The premise of this book really captured my imagination from the very moment I heard about it so I was thrilled when I received an advanced copy to read. The concept is this: Violet, her brother and two of her friends are at Comic Con when their world is literally turned upside down and inside out and they find themselves thrown right into the centre of their favourite bookish fandom, the world of The Gallows Dance. From there on it is a race against time, and the canon, to find their way out alive and figure out what has happened to them.

I enjoyed reading this book a lot and thought the concept was excellent. It was nice to read a book where the characters were so passionate about their fandom and also that the fandom in question was a bookish one! As a bookworm that was something I could automatically connect with. The general plot of the story is revealed very early on in the book when we see Violet giving a talk about The Gallows Dance so whilst it was nicely thought out and interesting, you do have a general idea of where the book is going from the outset. Don’t let that fool you into thinking that it spoils the book though! The plot is still exciting and just when you think you know what is happening next something new gets thrown in the characters’ way.

I really loved the idea in this book of mixing real people with fictional characters (granted that technically they are all fictional, but you know what I mean!). It was interesting to see how the ‘real’ characters interacted with some of the fictional favourites and the dynamic that made between them. I liked Violet, our protagonist, a lot but my favourite character was definitely Katie. I just loved her zest for life and she is the Queen of sassy, sweary comebacks (apparently some of these have been edited out – boo!).

This book has definitely left things open for a sequel and I will definitely be reading it to find out what happens next to Violet, Nate, Katie, Alice and friends.

The Fandom is an enthralling read with plenty of twists and turns along the way that will keep you flipping those pages.

Thanks to Jazz at Chicken House Books for my advanced copy in exchange of a fair and honest review.

2.5 stars

I was really looking forward to reading The Truth and Lies of Ella Black after absolutely adoring The One Memory of Flora Banks last year but this one didn’t quite live up to my high expectations. It was a book of two halves for me and here’s why!

There were elements of this book that I found to be really tense and I could really feel the suspense building after Ella is whisked off to Brazil by her parents and we are hyper aware that they are hiding something from her. The secret itself was fairly predictable but there were some twists and turns along the way that kept some level of suspense. I also really loved the Ella/Bella dynamic straight from the beginning of the book and was really intrigued but it didn’t seem to lead anywhere in particular although it was written to feel like it would. Maybe this was just me!

The reveal of the secret is what then triggered this book to spiral a little out of control in terms of being unrealistic. I really can’t say much without spoiling it, which I don’t want to do, but Ella made a number of decisions and managed to do a number of things that the majority of teenagers wouldn’t even dream of, let alone actually be able to carry out. The instalove was just TOO much for me and the chapters were SO long – some of them were over 50 pages! (I did read a proof, so maybe this is different in the final book?) I also just didn’t particularly like Ella, she was really selfish and seemed to just moan about everything. It was hard work reading this from her POV.

I really did love the setting, however. Brazil is such a vibrant country and I really loved the descriptions and being able to visualise Ella’s surroundings.

I think it’s important for me to warn potential readers that there is animal abuse at the beginning of the book. Unfortunately this act is also sort of justified by mental illness and that didn’t sit well with me at all. I felt really uncomfortable with it and it seemed really unnecessary to the story.

I’m absolutely sure that some readers will really enjoy this, but there were too many little things that just jarred with me along the way.

Thanks to Penguin for my advanced copy in exchange of a fair and honest review.

LOVE. LOVE. LOVE.

I cried. I laughed. I scowled. I smiled. I felt every emotion under the sun but it was so flipping worth it. Hero at the Fall is just everything I wanted to end this trilogy; it honestly couldn’t have been more perfect. It is fast paced and action packed from the very beginning. I never knew what was coming next and every time I thought I did something was thrown Amani’s way that had me second guessing everything. The plot was SO strong and kept me flipping through those pages and I particularly loved the huge battle at the end – it was so exhilarating to know we were reaching the climax of the story and it did not disappoint in the slightest!

I mean, we’re talking sand pirates, Djinn, Demji and SO MUCH magical power. I just loved it so much that I could literally gush about it all day and night. I loved seeing all of the different powers that the Djinn and Demji had and learning more and more about the mythology that is very cleverly woven throughout this whole trilogy. I just adore all of the stories and legends although there were certainly a few that I read in this book that had me terrified for what was happening to some of the characters! The mythology of the world that Alwyn Hamilton has created is one of my favourite things about this trilogy. I’d happily read a book all about it! (HINT HINT)

I have to admit that every time I turned a page in this book I was terrified about who was going to die (and who was going to die next – sad face). There are some really, really sad moments in this book where I couldn’t help but let the tears roll down my face, at times I felt like my heart had been broken. Other times I felt like my heart had been completely stopped but the next moment it would be pounding away and leaping with joy too. It’s such an emotional roller coaster of a book!

I am, of course, devastated to be waving a fond farewell to some of my absolutely favourite characters. I’ve loved Amani since the very beginning and my love for Shazad has also always been strong but after reading Hero at the Fall you can turn that love up x10000. These ladies are absolute badasses but my favourite thing about them is their bond and love for one another. OBVIOUSLY I cannot write this review without mentioning JIN. My gorgeous, fictional husband Jin. Gosh do I love him and that love also increased tenfold during this book. There are some really touching moments between him and Amani that had my heart bursting with joy.

Basically, what you need to know is this: Hero at the Fall is the PERFECT end to this trilogy. It is heaped in gorgeous mythology, rammed full of action and brought to life on the pages by the most wonderful host of characters you could dream of. PERFECTION.

It is no secret that I have absolutely no chill when it comes to Sara Barnard and her books. I am obsessed with Beautiful Broken Things and A Quiet Kind of Thunder so when I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy of Goodbye, Perfect back in late 2017, you could say I was a tad excited. I immediately picked it up and a few hours later I put it down, full of tabs and with a smiling heart.

Goodbye, Perfect is exactly what it says in the title: perfect. It has everything that I have grown to love about Barnard’s writing: delicate, swoony romance, complex family relationships, layered and flawed characters, not to mention the brilliant way in which she writes friendship. Match that with a tricky, rather taboo subject matter and you come out with this brilliantly crafted novel.

“People talk about friendship like it’s only about shared loves, but it’s not. It’s also about finding the same things annoying and getting excited about the same silly, irrelevant things. It’s the person you can share a joke with, sure. But it’s also the person you can subtly roll your eyes at when someone else is talking too loudly. The person who makes the fun things better and the boring things more bearable.”

I knew this would be a book I would love due to the nature of its content. A YA book that isn’t shying away from the damaging effects of a teacher/pupil relationship that also brings into question friendship and just how far Eden is willing to go to protect her friend, even when she discovers the truth behind Bonnie’s disappearance. There were definitely times where Eden’s choices frustrated me but I could also easily see why she decided to keep quiet on so many occasions. I work with teenagers daily and long ago I was obviously one myself, it takes something significant to break the loyal bond of the teenage friendship and this book certainly puts Eden to the test. I read this book in one sitting and that in itself is testament to just how gripping this novel is. The tension builds steadily throughout and then comes to a head in a pretty big climax and even right up until the end you’re unsure how it will turn out. I’m saying no more related to the plot of this novel as I don’t want to spoil a thing but I implore you to pick this up and not find it completely captivating!

“My teachers call me ‘spirited’ when they’re trying to be nice, and ‘disruptive’ when they’re not.”

Ah, the characters. Eden is my perfectly flawed new favourite character. I loved that one second she was full of sass, then we would see her vulnerable side and I she is such a fiercely loyal person. She is definitely my favourite out of Barnard’s characters so far! She is not a perfect straight A student and she makes a lot of mistakes along the way and I think this is why so many teen readers will relate to Eden. Aside from Eden, we have the reckless Bonnie, the adorable Daisy and definitely not forgetting the swoon worthy Connor. Major heart eyes were going on throughout this book – they are a match made in heaven!

I loved the dynamics between Eden and the other characters and I felt like I caught a different side of her character depending on who she was communicating with. She is fiercely protective over Daisy and their bond as sisters was something I could totally relate to. It was also incredibly interesting to see the way in which Barnard portrayed the difference between ‘blood’ sisters (aka Eden and Daisy) and ‘adoptive’ sisters (Eden and Valerie). Bob and Carolyn, Eden and Daisy’s adoptive parents, are absolute darlings but it was nice to see that there were moments where Eden reflected on their birth mother and how she wasn’t a ‘bad’ person, but a person who had made a mistake and couldn’t cope.

The relationship between Connor and Eden still has my heart swooning and I read this book a few months ago. They fit together so wonderfully and I love how our headstrong Eden can also be vulnerable in front of Connor. There are some really touching scenes between them throughout the book and I love how supportive Connor is. Once again, Barnard doesn’t shy away from the taboo of losing virginity so be prepared for some definite swooning!! Most importantly for me, neither Eden nor Connor get everything right every time but their love for one another out shines everything else.

“Sometimes it just takes that one person to see beyond what everyone tells them they’re meant to see.”

The structure of this book also caught my eye. As well as the usual narrative/dialogue, the book includes cute character profiles where Eden is giving us a quick overview of a person. I loved reading these and thought it was a really fun way to quickly give the reader a glimpse at each character. There were also the text messages that were scattered throughout the book. I love a book that includes things like social media because a contemporary YA without such features wouldn’t feel very real at all.

Goodbye, Perfect has become an instant favourite of mine as are all of Sara Barnard’s other books – she really can do no wrong in my eyes. This book is full of flawed and perfectly layered characters, complex but realistic relationships and friendships, soft and meaningful romance as well as dealing with a heavy topic. It is a book I will read over and over again and will recommend forever and a day.

Goodbye, Perfect is, indeed, perfect.

An enormous thank you to Bea at Macmillan Children’s Books for sending me both a proof and a shiny finished copy of this book in exchange of a fair and honest review.

Sam Wu and friends are about to become a HUGE hit with young readers across the UK (and hopefully the world!).

Sam Wu is NOT Afraid of Ghosts is an absolute blast (excuse the pun) from beginning to end. Filled to the brim with gorgeous illustrations from the super talented Nathan Reed, this witty children’s book will entertain people of all ages and Sam will surely give our younger readers a new hero to aspire to. I couldn’t stop laughing from the very beginning of this book and loved the adventure that Sam, Zoe and Bernard find themselves on. It is so reminiscent of childhood and all of our childhood fears that even I as a *cough* 27 year old *cough* couldn’t help but relate to Sam!

Sam and his family are Chinese and I loved how this was threaded throughout the book. I was practically drooling at the idea of some of the food but it was also hilarious seeing how Zoe and Bernard reacted to tea time at Sam’s house – in a way that only children could! Sam’s sister Lucy is a badass and I loved Butterbutt the cat (what an excellent name!) Talking of excellent names: Ralph Philip Zinkerman the Third is another one that got me laughing!

The layout of the book was excellent and a nice way to introduce young readers to footnotes (especially funny ones) and each page was a true delight to see and read! There is lots of adventure, a pet snake called Fang, a ghost fighting trio of fabulous friends and a heck of a lot of laughter along the way. I can’t wait to introduce Sam Wu to the young readers in my life and I’m already excited to see what happens next for Sam and his friends!

Ps. Sam is definitely NOT afraid of ghosts.

Huge, huge, huge thank you to Siobhan at Egmont for sending me a copy of the book in exchange of a fair and honest review.

I didn’t really know what to expect when I first picked up this book to start reading. The cover is absolutely gorgeous and those red sprayed edges were already winning me over. I had read the blurb and was initially quite intrigued but it didn’t take long before Spare and Found Parts had my full attention!

Spare and Found Parts is set in a post-technology world and this concept really interested me from the get go. As we live in a world so embedded with and around technology, it seems impossible to think of a world without it. But the idea of a world without technology because it had gotten to a point where it was taking over and caused significant damage to the world? Talk about an idea that could potentially be written in our future!! I loved how this theme was carried throughout the book with the majority of characters truly fearing computers and internet – not even being about to talk about it. Nell, on the other hand, is fascinated by it and can’t help but wonder why others don’t want technology back to improve their lives so she embarks on a mission to make her contribution to society one that nobody will forget.

The beginning of the book was pretty slow in comparison to the last 50 or so pages where everything seemed to be revealed and all the twists and turns seemed to happen. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing as the world is really nicely set up and I definitely found it interesting. Nell doesn’t actually start to build her new companion until almost halfway into the book so be prepared for that. The book does move along really quickly towards the end and a lot happens that will have your attention completely absorbed in the story and a few twists and turns I wasn’t anticipating managed to sneak their way in too! Overall I really liked the story and concept a lot.

Nell is such a brilliant main character. She is driven, ambitious and passionate as well as trying to be a good daughter and friend, she is forced to be independent and I admired how strong-willed she was, even when people thought she was a bit bonkers! Io seemed pretty adorable and I have to admit that I wouldn’t mind having my own Io around. I didn’t really connect with Oliver Kelly’s character at all but I was actually really glad that this book didn’t have much of a romantic arc at all and that the focus was purely on Nell. Ruby felt like such a real and vibrant character and I really liked her and Nell’s friendship – they both make mistakes but manage to forgive each other, just as true friends do.

“We are all more than the sum of our parts”

Spare and Found Parts is a dark glimpse at a could-be future which is laced with themes of deceit, family, friendship and finding yourself. The girl with the bionic heart definitely captured my own heart.

Thanks to Lydia at Titan Books for my copy in exchange of a fair and honest review.

4.5 stars

I have to admit that before jumping into Everless I had heard many, many great things about it but despite that, I was admittedly still a little sceptical over how much I would enjoy this after reading so many YA fantasy/dystopian type novels. I couldn’t be happier to tell you how wrong I was to be worried. This book was a fantastic read and I thoroughly enjoyed it, despite the occasional trope-y thing here or there.

I thought that the overall concept for this novel was really interesting and that’s what initially had me wanting to read it. The idea of using time as currency intrigued me and even more so when I found out that this time was withdrawn from people using their blood. It had me thinking about how I would feel if I was told I had to lose a week, month or even years of my life. This concept was also used to highlight social differences with the upper class families having an abundance of time at their disposal versus the poorer families literally scraping together time to pay their bills. I really loved it and it kept me hooked to the story.

Despite foreseeing who the real ‘baddy’ would be in this book (thank you previous years of YA fantasy/dystopian reading), it didn’t spoil the book for me at all. Even right up until the big reveal I doubted myself and so I still had the pleasurable gasp of shock when the baddy was truly revealed. I even felt completely betrayed!

Everless is also laced with folktales and mythology and this was an element I hadn’t expected but really loved. When a book comes with its own set of fairy tales I am all for it and I was really interested to see how these intertwined with the story as the plot moved forward.

The characters in this novel are brilliantly written! I really, really liked Jules (thankfully!) and thought she was a fantastic leading lady. She is strong, sassy, compassionate, driven, loving and flawed! (Yay for flawed leading ladies!) The sacrifice she makes to protect her father really hit me in the heart and cemented my love for her. There are also a whole host of excellent characters, not to mention some swoon-worthy males! I do want to give a special shout out to Ina who I just really thought was adorable and can’t stop loving!

Everless has fantastic world-building, a captivating concept, fully fleshed characters and is a really addictive read! I absolutely cannot wait to get my hands on book 2 and see what happens to Jules next!

Thanks to Hachette and NetGalley for my advanced eARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This book is just sheer brilliance. It gives a raw and honest look into the sometimes inexplicably complex relationship that you have with a best friend in a way that only Non Pratt could do it.

Jade and Becky have always been best friends. That is until they are both thrust into the limelight with their school General Election (which I thought was a brilliant way to give younger readers an insight into how politics can work, by the way!). This book is all about those moments where we find ourselves comparing ourselves to those closest to us and the damning effect that can have on both of those involved.

Second Best Friend provides an unflinching look into the dynamics of teenage friendship (although I think it is incredibly easy to relate to what Jade goes through in this book even as a 27 year old reader). What starts out as a little niggle in Jade’s mind after a comment made by her ex soon turns into Jade needing to be the best, no matter what that means for her and Becky’s friendship. This story may be a quick one, but Non manages to tackle so many things in so few pages: friendship, self-confidence, jealousy, anxiety to name a few. I also loved the idea that as much as we may think we know someone, even those closest to us have their own secrets and we never know what they could be going through or hiding in their heads.

Second Best Friend is a fast-paced, emotion fuelled and completely realistic novella that I think almost everyone will somehow relate to. We live in a world where we constantly compare ourselves to celebrities and other public figures, but this book shows just how heart breaking that habit can be when we look too close to home.

On a side note, as a teacher (and reader in general) I am always delighted when reading a book published by Barrington Stoke as their books are dyslexia friendly. They use a specific font, off white paper and the line spacing and font size make these books so accessible to audiences who may otherwise find reading to be a very daunting and overwhelming task. Thank you, Barrington Stoke!

The title says it all really, this book is The Exact Opposite of Okay but in the best, most brilliant way possible. This book is really rather brilliant and one you are sure to see popping up on my blog quite regularly as a recommendation. It is hard to believe that Laura Steven is a debut novelist when the quality of her work is SO bold and brilliant. (I’ve used brilliant a lot, but you’ll get used to it.)

This book is going to create some serious waves out there in the book community because it is so fresh and it’s going to knock down so many societal barriers and cause a lot of conversation along the way. Izzy’s story is one of betrayal, unfortunately a betrayal that so many young people face: her nude picture is leaked online. Not only does that happen but before this a website is made defaming her name and sexual activities at a recent party. This book tells a very powerful story which talks about slut-shaming, victim blaming, revenge porn, ‘the nice guy’ and so much more. I loved how the feminist messages were laced throughout the book and for readers who do not know much about feminism or maybe are unsure what it means, this book will give some really good pointers which may feel relatable to some young girls in society.

Not only is this book an important one but oh my gosh is it funny. In fact it might even be one of the funniest books I’ve EVER read. I was cackling hysterically throughout this book (which I know doesn’t seem likely if you read the above paragraph) but Izzy’s voice is so fresh and I could immediately connect to her snarky sense of humour. I loved the format of the book which is a series of blog posts that Izzy edits to show how her situation came about (inserting lots of witty comments in brackets along the way). Because this book is told using a first person narrative I could so easily find parts of myself in Izzy and I think a lot of people reading this book will find more than one way to relate to her.

Laura Steven has written some absolutely incredible characters and relationships in this book. More about Izzy in a bit, but I just ADORED her friendship with Ajita (who is EVERY bit as snarky as Izzy, if not more). Their brutal humour with each other is something I could so relate to when thinking of the relationship I have with my own best friend. I personally really loved Ajita’s character development throughout the story too and how her culture affects her decisions. My other favourite relationship in this book was Izzy and Betty, her grandma. I can’t imagine ever having a relationship that open with my own nan but I can also see why I wouldn’t because I’ve not been brought up by her. There are some extremely touching moments between them in the book and it was these two lovelies that reduced me to a mass of tears towards the end.

As a teacher, can I also give a huge THANK YOU yell to Laura Steven for showing such a supportive and positive relationship between Izzy and her drama teacher Mrs Crannon. I could relate to this in two ways: as a pupil who sought comfort from some special teachers of my own and also, luckily, as a teacher who is lucky to have pupils who confide in me the way Izzy does to Mrs Crannon. It just really warmed my heart.

Izzy O’Neill is a strong-willed, bold and a fierce young lady to say the very least and I absolutely ADORED her for it. Izzy is the voice that I think UKYA has been SCREAMING out for and I just can’t get enough. I loved how snarky, witty and sarcastic she is, how loyal and loving she is but my favourite thing about Izzy? Yes she’s a tough cookie but she has the softest, gooiest interior and I loved that as the story developed we got to see her become more and more peeled back. I think that Izzy as a character is an often much needed reminder that even those around us we think are ‘strong’ may be feeling very different on the inside. (Izzy probably wouldn’t like me saying this but she is a sweetie.) I am a sucker for flawed and vulnerable characters and even more so when they conceal themselves behind a tougher exterior so Izzy has immediately become a favourite.

There was literally nothing I didn’t like about this book. I mean, even Izzy’s dog is called Dumbledore which sets the reader up for some hilarious lines throughout the book. I wasn’t expecting the book to have a US setting when I first started reading but it didn’t make any difference to my reading experience at all. I would just warn that there is a lot of swearing in the book, which I personally loved, but I know that may not be for everyone.

The Exact Opposite of Okay is a game changer for the UKYA community. It is charging head on at society and tackling some incredibly important issues in a way that is relatable. Izzy O’Neill is a darling and I can’t wait to read more from her next (that’s right readers, there’s going to be a sequel!)

Thanks to Egmont/Electric Monkey for sending me a copy in exchange of a fair and honest review.

4.5 stars!

If I had to pick five words to describe this book it would be these:

Gorgeous. Lyrical. Magical. Unique. Enchanting.

The Wren Hunt took me a little while to get into and I’ll happily admit that I read the first few chapters and really didn’t have a clue what on Earth was going on. (So if you do pick this up and feel the same, trust me when I say you should push on through because it will be worth it.) But it didn’t take long until I realised I was finding it hard to put this book down. The story itself is really enchanting and I absolutely adored how steeped in mythology and folklore this book is. It is one of my favourite things when reading a book like this and I couldn’t get enough of it.

The plot of this story is a fairly complex one and that is why it takes a little bit of time to figure out what is going on. The augurs and the judges are both fighting to secure their powers and with Wren being an augur, she is sent to work among the judges as a spy to earn their trust and gain valuable information to help restore her family’s power. Wren’s position in Harkwood House is a dangerous one, if she is discovered then it can only end badly and knowing this really had me on edge. The nature of the lyrical writing in this story definitely added to the ominous feel at times but I loved how it helped to build suspense as the plot moved forward.

I really love a book with magic and I definitely loved all the different powers that the augurs had but Wren’s in particular drew my attention because it is just so natural and the way nature played its role in this book was really beautiful to me. I was intrigued by all of the traditions and rituals that we read about in The Wren Hunt and they definitely added to this atmospheric tale.

There are some very wonderful characters in this book. Wren is our main character and the book is told from her POV so we get to know a lot about what she is feeling and thinking. I liked Wren a lot and actually felt quite sorry for her at times while she was being used like a pawn in this augurs vs judges game but she is level headed and I admired her courageousness. Two other honorary mentions from me are Tarc because hello! and Cassa because I just really found myself drawn to her and would like to know more about her.

There is romance in this book but it certainly doesn’t take anything away from the plot if that kind of thing worries you. I actually thought it was well developed and the writing style definitely added to the romantic feel of the book in general too.

It goes without saying that my absolute favourite thing about this book was the writing style. The prose is just dreamy and gorgeous in every way. It truly feels like this story was woven together rather than written and that every word feels like it has meaning. The writing itself is enchanting which definitely ups the ante when it comes to how magical this book is. I really found myself lost in Wren’s story.

The Wren Hunt is a unique, carefully woven story laced with mythology and folktales. Its magic will enchant you and its twists and turns will keep you reading on until the end.

Thanks to Bloomsbury, Mary Watson and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange of a fair and honest review.