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totallytales's Reviews (1.9k)
A wonderful, thought-provoking debut, full of heart!
Addie is kind, strong, compassionate, and Autistic. Written from her point of view it is a fabulous insight into her neurodivergent mind, her thoughts, and feelings.
This novel, made me laugh and cry, but most of all it made my heart hurt! It is might be a short book but it certainly packs a punch and holds a very important message: celebrate and support people's differences don't punish them!
A read for everyone! From an absolutely amazing new voice in children's fiction.
A huge thanks to Knights Of & EDPR for sending me a copy in return for an open & honest review.
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Addie is kind, strong, compassionate, and Autistic. Written from her point of view it is a fabulous insight into her neurodivergent mind, her thoughts, and feelings.
This novel, made me laugh and cry, but most of all it made my heart hurt! It is might be a short book but it certainly packs a punch and holds a very important message: celebrate and support people's differences don't punish them!
A read for everyone! From an absolutely amazing new voice in children's fiction.
A huge thanks to Knights Of & EDPR for sending me a copy in return for an open & honest review.
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This is a compelling modern take on Alice in Wonderland.
I absolutely love it, it was gripping fast-paced and once I'd picked it up I couldn't put it down. A compelling addictive exploration of privilege and gender.
It doesn't shy away from tough real-life topics; mental health, self-harm, sexual assault & drug use. Hard-hitting and unapologetic it tackles them head-on with careful consideration and incredible thoughtfulness.
The wonderful nods to the original tale are an added bonus.
This is a must-read!
Thanks to EDPR & Quercus for sending me this in exchange for an open and honest review.
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I absolutely love it, it was gripping fast-paced and once I'd picked it up I couldn't put it down. A compelling addictive exploration of privilege and gender.
It doesn't shy away from tough real-life topics; mental health, self-harm, sexual assault & drug use. Hard-hitting and unapologetic it tackles them head-on with careful consideration and incredible thoughtfulness.
The wonderful nods to the original tale are an added bonus.
This is a must-read!
Thanks to EDPR & Quercus for sending me this in exchange for an open and honest review.
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An uplifting, beautifully written tale!
I really enjoyed how Smedley wove together Alfie's present-day and his past, she reels you in so seamlessly I sat and read the whole book in one sitting.
It just missed out on 5⭐the ending felt very abrupt to me and I wanted more Alfie, hopefully, we hear from him again soon!
Overall, a moving debut with engaging characters that are hard to leave behind. Perfect for fans of The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared.
A huge thanks to Anne Cater & SilverWood Books for sending me a copy in return for an open & honest review.
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I really enjoyed how Smedley wove together Alfie's present-day and his past, she reels you in so seamlessly I sat and read the whole book in one sitting.
It just missed out on 5⭐the ending felt very abrupt to me and I wanted more Alfie, hopefully, we hear from him again soon!
Overall, a moving debut with engaging characters that are hard to leave behind. Perfect for fans of The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared.
A huge thanks to Anne Cater & SilverWood Books for sending me a copy in return for an open & honest review.
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Pure, perfect escapism!
This novel is charming, funny & emotional. Julia, Amber, and the rest of the cast of characters are perfectly imperfect, easily relatable and so entertaining I struggled to put it down.
The plot takes us to on a road trip to France, I loved the descriptions of the French countryside and felt like I was right alongside them! It shows the importance of friendship and human kindness and is the perfect tonic to these lockdown days best enjoyed with your feet up in the sunshine.
A huge thanks to HQ Stories for sending me a copy in return for an open & honest review.
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This novel is charming, funny & emotional. Julia, Amber, and the rest of the cast of characters are perfectly imperfect, easily relatable and so entertaining I struggled to put it down.
The plot takes us to on a road trip to France, I loved the descriptions of the French countryside and felt like I was right alongside them! It shows the importance of friendship and human kindness and is the perfect tonic to these lockdown days best enjoyed with your feet up in the sunshine.
A huge thanks to HQ Stories for sending me a copy in return for an open & honest review.
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A real gem! - Quirky, nostalgic & laugh-out-loud.
Evie is the perfect heroine intelligent, hilarious & vibrant! The rest of the cast are well-drawn out, strong women if not all likable (Christine & Vera). The larger than life Mrs. Swithenbank was a brilliant character.
The writing is spot on, the characters leap off the page, the plot is warm and witty. A fabulously joy-filled debut! - I hope there more Evie adventures in the pipeline. Regardless I certainly can't wait for Taylor's next novel.
A huge thanks to Anne Cater & Scribner for sending me a copy in return for an open & honest review.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Evie is the perfect heroine intelligent, hilarious & vibrant! The rest of the cast are well-drawn out, strong women if not all likable (Christine & Vera). The larger than life Mrs. Swithenbank was a brilliant character.
The writing is spot on, the characters leap off the page, the plot is warm and witty. A fabulously joy-filled debut! - I hope there more Evie adventures in the pipeline. Regardless I certainly can't wait for Taylor's next novel.
A huge thanks to Anne Cater & Scribner for sending me a copy in return for an open & honest review.
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So much more than 'just a beach read' - Smart, romantic, funny & real!
Gus and August, will lift you up and sweep you up in their messy romance, that perfectly captures the reality of relationships. The miscommunications, the spark, the rollercoaster of emotions - you will be rooting for them from the start.
The writing is incredible, it is authentic and I didn't want it to end. I had laugh-out-loud tears and brimming with sadness tears.
This novel has it all! - fresh, poignant & laugh-out-loud. I absolutely loved it, whole-heartedly recommend it & I think it is a book that everyone can take something away from.
A huge thanks to Georgia Taylor & Viking Books for sending me a copy in return for an open & honest review.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Gus and August, will lift you up and sweep you up in their messy romance, that perfectly captures the reality of relationships. The miscommunications, the spark, the rollercoaster of emotions - you will be rooting for them from the start.
The writing is incredible, it is authentic and I didn't want it to end. I had laugh-out-loud tears and brimming with sadness tears.
This novel has it all! - fresh, poignant & laugh-out-loud. I absolutely loved it, whole-heartedly recommend it & I think it is a book that everyone can take something away from.
A huge thanks to Georgia Taylor & Viking Books for sending me a copy in return for an open & honest review.
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A beautiful, touching story that ultimately leaves you feeling hopeful.
The subtly of the story, the writing style & there were stand out quotes really resonated with me. I really enjoyed the taste of Japanese culture and language captured within these pages
I loved the main characters and how they fit into each other's lives. The short chapters alternating between the character's lives and little lists/details perfectly entwined the story together.
It just missed out on 5⭐ because I would've really liked more of a plot, I understand why it doesn't and I'm sure lots of others will disagree with me but I just felt it was missing that little something to make it extra special.
Overall, a thought-provoking, poignant & uplifting read based on a real place in Japan. This story is certain to provoke feelings and would make a perfect book club pick.
A huge thanks to Bonnier Books UK & NetGalley for sending me a copy in return for an open & honest review.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
The subtly of the story, the writing style & there were stand out quotes really resonated with me. I really enjoyed the taste of Japanese culture and language captured within these pages
I loved the main characters and how they fit into each other's lives. The short chapters alternating between the character's lives and little lists/details perfectly entwined the story together.
It just missed out on 5⭐ because I would've really liked more of a plot, I understand why it doesn't and I'm sure lots of others will disagree with me but I just felt it was missing that little something to make it extra special.
Overall, a thought-provoking, poignant & uplifting read based on a real place in Japan. This story is certain to provoke feelings and would make a perfect book club pick.
A huge thanks to Bonnier Books UK & NetGalley for sending me a copy in return for an open & honest review.
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