Lumaworld- Rachel E.Kelly

Lumaworld is the third instalment of the Colorworld series written by Rachel Kelly. Please find reviews of the first book, Colorworld and the second book, Teleworld, below.

The story that runs through this series is totally unique; from the first book I fell in love with it. I have to say this isn't my favourite book in the series but I still really enjoyed it, and find the the whole plot compelling and fascinating to follow. With this particular book I did however, unfortunately, struggle a little with the middle portion of the story- I felt it was a little slow and got a tiny bit lost. That being said it's 100% worth sticking it through and vital detail is included in this section.

Something I do struggle a little with in these stories is following them completely without difficulty. You have to keep your whits about you as you are reading them as it can be easy to get lost, especially in this instalment, but that definitely shouldn't put readers off. I personally feel that spreading out the action slightly may have made it easier to follow.

I adore the characters in this series; Gabe being a particular favourite. The characterisation and development in Lumaworld is lovely- which really elevates and influences the emotional sections of the story, of which this book has many. Some sections of the story were written so beautifully I was really moved (a rare thing for me) and the way the characters have been written really adds to the emotion and depth of the story. As I mentioned in the previous review of Teleworld, I really wanted to see development of other characters in Lumaworld, in particular Ezra. I was not left disappointed. The story was greatly elevated and made much more interesting by us learning much more about a number of other characters, including Ezra and Robert.

Again this instalment was packed with twists and turns and unexpected surprises. I did feel that a couple were a little too out of nowhere but that's just my personal opinion. I love how Kelly has managed to maintain the air of mystery and surprise through out the series-mainly through the extensive development of the colorworld-world. I am totally hooked on the series, its truly unique and interesting and I love that I've finally found a sci-fi esq series to read which really brings me out of my comfort zone!

Colorworld review
Teleworld review

Note: This book was sent to me to review. This is no way alters or affects my opinion of the book and I only review books sent to me that I genuinely would have considered
purchasing for myself.

My 'to re-read' list

I have been searching my bookcase and shelves and found so many books I had forgetting about wanting to reread, here I’ve shared just a few. Re – reading is something I love to do when I don’t have anything else on the go, but I do find it hard to make time for it!

The Art of Racing in the Rain- Garth Stein:  written from the point of a dog this book is truly unique. I love Garth Steins work and I loved this book dearly when I first read it many years ago; I did reread it subsequently but haven’t since and it is definitely one I would like to revisit. The story is also beautiful, wonderfully written and heartbreaking.

Elsewhere- Gabrielle Zevin: Basically this story of ‘heaven’ (elsewhere) where inhabitants get younger and return to earth as new born babies. I thought this was fascinating story and I would love to revisit it now with a slightly broader and older mind. I was young when I read this the first time around, and although I got a lot out of it, I imagine I would get much more from it now.

Grow up- Ben Brooks: This is a modern coming of age tale that is both wonderfully funny but also incredibly true. Its wickedly told and captures the nuances of teenage life in a way you probably haven’t read before. I first read this when I was in my first few years as a ‘proper’ teen and I would love to read it again to reflect on how I was growing up in those difficult teenage years. I imagine a lot of it makes much more sense to me now. I warn you though- I wouldn’t suggest this book for those younger than 16.

The bower bird- Ann Kelley: The first line of this book reads ‘I am not dead yet’ which sums up this book perfectly. We follow the story of Gussie a 12 year old who recently had open heart surgery and is waiting for a heart and lung transplant. A story all about how she wants to grow up and experience normal things like running on a beach and kissing a boy. This is a very humbling book and, like the others in this post, I want to revisit it with an older mind.

What I was- Meg Rosoff: This is yet another coming of age story but this one focuses on a much less discussed aspect of growing up. I am reluctant to go into more detail as it spoils the story but this is a brilliant, what I like to call, question book; it leaves you wondering a lot about the story and makes you think and question. A very interesting and unusual read.

The island- Victoria Hislop: I fell in love with this book when I read it because it is beautifully written and a brilliantly heartbreaking tale. The writing was so great in this book that for the longest time I so desperately wanted to visit the place it was, and still do to this day. It’s based on a fascinating piece of history but one you probably haven’t read or heard much about before: leper colonies. I would whole heartedly recommend this book, and Hislops work in generally as she is a truly wonderful writer.