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Book Review UKYA

REVIEW: Trouble by Non Pratt

Trouble was my most anticipated novel of 2014 and so I was very excited when I was gifted a copy from the lovely Debbie at Snuggling on the Sofa. It feels as if I’ve been waiting for this book my entire YA-reading life. I cannot praise it highly enough.

Hannah is 15 and pregnant. Teenage years are hard anyway, so add a bump into the equation, and you have Trouble. The thing is, though, Hannah’s baby is fatherless. So when new boy, Aaron, steps forward for the role and offers to become a stand-in father, it’s unclear if he has ulterior motives or is just trying to be a good person.

Told in alternating perspectives, we get to know both of our protagonists, Hannah and Aaron, very well throughout and the thing that struck me the most about their similarities is that they’re both going through tough times. This leads for a very exciting read; with so many twists and turns it’ll give you whiplash. I’m usually a very good girl and get my beauty sleep, but Trouble kept me up reading until late (shhh…Don’t tell my mum!) because I couldn’t bear to put it down; I was hooked!

Hannah’s pregnancy was dealt with in a very good manner and it was easy to sympathise with her. Pratt has realistically portrayed her as a spirited British teenager, and conveyed her feelings to pregnancy and life so well. It was so good to get to know Hannah within the pages.

Aaron was such a complex character and so interesting. Because of the depth to his character, I enjoyed reading the chapters written from his perspective and it offered a nice contrast between Hannah’s character and his because they were quite different in many ways. He was so kind and caring towards Hannah and truly devoted.

I can’ t finish my review without talking about the authenticity of both Hannah and Aaron’s teenage voices. It makes me smile to think about it because it makes me want to shout from the rooftops about UKYA fiction. You all know how much I love it, anyway, and I think Trouble is right up there with all of the award-winning UKYA. It’s captured teen life so, so well, and I think this is a major selling point for those teens who don’t read as much as others: it’s so relatable they’ll fall straight into the story.

I don’t think I’ve read a book quite like Trouble before, so I’ll definitely be seeking more out now. It came at a time when I was in a bit of a reading rut and couldn’t get out of it. I can’t wait for you all to read it and love it just as much as I did.

Book Review

REVIEW: The Library of Unrequited Love by Sophie Divry

After it popping up quite a lot and being rather intrigued, I decided to buy The Library of Unrequited Love by Sophie Divry. Being around ninety pages, it’s an incredibly quick read, and I managed to zoom through it one morning.

The Library of Unrequited Love tells the story of a French librarian who opens her section of the library one morning to find someone who has been locked in overnight. Written in second person perspective to this person, the narrator discusses her love of books, her problems with the library system, and shares her attraction to one library visitor in particular.

The Library of Unrequited Love is, of course, a book that will be loved by book lovers. There are many passages throughout the book I wanted to highlight and scribble over but it would probably pain me to do so because I hate to treat books in such a way. Even though the narrator isn’t in her dream section of the library, her passion for books really shines through. It’s one of the things I loved most about the book, and really stood out.

Something striking about our narrator is her bitterness. It was nice to read about a character who had such strong opinions about things as this really helped connect reader and narrator. This connection was very important, as there are a few gaps in the reader’s knowledge of our narrator, her name being one of those things. I think this worked in the books favour though, so it’s not a bad thing. It’s what makes the book so unique.

I’m not sure why I only rated the book three stars. The rating is not a true reflection of my feelings towards the books, because I could have given it five stars. There was just something stopping me from giving it five, or even four, stars. Rating does not equal enjoyment, though, so please remember this.

For such a short book, there was so much emotion and feeling packed in. It’s not a book I’m going to forget in a hurry. The length of the book was something I particularly liked. It wouldn’t be the same if it were drawn out for hundreds of pages.

And, another thing I liked reading about, was the French culture. As the book has been translated from French to English, I think the culture was shown more than if it had been written in English and not been translated. In the past, I haven’t enjoyed books that have been translated so I was pleased to see how well this was translated.

I really think you should all read The Library of Unrequited Love. It won’t take you long and is a lovely book to curl up with on long, winter nights.

Book Review UKYA

REVIEW: Leopold Blue by Rosie Rowell

You may know by now that I’ll read practically anything Hot Key Books publish. So when Leopold Blue was offered to me to review, I jumped at the chance. Once again, I wasn’t let down. They really are a miracle publisher.

We all know how confusing it can be growing up, and Leopold Blue is a story all about discovery. One of the most striking things about the novel is its beautiful writing and voice. The protagonist, Meg, doesn’t have any friends due to the fact that her mother educates farm workers about AIDS. Set in 1990’s South Africa, the racial and political turmoil in the country during this time is informative without seeming too ‘know it all’ and there’s so much to take out of this book, especially historical information.

As a teenager myself, I know the feelings of wanting to fit in and find friends. When Meg meets Xanthe, the new girl who befriends Meg, we see the changes Meg makes to herself to try to fit in. I loved how authentic Meg’s voice was. There wasn’t a moment when I didn’t believe in the words coming out of her mouth.

Because it is set in such an important part in South Africa’s history, I felt, throughout reading, as if I was witnessing such significance. Even if you’re not familiar with the time, if you’re a younger reader like myself, all questions are answered immediately.

An addition I liked was the footnotes, explaining the language and cultural terms. I know I can sometimes find it tricky to understand such differences between cultures in some books, so it was nice to have an explanation and it also offered a very nice insight. I really enjoy learning about different cultures and I felt like it helped me connect to the story even more.

I feel as if there wasn’t a lot going on in terms of a strong plot because Leopold Blue is very character driven. Understand that I do not mean this in a bad way at all. Sometimes a good character driven novel is just what you need. With high fantasy and dystopia novels so big at the moment, a change is so, so good.

I really enjoyed Leopold Blue. It was a refreshing read and one I will definitely be recommending. You all must read it!

Book Review

REVIEW: The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

I don’t usually read classics. I’m not sure why. For some reason, classics are totally different to other books and scare me off. So when I was assigned to read this for school, I was a bit skeptical. After all, it is one of the ‘great American classics.’ The thing is, though, I ended up really, really loving it. It’s now one of my favourite books of all time.

To explain the plot is quite hard because there isn’t really a plot at all. The Catcher in the Rye is very character driven, almost entirely character driven. We get hints of a core plot running through the entire novel, but, even at the end, and after thinking very hard, I’m still not entirely sure of the plot. I think you just need to pick it up and read for yourself.

Our protagonist is Holden Caulfield. At the start of the novel we find out he has been kicked out of his fourth school, Pencey Prep. After a string of events meaning Holden leaves Pencey days before he is supposed to, he finds himself in New York.

The Catcher in the Rye is a story of adolescence and identity. Holden often talks of adults being ‘phonies’ and has a very childlike mind. Throughout the novel we get the idea that Holden is grasping onto the last threads of his childhood whilst coming to terms with his impending adulthood. It’s such a difficult time and age is something that is mentioned a lot during the novel, whether it’s Holden being told he’s too young to drink in a bar, or calling someone ‘old.’ The contrast between young and old is striking and I think it’s very interesting to think about.

Another major theme is acceptance. Through his actions, it is clear that Holden is seeking the acceptance and attention he so needs. It’s as if he needs the bridge between childhood and adulthood to be acknowledged.

Holden is such an interesting and inspiring character. I felt as if I understood him to such a great extent and his words were so thought provoking. Salinger has created a character that is the epitome of teenage thoughts and feelings. Teenage years are full of discovering who you are, and Holden’s journey was all about discovering himself. I really wanted to give him a big hug.

The Catcher in the Rye isn’t the right book for everyone, but you won’t know until you try it out.

Book Review UKYA

REVIEW: Boys Don’t Knit by T.S. Easton

I don’t think you can go wrong with a book that makes you laugh. The thing is, though, Boys Don’t Knit didn’t just make me laugh. It made me ROAR with laughter, so much so that my shoulders shook. I haven’t read such a hilarious book in a long time.

After an unfortunate incident involving a lollipop lady and a bike, Ben Fletcher is on probation. This means that he has to choose a course to attend at the local college as part of his rehabilitation. So, believing the gorgeous teacher from school is taking the class, Ben starts knitting. Hilarity ensues as Ben tries to hide his new hobby from his family, his friends, and also has many other problems at him.

I think the thing I liked most about this book is that, although it may seem like it’s only for boys, anyone, of any age or gender, will enjoy it. The protagonist, Ben, is someone you can’t help but warm to, and he wasn’t your stereotypical teenager. There was a lot more depth to him and Easton has really captured that. As a teenager myself, I’m often frustrated by unrealistic portrayals of teenagers so Boys Don’t Knit was a very refreshing read.

There was so much packed into this novel. There wasn’t a moment throughout when I wasn’t completely hooked and I want to read more books like it now because I feel like there aren’t enough books like this that I’ve read.

Although I’m absolutely hopeless at knitting, I felt myself learning through Ben’s eyes and I still managed to connect to the story even though it was new territory to me. I think this is an incredible skill to achieve on the author’s part and I just know other people will enjoy it too.

The contrast between Ben and his friends really intrigued me. They were very different characters and, whilst they had fallings out, were still loyal to each other. Through each of them, we got a very good picture of teenage life, and I enjoyed that we got to see how everyone differs. I think it’s something that can be forgotten by quite a few people sometimes.

I cannot wait for the sequel to Boys Don’t Knit because I know it won’t disappoint. I’ll definitely be re-reading this if I’m feeling a bit down or want to read something that will have me chuckling because this book put a massive grin on my face.

Book Review

REVIEW: This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales

Lately I’ve been going through an unconscious phase. For some reason I’ve been reading a lot of music related books and This Song Will Save Your Life was one of those books. I don’t think I have an expert ear when it comes to music but I have some knowledge and one of the things I loved about this novel was that it was so informative without you realising until afterwards. It’s a book that definitely deserves the hype it’s getting.

Elise Dembowski is one of those people who have never fitted in. She sets out, over the summer, to ‘popularise’ herself, but when she turns up at school for the new year nothing has changed. She’s still the social outcast and she realises she’ll always be the same. So she makes a big decision and walks the many miles home and plans to take her own life. Skip forward a few months and Elise is walking at night when she stumbles across two girls who lead her to a nightclub. It’s only there for one night a week and it could offer her the chance to finally be accepted.

I really liked Elise and grew to like her even more as the book progressed. She was quite a complex character but it was easy to slip into her head and understand her. Sales has written her in such a way that you feel as if you are her and I enjoyed it more because of that.

Vicky was by far my favourite character. I just wanted to give her a massive hug and she was so accepting of Elise. Do you know how sometimes you crave a companion novel to a book? I would love to read a book entirely about Vicky. She was so awesome!

One of the main things I loved about This Song Will Save Your Life was its originality. I don’t think I’ve ever read a similar book before that contained so many different elements. Although music is a large theme, there was so much more going on in the background.

The musical element felt so natural and to hear that Sales is not a DJ herself really surprised me. For someone like myself who knows nothing about it, I was eased right into DJ’ing and didn’t struggle to understand it at all.

I really think you should all pick up a copy of This Song Will Save Your Life because you won’t regret it. It’s a truly beautiful book that will blow you away.

Book Review UKYA

REVIEW: Storm and Stone by Joss Stirling

There was so much riding on my enjoyment of this book because I loved Stirling’s Savant books before I started blogging. Whenever I pick up a book by an author I read previous books from before blogging, I always feel like there’s more pressure to enjoy it, and I’m always more nervous. I really enjoyed Storm and Stone though, so I didn’t need to worry too much.

When Raven Stone returns to her select boarding school after the holidays, she comes back to find that everything has changed. Suddenly nobody treats her same and instead she is shunned. Not only that, but her friend is missing, too. And what about the two new students who seem to have come in the wake of the affair? Raven is rapidly becoming involved in something unlike anything she’s seen before…

As I said above, I did enjoy Storm and Stone but there was just something missing that stopped it from being drop-dead amazing like Stirling’s Savant books were to me. I think the fact that I had heard that this was another Savant book swayed my happiness levels and I kept waiting for some mention of the Savant powers to be dropped, but alas no mentions turned up. I quickly got over it when I realised that it wasn’t a Savant book and I then sank into the story easier.

Although it wasn’t a Savant book, it still included everything I loved about Stirling’s previous books and I raced through it. There’s something about the books that make me want to grab hold of them and give them a massive hug – they have a feel to them that you don’t often find.

I felt so sorry for Raven because the situation she was in wasn’t just your typical bullying. As the plot unfolds, we learn darker things about why Raven is being targeted and it really is quite sinister. When Raven gets to know the two new boys things start getting crazier and suddenly she’s caught up in something unlike anything she’s ever experienced before. Raven was a pretty kickass girl and, particularly towards the end of the novel, we really see her shine. I think she’s an inspiration to anyone who has been bullied or is being because the way she dealt with things was handled well.

Storm and Stone is a book that you’ll just love (I know because I’m psychic), and, although nothing will ever beat the Savant books, I thoroughly enjoyed it and will definitely be telling everyone about it. Despite having a few issues with some of it, it’s a book that I’m looking forward to re-reading in the future.

Book Review

REVIEW: The Key to the Golden Firebird by Maureen Johnson

I really wish The Key to the Golden Firebird had not sat on my TBR pile so long, collecting dust and sobbing to itself because it still hasn’t been read. In other words: I wish I had read this book sooner. Ditto to the rest of Maureen Johnson’s books.

When their father dies, the Gold sisters’ lives change irrevocably. The Key to the Golden Firebird follows the lives of May, Brooks and Palmer after the months following their father’s death. Brooks is on a slippery slope, falling apart inside; Palmer has changed a lot; and all May wants to do is keep the family together and pass her driving test.

I love how the novel followed the lives of all three girls and was written in third person to make this a lot easier. I wasn’t expecting it so it was a nice surprise and I grew to love all three of them. They all had their individual personalities and they all felt separate from each other: one of the things I was most worried about was whether I would be able to distinguish a difference between the three.

May was very much the character we saw the most out of the three. She is the middle sister, but she’s the one holding the fragile pieces of her family together. Their mother works nights and May has to work to bring some income into the family, both her other sisters being busy with softball practice. I loved reading about her relationship with Pete as it grew because it turned out to be so cute and sweet. I love relationships that come from nowhere and then blossom.

I could understand Brooks so well. Okay, so maybe not the whole drinking and going off the rails part, but I know how grief can change you and how you may want to feel different or act out. For me, when dealing with grief, I went into my little shell and didn’t want to come out. For Brooks, it was the complete opposite. Throughout her acting out, I still felt like we got to know the real her and Johnson has written her character so well and so deeply.

I had a really big soft spot for Palmer. She was kind of ignored by everyone and I just wanted to give her a big hug. Of the three sisters, I felt like Palmer matured the most throughout the book and I loved the few chapters towards the end of the book when we really saw her merge from her shell and do something out of character. I want her to be my sister!

There’s not one main plot you can pinpoint throughout the book but instead it mainly deals with the Gold family dealing with the unexpected death. There are lots of different, smaller plots though and there aren’t any bored moments where you can’t be bothered to read anymore because nothing is going on.

I loved the normality of The Key to the Golden Firebird and how I could imagine myself as anyone of the characters and feel very happy. Johnson deals with the subject of death in an emotional but realistic way, whilst creating a world I want to be a part of.