Salt for Air by M.C. Frank is a touching story about bullying, mermen and the beauty of friendship that will stay with you for a long time. I love this book so much, it was such an amazing, beautiful, gripping, emotional and heartfelt read!

Salt for Air is a story about a bullied girl, who writes fanfiction to escape her miserable reality. Having been bullied myself, I can relate (almost a little too much) to the living hell that is Ellie’s everyday life and what the bullying does to her. M.C. Frank describes this so spot on, you can really feel that the story is based on her own experiences. She does a remarkable job describing how anyone can be bullied for no particular reason (in this story Ellie used to be overweight, but even though she no longer is, the bullying still goes on) and what it does to a person. Some of these thoughts were manifested via chapters from Ellie’s blog on ‘Rule for surviving Bullies’, which was such a great take!

Did you know that when someone is bullied, they’re forced to become a different person than they would have if they hadn’t been bullied? When you bully someone, you’re basically robbing them of their future true self.

When reading this book, my heart immediately went out for Ellie. I also loved her fanfiction writing (once again, I can SO relate!!!) and the amazing twist when she found herself rescued by the merman in her own stories; Ky, the emerald-eyed merman and exiled prince. M.C. Frank takes the popular Greek mythology and revitalizes it in a completely new and unique way. She also revitalizes the trope of the nerdy girl being rescued by the swoon-worthy hottie and turns it around. (Can’t explain too much, to risk making any spoilers, but all I can say is that Ellie is such a strong and fierce character.) I also loved the addictive writing style. The writing is so wonderful, fast-paced and captivating. And sassy! I loved Ellie’s snarky comments, for example when she hilariously refers to Ky as “fish boy”, and all the bickering going on between the two main characters.

You mean, that you thought you’d kiss me and I’d decide it’s ok to die for you?”
“It was a pretty good kiss,” he says.

Obviously, I loved the two main characters, but the supporting characters were just as amazing. I adored both Lorelei and Maia, who were both such strong and fierce warriors, looking out for Ky and Ellie.

But most of all I loved the way Ellie found the strength to believe in herself again, to be both the person she was before the bullying changed her and a new different, stronger one.

I recommend this book with all my heart. It is an amazing and emotional fairytale with such an important underlying message. It’s a book that you will not easily forget.

Find out more about the book and the author here: M.C. Frank  ​​

No Vain Loss is the epic finale of the spellbinding and fascinating YA sci fi trilogy No Ordinary Star by M.C. Frank. I absolutely loved this fast paced, beautiful and emotional story of how two unlikely people change the world, and each other. 

This futuristic YA trilogy takes place in the year 2524, when the world is a cold place in all its meaning: There’s no emotions left in human, men and women are separated, there are no families, food does no longer exists but are replaced by pills, everything is controlled. Humans can live for 300 years with no disease, no illness and no need to sleep. Even Christmas is forgotten!
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In the first book, No Ordinary Star, we are introduced to the world and two main characters, Felix (“tin soldier”) and Astra (“match girl”). 

Once I started to understand the world described in the book and got to know the two main characters I just loved it! I absolutely adored both of the main characters and each of their unique personalities. With a world on the brink of war, Felix and Astra are about to set a flame to everything they know. Everything that everyone knows. And it all begins with fixing a clock.
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The second book, No Plain Rebel, picks up where the first book, No Ordinary Star, left off, with Felix reading the story of the tin soldier to Astra and uncovering the secrets held in the Clockmaster’s hidden library. 

This second book is more focused on Felix, even though Astra was still a main part of the story. While No Ordinary Star was more of an introduction and left the reader with a lot of questions, much more happens in this one and many questions get answered.
I really loved that this book gave a more understanding for and a better explanation of the world and the reasons behind people's actions. I also love the warming and beautiful developing relationship between Felix and Astra and that the get to take their time to get to know each other, and how natural it became for them to spend time together, even though in this world woman and man live separated.

The book reveals new information to the characters about their backgrounds and the truth about the real world. Alongside Astra and Felix, we begin to see what they have missed in their lives, and learn the horrible truth of the history and future for the One World. In the book Felix starts to find himself and understand what it truly means to be human. Astra also developed along with Felix, discovering the true human joys in life, and learning to trust others.
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In No Vain Loss, this series comes to its graceful ending. It picks up where No Plain Rebel left, directly throwing you right into the action. 

In this epic finale, we are at the brink of the war and watch as everything unfolds around us and learn new truths. Just like the two other books, it’s a fast-paced story (this one is even faster!), beautifully written and with unexpected plot twists. The plot remained completely unpredictable all the way until the very ending and held so much emotions, joy and hope, heartbreak and sorrow, and love. M.C. Frank sure keeps the readers on the edge of their seats! My head was spinning and my heart was pumping with all the emotions I kept going through not wanting to believe what was happening or just being thoroughly pleased with the events unfolding. This is one of the rare occasions where a sequel is even better than the first book!

I absolutely love how Felix and Astra so clearly have grown up in this series. They are so much more mature in this third book than in the first one. Following them throughout the series makes you feel so proud when you see how far they have come in this final book. I also love how their relationship unfolded, and how they develop such a high morale and integrity, in a world where no such things have previously existed.

One of the things I love most about this series is that it is so much about what it means to be human and human emotions. This is a hearthwarming and beautiful story about courage and integrity and about doing the right thing, no matter how hard it is.

I recommend this unique, magical and emotional series with all my heart!

Find out more about the No Ordinary Star trilogy and the author here: M.C. Frank

My reading tips this week is the breathtaking, heartbreaking and utterly wonderful Lose Me. by M.C. Frank. ​This book completely blew me away! My feelings are all over the place, this book made me laugh, cry, it broke my heart and made me angry, and it made me love the characters to death all at once.

No Plain Rebel picks up where the first book, No Ordinary Star, left off, with Felix reading the story of the tin soldier to Astra and uncovering the secrets held in the Clockmaster's hidden library. This book is more focused on Felix, even though Astra was still a main part of the story.

I really loved that this book gave a more understanding for and a better explanation of the world and the reasons behind people's actions.

While No Ordinary Star was more of an introduction and left the reader with a lot of questions, much more happens in this one and many questions get answered. 

I also love the warming and beautiful developing relationship between Felix and Astra and that the get to take their time to get to know each other, and how natural it became for them to spend time together, even though in this world woman and man live separated.

The book reveals new information to the characters about their backgrounds and the truth about the real world. Alongside Astra and Felix, we begin to see what they have missed in their lives, and learn the horrible truth of the history and future for the One World. In the book Felix starts to find himself and understand what it truly means to be human. Astra also developed along with Felix, discovering the true human joys in life, and learning to trust others.

If you’re looking for a unique, page-turning, emotional read with an important message, this is the series for you!

Find out more about the book and the author here: M.C. Frank

It’s been too long since I posted a weekend reading tips, I’ve just been too busy with my own book being published and at the same time working on the sequel. But now I have finally had the time to read another great book that I’d like to spread the words about: No Ordinary Star by M.C. Frank. I was recommended this book by Darque Dreamer Reads, who was sure I would love it, and boy, was she right!

I really loved this fast paced, magic story of how two unlikely people change the world, and each other. I absolutely adored both of the main characters and each of their unique personalities.
 
This book is the first in the futuristic YA trilogy taking place in the year 2524, when the world is a cold place in all its meaning: There’s no emotions left in human, men and women are separated, there are no families, food does no longer exists but are replaced by pills, everything is controlled. Humans can live for 300 years with no disease, no illness and no need to sleep. Even Christmas is forgotten!
 
What’s so special about this book is the format. It’s something between a short story and a novel, it’s very quick-paced and jumps right into the story. Once I started to understand the world described in the book and got to know the two main characters I just loved it! I absolutely adored both of the main characters, Felix (“tin soldier”) and Astra (“match girl”), they were both nice, innocent and smart. I also loved the cover, it’s so beautiful and really matches the futuristic vibe of the book.
 
If you’re looking for a unique, page-turning, emotional read with an important message, this is the series for you!

Find out more about the book and the author here: M.C. Frank