Book Review - Unravel Me

 

Title: Unravel Me

Author: Tahereh Mafi

Series: Shatter Me (Book 2)

Publisher: Harper Collins

Release Date: 5th February 2013

ISBN13: 9780062085535

 Synopsis

It should have taken Juliette a single touch to kill Warner. But his mysterious immunity to her deadly power has left her shaken, wondering why her ultimate defense mechanism failed against the person she most needs protection from.
She and Adam were able to escape Warner’s clutches and join up with a group of rebels, many of whom have powers of their own. Juliette will finally be able to actively fight against The Reestablishment and try to fix her broken world. And perhaps these new allies can help her shed light on the secret behind Adam’s—and Warner’s—immunity to her killer skin. 

 

My Review

I finished book 1 and felt intrigued enough to know what would happen next, Juliette is now at the base for people with special powers, basically home of the Rebels, and she seemed to be happy, but book 2 starts with her once more withdrawing into herself and feeling sorry for herself. There are poeple around who wish to help her but she seems to refuse to open up and let them know her. The only person she will be around is Adam but even he is starting to act strange and won't tell her whats wrong. 

There is a lot of the book where not a lot really happens, people train and discover powers, but Juliette still can't do anything with her. The book still reads quite quickly but it feels like it's pages and pages of Juliette moaning and crying about her life. No-one understands her, life is so hard, her power is horrible, what if she hurts someone, why is Adam pulling away from her, why can't she just be normal, my past is so horrible etc etc etc. I wanted to shake her and tell her to get over herself!!! Then the best part of the book - Kenji gives up his time to try and help her and Juliette continues to be her usual whiny, self-deprecating self, so Kenji delivers some harsh truths and basically reminds her that she isn't the only one with issues or feelings and to basically grow the hell up! YAY!!!! Thank you Kenji - the voice of reason and sense, and by far now my favourite character, which is odd because I couldn't stand him in the first book.

There are some exciting bits to this book, some battles they go out and get caught up in, some drastic moves by both sides and Juliette shows she can take control when faced with Anderson. Then the end of the book where things get serious and you actually wonder if they will all make it through and wonder just what Warner is actually going to do in the future - will he finally make a decision about what he wants to be.

I can't decide if I like Warner or not, every time I start to warm to him, he then acts like a total prat again, but at least it makes him more 3D. I think I am actually more intrigued about his story that I am about Juliette.

My main issue with this book is that I am really starting to dislike Juliette and the whole 'love triangle' thing, she is constantly obsessing over whether or not she can ever truly be with Adam or will she just hurt him, and then in the next breathe she is obsessed with Warner and desperate for him to open up to her and be with her but then, oh yeah, he's a psychopath and how can she love someone so monstrous. I mean - get a grip girl!!

I think book one was better plot wise, it certainly moved more, although the parts of plot that were focused in this book were much more exciting. Every character in this book grows a lot and really start to develop as individuals - apart from Juliette.

I am interested enough to try to read book 3, but I am not holding out much hope. I know this is actually a 6 book series, but something extraordinary is going to have to happen to keep me reading for that long.

I am truly mixed about these books, get rid of the self obsessed teenage angst and they would be really good. I am going to hold judgement for now...

 

My Rating

     

Book Review - Shatter Me

 

Title: Shatter Me

Author: Tahereh Mafi

Series: Shatter Me (Book 1)

Publisher: Harper Collins

Release Date: 15th November 2011

ISBN13: 9780062085504

 Synopsis

I have a curse
I have a gift

I am a monster
I'm more than human

My touch is lethal
My touch is power

I am their weapon
I will fight back

Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war—and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

 My Review

I heard some good things about this series years ago but never got round to reading them. Then last year I was in my local discount book store and they had a 4 book boxset for £10, as it was near my birthday, the friend that was with me picked them up and bought them for me. They have remained on my shelves ever since. However one of my new year's resolutions was to start reading more again - i used to read 200 books a year and now I'm lucky if i hit 35 books, so I am trying to read more and wanted something that I could get lost in - so I turned to these books.

Apart from knowing it is a YA Dystopian style fiction, I didn't really have much knowledge about this book, but the blurb sounded intriguing so I got stuck in. We meet Juliette, a young 17 year old who is being held in a prison, though i think it's actually an asylum, either way she is locked in a room and hasn't spoken to anybody or touched anyone for the best part of a year. It is unclear why she is in there at first which I actually really liked, it made it more of a mystery. Then things start to change, she is given a cellmate - a boy named Adam, whom she immediately recognizes but doesn't want to talk to. She is afraid and unsure and quite convinced that she is going mad, just like everyone said she was. But then the leader of the Reestablishment summons Juliette- they think she can be used for a weapon and Warner - the leader of one division makes it his mission to get her onside. Juliette has to chose whether to be a weapon or fight for her freedom.

I actually found this book really easy to read at first, I found I liked her writing style. As Juliette is frantic in her thoughts, she crosses bits of her writing out and sometimes repeats herself, i actually didn't mind this and it didn't slow me down at all. As she starts to come to terms with her situation more, the writing calms down. I don't mind Juliette as a character, she is feisty and not afraid to put her foot in it but she is passionate and knows the difference between right and wrong. 

Adam was a bit of a mystery to me, I wasn't sure whether or not to trust him for most of the book, I kept expecting something to happen that would rock the boat and reveal maybe a darker side, plenty of stuff happens and the boat gets rocked, but not in the way I thought. I still don't care all that much for Adam but I am interested in the future of him and Juliette and glad he is around for the next book.

Warner is a creep. That's all you need to know, didn't like him, not supposed to, just a slimeball really. But I don't hate him enough to care about what happens to him - maybe he will develop a bit more in the next book.

Overall the story is interesting and there are enough twists and turns to keep you interested, the concept is set up well enough to seem believable which helps you to get lost in the reading. I wouldn't say it's the best Dystopian I had ever read but I did finish it in 2 short sittings and I want to read the next one, so there are definitely quite strong positives. Definitely worth a try.

 

My Rating

      

Book Review - The Foundling

 

Title: The Foundling

Author: Stacey Halls 

Publisher: Manilla Press 

Release Date: 3 Sept. 2020 

ISBN-13: 978-1838771409

 Synopsis

Two women, bound by a child, and a secret that will change everything . . .

London, 1754. Six years after leaving her illegitimate daughter Clara at London's Foundling Hospital, Bess Bright returns to reclaim the child she has never known. Dreading the worst, that Clara has died in care, Bess is astonished to be told she has already claimed her. Her life is turned upside down as she tries to find out who has taken her little girl - and why.

Less than a mile from Bess's lodgings in the city, in a quiet, gloomy townhouse on the edge of London, a young widow has not left the house in a decade. When her close friend - an ambitious young doctor at the Foundling Hospital - persuades her to hire a nursemaid for her daughter, she is hesitant to welcome someone new into her home and her life. But her past is threatening to catch up with her and tear her carefully constructed world apart.

From the bestselling author of The Familiars comes this captivating story of mothers and daughters, class and power, and love against the greatest of odds . . .

 

My Review

I read the 'Familiars' a few months ago and really enjoyed it, so was excited to see that Halls had written another novel. This one is set in 1754 and follows Bess Bright, a young London girl you finds herself pregnant, unable to keep and support her baby she takes it to a Foundling hospital with the intention of working and saving so that one day she can go and collect her daughter and be a family. But when Bess returns to collect her daughter, she finds that the girl has already been taken, by someone claiming to be her. Now she must find out who has her daughter and why.

The book is split into three parts, the first and third are narrated from Bess' point of view and the second part is narrated by Alexandra - a wealthy young widow who hasn't left the house in years, she lives in her big house with just her daughter Charlotte and two maids. When she is convinced to hire a Nursemaid for Charlotte, she is skeptical about letting someone else into their lives, but these women are linked in a much deeper way.

I actually found this book really easy to read. I read it in just 2 sittings and found that I was captivated and totally drawn in. The writing just glides from the page and sweeps you along, I found myself totally immersed in Bess' world and that of Georgian London. I think Bess is a great character - she is thoughtful, honest, passionate and determined, she may not be the smartest of girls but she knows what she wants and holds family as very important. I immediately felt myself wanting her to get the happy ending and willing her on. Sure she makes mistakes and probably some very bad decisions but you can always see why she does it and she has the best intentions. 

Alexandra is a bit more of an enigma, keeps to herself and hides away from the world, but as the story develops you find out more about her past and her life and although she is presented as quite cold and callous, you can see that she is a product of her experiences and circumstances and I even started to feel sorry for her at points. 

I am really intrigued by the story of the Foundling hospitals, and really like that Halls bases her stories on actual Historical events and places. It makes the story feel even more real and I could imagine London at that time and all the people involved actually living there and experiencing these events. 

I find her writing totally captivating and she certainly has a gift for weaving a story that will carry you away. I highly recommend this book as an exciting, heart-warming, moving read.

My Rating

    
  

 

Book Review - The Thursday Murder Club

 

Title: The Thursday Murder Club

Author: Richard Osman

Series: Thursday Murder Club (Book 1) 

Publisher: Viking 

Release Date: 3 Sept. 2020 

ISBN-13: 978-0241425442

Synopsis

Four septuagenarians with a few tricks up their sleeves
A female cop with her first big case
A brutal murder
Welcome to…
THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB

In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet weekly in the Jigsaw Room to discuss unsolved crimes; together they call themselves The Thursday Murder Club. Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron might be pushing eighty but they still have a few tricks up their sleeves.

When a local developer is found dead with a mysterious photograph left next to the body, the Thursday Murder Club suddenly find themselves in the middle of their first live case. As the bodies begin to pile up, can our unorthodox but brilliant gang catch the killer, before it’s too late?  

My Review

I am a bit of a Richard Osman fan, my husband and I love to watch his gameshow - The House of Games and have enjoyed watching him on other panel shows, so when I saw that he had written a book I was instantly intrigued and I added it to my wishlist. I'm not a massive crime novel fan, but i love Sherlock Holmes and what I guess you would call 'gentle murder mysteries'. So i believed I would be good with this one.

My husband being his amazing self, bought me this book as an extra Christmas present and having just finished another book, I dived straight in. The book is set in Coopers Chase Retirement Village somewhere around Kent. We meet Joyce who has just moved in, was an ex nurse and gets along with nearly everyone. She meets Elizabeth who has been at the village for a while and is quite the presence - commanding and persuasive. She is part of the Thursday Murder Club, a group who meet up every week to try and solve old crime cases, particularly unsolved murders. Part of this group is also Ibrahim - a retired psychiatrist and Ron who is very opinionated and likes to cause a stir. The club is just a bit of fun, until the builder and developer named Tony is murdered after leaving Coopers Chase, now there is a real death and actual suspects to look into, right on their doorstep. None of them are put off and piece by piece they start trying to solve the case. They manage to get on the good side of a young police officer who is looking for a bit more involvement and excitement in her career and through sharing information things start to add up, but then more bodies start to pile up, and more suspects come to light - are the group in deeper than they imagined?

I really liked Osman's writing style - at times I could imagine him reading it and it was just how he talks on TV, it had a real quaint feel to him and just made you want to read more. I like Joyce as a narrator, she has her own chapters that are presented more like diary entries, whereas the other chapters are third person and focus on different characters from in and around the retirement village.

Elizabeth is very headstrong and I had to remind myself that she was an 80 year old, not 50. She is still feisty and refusing to give into old age. I loved Ibrahim's calm nature and matter of fact, almost autistic personality. Ron is like a raging bull at times but you can tell he has a good heart. 

In fact, all of the characters have very distinct personalities and really came to life on the page, I could picture them all and could imagine the whole place and people, it is written so that it comes to life from the page, it all seems like you could go and meet these people.

I found the book a little slow in places but it would always pick up again and carry you through. Some of the revelations at the end were a bit confusing and I had to re-read a couple of paragraphs to make sure I had understood what had happened - particularly with Penny's story. But overall everything is tied together quite well and the ends are neatly folded. I am excited to see that there will be a second book out next September and I am curious to see where he takes it next.

I would definitely recommend this as an interesting, fairly fast paced gentle crime with great characters and some interesting twists.

My Rating

    

Book Review - The Cousins

 

Title: The Cousins

Author: Karen M. McManus 

Publisher: Penguin 

Release Date: 3 Dec. 2020 

ISBN-13 : 978-0241376942

Synopsis

The Storys are the envy of their neighbours: owners of the largest property on their East Coast island, they are rich, beautiful, and close. Until it all falls apart. The four children are suddenly dropped by their mother with a single sentence:
You know what you did.
They never hear from her again.
Years later, when 18-year-old cousins Aubrey, Milly and Jonah Story receive a mysterious invitation to spend the summer at their grandmother's resort, they have no choice but to follow their curiosity and meet the woman who's been such an enigma their entire lives.
This entire family is built on secrets, right? It's the Story legacy.
This summer, the teenagers are determined to discover the truth at the heart of their family. But some secrets are better left alone.  

My Review

I absolutely love Karen McManus, i devoured all of her books during lockdown in May and was desperate for her to release something else. I was then browsing online one day and this popped up, so I decided to treat myself and order it (i needed to make up costs to cover postage anyway, but really who needs an excuse!)

This sounded quite different from her other works but I was excited to get stuck in. We have three cousins - Milly, Aubrey and Jonah, they haven't ever met their grandmother and haven't really met each other either. 24 years ago, their parents were sent away from their home with a note saying 'you know what you did'. All four of the Storey's deny knowing what that note means, and have just come to terms with life away from their mother and their legacy. But there is definitely something going on, as the once close siblings are now quite isolated and their children have grown up not really knowing the rest of their family or much information about their parent's past. So it comes as a shock when the 3 cousins receive a letter from their grandmother inviting them to her resort for the summer. Is she trying to finally connect with her grandchildren or is there something more sinister going on? The three reluctantly agree to go, keen to discover what really happened all those years ago.

The story is narrated by alternative perspectives, Milly,  Aubrey and Jonah. Each have agreed to attend for the summer for very different reasons, Milly and Aubrey soon become good friends, but Jonah just seems moody and unwelcoming. Straight away you see some cracks in the group dynamic but you also see that there is potential for more there.

The grandmother at the resort if very mysterious, she disappears almost as soon as the cousins arrive and very few people actually interact with her, of course this sets off alarm bells in the readers head and I must admit, part of the big twist and revelation at the end seemed quite obvious to me from fairly early on. 

This book was a bot slower than McManus' other works and I will admit that I didn't enjoy it as much, but regardless of that, it was still a good read and I finished it in 2 fairly short sittings. The story has enough drama and intrigue to keep you interested and wanting to know more, but I didn't feel like I connected or cared about the characters as much as her other books. In fact, my favourite character was probably Archer and he starts off very much as a side character, though he becomes more involved.

I was interested enough to see how the whole mystery panned out and that was enough to keep me hooked.  

This has in no way put me off McManus' works and I will still read everything that she releases as they are compelling little stories in their own right and I really like her style.

My Rating

 

Book Review - Enola Holmes and the Case of the Missing Marquess

 

Title: Enola Holmes and the Case of the Missing Marquess

Author: Nancy Springer

Series: Enola Holmes (Book 1) 

Publisher : Hot Key Books

Release Date: 24 Sept. 2020 

ISBN-13 : 978-1471408960

Synopsis

Introducing London's newest and greatest detective: Enola Holmes

When Enola Holmes, sister to the detective Sherlock, discovers her mother has disappeared, she embarks on a journey to London in search of her. But nothing can prepare her for what awaits. She finds herself involved in the kidnapping of a young marquess, fleeing murderous villains, and trying to elude her shrewd older brothers-all while attempting to piece together clues to her mother's strange disappearance. Will Enola be able to decode the necessary clues and find her mother? 

 

My Review

I have always been a fan of Sherlock Holmes and heard that there was a spin off movie but didn't get round to watching it (Still haven't but it's on my list). I was heading into hospital last week for surgery and my amazing best friend, who I always call my little sister, bought me this book to take in with me to help pass my recovery time. 

This book is quite short at just under 200 pages, but was perfect for a nice easy read without needing too much focus. I didn't really know what to expect from it but hoped I would enjoy it and I did.

Enola is 14 years old, lives in a big house with her mother and 2 assistants - Mr & Mrs Lane, and isn't afraid to be adventurous. Her mother has never forced her to be ladylike and actually likes to protest against the restrictions placed on women. Enola has always been a bit of a scandal, she was a very late baby in her mother's life and has been outcast by her older brothers Mycroft and Sherlock. Enola is free to roam the local town, go out riding on her bike and explore the local landmarks, but then one morning her mother disappears. Enola immediately goes out to try and trace her whereabouts, but nobody has seen her and she has left most of her possessions behind. It is a real mystery. Inspired by her brother Sherlock's mystery solving skills, Enola is convinced that she can do just as good a job, but when things get too complicated she ends up contacting her brothers for help. The pair treat her like a child and seem to show no real care about her mother, who it turns out has been gathering money from Mycroft under the pretense of hiring tutors and gardeners for the house, but in reality been hiding the cash. They conclude she has run off on her own and it's best to leave her to it. But Enola can't give up now and must know the truth, so she sets out for London to try and solve the mystery. On her way she gets caught up in another mystery that very nearly jeopardizes her life.

I loved Enola's attitude towards life in general, she is a lot like me in terms of being adventurous, stubborn and quite a tom boy. She doesn't care what other people really think, instead she is more determined to uncover truth and justice. She can be quite naive at times and jump into a situation without thinking first which ends up causing her more trouble in the long run. 

The story was good, it had enough twists and turns to keep me interested. The only downside for me was that it lacked the same level of description as a Sherlock Holmes book, with Conan Doyle's stories I always felt like I was right there with Sherlock and that I had a chance to solve the mystery before him if I was good enough. But with Enola, I felt like she was taking me along but I was only seeing what she wanted me to, which made me feel at a disadvantage. I enjoyed her adventure and the way she got involved in the case but it lacked the traditional Holmes charm.

It was a nice easy read which was perfect for the situation I was in, but overall I would like a bit more to the novel, just to really bring it to life. But definitely worth reading if you are a fan of the Holmes universe.

My Rating

       

 

 

  

 

Book Review - The Familiars

Title: The Familiars

Author: Stacey Halls 

Publisher: Zaffre 

Release Date: 24 Sept. 2019 

ISBN-13: 978-1785766145

 Synopsis

To save her child, she will trust a stranger. To protect a secret, she must risk her life . . .
Fleetwood Shuttleworth is 17 years old, married, and pregnant for the fourth time. But as the mistress at Gawthorpe Hall, she still has no living child, and her husband Richard is anxious for an heir. When Fleetwood finds a letter she isn't supposed to read from the doctor who delivered her third stillbirth, she is dealt the crushing blow that she will not survive another pregnancy.
Then she crosses paths by chance with Alice Gray, a young midwife. Alice promises to help her give birth to a healthy baby, and to prove the physician wrong.
As Alice is drawn into the witchcraft accusations that are sweeping the North-West, Fleetwood risks everything by trying to help her. But is there more to Alice than meets the eye?
Soon the two women's lives will become inextricably bound together as the legendary trial at Lancaster approaches, and Fleetwood's stomach continues to grow. Time is running out, and both their lives are at stake.
Only they know the truth. Only they can save each other.

  

My Review

This is definitely not my usual type of read, I picked it up in the bookshop a few months ago purely because I thought it was an absolutely gorgeous cover, in reality it shimmers and catches the light and when you look closely you start to see lots of other details in the artwork. With a cover that beautiful I had to pick it up. The first sentence of the synopsis put me off, it said 'In 1612...' and i almost put it down as I don't do Historical novels, but I felt like I should give it more of a chance, as I continued to look at it and saw that it was about witchcraft and mysteries I thought it sounded really good. I had a book giftcard to spend and thought I might as well try something different.

I started to read this last weekend and in one sitting I had got through 200 pages, I found Fleetwood to be a rather charming main character and I felt myself connecting with her and instantly wanting to know more. Likewise with Alice, she was a bit of a mystery but something about her would draw me in.

There is quite a lot of descriptive language and after reading 100 pages I realised that not an awful lot had actually happened when I thought about it, but those pages had drawn me in and kept me reading, at no point reading this book was I bored or fed up. Everything that is in there has been crafted beautifully so that the book still flows but you get that added information that brings the whole world to life and make it feel all the more real. In fact, the book is set against the frenzy of the real Pendle Hill Witch Trials, Fleetwood Shuttleworth, Alice Grey and the other characters are actual historical figures. King James I was obsessed with asserting power over the lawless countryside by capturing “witches”, knowing that the characters are based on real people made it even more captivating, if not a little creepy. Some of the characters aren't that friendly and the description of one of the witches was truly scary. But it is also fascinating to think that some of these things really did happen. The book has clearly been well researched and put together. 

Fleetwood may only be 17 but she has been married for four years and suffered from multiple miscarriages, when she finds herself pregnant again she starts to worry, feeling ill constantly, put off her food and very pale she isn't sure what's going to happen, then she finds a letter from a doctor that her husband has hidden - a letter that says she will die if she gets pregnant again. At once she is unsure what to do, then she meets Alice who manages to calm her and make her feel well again. The pair start up an unlikely friendship, but with accusations of witchcraft around, it's dangerous to be a woman.

I loved the relationship between Fleetwood and Alice throughout the book, it changes and strengthens as the novel progresses and their dynamics are brilliant.

Fleetwood also changes in herself, she goes from being rather meek and obeying her husband's wishes to being quite bolshy and outspoken, willing to fight for herself and her friends and I really enjoyed seeing that development and strength arise and come through.

I think Halls is an amazing author and i can't believe this is a debut novel, her writing is so swift and has the ability to captivate you within a story, I will definitely be reading anything else she releases. In fact I have her second novel 'The Foundling' at my side ready to start.

I would highly recommend this book if you want something you can really get stuck into with elements of magic, friendships, mystery and justice. A truly great read.

 

My Rating

     

 

 

Book Review - Storm Watcher

Title: Storm Watcher

Author: Maria V Snyder 

Publisher: Leap Books, LLC 

Release Date: 5 May 2013 

ISBN-13: 978-1616030339

Synopsis

Luke Riley is lost. His mother's recent death has set Luke and his family adrift. Even though his father, twin brothers, and their three Bloodhounds are search and rescue volunteers, they have been unable to rescue themselves and become a family again. The summer after sixth grade looms in Luke's mind as a long, lonely three months where the only thing he can look forward to is watching The Weather Channel. Luke is fascinated with the weather, but since his mother's death in a storm, he is also terrified. Even the promised 13th birthday present of a Bloodhound puppy fails to lift Luke's spirits. He would rather have a different breed - a petite Papillon, but his father insists he get a Bloodhound.

When Luke decides to get the Bloodhound from Willajean, a dog breeder who owns Storm Watcher Kennel, he works out a deal to help at her kennel in exchange for the expensive dog. Thrilled to have a summer with a purpose, Luke befriends Willajean's daughter, Megan and together they plan how Luke can get a Papillon puppy instead of a Bloodhound. But nothing seems to work as they struggle with stubborn fathers, summer storms, unhelpful siblings, and hidden guilt. Can one little white dog really save both families? 

 My Review

I have been a fan of Maria V Snyder's for years, having read the Poison Study series, I had never heard of this short novel before, but my mum received a signed copy and was awesome enough to lend it to me. Being busy at work, it's sat on my shelf for at least a month, but I finally got some down time today so I picked it up. At only 184 pages I knew it wouldn't take me more than a couple of hours, so was perfect to dip into. 

Luke has recently lost his mum and his whole life has changed, his brothers constantly pick on him, his dad is always busy and his friends don't know how to act around him, fearing a long summer ahead of him on his own, he's not holding out much hope for anything. Then he makes a deal with Willajean, a local dog breeder, if he works on her farm with her 30+ dogs for the summer, he can have a puppy of his own for free. Suddenly the summer is looking more interesting, especially when he meets her daughter - Megan. The pair strike up a friendship and Luke is learning a lot about dogs and about himself. I actually really liked that Snyder kept the pair as friends, there isn't the complication of a romance mixed into the story, just friends being there for each other.

Luke is obsessed with the weather and has a fear of storms, it's something that he has always been afraid of, a fear which only got worse after his mum was killed in a car accident caused by a lightning strike. There is a lot about weather in this book, and Snyder's past as a meteorologist clearly shines through, it wasn't too heavy or in your face though, just neatly weaved within the story. 

The characters are all very believable and you see them grow and develop over the story, I have always found Snyder to be an excellent creator of realistic characters. I think my favourite was Megan, she had more to her than originally meets the eye.

My only criticism of this book was that the ending felt quite abrupt, I honestly think that this book could have done with another 50-100 pages to fully wrap it up. I wanted more from the all and to know what came next. 

It's quite a simple story, it's aimed at middle grade - 9-14, so there are obviously limitations to the story and writing, but even so there is enough content there to create interest and there are plenty of messages and things to take away from the story. 

I would recommend this as a nice simple easy read that will sweep you away for a couple of hours, but it's definitely not on the same level as her other work. 

 My Rating

     

Book Review - Dumplin

 Title: Dumplin

Author: Julie Murphy

Series: Dumplin (book 1)

Publisher: HarperCollins 

Release Date: 4 May 2017

ISBN-13: 978-0062327192

 

Synopsis

Self-proclaimed fat girl Willowdean Dickson (dubbed “Dumplin’” by her former beauty queen mom) has always been at home in her own skin. Her thoughts on having the ultimate bikini body? Put a bikini on your body.

With her all-American beauty best friend, Ellen, by her side, things have always worked . . . until Will takes a job at Harpy’s, the local fast-food joint. There she meets Private School Bo, a hot former jock. Will isn’t surprised to find herself attracted to Bo. But she is surprised when he seems to like her back.

Instead of finding new heights of self-assurance in her relationship with Bo, Will starts to doubt herself. So she sets out to take back her confidence by doing the most horrifying thing she can imagine: entering the Miss Clover City beauty pageant—along with several other unlikely candidates—to show the world that she deserves to be up there as much as any girl does.

Along the way, she’ll shock the hell out of Clover City—and maybe herself most of all.

 My Review

I am a huge fan of Dolly Parton, so when I saw an advert for a new Netflix film called Dumplin' where the main character is also a fan and uses her music to guide her in life, i knew I wanted to see what it was all about. I watched the film and really enjoyed it, but then I realised that it was based on a book so I had to source a copy. However I usually always read a book before a film as I don't want any preconceptions of the story or characters, so I have had the book sitting on my shelves for a few months now. However I was in the bookstore the other day and saw that there was a follow up book called 'Puddin' so I decided to give Dumplin' a try. 

Dumplin' lives in a quiet little village where nothing ever really happens, except the annual beauty pageant that takes place. It is the biggest and most important moment in every girls life, except Willowdean, she isn't exactly the pageant type. Except her mum is a former winner and now runs the pageant so expectations are high. Willowdean is on the larger size, her mum is always trying to get her to diet or giving her disapproving looks, but Will is happy with her body, or at least she thinks she it. That is until she meets Bo, a hot co-worker who seems to show an interest in her, suddenly she is questioning why he likes her, how can he when she looks like she does? Suddenly Willowdean is looking for answers, and she thinks she can find it inside the pageant. 

I remembered bits of the film but not much, so it was nice to approach the book with fresh eyes. Willowdean is the sort of character that you can't help but like straight away, she has a sort of southern charm about her and she is quite frank in her opinions which is refreshing. Her friendship with Ellen is lovely and the girls make a great pair. But even that doesn't necessarily last, which gives a whole different dynamic to the story which I actually really enjoyed. 

Will is not afraid to speak her mind but she also has doubts. She wants to get along with others but won't stand for anyone who makes her or her friends feel bad. She has self-doubt, worries about friends and family and she is mourning the loss of her aunt. She makes mistakes and doesn't  always do whats best for those around her or herself, but she means well and tries to do the right thing. Overall she is a really realistic character and someone who I imagine I would have been friends with at school.

There is a bit of a love triangle story but it isn't overdone or too cliched so it works really well and keeps the plot moving. I enjoyed meeting Will's new group of oddball friends and am excited to learn more about them in the next book. 

This book is a really easy read and is a real feel-good book. It asks you to think about expectations that society and others may cast upon you and what it is that you really want out of life. It's about looking for the things that make you who you are and loving yourself for being that person. 

This book has a real charm about it and is a really enjoyable read.

My Rating      

Book Review - What's A Girl Gotta Do?

Title: What's A Girl Gotta Do?

Author: Holly Bourne

Series: The Spinster Club (Book 3)

Publisher: Usborne Publishing Ltd

Release Date: 1 Aug. 2016

ISBN-13: 978-1474915021

Synopsis

HOW TO START A FEMINIST REVOLUTION:

1. Call out anything that is unfair on one gender

2. Don't call out the same thing twice (so you can sleep and breathe)

3. Always try to keep it funny

4. Don't let anything slide. Even when you start to break...

Lottie's determined to change the world with her #Vagilante vlog. Shame the trolls have other ideas...

My Review

I've been powering through this series, but I was always hesitant about this book as Lottie is very loud and shouty and I was worried how she would come across in this book. I knew it would be focused heavier on the feminist issues and I wasn't sure if it would come over in the best way.

Lottie is always the strong one, the most opinionated, and the most clever. Her parents are expecting her to go to Cambridge and study politics with the hope that one day she will be Prime Minister. But things are never simple, especially when you have strong beliefs. Walking to school one day, Lottie is confronted by a couple of men and feels threatened by their sexual innuendoes. Deciding that she never wants to feel that way again, she starts her new project. For one month she will call out every little piece of feminism that she sees, no matter how petty it may seem. The more aware people are, the easier it will be to change things. But there is more to deal with than Lottie first thought, and this may turn out to be the longest month of her life.

The idea behind this story was good, raising awareness and calling behaviours out, but with Lottie's attitude, the whole thing came across as very aggressive and I felt like she made things a lot worse for herself and others. It was so over the top.

Throughout the book, Lottie gets called all sorts of names, one of them being 'man-hater', she argues that she is a true feminist and is fighting for equality for both genders, but a lot of what she does is very one-sided. There is one scene when Will comes to her house for a visit and makes a comment about how her room is decorated and then calls her 'psycho'. She immediately blasts him as sexist and says he can't call her that just because she is passionate and emotional. Then in the next breath calls him a c*ck. That to me is then sexist the other way. You can't tell someone off for calling you a name, and then calling him one in return. Unfortunately this happens quite a few times throughout and it makes it all seem a bit hypocritical to me.

My other issue is that the story is too much in Lottie's head, and follows a pattern of 'I'm angry, I'm tired, I can't do this, I have to do this...' pretty much on a loop, I understand this is an emotional project and that she is bound to struggle, but nothing ever seemed to change or resolve. Lottie is very pig-headed and refuses to back down on anything - even when I think she is definitely wrong.

I do think the issue of feminism is important - but to use Will's word - 'Equalitist' would be a better phrase - making life equal for BOTH genders, this book to me came across as very women based and in fact a bit sexist towards men.

Once again the other characters are in the background but don't really develop much. At one point I was only still reading because I wanted to know what would happen to Megan, but apart from her few odd appearances and the idea that 'something has happened' - it never goes anywhere else.

I just felt that this was a really disappointing end to what was a fairly good series, I really liked Evie and Amber and felt them grow a lot as characters, but this book just fell a bit flat for me and I had to really push myself to keep reading. I kept going to hear about Megan, and to see if Lottie actually manages to get into Uni - which you still don't find out! (I'm assuming she does).

Overall, this book just didn't do it for me, it felt quite aggressive and angry. There is quite a lot of strong language in the book too. Worth reading to finish off the series, but not the best.

My Rating