Tag: books

Book Review: Behind Her Eyes – Sarah Pinborough

1 Comment

31285838

Can You Trust Anyone? 

When Louise kisses a gorgeous man at a bar on Friday night, she thinks little of it. After raising a young son alone after a hurtful divorce, she deserves a bit of fun. That is, what she thought was fun until her now boss starts on Monday morning and she realises he’s her mysterious kiss and a married man. While she tries to keep her distance, it’s clear that David hasn’t forgotten. To make matters worse, Louise meets Adele, a young and lonely young woman who’s new to town…she’s also David’s wife. As Louise falls hard into both relationships not all is as it seems. Someone’s playing games, but who?

I was lucky enough to receive a copy of Behind Her Eyes for review from the publishers via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It’s been a while since I’ve read a good thriller, after trying so many of the current ‘it’ books I needed something a little different, a little darker. So I was happy when Pinborough’s novel was ready for me to read. The novel moves between Louise and Adele, two very different women who both have an interest in the same man. The closer the women get, however, the darker the novel becomes.

In true thriller fashion, readers are questioning throughout the whole novel who’s telling the truth. As an outside perspective, I feel that most reader will be a few steps further than our characters, or at least they think they will. I will admit that while I didn’t entirely like some of the twists I was hooked. I needed to pick that book up and get it finished, I needed to see how it was going to work out and if my predictions were correct (some were, some weren’t).

I will say there were times when I felt that the did fall into some of the classic thriller tropes that can get fairly annoying. For example, the idea of a marriage that looks perfect to the outside world but is hiding something dark. This has been done so, so many times before and I did bore me at times because it kept being reiterated, particularly in regards to Adele. There was also the situation of two women who are so different but are thrown together in some way and bond. Realistically I could not see Adele and Louise getting along or being anything like one another, which meant I struggled at some point during the novel.

I had to give it three stars as the ending was a little too neat for my tastes. There were elements that, while intriguing and interesting, I felt didn’t really match the rest of the story and could have had a lot more exploration. To some extent, I felt like they were simply thrown in there for shock factor, which wasn’t needed. A good thriller is largely dependent on the ending the author creates and while this wasn’t my favourite ending, it did have an element of surprise.

 

Sunday Seven: Books on my TBR

Leave a comment

This week, I wanted to share with you seven books that are currently on my TBR pile. I actually have stacks of books that I haven’t read yet and can’t wait to, so picking seven is pretty tough. Here are just some of the books I own that are working their way up to to be read pile.

1394875

Schindler’s Ark 

I’ve meant to get around to this for a long time. I’ve heard nothing but good things about this book and its portrayal of the Nazi’s terror in occupied Poland and an unlikely hero.

cover97312-medium

Dreadnought 

After hearing about this from Cici on her Booktube channel I had to get hold of a copy and was ecstatic about receiving a review copy. Superheroes, LGBTQIA characters and humor. Sign me up!

28688476

Something In Between

When immigration is such a talked about topic in both the UK and the US right now, I need to read this. A novel about a high achieving and for all the outside, a perfect student, who has a secret past as an illegal immigrant meaning she can’t get ant financial help to go to college.

32615725

All About Mia 

I LOVED The Art of Being Normal , so when I found out that Williamson was releasing a second novel I snapped it up in my local Waterstones. A novel about being the middle child, growing up and always being the source of trouble, I can’t wait to read it.

23699151

Girls Will Be Girls 

I picked this up on a trip into London, I want to read a lot more feminist literature and this seemed like a good addition to the list.

16099393

Soulmates 

Now, this isn’t something I’d normally pick up but seeing as I loved Holly Bourne’s other books so much I need to read through her first.

21068921

The Zookeepers Wife 

I really want to see the film of this when it comes out but can’t stand going to see the film without reading the book first if I can help it. I need to get a move on!

What’s on your TBR pile? Let me know in the comments below!

Book Review: Heartless – Marissa Meyer

1 Comment

cover98900-medium.png

‘Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland, and a favorite of the unmarried King of Hearts, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, all she wants is to open a shop with her best friend. But according to her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for the young woman who could be the next queen.

Then Cath meets Jest, the handsome and mysterious court joker. For the first time, she feels the pull of true attraction. At the risk of offending the king and infuriating her parents, she and Jest enter into an intense, secret courtship. Cath is determined to define her own destiny and fall in love on her terms. But in a land thriving with magic, madness, and monsters, fate has other plans.’

I received this novel twice, once as a Netgalley review copy and the other as a free book with exclusive cover from Owlcrate last year. The novel is set before Alive in Wonderland in the kingdom of Hearts. Have you ever wondered how the Queen of Hearts came to be? Why she would be so fond of tarts and wanting to cut off people’s heads? Marissa Meyer’s latest novel looks at the young woman who became the infamous Queen of Hearts and what it took to get her there.

I’ve heard again and again online that Meyer’s novels have to be read by any Young Adult fan. I loved the idea of this novel, that we could have a glimpse into what the Queen of Hearts was, what shaped her to be the character we all had in our heads. We are introduced to Catherine on the eve of the King’s ball. Catherine, the daughter of nobility, has dreams to open a bakery with her maid and friend, after all, she is the best baker in all of Hearts. It seems, however, that fate has something else in store for her. To be the Queen of Hearts, she must first follow her own.

While I can see the appeal of this novel, such as some of the fantastic description, it really wasn’t for me. I couldn’t connect with Catherine and felt she could have been so much more, rather than acting rather spoilt and often selfish. There were some redeeming qualities and the novel and character had a lot of promise at the beginning but as the plot wore on I found myself getting more and more frustrated with Catherine and her sense of what was right.

At times the novel could be quite slow, I found myself feeling as if I was reading the same passages repeated over and over. Catherine doesn’t seem to do much with her days. I wanted so badly for her to be a strong and independent character who took charge, but unfortunately, I felt that most of the time I was reading a bit of a cliché, her thoughts and actions were that of a damsel in distress type character through the majority of the book. I just wanted her to say no for once!

I’ve given this two stars, simply because I didn’t feel it lived up to the hype that I have seen online. The plot had its merit and Meyer’s description is nothing short of magical, however, the characters both bored and irritated me. I don’t know what I was expecting, possibly more strength and dignity from Catherine’s character? Mostly I just felt like it could have been so much more than it was.

 

Thank you to Netgalley for providing this book for review.

Book Review: In The Dark In The Woods – Eliza Wass

2 Comments

27423753

The woods were insane in the dark, terrifying and magical at the same time. But best of all were the stars, which trumpeted their light into the misty dark.

Castley Cresswell has always is one of The Cresswells. In her town they are outcasts, living in the middle of the woods without modern appliances, clothing or even friends. Along with her brothers, Castley has lived as her father and his messages from god have instructed, although certain things aren’t adding up and as her father becomes increasingly cruel Castley begins to question the world around her.

This was a novel on my Christmas list this year, I’d heard good things about it (although in the US it’s called The Cresswell Plot) it seemed dark with interesting family dynamics. There was also discussion of religious extremism and the lack of challenge towards the children’s father and his methods of ‘punishing them’.

The novel has a combination of mystery, thiller and teenage rebellion. There are five Cresswell children, all under strict rules and ‘guidance’ from their father, including the fact that the family will be God’s chosen people when the time comes, meaning they do not need communication with the outside world. It isn’t until they are forced to go to school, be separated and to be around other young people that they begin to test the limits and see the world for themselves, and rightfully so.

I loved the character of Castley, I loved the natural development of her character as a young woman and as a teenager. There are some elements that are true of all teenagers like  the sweet taste of rebellion, but for Castley this is mixed with a real element of danger. She quickly realises that the danger is no longer from God, if there ever was any, but that her father’s forms of punishment are not the norm. The fact that there is a sense of fear as well as the rebellion makes it more realistic. Castley has obviously lived under her father’s rules for her entire life. A new way of living is both full of fear and hope.

That said, I didn’t want to give the novel 5 stars, simply because I wanted more. I enjoyed the ending but felt that it was very rushed and left a lot of questions unanswered, I just felt incredibly frustrated with the lack of information at the end. I loved the description, the ideas behind the novel and the writing as a whole was brilliant. I would love a second novel to follow on from the ending!

Sunday Seven: 2017 Book Releases

3 Comments

A new year means new book releases and I am so excited. I have had a little nose around at what’s going to be coming up this year and there are definitely some crackers to get excited about! So let’s get stuck in.

29740478

This Is How It Always Is – Laurie Frankel

‘When he grows up, Claude says, he wants to be a girl. Rosie and Penn want Claude to be whoever Claude wants to be. They’re just not sure they’re ready to share that with the world. Soon the entire family is keeping Claude’s secret. Until one day it explodes.’

I’m intrigued by the fact that hiding their child’s true self ‘explodes’ and what this means, I really hope this is a novel that shows what it means to be a family in this situation.

Full blurb on Goodreads.

 

30289938

This is how it happened – Paula Stokes 

When Genevieve Grace wakes up from a coma, she can’t remember the car crash that injured her and killed her boyfriend Dallas, a YouTube star who had just released his first album. Genevieve knows she was there, and that there was another driver, a man named Brad Freeman, who everyone assumes is guilty. But as she slowly pieces together the night of the accident, Genevieve is hit with a sickening sense of dread—that maybe she had something to do with what happened.

I’m really interested in this novel because it looks at the idea of hero worship of Youtube stars, guilt and a mystery. Sign me up.

Full blurb on Goodreads.

29905711

The Art of Feeling – Laura Tims 

Since the car accident, Samantha Herring has been in pain, not only from her leg injury, but also from her mother’s death, which has devastated her family. After pushing away her friends, Sam has receded into a fog of depression. But then Sam meets Eliot, a reckless loner with an attitude and an amazing secret—he can’t feel any pain.

I know what it’s like to live with chronic pain after my own injury so the premise of this is really interesting. It’ll be interesting to pick it up and see what the authors interpretation of living with chronic pain is,

Full blurb on Goodreads.

32993010

Happy – Fearne Cotton 

“This book is a way to release what’s going on inside your head and to keep heading towards the good stuff. The simple stuff. The stuff that’s going to really hit up that happiness on a deep and nourishing level. Whether you dip into these pages every now and then when you feel you need it, or use it daily as a positive exercise, I hope it brings you much relief, joy and calm. Amen to the pen.” – Fearne Cotton

I was told this is a book for over-thinkers, sign me up right now.

30197201

A Quiet Kind of Thunder – Sara Barnard 

Steffi has been a selective mute for most of her life – she’s been silent for so long that she feels completely invisible. But Rhys, the new boy at school, sees her. He’s deaf, and her knowledge of basic sign language means that she’s assigned to look after him. To Rhys, it doesn’t matter that Steffi doesn’t talk, and as they find ways to communicate, Steffi finds that she does have a voice, and that she’s falling in love with the one person who makes her feel brave enough to use it.

I want to read a lot more diverse books this year and the premise of this book fills me with happiness at the blurb. I need to get me hands on this one.

Find it on Goodreads.

30644520

Difficult Women – Roxane Gay 

The women in these stories live lives of privilege and of poverty, are in marriages both loving and haunted by past crimes or emotional blackmail.

I haven’t read too many collections of short stories, but I’d like to try and read a few more. I absolutely loved Roxane Gay’s Ted Talk when I watched it in uni, Bad Feminist has been on my TBR forever, so it only makes sense to add Difficult Women to my list. That and I think we need more ‘difficult women’ in the world.

Full blurb on Goodreads.

32956008

Sour Hearts – Jenny Zhang

Centered on a community of immigrants who have traded their endangered lives as artists in China and Taiwan for the constant struggle of life at the poverty line in 1990s New York City, Zhang’s exhilarating collection examines the many ways that family and history can weigh us down and also lift us up.

This is the first novel from Lena Dunham’s publishing company. While I have mixed feelings about Lena and the comments she makes, she’s really struck gold by the looks of it. This is another novel I want to read that shows diversity and the struggles of others in regards to immigration. I feel like this is also needed when we’re facing the leader of the free world being so anti-immigration.

Full blurb on Goodreads.

My Top 10 books of 2016!

5 Comments

How can it be the end of the year already! I wanted to share with you 10 of my top reads of 2016. I’ve had a great reading year, reading over 100 books, it was so hard to pick just 10 that I loved.  It was a great year for feminist voices with Manifesto from Caitlin Moran (author of How To Be A Woman), Girl Up by the wonderful Laura Bates (author and public speaker of Everyday Sexism) and a breakthrough from comedienne Sara Pascoe with Animal. In a fiery combination of exploration of sexuality, feminism and poetry Rupi Kaur’s Milk and Honey was a breath of fresh air in the world of poetry and heartfelt. Jodi Picoult knocked it out of the park again with a novel staring the problems of America’s racism in the face with Small Great Things following a black nurse and a white supremacist. In YA fiction Holly Bourne has completed her Spinster Club series *sob* with the third instalment (which began with Am I Normal Yet? ) What’s A Girl To Do  which see’s the girls facing university, growing up and the hardships of being a ‘good feminist’. In terms of thrillers and unsung hero is Hollie Overton’s Baby Doll, an eerie and intelligent Overton is one to watch for real thriller. In Sci-Fi, Claudia Gray bought Princess Leia to life once again in Bloodlines, a new novel set before The Force Awakens and looks at Leia’s everyday life and how it drastically changes. My guilty pleasure read is L.S Hilton’s Maestra, a sexy and dangerous novel that was good for a break, is it a literary masterpiece? Probably not, but it is a good and fun read with a dark streak. My latest and most heartbreaking read of the year was You Will Not Have My Hate, written by the husband of one of the victims of the 2015 terrorist attacks on Paris and it is both heartbreaking and an incredibly important read.

What were your top reads of 2016? Let me know in the comments below!

My Goodreads Challenge 2016

4 Comments

Well, well, well hasn’t 2016 been a fabulous year for reading ( I mean, a terrible year for almost everything else, but at least the books were great). This year I absolutely smashed my Goodreads challenge with a mixture of Fiction, Non-Fiction and Graphic Novels. I want to share with you the list of all 115 of the brilliant (and not so brilliant) books I’ve read this year.

Don’t forget I’d love to be your friend on Goodreads! Find me here.

 

Spider -Gwen, Vol 0: Most Wanted?  – Jason Latour

I Never Promised You a Rose Garden – Hannah Green

Fun Home – Alison Bechdale

Late Fragments – Kate Gross

Star Wars, Vol 1: Skywalker Strikes – Jason Aaron

Star Wars: Before The Awakening – Greg Ruka

Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them – J.K Rowling

Why Not Me? – Mindy Kaling 

The Trial of Captain America – Ed Brubaker

Harley Quinn: Hot in The City – Amanda Connor

Captain America Vol 1: TheNew Deal – John Ney Reiber

The Namesake – Jhumpa Lahiri

Darth Vader: Shadows and Secrets – Kieron Gillen

Faceless- Alissa B Shienmel

Strong Looks Better Naked – Khloe Kardashian 

Vader Down – Jason Aaron

Rebecca – Daphne Du Maurier

Sex Criminals: Two Worlds, One Cop – Matt Fraction

Hot Feminist – Polly Vernon

Harley Quinn: Power Outage – Amanda Connor

How Hard Can Love Be? – Holly Bourne

The Widow – Fiona Barton

Living Dolls – Natasha Walter

Girl Meets Boy – Ali Smith

The Wicked + The Divine: The Faust Act – Kieron Gillen

Postcards From the Edge – Carrie Fisher

Me, Earl and the Dying Girl – Jesse Andrews 

Wonder Woman: Love and Muder – Jodi Picoult

The Wicked + The Divine: Fandemonium – Kieron Gillen

Phonogram – Kieron Gillen

Codename Baboushka: The Conclave of Death – Antony Johnston

Spider-Girl: The Grater Power – Jason Latour

Black Magick : Awakening – Greg Rucka

The Wicked + The Divine: Commercial Suicide – Kieron Gillen

Everyday Sexism – Laura Bates

Chewbacca- Gerry Duggan

Phonogram: Rue Britania – Kieron Gillen

Silk: The Life and Times of Cindy Moon – Robbie Thompson

Light Box – K.J. Orr

Moranifesto – Caitlin Moran

Phonogram: The Singles Club – Kieron Gillen

Maestra – L.S. Hilton

Sane New World – Ruby Wax 

All of The Above – Juno Dawson

Deadpool Kills Deadpool – Cullen Bunn

Deadpool Killustrated – Cullen Bunn

Huck – Mark Millar

Girl Up – Laura Bates 

One Breath Away – Heather Gudenkauf

Harley Quinn: Welcome to Metropolis – Karl Kesel

Alex + Ada: vol 1 – Jonathan Luna

#GirlBoss – Sophia Amoruso

Alex + Ada: vol 2 – Jonathan Luna

Deadpool Kills The Marvel Universe – Cullen Bunn

Alex + Ada: vol 3 – Jonathan Luna

Barbara The Slut and Other People – Lauren Holmes

Wonder – R.J. Palacio

One – Sarah Crossan

Everything, Everything – Nicola Yoon

Star Wars: Bloodline – Claudia Gray

I Call Myself a Feminist

Deadpool: World’s Greatest, Vol 1: Millionaire With a Mouth – Gerry Duggan

Bombshells: She Can Do It – Marguerite Bennett

Letters to my Fanny – Cherry Healey

Radio Silence – Alice Oseman

Highly Illogical Behaviour – John Corey Whaley

Archie: The New Riverdale – Mark Waid

The Vagenda – Holly Baxter and Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett

Sex Criminals: Three The Hard Way – Matt Fraction

If I Was Your Girl – Meredith Russo

Obiwan and Anakin: Vol 1 – Charles Soule

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child – John Tiffany 

What’s a Girl Gotta Do? – Holly Bourne

Harley Quinn: Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Stab – Amanda Conner

Baby Doll – Hollie Overton 

A Game of Thrones – George R.R. Martin

What I Couldn’t Tell You – Faye Bird

So Sad Today – Melissa Broder

On The Other Side – Carrie Hope Fletcher 

Mad Girl – Bryony Gordon

The Perfect Girl – Gilly Macmillan 

The Graces – Laure Eve

Short stories from Hogwarts of Power Politics and Pesky Poltergeists – J.K Rowling

Short Stories from Hogwarts : Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies – J.K Rowling

Grief Is The Thing With Feathers – Max Porter

Hogwarts: An Incomplete and Unreliable Guide – J.K Rowling

The Girl With The Lower Back Tattoo – Amy Schumer

Rad Women Worldwide – Kate Schatz

Spectacles – Sue Perkins

Milk and Honey – Rupi Kuar

The Girl on The Train – Paula Hawkins

A Boy Made of Blocks – Keith Stuart 

Great Small Things – Jodi Picoult 

Harley Quinn: Call to Arms – Amanda Conner

Where Am I Now? – Mara Wilson

The Wicked + The Divine: Rising Action – Kieron Gillen

When We Collided – Emery Lord 

And A Happy New Year – Holly Bourne

Our Super Adventure – Sarah Graley

The Life Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*** – Sarah Knight

Scarlet Witch: Witches’ Road – James Robinson

Silk: Sinister – Robbie Thompson

The Girl In The Picture – Alexandra Monir 

Bellzhar – Meg Wolitzer

Winter’s Snow – Carrie Hope Fletcher

Hello Me, It’s You – Edited by Hannah Todd 

The Sun is Also a Star – Nicola Yoon 

The Princess Diarist – Carrie Fisher

This Modern Love – Will Darbyshire

Notes on a Thesis – Tiphaine Rivière

Animal – Sara Pascoe

Vassa in the Night – Sara Porter

Scrappy Little Nobody – Anna Kendrick

A Mother’s Reckoning – Sue Klebold

Complete as of 22nd December 2016

Book Review: The Light Between Oceans – M.L. Stedman

Leave a comment

13643426

A Woman stole your heart when you didn’t know it could mend, 

Her heart is now broken and you can fix it if you never tell a soul as well as saving a child. 

As this novel is about to fill our cinema screens, I wanted to share with you my review of the breath taking, heart breaking novel by M.L. Stedman.

Set just after  WW1, war hero Tom Sherborne wants a quiet life after what he has seen. With a heavy heart it is just short of a miracle when he finds not only his perfect job on the isolated island of Janus, but also a young and fiery Isabel. After exchanging letters Tom and Isabel marry as he takes her back to Janus to join him in the lighthouse and start their own paradise on the island. When a boat arrives on the island holding a dead man and a tiny infant the couple don’t know what to do. While Tom is adamant he must stick to the keepers code Isabel , heartbroken by the death of her stillborn son and two miscarriages, and sure the child is an orphan. The couple begin to realise that while their paradise is a world away, they cannot hide forever.

This novel absolutely warmed and shattered my heart all at once. I honestly can not remember a book that has touched me in this way before, even my favourite The Storyteller didn’t make my heart ache this much. I knew nothing of this book before I found it in my local Tesco’s and I was hesitant to pick it up, but I am so glad I did. The blurb warns you that it will break your heart but I was sceptical. That said, I am yet to read a review in which the novel hasn’t brought the reader to tears by the end. I’ve read reviews beforehand saying that they couldn’t stand Isabel and I could see why some would hate her, but I just couldn’t. I don’t know if it is because I’m a woman, because of my own maternal instincts, but I understood Isabel. I understood why she did what she did. The pain of losing her children broke her and changed her in a way no one could explain, because think about it, wouldn’t it change you? I can also understand Tom’s dilemma and the decision he makes, and maybe it’s not the right one but in his shoes I doubt anyone knows what they would really do.

The novel has a very real sense of the implications of war and the fragile nature of human life. Although we never hear about Tom’s time as a serving soldier to graphically you don’t need to because it is not the dead who will shatter you heart it is the living who are left behind. On land there is an eerie sense of the hardships of war, of the men who came home but never really came back at all, the mothers and widowers who refuse to believe their boys are really dead. Stedman also bravely touches on the subject of racism after  war, when an innocent life is lost because of the decisions of the few. In my opinion, this was incredibly important because we rarely see this side written about and also because it shows the hurt of a whole community and also the sacrifice of Australia in WW1, something that is often overlooked.

One of the main reasons I loved it though was because I wasn’t in a rush. This wasn’t a thriller but it made you want to read on at your own pace. After saying this, however, this does not mean that I couldn’t put it down and even though I peeked later on at one point I soon forgot what I had read because you get so absorbed in the novel. The imagery of the surroundings is beautiful and I could hear the characters inside my head. The way I can decide if it is a novel worth passing on is if the characters live on in my head, if they become alive and Stedman has certainly done this. I think about living in a lighthouse, about Tom and Izzy and I dream about Australia, so on that basis I can give you a five-star rating!

The Light Between Oceans – M. L Stedman (debut novel)

***** – It may have broken my heart but I love this novel to pieces already!

Published by Black Swan

Book Review: The Sun is Also a Star – Nicola Yoon

2 Comments

28763485

Natasha: I’m a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I’m definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him won’t be my story.

Daniel: I’ve always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents’ high expectations. Never the poet. Or the dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that. Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something much more extraordinary in store—for both of us.

The Universe: Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before us. Which one will come true? 

All I can say first of all is wow, wow, wow. I wasn’t sure whether or not I was going to pick this up. I’d read Yoon’s other novel Everything, Everything earlier in the year and while I liked it I struggled with certain elements and their likelihood. That said I kept seeing this novel everywhere and heard nothing but good things about it, reflecting on the fact I’d actually really liked Yoon’s style previously I thought I would give this a go, and I’m so glad I was offered a copy for review.

The Sun Is Also A Star is more than simply a YA novel. This is a story of identity, personality, nationality, love, loss, strained relationships and taking chances. Natasha and Daniel could not be more different on the surface, while she is a deeply serious and studious young woman, he is a dreamer struggling with the pressures put upon him. For both of them this day will change their lives, after a chance encounter they realise that life won’t always go as they planned.

Not only did I fall in love with these characters I loved that this book didn’t have the typical American boy/ American girl set up. Daniel is from an American-Korean family, while Natasha and her family are from Jamaica, while she considers herself American. This adds a whole other level to the plot and the narrative. This isn’t a simple boy meets girl story, it’s so much more complex. It looks at their relationship with their ethnicity, stereotypes and others around them. I welcomed this, I welcomed characters that were part of an ethnic minority and the impact it has on their lives in 21st century America.

It took a little while to get used to but I loved that there were these strange sections within the novel that explained concepts, people and their stories. It seems strange and at first I didn’t think it would work but as the novel went on it showed off not only Yoon’s brilliant research capabilities but also the lengths she has gone to when creating her characters, their worlds, stories and families.

It is because of these traits in the novel that I found myself getting deeply and emotionally attached to the characters and their issues. It’s rare that I’ll become attached to a novel that features romance but I could not stop reading it, I wanted and rooted for both Daniel and Natasha. I will say make sure you read to the end because there are twists that you don’t expect to happen, there are emotions that you don’t know you will feel.

I gave this a high 4 stars. I really enjoyed this novel, I thought it was well written and well executed. I suppose it also had a sense of realism too. I don’t think there is anything I actively disliked about the novel, I just felt that occasionally Daniel came across a little too much as a perfect romantic type, but that’s just my personal taste.

Book Review: Hello Me, It’s You – Edited by Hannah Todd

Leave a comment

32078947

‘Hello Me, it’s You is a collection of letters by young adults aged 17-24 about their experiences with mental health issues. The letters are written to their 16-year-old selves, giving beautifully honest advice, insight and encouragement for all that lays ahead of them.’

When hearing about the premise of this book, I was intrigued. I know that when I was 16 and suffering with a deep depression I felt alone and that no on in the world felt this way, that it wouldn’t get better. I really wish I’d had this book. Each letter is written by a different person telling their younger selves what they wish they had known and what is to come. It was interesting to read, partially because of a lot of the letters written were by people my own age, writing back, it definitely made me think about what I would want to tell to my 16-year-old self.

Each letter was deeply emotional and took a different direction. While some authors felt that they would simply tell their past selves that things get better, others gave advice on what they were going to go through and how to cope or ways they would cope eventually. I think that this is a book to pick up and put down because it can be quite heavy reading. There are a lot of issues discussed, suicidal thoughts, self-harm, general feelings of a lack of self-worth. Of course, these are issues that need to be spoken about, but as someone who has been and currently is going through mental health issues it can be hard to read about these things, so I found myself taking a break here and there. If nothing else this book should remind you that self-care is important.

I will admit there are some point where I wondered if you would really tell your past self just how bad things will get, but I think that really depends on you as a person. Of course, all of this is hypothetical, we know that we can’t go back in time and tell our past selves anything, however, what is incredible about these letters is that it could speak to someone who feels like they are alone. Each and every one of these letters is unique and will be able to speak to young people who are struggling and encourage them to either talk to someone or give comfort that they are not alone.

I gave this book 4 stars. It was a brilliant idea and I think it could help a lot of young people through some really difficult times. More books like this are definitely needed to show people that mental illness does not mean that your life is over. It also doesn’t mean that you need to live in fear, nor do you have to live alone.