SO MUCH YES. I had heard brilliant things about this book before I finally picked it up and it only took a few chapters before I was also totally hooked. I adored the mythology that is laced throughout the book and also that the chapters alternated between Lira, the Siren princess, and Elian, the human Prince and slayer of Sirens. The Sea Queen was rightfully terrifying but I also felt hypnotised into admiring her too? I really liked the dynamics between Lira and Elian and how both of their secrets were slowly revealed to the reader. I don’t think I realised until reading this book just how fascinated I am by mermaids/sirens and its definitely given me a zest to read more books with them in!

This book has one of the BEST opening lines I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. It sucked me right into the story and I couldn’t put the book down for want of needing to know what happened. I loved the dynamics of power in this book: how the beautiful, rich, popular students literally held all the power in their hands and how the less fortunate, less beautiful and lower class students were quite literally at their mercy. This book is way darker than I expected it to be but I loved it – it really was a thrill! The idea of the hunting felt oh so British and I loved that dynamic too. I also loved the way that technology and social media were looked down upon by the Medievals and how that then influenced the other students to also not buy into new technologies etc. Such an interesting power dynamic throughout this book. There are twists right up until the end and I left the end of this book feeling quite worried and horrified by what may happen next!

The Storm Keeper’s Island is one of those books that just enchants you right from the get go. I could feel how alive the island was from those very first few pages and I could feel its magic creeping into me. I adored Fionn and his Grandpa and their relationship warmed my heart at times. Catherine Doyle’s writing is exquisite. I was totally captivated by her descriptions and a real sense of magic emanated from each and every page. This is a true adventure which is steeped in magic and mythology whilst also tackling grief and sadness in a way that is wholly relatable and sensitively done. This book will, without a doubt, capture the imaginations of thousands of young people and is definitely one to have on your shelves.

This is the second book in the Who Let the Gods Out? series and honestly this series just keeps getting better. Elliot is someone I can easily root for and I love the way all of the Greek Gods and mythology is played about with. There are lots of seriously laugh out loud moments in these books and I’m sure that kids across the UK wish they could hang out with Hermes and the gang. It’s not all fun and laughter, however, as we see Elliot struggle to cope with his mum being ill and some other family dramas. I have the third book on my shelf but I’m savouring it so I won’t have to then wait too long for book 4. Highly recommend this book if you are a fan of middle grade or if you have youngsters in the home or classroom.

It would be remiss of my not to start by saying that this book is hands down one of the most beautiful books I have ever seen in my life. Look at all those gorgeous details!! Now to the story… The Surface Breaks was so much more than I expected it to be. There seem to be so many Little Mermaid retellings at the moment but I was completely drawn in by the fact this was a feminist retelling and it did not disappoint. I adored this book. It is dark, unforgiving (cannot stop thinking about how Gaia loses her voice!!) and gloriously feminist. I loved how the dynamics between Gaia and her father were explored and this book felt opposite to The Little Mermaid in every way. If you are a fan of retellings then you absolutely must pick this one up.

A few weeks ago I read Wild Blue Wonder by the lovely Carlie Sorosiak and I fell completely head over heels in love. This last year has been a particularly difficult one for me and this book has really struck a chord with me.

Wild Blue Wonder is wonderful. It’s a story of love, family, friendship and grief. This book is told on two timelines: the present shows us the aftermath of Dylan’s death, the guilt and the effects of grief on Quinn and her family whilst the past shows us the lead up to Dylan’s death. I loved the way the two different timelines ran alongside each other because they allowed for such emotion to flow whilst I read. I was simultaneously feeling Quinn, Fern and Reed’s grief and puzzling over what could possibly have happened to effect their sibling relationships so profoundly whilst also feeling anxious in the past about what was to come and whether it would change my feelings about the characters in the present. It lead to having a perfect about of tension and build up in terms of the story and the emotion.

One of the most profound things about this book for me was the way in which it shows just what grief can do to a family. Most people assume that grief pulls a family together, but this book shows exactly how it can do the opposite. In the past Quinn and her siblings, Fern and Reed, are incredibly close, playing silly games and pranking one another yet in the present they are resentful, barely speaking and clearly holding grudges and I just needed to know why! There are so many gorgeous descriptions of grief and emotion in this book and it really did strike a chord with me.

The characters themselves are excellent. As well as Quinn, I just adored her best friend Hana who is literally everything you could want in a bestie. Female friendships are one of my absolute favourite things both when reading and in life in general and the friendship between Quinn and Hana felt so authentic. I am also a sucker for grandparents in YA books and I flipping adored Nana Eden. Not only did she provide some of my favourite quotes from the book but she is also just flipping hilarious. The ”Build Your Own Coffin” moment had me seriously laughing out loud and I fell in love with her character straight away.

I also have to give a shout out to the romantic relationship in this book because Alexander very quickly became one of my favourite characters. I adored his dorky British sense of humour and him making casual jokes about snapchatting ‘Liz and the corgis. But aside from the light touch, I loved seeing how the relationship between Alexander and Quinn grew and adapted as she came to terms with Dylan’s death. There are some very lovely moments between them.

Something unique about this book that I really enjoyed was that Quinn has a passion for marine biology and is an avid listener of a podcast about weird and wonderful marine creatures. It was so interesting to read the passages from the podcast and get an insight into some of these weird and wonderful creatures as a reader too.

Wild Blue Wonder and its characters have imprinted themselves onto my little heart. Grief is something that affects us all and has affected me on several occasions this year and this book definitely helped as part of that process. With gorgeous settings, lyrical writing and layered, lovable characters, this is a story that will stay with me for a long time and hopefully find a special place in the hearts of many.

Even though I read a finished copy of the book, I would like to thank MyKindaBook and Carlie Sorosiak for having provided an eARC of Wild Blue Wonder in exchange of a fair and honest review.

Review also found on my blog: https://kellysramblings.wordpress.com/2018/08/16/wild-blue-wonder-by-carlie-sorosiak/

This was a really profound read. Whilst I am not able to comment on the representation in this book, I found it really interesting to read Maya's story. Her battles against her parents, the ups and downs of first love, the way in which a terrorist attack turns her life upside down. This is a book I know I will be putting into the hands of as many people as possible! Also, it has plenty of super cute romance and I loved the way in which Maya's passion for film was sprinkled throughout both the narrative and dialogue.

4.5 stars
review to come