Hi all!

Today I am doing the Disney Book Tag. I sourced these questions from rachelrexds, so feel free to check out her responses. You all know I am Disney obsessed, so without further ado, let’s dive in!

THE LITTLE MERMAID

Name a character out of their element (‘a fish out of water’)

For this question, I’m going to go with Feyre from A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas. To add to the Disney vibes, this fantasy trilogy is loosely based on Beauty and the Beast. When Feyre kills a wolf disguised as a faerie in the woods, she is dragged from her home and family to live out the rest of her days as a prisoner in the Spring Court (a faerie realm). Feyre is the only human in this new world of magical creatures, making her environment very unfamiliar and threatening. She struggles to fit in or feel comfortable, constantly longing for home. I am hard-pressed to read a Sarah J. Maas book I don’t rate highly. This series is mind-blowingly good! I am currently reading the sequel, A Court of Mist and Fury.

CINDERELLA

Name a character who undergoes a major transformation

I am going to say Simon Snow from Carry On by Rainbow Rowell. This stand-alone fantasy follows Simon, the worst wizard at Watford School of Magicks. He cannot control his abilities, nor emotions, which usually leads to disasters of epic proportions. He has a vampire roommate named Baz, who detests him and a know-it-all friend named Penelope Bunce. I will not spoil the plot but in short, Simon undergoes a huge transformation within this story, both personally and magically. It was so heart-warming and hilarious at times.

SNOW WHITE

Name a book with an eclectic cast of characters

I know it’s shameful but I’m going to plug my own books here. Astrology Pond (Book #1) and Facing the Stars (Book #2) by yours truly has a very diverse cast of characters. If you want to learn all about them, check out one of my older posts: Meet The Astro A Team & Counterparts! (Signs of the Zodiac Series) In this trilogy, we follow twelve (one for each zodiac sign) teenagers that form an astrological group, destined to unite their counterparts in an alternate universe. Each character has a distinct personality, that is somewhat reflected by their horoscope. This causes a lot of clashes along the way, producing mass amounts of adolescent drama. The counterparts themselves are incredibly eclectic as well. I am close to finishing the third and final book: Aligning the Signs. 

SLEEPING BEAUTY

Name a book that put you to sleep

The worst, most boring book I have ever read (in my personal opinion) was A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce. I had to read it for my Literature class at University and it was a painful struggle. I honestly cannot remember one single thing that happened and I’m convinced James Joyce purposely tried to confuse readers with his writing. I couldn’t even tell you what the plot was about, so I won’t try. I’ve heard his most famous novel, Ulysses, is one of the hardest books in history to understand. I’m sure many people love and appreciate his work but his writing just doesn’t appeal to me.

THE LION KING

Name a character with a traumatic childhood

For this question, I’m going to go with Starr Carter from The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. As a child, Starr witnesses her friend, Natasha, get shot and killed by thugs in her poor neighbourhood. Years later, as a teenager, she is present at the murder of her best friend, Khalil by a police officer. I have actually written an extensive, spoiler-free review for this phenomenal book (read here). I am going to be attending Angie Thomas’s YA Activism event at the Melbourne Writer’s Festival this weekend, which I am really looking forward. Hopefully I can get a copy of my book signed! The story absolutely shook me. My heart broke for poor Starr over and over.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

Name a beast of a book (a big book) that you were intimidated by but found the story beautiful

I was initially intimidated by Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare, as it was over 700 pages. However, I completely flew through it whilst travelling in Europe. This is the second book in the Dark Artifices series, set in the Shadowhunter Universe. If you’ve read this book, you would know how heavy it was. I was an absolute mess by the end. It was so beautiful and dark, all at the same time. I liked the sequel even more than Lady Midnight and now I’m tortuously waiting for 2018 to find out what happens next. Do yourself a favour and pick it up!

ALADDIN

Name a character who gets their wish granted, for better or worse.

This one is easy! I’m going to say Scarlett Dragna from Caraval by Stephanie Garber. The story follows two sisters, Scarlett and Tella, who are abused regularly by their cruel, wealthy father. All they have ever wanted is to be invited to Caraval, an annual faraway show put on by the illusive character, Legend. After years of writing letters, they finally receive their own official invitation to Legend’s private island. They use this opportunity to escape, with the help of a sailor, but once they arrive, Tella is kidnapped. Scarlett is told it is all part of the show, but is given a certain amount of time to locate her sister, after which she will be lost forever. Scarlett finally gets her wish granted of attending Caraval, but at a huge price. I’m looking forward to the sequel!

MULAN

Name a character who pretends to be someone (or something) they’re not

I really don’t want to spoil anything, so all I’m going to say is AIDAN from Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. AIDAN is an artificial intelligence onboard a spacecraft called The Alexander. He is highly perceptive and calculating, with a gift for manipulation. If you have not read the Illuminae Files yet, what are you waiting for? Even my husband loved them! The third and final book in the trilogy, Obsidio, will be released in March 2018. I’m so excited to meet Amie Kaufman at the Melbourne Writer’s Festival next month. I am also attending a book launch in September for Jay Kristoff’s newest release, Godsgrave – so I get to meet him too!

TOY STORY

Name a book with characters you wish would come to life

For this question, I’m going to go with the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. Do I really need to explain why I would want these characters to come to life? How amazing would it be to hang out with Harry, Ron, Hermione, Luna, Neville, Hagrid, Dumbledore and more? Even better, hang out with them at Hogwarts! I was really lucky to have attended the Harry Potter studio tour in London this year. It has a lasting legacy. 

DISNEY DESCENDANTS

Name your favourite villain or morally ambiguous character

My favourite villain of all time is Lord Loss from the Demonata by Darren Shan. Lord Loss is a powerful Demon Master, who has an obsession with playing chess. He is described as having pale red lumpy skin and eight mangled arms. In the place where his heart should be, is a gaping hole filled with deadly, venomous snakes. He has dark-red eyes and cracks all over his body, where blood consistently seeps out. He also has two demon familiars, Vein and Artery, who are just as horrifying. Sounds like a charming guy right? What I love about Lord Loss, is that for a disgusting demon, he is highly intelligent. He has the gift of being able to cure lycanthropy (the transformation from man to werewolf) but only if the victim can beat him in a game of chess. I rave about this series all the time but it is seriously that good!

I hope you enjoyed the Disney Book Tag! I nominate anybody who is interested to do it too. If you do, please link your post in the comments below. Also, if there are any other book tags you would like me to do, let me know. I have so much fun writing them. Thank you so much for reading. I hope you have a lovely day.

Peace & Love xoxo