A Thousand Pieces of You Review

As the daughter of two brilliant physicists, Marguerite Caine grew up surrounded by wild scientific theories, always encouraged to imagine the improbable or even the impossible. But when her father is murdered, Marguerite’s life is turned upside down. All the evidence points to one person – Paul, her parents’ handsome, enigmatic protégé. Before the law can touch him, though, Paul uses Marguerite’s mother’s latest invention – a device called the Firebird, which allows people to leap into alternate dimensions – to escape.

With the help of another physics student, Theo, Marguerite chases Paul through various dimensions, determined to avenge her father. Her parents theorised that people who have met in one reality will be likely to meet in another … that key moments will happen over and over, in different ways. But when Marguerite leaps into each new world, she meets another version of Paul that has her doubting his guilt and questioning her heart. Before long she realises that what happened to her father may be more complex, and more sinister, than she ever dreamed.

First off - why on earth is this the only book I've ever read about inter-dimensional travel? The whole premise is just so original and brilliant and has so much scope. 

Oh wait. Another book about dimensional travel wouldn't have the same originality, would it?

BASICALLY I LOVED THE INTER-DIMENSIONAL TRAVEL AND AM VERY GLAD THERE ARE MORE BOOKS IN THE SERIES TO EXPLORE IT EVEN MORE.

Because ... it just makes the book a kaleidoscope of different settings and genres - you know how much we all love a well-built fantasy world? Well this book has three. Three! I don't want to spoil anything for you, but I've never seen the inside of a Palace from a Sci-Fi book. Especially not a Sci-Fi book that has also given me a beautifully real contemporary setting with brilliantly individual characters, and a technologically awesome-

Urgh. No. The mere existence of any of these parallel universes is a spoiler. I really need to stop talking to you about them. What else can I possibly talk about?

Oh, I know. Characters. As a creative black sheep in a scientific family, I couldn't help but identify with Marguerite, the painter who grew up in a physics-saturated household. I usually don't like changeable characters, especially those with love triangles to deal with, but I guess we'd all be a little bit changeable if we had to jump into different versions of ourselves. It's a pretty good excuse, I'll give her that.

As for quiet, intense Paul and flirty, ever-so-slightly-arrogant Theo, the love interests, I'm so glad they were well-written. They were both developed to the point where I honestly didn't have a team - not to the extent that I was annoyed at Marguerite for her confusion, anyway. Plus the boys genuinely cared about each other - no thinly-veiled hatred that made the love triangle more of a V.

I'm really hoping you know what I mean by a love V because I don't know how else to explain it. 

Marguerite's family had all three things a main character's family need to be realistic and brilliant in a YA novel. 1) They existed and actually had some page time; 2) Her parents had tangible, multi-faceted personalities, and 3) they were actually properly individual.

Sorry, maybe my boundaries were unfairly low there. But you get my point about it being refreshing (not to mention downright AWESOME) to see a well thought-out and described family in non-contemporary YA, right?

Hmm ... plot. It was very twisty-turny, which I found majorly exciting - especially when combined with all the dimension-hopping - but it meant that the characters weren't working to a consistent goal the whole time. I barely even noticed, to be honest, but you might get annoyed by it, so consider this a warning if you get fed up with that sort of thing.

In conclusion: parallel universes = many many vivid settings from many genres wrapped up in one beautifully original package, and a love triangle I don't actually get frustrated by because the characters are all great. GIVE IT A SHOT, OKAY?

View Post

The Keeper of Portals Review (In A LIST! How EXCITING!)

I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

So ... V.S. Nelson's The Keeper of Portals releases tomorrow.

Yeah. Up until a few months ago, I didn't know what it was either - but I now know, ladies and gentlemen. It is a fantasy-adventure story about a pair of teenagers who discover not only that the world and everything within it is controlled by Keepers - from the Keeper of Buttons to the Keeper of Causality - but also that these Keepers are being kidnapped.

Which could result in, you know, the entire world crumbling in on itself.

It turned out that I rather enjoyed this, but I'm guessing you might want to know about my opinion in more detail, being the demanding little things that you are, so I made you a list review. Please enjoy it.

Things I enjoyed and would like to cheer about:

• Isabel. ISABEL. I have so much love for her and her particular brand of 16th century sassiness - she's so brave and smart and incredible.
• Also loads of girl power on Isabel's part. Huzzah.
• It took me a while to warm to Martin, but once I did, I saw the truth. He is a cheeky, protective little cinnamon roll and I love him for it.
• The whole book was just delightfully, unashamedly weird, as all good portal fantasy should be, and - although it took me a while to adjust - I ended up loving that uniqueness.
• I JUST SHIP MARTIN + ISABEL SO HARD. Misabel? Isartin? I don't have a ship name, but at this point I don't particularly care. (As for whether or not I have canon, well. You'll have to find out.)
• That ENDING. It HURT. In a frankly amazing way, of course.

Things I did not like so much, thank you:

• It seemed to take forever to get going. The first two or three chapters seemed to be solely made up of Martin's internal monologue, and WOW it dragged. 
• Obviously I don't want to say too much, but there were some magical powers involved. I've nothing against magic in general, and mostly it was fine? It just got overly convenient at times ... as you can imagine, I rolled my eyes a little.
• Martin and Isabel were supposed to be about fifteen. They did not read like fifteen year olds. I don't know exactly why? Maybe it's because the plot and it's lovely wackiness feeling more middle grade? But at times I got confused and had to remind myself of their age.

In summary - don't go into this book expecting a full-blown YA fantasy, because that's not what it is. You'll be disappointed. But if you enjoy MG-style, wacky fantasy with historical elements, squeeworthy (and squeaky clean) will-they-won't-they romance, and kickass, loyal characters, you're in the right place.

If you would like a synopsis, here is one of those. Never say I'm not generous.

Everything in the universe is maintained by its own keeper, from the most insignificant insect to time itself. When 15 year-old Martin moves into a stately home that’s dangerously overhanging a cliff, he meets the Keeper of Portals and learns of the mysterious door at the end of his bedroom.
    One morning, Martin wakes to discover the Keeper of Portals is missing and the door at the end of his bedroom is open. Martin steps through the door to find himself in the 17th century where he meets Isabel, the house’s maid. Upon discovering two imprisoned keepers, Martin and Isabel gain the ability to control time and travel through portals. 
    After being attacked by hordes of brainwashed villagers, Martin and Isabel learn that the master of the house has a devious plan, one the keepers are powerless to stop. Martin and Isabel must jump between the present day and the 17th century in order to hide from the twisted master, avoiding past versions of themselves, as powerful keepers thwart them at every turn. But as items from the future begin to bleed into the past and the present day is plagued by malfunctioning portals, Martin and Isabel’s only option is to confront the master – the Keeper of Questions.

(via Goodreads)

In the comments: Do you like a list-based review, or do you prefer more traditional ones? Does this book sound like your sort of thing? Why or why not?

View Post

Mini Reviews: Christmas Edition

So, I don't know if anyone's noticed, but it's nearly Christmas.

And, as someone who is STILL TECHNICALLY A CHILD (I have three more Christmasses until I have to adult, you guys) it is my duty to get ridiculously overexcited. I'm trying to keep my festive posts as small in number as possible, because I know some of you out there don't celebrate and probably don't want to be bombarded with it, but ... well, there are going to be a few.

In the weeks leading up to the big Ho Ho Ho, it's incredibly important that one takes the time to get one's head in the game. Otherwise you won't enjoy it properly, which is obviously tragic because there are only so many Christmasses to be enjoyed in one person's life. I like to prepare by spending hours of my life rehearsing for Christmas concerts, singing Mariah Carey in as many people's faces as possible ...

... and, of course, reading incredibly festive books like these two.

Mistletoe and Murder by Robin Stevens

What's it About? The latest instalment in Robin Steven's Murder Most Unladylike series, follows two 1920s English boarding-schoolgirls as they stay at Cambridge University over the Christmas Holidays. And - um - solve several murders. As you do.

Before I say anything else, DO NOT READ THIS BOOK UNLESS YOU'VE READ THE REST OF THE SERIES. There are just too many facets of Daisy and Hazel's friendship that you would miss, and I feel it is my duty as a benevolent overlord to warn you of this.

Anyway. On with the review.

If we're going to go with settings first, then ... I loved Cambridge, but I'm afraid it does pale a little in comparison to Deepdean. Where are my hockey sticks? What about the lack of boarding school slang? THERE WEREN'T EVEN ANY MIDNIGHT FEASTS!

Okay, I shall calm myself - it was delightfully Christmassy, and there is a certain magic about 1920s university life. As always, the food descriptions were on point - during a few particularly intense Christmas dinner scenes, I kept having to stop for snacks. What made me super-impressed though, was how sexism was expressed through comparing the men's and women's colleges. It wasn't subtle, but that's because it wasn't subtle in real life either. St. John's and Maudlin's had Hogwarts-esque dining halls and home-cooked meals and servants on every staircase. St. Lucy's had heating that was only on for two hours a day in the depth of winter, Christmas Eve dinner out of tins, and a horrible red-brick exterior that was basically a wart on the side of Cambridge's beautiful, historical buildings.

As for the characters, I really felt for Hazel in this one. I won't say too much, but thanks to the Junior Pinkertons being there, she was even more in Daisy's shadow than usual. And then, of course, you have your obligatory racist character, which can be problematic when you live in 1920s Britain and your surname is Wong. But, in typical Hazel fashion, she captured my heart and made me smile all over again.

As for the plot, well. Those murders did not disappoint.

I'll Be Home For Christmas by Tom Becker, Julie Mayhew, Benjamin Zephaniah, Holly Bourne, Sita Brahmachari, Kevin Brooks, Melvin Burgess, Katy Cannon, Cat Clarke, Tracy Darnton, Juno Dawson, Lisa Williamson, Non Pratt and Marcus Sedgewick

What's It About? A collection of short stories (+ a poem because Benjamin Zephaniah is divergent, clearly) based around homelessness and not feeling safe/like you belong at Christmastime. In aid of Crisis.

Firstly, I absolutely loved the concept of the collection. It's so easy to buy into the myth that Christmas is always laughter-filled and jolly, that everyone is always happy and that troubles are just ... forgotten. That isn't true for everyone, especially not those who have no home to go to for Christmas dinner. Every story interpreted the idea of being outcast in its own, unique way, and I adored that because it recognised that there's more than one way of ending up without a place of safety. It turned homelessness away from a stereotype to focus on individual people and stories, which the world needs a lot more of, quite frankly.

As for the actual stories, well. They were pretty strong all round, with maybe only one I didn't properly like. (The Associates by Keven Brooks wasn't at all terrible. I just felt like the characters were stereotypical, unlike absolutely every other story, and I wasn't that sure what the plot even was, let alone where it was going.)

Juno Dawson's Homo For Christmas was hands-down my favourite. It's got a ridiculously clever title; a funny, likeable protagonist, and an ending that put a smile on my face for hours. That said, I also absolutely adored Family You Choose by Cat Clarke, because it had crazy, diverse characters who truly cared about each other and also a Sachertorte (complete with GBBO references).

Honourable mentions go to Holly Bourne's The Afterschool Club for RIPPING MY HEART OUT, Routes and Wings by Lisa Williamson for a main character who's still with me, and Amir and George by Sita Brahmachari for an incredibly important subject matter that I would just like to applaud.

But I think the great thing about this is that when you read it (and you will read it, for I am fast becoming an expert in mind control), you'll probably pick out a whole different set of stories as your favourites. The variety of genres means that some weren't so memorable for me ... but people with different opinions and tastes would probably love them.

So you've no excuse not to give it a try, basically.

***

In the comments: What books do you like to read at this time of year? Have you tried either of these? What did you think?

View Post

They're Mini! REVIEWS!

So ... I think I've been having the opposite of a reading slump lately. A reading lift? A reading sit-up-straight?

Whatever it is, I'm liking it. I read a book in a day! And then kept doing that! (I know some of you guys do this most of the time. I see you with your 300 book Goodreads goals. But hush. Some of us are mere mortals and get excited about that sort of thing)

So, since these two books were wholly awesome and I'm - ever so sadly - not going to get the time to review them in full, I present you with ... MINI REVIEWS!

*confetti cannon and manic cheers*

Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertelli

Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight.

Judging by the Goodreads comments, it's kind of obligatory to read this book in about ten seconds flat. Because it's ... well, it has this amazing balance between being fluffy and entertaining and easy to read, and being serious enough to feel like it matters. Very few books have that. It's so refreshing to see an LGBT+ book that isn't just about coming out - it's also about changing friendships, about the way a new relationship blossoms, and families being about the weirdest, most brilliant relationships you can get sometimes.

There's also an awful lot of behind-the-scenes drama-kid hijinks, which ... well, you guys know how much I love theatre. Not to mention that I pretty much fell in love with Blue from his emails despite the fact that I'm pretty much the polar opposite of a gay dude.

GAH! READ THE DARN BOOK ALREADY, WOULD YOU?

The Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse

The missing girl is Jewish. I need you to find her before the Nazis do.

If Holocaust lit is done in a halfway decent fashion, then I'm going to like it, but this was just particularly special to me. Maybe it was something about Hanneke, the girl who tried not to get involved with anything for fear of her own safety,  deciding to risk her life to find someone she'd never even heard of, let alone met? How it showed the Dutch people, in such desperate times, still finding ways to be brave and make a difference? Or the way it made so clear what you see on the outside of a person is rarely what's on the inside - whether what you don't see is worse or better?

Actually, I do know. It was the attention to detail, the planning, the fact that the story fit so seamlessly with the true history of the Dutch occupation. I've seen many beautiful books set in the Holocaust that sacrifice historical accuracy - or at least make the setting and its characters as vague as possible - in order to create that beauty, which is understandable. But because this book was so real, I could relate to it. I've been to Amsterdam and seen the Hollandsche Schouwburg, and every time I read about it on the pages of this book it felt like I was back there. When Hesse described the masses crammed into that room, knocked half dead with the stench of excrement and sweat and fear, I knew they'd existed beyond my imagination. It was such a powerful experience, and ... well, I'd like to thank the author for giving me that with her writing, with characters that were so alive it was like I was talking to them directly.

In the comments: Have you guys read either of these books? What did you think? Do you have anything to recommend me that's similar?

View Post

Metaltown by Kristen Simmons

First off, I received a copy of this book from its publicist for free in return for an honest review - thanks for thinking of me, Saichek Publicity! It doesn't change any of my opinions, though.

The rules of Metaltown are simple: Work hard, keep your head down, and watch your back. You look out for number one, and no one knows that better than Ty. She’s been surviving on the factory line as long as she can remember. But now Ty has Colin. She’s no longer alone; it’s the two of them against the world. That’s something even a town this brutal can’t take away from her. Until it does.

Lena’s future depends on her family’s factory, a beast that demands a ruthless master, and Lena is prepared to be as ruthless as it takes if it means finally proving herself to her father. But when a chance encounter with Colin, a dreamer despite his circumstances, exposes Lena to the consequences of her actions, she’ll risk everything to do what’s right.

In Lena, Ty sees an heiress with a chip on her shoulder. Colin sees something more. In a world of disease and war, tragedy and betrayal, allies and enemies, all three of them must learn that challenging what they thought was true can change all the rules.

Via Goodreads 

This book ... well, it definitely wasn't what I expected.

When I read the blurb, I guess I was expecting your typical dystopia. I figured it was bound to have a futuristic world, a romantic love triangle, and some kind of revolution.

I was only right on one out of three.

The world has more in common with the Industrial Revolution - it has all the grittiness of eighteenth century London; the smog, the dangerous working conditions, even the feeling of cold seeping into ever bone - but with modern ideas sprinkled in every so often to create a refreshing fusion of ideas. You'll probably have seen from some of my other reviews how much I love Fantasy worlds that take inspiration from many different parts of history - to me, it just makes the whole setting so much richer.

And then we have the characters. Whom ... I liked. Ty especially - she's this spiky little ball of determination and toughness who spends most of her time trying to guard her heart. And of course she fails in the feels-iest of ways. The one problem I had was that, while there's nowhere very near a love triangle in this book, the girls don't like each other very much. And, having identified so strongly with Ty, I couldn't help but share her hatred of Lena at least a little bit.

This, while not really being anyone's fault - curse me and my over-attachment to characters' emotional states - did make Lena's point of view chapters a little difficult to read through at times, even though I punched the air a little every time she mentioned classical singing. There wasn't nearly enough musicality there though. I NEEDED MORE, GOSH DAMMIT! GIVE ME MY MUSIC FIX!

(I am, however, incredibly glad that the three POVs were different enough that their voices didn't blur together, and that they all reacted differently to the same situations. Authors, kindly remember that this is the kind of thing that makes me happy.)

What else do I need to cover? Plot? 

For the first few chapters, everything was slightly slow and maybe a tad confusing - it certainly took me a while to get my head around the geography of Metaltown, the Beltway and the River District - but it really picks up, I promise you. It's a longish book at 380 pages, but definitely doesn't drag (HUZZAH) - you get some violence, but not exactly graphic, and ... well. Stuff changes in Metaltown. Stuff changes for the characters. Stuff JUST CHANGES.

(Also, I can't find any mention of this on the Goodreads page or anywhere else, but I'm pretty sure Colin has two gay mums? It's a really tiny part of the book, only ever really implied, but it made me smile.)

In conclusion - I has an up and down kind of relationship with one if the POV characters here, but the setting is a brutally, refreshingly Dickensian thing that adds in modern technology in a fascinating way. Also VERY revolutionary plot: if you're the kind of person who likes dystopia, even only some of the time (like me), this'll probably be up your street.

***

In the comments: Have you guys read Metaltown? What did you think? If not, does it sound like your sort of thing?

View Post

My Summer Reads: 10 Words or Less

As you guys may or may not know, I was not a very productive reader this summer. I'm not a very productive reader in general, to be honest, but ten books in six weeks? When I've got to read two a week to keep up with the Goodreads goal I'm already behind on?

Ah well. I read stuff - and, luckily for you guys, I consider ten books is the perfect number to feature in a blog post. If you would ever-so-kindly remember the fact that I'm only using ten words to describe each book, I think the whole thing becomes rather cutsey and well co-ordinated.

Wait. It's just occurred to me that with only ten words per book, I won't be able to ramble on at you guys.

Enjoy it while it lasts. Normal, waffley service will be resumed on Friday.

The Manifesto on How To Be Interesting - Unique character voice, addictively written, not too tropey.

Maresi - Thought-provoking and vivid worldbuilding. Gets better as it goes on.

Seed - A summery ball of creepy awesomeness - except the rushed ending.

Cuckoo - Gritty. Well researched. Interesting format. Characters not explored enough?

Shades of London (series of 3) - British and American culture crash together hilariously. With ghosts.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Guys. This is Harry Potter. Why are you even asking?

The Sellout - First adult book in a while. Heavily political satire. Nope.

Everything, Everything - Pure, messed up and beautiful all at once.

Um ... so ... I'm ... done? This feels so weird. I haven't torn nearly enough words out of my soul and plastered them on the page.

Or maybe I'm just accustomed to using too many.

In the comments: What did you guys read this summer? Can you summarise any of the books in ten words or less (it takes a bit of thinking!)? Would you say different things about the ones I've listed here?

View Post

Seed by Lisa Heathfield (A Dark Little Contemporary)

Seed loves you. Seed will never let you go.

Fifteen-year-old Pearl has lived her whole life protected within the small community at Seed, where they worship Nature and idolise their leader, Papa S. When some outsiders arrive, everything changes. Pearl experiences feelings that she never knew existed and begins to realise that there is darkness at the heart of Seed. A darkness from which she must escape, before it's too late.

via Goodreads

Okay, so ... I basically decided to read this book because the main character has a period. Lucy from Queen of Contemporary made an amazing video about how little periods are spoken about in YA - like, at all - and I realised that I wasn't sure I'd ever read a book that even mentioned one. Which I guess makes no sense whatsoever, if we think about it?

Anyway, I decided to rectify this, and Lisa Heathfield's Seed was one of the first books on her list. It was the tagline that really got me (the whole damaging and slightly obsessive vibe from something loving you and yet not letting you go kind of intrigued me with its darkness) but once I heard it was about a cult I was basically hooked. Mostly because I don't think I'd ever heard of a YA book about a cult.

Nobody needs to freak out about my obsession with morbidity, by the way ... it's totally normal, right?

*crazed grin*

The tone of this book is most definitely unique. There's this beautiful summery feel to it - Seed (the cult itself, not the book) is all about nature and wildflowers and a lot of things that basically end up being very nice to read about - but it's undercut by a creeping darkness; the darkness of something wrong that Pearl, the main character, doesn't fully understand. 

Usually, when main characters are kind of clueless and innocent, I get pretty darn frustrated at knowing things that they don't. There's a lot of screaming at the pages and a lot of wondering how they could be so stupid. But here? It wasn't so frustrating because you knew it wasn't Pearl's fault. She had basically been raised as a human embodiment of everything Seed was, fearing the outside and clinging to what she knew. All of this was of course slightly twisted, but everyone knows morbid stuff is more interesting, right?

There were other characters too ... Kate just gets all my admiration because she was so brave, and yet even from the distance that was Pearl's point of view, you could see how she was fallible. It made her so real. And then there was Ellis, who I would absolutely have a bookworm crush on if I allowed myself to have those. He played piano and was genuinely just a very gentle person - unless you threatened his Mum and sister, of course.

With all these amazing characters (seriously, I didn't even mention all of them), plus the general intriguingness of its premise and the way it was written, Seed would have easily been a five star book. Easily.

But then came the ending.

I'm not going to say anything about what actually happens, because please. I know enough not to write a spoiler review and expect to get away with it. Basically, I had been warned ahead that it was probably going to upset me quite a bit, but when I got there? While I can see why some people might have been heartbroken - and indeed were, judging by some general ranting I tracked down on the internet - my reaction was kind of 'Huh. Okay then.'. It was honestly just so rushed at the end that I ended up a little bit confused about what had actually happened and what the implications of that were.

One of the first things I scribbled down after I'd finished was just I NEED ANSWERS. And sure, when I'm that confused about what could be a beautifully emotional ending, I can't help but wonder if there's some deep meaning behind the befuddlement that the author intended and I just completely missed. But I do think the last chapter could have benefited from a few more pages to make sure it really packed a punch.

In conclusion, this is a really, really good book that was thought-provoking without coming off as preachy or contrived. The characters were alive on the page, the pacing so good it was unnoticeable as I got sucked in ... until the last few pages. And even that might have been subjective. So if you like your YA Contemporary with a bit of meat behind it, then you should definitely give Seed a go.

***

In the comments: So if you guys have read Seed, did you agree with me here? Or not so much? (Mia, I'm especially keen to hear your thoughts after what you said before about the ending.) And if you haven't tried it yet, does it have a place on your TBR?

View Post

8 Reasons to Read What I Couldn't Tell You | Blog Tour

This, ladies and gentlemen, is a blog tour. *cue thunder, lightning and cannon blast as I hold my hands up in triumph* I received a copy of this book for free from Faye Rogers PR in exchange for my honest opinion on it.

The absolutely awesome book in question is What I Couldn't Tell You by Faye Bird (the lovely human pictured on the right), who you can follow on Twitter or visit at her author website.

Here's a (wickedly, brilliantly tense) blurb for you:

When love turns to jealousy, when jealousy turns to rage, when rage turns to destruction...
Laura was head over heels in love with Joe. But now Laura lies in a coma and Joe has gone missing. Was he the one who attacked her?
Laura's sister Tessie is selectively mute. She can't talk but she can listen. And as people tell her their secrets, she thinks she's getting close to understanding what happened on that fateful night.

Now, I could give you a traditional review. I could just ramble on about how generally awesome the book was and hope you got the message. But wouldn't that be a tad boring? Instead, I'm going to list all the reasons why What I Couldn't Tell You is amazing and you have to read it - there are a lot, so bear with me. If you're the kind of person that prefers the classics, I've got a little mini-review at the end, along with a star rating. So hopefully everyone will be happy?

• The amazing main character. Tessie is such a complex character, and I was kind of worried when I started this book that a heroine who didn't speak (unless it was to her closest family and the door was PROPER SHUT) would seem kind of one-dimensional in her shyness. But she didn't! Huzzah! She's loyal and kind and hates how she ends up hurting people by not talking to them . . . it was just such a relief to see her written so well.

• The amazing main character's amazingly, realistically messed up family. You could say that Tessie's family have some issues. Laura used to hold them together, and now she's in a coma their Dad - who's away on business a lot - is the only one who knows how to deal with Mum's bad days and everything else that's going on. Tessie and Jake (her older brother) have a really nice, understanding relationship, but they don't tell each other everything. It was just so refreshing to see that realism, and even just a family in a YA Thriller. I'm so used to seeing parents and siblings dead, removed or non-existent that this almost hit me round the face with its brilliance.

• Selective Mutism just isn't talked about enough, pretty much ever, and this book showed me what life with it could be like in such a real, important way. Before What I Couldn't Tell You, the only character with SM I'd ever seen in popular culture was Raj from The Big Bang Theory, and his inability to talk to women is pretty much ridiculed throughout the entire show. (I do love Big Bang, but that's an iffy plot point.) It had never really occurred to me that SM could block you from speaking out at injustice, from defending the people you love and even just apologising when it's the only thing you want to do - it's cliché to say so, but I'm really glad this book opened my eyes.

• There is violence in this book - but it was incredibly well handled. Real enough to pack a punch and to actually feel thrilling, but not so graphic that it distracted from what really mattered: the characters involved and their reactions to it, the way they interacted with each other in the aftermath. I didn't feel sheltered, and honestly I can't see even the most sensitive readers being repulsed; that's a really tricky balance to strike, so any author who can do it really deserves a read, I guess. 

• MAX! Tessie's best friend was such a cool character for me. a) I genuinely loved his taste in music; reading about it just made me love him as a character, and b) he was an awesome friend to Tessie. His character was important to people reading this book who might have friends with disabilities or illnesses or general trauma going on (not just SM) because he not only showed that it was possible to deal with it, but also that you're going to have bad days and find it difficult sometimes. Both sides of that coin were there to support people, and it made my heart sing just a tiny bit. 

• I absolutely promise you that you will not see the ending coming even when it's pretty much in your face. Its last chapter was what really made it a thriller. I really, truly want to say more, but you know. Spoilers.

• You know that moment when you finish a book, and just have to sit there to exhale for a minute? As if giving it that breath is the only thing that you can do to recognise how well crafted it was? I distinctly remember doing this after What I Couldn't Tell You, and it took so long that my parents had to come and find me to work out why I wasn't following them out of the car. And I guess that must mean it was good.

Okay then, post done! Hope you enjoye-

What's that? I promised you a mini-review? Are you sure? *scrolls up* Oh yeah, I kind of did ... Well, if you insist:

Mini Review

From reading the premise of What I Couldn't Tell You, I was super excited to read it. It sounded tense and psychological and representative of Selective Mutism, something I'd never read about before. Which it was. It was all these things turned up to eleven. But the first part, which was about Laura and Joe, felt really ssllooww. I JUST COULDN'T WAIT TO MEET TESSIE.

Then I met Tessie and all the awesome things listed above happened. (I would list them, but you've already read them in this very post, so that list would be a bit pointless.) It must be a little bad of me to really enjoy when books get messy, when families are kind of dysfunctional and people in positions of authority don't deal with issues properly and romantic relationships have crazy ups and downs. I know it's horrible for the main character - and I always want stuff to work out for them in the end - but I guess there's a part of me that just finds that conflict really interesting?

There was a particular element of the romance that I didn't like, but I'm going to have to put it in spoiler tags. If you don't want to be spoiled, all I'm going to say was it felt a bit insta-lovey? But that problem could well be me and not the book. Judging by some of the plot arcs, the author might actually have written it to make me feel specifically like this.

[Highlight for spoiler] Okay, so I was by no means Billy's biggest fan. He kept saying he understood Tessie's SM and then lashing out when she didn't talk to him ... I know it must have been frustrating, but I don't feel like that's an excuse, not when pretty much everyone else who cared about her seemed to be able to handle it. He was unpredictable, and whatever good intentions he claimed to have, I constantly fretted for Tessie when she was around him. And maybe that was the point? Because it definitely added to the tension and darkness.

I was also 100% Team Max (or at the very least Team Tessie-Doesn't-Have-To-Choose-Either-Of-Them) and I honestly don't think that helped. [End of Spoiler]

Woah, I guess I had a lot a spoilery feelings there!

Anyway, I hope you guys end up reading this book. It's a really well-judged thriller, does an amazing job of delving into people's emotions, what breaks them and what they do about it, and is just generally worth reading, for the SM representation if nothing else. Also, make sure you have a look at the blogs in the sidebar image above and check out their tour posts too, because someone's probably done a way better job than me at explaining how they feel about it.

***

In the comments: Do you fancy reading What I Couldn't Tell You? Why or why not? If you already have, what do you think? (And please try your absolute best to stay spoiler free for everyone else!)

View Post

Cuck-OO Cuck-OO (Reviewing Cuckoo by Keren David)

I'm just going to start this review by telling you that I finished Keren David's Cuckoo in less than two hours yesterday. For a 352 paged book, that has to be some kind of record for me (because I happen to be the slowest reader in all the world) and I only read fast if a book is good. SO WE CAN KIND OF ASSUME THIS BOOK IS GOOD, RIGHT?

Admittedly, part of this is because- Wait, I need to give you a blurb before I start! What am I doing?

Jake is an actor, a household name thanks to his role on the UK's most popular soap. But his character went upstairs to his bedroom six months ago and never came down again, and now Jake is facing an uncertain future. Add to that his dad's anger issues, the family's precarious finances and the demands of a severely autistic brother; Jake's home feels like a powder keg waiting to explode. It's easier to spend nights on friends' sofas and futons, but what happens when you feel like a cuckoo in every nest? 

Cuckoo is a novel about the roles we play when we don't fit in anywhere, and finding unlikely solace when home is the least welcoming place of all.

As I was saying, part of this is due to the format, which was also one of the most inventive parts of the book. It's told in YouTube video transcripts and comments, which made for very fast reading because it's basically a script. Scripts = white space = more pages in less time. I loved the whole idea, but it did very occasionally make things a little confusing. Because there was no description, but being a transcript, there were no little labels to show whose line was whose ... and I had to re-read the odd conversation a few times to make sense of who was saying what. #OopsThat'sConfusing

There were many things this book did exceptionally well, and David really wasn't afraid of really diving into tough topics. Cuckoo involves homelessness, dementia, caring for people with complex disabilities, the fickleness of fame, losing money, and ... I could probably go on for an entire post if I thought hard enough about it. When a book crams in that much representation (I'm just going to insert a quick #WeNeedDiverseBooks right here) you might imagine that it would seem convoluted to fit it all in, or it just wouldn't feel real or be written properly. BUT IT ABSOLUTELY WAS. The acknowledgements alone really show how much research the author's done.

Plot. It wasn't bad by any means, but I didn't really notice it? I guess that's a good thing? Stories are generally supposed to be character-driven, so I guess the plot should be so seamless that a reader doesn't see it. But there were definitely no massive twists or cliffhangers or anything - for me at least. You might have read something that I went "meh" at and gasped so hard people rushed in to make sure you were okay. As one person, there's just no way of knowing.

As for said characters, they were cool. I absolutely loved Destiny, her work ethic and her fearlessness, but Jake's friends blended into each other a LOT. Orson? Dylan? I think one of them was called Anton? But I wasn't especially attached to any of them, that's including Jake and Destiny. I guess I found that they weren't really explored enough, but again, I don't know. It could be me just as much as it could be the book.

So I know I talked about the negatives last, but don't let them put you off reading this! Remember that inventive format? And the extensive research? And the fact I was enthralled enough to finish the whole thing in less than two hours? They get Cuckoo 4.5 stars.

***

In the comments: Have you guys read Cuckoo? What did you think? Does the premise sound interesting if you haven't?

View Post

Cursed Child Review | Spoiler Free Zone

It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.
While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.

When I heard there was going to be an eighth Harry Potter book, I was ... trepidatious, to say the least. What if it ruined my beautiful ending? What if my ships got sunk? What if - what if it just wasn't any good?

And then I pre-ordered it. Because a bad Harry Potter book is still a Harry Potter book. And I am still a massive Potterhead. The next six months were just me alternating between nailbiting and wanting July 31st to arrive immediately and just wishing it would go away. I really truly didn't know what to think.

The book showed up on my doorstep.

I ignored it for three days straight, then took it on holiday and ignored it some more. And then, on a morning when I ran out of other stuff to read, I decided to just have a peek at the first chapter. By lunch, I'd finished.

You'd probably think from that speed that I really enjoyed it - and make no mistake, I did - but I must also admit that because it's written in the format of a play script, there's a lot of blank space on each page. And while reading that does take a little bit of getting used to, I've always thought dialogue was the best part of J.K Rowling's writing, so I guess it suits this particular book better than it would others.

I'm not saying that Cursed Child is the same as the other Harry Potter books, just that the playscript doesn't make it different.

Here are the the things that, to me, make a Harry Potter book:

    1) Some kind of childish wonder involved in the magic (I know this gets darker during the later books, but there's always something there.)

    2) Incredibly intricate worldbuilding.

    3) The general atmosphere of Hogwarts. (Wizards at school is kind of the basic premise.)

The magic in this book wasn't just dark, it wasn't really explained that much. People would point a wand, yell, and somehow be able to do stuff which I'm pretty sure was impossible in previous books. I get that the Golden Trio are adults now and they are presumably more powerful, but there were just a few moments I found difficult to believe.

Yeah. I'm getting nitpicky about the realism of a Wizarding World. It's called being thorough.

While I am incredibly glad to tell you that the team who wrote this book have done a brilliant job at ... erm *desperately tries to avoid spoilers* weaving their narrative into the existing world, it didn't really add any new details. And I like the details.

As for point three, while two of the main protagonists do go to Hogwarts, I think there's a grand total of one or two scenes that actually occur within the castle. Maybe there are more, but I guess it's the one curse (ha ha ha) of a book being a play format. There's little to no description! And you can't see the set! So the settings can blur into each other a lot, and I honestly didn't get the classic Hogwarts atmosphere. It was a shame, but didn't make Cursed Child a bad book.

And that means I get to talk about the good things now! HUZZAH!

Firstly, can we just say how amazing this premise is? I feel like books - especially YA books - tend to finish right after the final battle 99% of the time. While that's very dramatic and can be really really well done, where's the ex-heroes who have to deal with trauma and survivor's guilt and not being a hero anymore? What about their families, who have to support them through all of it while under the horrible microscope that fame brings? What about the kids who have to grow up scrutinised, who might end up different to their famous parents and suspected for it?

Cursed Child was just a masterpiece in answering all those questions. Some characters acted in ways they seriously regretted later on, but their motivation was always amazingly understandable, and usually perfectly heartbreaking. I cried, I screamed, I stared at the book in horror and fascination and joy. The emotional response it created was pretty unbelievable, especially for something I'd mistrusted at first.

I also really loved how bravely traditional Potter boundaries were taken down in this book. I could write you a list, but the spoilers would be practically immeasurable. I'm just going to mention it and let those who've read it know what I mean. If you haven't, then I guess you'll have to cope with imagination for now and address that pronto.

This review was probably a bit more serious than the ones I usually write. Sorry if it wasn't what you were expecting, but I'm a girl who takes her Harry Potter seriously.

***

In the comments: If you've read Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, do you agree with me? (PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THE COMMENTS ARE A SPOILER FREE ZONE TOO!) How did you feel about the prospect of an eighth Potter book when it was announced? How do you feel about it now?

View Post

A Cauldron of Suspense (The Potion Diaries)

Am I the only one who thinks this premise is one of the most intriguing things ever?

When the Princess of Nova accidentally poisons herself with a love potion meant for her crush, she falls crown-over-heels in love with her own reflection. Oops. A nationwide hunt is called to find the cure, with competitors travelling the world for the rarest ingredients, deep in magical forests and frozen tundras, facing death at every turn.
Enter Samantha Kemi - an ordinary girl with an extraordinary talent. Sam's family were once the most respected alchemists in the kingdom, but they've fallen on hard times, and winning the hunt would save their reputation. But can Sam really compete with the dazzling powers of the ZoroAster megapharma company? Just how close is Sam willing to get to Zain Aster, her dashing former classmate and enemy, in the meantime?
And just to add to the pressure, this quest is ALL OVER social media. And the world news. 
No big deal, then.

I mean, for a start, the setting is a stroke of genius. In a world ruled by potion-making, magical Talent and creatures who we would consider mythical, you'd expect the characters to travel by cart and give messages by carrier pigeon. But the first rule of fiction is that you never write the expected . . . so why can't this world have social media and magical teleportation and synthetic potion-labs that are out to make millions? Why shouldn't the idolised royal family be political figureheads for a modern democracy?

BECAUSE THAT BLEW MY HEAD UP WITH ITS AWESOMENESS SO MUCH THAT WE PROBABLY SHOULDN'T DO IT AGAIN, THAT'S WHY.

This book was very plot-driven, but I found that absolutely okay because that plot was pretty darn good. Alward was really good at building up the Hunt to a teasing mini-climax, then cutting away to a short scene with Princess Evelyn, which was just as suspenseful. Then she did it again. And again. And again.

And then we get to the characters.

Sam, the main character, was . . . I guess the right word is admirable. I mean, her potion-mixing talents absolutely fascinated me - more on that later - and I liked her. It wasn't hard to hope she won or anything. But, besides the 'Kemi family gift', she wasn't really very interesting. Has she heard of hobbies? Maybe a sport, or a musical instrument?

I had a similar problem with most of the others, to be honest. Sam and her finder, Kirsty, had some funny conversations; her sister Molly was cute and sympathetic. But while there was nothing explicitly wrong about any of them, I just found that all the characters could have been explored or planned out with much deeper personalities. Maybe they were, and the amazing plot took up too much space to add in much character development . . . hopefully the sequel might give me MORE.

I’M A GREEDY READER AND I WANT MORE. *ahem*

This is Augustus Gloop. He's greedy too.

I might as well air all my grievances at once, right? The only other problem I had was a tiny little hint of the dreaded instalove.

*tries to think of a way to describe said instalove without any spoilers* So … basically … there was a relationship … it was sometimes cute … but sometimes instalove-y.

Don’t you appreciate what a clear and understandable reviewer I am?

I’m done moaning now, I promise, because this book was really really good. For about the last hundred pages, I just couldn’t put it down, and some of the side characters were actually really interesting. I’m desperately hoping that we get to see more of Sam’s grandfather in the sequel, for instance; he was such a noble character, and [highlight for reasonably tiny spoiler] I really respected Sam for standing up to him to join the hunt. That must have taken a lot of grit. [end of spoiler]

The second reason that The Potion Diaries must be a brilliant read is simply that it includes this quote:

 "Chocolate - so many uses it's stupid to list them all, even in my head."

Do you need any more proof? Sam’s ability to recite the properties of an ingredient just by glancing at it was cool enough, but then I read this and I was just the world’s biggest fan of Alward and the whole potion making-system that she’d created. Some of the scenes that involve mixing or brewing them were just jumping off the page: I felt they were so real I could have apprenticed as a potion-maker tomorrow if I wanted.

And I love it when books manage to suck me in that well.

In conclusion, you’ll probably love this book if you can look past the fact that it’s more plot-driven that character-driven. You’ll probably have to read it anyway, just to see if you can.

***

In the comments: If you've read The Potion Diaries, what are your opinions about it - do we disagree wildly? If not, have I convinced you to give it a try? And who's willing to run away with me and become a potion-maker's apprentice?

View Post

10 Reasons to Read What's A Girl Gotta Do?

I've been overexcited since Usbourne posted this publicity poster online. And that was a LONG TIME AGO.

I won an ARC of What's A Girl Gotta Do? by Holly Bourne from Maximum Pop Books (thanks for the giveaway, you guys!) and frankly it's a good job. Having absolutely adored both Am I Normal Yet? and How Hard Can Love Be?, the first two books of this series, I'm pretty sure I would have looted Usbourne headquarters to get my hands on this beauty. And I wouldn't have been able to make you guys read it and help their sales from prison.

And it was a blast, let me tell you. YOU NEED TO GET YOUR HANDS ON IT THE MOMENT IT COMES OUT, OKAY? August 1st. I'll be at the bookshop. You'd better be too.

Now, because it would be pointless to traditionally review a book displaying such off-the-chart awesomeness - the entire post would just be ranting and incoherent capitals - I am instead going to write a list of all the reasons I am right and you need to get your hands on this book immediately. Voila:

1. Feminism. Huzzah! You have no idea how excited I've been to find a series like Normal, a series so realistically feminist - but I guess your excitement must have at least come close.

Right?

If not: don't think because you're a guy you can't read this. Don't think that because you don't campaign for equality as strongly as Lottie, you're not a feminist.  One of the things (there are many) that I love most about this book is that, while it doesn't shy away from calling out guys on misogyny, girls get challenged too. And that's an important part of equality.

2. It's absolutely flipping hilarious. Someone once said that "humour is the gateway drug to feminism", and, well . . . I laughed out loud in public more than once. Lots of staring ensued, but nothing I couldn't bear in the name of such a glorious book.

3. The Spinster Club - Lottie, Evie and Amber - are so amazing you will want to be their friend. You will want to dive between the pages and sit on Lottie's bed and eat the cheesiest snacks you can find. You'll want to be them, I guess. And that's a good thing.

4. Lots of CAPITAL LETTERS and - admittedly - a smattering of swearing. If you're absolutely dead set against expletives, then maybe this book isn't for you, but for me? The F-words fitted in really well. They felt necessary, really helping to enhance Bourne's writing style, which is a magic spell of teenage realism and uniqueness.

5. The main character actually does some schoolwork! (This literally never happens in most YA . . . I was beginning to wonder if homework and fiction existed in seperate parallel universes.) #finallyit'srelateable

6. People get hit with cream pies. Hysterically. They deserved it, after all.

7. I (yes, me, the slowest reader in the universe) got through the whole four hundred pages in a day. Surely, this must be a testament to the gripping-ness of the story? And how easy it is to read? And basically its all-round awesomeness?

I think yes. And it also tells you that however outfacing What's A Girl Gotta Do looks in its lengthiness, it really isn't.

8. Have you seen THE COVER? Look at it just up there! I mean, the draft one on my ARC copy was good enough, but look at it. Just . . . it represents the edgy kick-ass-ness of Lottie's campaign, the way she isn't afraid to speak up, and of course the lipstick from the first scene. Argh - the brilliance of that scene. I'm a sucker for books with covers that show their true natures, especially in a deeper way once you've actually read and understood it. 

9. If you're anything like me - and by that I mean human - Lottie's bravery has to mean something to you. It's seriously inspiring. It'll make you want to . . . um . . . go to Cainbridge, like she did. Or go out and take on the patriarchy. Or . . . get off the sofa?

10. The last reason you should read this book (and it's really the most important one of all, to be honest) is because I say so. You read this blog, right? I guess that means we must have something in common when it comes to bookish opinions, and you have no idea how much this blew my mind.

So I end this post where I began. READ WHAT'S A GIRL GOTTA DO? WHEN IT COMES OUT. DO IT.

***

In the comments: Are you excited about this book too? What part are you most anticipating? And what did you think of the rest of the series?

View Post