Instruments! I could also see Clary falling for Eddie's charm and with, just as she did with Jace.

Verdict: Ship it.

Devon (Raised By Wolves) and Hermione (Harry Potter)

I am actually super torn about this one. On one hand, I can see Devon's jokes and sense of humour being on par with Ron's, but I also can't see that being enough. Even ignoring the fact that Hermione is made for Ron and only Ron, I just really can't see these two hitting it off. Friends, yeah definitely. But romantically? No way

Verdict: Rip it.

Harry Potter (Harry Potter) and Thorne (The Lunar Chronicles)

Woah not in a million years. Harry doesn't want someone who's so OTT as Thorne, and let's face it, Harry is not Thorne's typical gorgeous girl. They might be able to get on as friends (although I'm not entirely convinced) but definitely not as lovers. And besides, I ship them with their own respective partners way too hard anyway.

Verdict: Rip it.

Jacob (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them) and Marlee (The Selection)

I actually see these 2 working and it's kind of cute! Jacob is such a lovely guy and would definitely shower Marlee with the most amazing pastries ever, and Marlee is such a kind-hearted girl who would adore everything Jacob would do for her.

Verdict: Ship it.

Lake (Rasied by Wolves) and Wolf (The Lunar Chronicles)

Ohmygosh yes! Even though I'm not a particular fan of Wolf and I adore Lake, I can actually see this pair 100% working, even outside of their wolfish characteristics. Lake is such a sassy badass, just like Scarlet, and so I can see her being just fiery enough to keep Wolf happy and on his toes. Wolf is a complete hero, just as Lake adores. I want this to happen!

Verdict: Ship it.

Read parts 1, 2 and 3

Thanks for reading! I've loved doing these posts and the fantastic ships that come out of it. Are you enjoying them? If so, comment your views below and any characters you would love to see included next time!

Ship It Or Rip It Part 1

Welcome to Ship It Or Rip It!

I saw this idea on booktube a while ago (can't remember who, sorry!) and fell in love with it. Essentially, you randomly pick two characters and decide whether you can see them as a couple (ship it) or think it's a terrible idea (rip it).

I currently have a list of 60 characters, and will be doing 5 pairings in each post, which means I have 6 posts lined up. But, (and here comes the fun part), I'd love to know who your favourite characters are too! Just leave a comment and I'll add them to the list!

America (The Selection) and Lucien (A Court of Thorns and Roses)

Initially I laughed, but I actually can sort of see it? America is a very strong willed girl, which matches Lucien well. I can also see America fitting in at The Summer Court quite well too! Plus, they both have gorgeous red hair and imagine their children! 

Verdict: Ship it.

Magnus Bane (The Mortal Instruments, etc) and Four (Divergent)

Magnus would try so hard to make it work. Four is definitely Mangus' type. Dark hair, moody, hiding a dark past. It's a shame that I don't think Four would ever even consider befriending Magnus, let alone dating him! 

Verdict: Ship it.

Percy Jackson and Magnus Chase

So, these two Rick Riordan characters... Nope, I just don't see it. I think they're too similar. Both halfbloods (one being Greek, the other Norse), and normal kid turned hero. They might make it as friends as they have a lot in common, but I just don't see them getting all cute together. 

Verdict: Rip it.

Queen Guinevere and Morgana/Morgan Le Fey (Arthurian Legend)

Nope. Nope. Nope. Okay, Gwen and Morgana from Series 1 of BBC's Merlin, yes, I could ship that forever. But Gwen and Morgana from actual Arthurian myths and from the numerous books I have read about them, just never in a million years.

Verdict: Rip it.

King Arthur (Arthurian Legend) and Jo Montfort (These Shallow Graves)

Hmm, interesting one! I can see Jo respecting Arthur for what he's done. Also, as a Victorian era girl, I can see her being swooned by the fact that he is royal. I can't see Arthur being all too fond of Jo though, as she is quite a forward woman for her time era. 

Verdict: Rip it.

So that's all for Part 1 of Ship It Or Rip It! I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know your opinion on these pairings in the comments below!

Book Review: These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly

These Shallow Graves – Jennifer Donnelly

*Warning – may contain spoilers*

Author: Jennifer Donnelly

Publisher: Hot Key Books

First published: 2015

Cover: Paperback

Pages: 482

Blurb: A wealthy family. A deadly secret. A girl with more to lose than she knows.

               New York, 1890.

Josephine Montfort is form one of New York’s most respected and wealthiest families. Like most affluent girls, Jo’s future is set: a comfortable life in a suitable marriage – but her heart can’t help yearning for more.

And then her father is found dead. It was supposedly a tragic accident, although some details don’t seem to quite add up. Was it really an accident … or worse, murder?

With the help of a young reporter, Eddie Gallagher, Jo is in a race against time to find the culprit. Escaping her gilded cage could be dangerous and Jo will have to face some dark characters on the gritty streets of New York. But some secrets can’t stay hidden forever, no matter how deep you bury them.    

  

History of my copy: I was lucky enough to win a review copy of These Shallow Graves from Maximum Pop! Books! Check out #TheseShallowGravesMP to see my review tweets along with everyone else who won. The full article is here. 

I actually finished this book over a month ago on the 23^rd of May, but due to exams I have been too busy to get the review up until now.

I went into this book entirely open-minded. I had no idea what it was about, apart from what I had gathered from the blurb. I’m a huge mystery fan, but never read much as it’s difficult to pull off. I was also initially apprehensive of Jo as I didn’t want to read a book about a fortunate, rich girl who didn’t want to be, but she was actually a really good character!

Plot: These Shallow Graves takes us on one hell of a journey! One of my favourite things in books is when the stories are circular i.e. the book starts near the end, then you find out how they got there. These Shallow Graves certainly didn’t disappoint in that aspect, and it was done so well! The book starts with Jo, Eddie, Oscar and Flynn at Darkbriar Asylum with a chapter that really drags you in. They are, after all, digging up a body. Then it suddenly jumps to this contrasting life of Jo being a proper lady at Miss Sparkwell’s School. The book follows Jo as she discovers her Father’s death and how she works with Eddie and Oscar to investigate it, coming to the conclusion that it was actually murder. Together, they discover who the real murderer is whilst uncovering the secret behind their family’s shipping firm.

Setting: Something that really drew me to These Shallow Graves is the unusual setting compared to what I’m used to reading. I’m relatively fond of Victorian era books, but this had a twist as it is set in America during this period. Donnelly is a fantastic writer and describes the setting perfectly – it always feels super realistic, without waffling on.

Characters: Jo makes a refreshing heroine. Whist brave and daring, she is still down-to-earth, has that air of vulnerability which accompanies her upbringing, and clearly has her heart in the right place whilst still making mistakes. She’s not perfect, which is something I love in a world where leads, especially females, are portrayed as brilliant at everything.

               Everyone needs to be warned about Eddie Gallagher. He is one of my favourite characters ever and someone I totally feel in love with. Charming, funny and witty but also kind, honest and a true gentleman. He is respectful, but also willing to speak his mind and doesn’t fall head-over-heels for Jo and worship everything she does. Honestly, my heart broke so much for him when he found out about Jo’s engagement.

               I’m also going to mention Mary and Fay. Although seemingly insignificant characters, they end up playing a major role and each have an unforeseen plot twist.

To read or not to read: Read. I wholeheartedly recommend this book and am eagerly anticipating its possible sequel. Although it was a little slow to start off with, it turned out to be a fantastically gripping storyline with just the right amount of romance. It ticked all the boxes for a perfect book. It also dealt with the many issues of the era brilliantly, from the different classes, the sexism and even just how easy it was to cover up any scandal if you had the money, right through to the difficult to plan and execute storyline of murder and investigation. I am astounded at how complete and satisfying These Shallow Graves is from start to finish.