THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS

Addition: Review e-book from Netgalley

Genre: Young adult, chick-lit, mystery

Rating: 4 out of 5

Synopsis:

This was supposed to be the best summer of Maggie’s life. Now it’s the one she’d do anything to forget.

Maggie Reynolds remembers hanging out at the gorge with her closest friends after a blowout party the night before. She remembers climbing the trail hand in hand with her perfect boyfriend, Joey. She remembers that last kiss, soft, lingering, and meant to reassure her. So why can’t she remember what happened in the moment before they were supposed to dive? Why was she left cowering at the top of the cliff, while Joey floated in the water below—dead?

As Maggie’s memories return in snatches, nothing seems to make sense. Why was Joey acting so strangely at the party? Where did he go after taking her home? And if Joey was keeping these secrets, what else was he hiding?

The latest novel from the author of The Tension of Opposites, One Moment is a mysterious, searing look at how an instant can change everything you believe about the world around you.

I received this as an e-book from Netgalley. I haven’t read any other novels from Kristina McBride, however I read the synopsis and though it sounded liked a good book – and I was right!

The story is about one moment in time that changed everything. A group of six friends, who have been best friends since they were small, are hanging out at the creek by where they live at the beginning of the summer holidays before senior year. Maggie, Joey, Tanna, Pete, Shannon and Adam are drinking, messing around and just hanging out. Maggie is dared to jump from the the top of the creek into the water below with her boyfriend Joey. She is scared of heights and never done the jump before. Shannon is pushing her to do it – there is almost malice in her tone as she thinks Maggie won’t do it. Maggie does up to the top with Joey, but something isn’t right. She notices Joey is wearing a bracelet, something he has never done before. All of sudden, she is hiding and crying under a tree, Adam is looking for her and there is screaming all around. She didn’t make the jump – but it seems Joey did, and he is dead. What happened?

This is a well written, enjoyable book. I read it in the space of about 3 hours. I was hooked; the way McBride wrote the book made me want to know what happened. She jumps between past and present, telling the story about Maggie and Joey, and their group of friends, as Maggie desperately tries to get over Joey’s death, and remember what happened. The memories come back in flashes as we watch the group fall out, grieve and discover all of Joey’s secrets. It seems Joey was hiding a lot. I quickly worked out what his secret was – that he was dating  Shannon as well as Maggie – and then realised that Maggie worked that out when they were about to jump. However, I liked reading about the friendships they had, how the story fitted together and how Maggie worked through her pain. Working out the twist didn’t ruin the story at all.

I liked Maggie. I felt for her – her whole world was Joey, and losing him was awful. What made it worse was that she didn’t know what happened – did she kill him? I felt for her as she struggled through the grief, realised Joey wasn’t the person she thought he was and getting over the heartbreak her friends caused her. I liked Adam, Pete and Tanna too – Adam especially as Maggie was so important to her. Again, I wasn’t surprised when he revealed how he felt for her. The more the story went on, the angrier I got at Joey – he had seemed like a great guy to know, a great guy to date, but in fact he wasn’t at all, and right from the beginning Shannon seemed horrible. I like a book that makes me react to the characters and I wanted the best for Maggie and just felt anger towards Joey.

This was a really enjoyable book. The story had me hooked. The answers weren’t a surprise but this was written in a way that kept my interest. McBride writes great characters that I could dislike, cheer on and empathise with. This is a young adult book, but that didn’t stop the enjoyment. It wasn’t a tough book to read and I flew through the story – wanting to know every last detail. McBride portrays teenagers in an accurate way – hormonal, reckless and often doing what they shouldn’t – like getting drunk and throwing parties. She writes the parents well – protective, scared for their children and loving. The story was interesting and although the language and writing style didn’t test me, I was gripped from the beginning and read this very quickly. This is a great read.

Review written by Kirsten!
Genre: Young adult, fantasy

Rating: 4 out of 5

Synopsis:

Could you survive on your own, in the wild, with everyone out to make sure you don’t live to see the morning?

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before-and survival

After a great uprising that happened years before this book is set, the twelve districts of Panem are pitted against one another in an annual event known as ‘the Hunger Games’, for the entertainment of the elite population of the ‘Capitol’. In the first installment of this dystopian fantasy trilogy we follow the female contestant from District Twelve, Katniss Everdeen. Katniss is dragged from her simple and impoverished life in the slums of District Twelve and thrown into the cut and thrust of the Hunger Games and the fame that comes from being a contestant. As she is caught up in the fast paced action surrounding the games she soon learns that her whole life is just a ‘game’ in the eyes of the Capitol and that to get anywhere, she has to play along.

I really enjoyed this book as I found the world, created by Suzanne Collins, amazingly intricate in detail yet deeply disturbing. The book is very well written and has a gripping plotline that left me wanting to know what would happen next – fortunately there are two books that follow.

As for the characters, I found the awkward nature (unusual for a protagonist) of Katniss rather fascinating as it lent itself very much to the portrayal of her as the unexpected heroine. I also found that the characters of the Capitol members were well placed as they were written as humorous caricatures of elite society, which added an amusing and ridiculous note to the book.

I thought this book was really well written and, even though it is set in a fictional dystopian world, many of the themes that Collins deals with (such as love or politics) have a universality which makes the world of Panem, and the lives of the characters, more accessible to readers in today’s society. I think Collins does well in taking the controversial nature of the dystopian genre of fiction and makes it more mainstream and easier to grasp.

The Hunger Games is classified as ‘Teenage/Young Adult’ fiction but I think that the genre and the writing style lend themselves to a much wider audience. It was a brilliant read and I thoroughly recommend it to anyone.

Addition: Review e-book from Netgalley

Genre: Young adult, fantasy

Rating: 3 out of 5

Synopsis:

A sickly mom. A tiny house trailer. High school bullies and snarky drama queens. Bad-guy dudes with charming smiles. Allie has problems. And then there’s that whole thing about fulfilling a magical prophecy and saving the world from evil. Geez. Welcome to the sad, funny, sometimes-scary world of fifteen-year-old Allie Emerson, who’s struggling to keep her and her mom’s act together in the small-town world of Peacock Flats, Washington. An electrical zap from a TV antenna sets off Allie’s weird psychic powers. The next thing she knows she’s being visited by a hippy-dippy guardian angel, and then her mysterious neighbor, the town “witch,” gives her an incredible moonstone pendant that has powers only a good-hearted “Star Seeker” is meant to command. “Who, me?” is Allie’s first reaction. But as sinister events begin to unfold, Allie realizes she’s got a destiny to live up to. If she can just survive everyday life, in the meantime.

I really enjoy young adult, fantasy novels. I loved the Twilight series, the Iron Fey series and I’m currently enjoying the Trylle series. This book had a lot of pressure on it, and I have to say, I really enjoyed it.

This is a review book from Netgalley and is the first book in the Unbidden Magic series by Marilee Brothers. The star of the book is Allie – a normal girl who receives magical powers after getting an electric shock. She has mind control powers – something she discovers when she stops a bull from trampling her just be thinking “please stop” in a panic. She is visited by a guardian angel, who seems more hippy than angel, who tells her of her power and about a prophecy. Later, she is given a beautiful pendant – a moonstone pendant – by her friend Kizzy. With it comes responsibilty and power – but also jealously and danger. She soon learns that people are greedy and will try and steal the stone; and some are evil, her arch enemies, who want the moonstone for disaster. She has to learn to fight, to use her power and to trust those close to her.

This was a good book. I am reminded a little of Charlaine Harris’ Harper Connelly Series, where Harper is struck by lightening and develops physic powers. This novel has excitement, danger, humour and love. We have heroes and villians and a plot that is fast paced and engaging. Very quickly into the book key events happen – Allie received the electric shock and meets her guardian angel – and the story moves on and develops at a good rate. I didn’t lose interest in this book, it kept me reading as I wanted to know what was going to happen. I liked that there were other stories running alongside the main story of the moonstone. We learnt about Allie’s Mum and the life they were living. We saw how events changed her Mum and the attitude she had to life. We also met Allie’s Father, a man she knew nothing about and at the end of the book we learnt about the significance he is going to have in the following books. There is of course a love story as well. Allie meets Junior – an ex-gang member who has reformed his ways and is intent on looking out for her.

I liked Allie. She was smart, quick-witted and when she needed to be, fearless. I loved that even though her Mum drove her insane, she was prepared to fight for her and their lives. I really liked Kizzy, a lady the children all thought was a witch. She was caring and loving towards Allie. I found Junior an interesting character. For an ex-gang member he was awwfully nice! I like a book with villians too – I like a book where the characters spark reactions from me, and this book had just that. I didn’t like Revelle, the guy who wanted to use the moonstone for evil and I didn’t like Carmel, Kizzy’s daughter, who wanted the moonstone for greed. Neither of them were nice and both of them bothered me!

This was an enjoyable book and I will definiately be reading the next book in the series. This is a young adult fantasy novel which I really enjoyed. It was gripping – I wanted to know what Allie was going to face and how she would overcome things; I liked the characters – they were engaging, even if I didn’t like some of them; and it had everything I want in a book: excitement, adventure, a good plot and good characters. This isn’t a hard read but it was enjoyable. There were some things that were predictable, but it was a good read nevertheless and I’m looking forward to book 2!

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS
Addition: Paperback, borrowed

Genre: Young adult, history

Rating: 4 out of 5

Synopsis:

Joey is a warhorse, but he wasn’t always. Once, he was a farm horse and a gentle boy named Albert was his master. Then World War I came storming through and everything changed. Albert’s father sells Joey to the army where the beautiful, red-bay horse is trained to charge the enemy, drag heavy artillery, and carry wounded soldiers not much older than Albert off of battlefields. Amongst the clamoring of guns and slogging through the cold mud, Joey wonders if the war will ever end. And if it does, will he ever find Albert again?

This is the first book by Michael Morpurgo that I have read. Ladies I work with have seen this at the theatre and loved it, and I thought before I watch the film I will read the book. I have to say, I don’t like horses – they scare me a little bit – but I did enjoy this book, despite that.

The story is narrated by the horse, Joey – which I wasn’t expecting. He tells the reader of his experience at the farm where he is raised by Albert, his experience in France during the war and of the friendships he makes along the way. He sees some awful things in France, a fair amount of death and hurt, but what shines through this book is love – he has people care for him and he develops lovely friendships with many people in the book. He has Albert, the boy who raised him and trained him on the farm; Topthorne, a fellow horse in war with him and Emilie, a little French girl who looks after both him and Topthorne whilst they are camped at her grandfather’s farm. Friendship is the key factor in this book, and it can clearly be seen throughout the book.

This wasn’t a difficult read as it is aimed for young teenagers. The language is simple and it is not a long book – only 182 pages. That said, I did enjoy it and wanted to know what was going happen. This is a good read – it has everything you would want in a book – love, friendship, adventure and gripping story. I don’t think Morpurgo hides the horrors of war. The quote on the back of the book is:

” I saw the grey soldiers ahead of us raise their rifles and heard the death rattle of a machine gun…”

This book does have death and hurt in it, and the effect and reason of war is considered by soldiers and civilians alike. I know this book is read in school and I think the chance to look at war and consider the effects of it is important.

There were some aspects of the books that amused me. I did chuckle about the fact that not only Joey understood English, he also understood German! What a clever horse! Just the fact the story was narrated by the horse entertained me as well!

There were some parts of the story that I didn’t believe. The fact Joey turns up in no-mans land and a German and a Welshman walk out to resolve who will take him I struggled to believe; and Albert finding Joey in France during the war also seemed unrealistic – however, both did make for good reading.

This was an enjoyable and quick read. This is a lovely story of friendship, which a hint of adventure. I’m looking forward to seeing what this is like as film. This book is well worth reading. The good outweighs the bad and I recommend this book.

THIS REVIEW CONTAINTS SPOILERS!
Addition: Review paperback

Genre: Young adult, fantasy

Rating: 4 out of 5

Synopsis:

When Wendy Everly was six-years-old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. It isn’t until eleven years later that Wendy finds out her mother might’ve been telling the truth.

With the help of Finn Holmes, Wendy finds herself in a world she never knew existed – and it’s one she’s not sure if she wants to be a part of.

This is the first book in The Trylle Trilogy by Amanda Hocking and the series has a been a great hit in America. I received this as a review book from Think Jam. The novel was released on 5th January 2012 in the UK and is available on Amazon as a paperback and in a Kindle version.

The story follows Wendy; a girl with a very traumatic past. At the age of 6 her mother tries to kill her, claiming that she is not her daughter and that she is evil and a monster. Her mother is taken away to a psychiatric hospital and Wendy is raised by her brother Matt and her aunt Maggie. Wendy has never really fitted in, has always caused trouble and never settled at school. She has recently changed schools and her world is turned upside down when the weird boy who keeps staring at her – Finn Holmes – appears outside her bedroom window at 3am. What is particularly strange about this is that her bedroom is not on the ground floor. Earlier that evening they had been at the school dance and whilst dancing together Finn had said some horrid things. Upset by him, she uses the mind control powers that she has to persuade another classmate to drive her home. Finn realises what Wendy has done so turns up in the night to confront her and take her home – to the land of Trylle. It seems her mother had been right, Wendy is not of this world. It turns out she is a troll – not the kind you imagine hiding under bridges, but a beautiful, powerful woman, who is remarkably like a human. She does not want to leave Matt and Maggie and does not believe Finn until a few nights later she is attacked by trolls from a different tribe, who want to kidnap her. Rescued by Finn, she agrees to leave and to set up life as a troll. What she finds when she gets there completely surprises her – life is not what she imagined. She is the Princess, switched at birth to a wealthy family so that she will get a good education and a trust fund. All seems to be going well, until at her debutant ball her home is attacked, and they are after her…

I really enjoyed this book, in fact I read all of it this morning, in one sitting! It is not a long book – only 280ish pages long. The story is easy to follow, and very enjoyable. My favourite character was probably Matt. I loved how much he loved Wendy. He named her when she was born as their parents didn’t want her, and he has spent his life protecting her. I found Wendy an interesting character – and depending with who she was with, depended on what I thought about her! I found myself feeling sorry for her when she was with the Queen – her real mother – but when she was with Finn or Rhys – the human she was swapped with, I wasn’t so keen on her as she seemed to lead them both on. Finn had to grow on me too, as he was so hot and cold. I found that very frustrating!

Switched reminds me of both The Iron Fey Series and the Twilight Series. It reminded me of Twilight because of the house Wendy was taken too. Although the house in Switched is a lot bigger it was very modern – not what you would expect in this sort of novel – like in Twilight. I was reminded of the Iron Fey series for a number of reasons: – the lead character growing up in the human world; – the tracker being at school, like Puck; – and the lead character falling for the wrong guy, like Meghan falling for Puck.

This book is full of adventure, tense moments – the sort of “what is going to happen next” moments, a romance and a great plot. This is a young adult book, but such an enjoyable read anyway. I wasn’t keen on the swearing, especially as this is a young adult novel, but fortunately there wasn’t too much of that. This is a great book – it kept me gripped, and I’m still reflecting on it later on in the day. I will definiately be looking out for the next book in the series! This is well worth reading – especially if you like series like The Iron Fey Series.

Addition: Review e-book from Netgalley

Genre: Young adult, fantasy

Rating: 4 out of 5

Synopsis:

Ash, former prince of the Winter Court, gave up everything. His title, his home, even his vow of loyalty. All for a girl… and all for nothing.

Unless he can earn a soul.

To cold, emotionless faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own love had died a horrible death, killing any gentler feelings the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought.
Then Meghan Chase—a half human, half fey slip of a girl— smashed through his barricades, binding him to her irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery nearly fell to the Iron fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer fey can survive.
With the (unwelcome) company of his archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and the infuriating cait sith Grimalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through to its end— a quest to find a way to honor his solemn vow to stand by Meghan’s side.
To survive in the Iron realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. At least, no one has ever passed to tell the tale.
And then Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that turns reality upside down, challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Review:

This is number four in the Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa – and although perhaps not as good as the others, still a great read. I have been waiting what seems like an age for this book, and squealed when I received an email telling me it was available from Netgalley. This time the book is written from Ash’s point of view, not Meghan’s and we follow his story – barely getting a glance at what was happening in the Iron Realm. At the end of book three Meghan banishes Ash for his own safety – as fey he can’t survive in the Iron Realm. Yet he made her a promise: to be her knight. He loves her and is determined to keep this promise and the only way to do that is to become human. There is only one way to do this – go to the End of the World and complete the tasks. With the aid of Puck, Grim, the Big Bad Wolf and a seer, Ash sets off; but will he succeed? And if he does, will Meghan still love him?

I really enjoyed this book – although I missed Meghan. She does feature in the story, but not heavily. We walk with Ash and only glimpse Meghan and her world occasionally. I found this book to be more graphic and gory than the others – there seems to be more bloodshed in this adventure. Yet the book was exciting and fast paced. There doesn’t seem to be a dull moment in this story – once one foe is defeated, another seems to come along quite quickly. There is a lot of energy in this book which kept me hooked.

All the way through this series I have been Team Ash – and that didn’t change in this book either. It was nice to get a better look at Ash, although at times that was a touch heartbreaking. One trial he has to go through is examining his conscience and relieving everything he had ever done – all the hurt he had caused people. There were a few incidents described and it was sad that Ash is not the perfect prince I imagined him to be. This was an honest portrayal though and we saw his struggle with the anger and hate that come from being part of the Unseelie Court.

I loved Puck as well. Although I was always rooting from Ash, I loved that Puck stuck around and was there to help Ash because he loved Meghan so much. He is funny and kept me entertained throughout the book. There were other characters I liked too – Grim is fabulous. He is sarcastic, clever and I love how when trouble arises he vanishes! The Big Bad Wolf was entertaining too – I enjoyed the attitude between him and Grim.

There is a big surprise halfway through the book that I wasn’t expecting. It added to the book and Ash’s torment and made for some great reading! I won’t add in a spoiler but suffice to say – it was good and added another dimension to the story.

There were a couple of things I didn’t like about the book – I missed Meghan – she is a key character and we didn’t see a lot of her – and Kagawa’s writing seemed different – simple and sometimes not completely engaging. However, the good completely overthrows the bad, and this is a great read and a great instalment to this series.

Addition: Review book, paperback

Genre: Young adult, chick lit

Rating: 3/5

Synopsis:

This is the diary of Remy Louise Bennet, age 17-1/2. Remy Louise Bennet has one goal in life – to be a WAG. And as every true wannabe WAG knows, there are rules. One: pretend you don’t know he’s a footballer. Two: Don’t get drunk (or he won’t trust you while he’s off on pre-season tour). Three: Never dispute a thing his mum says (they worship their mums). When Remy starts dating Netherfield Park Rangers’ Robbie Wilkins (not Premiership, but good for starters), it seems like all her dreams have come true. Or have they? Remy soon realizes that being a WAG isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, that Robbie’s balls aren’t quite so golden…and that maybe there are smarter dreams to pursue. Michelle has already participated in workshops with The Reading Agency up and down the country, promoting literacy among teenage girls and encouraging them to aspire beyond the WAG myth. Michelle is an ex-EastEnders star, chart-topping pop diva and popular TV celebrity.

I was sent this book by publisher’s Walker Books UK. It is written by Michelle Gayle – ex-Eastender and WAG. Walker Books say:

“The ex-WAG, actress and singer has now turned her hand to storytelling as part of her mission to empower young girls and remind them that there is more to life than bagging a boyfriend. Shocked to hear that 2/3 of teen girls’ career plans involved marrying a footballer, Michelle set out to write a book that provided a realistic view of being a WAG without judging or patronising the girls she was writing for. The result is an honest, stylish and sassy reminder that marrying a footballer doesn’t always mean a happily-ever-after ending and that it’s far smarter to pursue your own career than to rely on Prince Charming.”

This story follows Remy – a 17 year old who, with the help of her older sister Malibu wants to marry a footballer. Malibu has rules and guidelines for this and on the first night they go out Remy meets Robbie. He seems interested in her and she is happy to be pursued. We see her at work – a beauty salon – and at home. We watch how Malibu dates a footballer; and someone she has as a back up, Boring Roger. The story follows several months of Remy’s life, as things fall apart at home, get serious with Robbie and the decisions she makes in life.

This book is written in diary form. I didn’t find this a problem as most entries were fairly long. The language is simple and easy to follow. I didn’t feel challenged by this book but that was OK. It was a gentle and quick read.

I found this book quite addictive. Although the storyline is not amazing – to be honest it is simple and fairly predictable – I was hooked. I read this book in about half a day. I didn’t mind the characters, although both Remy and Malibu were fairly shallow. They made for good reading however. I was intrigued, I wanted to know what was going to happen to them. I was a little disappointed with how Malibu’s storyline ended – it was unfinished but she settled for the seemingly shallow life of a WAG. Remy did end up with a nice man, but he too was a footballer. It felt like the message Gayle was sending was that once you are in that life, you can’t escape.

I know Gayle was a WAG and that she wanted to write this book to let girls know how life really is for WAGs, but to be honest it felt quite stereotypical: spending lots of money and cheating, controlling, angry footballers. It didn’t feel like there was a lot of insight into this world – and for some, the idea of living in a huge house with endless money will appeal to them. I’m not sure that Gayle has achieved her aim of warning girls of what this life is like.

I have rated this book 3 out of 5 because to be honest, it isn’t that good but it I was hooked. I was intrigued and my attention was held throughout the book. I developed an empathy for Remy and what is going on with her family and the life she got sucked into. This was a quick read and I think will appeal to teenage girls.

REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS

Addition: Review e-book from NetGalley

Genre: Young adult chick-lit

Rating: 3 out of 5

Synopsis:

Self-proclaimed nobody CG Silverman sees her move to an upscale new school as her chance to be somebody different. Her devil-may-care attitude attracts the in-clique, and before CG realizes it, a routine game of truth or dare launches her to iconic status.

While this rebel image helps secure CG’s newfound popularity, it also propels her through a maze of unprecedented chaos, with each new lie and every dare opening doors that, in most cases, were better off left shut.

CG is on a collision course with disaster. Will she be able to keep up the façade? Or will the whole world find out she’s a fraud?

I read this book a little while ago, and to be honest, not a lot of it has stuck with me. This is a book that I easily read in a day and have not thought about since.

CG moves schools and by accident – a comment muttered in response to a teacher lands her in the “in-crowd”. All of a sudden, she has a façade to keep up. This leads to lies and lies – and then more lies. She becomes out of control – lying about how she used to be an alcoholic – even though she is 15! – and how far she has gone in relationships. She starts an online relationship with an English teacher and things just spiral out of control. Of course, once the web of lies is spun so deep the only way out is the truth – and inevitably this is what happens. CG’s parents find out what she has been doing and saying and the world is put to rights again.

Like I said at the beginning, this book hasn’t really stayed with me since reading. It is a simple story, that took me an afternoon to read. I didn’t really like the characters – I can’t stand lying and I never like the “popular” characters. They are so fake and cruel. Why did I keep reading? I guess because I wanted to see what would happen. It was not surprise that the truth came out and CG was humiliated – part of me thinks she deserved it – that is one lesson learnt. I didn’t like CG really. She started the story with an I-don’t-care attitude and transformed into something hideous.

Does this reflect school? Not the crowd I hung around in! I don’t know – I went to school in the UK and was not in the “cool crowd” so I don’t know if people acted like this. From what you see in American TV shows/films e.g. Glee and Mean Girls, one gets the impression that high school is all about being popular. If that is really the case than CG’s attempts to fit in are realistic. I couldn’t believe the lies she told – especially about being an alcoholic. How could anyone believe that?! From that aspect, this book isn’t particularly life-like.

I’ve given this book 3 out of 5 because it was a story that gripped me to the end – I just wanted to see how Rech would finish the story. Sadly, not the greatest book but if you want a light, teenage read this is for you.

CONTAINS SPOILERS

Addition: Review e-book from NetGalley

Genre: Young Adult

Rating: 4 out of 5

Synopsis:

“Thou art the Black Rider. Go thee out unto the world.”

Lisabeth Lewis has a black steed, a set of scales, and a new job: she’s been appointed Famine. How will an anorexic seventeen-year-old girl from the suburbs fare as one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse?

Traveling the world on her steed gives Lisa freedom from her troubles at home: her constant battle with hunger, and her struggle to hide it from the people who care about her. But being Famine forces her to go places where hunger is a painful part of everyday life, and to face the horrifying effects of her phenomenal power. Can Lisa find a way to harness that power — and the courage to battle her own inner demons?

This is the first book in the Horsemen of the Apocalypse series by Jackie Kessler. The first horseman she has chosen is Famine. Lisa is tasked with this job when after months of struggling with bulimia she overdoses on medication her Mum has. Whilst unconscious she is visited by Death, who offers her two choices: die, or live as Famine. In a confused state she chooses the latter. When she wakes up she sees the scales and her horse but thinks she is just having a breakdown. When she finally realises what is going on she is in for a shock. She travels to places were people are gorging on food, and places where children are starving. She has to learn to control her rage, find a way to help those with nothing and face up to, and fight War – a dominating and intimidating lady. Will she ever stop being Famine? What will happen to her and her health if she does?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I liked Lisa a lot. I felt so sorry that she was having eating-related issues. This is a big problem in Western society, and I think Kessler deals with the issue well – she addresses the way it can manifest, the thoughts the person has, what it can lead to and the effect it has on others. It was thoughtful and provoking. Of course, her solution to the problem, making Lisa famine, isn’t realistic but I thought it was great that Lisa overcomes her problems and is willing to accept help and counselling.

I thought the story was very good. It is full of different, eccentric characters – such as Death, who sat on his horse singing. He just made me laugh! There were some characters who we needed to get to know before we liked – such as Lisa’s Mum, some characters who were a bad influence, such as her bulimic friend and others who were just lovely, like her Dad. This range of characters added depth and interest to the book.

This is a fantasy young adult book, but one I enjoyed very much. It was well written and researched. It took me a couple of days to read through. I laughed, enjoyed the storyline, and could have cried in some places. Really worth reading.

Addition: Review e-book from NetGalley

Genre: Young adult, chick-lit

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis:

This girl is different… That’s what Evie has always told herself—and it’s true. Home-schooled by her counter culture mom, she’s decided to see what high school is like for the first time—for her senior year. And what a year it is.

As it turns out, it’s not just Evie who’s Different. Lots of people are. Many of her assumptions about others are turned on their heads as she makes friends with kids her own age for the first time, discovers what’s good and what’s bad about high school, and learns lessons about power and its abuse—both by the administration and by Evie herself.

Review:

This is the first novel by JJ Johnson I have read, and I really enjoyed it. It is classed as young adult, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was pacey, exciting and gripping. I read this book as fast as I read Therapy, and although they are completely different, they both had my heart racing, had me wondering what was going to happen.

This is the story of Evie, a girl who is about to enter her final year at high school – although this will also be her first year at high school, as she was home-schooled, both by herself using the internet and her mother, a wonderful, slightly eccentric character who likes to move around. We first meet Evie out by the river, drawing a snake she caught after she has fallen and sprained her ankle. Cue Raja and Jacinda, cousins who are walking past and help Evie. Their friendship blossoms and becomes a key storyline throughout the book. Along with Evie, and the havoc she causes at school. She doesn’t know what to expect but the regimental and sometimes unfair school system causes her to act radically, and as a result, secrets come out and the school is turned to chaos. Her relationships are jeopardised, as is her opportunity to go to her chosen university. Will she be able to set things right, whilst changing what was wrong?

As I said, I really enjoyed this book. It was a fun novel about high-school. I can’t say how realistic it is, one girl coming in and shaking a whole school – certainly wouldn’t have happened at my secondary school, but it was a fascinating read. Evie stands up to teachers who bully students, teachers who have relationships with students outside of school – platonic or not, and she takes on the school about their mobile phone policy, the food and the fact the students are not allowed outside. Her, Rajas and Jacinda set up a blog, and chaos ensues. It might not be realistic, but it was a great read. I was hooked from the beginning, fascinated, and wondered if schools in America are really as bad as this novel makes them out to be?

Johnson seems to be addressing the lack of democracy in schools. Should students be allowed to have a say about every matter concerning school? Should they even have to go? It was interesting, and some things I agreed with – like the fact they should be allowed outside and the canteen should serve healthy food, but other stuff I found myself disagreeing with. I found myself entering into the debate, even as I read, which is a sign of a good book to me.

I liked all the characters. Evie was different, not afraid to stand out. Maybe without Rajas and Jacinda she wouldn’t have made any friends, but I liked her individuality. Rajas and Jacinda were very well written. I liked how they interacted with each other – and their mood swings seemed very realistic. Martha – Evie’s mum was a strange character. I didn’t like that Evie didn’t call her “Mum” but I loved that Martha was there for Evie all the way through. The headmaster is the other character who stuck out for me. He reminded me of Headmaster Chartleston from Gilmore Girls! He seemed to give Evie a lot of freedom and often support – which I found hard to believe given the state the school was slipping into.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was fun and exhilarating. The ending wasn’t a total surprise, but then this isn’t a thriller, it is a young-adult novel full of school, friendship and love. I really enjoyed it and highly recommend it, even if, like me, you aren’t a young adult any more!