I received an e-copy of this book from the publishers in exchange for an honest review.

James is an average boy. He does okay in school, but never exceeds expectations. He is not great at sports but is never picked last for teams, and even his mother doesn’t expect big things from him. Which is why James isn’t too surprised when he ends up in the land of Average and is set out on a quest to become the King of Average.

This was a really fun, imaginative and fast-paced read that I really think a middle grade-aged kid will love. There are some great moments in this book, and I really think the author’s sense of humour and imagination were put to some great use in the novel. From the different people - like the Nervous Nellies and the Ninnies - to the map itself and the others lands like the Sea of Doubt, Eureka and Epiphany, the story was put together in a really brilliant way.

I really loved all the characters in this, even Kiljoy, but I think Mayor Culpa - the literal ‘scapegoat’- was mine. James is a great character and I think he will appeal to children the same age as him, especially with some of the doubts he has about himself, as well as the experiences he has in the book like his overwhelming feelings for his first crush. I think this book has a great message in it, and is definitely a great book for kids and fun for adults!

3.5 stars

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

When Chala was four years old something terrible happened in her family, and she’s lived with the guilt of it for her entire life and allowed it to centre the very core of her being and who she is. When her father figure dies, Chala struggles to cope and eventually goes to Kenya on a volunteering trip to try and find some peace within herself again, and maybe finally forgive herself for her past.

This book is a quite but moving novel that ends up burrowing inside your soul before you know it. I really ended up feeling a connection with Chala and I really felt for her struggles with both her past, and within her marriage to Paul. I thought the setting in Kenya was really interesting, and also proved to be quite educational as I had no idea about the election results a few years ago that ended up in riots and extreme violence against particular castes of people. The author lived in Kenya for some time so is often speaking of her own experience living through such a time and witnessing it a white ‘outsider’ in a way.

One of the gripes I would have with this book is for some reason I kept tripping up over Paul - Chala’s husband, and Philip - Chala’s dad/uncle. I kept thinking Philip was Paul when she was talking about him and I think a name change could have helped there. I think it may have been just the ‘P’ names that got me.

The ending of this was really good, and I particularly enjoyed the epilogue!

2.7 stars

Eva is simply fed up and would like the time to simply think. On the day her husband drops her mathematical genius twins off to college, Eva crawls under her duvet and decides she's not coming out again, for at least a year.

Eventually, word gets round about Eva's decision and she is soon revered as something of a saint. People come to her for advice about everything, the likeness of her face appears in cooked objects and Eva shrinks within herself as her fear of leaving her bed grows and grows.

While this book doesn't contain the laugh-out-loud humour, I associate with Sue Townsend's writing in her Adrian Mole series, it is funny in a more dark and twisty way.

I would definitely say that I enjoyed the first half of this book more than the second half. Once I get past the halfway point, Eva's attitude became a bit more unreasonable and I started getting fed up of her actions and reasoning. She didn't really have any reason to stay in bed, and she expected everyone to do everything for her - and she knew exactly what she was doing to Alexander who became the only likable character in the story.

I found the twins and Poppy pretty intolerable, and the worst thing was that Poppy didn't even learn anything, have any character development or get any kind of comeuppance in the end. I can be fairly sure that she went on to continue screwing money out of people, and manipulating everyone she met.

Overall, while this book was alright, it just seemed to trail off in the end, and didn't receive a real conclusion of sorts. I'm not sure anything else Sue Townsend has written will ever beat Adrian Mole.