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Book Review UKYA

REVIEW: The Square Root of Summer by Harriet Reuter Hapgood

Posted on 13 June, 2016

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You know when you read a book and you feel so satisfied when you’re reading it because you know how good it is? This is how I felt when I was reading The Square Root of Summer! Every single word of it was brilliant and I’m so glad that I read it. 

In this perfect summer read, Harriet Reuter Hapgood mixes contemporary with a sci-fi/time travel twist. It has everything needed for a beach read, whilst also being exciting and fast-paced. The Square Root of Summer tells the story of teenager Gottie Oppenheimer who is struggling with the death of her grandfather, Grey, as well as dealing with a secret-breakup. This summer, past and future collide as the boy who broke her heart returns, as well as Gottie’s old best friend, Thomas.

I fell head over heels in love with the characters. Harriet’s ability to make each one feel individual and real made them so enjoyable to read about and I kept turning the pages because I wanted to know more about Gottie and the other characters. I always use an indicator of “Would I want to be friends with these characters?” to see how much I loved a book and I would LOVE to hang out with Gottie and her friends.

One of my favourite touches in the book was Gottie’s German mannerisms and sayings. Her dad being German, I liked how this was shown to have developed her character and was also fun for an ex-German-learner to read about. I love special touches!

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The feelings of grief that Gottie feels – towards losing her grandfather and her break up – came to life on the page and I felt that I could empathise with her because her feelings were written so subtly but also so realistically – the plot isn’t inundated with Gottie’s emotions but they are ever-present and help to expand the narrative.

It was super amazing to read about a female character who is interested in science. It can be particularly hard for girls in STEM subjects, as I’ve learnt from experience, so to read about the physics was great and I hope it inspires other girls to take an interest in science.

Harriet certainly proved with The Square Root of Summer that she can WRITE! It felt so well-crafted and I 100% believed everything that was being written, even though it does stray into science fiction and magical realism grounds. I loved how, even though the time travel was there, it was almost as if I could feel the summer heat when I was reading it and it had the contemporary feel that I love.

The Square Root of Summer is a title I’m going to be shouting about all summer. It’s a standout debut that you can’t help but love and I hope that readers love it just as much as I did.

Read this if you loved…

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The time travel and science elements of All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill

The feeling of summer and romance in The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen

Book in a Tweet:

 @hapgoodness has written one of my favourite books of the summer – time travel, summer romance and brilliant characters – what’s not to love?!

 

Have you read The Square Root of Summer? What did you think about it? Let’s chat!

Discussion Points:

  • If you could travel back to one point in your life, where would it be and why?
  • What other time travel books have you read and loved?
  • What are your favourite summertime books to read?
Book Review UKYA

REVIEW: Nightwanderers by C.J. Flood

Posted on 3 June, 2016

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It has been three years since C.J. Flood’s award-winning debut novel, Infinite Sky, was released, which I described as “deep and heartfelt“. In Nightwanderers, Flood returns with her signature emotional read to deliver a book that is guaranteed to grip readers long after they’ve put it down.

Nightwanderers is a story of friendship and family, centred around the protagonist, Rosie, and her best friend Ti. Rosie and Ti have been best friends for years and are inseparable, but when Rosie betrays Ti, things start to change. What starts is a chain of events that will test not just their friendship, but their family ties too.

Perhaps the thing I loved most about Nightwanderers was the emphasis on friendship over romance. Whilst there are undertones of romance, the focus was mainly on Rosie’s relationship with Ti and the other friendships she builds over the course of the novel. Flood cleverly highlights the different dynamics that different groups of friends share, and uses this to further the strains put on Rosie and Ti’s friendship.

Usually in YA books, it can be typical to kill off parents, or to have them disappear altogether, but one of Nightwanderers’ strengths is how parent-child relationships are weaved into the narrative. They play a major role in the book and drive the story forward through their interactions; it was refreshing to read about and really made the book.

Flood builds on the beautiful, stand-out voice she created in Infinite Sky to create impact and an emotional connection that is very rarely achieved so thoroughly.

I am excited to see where Flood’s writing career takes her next and will be awaiting her next book with baited breath. Nightwanderers is a stunning UKYA novel that will capture the hearts of everyone who reads it, and I hope it paves the way for more friendship and family based novels.

25437747Ideal for fans of…

Beautiful Broken Things by Sara Barnard – for how important friendship is.

 

Book In a Tweet:

Not all friendships are good for you, but sometimes you’re good for each other. Nightwanderers was a very magical read.

 

 

Have you read Nightwanderers by C.J. Flood? If so, let me know in the comments what you thought of it! If not, tell me about a character you’d love to be best friends with.

UKYA UKYA Book Club

UKYA Book Club Reveal and Announcement – June Titles

Posted on 1 June, 2016

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I am very happy to finally be able to reveal the June titles for the UKYA Book Club, launching this month! The UKYA Book Club will run every month with two titles – one voted for by YOU, and the other chosen separately.

This month both titles were chosen on the UKYA Facebook page – you can join here to be able to vote for next month’s choice, and to join in with the bookish conversation.

The Girl of Ink and Stars by Kiran Milwood Hargrave

The Girl of Ink and Stars tells the story of Isabella, a young girl and mapmaker’s daughter who is forbidden to leave the island she lives on. When her friend goes missing, she offers to lead the search. Equipped with the maps that her father made, Isabella enters the Forgotten Territories to find a wasteland full of monsters and a legendary fire demon. Isabella discovers that her journey may lead her to unexpected places and to saving the island itself.

It’s had rave reviews so far, and was even chosen as the Waterstones Children’s Book of the Month for May. This is a title I am very excited to read!

The Next Together by Lauren James

Katherine and Matthew have a love that could last centuries… literally. Brought back again and again throughout the ages, they are destined to change history and also to fall in love. However, their love is also destined to end tragically. Set in the Crimean War, the Siege of Carlisle, as well as 2019 and 2039 England, Katherine and Matthew have no idea why they keep coming back, but they hope that the next together will be different…

The Next Together was one of my favourite books of 2015 and so I am extremely excited to re-read it again in June for the book club. It’s incredibly engaging and I fell in love with the characters immediately. It’s also perfect to read this month as a prequel novella, Another Together, is being released, so it gives you the opportunity to read both back to back.

You can follow along on Twitter using the hashtag #readukya, as well as joining in with conversation on the UKYA Facebook group. Everyone is welcome to join in – the more, the merrier!

There will also be activities running throughout the month on YouTube, this blog, and Twitter. Stay tuned for competitions, chats and more!

Will you be joining in with us in June? How excited are you to read both titles, and have you read either already?

Book Review UKYA

REVIEW: How Hard Can Love Be? by Holly Bourne

Posted on 8 February, 2016

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I love that moment when you read a book and you keep glancing at the clock, seeing how many more pages it’s possible to squeeze in because you love it so much and can’t bear to stop reading it. How Hard Can Love Be? was definitely one of those books for me. I was hooked from the moment I began and can’t stop thinking about just how brilliant it was, even a few weeks after reading it.

The sequel to Am I Normal Yet?, How Hard Can Love Be? tells Amber’s story. After not seeing her mum for two years, Amber is heading off to California to spend the summer holidays with her. However, there are a few downsides: her mum’s new husband, working with extremely excitable kids in a summer camp and she’s in a totally different country without her best friends… Great, right?

I can only think of a handful of UKYA books that are set outside of the UK, so it was so good to discover the US through How Hard Can Love Be?. It made me feel so English and it was extremely nice to read something that didn’t feel stereotypically English – not all of us sound posh and drink tea! Amber made me appreciate my little English quirky things and I’m sure US readers would feel the same about the other characters in the book. There’s something to please everyone!

One of my favourite things about How Hard Can Love Be? was of course the feminism. Despite being thousands of miles apart, not even a vast ocean can separate the Spinster Club and there was still lots and lots of Evie and Lottie, who we met in Am I Normal Yet?, in the book. You would think that because romance is quite a big plot line in the book that it might detract some of the feminism, but I found quite the opposite. How Hard Can Love Be? proves that you can be in a relationship and be a feminist at the same time and I think this is a side to a lot of feminist books that we don’t see. I LOVED it!

Where Am I Normal Yet? talked about OCD and anxiety, How Hard Can Love Be? discusses alcohol abuse and how this affects a mother-daughter relationship. We often see in YA a lack of parents, but Amber’s parents were at the forefront of How Hard Can Love Be? and this was very refreshing to read.

It’s also worth mentioning that there are LOTS of Harry Potter references in the book, which put a big smile on my face because I love Harry Potter and I know Holly does too. The enthusiasm for Harry Potter certainly came through!

I adored How Hard Can Love Be?, despite my lack of sleep after not being able to put it down. Holly Bourne is one of the most talented YA writers of the moment and I cannot wait to read the next instalment to find out what happens to the Spinster Club. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!

You’ll Love This If…

You’re a hardcore feminist who wants to read about feminism in PRACTICE.

You squeal every time you see a Harry Potter reference.

You’re a human being. It’s as simple as that. (Although I’m sure you can read it to pets and they’ll enjoy it too.)

Who would you invite to your Spinster Club if you had one? Have you read How Hard Can Love Be or Am I Normal Yet?

Book Review UKYA Uncategorized

REVIEW: Beautiful Broken Things by Sara Barnard

Posted on 4 February, 2016

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Beautiful Broken Things is the extraordinary début novel from Sara Barnard that showcases what everyone loves most about UKYA fiction.

Caddy and Rosie have been best friends forever, despite them going to different schools. Then Rosie introduces Caddy to a new girl at her school, Suzanne. Suzanne is everything Caddy is not – adventurous, daring and reckless. But she also has a past. Her arrival shakes everything up and threatens to change Caddy and Rosie’s lives. Will it be for the better?

The YA world desperately needs more books with friendship at the centre, so Beautiful Broken Things arrived at just the right time. The relationship between Caddy, Rosie and Suzanne feels so alive and real that when you read it you feel as if you’re a part of it too. It shakes you up and makes you evaluate your own friendships and how important they are.

Beautiful Broken Things is without a doubt Suzanne’s story. Without her, the basis of the book would be lost, but it’s told from Caddy’s perspective. It was refreshing and offered a different side to the story that is typically told, and it added a whole new dimension. I was very impressed by this!

Sara Barnard discusses themes of abuse and mental health sensitively and realistically. Although hard to read at times, I felt for Suzanne and her situation and I was glad that no sugarcoating happened.

I can’t wait to see what Sara Barnard writes next. If it’s half as good as Beautiful Broken Things, it will be amazing!

You’ll Love This If…

You’re looking for a truly gripping tale of a friendship that doesn’t feel like a far-off fairytale.

You love UKYA!

 

What books have you loved that talk about friendship? Have you read Beautiful Broken Things?

Book Review UKYA

REVIEW: The Sleeping Prince by Melinda Salisbury

Posted on 1 February, 2016

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If you’ve been reading Queen of Contemporary for a while, you’ll know how much I loved The Sin Eater’s Daughter and so I was incredibly excited to read the sequel, The Sleeping Prince. It’s always nerve-wracking to start a sequel, but especially so when you have such high expectations. Luckily, The Sleeping Prince didn’t disappoint!

The Sleeping Prince starts where The Sin Eater’s Daughter left off, but this time we get to see the story from the eyes of Errin. Left with the task of looking after her sick mother after the death of her father and her brother Lief’s disappearance, Errin has to resort to making illegal herbal cures to get by, and the threat of the Sleeping Prince looms ever closer…

In this stunning sequel, Melinda Salisbury continues to surprise readers with her imaginative plot and characters who you instantly fall for. It’s impossible not to be in awe of the way that Melinda writes, so intricately and with such prowess.

It was particularly refreshing to have the second book in a trilogy narrated by a different character than the first book was. It meant that so much more of the world could be seen and, although it did take me a while to get used to Errin, I grew to really love her by the end of the book.

The Sleeping Prince blew me away. It has definitely earned Melinda Salisbury a place with the likes of Sarah J. Maas and Maggie Stiefvater for best YA fantasy. It was beyond worthy of my first five star rating of 2016.

You’ll Love This If…

20617636You’re a fan of the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas

You want a book that you become invested in from the start and find it impossible to put down. Seriously, I stayed up way too late reading it!

You like your books packed with lore and mythology, with gorgeous maps to go with them and a world seeped in history.

 

 

 

Have you read The Sin Eater’s Daughter or The Sleeping Prince? Let me know your thoughts!

UKYA

Best UKYA Releases of 2015

Posted on 31 December, 2015

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2015 was such an amazing year for UKYA releases and I feel very lucky to have been able to read lots and lots of them. If 2015 was such a brilliant year, I can’t wait to see what 2016 will be like!

Seed by Lisa Heathfield

In Seed, Lisa Heathfield creates a beautiful but dangerous world where the people are ruled by the enigmatic Papa S. Although Pearl loves the life she leads, worshipping both Nature and Papa S, when a new family join the community Pearl begins to realise that the cult society she lives in isn’t idyllic after all.

I loved Seed because of how creepy it felt because you know that Pearl is being brainwashed into loving her life so much. Lisa Heathfield is perfect at making the setting come to life and whilst you do want to scream at Pearl at times and tell her to RUN, you’re also rooting for her and wishing that she’d shake off the chains that Seed has enforced on her.

Counting Stars by Keris Stainton

One of my favourite books of 2015 out of the 100+ I read, Counting Stars caters for an older YA audience. Dealing with flat sharing, friendship and exploring sexuality, it feels as if you are part of the novel when you read it and it is definitely one of Keris’s best novels yet.

I especially enjoyed how modern it felt: one of the main characters, Anna, has her own YouTube channel and it’s not often, surprisingly, that we see huge parts of the novel revolving around Internet life. Keris has written it in particularly well by including transcripts from Anna’s videos. Major LOVE!

The Next Together by Lauren James

Lauren James is one of the UKYA community’s best new talents and The Next Together showcases just how exceptionally she can write. The Next Together tells the story of Katherine and Matthew who are reincarnated throughout the ages and in each life they are destined to fall in love. However, their love tragically ends in each time landscape, despite it also changing the course of history.

Whilst I love historical fiction, it’s not always greatly welcomed but one of the things that Lauren James does best is to mix history with science and romance to create a book that will have you gripped from page one. I became so invested in Katherine and Matthew’s story as it progressed throughout the ages that I found it impossible to put down and I know that many others have felt exactly the same way as I did.

The Sin Eater’s Daughter by Melinda Salisbury

The fantasy novels I love the most all have a feel of medieval society to them and The Sin Eater’s Daughter definitely delivered on this point. You have a castle, peasants… and also a girl who can kill with a single touch.

Melinda Salisbury has imagined a world in which the reader can delve right into the events and feel as if they are a part of them. Twylla, the main character, is so whole and authentic – she has an equal amount of strengths and weaknesses, just as we all do. I’d like to see more protagonists like Twylla in the future, when authors aren’t afraid to show their characters’ flaws.

Am I Normal Yet? by Holly Bourne

Holly Bourne is an extremely talented writer and her latest book, Am I Normal Yet?, demonstrates that. Am I Normal Yet? is the first in a trilogy and is narrated by Evie, a teen with OCD and anxiety. Evie is trying to get off her medication and lead a “normal” life, whilst navigating the troubles of college and relationships.

The BEST part of Am I Normal Yet?, however, is that Evie and her friends set up their own Spinster Club, where they discuss feminist issues and these were my favourite parts of the book. I would LOVE to be a part of it! It makes me incredibly happy that teenagers will be reading Am I Normal Yet? and following their own feminist path. It’s incredibly empowering!

Crow Moon by Anna McKerrow

I don’t think the YA world has quite seen a book like Crow Moon before, which is a massive shame. It’s both racially and religiously diverse and I don’t think we see enough religious diversity in YA at all – something that definitely needs rectifying! Set in a futuristic world where oil reserves have dwindled, Devon and Cornwall have set themselves apart from the rest of the UK – the Greenworld. The rest of the UK is filled with gangs and is desperate to find a new power source to run the world on.

Crow Moon is teeming with characters that I adore (SABA!) and would like to be, and is also my favourite UKYA book of the year, perhaps my favourite book of the year, full stop. With climate change being a hot topic at the moment (as it should be!), Crow Moon is very relevant and will make readers think about the world we live in.

 

What were your favourite UKYA releases of 2015?

Book Review UKYA

REVIEW: Lorali by Laura Dockrill

Posted on 3 July, 2015

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Let me tell you a story… I’ve always loved mermaids. Ever since I was tiny, I’ve devoured stories, TV programmes, and secretly wished that I could grow a tail. Lorali brought all of my fantasies back.

On the day of his sixteenth birthday, Rory finds a girl washed up on the beach. Naked, confused and convinced that she’s a mermaid. Isn’t she just a tiny bit too weird? With Lorali’s arrival comes freak weather conditions, pirates and even more strange visitors. Maybe Lorali isn’t a normal girl after all…

Dockrill writes with such ease and prowess that it’s hard not to instantly connect with her writing. Each character has been perfectly created so that it feels like they’re taking you along on the journey too. This is why Lorali will appeal to readers and non-readers alike – Dockrill has a way with words that can attract anybody.

By far, my favourite character was Lorali. I loved her perplexity towards the modern world and excitement as she learnt more about it. I craved the sections of the book written from her perspective – they were so much fun to read!

Although it took me a while to get into it, once I began to become familiar with the characters and plot direction, I LOVED it.

One of the most surprising things about Lorali is Dockrill’s wittiness and humour. Lorali really is one of the wackiest books I’ve read this year, and I mean that in the best way possible.

I loved Lorali for fulfilling all of my childhood dreams, and I’m definitely going to be seeking out more YA mermaid novels in the future. I’ve seriously been missing out!