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Book Review UKYA

REVIEW: The State of Grace by Rachael Lucas

Posted on 19 June, 2017

 

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I’ve been a very big fan of Rachael Lucas’s books ever since I read Sealed With A Kiss and fell in love with it. That meant I got super excited when I heard that Rachael was working on a YA novel. I was very lucky to get to read an early chapter of The State of Grace back when it didn’t have a book deal, so I’ve waited patiently ever since to read the final thing. I was not disappointed!

It’s hard to describe exactly what The State of Grace is about because it’s one of those books that you really do need to read to discover how good it is. To put it simply, though, it’s told from the perspective of 15 year old Grace who has Asperger’s. The book breaks down what it’s like for a teenager with Asperger’s, dispelling all the stereotypes and assumptions that people have. All the while, Grace has to deal with the confusion of her dad being away for long periods of time, her mum introducing a new friend that Grace doesn’t like, and her sister spiralling out of control.

Sometimes I feel like everyone else was handed a copy of the rules for life and mine got lost.

There are some books that you love because they’re full of action and big, surprising moments; there are other books that you love because they’re the polar opposite, because they amble along at a natural pace and have you thinking about them all day long. The State of Grace was the latter.

I felt so close to Grace, who you get to know so well throughout the course of the novel. Having written it in first person, Lucas allows you to nestle in amongst Grace’s brain and see the world through her eyes. For this reason, The State of Grace has achieved an incredible feat – it simultaneously allows girls with Asperger’s to have a voice in YA, and allows those who don’t have Asperger’s to understand what it’s like to see the world as they do. 

I’m getting increasingly frustrated with YA romances that adopt the “Hollywood effect” and romanticise teenage relationships to such an extent that they are unrecognisable from the reality of teen relationships. The State of Grace, however, restored my faith in YA romance. Gabe and Grace were awkward and endearing, heartening and uplifting, and Lucas left so much possibility between them, without suggesting a happily ever after. Other YA authors, take note!

It’s not until you read Lucas’s other fiction that you realise how much skill and talent she has. To write books aimed at different age groups is not an easy feat, but Lucas manages to seamlessly build a flawless writing style that reflects who she is writing for. It might seem cliché to say that my breath was taken away by the style of Lucas’s writing, but that’s exactly what happened — her ability to replicate Grace’s voice was stunning and I commend Rachael Lucas for this.

 The State of Grace is a book I will be thrusting into the hands of all unsuspecting book lovers at every given opportunity. Please, please read it — it’s one of the best books you could hope to read.

Further reading:

I’d recommend reading Jax’s #ownvoices review of The State of Grace, which is brilliant.

What are your favourite books with realistic romances?

Book Review

REVIEW: Seven Days of You by Cecilia Vinesse

Posted on 6 March, 2017

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As soon as I heard about Seven Days of You, I knew I was going to love it. A contemporary book set in Tokyo over a period of seven days? Yes please!

The book follows Sophia as she enters her last week living in Tokyo before she moves back to the US. She has to say goodbye to her friends and to the city she loves, and she’s counting down the seconds until it all comes to an end. Coinciding with her departure, however, is the arrival of an old friend and with him comes a last week that Sophia will never forget.

My favourite thing about Seven Days of You was getting to explore Tokyo through Sophia’s eyes. Vinesse perfectly creates the setting so that it feels like another character and you become just as familiar with it during the course of the novel as you do with the other characters. As someone who has never been to Tokyo, I was a little nervous just in case I couldn’t understand any references or inside-jokes, but Vinesse set me at ease immediately and invoked the atmosphere and culture beautifully.

The romance was so cute and I loved how it was based on friendship first, romantic feelings second. I think this kind of foundation is really important to see in YA, and made it a lot more believable. It was certainly a challenge building it up over 7 days, but Vinesse tackled it with an ease that carried through to the story – there was just the right amount of backstory, mixed with the same level of fresh content that played out on the pages.

There were also very interesting friendship dynamics explored, which I enjoyed reading about in the frame of Sophia’s impending departure, and family relationships too. Sophia and her sister were great to read and I loved all their reactions – I thought they were so realistic and I liked how they changed throughout the course of the novel.

I read Seven Days of You in a day because it hooked me from the start – it was the perfect escapism. Cecilia Vinesse is an exciting voice added to the YA scene and I wouldn’t hesitate to pick up any of her future books. In fact, I’ll be keeping a beady eye out for any future book news!

For fans of Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins 

Book Review UKYA

REVIEW: Unconventional by Maggie Harcourt

Posted on 27 February, 2017

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I didn’t intend to read Unconventional in a day; it just happened. One minute I’d started the first page and the next I was scrambling to find time to read the rest because I rapidly became obsessed.

Unconventional is told from the perspective of Lexi Angelo, who has grown up helping her dad with his comic convention business. What started as a small gathering has now turned into multiple huge, national events and Lexi is a teen superqueen and helps run the whole thing. When Lexi turns up in the greenroom one day, though, she finds Aidan Green there. He should not be in there, and this starts a string of events that sees Lexi fall in love – with a mega-hit book series and maybe with a certain boy too…

Maggie Harcourt is the UK’s answer to Rainbow Rowell – her books are original, funny and SO CUTE. They’re the perfect way to escape for an afternoon, caught up in the world of conventions and cosplay. It really is impossible to only read one chapter, so when you do read it, beware: you’ll want to clear a whole day in order to finish it.

Unconventional is the YA equivalent of the “hand-touching” trend in romantic period dramas: slow-burning but passionate. I felt myself screaming at parts in the book because I got so invested in the story, particularly the burgeoning romance between Lexi and Aidan. Harcourt writes this very well and in a way that will make you want to shake the book and shout, “KISS ALREADY!” I loved getting so wrapped up in the story, where the only thing that mattered was the book and the characters in it.

Lexi was amazing, especially at the points where she freaked out about how much she loved Timekeepers – I could relate to the feeling of obsessing over a book to the point where I felt like I was Lexi. I love books within books and Harcourt writes this brilliantly – there are enough references to understand Lexi’s excitement, but not so many that you have no idea what’s going on.

Unconventional is the book for all book lovers, nerds and convention-goers. I wish I could transport myself into it, amongst all the characters who stole my heart right from the beginning.

For fans of Fangirl and Kindred Spirits by Rainbow Rowell 

Book Review UKYA

REVIEW: This Beats Perfect by Rebecca Denton

Posted on 23 February, 2017

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I read contemporary YA for that fuzzy feeling you get in your stomach after you’ve finished reading a book, that satisfying feeling that makes you want to climb inside it and hug all the characters. That is exactly how This Beats Perfect made me feel.

Denton perfectly shapes a world where The Keep are the biggest boyband in the Universe. Amelie Ayres is an aspiring musician who writes and produces her own songs within her bedroom, but she also has awful stage fright. When Amelie goes backstage at one of The Keep’s concerts, things spiral out of control when one of the band members tweets her and suddenly there are hordes of fangirls and the press on her back. It’s about normality in an otherwise totally not-normal world, ambition, and following your heart.

This Beats Perfect is one of the best boyband-related books I’ve read so far because it took time to give equal attention to the inner emotions of all involved, rather than being a whirlwind, clichéd romance. I’d go so far as to say it’s one of the most feasible too; it was very easy to imagine that Amelie and Maxx were real characters because Denton took lots of care to develop their back stories, to give them lives outside of their music, but also involving it. It’s very clear through Denton’s writing that she knows what she’s talking about when it comes to music.

The main character, Amelie, was quirky and individual without conforming to your typical Manic Pixie Dream Girl stereotype, which I do tend to watch out for when reading these types of novels – I find that the main characters are either Manic Pixie Dream Girls or mega, over-the-top fangirls – but Amelie felt very realistic and I could imagine myself being friends with her.

Speaking of friends, one of my favourite parts of the book was the friendship that Amelie and Maisie have. I love strong female friendships in YA and think they’re so important, so it was lovely to see how supportive they were of each other. There was also just the right balance of friendship and romance – neither dominated, but worked alongside each other to create a well-rounded story.

Something unexpected that I liked about This Beats Perfect was that it was written in third person. The majority of contemporary YA novels I read are written in first person, but I love third person and I think this was a great choice of Denton’s – it added to the story and maintained a strong voice throughout.

I read This Beats Perfect in one sitting – I’d only originally intended to read one chapter, but somehow one chapter turned into the whole book and I loved every second. It was the perfect way of spending a lazy Sunday afternoon, when I should have been concentrating on college work. I have no regrets!

The only problem I had with This Beats Perfect is that I didn’t want it to end. I could keep reading about Amelie and Maxx forever very happily and Rebecca Denton is an author I’ll be watching in the future – I wouldn’t hesitate to read any of her future novels.

For fans of: Songs About A Girl by Chris Russell and Non Pratt.

What are your favourite boyband books? Who are the friends you look up to most in YA? Let me know in the comments!

 

Book Review UKYA

REVIEW: Wing Jones by Katherine Webber

Posted on 9 January, 2017

 

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Wing Jones is one of the most beautiful books I’ve read in a long time and I’d love everyone – absolutely everyone – to read it.

Set in Atlanta in the 90’s, it tells the story of fifteen year old Wing who has a grandmother from Ghana and a grandmother from China; she’s caught between two worlds, not quite fitting in like her older brother Marcus seems to do. When tragedy strikes, though, Wing takes up running and she’s not just good at it, she’s amazing. Running is a way for Wing to escape, but it could also turn the life around of her struggling family.

The first thing that struck me as I started reading Wing Jones was just how beautiful Webber’s writing style is. It’s something that I haven’t come across before in YA, something that makes you linger on each sentence so that you can absorb every word. Her use of metaphor, in particular, is so well done. It’s made me even more excited to read Webber’s future novels because I can’t get enough of her writing; I could read anything of hers.

I have to admit: I’m not really a fan of magical realism. The aspects in Wing Jones, though, were perfect. I think it’s converted me! It adds a feeling of hope, of awe, to Webber’s wonderful words, and makes you love the main character, Wing, even more. It didn’t feel forced or unrealistic; it felt as much a part of the book as the setting of Atlanta or the secondary characters.

Speaking of secondary characters, I adored Wing’s grandmothers, Granny Dee and LaoLao. Every scene they were in was a joy to read; they added humour, but the way they cared about Wing was also so special. I love reading inter-generational YA stories, and this one was particularly well-done.

Wing Jones made me realise exactly how important it is for everything that is published to be diverse, for writers to create realistic characters that people can see themselves reflected in. There are going to be so many girls out there who will be inspired by Wing, who will reach for their dreams because she did too. Wing is one of the best YA characters I’ve read in a long time – in fact, all the characters in Wing Jones feel as if they could have actually been walking around when the book was set; and, as Wing was a teenager back in the 90’s, I like to think back every now and again to watch she might be getting up to now.

Wing Jones is, so far, my book of the year and I will not be shutting up about how good it is. There’s no way that it won’t be included in my favourite books of the year list at the end of 2017, and reading it made me so proud to know Katherine, to hold her physical book in my hands.

Book Review

REVIEW: Ctrl Alt Delete: How I Grew Up Online by Emma Gannon

Posted on 20 July, 2016

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I’ve been a massive fan of Emma’s blog, Girl Lost in the City, for a while back now and would even go so far as to say her blog is in my top 5 favourite blogs of all time – I love it that much! When I heard that Emma was going to be releasing a book, I became very excited about it and I desperately hoped I would love it as much as I anticipated reading it. If it was half as good as her blog, I knew, it would be AMAZING!

Ctrl Alt Delete is a hilarious but thought-provoking insight into Emma’s life as she grew up alongside the Internet. Full of anecdotes dating back to the days of MySpace and MSN (oh, how I don’t miss the Messenger days), Ctrl Alt Delete offers hope and advice to anyone growing up on the Internet now and will also have you nodding your head as you remember all the times you did something exactly like Emma.IMG_3208

In Ctrl Alt Delete, Emma takes on Internet dating, the porn industry, what it’s like to get an Internet job and lots, lots more. After listening to Emma’s podcast fanatically, it was really easy to imagine that Emma was in the room reading it to me because her writing style is so natural and true to how she is off the page. I’d love to give the audiobook a go now that I’ve finished it because Emma narrated it herself!

I’ve always loved the Internet and think I could write a book of my own about my experiences on it, so it was great to read about Emma’s own experiences, which echoed some of my own and were very relatable. I loved how honest and unashamed Emma was in it because I know if I had to publish a book with all of the embarrassing things my younger self had done, I’d have to hide for the rest of eternity!

“If I were to give Virginia Woolf’s quote a little millennial update I’d say ‘a woman must have money and an online space of her own’.”

The sections I loved the most were the ones where Emma spoke about starting her blog; I couldn’t stop going back over them and absorbing her advice and words of wisdom. As someone I admire so much, it was great to read Emma’s thoughts about things I’ve thought about the blogging world and I find that I can’t help myself agreeing with everything she says; Emma gets what it means to be an online content creator and I wanted to applaud her constantly as I was reading Ctrl Alt Delete.

Ctrl Alt Delete is a refreshingly honest Internet Bible for all teenagers and anyone who has ever spent time on the Internet. You won’t be able to help falling in love with Emma as you read it and want to be best friends with her, but it will also make you think about the way that you use the Internet and what it means to you.

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Have you read Ctrl Alt Delete or do you love Emma’s blog? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Let me know an embarrassing Internet memory you have!

 

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.

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?