Tag: young adult

Book Review: Zenn Diagram – Wendy Brant

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If one touch could tell you everything about a person, the good and the bad, what would you do?

As a high school math genius, Eva is used to not being the most popular, but this suits her just fine. While the rest of the school thinks she’s simply a germophobe, Eva is protecting herself from their deepest secrets, their joys and fears, all from a single touch. It isn’t until Eva meets Zac that her gift haunts her more than ever.

It’s been a long time since I picked up a YA novel that I knew was going to involve a love plot. I requested this via Netgalley and was approved by the publishers to give a fair and honest review. I won’t lie, I wasn’t expecting to love this novel as much as I did. If you’re looking for a novel with love and a twist then you’re in the right place.

I connected with the character of Eva almost immediately, while I initially was thrown by her gift and what it meant for the novel. I’ll admit that it did take a while for me to get used to it, but the choice of gift itself was well put together. The fact that Eva has her own life and struggles made her more relatable. While I was initially sceptical about the introduction of Zenn and what this would mean for Eva’s smart and focused character, it actually added a great deal to her and the plot itself.

I think one of the best parts about the novel, however, is that it also have strong comedic value. Eva is not only funny, she is also fiercely intelligent, something that we definitely need more of. As the novel went on I liked both her, and the character of Zen more. I didn’t roll my eyes, nor did I get frustrated because she felt real to me. This was a character that I could see myself in, someone who struggles with what it means to be a ‘good girl’ but also know sadness.

I gave this novel 4 stars. It’s definitely an uplifting book and while it does tackle some issues, there is enough appropriate humour and intelligence to make it an uplifting read. Brant has a true talent for writing fantastic novels with relatable and intelligent protagonists. I would highly recommend this novel to all who need something a little different in the YA market.

Book Review: The Girl in the Picture – Alexandra Monir

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‘Nicole Morgan has been labeled many things — the geeky music girl, the shy sidekick to Miss Popularity, and the girl with the scar. Now only one name haunts her through the halls of Oyster Bay Prep. The Girl in the Picture. After high school heartthrob Chace Porter is found dead in the woods near the school, the police are in search of the girl whose picture with Chace is the only clue found amongst his personal belongings. A girl who no one knew was even close to Chace–and whose dormmate, Lana Rivera, was Chace’s girlfriend. Nicole is that girl and now she’s the primary suspect in his murder. But what really happened that night? Were Nicole and Chace dating behind Lana’s back; were he and Lana over? Could either of them have killed him? Told in alternating points of view, that of our suspect, Nicole Morgan, and her former best friend and roommate, Lana Rivera, readers will piece together the story of a starcrossed love, a fractured friendship–and what really happened the night Chace was killed.’ 

I requested this novel a little while ago and said that in return I would give an honest review about what I thought of the novel. I love a good thriller and this seemed to pull me in, the murder of a loved boy, best friends at war, the mention of a scar, what’s not to love? Set in an exclusive boarding school for the rich and talented the crime rocks them to their core, but would either girl have it in her to murder someone?

I’m sad to admit that this novel was not as I expected, instead of a fast paced thriller with various twists and turns that left me in shock I was left with an ‘okay’ novel which used a lot of YA cliches as well as some quite see through plotlines, which was disappointing. At first, I thought I’d really like Nicole in particular, she seemed smart and approachable as a character, but as the novel wore on I felt increasingly frustrated with her and her plot, it just didn’t seem like she carried on as the same character throughout. This was similar with Lana, however, she appeared to be a stereotype rich bitch girl from the beginning, without a lot of depth or vulnerability to her, which was disappointing.

The plot itself could have worked really well but I just felt that it had so many holes in it. If I’m honest I think it would have worked much better as a longer novel, at many times the plot felt too rushed, like it was crammed into the space of a young adult novel and some things which seemed important were almost completely ignored. There’s not a doubt that Monir has good ideas, but I definitely think this would have worked better as a longer novel, simply because there were so many points where I wanted to know more and wanted to explore the characters, their motives and their backgrounds.

I gave this novel 2 stars. I was really excited to read this but unfortunately, it just didn’t show me anything new in the genre. I worked out quite early on what was happening and there were some things within it that just didn’t make sense or just seemed to fall into place too easily in the story. I definitely think that there was potential here but unfortunately, it was too much like other thrillers that I’ve read and didn’t give me anything new to take away from it.

Sad times!

 

Book Review: When We Collided – Emery Lord

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“My dark days made me strong. Or maybe I already was strong, and they made me prove it.”

Jonah never thought a girl like Vivi would come along. Vivi didn’t know Jonah would light up her world.
Neither of them expected a summer like this…a summer that would rewrite their futures.

In an unflinching story about new love, old wounds, and forces beyond our control, two teens find that when you collide with the right person at just the right time, it will change you forever.

Well, what can I say about this novel? While initially, I wondered if this was going to be another novel about teenagers falling in love and everything is magical and great forever. I can’t read books like that anymore because there are so many. This was a refreshing read focusing on real issues and how we cope with them and showing teenagers as people.

I got this with my Illumicrate back in May and have only got around to reading it now. I am kicking myself for not reading it sooner! Emery Lord is a fantastic writer and can write thoughtful, funny and beautiful words that will suck you in. I could not put this book down, I was constantly thinking about Vivi and Jonah, their lives, their futures. Also, it’s rare that I love an ending as much as I did this one. It was absolutely perfect and just created a sense of peace for me at the end.

While the blurb hints at mental illness, it doesn’t show the extent of how the novel manages it. Both Vivi and Jonah are so real and incredible because they have flaws, they make mistakes and, for me, you can see yourself in their decisions and mistakes. The novel has so many elements to it family, friends, reflection and how people live through challenges in mental health. Jonah’s grief is explored, as are issues in Vivi’s past.

With all that said the novel is uplifting, I loved every single page. Vivi is a breath of fresh air and Jonah took my heart from the very first page. I’d love to go into the list of reasons why but I don’t want to spoil anything because it really is a treat.

Of course, I gave this novel five stars, for a while I thought it may be four but the ending bumped it up. I loved the pace, characters and plot it was absolutely incredible and I can’t wait to get myself reading anything else that Emery writes because she is truly talented.

Book Review: Far From You – Tess Sharpe

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“Bad ideas are sometimes necessary.” It sounds so much like an excuse, it’s such an addict thing to say, that it makes my skin crawl.”

Sophie counts the days, the weeks, the months that she’s been drug-free. Not your average image of a drug addict Sophie is a young woman who fell into an addiction for painkillers. Four months ago her best friend Mina was murdered, people say it was adrug deal gone wrong. Sophie knows the truth. There was no drug deal and there was no accident, Mina was murdered and she has to get people to believe her before the killer comes for her next.

All hail Tess Sharpe. I have to say that after reading this novel I was absolutely hooked, I wanted to read it about five times over because it had just been so magnificently written. Who can be believed, who can be trusted? No one knows in this gritty thriller novel if you loved Suicide Notes from Beautiful Girls then you’ll adore Far From You. I’ve been thrusting copies into my friends hands since I read it because each chapter takes you somewhere you didn’t think it would.

Sophie and Mina are really interesting characters and the meaning of best friends. When Mina is murdered and Sophie wakes up next to her body, only knowing this is where Mina needed to be she knows that she’s in trouble. After she passes out again the police find drugs in her pocket. No one will listen to her not her parents, not the police, not anyone and if no one is going to help she’s going to have to follow Mina’s clues herself and hopefully Mina’s killer.

I love a thriller with decent twists and turns that no one can see coming, I cannot ruin it but the ending is something else that, out of everyone I’ve spoken to, no one can see coming. I did have some small worries about getting stuck into this book and the character of Sophie mainly because I didn’t want her portrayed badly because in the first few pages I really did fall in love with her and completely understand what she was going through.

There are also some very interesting relationships as you go through the novel, there are very little clues that I can give without unraveling the plot but just as you think, ok I know what’s going on here Sharpe throws another curveball and you’re back where you started and eager for more. I stayed up a lot later than I should have reading this book and can 100% say that I didn’t regret it.

It’s no surprise that I’m giving Far From You 5 stars *****. Tess Sharpe is a fantastic writer and after finding out that this is also a debut I was even more excited to see what she has coming next. A breathtaking and fast paced read that any thriller fan will love, although one word of advice don’t start reading it when you have something important to do the next day because staying up all night reading is highly likely.

Review by Chloe Metzger

The YA Chronicles Unboxing and Review

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A new subscription box to add to the pile today! I decided to order The YA Chronicles from Australia as I’ve seen it a few times on Booktube and it’s one that I thought had looked good in the past, so why not try it out? This is for August’s box so if you haven’t had a chance to open yours then look away NOW!

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Words in Deep Blue and reading light

First up is the novel I received this month. I’ve never heard of this book and was quite disappointed that it’s a mass market paperback and seems to be a fairly generic love story. I did like the light but also thought that it was quite cheap some something I could pick up in my local poundland, but it was a nice idea.

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Library Stamp Wrap Around

I really liked this, as it’s something different and creative, plus I remember when booked were actually stamped rather than scanned, ah the good old days of libraries.

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Bibliophile Soap 

This little soap was both adorable and practical. I like that it was something I’ve never recieved in a box before.  IMG_0253

Bookmarks

I purchased one and had two others come free with the box. You can always use more bookmarks…always.

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Overall I think this box was sweet but I don’t think I’ll be getting it again. For what I paid and what I paid to get it shipped from Australia I was a bit disappointed at how little I got in it. It was a nice change but I’m going to go on the hunt for more!

Book Review: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl- Jesse Andrews

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“If after reading this book you come to my home and brutally murder me, I do not blame you.”

Greg tells us from the beginning that he has no friends, apart from Earl who’s the closest thing he has to a friend because they make movies together. He’s happy to be on his own, being a loner at school will get him through high school almost unnoticed. Well, that is until his mother asks him to comfort a childhood friend who has cancer, how can he say no to a person with cancer?  After Rachel stops her treatment for Leukemia, Greg decides to make a film for her and this is that story.

There was a lot of hype around this novel, especially when it was announced that it would be turned into a film. As always I wanted to read the book before seeing the film and now I don’t think I’ll be watching the film at all as this novel really isn’t what I thought it would be.

There is a time for self deprecating humour, but throughout a whole novel is not the place for it. I understand that it is part of that character and how he perceives himself and the world but the character of Greg drove me insane throughout the whole novel. It felt as if Andrews wanted us to hate the book, it got old pretty fast.

The novel just didn’t sit well with me, while at times it was honest I couldn’t get on with the narrative style, that doesn’t mean it was a bad book, just not to my taste. I think one of the things I struggled with was that I don’t think Rachel was fleshed out as well as she could have been and Earl was very stereotypical.

Overall I really didn’t like this book, there were points the felt kind of sweet but this was quickly taken away. I just felt that I couldn’t connect with Greg at all and if I’m honest he just annoyed me. This made me really sad as I’d heard so much hype about how funny and charming it was but I honestly didn’t find like that at all. With that in mind I gave it a 2 star review BUT I do think this would work a lot better as a film just because of the way in which it is written.

So, should I watch the film? Did you like the novel? Let me know in the comments below!

Book Review: Before I Die – Jenny Downham

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I had very high expectations when I very excitedly bought this book. I had heard fantastic reviews, everyone who had read it that I had come across ranted and raved about it and its protagonist, Tessa. The blurb looked okay but oh how wrong I was, I thought this would be a tale of strength, determination and really living your last days to the full with happiness and laughter. That said I was also expecting her to be scared or upset that is a given but well I’m afraid thats all it was at times, fear and wanting to achieve the unachievable. It’s not just that the tale was sad, it was outright miserable to read.

I’m sorry to admit I got bored of this book extremely quickly, I forced myself to carry on reading and in the end I’m glad I did as parts of the novel were beautifully written, especially any references to nature. However, this doesn’t stop my annoyance at the author Jenny Downham, sixteen year old Tessa writes a list of things she wants to do before she dies of terminal leukaemia, sounds like a good plot line right? That’s what I thought but throughout the entire novel we do not see this list at all!!! I feel that if you are going to write a whole novel on the idea of a kind of bucket list, then wouldn’t you include the list somewhere in the book itself? However Downham does not give us one, we are left trying to struggle to remember what Tessa has achieved from the list and therefore making it slightly pointless.

While the novel is classed as young adult, it did feel rather immature for its subject matter and focused heavily on clichè. Number one on the list is to have sex, resulting in a quite strange night, which, if I’m honest seemed out of place in relation to the character and the plot itself. Another on the list is to get stoned, say yes for an entire day (which actually turns out to be quite sweet) and get famous, yes you read that right… I wasn’t that impressed. Then throw into the mix an amazingly annoying best friend who is ‘wild’, a runaway mother, a doting father (who I felt Tessa treated extremely badly), a very sweet younger brother (who should of had more emphasis put on him and the relationship he has with his sister) and the boy, because of course there’s a boy next door.

Tessa herself has not been portrayed in the best light. I felt little sympathy or connection to her at all. Yes she is a young dying girl, with a right to feel unhappy and wanting to do this her way, but she just came across as terribly selfish to absolutely everyone around her and, really, a bit of a brat. I was especially annoyed at the way she treated her father who had done nothing but good for her and obviously loves her so much, if this relationship had been expanded then maybe there would of been more to like about Tessa. Although that said there is obviously a deep connection between her and her younger brother Cal, although he to, is not always well portrayed and this could have been explored more.

For this I only give 2 stars **, I really wasn’t that impressed with it compared to other books I have read that surround the subject of terminal illness. The character of Tessa was not terribly likeable, nor did I feel I could connect with her and the plot.

July Owlcrate Unboxing and Review: Good vs Evil

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It’s finally here! After months of watching unboxings, reading reviews and drooling over the contents I ordered my first Owlcrate box thanks to a promotional code from Cece over at ProblemsofaBookNerd. This was slightly more pricey than other crates I’ve tried BUT I have to say that I’m impressed with the contents and it was well worth the wait. This month’s theme was Good vs Evil, half of the boxes are good and half evil, the book is the same but the box is a surprise. While I got the evil box, my cousin got good and it was nice to see the difference between them.

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Death Star Necklace 

As most of you know I am obsessed with Star Wars  I love it and so finding a little necklace of the Death Star in it! Now, I am slightly jealous because the good crate got the Millenium Falcon because obviously I’m with the Force. That said I love this, it is beautifully made. Also, please excuse any stray at hair in the picture, Suki decided she also liked the crate.

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Draco Malfoy Funko Pop 

Ah Draco, angry, confused, although I don’t know if I’d go as far as evil. I was stupidly excited to receive this, even though I already have the pop (because I have a Harry Potter obsession and so I have all but 3 of the pops now). This is  a GREAT addition to the box, absolutely fab!

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The Red Queen Bookmark

A classic villain for this little magnetic bookmark, an adorable design and so cute too!

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Harper Collins mini colouring book 

I LOVED this idea. Harper Collin’s have included a small colouring book full of their YA covers, I’d love to see more of these, because who doesn’t love colouring!

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Here are some of the bits and pieces included, including the breakdown of this month’s box, a sticker and a hint of next month’s box which will also include Harry Potter!

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This Savage Song – Victoria Schwab 

I let out a squeal of joy when I found this in my box, I’ve had this on my to read list and now I have my own copy!! So exciting! The cover is beautiful and it came with a letter from the author and a signed sticker (which I’ve placed inside). I can’t wait to get stuck in to read about the monster’s that Schwab have created.

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I absolutely loved my first Owl Crate, so I’m going to be keeping my subscription, especially as there are going to be Harry Potter related goodies in it! As always I’d love to know your thoughts, so pop them in the comments below!

 

Book Review: An Abundance of Katherines – John Green

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“How do you just stop being terrified of getting left behind and ending up by yourself forever and not meaning anything to the world?”

It’s a known fact that I think John Green is a genius and I ended up buying and devouring any book of his I pick up. I chose An Abundance of  Katherines as my third John Green novel to read about Paper Towns although this novel isn’t bad I wish I had chosen to pick up the latter.

Colin Singleton is a child prodigy, his mind is incredible and he is expected to do incredible things, that is until he hits a limit and start to wonder if he’ll ever have a ‘eureka’ moment. It doesn’t help that Colin has yet again been dumped by another Katherine, number 19 to be exact. To get away from it all, with the help of friend Hassan the two boys take a road trip after graduation and end up in Gutshot, Tennessee and end up having a very different experience to what they had planned.

While the pair find summer jobs in Gutshot and make friends with the beautiful Lindsey, Colin still has Katherine’s on the brain. He settles down to work on the mathematical likelihood of relationships, starting with Katherine one and working through them to perfect the equation. Although it doesn’t sound amusing it is and doesn’t take up the whole book which I was thoughtful for. What I think this novel is really about is a young guy who’s trying to work himself out through the only way he knows, math.

Although the novel was interesting and again Green has worked his magic at making believable characters and that loveable and slightly annoying nerd at the centre of it all, I wasn’t as hooked as I had been with previous novels. Throughout the novel I really didn’t understand the importance of all the Katherines and felt quite confused by it all! On top of that, to match Colin’s character there are a lot of foot notes with various explanations, comments etc and for me it didn’t help. I like getting lost in a novel and I just felt that the footnotes took away from that and made me think about them too much. Although that said I know people who found that to be the best part of the novel, so it really is down to personal preference.

I want to give An Abundance of Katherines 3 stars. I did like it but it’s not my favourite John Green novel. As with Green’s other novels you can’t help but feel as if you are friends with the characters and have your own hopes for them. I would have liked to have known more about genius Colin and what Lindsey did next but that’s not what this novel was about. From my experience of reading it I felt like it was about having that time before a big change to figure yourself out, as usual Green has been fantastic in getting into the teenage mind.

Illumicrate May 2016 Unboxing and Review

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Hello, hello, hello! I have finally been able to go back to my parents house and pick up my illumicrate which I literally missed by about 2 days the last time I was here. I’ve been waiting to get my hands on an affordable book subscription box, Illumicrate are based in the UK I believe, so I don’t have to pay huge shipping costs which are not my friend while I’m job hunting. So I may be a little late to the game but I’m hoping to try out more subscription boxes this year and give you guys an idea of what’s out there. Don’t forget that I’ve also done unboxing and reviews for MCM Collector Corps and Lootcrate too! On to the wonderful illumicrate…
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Bookworm Clip by My Bookish Mark and Readers Gonna Read Pin by Literary Emporium 

How adorable is this bookmark?! I’m always on the lookout from new bookmarks because I will literally use anything I can. Also the Readers Gonna Read pin is such good quality and it seems like it’s going to last. Love it. Love it. Love it.

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Ex Libris Stamp by Little Stamp Store

This is such an adorable little stamp and something that I didn’t expect at all and it has a fox on it!!! If you didn’t know I’m all about the foxes. Now I can go through and stamp all my favourite books if I want to WITH FOXES!

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Jenny McLachlan Badges

I’ve not heard of Jenny McLachlan before recieving these badges but they’re cute and in bright summery colours, I can definitely see myself putting them onto a tote bag! I’m also going to have to give Jenny a Google later on!

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When We Collide – Emery Lord 

I have wanted to pick this up on my last few bookshop trips and it’s been on my to read list since it came out so when ‘When We Collide’ was buried in my box I let out more than a little squeal, there’s also a set of postcards and a signed sticker from Emery (which has not been put inside the book). 10/10 for this book, very well done to the illumicrate team for finding this gem!

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Book Club Mug by The Art of Escapism and To Be Read List Notepad by Goodnight Boutique

I didn’t get individual pics of these two amazing items. The mug is a great size and is made of a strong plastic so you can use it inside, outside and it’s just got a really cute design on it too. The other awesome exclusive is this notepad! It had a to review list, a books to buy list and a currently reading list on it, I can see this becoming VERY useful.