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Book Haul

Letterbox Love (24)

Posted on 15 February, 2014

Letterbox Love is a UK based feature where book bloggers showcase the books that they received that week, be they e-books, paperbacks, hardbacks or any other format. It is hosted by Lynsey from Narratively Speaking.

I haven’t posted a Letterbox Love in ages, so I thought I would post one today. These are all the books I’ve received since the start of February, and I’m so excited about all of them.

To Review:

Mutant City by Steve Feasey sounds so exciting and I don’t read much apocalyptic, futuristic fiction so I’m sure this will be a nice change. Thank you to Bloomsbury for the review copy! When The Rock Splits the Sky by Phillip Webb has me intrigued and I can’t wait to start it. It sounds so, so good! Thank you, Chicken House! Then we have Amy and Matthew by Cammie McGovern which sounds like a beautiful contemporary that I can fall in love with. Think Wonder and the like. Thank you, Macmillan! It has taken all my willpower to not start Take Back the Skies by Lucy Saxon immediately because it sounds like exactly my type of book. Thank you, Bloomsbury! Flirty Dancing by Jenny McLachlan has been compared to Geek Girl by Holly Smale which I loved so I’m very excited to read it. Thank you, Bloomsbury! I was hoping I would be sent a copy of Fire and Flood by Victoria Scott to review because I’ve heard amazing things about it; it sounds amazing! Thank you, Chicken House! I love Greek mythology and so Goddess by Laura Powell sounds like it will be right up my street. Thank you, Bloomsbury! And finally we have The Glass Bird Girl by Esme Kerr. I think this is slightly younger than YA so it will be nice to read something a bit different. Thank you, Chicken House!

Bought:

I bought The Lord of the Flies by William Goulding because I do want to start reading more classics (more on that soon!) and it has a very intriguing premise – a group of school boys stranded on an island. I can’t wait to read it. After enjoying Here Lies Bridget a few years ago, I decided I would try New Girl by Paige Harbison, which is based on Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier. Finally we have Autumn Rose by Abigail Gibbs. I’m a huge fan of the first book in the series and so I am very excited to read the sequel.

I was so pleased when my copy of This Star Won’t Go Out arrived in the post. It tells the life of Nerdfighter Esther Earl who died of thyroid cancer in 2010 through her diary entries, pictures and pieces written by those around her. It was such a beautiful book and I will be posting a review of it very soon, so keep an eye out!

When Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi dropped through my letterbox I was so excited and started it straight away. Let me tell you, I was not let down! I’ll be posting a review of it very soon!

I had to buy Dead Silent by Sharon Jones because it turns out my review of the first book, Dead Jealous, is featured in it! I’m quoted inside the cover and I squealed so much when I found out. I’ve never been quoted before and so it was a very momentous occasion.

Won:

I was so excited when I won a copy of Liz De Jager’s Banished. I’m currently reading it and really enjoying it. It’s been compared to City of Bones, but I think it’s better! It’s out at the end of the month so you all need to go out and buy it please, on my orders!

That is my massive haul! I’m rather lucky to get so many amazing books. Thank you to all the lovely publishers who sent me review copies.

What did you acquire this week? Have you read any of these books? Let me know below!

REVIEW: Leopold Blue by Rosie Rowell

Posted on 31 January, 2014

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 UKYA

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

Posted on 13 January, 2014

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

Posted on 6 January, 2014

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

Posted on 16 December, 2013

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

Posted on 9 December, 2013

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.

Book Review UKYA

REVIEW: Salvage by Keren David

Posted on 6 December, 2013

I must write a warning before I get into the proper review: my review will not do this book the justice it deserves. Believe me, it blew me away, and it takes a real stunner of a book to do that.

Adopted when she’s very young, Cass doesn’t often thing about her life before, let alone her brother. So when a boy contacts her on Facebook one day, claiming to be her brother, she should ignore it, shouldn’t she? But her adoptive family is falling apart and Cass is drawn more and more to a life unlike the stable and normal one she’s lead so far. Aidan, though, has a past totally different to Cass’, and not all of it has been respectable.

The one thing about David’s books that I love is that she can write about any subject and deal with it in just the right way. Never in this book was there an uncomfortable moment and every single word urged me forward. I read Salvage in a day and couldn’t stop thinking about it afterwards. UKYA is known for its gritty topics and this is especially gritty.

One of the themes that most interested me was the class differences between Cass and Aidan. Even though they had the same blood running through their veins, shared the same mother, Cass was privileged and lived with a politician, whereas Aidan had a low-paying job and a girlfriend and her child to support. The differences were always there at the back of your mind and the dissimilarity between the two was clear.

I enjoyed seeing Cass’ naïveté because it helped me to understand Aidan’s life better. I’ve never lived like he does so I think seeing things through Cass’ eyes helped to get to know him more. My mum even says I look like Cass from the back cover, so it was hard not to like her!

Speaking of Aidan, I found him interesting to read about because of the reasons above. I found it fascinating to think that his life could have been so different if he was adopted by the right person. The insight into the life in care and foster homes was thought-provoking and I found it very easy to comprehend.

Salvage was riveting and compelling and I couldn’t put it down. It’s a real eye-opener and I think everybody should read it. It’s a book I think could be taught well in schools and readers will become easily invested in the story. David has produced a masterpiece that I can’t give enough praise to.

Book Review UKYA Uncategorized

REVIEW: Dead Jealous by Sharon Jones

Posted on 27 November, 2013

I’ve wanted to read Dead Jealous ever since I read the first reviews when it was released and everybody seemed to love it. Having not read many murder mystery type novels, I pushed it to the back of my brain until, in the summer, I decided that I was going to have to buy it and find out just how amazing it was.

When Poppy Sinclair finds a dead body at the bottom of a lake, and after a previous trauma in another lake too, Poppy takes it upon herself to investigate after police dismiss it as an accident. But Poppy knows that it was murder and she’s going to prove it, even if it costs her own life.

It was so easy to get to know Poppy and there was never the awkward stage you get with some books where you end up thinking, ‘Do I really care about this character?’ Poppy was determined and motivated and I loved reading about her. I want to see more characters in YA like her who don’t sit and do nothing and mope about their lives, but instead learn stuff and are relatable. I wanted to read about Poppy more and more and I really missed her when the novel ended.

I really loved the plot and I was always kept on my toes, guessing what would happen next. I really didn’t expect the ending and I was left reeling and wanting more, more, more! Seriously, I don’t think I’m going to be able to wait until the next instalment is released because I want it right away!

The novel is set at a pagan festival which I loved because I know a lot about paganism and so I loved reading about the festivals and customs and traditions that were all written really well and were brought to life in an easily understandable way.

The mystery part was written really well, with red herrings that caught me out, and an ending that left me speechless. I did not see that coming! There were lots of twists and there was never a boring moment.

With characters that you’ll instantly fall in love with and a plotline that any author wishes they could write, I can’t recommend Dead Jealous highly enough.

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