After winning the brutal Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen returns to her district, hoping for a peaceful future. But Katniss starts to hear rumours of a deadly rebellion against the Capitol. A rebellion that she and Peeta have helped to create. As Katniss and Peeta are forced to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. Unless Katniss and Peeta can convince the world that they are still lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying... The terrifying sequel to The Hunger Games. From Amazon UK

Seeing as I had received my review copy of Mockingjay, but hadn't yet read Catching Fire, I thought I should get a move on sharpish. I absolutely adored The Hunger Games, but for some reason, wasn't all that enthusiastic in picking up Catching Fire. But now I've read it, I wish I hadn't waited so long! This book is so amazing, I am quite literally speechless.

As some people on Twitter will know, when I first started reading, I wasn't pulled in right away. I still had reservations for unknown reasons - probably scared it wasn't going to match up to the first book. I have to say, although it was never boring, it did take a while for Catching Fire to pull me in, but once it had, that was it. I rarely put the book down. And it was sooo exciting!

And you know the worst thing? I have no idea how to talk about this book in the detail I'd normally go into without spoiling it. So much happens, so much you don't expect, and it show more all starts from the beginning! I can tell you that the characters are still amazing. Katniss is just as awe-inspiring as she was in The Hunger Games. Peeta has grown on me considerably; I never disliked him, but I didn't love him either. Now he's just the sweetest guy. But I'm still a big fan of Gale's. He's just so determined to do what's right, he's just amazing.

The action is just as good as in The Hunger Games, but in a different way. I really can't say much more than that. It's exciting, and has you on the edge of your seat, and is just completely wow! And the cliffhanger! Oh my god! The cliffhanger makes me glad that I did wait this long, so I can now pick up Mockingjay to find out what happened. Just amazing. I cannot recommend this series enough!

From Once Upon a Bookcase - YA book blog show less

I fell in love with Angela Morrison's writing when I read Sing Me to Sleep two months ago. That beautiful story touched me so much, I was desperate to read more, so I quickly bought Taken By Storm, Morrison's debut novel, prepared to be swept away. I am thrilled to tell you I was not disappointed! I absolutely loved this story! So much emotion, it's wonderful!

I'm going to start with the writing, because it's just brilliant. I'm not a diver, nor am I a Mormon, but you don't need to be either to follow this story. Morrison goes to great pains to make sure we understand what's going on, whether it be how a diver prepares for a dive, or the beliefs of Mormans, and it's all so fascinating! The way Morrison describes the world in our oceans is just so beautiful; you can actually see it, the reefs, the fish, the plant life. It's just gorgeous!

The structure is just genius! Most of the story is told in first person from Michael's point of view, through diary entries into his diving log, which contains details at the beginning of each entry such as dive buddy, date, dive #, location, site, etc. At the start and end of the book, those categories are all taken literally, but as time goes on, it can refer to who he's with, where, how he's feeling, and so on, and it's a great way to see Michael's state of mind before actually reading the entry. For some reason, he never capitalises "I", but it's a little quirk that makes him seem more real.
Leesie doesn't narrate at all, but we do get show more inside her head through the numerous poems she writes, and the online conversations she has with a friend, Kim, who lives in a different state, and Michael. For someone who isn't exactly telling the story, I found her really relatable, and feel I heard her voice just as much as Michael's. Just fantastic.

The plot is just awesome. Michael is grieving over the death of his parents, and isn't coping too well, suffering from nightmares and visions, and Leesie is the only one who can seem to keep it all at bay. However, Michael isn't used to having to control himself, so finds it really difficult to stick to Leesie's rules as a Mormon. Having been passionately in love twice before, Michael doesn't see how you can get close enough to someone to fall in love without actually loving them, like he feels so much he's unable to express it well in any other way.

Leesie knows it's possible, because of how she feels for him, and has to stop him on more than one occasion. I found Leesie's predicament really relatable. As I said, I'm not a Morman, but I do have strong morals for myself that are similar to her own to a certain degree, and can understand her having trouble balancing wanting to do what's right - or not doing what's not right - as she believes with what Michael wants and, if she's truthful, she also wants. So there's conflict in whether Leesie can actually get Michael past his grief, and if Michael can accept her rules and stick with her. Although Michael is never too much of an idiot about it all, Leesie is amazing in her strength to say "no" to him and herself and stick to her guns. I was rooting for her throughout. I have to say, this may be the only YA novel I've read so far where I haven't been going mad at the characters to get a move on, but the actual opposite.

There really isn't any way I could possibly do this book justice. It's an amazingly beautiful, powerfully emotional story that I can now add to my favourites. I'm now eagerly awaiting the sequel, Unbroken Connection, which is now avaiable as an ebook, to come out in paperback so I can jump right back into Michael and Leesie's story. Absolutely brilliant.

From Once Upon a Bookcase - YA book blog show less

Things have changed for Ever since she met her beloved Damen – not least because she’s got a whole new set of powers, courtesy of her new Immortal status. Just as she's getting stronger, though, Damen seems to be weakening. Panicked at the thought of losing him, Ever finds a path to the in-between world known as Summerland, where she learns the secrets of Damen’s tortured past. But in searching for a cure for him, Ever accidentally discovers a way to twist time so she can save her family from the accident that killed them. It’s all she’s ever wanted – but so is Damen. And Ever must choose between them... From Amazon UK

Ever since finishing Evermore last year, I've been eager to read Blue Moon, really wanting to find out what happened next - would Riley return? Would I get more of an idea who Damen is? What would Ever do with her new powers? So when I finished reading all the books I brought with me when I went on a break, I decided to buy Blue Moon and see where the story went - ad it was a good job I did! Such a great read!

Blue Moon is very much a middle book. It's not as fast paced as Evermore and not a lot happens in the great scheme of things, but it's not slow and it's definately not boring. With the arrival of a new student, the ever cheerful Roman, and the sudden strange behaviour of everyone at school, including Damen, Ever's world is turned upside down. Along with Ever, we get to explore further the beautiful Summerland as she tries looking for show more answers, and finding out a lot more than she bargained for.

Ever is just brilliant in Blue Moon, she grows so much. There are several occasions where she has to use her own initiative and work things out by herself, she shows how brave and smart she can be. We find out more about Damen's past in this novel, which gives more of an idea of who he is, and I actually really quite like him now! Haven grew on me a little this time round; after accepting that's just the way she is, she can be quite amusing at times. Still loving Miles, he's still his chirpy, dramatic, camp self. Roman drove me round the bend with his excessive cheerfulness. I just wanted to slap him.

As I said, not a huge amount happens for most of the book, but what does happen is just so intriguing! I can't really go into it too much, but Damen's world is a lot bigger than Ever realises, and his past catches up with them. The action in Blue Moon takes a different form than we've previously seen; Ever has to race against time to save lives, and you're never sure if she's going to make it, or exactly what's going on and why. The pace picks up as the story goes on, and you're never sure how it's going to end. I never saw the actual ending coming. I mean, wow! Such a cliffhanger!

Having not yet read Shadowland, the third in the series, I can't say for sure, but it seems to me that Blue Moon is a bridge book to get the story and the characters from the end of Evermore to the beginning of Shadowland. It's not as great as Evermore was, but it's still pretty awesome; so engaging, I couldn't put it down! Well worth a read! I'm so excited to seeing how things turn out and where Damen and Ever's relationship goes in Shadowland, which is out now.

From Once Upon a Bookcase - YA book blog. show less

Seventeen-year-old Lennie Walker spends her time tucked safely and happily in the shadow of her fiery older sister, Bailey. But when Bailey dies abruptly, Lennie is catapulted to centre stage of her own life - and, despite her nonexistent history with boys, suddenly finds herself struggling to balance two. Toby was Bailey's boyfriend; his grief mirrors Lennie's own. Joe is the new boy in town, with a nearly magical grin. One boy takes Lennie out of her sorrow, the other comforts her in it. But the two can't collide without Lennie's world exploding... From Amazon UK

I don't know what to say about this book. It's beautiful. It's emotional. It's powerful. It's thought provoking. And it's now right up there with my favourites. I have a lot of favourites, simply because they are exciting or thrilling, but a few that touch me and effect me so deeply, I feel this overwhelming joy at being lucky enough to have read such a wonderful book, that such a treasure has fallen into my hands. The Sky is Everywhere is one of these books.

This book is chock full of emotion. To compare it to a rollercoaster ride, like I would normally do, wouldn't work for this book. It just seems silly to do so in light of the depth of feeling running through this book - it would be like comparing the heat of the sun to a radiator. As weird as this may sound, Lennie's grief over Bailey's death is beautiful; it's sharp, it's overwhelming, it's heavy, and it's endless. Lennie compares it to a building, but I'd show more compare it to the sea; it washes over her - and you - and drags her down, away from the surface, leaving her unable to breath.

Toby and Joe are her only life lines. What happens between her and each of the boys, how they effect her, her grief, become this confusing, wonderful, painful, disastrous, beautiful, chaotic part
of her life... all I can say is Nelson gets it spot on. It's messy, it's understandable, it's human, it's real.

I love the way Nelson writes. She has this way with words and gives her characters these ideas that made me stop and think, or just marvel. The sky begins at your feet, lonliness is like a day without birds, hearing souls in music. There is a part of this book I wanted to quote but can't as it's an ARC. Lennie was thinking about how everything Bailey knew, heard, learned, saw is now gone, the way and the things she thought. It really spoke to me; there are so many things I think, not important things, just random, silly things or opinions, or whatever, that I've never voiced, simply because the subject hasn't come up, and it made me think that perhaps no-one really knows me, and the need to just garble onn at people to make sure it's out there.

The poems Lennie wrote to deal wih her grief were just genius, and made her really relatable for me. I used to write poems as a teen when things weren't so great, I thought of it as therapy. Although I can't relate to her grief, I could relate Lennie's need to write poetry, and they were just great! Bailey dies before the book starts, and the poems are where we really see her, and Lennie's love just jumps out of them.

I have to mention Sarah, Lennie's best friend. There are a fair few moments of humour throughout the book, it's not all doom and gloom, and Sarah's use of animals instead of swearing are some of them. It's just too cool! I so want to go around saying holy horses, jumping giraffes and call people flying yellow ducks. Too funny.

I loved this book so much, I read it in a day. Seriously, you just have to read The Sky is Everywhere. Don't miss out on the beautiful that is contained in these pages. Don't deny yourself this piece of wonderful. You'll be doing yourself a disservice.

From show less

Haven Moore has always known she's different: there are the talents that can't be explained; the knowledge of places she's never been; and then there are the visions that overwhelm her - terrifying visions of a life that ended tragically two decades earlier and more than a thousand miles away in New York City. The citizens of Haven's rural, highly religious community, believe that she's been possessed by a demon. But this is no demon: it's reincarnation. Haven journeys all the way to Manhattan in search of clues about her past life and a decades-old murder. One wrong move could lead her into the clutches of the sinister villain at the center of a conspiracy much larger than she could have ever imagined. But if she makes the right choices, Haven will find the answers she's been seeking her entire life. This is an epic and thrilling romance set in the snake-handling churches of Appalachia, the dusty ruins of ancient Rome, and the grand mansions of Manhattan. The Eternal Ones tells the story of the first battle in a war between undying love and eternal evil. From Amazon UK

Oh my word, I cannot tell you how amazing this book is! It's just brilliant! So intriguing and mysterious, and dangerous! I loved it!

I really don't know what to say about the characters. I really liked Haven, but sometimes I felt she made so many bad decisions and judged things badly, but I loved her at the beginning of the novel having to battle against the discrimination of the people living in the small show more town. She was strong, and she seemed so interesting, but as soon as she met Iain, I felt she lost a bit of her personality by how obsessed she was by him. I wasn't a big fan of Iain right from the start. There was just something about him that put me off; he ordered Haven around, and sometimes shejust did as he wished. As the book progresses you kind of understand why, but I still say he went about things all wrong. Not a fan. However, I do love Beau and Earl Frizzell! I thought they were just awesome!

The plot itself is just so interesting, and I can't really get into it without spoiling it. There's more than just the whole reincarnation theme, it kind of becomes secondary. There are people who have past lives, and they have a group, but there is so much more going on. Secrets and lies, plots and schemes, and danger like you wouldn't believe! There isn't action in fighting terms, but there is a lot of heart in your mouth moments. It's thrilling and exciting, and, oooh, I loved it!

The twist! Oooh, the twist! I worked it out as I was getting closer to it, but I was still amazed! Even though I worked it out, I was telling myself that I was wrong, surely not! But it's pretty great, and creepy, and oh, I can't wait to find out what happens in the next book!

I am so sorry that I can't go into much more detail about this book, but it's so complicated, I don't want to accidentally give anything away. But you must read it! It's aboslutely amazing, and I can't wait for the next installment in August 2011. Read this, I can't recommend it enough! And check out the promo websites linked below, they're so cool!

From Once Upon a Bookcase - YA book blog show less

An immortal war has been brewing in the darkness...and now one woman has stumbled into the shadows.

Chicago private investigator Kira Graceling should have just kept on walking. But her sense of duty refused to let her ignore the moans of pain coming from inside a warehouse just before dawn. Suddenly she finds herself in a world she's only imagined in her worst nightmares.

At the center is Mencheres, a breathtaking Master vampire who thought he'd seen it all. Then Kira appears - this fearless, beautiful....human who braved death to rescue him. Though her burns for her, keeping Kira in his world means risking her life. Yet sending her away is unthinkable.

But with danger closing in, Mencheres must choose either the woman he craves, or embracing the darkest magic to defeat an enemy bent on his eternal destruction. From Amazon US.

I am a huge fan of Cat and Bones from the Night Huntress series by Frost, and I'm missing reading about them. However, her Night Huntress World stand alones are just as good, and more than enough to tide me over. Eternal Kiss of Darkness is no exception; another brilliant novel!

In each of the Night Huntress World novels we follow important side characters Cat and Bones know. In Eternal Kiss of Darkness, we follow Mencheres. Bones' grandsire and co-ruler of their lines, and a hugely powerful vampire, and how his life is turned around by Kira. It's such a great story!

As fans of Frost's novels will know, as well as romance, there is also more to her show more stories,, and in this book, it's a life long feud betweeen Mencheres and Radjedef, law gaurdian (vampire cop in other words) and powerful vampire. There is the normal actin and suspence, and it's a brilliant plot with a lot of real Egyptian history involved, but this story did focus a lot more on the romance. It was more paranormal romance than urban fantasy, which I would describe Frost's other novels as. There was a lot more sexual content in this book than in Frost's others - or more than I remember there being. I'm not a huge fan of a lot of sexual content, but it's not over done in this book; it didn't get annoying or boring, which I usually find when reading novels with an excess.

I am amazed at how Frost is able to keep track of all the different plot threads she has going in all her books. The set up for Eternal Kiss of Darkness began in At Grave's End - three published books ago. It's brilliant how the smallest detail can lead to a whole story later on, how author's can think so far ahead and slip in seeds for a later book. Just brilliant!

As I said, another brilliant novel from Frost, and one I highly recommend. I can't wait until the fifth Night Huntress novel with Cat and Bones, This Side of the Grave, which will be released in February 2011.

From Ink and Paper - fantasy book blog show less

Claire Danvers has a few things on her mind. First of all there is the laundry, which is now an unfortunate shade of pink. Then there is her boyfriend, Shane, who is never too far from her thoughts. Finally there is her best friend Eve's relationship problems. As if life as a student wasn't complicated enough, Claire just happens to be studying in Morganville. A town run by vampires. Trouble seems to follow Claire and her friends like a shadow and tonight is no exception to the rule. They must find the most difficult documents for a vampire to acquire; people passes that will allow 'bad ass' Morley and his friends to leave Morganville. But it's proving incredibly difficult, and with the odds seemingly stacked against them, the biggest question of all is...Will they survive? From Amazon UK.

Words are yet to be invented for me to be able to describe how much I love the Morganville Vampires series. Really. This series is just too amazing for words, and gets better with each book. Kiss of Death adds to the awesomeness that is this series.

Firstly, the blurb above and on the back of the book is misleading. The story doesn't take place in one day as it leads you to believe, and getting Morley several People Passes isn't the main obstacle, nor even a small one, exactly, for our main characters. Yet I can understand the reason for the misleading blurb; so much happens in this book, it's kind of hard to summarise without spoilers. So yes, Morley is involved to some degree, but not show more how you would assume. The main plot thread is Michael is invited by a producer to go to Dallas to record his music, and Amelie grants all four of them - Michael, Claire, Eve and Shane - People Passes to go. Obviously, they are all excited to get out of Morganville, but their road trip isn't as much of a break from the freakiness as they had hoped.

And as I said, so much happens! I think Kiss of Death may be the most action packed of the whole series. Seriously, just when you think things couldn't get any worse for the guys, it does - in bucket loads. The saying "out of the frying pan and into the fire" is a bit of an understatement in this instance. But it's awesome! I know, I know there are going to be at least 12 books in the series, but at some points, I was really worrying for the lives of the characters and sure there were going to some fatalities. Claine is just a mastermind of urban fantasy, and never fails to shock and surprise.

Claire contines to come into her own in this book, showing more courage and spink than you would expect in the circumstances they find themselves in. But we still have the same sarcasm, wit, and humour from all the main characters that make us love them so much. I adore Michael, Eve and Shane, and love how real their voices sound.

Seriously, another brilliant book by Caine. I really can't wait to read what she brings us next in Ghost Town, which will be released in January 2011.

From Once Upon a Bookcase - YA book blog. show less

On the face of it, Leslie is a normal, healthy, well-adjusted fourteen-year-old girl. She goes to a good school, has a great friend in Cavett, and a mother who loves her to the moon and back. She should be happy, yet she’s not. She would be, she thinks, if only she were thinner. But “thinking thin” becomes a dangerous obsession and Leslie’s weight drops to five stone, threatening to destroy her and the whole fabric of her family life. Only by realizing that this condition is an illness – and one that has its roots in a deep problem – can Leslie hope to survive. From Amazon UK

This is such a brilliant, heart breaking but wonderful novel! I have no idea how I can possibly do this book justice with this review.

The book starts off a little slow. Leslie has started a new school, she makes a friend, and we see she has some issues with her mother. The issues run all the way through, but I must admit that I don't fully understand what her problems with her mother are. Sometimes she seems to love her desperately, and other times she wants to shout at her mother, but I can't see myself what her mum has done wrong, even though the novel is in first person. This may just be me, maybe it would be clearer to others. But the issues that she has she goes through in her internal monologue, and it's just heart breaking to see her chop and change so quickly from desperately loving her mother, to blaming her with such fury.

It's also heart breaking to read about Leslie developing show more anorexia. It starts with stomach flu. She loses a few pounds, and her jeans aren't as tight, so she decides to go on a "diet" - that involves eating hardly anything. Everyone compliments her as she loses weight, so she loses more and more. Though she doesn't know it at the time, the anorexia is the little dictator in her head, berating her over how greedy she is, telling her she's fat, but she's strong, and she can go without. The little dictator is merciless.

It gets to the point where how much food she's not eating, how much she weighs is all Leslie thinks about - until she can't make it to the bus stop to get to school because she is just so weak and tired. Reading it all made me feel so empty, like I was the one who hadn't eaten. I can't explain it, but I was just so effected by this story. She ended up wanting help, but it seemed like she didn't know exactly what help she wanted. When hospitalised, she wouldn't eat right and had no desire to put on weight, but she was desperate to be helped. It was just so hard to read. And every time I read Leslie saying "I'll know when I'm thin enough because I'll be happy", it was just so upsetting.

What also made this book extremely powerful was the fact that it was semi-autobiographical. Deborah Hautzig was suffering from anorexia, not yet cured, when this book was originally released. She was experiencing it as she wrote it. It's just so, so sad. This is the one book I have read for this month where there is no resolution. Does Leslie get better? We don't know. But she's getting help - and that's the point where Hautzig was at when she wrote the book.

This is a brilliantly powerful and poignant book that just took my breath away. It's just brilliant, and one I think everyone should read.

From Once Upon a Bookcase - YA book blog. show less

It’s the end of junior year, and summer is about to begin. The Summer of Passion, to be exact, when Jory Michaels plans to explore all the possibilities of the future--and, with any luck, score a boyfriend in the process. But Jory has a problem. A big problem. A curvy, honking, bumpy, problem in the form of her Super Schnozz, the one thing standing between Jory and happiness. And now, with the Summer of Passion stretched before her like an open road, she's determined for Super Schnozz to disappear. Jory takes a job delivering wedding cakes to save up for a nose job at the end of the summer; she even keeps a book filled with magazine cutouts of perfect noses to show the doctor. But nothing is ever easy for accident-prone Jory--and before she knows it, her Summer of Passion falls apart faster than the delivery van she crashes. In her hilarious and heartbreaking debut novel, Sydney Salter delivers a story about broadening your horizons, accepting yourself, and finding love right under your nose. From Amazon UK

This is such a brilliant book! I really loved it! Such a sweet novel! I really loved it!

Jory has two goals for the summer. Find her passion, and get a job so she can save her money for a nose job, so she can nab the gorgeous Tyler Briggs. Her passion goal is half-hearted, as that's what her friends are doing, but she is obsessed with the rest; nose jobs and Tyler - or any other cute guys who happen to be around at the time.

It's really quite sad how badly she thinks show more about her nose. She keeps a Nice Nose Notebook, where she keeps pictures of models with nice noses to show to the surgeon when she gets her nose job. Everything that goes wrong in her life, is down to her big nose. Her mother is constantly on a diet, and trying to get Jory to wear beauty enhancing make-up. It's just really sad.

But there is more to this book than just Jory's nose. There's friendship, family, and boy issues that go a lot deepers than a squabble and an unrequited crush. But they're all dealt with in such a brilliant way.

I don't know what else I can say about this book. So much goes on in it, and I don't want to spoil it. It really is a brilliant book, one that is right up there with my favourites! I absolutely loved it, and can't recommend it enough! I will definitely be checking out more of Sydney Salter's novels.

From Once Upon A Bookcase - YA book blog. show less

Blubber meets Steel Magnolias in this funny and honest story about body image and family.

Rosemary Goode is smart and funny and loyal and the best eyebrow waxer in Spring Hill, Tennessee. But only one thing seems to matter to anyone, including Rosemary: her weight. And when your mom runs the most successful (and gossipy) beauty shop in town, it can be hard to keep a low profile. Rosemary resolves to lose the weight, but her journey turns out to be about everything but the scale. Her life-changing, waist-shrinking year is captured with brutal honesty and humor, topped with an extralarge helping of Southern charm. A truly uncommon novel about an increasingly common problem. From Amazon US

This was such a great story! Oh, I loved it on so many levels! Just so sweet and uplifting! Such an amazing story!

Reading the blurb, you would think that Artichoke's Heart is just about Rosie losing weight, and while that is what it's about, it's about so much more too! There are so many layers to this novel! It's also about friendship, romance, family, community, expectations... I could go on! Each of the layers does link to Rosie's weight issues in some way, but they also stand on their own. Will Rosie's unlikely friendship with a popular girl end up turning sour? Is there any chance the new jock could ever look at her? Will her aunt ever get off her back and stop being so insulting? Will her mother allow someone to help her take on the world? Will her mother's clients stop looking at her show more in that way? Will she end up making decisions for the right reasons, rather than because of other people? A lot goes on in this novel, but it's never chaotic. It all adds to the story, it all effects the main plot, and you're invested in finding out the answers to all the questions.

I loved how Rosie's attitude changed as the book progressed. I can't really go into this without spoiling the book, but there's a number of times where Rosie would realise something just doesn't matter, or she'd see things a different way, or someone would say something to her that opened her eyes. In some of these instances, even my attitude was changed. There is nothing more fantastic than reading a novel and having it change your perspective for the better and make you view yourself differently. This has happened a number of times for me over the course of Body Image and Self-Perception Month and I just love it! Even though I can't relate to Rosie's weight issues, I can relate to her general insecurities, and it's just wonderful to have been "helped" by Rosie's story.

I also loved the language! This story is set in the south, and being from the UK, at first the language was a bit odd to read Rosie refering to her mum as Mother all the way through the book, calling a woman she was close to Miss Bertha rather than just Bertha, and the colloquial spellings for the southern twang. However, the more I read, the more I loved it! I do love a southern accent, and it just ended up sounding really cute in my head.

There is so much I could say about this book, I could gush on forever, but I think a lot of it would be better discovered in your own reading - I really don't want to spoil this fantastic book for you! I do absolutely love it, and I will be reading more novels by Suzanne Supplee in future. You definitely need to pick this book up.

I'm going to leave you with one quote from the book that has stuck with me, "Well... when you look at a person's eyes or her smile, you can't tell how much she weighs..." (p253)

From Once Upon a Bookcase - YA book blog. show less

Janie Ryman hates throwing up. So why does she binge eat and then stick her fingers down her throat several times a day? That’s what the doctors and psychiatrists at Golden Slopes hope to help her discover. But first Janie must survive everyday conflicts between the Barfers and the Starvers, attempts by the head psychiatrist to fish painful memories out of her emotional waters, and shifting friendships and alliances among the kids in the ward. From Amazon US

This was such an amazing book! And in so many more ways than you would think from the blurb! I just loved it!

This is in no way a heavy book. As much as I was looking forward to reading Purge, I did assume it was going to be a pretty hard book to read emotionally. Although it's no picnic, it's not as hard as I thought it would be. It's actually pretty light and humourous in places, and I found myself hooked from the first line!

What I love is about this story is that it starts with Janie getting help. She's already int he psychiatric hospital, and although she doesn't think she has a problem, and would rather be anywhere but there, she is, and the people there are there to help. I think this is great firstly because from the start you know there's a way out for Janie if she chooses to take it, and secondly, because it shows you exactly what's involved in recovery for bulimia.

We do find out about Janie's story, about why she has bulimia and how she ended up at Golden Slopes, but Darer Littman trickles bits and pieces of show more her backstory throughout the book, so you're eagerly reading to find out what happened, but also engaged enough with Janie's here and now; with how she is dealing with her recovery, whether she'll make it or fall off the wagon. You're also kept engaged through the stories of the other patients. The other "Barfers" and the "Starvers" - those with bulimia and those with anorexia. Although we focus on Janie, you also come to care about the other patients and whether they recover. Some of the group therapy scenes are really heart breaking, yet eye-opening.

I noticed that not at one point in the novel do we find out what Janie's weight is. We don't get told her actual weight, and, although she thinks she's fat, we don't have her friends, family, or doctors try to convince her that she's not. She gets told she's pretty, but not whether she's fat or skinny. I just love that! It doesn't make a difference what her weight actually is, it's what she thinks about the way she looks that matters. Whether she is overweight or not, she is bulimic, and it's a change in attitude that's needed to help her recover, not necessarily a change in weight.

What I also found is that when Janie was describing how she felt, it seemed a whole lot more real, because Darer Littman suffered with bulimia herself. There's something that seems more believable when you know the author has been through what the main character is fgoing through, in comparison to an author researching and trying to get into a sufferer's head - not that I'm knocking it. It just felt at times like Darer Littman was speaking herself through Janie, and that made it hit home just a little bit more - Purge isn't autobiographical, but it's not just a story, some of those feelings are real.

This is such a brilliant book! Darer Littman also has resources for body image and eating disorders which I think would be so beneficial to those who are suffering with bulemia and anorexia. I really can't recommend Purge enough! You all really need to read this book! I am really looking forward to reading more by Sarah Darer Littman!

From Once Upon a Bookcase - YA book blog show less

When Troy (a hugely overweight social leper) befriends Curt (a skinny homeless punk guitar genius), they both get much more than they bargained for. Troy's macho brother and ex-Marine father think Curt is just a junkie loser - but as Curt stopped Troy's suicide attempt, Troy can't just forget him. Curt recruits Troy as the new drummer in his punk band - but Troy has never played the drums in his life. When Curt's around, though, almost anything seems possible. An outstanding, heart-warming, funny, edgy, debut novel. From Amazon UK

This book is absolutely amazing! I can't tell you how much I enjoyed this book. This book is so good, I just feel so light right now, high. It's just awesome!

The book starts off with Troy actually at the tube station, considering jumping in front of a train. But then Curt, who is sleeping rough on the platform, opens his mouth. From Troy's point of view, everything he does is funny to other people. He only has to sit down in the cafeteria and people laugh. While standing at the end of the platform, he tries to work out if his suicide would be funny. He imagines how he think it would be, and laughs. And then this homless guy says "You laughing at me?"

Four words. If Curt, the character, didn't utter those words, Troy would have probably jumped. There would have been no story. We wouldn't have seen how Troy's complete and utter lack of self-confidence and self-worth could have been turned around.

In the comments of Luisa Plaja's guest post, I show more commented on how I on't like how in some stories, girls' opinion of themselves changes because of a guy's interest. In a way, I still feel like that, but this book has changed that. Forget the girl is female and the guy is male, and they're attracted to each other. Someone is helping out someone else. In Angela Morrison's interview, she mentions how sometimes all people need is a good friend to gently help. In this book, that is exactly the situation. Curt helps Troy. Not by telling him he looks fine, or by changing the way he looks. But by asking him to join his band as a drummer. Now this is not just some random homeless person inviting him to join his band, it's Curt, Curt MacCrae, only the legendary guitarist who went to his school, who inspires awe in everyone who looks at him. And he has just asked Troy to just his band!

What ensues is a brilliant, brilliant story of Troy's change in attitude. He sees himself differently. Because of the belief and encouragement of people he has the utmost respect for, the way he sees himself changes; his weight, the way he looks - he realises, in the great scheme of things, it doesn't matter.

I have to say, I have the biggest lit-crush on Curt, even if he is a smelly homeless person. His life is complicated, and not something I can go into without spoiling the story. He talks in this strange way that is just so awesome and amusing, I grin whenever he speaks - it's complete nonsense most of the time, but it's brilliant! And he's deep, in this way I can't even explain, because I only barely just got what he meant myself, but it's amazing! And on top of that, he can play guitar and - I know it's a book, and so I can't technically hear him play - he's absolutely unbelievably good! And, well, I've always kind of had a thing for a guy who can play guitar (it's a failing I have, I'm trying to get over it ;)). I just love this guy! Simply because you need to see how amazing it is when Curt speaks, here's a quote:

'"You see, technically, and this is only in the technical sense, legal court orders and all, so, yes, technically I live with my father, but that's hard to do, really, so I don't. You know, mostly 'cause he kicked me out a couple times. And left. But that doesn't mean it's out of the realm of possibility that I could be living with my father..."' (p16)

I just love it! And you know what also helps? It's a book that has a lot to do with music. I'm a music fan, I'm a live music fan, I'm a huge fan of gigs at venues with new bands - and this book was full of it all! It's just brilliant! You can feel the vibrations, you can smell the sweat, you can feel the buzz! It's just amazing!

If you read my review of King of the Screwups, also by K.L. Going, you'll know that although I absolutely loved it, I had a bit of trouble getting motivated to pick it up once I put it down. I did not have this trouble in the slightest with this book! I always wanted to read it! I was hooked from the first words, and further hooked from the moment Curt speaks, and just dying to see what happened with the two of them and the band. Absolutely awesome!

I cannot recommend this book enough! It's six years old now, but one you should all definitely try to get your hands on! It's awesome, and it's going to stick with me for a while, just how deeply the two guys effect each other. It's now up there with my favourites, and I am just so glad I chose to read this book! I will definitely be checking out more of the novels by K.L. Going!

From Once Upon a Bookcase - YA book blog show less

Liam Geller is Mr. Popularity. Everybody loves him. He excels at sports; he knows exactly what clothes to wear; he always ends up with the most beautiful girls in school. But he's got an uncanny ability to screw up in the very ways that tick off his father the most.

When Liam finally gets kicked out of the house, his father's brother takes him in. What could a teenage chick magnet possibly have in common with his gay, glam rocker, DJ uncle who lives in a trailer in upstate New York? A lot more than you'd think. And when Liam attempts to make himself over as a nerd in a desperate attempt to impress his father, it's his "aunt" Pete and the guys in his band who convince Liam there's much more to him than his father will ever see. From Amazon US

I can't tell you how amazing this book is! Seriously, it's unbelievably emotional and poweful, and at times depressing, but it's fantastic.

This book is all about self-perception. The perception Liam has of himself, of being a screwup who's never going to amount to much, is based on the way he is treated by his father. His father is a successful business man, his mother is the owner of a boutique and an ex-super model. Nothing Liam or his mother does is ever good enough for his Dad, and one problem I have with this book is you never really find out why. All you know is his Dad is a bully, but the word "bully" doesn't seem strong enough for him. He demeans, insults, and drags Liam down in every way he can. Of course, some of the things show more Liam does aren't the best, but the way he is treated by his father in unjustifiable. It's disgusting.

When his Dad is kicks him out and he moves to live with Aunt Pete, Liam desperately wants to go back home. To impress his father, to show he's changed, he tries to become a nerd. He tries to befriend the unpopular girl, he joins the AV club, he wears his uncles clothes to discourage the in crowd. It doesn't work though, all his attempts to be an outsider just make the in crowd love him more. And Pete, along with Pete's friends and bandmates, can see right through it. This is not who Liam is.

This book has such huge messages on how we should just be ourselves, and not try to change for anyone - no matter who it is you feel needs impressing. It's absolutely heart breaking to see Liam try so very hard, yet feel even worse when his attempts fail. And everytime his father spoke I was made so unbelievably angry! It's an absolutely fantastic book, and I would recommend it to everyone!

There was one thing I had a huge amount of trouble with; reading it. As you can tell, I really loved this book, I think it was amazing. Yet I had trouble picking it up once I had put it down, and I have no idea why. I enjoyed it immensely while reading, but when not, I wasn't motivated to pick it up. It's took me far too long to read it, and I can't say why. But it is absolutely awesome, and definitely needs to be on everyone's wishlists!

From show less

Virginia Shreves has a "larger-than-average" body and a medium-sized inferiority complex. Her mum is an exercise fiend, her dad whistles at skinny women, and her siblings are gorgeous, clever, and impossible to live up to. They're all people Virginia thinks the world of. In fact, Virginia thinks the world of everyone but herself. Then, a phone call changes everything... From Amazon UK

I was really surprised with the route The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round Things took. I've read a few books about being over weight now, and each there are similar themes - comfort eating, remarks from peers, pressure from family. This book has all those elements, plus more. The phone call mentioned in the blurb leads to a huge change for everyone in the family, and it's not directly anything to do with Virginia herself, but it effects her like everyone else.

Virginia is a big girl in an otherwise slim, beautiful, "perfect" family. Her parents adore their two older children, but Virginia feels like they're disappointed with her, the family's one flaw. I cannot tell you how mad Virginia's mother made me! An adolescent psychologist who deals with teen problems on a regular basis, she should know how to approach things with Virginia. But for wanting a perfect family, the slightest remark is belittling to Virginia. Her mother is a hypocrital cow, and I really disliked her.

'Mom has a hard time talking about my body. Her shrink side wants to reassure me that I'm fine the way I am, accept myself, show more all that self-esteem stuff. But her Mom side wants me to be thin and perfect, like the rest of the Shreves. The end result is she can barely say the word "fat" around me. She uses euphemisms such as "heavy" and "like I used to be."' (p45)

With her self-esteem pretty low anyway, this doesn't help. Nor does the words and actions of most other people she comes across. You can just feel her sadness pour through the pages.

'Not fat fat. More like chubby.
Enough so I'm picked last in gym for any activity has anything to do with running, climbing ropes, or propelling oneself over a horse. Enough so I've hears people refer to me as plump, as if being lickened to a vine-ripe tomato is some kind of compliment. Enough so family friends, upon comparing me to my skinny siblings, raise their eyebrows as high as McDonald's golden arches.' (p24)

'"Virginia Shreves," says Briar, crcking up. "That chubby girl."
"No way!" Brie shrieks. "I never knew they were related."
"Of course they are," says Briar. "It's not like Shreves is a common name."
I bite down hard on the insides of my cheeks. That chubby girl.
After a moment Brie says, "All I can say is, if I were that fat, I'd kill myself."' (p36)

'Dad piks a bit of cashew nut out of his teeth. "You've got a great face, Ginny. Think how prettier you could be if you lost twenty or thirty pounds."
I feel as if I've been punched in the stomach. I've always known Dad was absent on the day they handed out tact. And I've always known Dad was a fan of thin women. But he never said it so bluntly - that I'm not tha attractive the way I am.' (p83)

It's just really so sad, and how she deals with her feelings is just heart breaking. Then the phone call comes. I won't spoil the story, but it's the beginning of Virginia realising her family isn't as perfect as she's always thought, or as her Mom has tried to pretend. The pressure to please everyone else slowly lifts off her shoulders. With the help of a few brilliant people - Mrs Crowley, her best mate Shannon, Dr Love - Virginia's attitude changes. It's not about size, it's about being healthy and happy.

Watching Virginia along her journey is sometimes painful, but it's so amazing to see her come through the other side stronger! This is another book where the main character comes to a positive ending through her own doing, rather than with help from diets and make-up, or from guys. It's wonderful! More books like this please! This really is a great story! I really recommend it!

From Once Upon a Bookcase - YA book blog show less

Oribella Bettencourt has the world at her feet. She's won the Crowning Glory pageant title, due in part to her lustrous blonde mane of hair, and has just snagged a role in an upcoming movie opposite a hot young star. Sure, she doesn't really have any friends at school, but that's okay - she has her mother, a frustrated beauty queen herself, and she has her brilliant pageant and acting career. She doesn't need anything, or anyone, else. At least, that's what she tells herself. Then clumps of her beautiful blonde hair start falling out every time she brushes. Or showers. Or does just about anything. The horrifying word comes down: she has alopecia, a rare condition resulting in hair loss. She loses her movie role. The Crowning Glory title is taken away from her. And her mother can barely bear to look at her. Now, outcast and alone, all Oribella has is herself - and that simply isn't enough. When, to her surprise, she begins to develop an unlikely friendship with a tomboy classmate, she realizes that for the first time in her life she may just figure out who Oribella Bettencourt really is without her crown - and what truly matters in the end. From Amazon UK

I can't tell you how much I enjoyed this book! It's not what I was expecting at all, but it was fantastic! I am just so, so glad I got to read this book! It has some really important things to say!

Oribella is blonde and beautiful. She's a model, an actress, a dancer, and a has won several beauty pagents. So this means show more she's a stuck up, nasty queen bee who rules the school, right? Wrong! Ori is socially awkward, she has no friends, and has barely a minute to herself; when she's not at school she's going to modelling gigs, or dance classes, or preparing for the beauty bagent or her audition for an upcoming movie role for a modern day princess. This girl doesn't stop! It's something I would have thought was suffocating and a lot of pressure, but Ori thrives on it! And, being inside her head, you can see she's a nice girl - yet she's bullied.

So there are our first stereotypes out the window. This beautiful girl is good and nice, isn't scared of hard work, but isn't good at making friends, and bullied for what people perceive about her - like we just did. The only person she has is her mother.

'At Highland High I'm a disease nobody wants to catch. The girls hate me, the guys avoid me, and the teachers think I have a single digit IQ. It's hard to concentrate on my studies in the face of so much blind adoration.' (p15)

People look at her, make these assumptions about her, or smother her in compliments - yet it's wonderful to see that this beautiful girl isn't completely shallow either:

'Most people act like beuty is something I've accomplished. But's no different from congratulating me for having eyebrows or a nose. I'd rather be praised for mastering a tricky dance step or earning a C - if that's possible - in math.' (p13)

But then Ori's world gets turned upside down when she starts suffering from alopecia - a condition which causes your hair to fall out. The part she got in the movie is taken away from her, her agent dumps her which means no more modelling or acting parts, she can't face going to her dance classes with the hair the way it is, and her mother stops talking to her. She loses everything. And the bullying gets worse.

'"Just don't expect anyone to feel sorry for you - because they won't. The queen fell off her pedestal, and the peasants are cheering."' (p154)

But she gains the world. I won't spoil the story, but in a way, Ori getting alopecia is the best thing that could happen to her. When she finally snaps, and rants at Phil (short for Philomena), a jock on the girls volley ball team and daughter of Ori's ex-agent, she finds someone who will listen, and who starts to understand. Through this one friend, so many other things open up to her. She experiences more, she does more, she realises more. And it's wonderful to witness this transformation.

Is there a happy ending? It really depends on what you would consider to be a happy ending for someone like Ori, but I believe there is. Fairest of Them All is such an uplifting and positve book, and I couldn't recommend it enough! It's absolutely brilliant, and so great to see that the "negative" causes the "positive" this time round. Such a fantastic novel, everyone should give it a read!

From Once Upon a Bookcase - YA book blog show less

When Riley's Dad gets a new girlfriend, life turns upside down for Riley. She doesn't like Norma and Norma doesn't like her. But it is not until Riley finds herself shipped off to 'camp' that she realises just how bad things have become. Determined to continue on her path of bad behaviour and general obnoxiousness, Riley Rose is sure that she can turn this 'spiritual camp' upside down. And when she meets Dylan Luck, recent paraplegic, she thinks she has found a fellow troublemaker. What follows is a very surprising week for Riley. Truths are told and secrets revealed, and sex, cigarettes and booze prove to be a potent cocktail, but in the end Riley has learnt quite a lot about herself, Dylan and exactly why she appeared hell-bent on self-destruction. From Amazon UK

Everything Beautiful was one of the first books recommended to me for BI&SP Month, and was highly praised, so I knew it was one I definitely had to read. I'm so glad I did, it was just so positive!

This book isn't so much about body image or self-perception, but about self-acceptance in all it's forms; it's about truely being yourself and accepting who you are, as a person, as well as how you look. Riley is overweight, to the point where people make comments about it - but she doesn't care. She knows she's overweight, but doesn't have a problem with it; she accepts herself and, most of the time, has a positive body image. It's just so refreshing to find someone who's happy with how they are.

'As I walked away I show more tried to picture what they saw: my crazy curves, my straw bag swinging, my hat in my hand sweeping the air. I bet they'd never seen a big girl so confident. Boom-boom-BOOM. My mules clacked on the floor like castanets. Arriba!' (p54)

'I gave pretty good about owning my fatness, I could dress provocatively, and I only sucked my stomach in when I was squeezing past someone but for all my boldness I'd never actually showed myself to anyone - not completely.' (p111)

Riley is also a bit of a rebel; she goes out of her way to annoy and anger those in authority and those who take the mick out of her size. Yet it's only when she makes friends with Dylan does she start to see things differently. These people aren't all that bad, the world isn't out to get her.

It's also great to get to see Dylan and how people react to him through Riley's eyes. This is his first time at camp since his accident. Hearinf from others what he used to be like compare to how he is now, how people treat him, it's realy sad. He tries to act like he doesn't care, but Riley sees through it. As Dylan helps Riley, Riley helps him - accepts him for who he is, gets to know him, rather than just seeing a guy in a wheelchair. In each other, they find someone who understands.

Riley also has something brilliant to say about this subject herself:

'"It s***s me how everyone's so beautiful in the movies. The whole world wants to pay money to see beautiful people doing bad things. It's sick. Brad Pitt gets paid a fortune just because he has good genes...
Also, I hate the way you never see fat people on the screen unless they're white trash or retarded or a criminal or all of the above. A fat girl on film is either there for laughs or to gross people out. Unless the film's about the fat girl's "journey" to social acceptance through weight loss. Where's the happy fat girl? That's what I want to know. Hmmph."' (p172)

Awesome or what?

I have to say, I wasn't too pleased with how it ended. It just seemed like I turned the page, and there was no more. It just seemed to finish so quickly, you didn't notice it winding up. I would have liked a little more. But overall, Everything Beautiful is a brilliantly postive novel that I'm so glad I've read. It's highly recommended!

From Once Upon a Bookcase - YA book blog show less

As he continued to stare, I wanted to point to my cheek and remind him, But you were the one who wanted this, remember? You're the one who asked-and I repeat-Why not fix your face?

It's hard not to notice Terra Cooper.

She's tall, blond, and has an enviable body. But with one turn of her cheek, all people notice is her unmistakably "flawed" face. Terra secretly plans to leave her stifling small town in the Northwest and escape to an East Coast college, but gets pushed off-course by her controlling father. When an unexpected collision puts Terra directly in Jacob's path, the handsome but quirky Goth boy immediately challenges her assumptions about herself and her life, and she is forced in yet another direction. With her carefully laid plans disrupted, will Terra be able to find her true path?

Written in lively, artful prose, award-winning author Justina Chen Headley has woven together a powerful novel about a fractured family, falling in love, travel, and the meaning of true beauty. From Amazon US

I am sitting here now quite literally speechless. As I type this, I have just finished this book, and I have tears in my eyes over just how wonderfully uplifting it was. North of Beautiful is just magical in how beautiful this story is in itself. I am just completely bowled over by how completely... light and hopeful this book has left me feeling. I am well and truly wowed.

Terra was born with a port-wine stain birthmark that covers most of her right cheek. For most of her life she show more has undergone different laser surgery treatments to try to remove it, been on the receiving end of her father's disgust, and her mother's hope that one day she will be beautiful one day. Her self-esteem is just so low. She covers up with thick layers of make-up, is with a so-so guy because she doesn't believe she'd be able to get anyone else, and tries hard to be invisible.

'For all adults go on and on about beauty being skin deep, let's be honest here. When your dermis is filled with rogue bloodvessels that have been herded under the thin skin of your face, you get mighty suspicious whenever anyone mentions anything that sounds remotely like Inner Beauty.' (p13)

Her father is controlling beyond belief. I think labelling him a "bully" would be more accurate. He dictates everything in the house. Her mother has become this frail woman who comfort eats because of how unhappy Terra's father makes her. He snipes at every little thing. He is lord and master in his house, and no-one will dare have an opinion that's different from his, nor will get away with being less than perfect, or fulfill dreams he feels aren't good enough. All anyone wants is escape.

'"When are you going to accept that nothing you do will make you look normal?"...
"You know," he mused, "I've seen run-over deer look better than you."' (p87)

Which comes in the chance meeting with Jacob, in the the literal and metaphorical sense. Jacob sees Terra. He gets her so completely. He brings up things she keeps buried. And with his cleft-lip scar, he understands how Terra feels about her birthmark, yet sees only a beautiful girl. It takes a trip to China with her mother, Jacob and his mother, Norah, and the experiences she has over there to finally start seeing herself for the beautiful girl she is.

There are so many passages I could pull out and share with you, but this review would go on forever, and I can't choose. I really can't do this book justice. It is absolutely amazing to go along with Terra on her journey to self-acceptance. As I said, this story is just beautiful, and some of the passages in it are just so touching. It's hard to read a book like this and not reflect on yourself, and it's just left me feeling so... good about myself. I was completely unprepared for how finishing this book has made me feel, but it's absolutely wonderful! I challenge anyone to finish this book, and not feel good about themselves afterwards.

This is a book every girl should read! I'm not saying boys shouldn't, but I do feel it would touch girls more. I can't recommend this book enough. An unbelievably powerful and wonderful book, another one to add to my list of favourites.

From Once Upon a Bookcase - YA book blog show less

A beast. Not quite wolf or bear, gorilla or dog but a horrible new creature who walks upright—a creature with fangs and claws and hair springing from every pore. I am a monster.
You think I'm talking fairy tales? No way. The place is New York City. The time is now. It's no deformity, no disease. And I'll stay this way forever—ruined—unless I can break the spell.
Yes, the spell, the one the witch in my English class cast on me. Why did she turn me into a beast who hides by day and prowls by night? I'll tell you. I'll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and the perfect life. And then, I'll tell you how I became perfectly . . . beastly. From Amazon US

What better way to look at body image and self-perception than by looking at a story everyone knows pretty well, and one of the oldest stories around that deals with looks, Beauty and the Beast. Alex Flinn has made this story a lot easier to discuss for this subject by having her re-telling, Beastly, set in modern times, with characters we can all recognise, and with the beast telling his story.

Firstly, I liked this book, but it didn’t knock my socks off. As up-to-date as it was, there were moments where it felt like Alex tried to stick to the original story too much, and clashed a little with the modern, making it less believable. But for this topic, it was brilliant!

Kyle Kingsbury is gorgeous. He knows it, everyone knows it. He has been brought up by his Dad, show more a news anchor, to believe looks are all that matters. If you don’t look good, you don’t matter – and you should make yourself look better.

"'If someone’s so smart, they’d figure how to get better-looking. You could lose weight, get plastic surgery, even get your face scraped and your teeth bleached... My dad’s a network news guy. He says people shouldn’t have to look at ugly people.'" (p5).

His attitude and behaviour makes a witch angry, and so, as the story goes, she turns him into a beast, and everything changes. His girlfriend doesn’t want to know. His Dad, after taking Kyle to several different medical experts with no avail, sends him from New York City with the maid to live in a big house in Brooklyn – without him. Shunned, he lives a lonely existence with the maid, Magda, and Will, the blind tutor he gets his Dad to hire for him. His opinion also changes.

"...You see these people, like guys in wheelchairs with stumps of legs just reaching the edge, or people with burns on their faces. Maybe their legs got blown off in a war, or someone threw acid at them. I never really thought about them. If I thought about them at all, what I thought was how to get past them without them touching me. They grossed me out. But now I thought about them all the time, how one minute you can be normal – beautiful, even – and then something can happen the next minute that changes it. You can be damaged beyond repair. A freak. I was a freak..." (p75-76)

A lot of the story then starts focussing on Kyle’s, who changes his name to Adrian, depression over being alone, and not being able to go out. He becomes obsessed with trying to find the girl who could break the spell. Once she, Linda, is living with him, and they become friends, he drifts back and forth between hope and being certain that she could never love him.

"'If I was at least normal, I might have had a shot with her. I’m not talking about the way I used to look, but it’s asking a lot to expect a girl to be interested in someone who isn’t even human. It’s sick.'" (p258)

For a Beauty and the Beast story told from the perspective of the beast, I would have hoped for a little more in the way of low self-esteem based on what he thought, rather than because of what others think, but overall, Beastly is a pretty good story. With a strong message of its what’s on the inside that counts, and an uplifting ending, Beastly could open the eyes of those who are short sighted.

From show less

That's what I am.
A funny girl.
A friend.
Nobody's girlfriend.
The girl with the pretty FACE.

Hayley wishes she could love living in Santa Monica, blocks from the beach, where every day—and everybody—is beautiful and sunny. But she just doesn't fit in with all the blond, superskinny Southern California girls who have their plastic surgeons on speed dial. Hayley is smart and witty and has such a pretty . . . face. Translation: Don't even think about putting on a bikini, much less dating superhot Drew Wyler. A bikini will never be flattering, and Drew will never think of her as more than a friend.

Just when Hayley feels doomed to live her life in the fat lane, her parents decide to send her to Italy for the summer—not for school, not for fat camp, just for fun. It's there, under the Italian sun, that Hayley's vision of herself starts to change. She's curvy, not fat. Pizza isn't evil. And life is so much more than one-size-fits-all. Who knows? Once Hayley sees herself in a new light, maybe the girl with the pretty face will finally find true amore. From MaryHogan.com

I can't tell you just how sweet this book is! This really is such an amazing book! It's quick, it's light, and it's completely uplifting!

As the blurb suggests, Hayley is overweight, and unhappy about it. Her mother is pretty obsessive about Hayley losing weight, and kind of nasty with it - to the point where I wanted to strangle her. Hayley battles all the comments, and her own thoughts, with witty, hilarious show more comebacks. Her humour almost seems to be a shield she hides behind, which is so sad, but just so funny! Really, I was cracking up for most of the book.

But Pretty Face is also heartbreaking. Hayley is the girl with the pretty face, the comment always sounding as if that's supposed to be a consolation for her weight. Hayley feels so bad about the way she looks, and what that means for her socially and with guys really gets her down. Which leads to comfort eating, gorging when she's feeling down, yet ashamed of what she's doing.

'Flipping open my phone, I pretend to make a call. I wait for my pretend friends to pretend to pick up.

"Hi," I say into my dead phone. "I'm at the pizza place. What kind do you want?"' (p41)

It's just so heartbreaking! But then Hayley goes to Italy and is changed by the lifestyle there. The easy living, the culture, the buildings, the beauty. She slows right down, and discovers what really matters. The descriptions of the buildings, the landscape and the food are just awesome! You really feel like you're there with her, and it's just gorgeous!

'Something is happening to me. I'm accepting myself more. Maybe it's seeing the ruins of Rome and realising how briefly we're on this planet. Or maybe it's just Italy itself. From here, Southern California seems like a mirage. Why have I spent so many years obsessing over fitting into a mirage?' (144)

Then she meets a boy, Enzo. One of the great things I love about this book is that it's a book about body image that includes a romance, rather than a romance that covers issues of body image. Hayley already started to change her atitude and start to accept herself before Enzo came along, and I think it's brilliant of Mary to write the story this way; Hayley's issues are mental, it's her attitude and opinion that need to change, and she does this herself, without the positive opinion of others sparking the change. But Enzo's opinion of Hayley is a nice bonus, and the romance is just the sweetest thing ever! Really, this sweet young boy with his broken English had me sinking into my sofa, "aww"-ing.

'"Vespa?" I ask.

"Little motorcycle."

"How little?" I ask. "I have a Harley-sized butt."

You idiot! I scream in my head. No jokes!

Laughing, Enzo says, "You're funny," and my heart sinks. Here we go again. How could I have slipped back into being my old self?!

Reaching up to run one finger along my warm cheek, Enzo quietly says, "You have beautiful body of woman."

My eyes instantly flood with tears.

"I sorry," he says. "I say wrong thing?"

I shake my head no. For the first time, a boy's words are exactl right.' (p165)

'When I nervously asked if my body was okay, he answered, "No. It is perfect because it is the only house of you."' (p190)

Swoon-worthy or what? Pretty Face really is the sweetest story! It's just so cute, and just perfect in that Hayley's realisation comes about because of her own change in attitude. She sees herself differently through her own making, an it's just wonderful to see the change in her, and makes me hope this can happen for other other teenagers too. It's sweet and lovely, and at 202 pages it's a quick read everyone should pick up!

From Once Upon a Bookcase - YA book blog. show less

THE TRANSFORMATION
Beth has always been “The Beast”—that’s what everyone at school calls her because of her awkward height, facial scars, and thick glasses. Beth’s only friend is geeky, golden-haired Scott. That is, until she’s selected to be her choir’s soprano soloist, and receives the makeover that will change her life forever.

THE LOVE AFFAIR
When Beth’s choir travels to Switzerland, she meets Derek: pale, brooding, totally dreamy. Derek’s untethered passion—for music, and for Beth—leaves her breathless. Because in Derek’s eyes? She’s not The Beast, she’s The Beauty.

THE IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE
When Beth comes home, Scott, her best friend in the world, makes a confession that leaves her completely torn. Should she stand by sweet, steady Scott or follow the dangerous, intense new feelings she has for Derek?

THE HEARTBREAK
The closer Beth gets to Derek, the further away he seems. Then Beth discovers that Derek’s been hiding a dark secret from her …one that could shatter everything. From Amazon US.

I can't tell you how amazing this book was. Really. I went through so many emotions while reading this, and I'm just completely blown away by it. It's brilliant! It covers so many issues all in one heart-warming yet heart breaking story, it's just fantastic. I originally requested this book to review as soon as I read it, but as it works for BI&SP Month, I've saved it for now.

Beth is known as "the Beast" at school. She's unusually tall, suffers with bad acne, show more and wears thick, beer-bottle classes. Not only is she bullied atrociously, but she knows the way her father reacted when she was born, commenting on her ugliness, and not staying in her life for very long. Her self-esteem is the lowest it could possibly be, and has only one friend, Scott. But the girl has a set of pipes on her, and with managing to get the solo spot in her choir, her life changes.

Now we all know bullying is never, ever right, and that it's disgusting in all it's forms. I was bullied when I was younger, so I know how much it sucks. But what Beth has to go through is beyond anything I could ever have coped with. The pain, the humiliation, day after day, it's heart breaking. It upset me so much, that I actually cried. And what's worse, she believes every word the bullies say. She looks in the mirror, and sees the Beast. Fortunately for us as readers, as the story progresses, we don't get to read too many bullying incidents, but it's with Beth, inthe back of her mind, the whole time. Even after her transformation into this beautiful young girl, she self-esteem is still low, and believes she will always be the Beast no matter how she looks, because that's who she is; the person she is. It's just so, so sad.

But along comes Derek; absolutely gorgeous, and unbelievably lovely, and rock star of his own choir, he sees in Beth what only one other person - Scott - has. Beth doesn't trust him at first, and to be honest, neither did I - a guy that hot saying all the right things? He's obviously just sweet-talking to get what he wants. But he fell for her before he even met her, before he even saw her. He fell for her voice, and the soul she brings to her singing. He sews the seed which sparks Beth's realisation of who she actually is, and that beauty is so much more than just skin deep. Yes, he is just as amazing as he sounds - I'm actually getting choked up as I write this, remembering what he does for her.

Their relationship, like all relationships, isn't all plain sailing. There are so many rocky patches, it's hard on both of them. Derek has a secret, and they both know it. He's vague, won't talk about things, and has long absences of no contact. Because her self-esteem is practically non-existant, Beth jumps to conlusions, some extreme conlusions, and gets insanely jealous. Derek can sometimes be demanding and controling, and Beth can sometimes be clingy and obsessive, or too forgiving and understanding. Beth's behaviour is annoying, but you can understand the reasons for it, and as the story unfolds and you find out about Derek, his behaviour is also understandable. But on the whole, their is just so, so sweet.

There's also Scott. He's been Beth's friend forever. An outside like she is, he used to suffer because of his appearance, his geekiness, and for defending her. But he ends up growing out of acne and weedy frame, and starts getting sexy. People notice, Beth notices. Yet Scott noticed Beth years ago, back when she was the Beast. Like Derek, he sees Beth for who she is, he always has. He's just the sweetest guy, and he finally gains the courage to do something about how he feels when Derek comes onto the scene. It's a case of who will Beth choose in the end?

I have to say, I worked out Derek's secret at the very beginning. I don't know if this makes the book predictable, or just means I'm good at working things out. Either way, I didn't get all the details, and there is a twist beyond anything I would have I expected. It left me reeling, completely. But looking back, and knowing now what I know about the story, there's no other way it could have ended.

This really is one of the most beautiful stories I have ever read. It had me laughing, and it had me crying. It had me feeling so low, I was effected when I put the book down, yet so happy and hopeful for myself, that it left me smiley and in a bit of a dreamy state. It's just impossible for me to put into words just how incredibly moving I found Sing Me to Sleep. This book has effected me so deeply, it will stay with me forever. Just beautiful. I seriously cannot wait to own my own copy, and read more of Angela Morrison's novels.

From Once Upon a Bookcase - YA book review blog. show less

Dimitri gave Rose the ultimate choice. And she made the wrong one… After a long and heartbreaking journey to Dimitri’s birthplace in Siberia, Rose Hathaway has finally returned to St. Vladimir’s Academy — and to her best friend, Lissa. But Rose’s heart still aches for Dimitri, and she knows he’s out there, somewhere. She failed to kill him when she had the chance. And now her worst fears are about to come true— Dimitri has tasted her blood, and now he is hunting her. Only this time, he won’t rest until Rose joins him… forever. From Amazon UK

You all probably know by now how big a fan I am of Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy series, so when Sophie of So Many Books, So Little Time announced that she had a spare copy if anyone wanted one, I jumped at the chance (thank you)! I was so excited to read it, and I wasn’t disappointed!

It’s going to be so difficult to write this review, because I can’t talk about anything really without spoiling it. If you’ve read up to the last book, Blood Promise, you’ll have questions. Well, most, if not all, of those get answered in one way or another. However, more questions arise; things happen in Spirit Bound that you wouldn’t believe, and things are just so much more dangerous for Rose, in ways you wouldn’t even consider.

I have to say, while reading the book, I felt like not a lot happened. Thinking back on it, a fair bit did actually happen, things that were monumental, but Spirit Bound wasn’t as action show more packed as some of the other books in the series. This doesn’t make the book bad at all, it just has a slightly different focus. What is this focus? Rose’s emotional state. I’m not going to say whether she’s happy, sad, angry, scared, whatever, it would seriously give too much away. Nor will I tell you how I reacted to it, but I will say Richelle’s writing is just amazing! I love it! However, when there is action, my god is it amazing! Again, I can’t tell you much about it, but it’s just so good! Rose really dose know how to kick butt!

If I had my way, there would have been more Christian, more Adrian, and more Dimitri. Bad or good, I do love those guys! Especially Adrian, he is such a sweetie – in his cocky, devil-may-care way. He’s just awesome! As are all the guys.

This book is absolutely incredible! Was it my favourite of the series? No, but then I couldn’t pick my favourite, it’s all one story to me. But I absolutely loved it! I really can’t wait to read Last Scarifice, the sixth and final book in the Vampire Academy series, which will be released 7th December 2010 – yet, I can wait, I don’t want this series to end! A warning to others; do not read the synopsis for Last Sacrifice until you’ve read this book! It will seriously spoil it!

From Once Upon a Bookcase - YA book blog. show less

This is a compelling and beautifully written novel about first love, first sex, and everything in between. Maddy Fisher has decided to fall in love. And not just any sort of love: can't-eat can't-sleep crazy in love. Rich Ross is after the same thing. He's set his sights high, and he's going to make it happen. The problem is, in life's messy whirlwind of friends and lies and sex and porn, the real thing can be hard to fine. But there's always a first time for everything... From Amazon UK

I am 23. I am quite obviously not a teenager. However, I still have the mentality of a teenager, and continue to find the opposite sex baffling. After reading Rich and Mad, about two teenagers who are falling in love for the first time, I swear it was written for me! I cannot tell you just how amazing this book is!

As I read on William Nicholson’s website (some tiny spoilers on that page, so beware), this is a book written for girls and guys to show them what girls and guys think about love and sex. I have read several YA novels that deal with teen love and teen sex, but none of them really come at it from this angle, and it’s absolute genius! I can’t tell you how often I was surprised at how much I empathised with Rich! I empathised with Maddy a fair amount too, but it was Rich that surprised me.

I loved the characters! I thought it was brilliant that, although we mainly follow Rich and Maddy, everyone had some sort of view on love and sex that was shown. Maddy and Rich were very much show more teenagers; they were curious, they questioned, they worried, they made mistakes, but what I also loved was that they also had strong feelings about what they wanted from love – this is not about having sex as soon as possible, it’s about meeting the right person and all it entails for them personally. It was refreshing to read about characters, especially teen characters, who knew their own mind so well.

I was blown away by Maddy. She is not completely without flaws, and there were moments when I wanted to just grab her arm and stop her from doing things, because you just know it’s a mistake, but she was just so driven! She would make a decision about something, and then she would go ahead with it, seemingly very easily. She had this nervous confidence that I am just so envious of. Rich is just lovely! He has opinions and views that I have, and it was just so odd yet eye opening! He’s cute and funny, and doesn’t take himself too seriously, but also doesn’t have the best self-esteem. He is just adorable, and I would quite like to adopt him.

Rich and Mad is graphic in places, but most of the time it’s just so sweet! That might sound odd, but I don’t think there really is any other word to describe it. There is one scene where Mad and her friend watch porn, which is a little bit shocking – for me anyway – but also pretty hilarious in how the girls react to it. None of it is gratuitous, and it’s all dealt with maturely yet realistically.

Although Rich and Mad is mainly focussed on their relationships and the way they think, there are other issues covered in the story that teens may come across. I loved all these little sub-plots, it made the book seem more realistic – there were other things going on outside Rich and Maddy’s individual bubbles, but effect them indirectly.

Overall, I absolutely loved this book! I stayed up quite late last night to finish it, and closed book "aww"-ing at what a lovely, sweet read it was. I swear every girl and every guy should read this book; not only is it an amazing story, it’s opens your eyes and makes you think. I very much doubt there will be a sequel, but I so wish there would be! Another book joining my favourites!

From Once Upon a Bookcase - YA book review blog. show less

I wish I wasn't myself anymore.
I wish I was her.
I wish I was Jo.

Rachel hates her life. Wen her on/off boyfriend David goes to a music festival, she decides to surprise him - but she gets a shock of her own. Not only does she find David kissing someone else, but it's their friend Jo! Super-lovely, super-loved, all-round perfect Jo.
Rachel runs away, wishing she could leave her life behind - and she suddenly finds herself in Jo's body! Can she keep this swap a secret? Can she unravel what's really going on? Can she get to grips with Jo's out-of-control curly hair?
And if she discovers that being in someone else's shoes isn't all it's cracked up to be, can she ever be herself again? From the back of the book.

As most of you will know, I am a huge Luisa Plaja fan. I loved Split by a Kiss, the first in this duology, so when I was offered the chance to review Swapped by a Kiss, I jumped at the chance! And just as I expected, I loved it!

Swapped starts a few months after Split ends. Jo is with Albie, Tori is friends with Jo now instead of the popular gang, and most importantly Rachel is with David. Ish. With her fiery personality and raging jealousy, arguments are common between the two of them. One such fight happens before David goes to England for a festival, but when Rachel decides to surprise him by turning up at the festival, he finds him kissing Jo.

Jo splitting in two in the first book was just awesome. Following her down two different paths at the same time was awesome, but show more watching Rachel in Jo's body, trying to be British and nice was just genius! I didn't really relate all that much to Rachel, as she's hugely into graphic novels, comics and superheroes - not really my bag. But I sympathised with her and her situation. Not only are the guys in Rachel-Rachel's and Rachel-Jo's life "dastards", but there are more serious issues running through the book; identity and self-image.

Before the swap took place, it was heart breaking to read Rachel's thoughts about herself, and about Jo. What it says above in the blurb, "Super-lovely, super-loved, all-round perfect Jo," is exactly what Rachel thinks of her, where as she describes herself as "oversized". She believes she's a nightmare, and if she was Jo, she wouldn't have to deal with the crap going on in her life, and everyone would like her better - especially David. It's just awful having to read about Rachel's low self-esteem and her other issues, and not being able to give her a hug. It's really sad!

However, this is not to say Swapped is hard, emotional reading. Swapped is quite a light, humourous read, and pretty fun. The scrapes Rachel gets herself into in Jo's body are just hilarious. Attempting to use British words, and make up fake swear words - because that's what British people do - is cause for much laughter. Jo's diary entries of conversations she has with Rachel's mum, while pretending to be angry, unkind, and American are also hilarious.

All in all, a great quick, light, fun read that touches on some serious subjects. This would make such a good beach read! I loved it, and I so hope there is going to be another story about these characters. Maybe involving one of the boys this time!

From Once Upon a Bookcase - YA book blog show less

My name is Raine Benares. I’m a seeker. I find lost things and missing people — usually alive. Finding the specters of six evil mages who escaped the Saghred, a soul-eating stone of unlimited power, was easy. Stopping them before they unleash Hell on earth just may be the death of me.

Being bonded to the Saghred wasn’t my idea — neither is hunting down its escapees. Especially not when one of them is also hunting me. He’s regenerating his body by taking the lives of powerful victims, along with their memories, knowledge, and most important of all, their magic. The dark mage wants control of the Saghred, and if he gets it, he’ll become an evil demigod whom no one can stop. The only thing in his way is me.

One of us doesn’t stand a ghost of a chance. From LisaShearin.com

As most of you will be aware, I am a huge Lisa Shearin fan, so it will be no surprise to hear that I was just so chuffed and excited when I received a review copy of Bewitched & Betrayed from Lisa's publisher - especially since they never used to send review copies abroad. I dived right in, ready to be swept away by the danger Raine would find herself in this time, and I wasn't disappointed! Bewitched & Betrayed might just be the best in the series so far!

Raine is in a whole lot of trouble with the escaped spectres, especially as Sarad Nukpana is also free and after four things; a body, power, the saghred, and Raine's soul. If that wasn't bad enough, Carnedes and Balmorlan are up to no good and show more plan to get Raine, and anyone who stands with her, safely out of the way so they can use the Saghred themselves.

This book is just so exciting! Like in all the books in the series, Raine gets barely a moments rest as she races against time to save herself, the people she loves, and keep everyone away from the Saghred, but everyone's upped their A-game, and it gets more difficult for Raine to fight them and the power of the Saghred. I was literally sitting on the edge of my seat throughout. The action is amazing, but there is a whole lot of fear and anguish besides. If you've read the rest of the series, you would have come to love these fantastic characters, and you will be fearing for every single one of them. You can't help but get really emotionally involved in this book. No-one is safe.

The love triangle that is Raine, Mychael and Tam comes to an end in this book. I'm a regular reader of Lisa Shearin's blog, so I knew something important was going to happen that would effect the love triangle, though I won't say what, because you may end up like me. Until I got to that point, I was impatiently willing myself to read faster to get to it, to find out who Raine chooses, and it probably wasn't the best way to read. There is the possibility that I may not have noticed certain details because of it. Was I disappointed once I found out? Well, I wouldn't have been disappointed whoever Raine chose, I love both Mychael and Tam. My only problem is what happened when the other found out. I won't spoil it, but I didn't like it, and I can't explain why, sorry! I personally don't see what's wrong with bigamy!

As much as I loved this book, there were a few tiny things that bugged me. There are a number of things that are repeated in each book for new readers. I understand it's to help bring new readers up to date, but reading, for example, that goblins' fangs are "not for decortive use only" in each book is slightly grating. I also found that Raine's thought processes were a little repetitive too, and her snark in some situations, although a coping mechanism, was just inappropriate - some things just can't be made funny. Everyone has flaws though, and these are only tiny issues. They won't stop me from picking up the next book - where it looks like things will become a lot more political! Oh, I can't wait! Can't beat some good fantasy politics!

I can't finish this review without mentioning the fantastic cover. The books themselves are brilliant, but the covers are a beautiful bonus. And this one is just as pretty, if darker! I absolutely love it! Aleta Rafton, the cover illustrator, creates such brilliant art, having a such a cover in my hands is a treat on it's own. They need to be on walls in frames!

Over all, an amazingly exciting fourth installment that really tugs at the heart strings. I seriously cannot wait to see what Lisa brings us in the fifth book, Con & Conjure (the one I named!), when it comes out in March 2011!

From Ink and Paper - Fantasy review blog show less

Grace is fascinated by the wolves in the woods behind her house; one yellow-eyed wolf in particular. Every winter, she watches him but every summer, he disappears. Sam leads two lives. In winter he stays in the frozen woods, with the protection of the pack.n summer, he has a few precious months to be human . . . until the cold makes him shift back again. When Grace and Sam finally meet they realize they can't bear to be apart. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human - or risk losing himself, and Grace. from Amazon UK

You have no idea how excited I was to read this book. I had read rave reviews all over about Shiver, and being about werewolves, how could I possibly not love it? Well, as it turns out werewolves don’t make all books brilliant.

Did I hate it? No, I really loved the beginning, and the end was just perfect. The middle, however, was a disappointment. My Dad has drummed it into me ever since I was young that if I start reading a book, I have to finish it. “How do you know you don’t like a book until you’ve finished it?” he would always ask. So I can’t not finish a book now, I have to read it to the end. I could have given up on this book days ago – as it is, it’s taken me 13 days to read it, and that’s just ridiculous. I’m glad I did finish it though, because my Dad was right; the end has changed my opinion of Shiver. Whereas I didn’t like it before the end, it’s kind of ok now. But barely.

As always, I’ll start with the show more positives. The beginning was something I could almost relate to. Grace has this great affinity with the woods and the wolves that live in them every winter, since she was attacked by the wolves when she was younger. One wolf, her wolf, with bright yellow eyes, has always come to the edge of the wood’s by Grace house, and they would spend hours just staring at each other with such intensity. Those moments felt so strong to me, very powerful, and I thought I was in for such a awesome read. Then the wolf became human, and things fell a little flat. I also liked how it was written. Almost each alternating chapter was from one or the other, Grace or Sam. It was great to get both points of view, to know what both were thinking.

The last fifty or so pages of the book were the most hooking, once I got to those, I could hardly put the book down. There was one moment that was just so beautiful yet so sad that I almost cried. The very end was just so perfect, it was brilliant.

As I’ve said, however, the middle let me down. Apart from those moments at the very beginning, I didn’t relate to Grace, and I didn’t particularly care about her. I can’t say why though, it’s not that there was no personality, or not enough depth, she just wasn’t really my sort of person. Same about Sam really, he was lovely, but not amazing. And I can’t say there was any chemistry between them. There were a lot of sweet moments, but I just didn’t feel it, it wasn’t believable to me.

This is more of a paranormal romance rather than an urban fantasy. What little action there is in the book happens elsewhere, so we only get told about it rather than see it. There isn’t much else to say, really. I don’t know if I’ll be reading Linger, when it comes out in the UK 5th July. It sounds pretty good, but so did Shiver. We’ll see. Over all a disappointing book that was just saved by the ending.

From Once Upon a Bookcase - YA book blog. show less

The first in a terrifying trilogy, read on if you dare: Jake could now see the demon fully. Its body was a mass of steely sinew, its arms roped with muscle. Six fingers sprouted from its hands, each ending in lethal talons. The thing did not possess a nose; instead a large hole, bubbling with green mucus, occupied the middle of its face. Mr Pinch's tongue flickered between his teeth and slurped across his fat lips. He was hungry. When a violent storm rages around the little village of Hobarron's Hollow, a young boy is sacrificed 'for the greater good'. His blood is used to seal a mystical doorway and prevent an apocalyptic disaster known only as the Demontide. Twenty-five years later, another boy, Jake Harker, is about to be drawn into the nightmare of the Demontide. Witches and their demon familiars stalk his every move, and his dreams are plagued by visions of a 17th Century figure known only as the Witchfinder. When his father is abducted, Jake must face the terrible secrets kept by those closest to him and a shocking truth that will change his life forever... From Amazon UK

I've had this book sitting in my TBR pile for a while,and I wish I had read this book weeks earlier! I cannot tell you just how incredible this book is! I absolutely loved it! The book has everything the fantasy fan could possibly ask for, with a hint of most if not all of the sub-genres of fantasy. It’s like nothing I have ever read before!

At it’s heart, Dawn of the Demontide is an urban show more fantasy, but a dark one. There are a few tiny moments at the very beginning when I cracked a smile, but there isn’t much light relief in the form of comedy in this book. It’s dark, it’s edgy, and it’s dangerous. I wouldn’t say it was a horror myself, but it’s a fantasy with a tiny step in that direction.

Set in a made up English town, with some mentions of London, this book had a very real, believable feel to me. One of the things I loved, which also added to how real it felt, was the mythology. Jake is a huge fan of all things horror, and over the years of reading comics, books, non-fic, and watching movies, he has this vast knowledge of horror conventions, dubbed by a friend his “dark catalogue”, which he ends up falling back on to get him out of some scrapes. These may not necessarily be things we know ourselves, but things he has found out from the stories he’s read himself – which may not actually be in existence, but are surely based on some myth. I could be wrong there, it may just be me seeing as I’m not a fan of horror, horror fans may pick up and know some of the things Jake mentions. A lot of research has gone into Jake’s dark catalogue, and the fact that some of what he knows – parts of which the reader may recognise – is real, makes this story very believable.

There is plenty of action, but most of the magical kind. Although plotlines are not similar, I felt there was a strong Harry Potter feel to this book; the “quest” element, and Jake trying to work things out with the help of his friends. In some ways, it almost felt, in my opinion, that this book could have been written by J. K. Rowling herself, though down a darker genre of fantasy, in a completely unrelated plot to what she’s known for. The dark element of the novel also put me in mind of adult urban fantasies, gritty and dangerous, yet there was also something I can only describe as a slight hint of something that felt much like it could have come from a David Eddings’ high fantasy. But this book is most definitely YA. It sounds like a great hodge-podge of stories, but it’s not at all; this is just me recognising small similarities of styles or feels of the great fantasies I have loved over my many years as a fantasy fan. It was me recognising a great fantasy; something completely new which felt like something I knew.

For all this text, I feel like I haven’t said much at all, yet I’m not sure there is much else I can say. The plot is just fantastic and wonderful – if it was food it would be chocolate! Jake as a character is just so awesome, but I can’t really go into his character much. There’s suspense, there are awesome settings, there are just too many wonders and delights to mention! Basically, I’m in love! There is no other way to put it. I cannot tell you just how excited I am to read Witchfinder: Gallows at Twilight when it is released next year, January 2011. I have found myself a new favourite fantasy series, and can’t recommend it enough. You must read this book!

Adapted from review on Once Upon a Bookcase - YA book blog show less

Meghan Chase has a secret destiny—one she could never have imagined…

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school…or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth—that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face…and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart. From Amazon US

I was really looking forward to reading this book! It sounded so good, and I was so excited to read it! Then after I read Sophie’s review over on So Many Books, So Little Time, I decided The Iron King would be the next book I would read. I finished it yesterday, and it took me eleven days to read – pretty long, even for me. Did I like the book? I just don’t know. Before I go into to whether I enjoyed it or not, let’s look at the positives.

I loved how this book was inspired by A Midsummer’s Night Dream! King and Queen of the Seelie Court? Oberon and Titania. Puck is an important secondary character. It’s mythology in this story is really cool; the fey are born from the show more dreams and imaginations of humans, when the dreams and belief fade away, so do the fey. According to this book, Shakespeare was inspired by Oberon, Titania, and Puck, and because his work is so well known, those fey are able to live on without fading. The idea that Shakespeare has kept these fey alive is just so cool, like it could be true.

There are a few things in Sophie’s review I have to agree with. Firstly, I’ve never read The Spiderwick Chronicles, but I have seen the film, and I agree that in some instances, what is described in the book has a similar feel to the movie version of Holly Black’s The Spiderwick Chronicles; the type of fey and what they looked like. This only happened a few times, the rest of the book was what I would call “standard fey”, the type of fey I’m now used to reading about; the sinister and scary, but beautiful and elegant fey. Another point I agree with Sophie about is that Grimaulkin, a talking fey cat, is so similar to the Cheshire Cat, just minus some of the creepiness. I actually really quite liked him, despite finding him annoying at first. His unbothered and arrogant ways, along with his dry wit, make him really amusing, his parts in the novel were some of the most enjoyable.

The plot was pretty unique, and fairly unpredictable, though I would say this is mainly because the book consists of a series of events that flow well into each other, and you just didn’t know what would happen next, rather than you didn’t know the general direction the book was taking. I’m not an expert on folklore, so I could be wrong, but it didn’t feel like much of the story was based on actual folklore – being called The Iron King and being inspired by Shakespear, you would kind of guess that, but I’m not entirely sure if the other elements of the story were all that folklore based. Compared to some other fey books I’ve read, it didn’t feel it, it felt like it was pretty much imagined, which adds to the uniqueness of the story; you’re not sure how this fey story is going to go, because it’s different to the others. It was refreshing.

Now to the negatives that make me unsure. It’s always going to depend on the type of book whether or not I like it when a lot is going on in a book. With this book, it put me off. As I said, the series of events do flow, but it felt at times like there was just obstacle after obstacle, and that Meghan wasn’t finding out anything helpful for her for the reason she was in the Nevernever – Faeryland – in the first place. At times it just didn’t feel like it was getting anywhere, which is why it took me so long to read; it just didn’t grab me.

Meghan is one of those characters who just seems to keep making bad decisions or choices. People have commented in their own reviews before about characters like this in books I’ve loved, but I feel this was a little extreme. I just wanted to shake her sometimes. However, her heart was in the right place, and she was very selfless. Robbie was a pretty nice guy, and I grew to like Puck, but at first he was just too much with his jokes about situations that were just unnecessary. Ash, I don’t really know what to say. Ok, he was gorgeous, but I didn’t feel there was much personality. I also didn’t feel there was much chemistry between Meghan and him either. When they danced was the only time I felt it.

I didn’t completely dislike the book, there is much about the book I did enjoy, it was just that the book didn’t hook me in and that the characters were a little flat and annoying, in my opinion. I will definitely be reading the next in the series, The Iron Daughter, which comes out in August, I want to find out what’s going to happen next, because this plot is just so unique. Hopefully there will be a little more depth to the characters in the next one.

Please read some other reviews before making a decision. Don’t write the book off because my review wasn’t glowing, it may be your cup of tea.

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Best friends Lani and Erin couldn’t be more different. Lani’s reserved and thoughtful; Erin’s bubbly and outgoing. Lani likes to do her own thing; Erin prefers an entourage. There’s no possible way they could be interested in the same guy.

So when Erin starts dating Jason, Lani can’t believe she feels such a deep connection with him—and it may be mutual. The more Lani fights it, the more certain she feels that it’s her fate to be with Jason. But what do you do when the love of your life is the one person you can’t have? From Amazon US

When I received this book, I was so looking forward to reading it! Not only does the book sound incredible, but the cover is just beautiful, too. So, understandably, I picked it up to read fairly soon after receiving it, sure I was in for a brilliant read. Unfortunately, I was wrong. I was so very disappointed in this book, I actually feel quite sad about it; there was so much potential, and it all just fell pretty flat for me.

I’ll give some positives first. Lani and Erin are seriously interested in all things to do with fate. Lani will check her horoscope every Monday without fail. Each month, the girls look into a new method of finding out their fate; tarot, palmistry, numerology, dream analysis, the list goes on. When I was younger I was really interested in similar things, and to a smaller degree I still am. I never went to the extremes that these girls did – I never checked my horoscope religiously, or anything like show more that, but I did think it was all pretty neat, and so reading about it in this book was pretty interesting. Though, after the beginning, where it was explained how interested in all these things they were, it kind of dwindled off, yet Lani kept going on about things happening for a reason, and fate was behind all things, and it got a little tiresome.

That small part was pretty much the only thing about this book I liked. I wasn’t too keen on the characters. Lani felt a little boring to me; she’s a bit of an eco warrior, and although I do my bit for the environment in my own home, Lani’s whole life practically revolves around saving the world, and it’s just not something I’m interested in reading. Erin was ridiculous with her “We’re meant to be!” about her and Jason, and I thought she was a bit superficial. I didn’t feel there was much depth to Jason; other than that he likes mentoring younger kids and walking along no longer in use railway tracks, I couldn’t tell you a thing about him. The only characters that were fairly cool were Blake and Connor, but they weren’t in the book for a huge amount of time. There was practically no chemistry between Jason and Lani, or Jason and Erin.

Another thing I didn’t like about the book was the way it was written. So many times throughout the book I got annoyed during the dialogue. Lani is telling this story, and when she’s telling the reader what some said, more often than not, she will say “And Erin was like ‘Blah blah blah,’” or “Erin was all ‘Blah blah blah.’” It grated on my nerves. There’s also the fact that so much of this novel told, rather than shown. I can’t count how many times Lani would talk about how she, or her and Jason, or her and someone else, did something for an hour/a few hours/the rest of the day. I wasn’t counting as I was reading, but I can only remember actually seeing Lani and Jason kiss twice in the whole book. I just didn’t get to see much of what I wanted to see. Perhaps there would have been more chemistry between them if I actually got to see them do things for more than five minutes.

I was just so disappointed in this book, and it’s so frustrating. However, I am just one person; although I personally didn’t like it, you might find this a really good book. I would definitely check out some other reviews before writing it off completely. I may not have been a fan, but you could be.

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New town, new college, new people, Edie's feeling overwhelmed. What if nobody wants to be her friend? But then something happens that turns her life upside down: Edie spots Dylan. Messy-haired, pouty, frustratingly elusive Dylan. It's love at first sight!

Fast forward to the college trip to Paris and things are really hotting up. In between the shopping, the clubbing, the kissing and the making up, something happens between Edie and Dylan that changes both their lives for ever...But do toxic boys like Dylan ever play for keeps? From Amazon UK

Oh, there are no words to describe how much I loved this book! I finished this book yesterday, but I was on too high a buzz to actually form coherent sentences to write the review, so decided to wait until today, but I'm still struggling on how to talk about this book without just repeating "EEEE IT WAS SO GOOD!" in several different ways, and just general unintelligible gushing. But I will try.

I really like the way in which this book was written; there aren't any chapters, it's all diary entries. But these diary entries could be anything from half a page long to several pages long. It
really annoyed me at first, simply because sometimes there were too many breaks after not much being said, and it also left me thinking "just one more chapter" would be pretty hard to judge. But as the story goes on, the diary entries get longer, and become more of what I'd consider an acceptable chapter length, and I actually started to like it! I've show more read maybe one or two diary-like novels before, but this is the only one where I've actually enjoyed the fact that it was a diary.

Edie was a great character, but she did annoy me a few times. The girl is 16, she's now at college studying her A-levels, so no longer a school girl - yet she seems to have forgotten this. She talks about how "boy shapes" suffer with "boy disease", and I just kept wanting to shake her, and shout "You're not 12!" And a few times she had these angsty, mopey periods over Dylan which I just felt were more the behaviour of a younger teenager, especially when considering all her friends were 19 - surely you would try to act a little more maturer?

I managed to forgive her all that because of Dylan. Who could fail to be all angsty over the gorgeous Dylan? There was so much sexual tension in this novel, you could have cut it with a knife. He's a bit of a bad boy, but not in that he's mean or gets up to no good, just he simply can't make up his mind! He likes Edie, but not enough to to commit to her - yet he can't stay away from her, and always ends up cornering her for a kiss. Talk about mixed signals! The boy wanted to have his cake and eat it, and ohhh, I wanted to slap him so many times! But this is partially why I enjoyed this book so much - it was real. Things like this do happen; girls get angsty, guys can be infuriating, and even though I wanted to slap them both sometimes, when they were together and not arguing, it was just the most sweetest thing!

The other characters in the book were also pretty cool; Nat and Trent, Edie's gay friends, were awesome in that they were always there for her no matter what. They were just lovely! Shona I had trouble working out at first; she was elusive, then she was nice, then she wasn't, then she was. I always thought, until the French trip, that she was up to something. I didn't realise it was actually Mia who wasn't the one to trust. As Edie so nicely puts it, "Mia est une grande vache." (Mia is a big cow). There was one point when even the secondary characters were a little off with Edie, because they thought she went a little far in one argument with Dylan, but I have to say, I was cheering her on so much. Dylan need not have been such a pig at times.

Oh, I really loved this book! It's now official; Sarra Manning is one of my favourite authors. If you haven't read this book yet, you really need to! Now I just have to get my hands on a copy of Kiss and Make Up.

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Elsa tells herself that it was just a little white lie - all to get her mum's boyfriend off her back when she was late home. But now Amy, a girl from school, has gone missing and a man who may be innocent has been arrested. Can Elsa get herself out of this mess? And who really abducted Amy? Gripping thriller. From BarringtonStoke.co.uk

This is the story of how telling lies can get out of hand. Elsa lies to her Mum’s boyfriend and gives the excuse of almost being kidnapped on the way home to explain why she’s late. But then someone she knows is kidnapped, and the police want her evidence to help catch the “kidnapper”.

Barrington Stoke are a publishing house that publish books for reluctant and struggling readers. Twisting the Truth is a short story of 75 pages for 14+ readers with a reading age of 8, but this doesn’t mean the story is dumbed down at all. I am neither a reluctant nor struggling reader, and I really enjoyed it! It’s a quick burst of thrills and fear on such a serious subject. Elsa is a very identifiable character for young teenagers, and although she makes some mistakes, I was completely swept up in her story. What is Elsa going to do? Who has kidnapped Amy? What’s going to happen? It was nothing if not exciting and disturbing.

I don’t know any struggling readers, but I do know reluctant readers, and I think this is the perfect story for them. You’re not bogged down with excessive description, dialogue, or long, difficult words, the focus is show more completely on the kidnapping. It’s also a story I think reluctant readers would get swept up in, in the same way that people shout at the television when watching a movie and the main character does something stupid. Barrington Stoke publish their books in their own font, and the books are written with short sentences and short, spaced out paragraphs, which make the pages fly by; there’s no time for a reluctant reader to get bored, because it’s quick, sharp, and focussed. For struggling readers, the short sentences and paragraphs would make just one more paragraph not seem too difficult, especially as there are no long or difficult words.

Reading for myself, I would have liked the book to have been a little longer, just to find out what happens after the last page, but for the target audience, I think it ends at just the right moment; the story has been resolved, we know what was going on without the story getting too disturbing. A really good book to get those who struggle to read and those who aren’t too keen on reading turning the pages.

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