Browsing Tag

ya

Book Review UKYA

7 Reasons to read Keep the Faith by Candy Harper

[book-info]

I read Have a Little Faith last month and craved a sequel so badly so I was mega excited when I received Keep the Faith to review. It saved me from a lot of pain!Keep the Faith carries on where Have a Little Faith left off and, let me tell you, it was even better.

  1. Keep the Faith is even funnier than Have a Little Faith, the first book. You may even wet yourself reading it, or cry with tears of laughter. You have been warned (but it’s totally worth it).
  1. Faith. Do I need to say anymore? Faith is possibly one of my favourite characters ever – can we please be best friends?
  1. Keep the Faith is incredibly easy to slip into. It doesn’t matter if you can’t remember much of what went down in Have a Little Faith, you will remember once you pick Keep the Faith back up.
  1. Keep the Faith is very true to UK teenage life. I can connect with Faith and her friends because they are so realistic and Harper has managed to capture all the aspects of being a teenager perfectly and write them into Keep the Faith.
  1. It’s a relatively short book, but a lot is packed in. I read it within an evening, and it was definitely an evening well spent!
  1. This is the perfect book to pick up if you want to escape your normal life and be transported somewhere else. You’ll forget all about your actual life!
  1. ETHAN. Finn. ETHAN!!! (Did I mention Ethan?)

I definitely think you should go out and buy Keep the Faith as soon as it’s released. If you haven’t read Have a Little Faith yet, I think you need to read it right away. The books are now right up there on my favourites list and I can’t help but shove them at everyone I see. They’re perfect for everyone!

Book Review

REVIEW: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

This review is being written five minutes after finishing We Were Liars, so please excuse my thoughts which will probably be all over the place and incoherent. This book is absolutely crazy.

I should probably first of all mention that this book was a 3.5 star read for the majority of the book, but I can’t rate it anything but 5 stars after finishing because OMG. It blew me away!

Here are some reasons you should read We Were Liars:

  1. Family politics mean a really interesting read, and there is a lot of it in the Sinclair family.
  2. It’s VERY different to anything you’d usually read.
  3. The hype? It’s for good reason. This book is awesome!
  4. TWISTS, MAN. THOSE TWISTS MESSED WITH MY HEAD.

I don’t want to give anything away, because there’s a lot I could reveal. I feel as if any tiny thing I reveal could be classed as a spoiler of epic proportions so I should probably just say – READ WE WERE LIARS! It isn’t everyone’s type of book and I know not everyone has enjoyed it, but give it a chance and I think you’ll love it.

I think one of the most appealing things about We Were Liars is I don’t think there’s another book even remotely similar to it out there at the moment. You can pick it up knowing you won’t have read anything quite like it before.

If you like your mental state, read We Were Liars. Nobody is supposed to be sane!

Blog Tour Book Review

Daughters of Time Blog Tour: REVIEW:

Daughters of Time is an anthology written by a group of the most talented UK historical YA writers and it’s a real treat to read.

One of the things I love most about anthologies, and Daughters of Time in particular, is that you can dip in and out of it whenever you so choose. For this review, I will be focusing on one of the stories, written about the Greenham Common Women.

At the end of each short story, the author talks about their inspiration behind writing it and Leslie Wilson talks about how she was involved with campaigning in the 1980’s. It was nice to hear how each person came to write about their event and characters.

It surprised me how easy it was to get to know a character within a limited amount of pages. In this story, we get to know the main character quickly and I loved how realistically she was portrayed – her emotions and feelings. It was one of the things I loved most about the story.

The stories included in the anthology are things I believe should be taught more often in schools and given a wider recognition. I’ll definitely be delving into Daughters of Time again because it’s filled with knowledge and facts. It’s perfect for those people who adore history, and even those who don’t because of the way it is taught.

You should definitely pick up Daughters of Time, whether you like reading about history or not. You’ll come out with a greater knowledge than when you went in, and you’ll enjoy it at the same time.

Book Review

REVIEW: Red by Alison Cherry

Red was absolutely brilliant, and I haven’t read a book that was so much fun in a long time.

Scarletville is a sanctuary where people with red hair flock to. Felicity St John has it all – a popular red-headed boyfriend, brilliant red-headed friends, and she’s set to follow in her mother’s footsteps and win the prestigious Miss Scarlet pageant. The only problem is, Felicity has a secret – she’s not actually redheaded. And in Scarletville, blondes need not apply.

Writing this review has brought back the total awesomeness of Red. I’m so, so glad I decided to read it because it was exactly what I needed.

The originality of Red was brilliant. Cherry has taken the ‘you’re ginger and so you’re stupid’ stereotype and flipped it on its head. I think it’s a genius idea!

The protagonist, Felicity, was so awesome. I really loved her and found her easy to get to know and so interesting. It must be so hard having to conceal such a big secret from the whole town, with people shunning you if they found out the truth. It was fascinating to see the depths Felicity was willing to go to make sure nobody found out.

I think one of the questions I was thinking to myself when reading Red was: What does popularity mean? In Scarletville, the colour of your hair determines where you are in the social hierarchy, but it’s not hard to look past this and see an underlying message. Most people will know what it’s like to not fit in and I think Red highlighted this in non-obvious ways, which I thought was a great change.

The plot ambled along, allowing the reader to become invested in the characters and storyline. I feel as if it was paced perfectly, with not a boring moment. I’m glad it’s a standalone because everything was tied up perfectly at the end and I was left satisfied. We’re in need of lots more brilliant standalones!

I really enjoyed Red and would highly recommend it. It contains everything I want in a good book.

Book Review UKYA

REVIEW: Banished by Liz de Jager

Banished was another of my most highly anticipated books of 2014, and so I was delighted when I won a copy from the publisher. A blend of Maggie Stiefvater’s Lament, with the intensity and passion of Cassandra Clare’s The Mortal Instruments, you really need to watch out for this trilogy.

Kit is part of the impressive Blackhart family. Trained to fight, Kit isn’t any normal person, for her family fights enemy Fae. When the prince of Alba, the Fae world, needs rescuing, things turn from bad to worse because Kit has to face a lot more than a rogue Fae. Fae battle Fae in a war that threatens the human world and Kit has to fight for those that she holds dearest.

By far the thing that made me love Banished so much was Kit herself. She takes charge and really drove the story on. Her voice was so clear and shone through, unwavering in its consistency. Kit was very action-driven and I loved reading about her.

I also loved reading about Kit’s cousins. I really hope we get to see more of them in future novels because from the parts we saw them in during Banished they seem really awesome. Why can’t I be a Blackhart?!

I loved the inclusion of snippets of information about the lore and traditions before some of the chapters. It offered a really great insight into the world de Jager has created, which I can’t wait to hear more about in future books. I love it!

I’ve always been a huge fan of mythology and folklore so it’s not a surprise how much I loved the Fae world. De Jager has put her on spin on it, Banished being a truly unique novel. I just want more!

The plot is thrilling and there’s so much packed into one book. There are lots of plot twists and the climax was just amazing. The last 100 pages or so had me on the edges of my seat because I was so engrossed in the story. After reading the ending, I was left wanting more because it was just so good.

There were a few things I disliked, but I think this is mostly down to the fact that I haven’t been reading much lately and so it’s weird to be back in a fictional world again. On reflection though, I really loved the story and think everyone will really enjoy it.

You should definitely read Banished if you’re a fan of fantasy and the like. Even if you’re not, there is so much you can take out of this novel and I can see it being really popular once it’s released. Read it, read it, read it!

Lucy Recommends...

Lucy Recommends… [1] Contemporary Fiction

lucyrecommends

Hello everyone! I’m here to start a new feature today called Lucy Recommends. The aim of this feature is to recommend lots of great books to you without writing a whole review. I’ll be showcasing genres, authors and series, and hopefully you’ll pick up lots of books you haven’t heard of before.

Today, as my blog is called Queen of Contemporary, I thought I would recommend a few contemporary titles. I’m thinking I should probably start reviewing and discussing contemporary more on the blog.

The first book I’d like to recommend is Severed Heads, Broken Hearts by Robyn Schneider. Narrated by Ezra, I think it’s refreshing to read a contemporary book with a male protagonist. Schneider’s style is very similar to John Green, so if you’re a fan, you’ll love this. It tells the story of Ezra who has recently been injured in a car accident that has left his knee damaged. The book explores the feelings Ezra has towards his accident as he can no longer play tennis, his one passion before. I loved it!

Then we have The DUFF by Kody Keplinger. This is a more mature contemporary YA, but I loved it, nevertheless. One of the things I love about contemporary is how I can jump into it without thinking: I don’t have to get used to the rules of magic, or learn the ropes of a dystopian government. I can simply sit back and relax, and The DUFF was one of those books. I managed to finish it in a day and I know I’ll be re-reading it in the future.

Sarah Dessen is the true queen of contemporary, and The Moon and More was SO good. It’s a good book to read in the hot, summer months. Sarah Dessen’s books are set in fictional towns and I’m always amazed at how realistically created they are. Every detail seems to be perfect and I loved that about the book.

Next we have Just One Day by Gayle Forman which is a wonderful travel book. We get to see parts of England, France, the Netherlands and America. I’d love to live in France one day so I loved reading those parts in particular.

And finally, we have Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell! I’ve spoken so much about this book so I don’t think I really need to tell you how much I love it. If you’re  a lover of books or writing, you will completely fall for this one.

IMG_1384

What are your favourite contemporary books?

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.

Blog Tour UKYA Uncategorized

UKYA BLOG TOUR: Holly Bourne – Why I wanted Soulmates to be British

ukyablogtour

I’m so pleased to be welcoming Holly Bourne, author of Soulmates, to the blog today! The post below is a real masterpiece and I really hope you enjoy it as much as I did when I first read it.

I’m half American and, sometimes, I really do feel that way- like I’m culturally split right down the middle.On my USA side, I tend to tell everyone, genuinely, to ‘have a nice day‘ before I hang up the phone, and I really really enjoy eating artificial cheese. Yet, on my British side, I think sarcasm is the best thing ever invented, I self-medicate with cups of tea, and I’m so obsessed with the weather I wrote a whole love story based around it.

Generally I’m happy with my hybrid identity. However, there are times when you have to pick a side and, when I sat down to write my debut novel, I wanted Soulmates to be British…why?

Because I wanted readers to be able to relate to the every-day life…

I love so many American YA novels and yet I can’t always get lost in them. Why? Because I grew up in England so I never took SATs, I never had a ‘Prom’, there were no cheerleaders or jocks or Taco Bells. It’s these little everyday moments in stories that make them believable – and when you read a book, you bring all your own experiences to the page and story. So, with Soulmates, I wanted these to match. I wanted British teenagers (and adult readers) to recognise things like A Level coursework, Cafe Nero, rugby players, cups of tea, beer gardens and the word ‘wanker’. That way, they could more easily imagine falling crazy in love and get lost in the story.

Because British people take the piss out of each other…

We bond by being horrid, and I bloody love that about being British. Since I got my book deal, my friends have sort-of congratulated me – but more used it as ample opportunity to take the piss. One introduced me at a party, saying, “This is my friend Holly, she’s a published author and she’s written a kids version of 50 Shades Of Grey.” I had to spend the rest of the evening swearing that wasn’t true! Or my boyfriend saying: “I’ve come up with a better idea than your book. ‘Trollmates – two trolls fall in love online whilst sending death threats to celebrities.'”

I honestly don’t think you get this I-take-the-piss-because-I-love-you anywhere else other than the UK.  And it was really important to me it was in Soulmates. In fact, it turned out writing all the piss-taking scenes, where Poppy and Noah are ripping it out of each other, was actually more fun than writing all their smoochy stuff.

Because Brits really know how to tell a love story…

Soulmates is a self-referential romance book. It’s a homage to the genre, as well as a twist on romantic generic conventions. And, undeniably, the greatest love stories are British. Romeo and Juliet – written by a British bloke. Jane Eyre – British chick. Pride &Prejudice – British chick. Wuthering Heights – British. Even, One Day – British!

I think it’s our repressed stiff-upper-lip tendencies that lend themselves so well to romance. There is nothing more riveting than a love that takes a long time to be. The stolen glances, the repressed feelings, the missed opportunities, the unspoken declarations of affection… MY HEART IS THUMPING JUST THINKING ABOUT IT.

Then there’s the fact that the English language is so well-equipped to deal with the sumptuous topic of love. Italian may be beautiful to speak, German may have more logic to it, but English has such an abundance of words! Verbs, nouns, adjectives – our language is so crammed with options that making sense of love and romance has such variety .

Because I’d be in really great company…

This is such an exciting time for YA books by British authors. From the no-topic-is-barred Cat Clarke, the quick and hilarious quips of Holly Smale, to the uncomprehendingly-brilliant Patrick Ness – there is a literary feast of writing talent on the go. And I feel very blessed to be a part of that.

Thank you, Holly! 

Find Holly: Website | Twitter