REVIEW: Caraval by Stephanie Garber

Caraval by Stephanie Garber
SERIES: Caraval #1
GENRE: YA Fantasy
RATING: 5 Stars
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Welcome, welcome to Caraval - Stephanie Garber's sweeping tale of two sisters who escape their ruthless father when they enter the dangeruous intrigue if a legendary game. 

Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during the Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But she nevertheless becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak and magic with the other players in the game. And whether Caraval is real or not, she must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over, a dangerous domino effect of consequences is set off and her sister disappears forever.

MY THOUGHTS:
I'm not a fantasy fan, but after hearing so many people mention this in their 'Most Anticipated 2017 Releases', I was delighted to be approved on Netgalley for this amazing book (though I am very jealous of those who own a physical copy with the groegous covers!).

Caraval is one of the few fantasy books I have read so I can't give you an analysis of how it fairs in the YA fantasy market. On the other hand, my lack of fantasy knowledge meant that I was easily swept into the fantastically built world. Like I said, I'm not sure whether this was because I have little fantasy experience but my guess (and from talking to others about it), full credit goes to Stephanie Garber for her immense talent at world building. Each aspect was vividly described and half of the reason I was so hooked was because I just couldn't wait to get back and learn more about it!

Next on my gushing list of things I loved, is the characters. Each one was so creatively built so that I didn't feel the same about two characters. To me, that is a real skill of a writer - being able to distinguish characters, not only in terms of the story but in terms of the emotions they provoke. Not only were the characters unique, there were so many layers to their past. Every single person had an unexpected part of their character arc - nothing was predictable which really added to the mystery of Caraval.

My general experience of reading Caraval was utterly magical. There was mystery, suspense and a undertone of darkness. The sister relationship was lovingly created and every aspect explored. I loved every sentence that graced the page and can't wait to see more from this universe and spectacular author.

*I RECEIVED A COPY OF THIS FOR REVIEW BUT IT IN NO WAY AFFECTED MY OPINIONS*

REVIEW: I Was Here by Gayle Forman

I Was Here by Gayle Forman
GENRE: YA Contemporary
RATING: 3 Stars

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MY THOUGHTS:
I Was Here is a member of the ever growing group of YA fiction novels that tackle with mental illness. However, I Was Here is different to many I have read in the way that it tackles depression and suicide from a friend/loved one of the person who is ill as apposed to being the point of view of the mentally ill person themself. This added an extra dimension to the suicide and depression issue - one which I felt much more connected to as someone who is fortunate enough to have never experienced mental illness myself. It also surfaced some realistic points about how depression isn't always 'visible' to others, even those closest to us, and highlights how everyone has their own struggles - even if you don't know about them

It's been a few years since I've read Gayle Forman's most popular book If I stay and yet I find myself having very similar feelings about this book than I did with If I stay. Gayle Forman's writing style for me is very distinct for a reason I can't quite put my finger on. In a way this is advantageous - there's nothing bad about her writing style and therefore I know I can pick up one of her books with a realistic expectation to enjoy it. However, there were so many parallels and similarities between her books that I found it hard to separate I Was Here as a book on its own rather than another 'Gayle Forman book'. For example, in both novels, there is a potential love interest whom is a musician - well loved by fans but choses the girl who likes him the least. This isn't a trope I hate necessarily but it definitely made it hard to separate out the two plotlines.

I believe that the characters in this book weren't particularly likeable, but they were well built up. The back stories, even for some of the more minor characters were well built which meant that they were more realistic rather than cardboard cut outs. It also made the plot more interesting.

Overall, a very good acccount of suicide and depression from a different view with well developed characters. However, I had issues with separating it out with other Gayle Forman books and felt that there was little substance in terms of plot and action meaning I wasn't hooked or felt at a particular loss when finished with it. I would recommend to readers who enjoy contemporary novels that tackle with mental illness.

REVIEW: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
SERIES: Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children #1
GENRE: YA Paranormal
RATING: 3.5 stars
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MY THOUGHTS:
I'm going to be completely honest and say the only reason I picked up this book was because of the film trailer. This book series has received many praises for a while across the book reviewing community but I never really had an urge to pick it up until I saw the trailer. Even then, it wasn't really the plot that intrigued me, more the fact that I wanted to see the film but felt like I had to read the book first.

As someone who doesn't read or enjoy much fantasy or paranormal, I thought the Miss Peregrine's was a great introduction to the genre. The characters, as peculiar as they are, were likeable and I felt like each one had a strong individual personality. The whole idea of the 'loops' and time travel was sophisticated enough to be interesting and unique but wasn't too complicated that I couldn't keep up and for that Ransom - I salute you! It's often a hard balance to get and please both hardcore fantasy/paranormal fans as well as newbies.

Now I'm going to contradict my whole previous paragraph and say that it's quite hard to confine Miss Peregrine's to a particular genre. Yes the main plot will fall under fantasy or paranormal but there are strong historical references and, especially nearer the beginning, some contemporary elements. This combination meant that although at times the pace was slow, there was still enough variability for me not to get bored.

The reason I dropped my rating was because although I didn't get bored whilst reading it, I never really had the urgency to rush home and curl up to delve back into the world. The plot, though interesting, was slightly lacking. Most of the book is spent with Jacob exploring the loop, the home and being introduced to each of the characters. Although this was important and enjoyable, I felt like the only substance to the book was in the last third and the other 2/3rds weren't really memorable. Maybe this is because I had seen the trailer so have am already familiar to the world but when it comes down to it, I have no deep interest in carruing on with the series.

I may continue in the future but at the moment I feel like I would prioritise exploring new plot lines than sticking to this one. I am however, very excited to see the film and how Tim Burton has portrayed it in his unique eye!

REVIEW: The Square Root of Summer by Harriet Reuter Hapgood

The Square Root of Summer by Harriet Reuter Hapgood
GENRE: YA Contemporary/Time travel
RATING: 3.5 Stars
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Gottie H. Oppenheimer is losing time. Literally. When the fabric of the universe around her seaside town begins to fray, she's hurtled through wormholes to her past: To last summer, when her grandfather Grey died. To the afternoon she fell in love with Jason, who wouldn't even hold her hand at the funeral. To the day her best friend Thomas moved away and left her behind with a scar on her hand and a black hole in her memory.

Although Grey is still gone, Jason and Thomas are back, and Gottie's past, present, and future are about to collide—and someone's heart is about to be broken.

MY THOUGHTS:


The Square root of summer is a great book to read by the beach just as I did! The summer vibes mixed with romance and a sea side town means the sound of crashing waves and sand under your feet help to create the mood for this book!


The Square root of summer is a summer contemporary romance that incorporates time travel and some science fiction aspect to illustrate how Gottie deals with the grief of her Granddad passing. I loved the way the author tackled grief in this novel and the fact that the character is so deeply grieving even after a year is a unique perspective in that grief never fades. The use of the time travel however was not my favourite. I appreciated its use in the grief process and to provide flash backs however I was very much enjoying the main story line and felt the time travel aspects sometimes distorted this.

The surrounding characters and family setting, although slightly tragic, felt very cosy and homely much like a Cathy Cassidy novel. I love this 'open door' household feel where family and friends are free to enter and leave as they please especially in the summer contemporaries. I also loved one of the romance interests, Thomas. He was so swoon worthy but not perfect making him more realistic - in times reminding me of Cricket Bell from the Stephanie Perkins novels.

As a science lover, the scientific aspects of time travel in this novel did intrigue me. However, what I appreciated more was Gottie's interest in Physics and how her passion was portrayed as a realistic part of her life. After watching emmabooks video about diverse hobbies in YA, seeing how Gottie's interest in physics was maintained throughout the books despite being something unique, especially for a teenage girl, made me happy!





*I RECEIVED A COPY OF THIS BOOK FROM THE PUBLISHER FOR REVIEW BUT IT HAS IN NO WAY AFFECTED MY OPINIONS.*

REVIEW: One by Sarah Crossan

One by Sarah Crossan

GENRE: YA Contemporary

RATING: 4 Stars

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Grace and Tippi are twins – conjoined twins.

And their lives are about to change.

No longer able to afford homeschooling, they must venture into the world – a world of stares, sneers and cruelty. Will they find more than that at school? Can they find real friends? And what about love?

But what neither Grace or Tippi realises is that a heart-wrenching decision lies ahead. A decision that could tear them apart. One that will change their lives even more than they ever imagined…

From Carnegie Medal shortlisted author Sarah Crossan, this moving and beautifully crafted novel about identity, sisterhood and love ultimately asks one question: what does it mean to want and have a soulmate? 

MY THOUGHTS:

If you're looking for a beautiful, lyrical novel that makes you laugh, cry and think a little bit harder about life, then look no further than One by Sarah Crossan.

One follows Grace and Tippi, conjoined twins and their thoughts and lives as they enter public school for the first time in their existence.Think Wonder by R J Palacio but more unique. What I liked about One was that it didn't just show you the twins but their families as well. I especially liked the perspective of their other sister and how this has just as well affected her.

One is written as poetry pose, with each chapter being a short poem. This made the book even more emotional than it already was, giving it a lyrical feel. These short chapters and focus on each of the twins' characters in turn really highlighted to me how although these twins were conjoined, they were two separate people; an issue that is present for any twins. The issue of the two twins was really well researched by Sarah Crossan and there were little aspects of their lives that really made me think about their situation from a different angle I had never seen before.

The reason I dropped a star for One was because I felt that the novel was more focused about the characters rather than a solid plot. This would have been OK but due to the unique nature of the theme, it was hard to connect to the character development as much as it was needed for a loose plot. However, the ending twist, though slightly predictable was extremely emotional and brought me to tears.

*I RECEIVED A COPY OF THIS BOOK FROM THE PUBLISHER FOR REVIEW BUT IT HAS IN NO WAY AFFECTED MY OPINIONS.*

REVIEW: Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

GENRE: YA Contemporary/Romance

SERIES: Anna and the French Kiss #2

RATING: 5 Stars

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Lola Nolan is a budding costume designer, and for her, the more outrageous, sparkly, and fun the outfit, the better. And everything is pretty perfect in her life (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighbourhood. When Cricket, a gifted inventor, steps out from his twin sister's shadow and back into Lola's life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

MY THOUGHTS:

Lola is an eccentric fashion loving costume designer with a rock star boyfriend and complicated family history.All seems to be going swimmingly until Cricket Bell, the first crush, arrives back next door with his Calliope twin and Lola's life has suddenly become a bit more difficult (and interesting!).

I love Stephanie Perkins' novels and how I can travel the world from the comfort of my sofa. However, the setting and location feeling in Lola wasn't as strong as it was in Anna and the French Kiss. I enjoyed hearing about the parks she visited but Lola didn't make me want to visit the city like Anna did for Paris.

Cricket Bell is my favourite! He is charming, gorgeous and the most perfect boyfriend (regardless of him being fictional!). Cricket Bell made this novel; his charm and romantic gestures combined with his unawareness of his drop dead amazingness made Lola and the Boy next door the swoon loving book that it is! Watch out readers - fictional boyfriend book hangover here!

Overall, I absolutely loved Lola and the Boy next door! Besides Cricket Bell (though him alone deserves five stars), Lola was quirky and funny and the teen issues were really relateable. I also loved the quirky theme references such as figure skating and baking not to mention an adorable dog and fabulous parents!

REVIEW: Dead to You by Lisa McMann

Dead to You by Lisa McMann

GENRE: YA Contemporary/Mystery

RATING: 3.5 Stars

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Some memories are better left untouched.

Ethan was abducted from his front yard when he was just seven years old. Now, at sixteen, he has returned to his family.

It's a miracle... at first.

Then the tensions start to build. His reintroduction to his old life isn't going smoothly, and his family is tearing apart all over again. If only Ethan could remember something, anything, about his life before, he'd be able to put the pieces back together.

But there's something that's keeping his memory blocked.

Something unspeakable...

MY THOUGHTS:

After spending nearly 10 years of their lives searching for their abducted son, Ethan manages to find his way back to his family. Despite the return, his transition into the family wasn't all sunshine and roses and tensions within the household are rising.

Firstly, this book is really quick and easy to read. The chapters are short and the writing is quite suspenseful which keeps you reading. There wasn't too much plot to the novel, I think it's mostly relationships and character development. The main character Ethan isn't really a likeable character,but the novel lets you get inside his head and be sympathetic. There was nothing really about the abduction which is what I wanted to read about which was slightly disappointing.

This book was good, I enjoyed reading it but I don't think it's anything too out of the world. The ending was a massive twist that left me completely shocked.But the follow up to the twist was really annoying as left it on a massive cliffhanger. The book started to get really exciting and I would have loved to see the event of after the twist.

REVIEW: Everything Everything Nicola Yoon

Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon

GENRE: YA Contemporary

RATING: 4.5 Stars

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REVIEW: The Fifth Wave by Rick Yancey

The Fifth Wave by Rick Yancey

GENRE: YA Sci-fiction

SERIES: The 5th Wave #1

RATING: 4 Stars

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After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it's the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth's last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie's only hope for rescuing her brother--or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

MY THOUGHTS:

After four waves of 'the others', Cassie is on her own in this destroyed version of Earth, not knowing who she can trust and who wants to kill her.

As a newbie to the science fiction genre, this was a struggle to first get into. However, the early parts had more aspects than the science which I think made it that bit easier for me to flow with the story. The fifth wave is a gripping adventure which kept me hooked. Lots of things happened in the span of this book but it didn't feel like it was dragging at all. Cassie as a character was a bit annoying to me yet I much prefer the other characters as Ringer as they had a lot more individuality. I also think they show a lot ore realistic perception of how teenagers would acts in an end of the world situation.

The multiple POVs in this book gave it depth showing a variety of sides to the story but sometimes I found it a bit confusing. It never states at the start of each section who the character's POV is and towards the beginning the voices weren't as easy to distinguish so I got a bit confused.

There is a second book to the duology but I am unsure of whether I want to pick it up. The ending to the first novel is wrapped up quite neatly although there is an obvious finish to the story in the second book. However, I'm happy to leave it here - there is no urge to find out too much more of the story as I have heard the next book is disappointing and I don't want to ruin it all. I am VERY excited for the film adaptation to come out though and will be getting to that as soon as it hit theatres. 

REVIEW: This Raging Light by Estelle Laure

This Raging Light by Estelle Laure

RATING: 5 Stars

GENRE: YA Contemporary

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Can the best thing happen at the worst time?

Her dad went crazy. Her mom left town. She has bills to pay and a little sister to look after. Now is not the time for level-headed seventeen-year-old Lucille to fall in love. But love—messy, inconvenient love—is what she's about to experience when she falls for Digby Jones, her best friend's brother. With blazing longing that builds to a fever pitch, Estelle Laure's soulful debut will keep readers hooked and hoping until the very last page.



MY THOUGHTS:
This Raging Light is a lyrically beautiful, hard hitting and life appreciating book. It can connect with all ages in all situations and is a true treasure. Following the story of Lucille and her sister, This Raging Light shows the struggles of two girls, left to fend by themselves and the relationships surrounding them.

My favourite thing about this novel was its focus on relationships. The bond between Lucille and her sister was stunning, but yet, wasn't a picture perfect one; with their faults, warts and all. The relationships in this novel really made the characters significant to me. On their won for example, the next door neighbour was insignificant, but his interactions and bond with Lucille was very connecting and enthralling.   

Be prepared to be taken on an emotional roller coaster with this one. Not to be cliche but you will be laughing and crying at the same time - and that doesn't happen very often for me. However, the most overwhelming feeling when finishing the book is gratitude for life and the love in your life. It made me want to get up and hug everyone in my life!

Please Please Please pick up this book and spread its message with kindness!

*I RECEIVED A COPY OF THIS BOOK FROM THE PUBLISHER FOR REVIEW BUT IT HAS IN NO WAY AFFECTED MY OPINIONS.*

REVIEW: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

RATING: 5 Stars

GENRE: YA Contemporary

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Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan...

But for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere. Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words... And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this? Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories? And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

MY THOUGHTS:
Yes Yes Yes!!!! Finally, a book that follows the story of nearly every YA readers life (minus Levi of course)! If you, like me, am a fangirl, for whatever or whomever, this book is for you! Cath shares our love for that something special in our life and Levi is our dream man! 

Number one on the list of fantastic things is the setting - college. As a British girl, I love the idea of US College; the team spirit, shared dorms and variety of subjects taught. So, reading about this dream makes it seem like I'm already living it. 

The characters were lovable, relatable and sincere. Every single character had a distinct role to play and it didn't feel like they all merged into one. Cath was sop close to my heart from her college worries to her quirky habits and it made this book really personal. Also - I really loved Levi!!! The only thing I would like to see more of is the relationship between Cath and Wren as I felt at times the whole twin thing let slip.

From all this I bet you're thinking of this as a cheesy rom-com, and although there is a beautiful romance and some LOL moments, there are more serious issues than this. Loneliness, fitting in and even alcohol abuse make the book even better by adding that extra emotional dimension.

A definite must read for everyone!

REVIEW: Fans of the Impossible Life by Kate Scelsa

Fans of the Impossible Life by Kate Scelsa

RATING: 5 Stars

GENRE: YA Contemporary

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Ten months after her recurring depression landed her in the hospital, Mira is starting over as a new student at Saint Francis Prep. She promised her parents she would at least try to act like a normal, functioning human this time around, not a girl who sometimes can’t get out of bed for days on end, who only feels awake when she’s with Sebby. 

Jeremy is the painfully shy art nerd at Saint Francis who’s been in self-imposed isolation after an incident that ruined his last year of school. When he sees Sebby for the first time across the school lawn it’s as if he’s been expecting this blond, lanky boy with a mischievous glint in his eye. 

Sebby, Mira’s gay best friend, is a boy who seems to carry sunlight around with him like a backlit halo. Even as life in his foster home starts to take its toll, Sebby and Mira together craft a world of magic rituals and secret road trips, designed to fix the broken parts of their lives. 

As Jeremy finds himself drawn into Sebby and Mira’s world, he begins to understand the secrets that they hide in order to protect themselves, to keep each other safe from those who don’t understand their quest to live for the impossible.

MY THOUGHTS:
WOW! What a book! This book is perfect for fans of All the Bright Places and We Were Liars. Following three very distinct characters, each with their own array of problems, Fans of the Impossible Life shows the story of friendship, love, loss and struggle in a beautifully poetic way.

My favourite things about this book was how distinct each of the characters were and in turn how distinct the three alternating POVs were. Mira, Jeremy and Sebby were three very individual personalities which were built so fabulously that within 50 pages you knew so well and loved very strongly. This meant that the emotional roller coaster throughout the novel was heightened as you felt every emotion they did. This lead to a heart wrenching story that will stay with you after the last pages.

Like many new books in the YA genre, Fans of the Impossible Life deals with mental illness and sexuality in a delicate yet realistic way. There were certain aspects and events in the book that come across as very strange and erratic but upon reflection and reviewing the reactions of the characters, it just emphasises the chaos and destruction of mental illness.

Another fantastic YA mental illness themed story with three distinct an loveable characters with themes and a plot that will keep you hooked way after you have turned the last page.

*I RECEIVED A COPY OF THIS BOOK FROM THE PUBLISHER FOR REVIEW BUT IT HAS IN NO WAY AFFECTED MY OPINIONS.*

REVIEW: The Meaning of Maggie by Megan Jean Sovern

The Meaning of Maggie by Megan Jean Sovern

RATING: 3 Stars

GENRE: YA/Middle Grade Realistic

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Eleven years old. The beginning of everything!

For Maggie Mayfield, turning eleven means she's one year closer to college. One year closer to voting. And one year closer to getting a tattoo. It's time for her to pull herself up by her bootstraps (the family motto) and think about more than after school snacks and why her older sisters are too hot for their own good. Because something mysterious is going on with her cool dude Dad, whose legs have permanently fallen asleep, and Maggie is going to find out exactly what the problem is and fix it. After all, nothing's impossible when you're future president of the United States of America, fifth grade science fair champion, and a shareholder in Coca-Cola, right?

MY THOUGHTS:
Another great contribution to the growing Sick Lit genre, this time from a younger character's perspective; Maggie who is having a bit of a rough year trying to cope with her Dad's deteriorating MS.

Maggie is a great character - she is funny, intelligent and just all around loveable. Some of my favoutite characters are child geniuses and I always think they have fantastic POVs to read about and Maggie was no exception. Maggie's dream is to become President one day, giving her a sense of maturity and pride which I think adds to the reading experience. One things that I didn't enjoy though was her naivety. I think this may just be a pet hate of mine as I have found this in a lot of books and I know it is a Middle Grade/YA. However, I know that if your parent had been suffering from an illness for a long time, the kids tend to know about it in order to understand and cope but this wasn't the case for Maggie.

The family dynamics built in this book again were good. Maggie lives with her two older sisters, her dad and her mum but recently her mum has been working a lot more to get some more money. The dynamics were realistic and interesting. It also allowed you to see the process of grievance and coping from all different angles to see how different people cope differently.

The topic of MS was handled very delicately and a good way of explaining it to a younger audience. Though I would say that as I am a sucker for a 'sick lit' book (I just love the emotions)! However, the reason I am giving this book only 3 starts even though I loved the characters was because of the plot. The themes were great but looking back on it, nothing happened. It was literally a story of her normal daily life with a Dad who has MS. No plot twists, no major changes; just focusing on her getting to grips with her Dad's condition. This may be what some people like but for me, I like to have a few twists and turns to keep the pace fast.

A book suited to the younger audience with great ways of explaining MS but mainly a character based book. Perfect for fans of Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan!

*I RECEIVED A COPY OF THIS BOOK FROM CHRONICLE BOOKS FOR REVIEW BUT IT HAS IN NO WAY AFFECTED MY OPINIONS.*

REVIEW: Dismissed by Kirsty McManus

Dismissed by Kirsty McManus

RATING: 4 stars

GENRE: YA Contemporary

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The second Lizzie White lays eyes on her new English teacher Brandon Thomas, she is hooked. Brandon is young, cool and sexy - and nothing like the other teachers at her school. But of course he is forbidden from fraternising with the students or forming any sort out of outside hours relationship. And combined with the fact that Lizzie's best friend Taylor declared her feelings for Brandon first (and has therefore claimed theoretical ownership), Lizzie decides it's all too hard and focuses on a budding relationship with fellow student and class clown Gabe instead. But then Jason shows up. Jason is Brandon's trouble-making twin brother who seems to have no qualms about flirting with students or leaving a trail of broken hearts wherever he goes. Before she knows it, Lizzie is dragged into a confusing world of blurred lines and lustful thoughts, where loyalties are tested and true feelings are explored.

MY THOUGHTS:
Lizzie along with he friend Taylor are just going into their final year before they go there separate ways to uni or travel (not that she is sure what she wants to do). The, in comes the gorgeous new English teacher that has got all the girls swooning (and the readers!). 

I have not read a book about student/teacher relationships before so didn't know what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised. However,I will say the main focus of this book is NOT student/teacher as this is only a small part. The book is about friendship, first loves and discovering your path. 

The writing is not a literary masterpiece but we don't always read books for the sentence structure. I do fly through it and came to enjoy the company of the characters. Lizzie was a likable character who I could relate to a lot and you become fond of. The others such as Taylor her friend and Gabe the class clown are also greatly depicted, each being very individual. And Mr Thomas - what a hottie! 

The themes running through this book are really relevant to a teenager's life. It talks a lot about drifting friendships as well as exam/future stress which are definitely two things that are very prominent in my life at the moment. It's safe to say that this book can give a helping hand to anyone sharing these issues.

If you're looking for a cute contemporary to indulge during the summer, this will be your perfect match!

*I RECEIVED A COPY OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR A REVIEW FROM XPRESSO BOOK TOURS*

REVIEW: She is not Invisible by Marcus Sedgwick

She is Not Invisible by Marcus Sedgwick
RATING: 4 Stars
GENRE: YA Contemporary

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The feeling that coincidences give us tells us they mean something... But what? What do they mean?

Laureth Peak's father has taught her to look for recurring events, patterns, and numbers - a skill at which she's remarkably talented. When he goes missing while researching coincidence for a new book, Laureth and her younger brother fly from London to New York and must unravel a series of cryptic messages to find him. The complication: Laureth is blind. Reliant on her other senses and on her brother to survive, Laureth finds that rescuing her father will take all her skill at spotting the extraordinary, and sometimes dangerous, connections in a world full of darkness.

MY THOUGHTS:
Laureth Peak sets out to New York, with her younger brother for assistance, in an attempt to discover where her father has gone? Why did his notebook end up in USA when he was meant to be in Europe? Why was he and her mother acting so weird? And why is he obsessed with coincidence?

Surprisingly, I read this book quite quickly, despite the writing not being fast paced (though I wouldn't say it is slow). I would say this book is definitely character and setting based as one of the reasons I dropped a star was because of the lack of plot behind the mystery. Every time I looked into this book before reading it, it was described as a thriller or mystery surrounding the disappearance of her Father. However, upon reading, despite being keen to discover the outcome of the mystery, I was very disappointed with the unveiling. The solution/issue was very simplistic and hardly worth naming it a thriller at all. I would call it a contemporary.

The reason I liked this book enough to give it 4 stars despite the weak mystery plot, was for the world building. Laureth, the protagonist, is blind/ visually impaired. You never know the full details as it never explicitly says it, it is merely implied. The way Sedgwick develops Laureth's life to enable you to be put into her shoes is fantastic. Nothing throughout the book is visually described, everything is based upon sounds, smells and touch - creating a world just like the one Laureth lives in and a book topic very unique to YA.

Overall, a books primarily based upon character development and Laureth's disability with a small element of mystery and adventure, worthy of a quick read!

REVIEW: Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan

Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan
RATING: 3 Stars
GENRE: YA Contemporary

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Willow Chance is a twelve-year-old genius, obsessed with nature and diagnosing medical conditions, who finds it comforting to count by 7s. It has never been easy for her to connect with anyone other than her adoptive parents, but that hasn’t kept her from leading a quietly happy life... until now.

Suddenly Willow’s world is tragically changed when her parents both die in a car crash, leaving her alone in a baffling world. The triumph of this book is that it is not a tragedy. This extraordinarily odd, but extraordinarily endearing, girl manages to push through her grief. Her journey to find a fascinatingly diverse and fully believable surrogate family is a joy and a revelation to read.

MY THOUGHTS:
Before starting the book, I believed the main plot was going to be focused around Willow's OCD. However, when I started reading it, I discovered otherwise. The main focus of this novel is Willow's journey in the care system after her parents die in an accident and how she copes with her grief by becoming friends with an unusual family.

For me, this book was not necessarily disappointing, but it just wasn't expected. The reason I was attracted to this boo and the reason I decided to pick it up was because I thought it would be interesting to read about a young girl with OCD. As mentioned above, this book is not really about OCD. Afetr reading about Willow and viewing her as a character, she is just built to be a bit socially awkward rather than to have OCD. Even with this, her personality played little part in the novel and it was because of this I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would.

Don't get me wrong, this book was quite good. The writing was beautiful and some of the issues raised regarding labels in society and acceptance were tackled really well. I also enjoyed reading about the family Willow stays with as they were cultured but also portrayed life in poverty in a very heart warming way. Willow as a character was hard to warm to and can be annoying at times but this may just be to build into her socially awkward persona.

Counting by 7s is a brilliantly written book but the plot and emphasis within the novel was not what I was expecting and therefore I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would.

REVIEW: Once by Morris Gleitzman

Once by Morris Gleitzman
RATING: 3 Stars
GENRE: Historical Fiction
SERIES: Once #1

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Felix, a Jewish boy in Poland in 1942, is hiding from the Nazis in a Catholic orphanage. The only problem is that he doesn't know anything about the war, and thinks he's only in the orphanage while his parents travel and try to salvage their bookselling business. And when he thinks his parents are in danger, Felix sets off to warn them--straight into the heart of Nazi-occupied Poland. 
To Felix, everything is a story: Why did he get a whole carrot in his soup? It must be sign that his parents are coming to get him. Why are the Nazis burning books? They must be foreign librarians sent to clean out the orphanage's outdated library. But as Felix's journey gets increasingly dangerous, he begins to see horrors that not even stories can explain.


Despite his grim surroundings, Felix never loses hope. Morris Gleitzman takes a painful subject and expertly turns it into a story filled with love, friendship, and even humor.