WRAP-UP: May and June

I’m a little behind on my blogging - and my reading - at the moment, so in order to catch-up I’ve decided to put May and June’s wrap up posts together. I didn’t read much in June anyway unfortunately, but I hope to pick it back up again in July.

May

Am I Normal Yet? by Holly Bourne

this book will bring out your inner feminist and leave you kicking and screaming against inequality! absolutely loved Holly’s first book in the spinster club series ★★★★★

I’ll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson

I didn’t like this book at first but it grew on me towards the end. The story of two twins who are split apart by tragedy and have to find their way back to each other emotionally ★★★★

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

it shows how good this book was, it only took me one day to read it! such a wonderful book about illness and love ★★★★★

For Holly by Tanya Byrne

I didn’t love this book, but I didn’t hate it either. Lola spends her summer in Paris with her father and new stepmother, and witnesses a terrible accident ★★★

The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson

a lovely summer read with plenty of fluffy friends! ★★★★

Mystery and Mayhem by The Crime Club (Katherine Woodfine and friends)

a beautiful compilation of stories from the best children’s mystery writers around today! including one of my favourites, Robin Stevens ★★★★

Paris for One by Jojo Moyes

a lovely short story to read in a day, about a girl trying to be more impulsive by taking a spur of the moment trip to Paris - for fans of Me Before You ★★★★★

The Princess Saves Herself In This One by Amanda Lovelace

a thought-provoking book of poetry ★★★★

Love Bomb by Jenny McLachlan

Betty relies on letters from her dead mother to help her understand growing up and falling in love ★★★

How Not To Disappear by Clare Furniss

such an emotional read from start to finish, I really enjoyed it ★★★★

So in the month of May, I read 10 books, which amounted to 3,290 pages, so over 30 days I averaged a total of 106 pages a day! This is amazing for me, May was such a good reading month and I was so proud of myself. But then June came and I read far, far less.

June

Inferno by Cat Doyle

the Falcone boys are back and are causing more trouble than ever - I absolutely loved this and I can’t wait for the final instalment of the series! ★★★★★

The Boy Most Likely To by Huntley Fitzpatrick

a heartwarming story about recovery and love ★★★★★

Summer Days and Summer Nights - Stephanie Perkins and friends

a beautiful summer anthology of love stories, with some of the best teen romance writers around today ★★★★★

The Girl of Ink and Stars by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

I read this for the UKYA book club, but it just wasn’t for me. I felt there was too much going on to really enjoy it ★★

First Class Murder by Robin Stevens

Robin has delivered yet another amazing murder mystery, this time on the Orient Express - can’t wait to read the next book! ★★★★★

I did say that this month was worse, and it was. In the 30 days of June, I read 5 books amounting 1,813 pages, which amounts to only 60 pages a day. I didn’t read as much as I thought I would this month, but on the bright side, I have read 40 books this year and completed by goodreads reading challenge! Let’s see how many more books I can finish with the second half of the year, no pressure this time.

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March wrap-up!

March has been a manic month, but somehow I still managed to read loads of books! I think I’m secretly using books as a coping mechanism. Here is the re-cap of all the books I read this month, and thankfully it isn’t late this month!

What I Thought Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick

Gwen’s summer as a companion for an elderly neighbour gets interesting when Cass Summers gets a job as the ‘yard boy’ ★★★★

Radio Silence by Alice Oseman

a book about university, not being ready to enter the adult world, and secret youtubers that gave me all the feels ★★★★★

Spot The Difference by Juno Dawson

a wonderful short story for world book day about a girl who gets life changing medication that allows her to find out what its like to be popular - horrible ★★★★★

This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp

a heartbreaking story about an hour of terror that Opportunity High School would never forget ★★★★★

Kindred Spirits by Rainbow Rowell

another beautiful story from Rainbow for world book day -with Star Wars nerds and peeing outside cinemas! ★★★★★

The Sleeping Prince by Melinda Salisbury 

the gripping sequel to The Sin Eater’s Daughter, Melinda has delivered yet another amazing book with heart-warming characters and her usual heartbreaking twists! ★★★★★

Finding Mr Brightside by Jay Clark

bought this book for the title (one of my favourite songs is Mr Brightside by the Killers), stayed for the amazing story! two damaged teens come together to fix each other - definitely one of my all-time favourite reads ★★★★★

Walt Disney: Drawn From Imagination by Bill Scollon

this is the story of the greatest man in entertainment history - I love Walt like a granddad and reading about his life has given me hope that anyone can achieve their dreams in they just believe in themselves. but there will never be another Walt Disney! ★★★★★

so I read eight books, all of which I enjoyed and I’ve picked up some new favourites along the way! these books totalled a massive 1,966 pages, which over 31 days of March, I somehow managed to read 63 pages per day! That’s 23 pages more than February and January! I’m concerned now that this will massively decrease in April.. But I’m very pleased I managed to read so much in such a busy month!

📖TBR for April📖

Before I Die - Jenny Downham

Crush - Eve Ainsworth

More Happy Than Not - Adam Silvera

House of Windows - Alexia Casale

I’ll Give You The Sun - Jandy Nelson

Fire Colour One - Jenny Valentine

Did I Mention I Love You? - Estelle Maskame

I feel as though I’m being over-ambitious about April, I have another busy month ahead but I’ll try my best to get through this TBR!

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January and February wrap-up!

So, I figured since it’s now the end of February (how quickly is this year going?) and I still haven’t posted my wrap-up for January, I would do both months together. 

Problem solved! ☺️

So I’ve started getting more organised with my reading this year, keeping a note of the books I’ve read in the journal shown above, and calculating my average pages read each month, so I can see if I’ve had a good month or not.

January

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

a unique retelling of Cinderella, with cyborgs, the plague, and a threat of war between Earth and the Moon ★★★★★

On The Fence by Kaisie West

the story of a sport-turned-girly girl and the boy next door ★★★★★

All Of The Above by Juno Dawson

an addictive read about a girl who moves to a new town and makes some amazing new friends ★★★★★

Reasons To Stay Alive by Matt Haig

a book about depression through Matt’s experiences of living with it. this book has changed my life, and given me a new perspective, and I would recommend it to anybody ★★★★★

so, in January, I read 4 books, with a total of 1,245 pages, and over 31 days of January that gave me a total of 40 pages per day! And I thoroughly enjoyed every single book I read, as you can see since I gave them all 5 stars.

February

99 Days by Katie Cotugno 

Molly has 99 days left in a town where everyone hates her, and where she is involved in a twisted love triangle between two brothers - I didn’t enjoy this as much as her other book, How To Love ★★★

The Savages by Matt Whyman

a seemingly normal family with a huge secret - cannibalism. Drama unfolds when the eldest daughter starts dating a vegetarian. I devoured this book! ★★★★★

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

for anyone who has read Fangirl, my favourite book, this is the story of Simon Snow, the character which Cath writes fan fiction about in Fangirl ★★★★★

I read 3 books, which is 1 less than last month, but my total pages was higher at 1,169 pages and over 29 days of February that keeps my total at 40 pages per day! I’m not feeling so bad about only having read 3 books now. I was disappointed with 99 days, but the other two were so amazing it made up for it. I will be posting all the reviews for these books when I have time to write them!

📖TBR for March📖

Radio Silence - Alice Oseman

What I Thought Was True - Huntley Fitzpatrick

The Sleeping Prince - Melinda Salisbury

Geek Drama - Holly Smale

I’m setting smaller goals for myself this month, but March is a very busy month, with my own birthday, my boyfriend’s birthday, and my dad’s and my auntie’s birthday, plus a mini-break with my boyfriend and a full-time job to navigate around. Wish me luck! 

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The Potion Diaries - Amy Alward

Netgalley sent me an electronic copy of this book in return for an honest review - and I also bought a physical copy as soon as it came out.

Samantha Kemi comes from a well-known family of alchemists, but business has been slow ever since synthetic potions took over. If it wasn’t for a few loyal customers that didn’t trust synths, there would be no business at all.

When Princess Evelyn accidentally takes a love potion intended for her best friend, Zain, she inevitably falls in love with herself. She has to be locked away, and the kingdom’s alchemists are summoned on a Wilde Hunt to find the cure.

Zain and Sam are on different teams in the Hunt. Sam is on the side of traditional, natural potions, along with her Finder, Kirsty. Zain and his father own the biggest synthetic potion company in the kingdom, and don’t know a thing about traditional potion making.

So when Zain and Sam become friends, it raised a Romeo and Juliet vibe in my heart. I really liked both characters, even more so than the others. 

It’s a dual narrative, which worked really well, but I much preferred Sam’s side of the story to Evie’s. Seeing her falling in love with herself was funny, but Sam’s story was much more interesting and gripping. 

This was a really unusual book, and I loved reading it. Buy this book! ★★★★

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Air - Lisa Glass

Thank you to Lisa and Quercus for sending me a copy of this book, and sorry that the review had to wait until I got back off holiday.

Air is the sequel to Blue, a surfing novel set in Newquay, Cornwall. Although Air doesn’t start right from where Blue finished, things that happened in between are mentioned throughout the novel to catch you up. The book starts when Iris and Zeke are having a little break in between contests in Miami.

This book really hit home for me, as I completely related to what Iris was going through in this book. Her summer romance with Zeke was fading away, and she began to feel as though leaving her friends and family behind in Newquay maybe wasn’t the right choice.

The surfing is still there, but the focus is more on Zeke and Iris’ relationship, as it is set over one week that really tests them. There are twists and turns that keep you turning the pages, and there’s never a dull moment in the book.

I would definitely recommend these books to surfers and non-surfers alike. Blue was the perfect summer romance novel, and Air questions what happens when that summer romance becomes a relationship that struggles when summer’s over. Lisa Glass writes such lovely books and I can’t wait to read Ride - I can’t believe I have to wait a whole year for it!

As a final note, while I was on holiday, I was lucky enough to meet Lisa Glass, and I can confirm she is one of the loveliest authors I have ever met. Buy this book!★★★★★

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Lobsters - Tom Ellen & Lucy Ivison

Slowly, I'm getting through the books I'm going to be taking to YALC, and it just so happens that both of these authors are going to be there!

This novel is told from two perspectives, something I absolutely love. Sam and Hannah are going to university in September, and only have the holidays to find their lobster. Anyone who has watched Friends knows that a lobster is someone's soulmate, and I'm hoping that it is actually a Friends reference. I must admit, the title is actually why I bought the book.

Sam and Hannah meet in a bathroom at a party, and as they bond over hot Ribena, they know they are each other's lobster. But they don't exchange names or numbers, so Sam is known to Hannah's friends as 'Toilet Boy' and Sam refers to Hannah as 'Ribena Girl'.

Neither of them have had sex, and worry about going to university as virgins. Most of their friends have done it, although Hannah's friend Tilly is - hilariously - in 'hymen limbo' which I absolutely cried laughing at. Finding their lobster and losing their virginity are very important to both of them.

Although they didn't arrange to meet up again, fate steps in the way in the form of Woodland Festival in Devon. I love books where fate steps in, as Serendipity is one of my favourite films. I wouldn't say it's the teenage version of it or anything, but just that I really enjoyed the element of fate in the book.

I really enjoyed this book, it had me laughing so hard in places, and worrying in places too. The ending completely took me by surprise, but it ended on a very funny note and I loved that. Sam and Hannah were both incredibly likeable, and I loved reading both of their stories. ★★★★★

Every Last Word - Tamara Ireland Stone

DISCLAIMER: I received this book from Disney-Hyperion in exchange for an honest review.

Samantha McAllister has OCD - she has to do everything in threes, sees her therapist every week...and her friends have no idea. It's like they barely know her. And they are a big part of the problem - the Crazy Eights make up a big proportion of Sam's therapy sessions.

Sam's life is a constant struggle to hide her anxiety from her friends and the people at school - until she meets Caroline Madsen. Sam completely opens up to her, and in return, Caroline introduces her to Poet's Corner...and AJ.

I must admit, I struggled to get into this book at first, as the first couple of chapters didn't grab me as much as I expected them to. But once Sam meets the Poets, and AJ, I really got into it - I'm glad that I stuck with it. 

I would have felt terrible giving up, because this turned out to be a really wonderful book. The story was so lovely, and I especially enjoyed the ending. There was a major plot twist, which I will not spoil for anyone, that completely surprised me - and I enjoyed that too.

Sam was a really likeable character. I understood that she was too afraid to leave the Eights for fear of being alone, even though they were making her ill. No one wants to be alone, especially at school. 

This is a really good book, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to see mental illnesses given a voice in young adult fiction. ★★★★

Blue - Lisa Glass

I was saving this book to take to Cornwall with me next week, but since the lovely people at Quercus have sent me a copy of Air, the sequel, I thought I would read this one now - to get me excited for my holiday. :)

When Iris meets Zeke in her yoga class, she knows there's something special about him. They have something very special in common too - their love of surfing. What was once just a hobby of Iris', soon becomes a passion. 

I didn't understand the surfing stuff at first, because I only ever bodyboarder as a child, but I really got into it as the book progressed. It doesn't matter whether you like to surf or not, the terminology is fairly easy to work out and understand. I've already recommended this book to a friend of mine who surfs.

As Iris is falling for Zeke, she gets to meet his wonderful parents, Sephy and Dave, and his brothers, Wes and Garrett. However, Iris' ex Daniel keeps getting in the way - he was a total pain in the ass and I didn't like him one bit.

This book has something for everyone in it - love, danger, loss - and some lovely LGBT characters! There's a ton of recent, well-chosen references to popular culture, making the book very current and a brilliant YA read. 

Because I go to Cornwall every summer, I know the places mentioned in this book so well, and I am really excited for my holiday now! When I go to Newquay, I might go and watch the surfers.

The only problem I had with the book was that there was a tiny error on one of the pages, if I read it correctly, which didn't fit the plot slightly (and I'm only mentioning it in case it is something that needs to be amended) - but this book is absolutely brilliant and I can't wait to read Air. It's also being made into a film, Bluer Than The Sky, which really excites me because I want to see these surfing moves being performed so I know what they all look like!

It was a truly enjoyable read, I definitely recommend you all buy this book!★★★★★

Remix - Non Pratt

I have been waiting so long for this book to come out, that it was no surprise to me when I started reading it as soon as it got delivered to my house. I found it really easy to get through, and would have finished it sooner if I hadn't had so many shifts at work.

Remix is a music festival, and the events in the book take place over three days - friday, saturday and sunday. This made the book even harder to put down, as I would carry on reading if I was nearing the end of a day, and basically put off whatever I was supposed to be doing instead of reading. 

The book is told from two perspectives, which I always love. Kaz and Ruby have been best friends for years, but Remix will be their biggest test yet. It also doesn't help that their imminent separation, with Ruby either having to re-sit her GCSEs or move schools, is looming over their heads.

There's a lot of boy trouble in this book. Kaz is still upset from her break-up with Tom, who is also at Remix and somehow unavoidable in a sea of thousands of festival-goers. Ruby's ex, Stu, is there too, though she pretends not to care about him ever since he cheated on her.

They are there to forget about their problems and enjoy the music - but all hell breaks loose when Kaz starts spending time with Tom's new girlfriend, Laura, who doesn't like Ruby and goes out of her way to wind her up.

I really enjoyed this book, it's definitely my favourite book of Non's so far. Her writing keeps getting better and better, to the point where I am uncontrollably excited for what she'll write next. If you liked Trouble, you'll love this!

★★★★★

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks - E. Lockhart

I have literally just finished this book, and I don't usually publish the review straight away, but I have nothing to do today so here it is! I'm working on a very long blog post that's going to be published at the end of June, but that's it until work tonight.

Frankie Landau-Banks is fifteen, and attends Alabaster Preparatory Academy, one of the most privileged schools in the country. It basically guarantees her a good future, and she follows in her footsteps of her sister and her father.

But Frankie grew up over the summer, and wants that to be recognised. She doesn't want to be Bunny Rabbit anymore, the adorable nickname her family know her by. She wants to be taken seriously, by both her family and those at her school.

When Frankie starts dating Matthew Livingston, it's perfect. She's in a happy relationship with a guy she really likes, and they're happy. Until she follows him one night after he cancels their plans, and finds he has been keeping secrets from her.

Matthew and his best friend, Alpha, are the 'co-kings' of one of the most famous, yet secret, groups at Alabaster - the Loyal Order of the Bassett Hounds. Frankie's father was in this group, and was always so secretive about its history. Even though it was a male-only club, Frankie is determined to join.

Setting up an email account to pose as Alpha, Frankie becomes the mastermind behind a series of pranks run by the Loyal Order of the Bassett Hounds. But just when Frankie thinks Alpha will own up to this not being his work, he takes all the credit. Which only makes Frankie push harder.

I really enjoyed this book, I actually think I preferred it to We Were Liars too. It was really well written, and I couldn't put it down in places. I can't wait to read How To Be Bad now. 5 stars

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The Fill-in Boyfriend - Kasie West

Kasie West is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors. I still need to read On The Fence, but I loved this and The Distance Between Us.

Gia Montgomery had been in a long distance relationship with Bradley for a few months. A newcomer in her friendship group, Jules, was trying to steal her friends, Claire and Laney, and stir up trouble by accusing Gia of making Bradley up.

So when Bradley dumps her outside prom, without meeting her friends and proving he's real, she must think fast. She finds a guy to fill-in for him, for one night only. So what does she do when she starts falling for fill-in Bradley?

When Gia starts spending time with fill-in Bradley, by pretending to be his new girlfriend at his ex-girlfriend's party, she realises that she is no longer playing pretend, and she could actually see a future with him. But does he feel the same way, or does he want his ex back?

I really enjoyed reading this story, and I struggled to put it down. I loved all the characters, apart from Jules obviously, and I thought it was a brilliant idea for a story.

Verdict: 5/5

May Reading Round-Up!

This month, I finally finished university! So apart from my shifts at work, I am completely free to read and that makes me so happy! Unfortunately, I didn't read as many as I'd hoped because I've only been away from university work for two weeks, but I'm still four books ahead of my goodreads challenge so I'm feeling good! These are the seven books I read this month, and they have all been reviewed separately if you want to read more about them.

Disney After Dark by Ridley Pearson - When Finn becomes an interactive hologram to be a tourguide at Walt Disney World, he has no idea it will make him cross over to the park at night and encounter the ride’s figures coming to life. 4 out of 5 stars

Della Says: OMG! by Keris Stainton - Della’s diary is stolen, and pieces of the diary are sent to her, as well as others, just when things are starting to turn around. Who is trying to stop her from being happy? 5 out of 5 stars

Fire with Fire by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian - Following on exactly where Burn for Burn left off, Mary, Lillia and Kat must now live with the consequences of their actions. But for Mary, their revenge isn’t over yet. 5 out of 5 stars

Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anne Blankman - Gretchen is living in Munich in 1931, where her Uncle Dolf is running for president. Although he is always kind and loving to her and her family, a Jew she meets and fall in love with won’t get the same warm welcome from his political party. 4 out of 5 stars

Love Hurts by Malorie Blackman - This is an anthology of original stories and extracts from popular young adult books, which is an excellent introduction for newcomers to young adult fiction. I highly recommend James Dawson’s story, The Unicorn!! For reviews of each story individually, you can go here. 5 out of 5 stars

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness - The first book in the Chaos Walking trilogy sees Todd Hewitt running away from Prentisstown before he becomes a man. As the last boy in Prentisstown, he has no idea what really happened to all the women, and is confused when he suddenly finds a girl just outside his hometown. Adorable talking dog included! 4 out of 5 stars

All I Know Now by Carrie Hope Fletcher - Youtube sensation and ‘honorary big sister’ gives a helpful, reassuring guide to the teenage years, with funny anecdotes and sisterly advice. This will definitely help the next generation! 5 out of 5 stars

Arsenic for Tea - Robin Stevens

I deliberately waited a couple of months to read the second instalment in the Wells and Wong series, so that I didn't have long to wait for the third. I'm trying not to think about how long I'll have to wait for the fourth once I've read the third, though!

Daisy and Hazel are back, and I've missed them so much! It doesn't continue straight from where Murder Most Unladylike left off, but it brings you up to speed, which I liked. It is the Easter holidays, so instead of being at Deepdean school, they are at Fallingford house, where Daisy's family lives.

Daisy's birthday falls in the holidays, so Kitty and Beanie have also come to stay. So when someone is murdered at Daisy's birthday tea, Daisy and Hazel once again have a case to solve! But this time, Kitty and Beanie want to join the Detective society. Daisy struggles to solve the case, knowing that the murderer is most likely a member of her family. 

I thought I knew who did it this time! But I was wrong, yet again. I think I loved this book even more than Murder Most Unladylike, if that's even possible. It was nice to have a different setting for the book, with new characters. And the big reveal once again shocked me. A brilliant read!

Verdict: 5/5 

All I Know Now - Carrie Hope Fletcher

I have been dying to read this book, ever since I started watching Carrie's youtube videos a few months ago. I knew immediately that I would love her book. 

Carrie Hope Fletcher is the vlogger behind ItsWayPastMyBedtime, and an actress on the West End, currently playing Eponine in Les Mis (one of my favourite musicals). She has become and 'honorary big sister' to thousands of teenagers who feel they don't have anyone to turn to.

At the still-young age of twenty-two, she has written this book to be a guide to the teenage years, something I think a lot of young people will benefit from. In this book, Carrie covers a range of important topics, such as relationships bullying and accepting yourself. If I had read this book as a teenage, I would have coped a lot better with growing up.

But even at twenty-one, just a year younger than Carrie herself, this book has really helped me. Many of its topics are still relevant to me, as they translate into early adulthood. I am still not completely certain about what I want to do with my life. Knowing that Carrie has dealt with these problems either now or in the past really helps me feel less alone.

The book was written so beautifully, and it felt so personal to me - as though Carrie was giving me advice in person rather than through a book. But that's who Carrie is, her videos always seem personal too. And I respect her so much more for admitting some things that must have been difficult for her to share publicly, especially things her parents didn't know until they read her book.

I would have read this book much sooner than I have, but my lovely friend Eleanor had taken it to be signed at the Birmingham event for me, because I sadly could not attend. However, I am hoping I will get a second chance to meet Carrie at YALC this year.

I don't usually read hardbacks at all, and when I do it takes me much longer to read them than paperbacks, so the fact that I read this book over two days is a testament to how good it is! I couldn't put it down, and when I had to in order to eat or sleep, it was by my side ready to be picked up again. 

This book is going to change, or at least help, so many young people's lives, I just know it. And that is such a wonderful thing, because the teenage years are hard - for most people. If you're not popular, you're generally ignored, and that is a terrible thing. Carrie really understands, being so young herself, what it's like to be young.

Needless to say, I absolutely loved this book and I can't wait to read anything she writes after this. We are so alike, especially in our love of Disney, that I would love to meet her in person and tell her how wonderful she is. A 5 star read!

The Knife of Never Letting Go - Patrick Ness

My parents bought me the trilogy last Christmas, and I've finally got enough time on my hands - as a graduate working part-time - to get properly stuck into the story. Whilst I was at university, my friend was always telling me to read these books, so now I'm glad I finally have enough time!

Todd Hewitt is the last boy in Prentisstown, and he is a month away from manhood. He doesn't know what this entails - no one will tell him. Even though he can hear everyone's thoughts - from a Noise germ the settlers caught when they came to New World - and they can hear his, he still can't find out the truth from them. 

This Noise germ only infected the men, and all the women have died. So not only is Todd the last boy, he's the youngest living person in Prentisstown, with no idea what happens when he crosses over into manhood. His guardians, Ben and Cillian, want to tell him, but can't because the townsfolk would hear it in their Noise and punish them.

But when Todd and his talking dog, Manchee - yes, animals have Noise too - stumble across a silent female who is alive and well, he realises he probably doesn't know the truth about a lot of things - and he runs for his life. But for reasons he obviously doesn't know, the men of Prentisstown come after him.

So as Todd, Manchee and Viola try to find Haven, the closest to a city there is in New World, they are outnumbered by an army the size of Prentisstown following them, destroying settlements as they go and determined to catch the last boy in their town and make him a man.

I really enjoyed this book, even though I don't usually read books this long. It took me a while to read it, but it was so brilliantly written and there were times when I couldn't bring myself to put it down. It probably goes without saying that Manchee was my favourite character, he was such a wonderful dog and his dialogue added a lot to the book for me. I can't wait to read the next book to see what happens.

Verdict: 4/5

Love Hurts - Malorie Blackman

WARNING: this is going to be a very, very long review...

I started reading this in March, and I’m ashamed that it has taken me this long to read it. I only read it when I had time to read a whole story, because I didn’t want to dip in and out of stories as they were all so different. 

Love Hurts is an anthology of YA short stories, or at least that was what I thought it would be. I expected something like My True Love Gave To Me, which I really enjoyed. But when it arrived, I realised a lot of the short stories were actually extracts from already-published books, which really disappointed me.

Out of twenty-four short stories, only seven were original short stories, which disappointed me and many other bloggers who I have seen reviewing the book. But so as not to taint the stories I did enjoy, I decided I would review each one separately, in the order they appear in the anthology.

Humming Through My Fingers by Malorie Blackman

Amber lost her sight due to diabetes, but knows her surroundings well. She can even tell when someone is lying. In this story, she meets Ethan, and teaches him how to see without his eyes, just like she has to. I've never read a book that mentions diabetes, and I'd love to find other books or short stories that do. It's a largely ignored illness in YA, as far as I can see, so if anyone has any recs please get in touch. I really enjoyed this story, as it was so original and heartwarming - 5 stars

More Than This (extract) by Patrick Ness

This was an extract from a book I hadn't read yet, so I didn't mind so much. Gudmund and Seth are in love, but life is about to get in the way of them being together. I'm not sure whether this extract was enough to make me buy the book, although I would like to find out what happens to their relationship, so I might pick it up in the future - 3 stars

The Infinite Moment of Us (extract) by Lauren Myracle

Charlie and Wren are so awkward, but that's what is so adorable about them. This extract contained one of the most romantic quotes I've ever read, and I loved it so much: 'She was the mystery and the explanation both.' This extract was really good, so I definitely think I'll be picking this book up in the future - 4 stars

If I Stay (extract) - Gayle Forman

This extract gives a really good overview of the book to entice people to read the whole thing. There's flashbacks of Mia and Adam's relationship in its early stages, which is really sweet, as well as telling you the key things that happen while she's in a coma. It's a really good love story, and this extract does it justice - 4 stars

Tumbling by Susie Day

I really, really enjoyed this new short story. It contains the best line in anything ever: 'there are breasticles under this shirt bro behold my brastrap', which is closely followed by 'a custard cream in human form' - the way I'm not going to describe myself. This story follows two girls who are meeting for the first time, after talking on tumblr for a while, at 221B Bake Street. They are both big fans of Sherlock, and I loved that I understood all the references. I love stories that include fandoms and tumblr, and this is one of my favourite stories of the book - 5 stars

Trouble (extract) by Non Pratt

Having already read and enjoyed Trouble, I didn't have to read this extract if I didn't want to - but I was curious as to what extract would be chosen. I think it perfectly sums up what the book is about - Hannah having the news of her pregnancy leaked to the whole school, and Aaron, the new boy at school, offering to be the father of the baby - and if I hadn't already read the book, then this extract definitely would have gotten me to read it - 4 stars

Rani and Sukh (extract) by Bali Rai

I haven't read this book yet, but I feel the extract would have been better with a bit more backstory. I love knowing how characters met, and all the secrets between the two families should have made me want to find out more, but it actually really confused me. It is told from both Rani and Sukh's perspective, and since I love dual narratives, I think this book could be really good. The extract was nice to read and I'm interested to find out if all of Bali's writing is like this - 3 stars

You Against Me (extract) by Jenny Downham

Ellie's brother, Tom, has been accused of raping Mikey's sister, Karyn. Ellie and Mikey have been pretending to like one another in order to investigate the matter for themselves. I'd never heard of this before, but the extract really got me interested in reading the book - especially for the cliffhanger it has! I think the story best showcases family love, the lengths that Ellie and Mikey will go to in order to protect their siblings - 4 stars

13 Little Blue Envelopes (extract) by Maureen Johnson

Ginny is an American visiting London, and meets Keith when she buys all the tickets to his show, Starbucks: The Musical. Sadly, I was more interested in the musical than the story. I have seen this book a few times in my local Waterstones, but now I've read this extract, I'm not sure whether I'll be buying it. I just didn't relate to the characters that well and I'm unsure if I will like it - 3 stars

Junk (extract) by Melvin Burgess

Again, this extract didn't really grab me either. I couldn't relate to the main character, fourteen-year-old runaway Gemma, and all I knew about the book before reading it was that is is about drugs, which don't interest me either. I don't think I'll be reading the full book, as I had no connection with the extract - 2 stars

Noughts and Crosses (extract) by Malorie Blackman

I've wanted to read this book since I was about sixteen, and I'm not sure why at twenty-one I still don't own a copy. I really enjoyed this extract, despite not knowing what a Nought or a Cross is, but for some reason, it just made me find out more! Sephy and Callum are so good together, even if they can't actually be together, for reasons I don't know yet. I really enjoyed the dual perspective and I thought it was a perfect extract to get me interested in the book, so I'm definitely going to be buying it soon - 5 stars

Gentlewoman by Laura Dockrill

Dan has never felt like a boy, so over the summer holidays, he begins the long process of becoming Danni. As school creeps closer, she is scared of what her old male friends will think and, more importantly, what the girl she loves will think. This is a really lovely story, that reminds me of Cat Clarke's A Kiss in the Dark and Lisa Williamson's The Art Of Being Normal. I can't wait to read other things by Laura - 5 stars

Heroic (extract) by Phil Earle

I honestly hadn't heard of this book before I saw it included in this anthology. Sonny likes his best mate's sister, Cam, but he knows she's off limits. But her brother, Tommo, is away in the army, so they both need a little comfort. It appears that is is told from different perspectives, which I love, and even though themes of war usually put me off, I did enjoy reading this extract so I might pick it up in the future - 4 stars

Lucy Had A Steamboat by David Leviathan

This story was really interesting. It follows Lucy as she falls for the new girl at school, Ashley. However, Lucy is more serious about the relationship than Ashley is, and Lucy gets a little obsessed. It was really funny in places, but in others, it got slightly boring. But overall, it was a good story and it was nice to read - 4 stars

I Am The Messenger (extract) by Markus Zusak

I didn't enjoy this book as much as I'd hoped to, as the love aspect isn't very prominent in the book as a whole. There isn't much mention of the actual plot of the book, which is a sort of quest that Ed is sent on, but instead focuses on the love Ed has for Audrey, which isn't really what the book is about, so I feel it will disappoint a lot of people who pick up the book expecting a love story - 4 stars

Grasshopper Jungle (extract) by Andrew Smith

I see this book all the time in my local Waterstones, but I still haven't read it yet. Reading this extract, I think I would enjoy this book, although I worry that Austin may start to get on my nerves after a while. Nevertheless, I've bought the book and I will be reading it in the future because of how much I enjoyed this extract - 4 stars

Echo Boy (extract) by Matt Haig

I'm not sure how I felt about this extract. The relationship between Audrey and Daniel was lovely, but I didn't understand what Echos were and what was happening, so I think I need to read the whole book in about to form a solid opinion - 3 stars

Forbidden (extract) by Tabitha Suzuma

I really enjoyed this extract, because I loved the way it was written. However, I am not a fan of bother and sister relationships in books, as it puts me off and I go a bit too British ('oh! oh no, that just won't do!') So now I am not sure whether to buy and read the book or not. Well written but a difficult topic - 4 stars

Endless Love: the Valentine of Daniel and Lucinda by Lauren Kate

After four extracts, it was nice to finally read a new, original story. However, I wasn't sure I liked this story. From what I could gather, Luce is cursed to live in many different bodies in many different time periods. But I didn't feel that any of the story was explained enough for my liking, and so it felt more like another extract than a short story. As a result, I just couldn't get into it - 2 stars

Midwinterblood (extract) by Marcus Sedgwick

I feel like I am being picky with my reviews of these stories, but these are my honest opinions. In this extract, I felt that nothing was explained to me, leaving me feeling practically guilty for not having read the book already. I was confused at what was going on, and therefore I just couldn't enjoy reading it. Also, there was a mistake in there, which usually I would ignore, but in a extract of an already-published book there shouldn't be any mistakes - 1 star

The Liar's Girl by Catherine Johnson

I didn't enjoy this story, perhaps because of the way it was written from the girl to the boy, so the 'you' didn't feel right as I couldn't get into that person's perspective. I didn't connect with any of the characters and I didn't feel the love between them - 2 stars

The Unicorn by James Dawson

Finally, we get to the story that I actually bought the book for, and it was definitely worth it. This story follows Reg Hastings in his time in the Navy, serving on the HMS Unicorn and falling in love with Frankie Cain. It is equal parts beautiful and heartbreaking. I really enjoyed this story, but I knew I would because James never disappoints me! Definitely one of my favourites of the book - 5 stars

Northern Lights (extract) by Phillip Pullman

I remember reading some of this book at school, but reading along with the class meant I couldn't go at my own pace and as a result, I didn't really get into it. I think I need to re-read it and see if I like it, as from this extract I'm undecided how I feel - 3 stars

We Were Liars (extract) by E. Lockhart

I did enjoy this book, and I thought this extract really did it justice, as it shows Cadence's love for Gat, a boy she only sees in the summer. The love between them is real, as well as  very complicated - 4 stars

Luckily, out of seventeen extracts, I had only read four, so I enjoyed it more than someone who had read all of those books before. The book acts as a good starting point for someone wanting to know what YA authors to check out, and it showcases some of the best. But to have very few original stories in there was a real disappointment, as so many people will have bought this only to realise they own most of the books included in there.

My favourite original short stories were The Unicorn by James Dawson, my fave, Tumbling by Susie Day, Humming Through My Fingers by Malorie Blackman, and Gentlewoman by Laura Dockrill.

The extracts that made me want to read more included The Infinite Moment of Us by Lauren Myracle, Rani and Sukh by Bali Rai, Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman, Heroic by Phil Earle and Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith.

I hoped you enjoyed this review, and I'm sorry it was so long, but I wanted to give every story it's own mention, and I gave the book 3 stars overall on goodreads, as there were some stories I loved and some I didn't. 

If you'd like to give me any recommendations of books you think I'd like based on these reviews, then please get in touch either on twitter (@t4ngled_) or instagram (@asdfghjklize). Thank you for reading!