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. ★★★★

Disney After Dark - Ridley Pearson

This book had been on my amazon wish list for such a long time, but I'm glad that I finally bought it and read it. I started this at the end of April, but I finished it yesterday on the bus to Birmingham. So here is my first book of May!

When Finn Whitman is chosen to be a DHI - Disney Host Interactive - he thinks he'll just be famous and his family will get free park tickets. But he soon realises how wrong he was! Every night, Finn crosses over to his DHI self, and he is told by an Imagineer, Wayne, that there is a plot by 'the Overtakers' for the Audio-Animatronics to take over the park, and only Finn and the other DHIS - Charlene, Philly, Maybeck and Willa - can stop them.

There was a lot in this book that didn't need explaining for me, because of how much I know about Disney anyway, but it is useful for someone reading who doesn't know the company or the parks as well. It would be especially useful for someone who hasn't been to Walt Disney World, as even though it's set there, most of the rides and locations they mention also feature at Disneyland Paris, so a reader who hadn't visited Walt Disney World wouldn't be at a disadvantage reading it.

This book was really good! I always wondered as a child what the parks were like at night, and the It's A Small World scene was particularly brilliant. The book really brought the plot to life for me, I could actually imagine something like this happening when the park was close. It's a must-read for any Disney fan!

I have the next book in the series ready to read, and it's making me extremely excited for my trip to Walt Disney World in November. But I'm very glad we'll be visiting the park at night!

Verdict: 4/5

The Sky is Everywhere - Jandy Nelson

I am in the group 'Addicted to YA' on Goodreads, and since this was one of their books of the month for February, I pushed this book to the top of my to-read list. This was a bold move, considering I have so much to read for the upcoming UKYA Extravaganza, but I really liked the idea of reading something at the same time as a lot of other people.

When Bailey Walker dies, she leaves behind a lot of heartbreak. Her sister Lennie, her boyfriend Toby, her Gram and her Uncle Big. In their grief, none of them know what to do, and Lennie finds herself turning to Toby for comfort, as well as the new boy, Joe Fontaine, a fellow musician who is separate from her life before Bailey's death.

Joe teaches Lennie that you can let your hurt out through your music, and this is something that a lot of people do, with many different art forms, and is something that I really admire. I thought it added a lot to the book and I really enjoyed their relationship.

For the majority of the book, I didn't like Lennie. I feel really bad admitting it, but she was just too self-centred for my liking, and couldn't see past her own grief and heartbreak to see that her family were hurting too, and needed her to help them through.

This was intentional, as we see a lot of character development on Lennie's part towards the end of the book, but by this point she had hurt too many people for me to change my mind about her, and I feel really bad about that. I could like her a little more after that, but not entirely.

This book, despite its themes of death and bereavement, was really funny in places. Uncle Big likes to go up into trees, has had five marriages, and tries to resurrect bugs. Lennie finds herself becoming horny for pretty much any boy she encounters, and coins the word 'dildonic' to mean lamer than lame, which I really liked. And Gram came out with my favourite quote of the book: 'if only I had wheels on my ass, I'd be a trolley cart.'

But there is another theme to this book and its abandonment. Lennie and Bailey were abandoned by their mother, who left and never came back. Gram raised them, and assured them she'd come back. But even if she did come back, she would return to one less child than when she left, and Lennie wants to know what kind of person would do that to her children. But she begins to discover the story is a lot more complicated than she thought...

The book has little poems scattered through it, which confused me at first, and I came up with my own theories as to what they might mean, but when it was revealed, I was actually so happy that it wasn't what I thought it was going to be. I'm clearly not cut out to be a writer, as I can almost never guess the plots of books. 

I was considering giving this book a low rating, because I didn't like Lennie, whose perspective the book is solely told from. But all the other characters were so weird and wonderful, and I didn't completely hate Lennie by the end of the book. The ending made me so happy that I didn't want my initial dislike of the main character to take away from what was a really good read.

Verdict: 4/5 :)

P.s. I'm also really excited to read Jandy's next book, which is called I'll Give You The Sun, which comes out on March 19th. (My papa's birthday and two days before my own!)

Jessie Hearts NYC - Keris Stainton

I am a sucker for books about New York City, as it is my favourite non-Disney related place, and because of that I had to read this book. I am also very excited that I'm getting the chance to meet Keris at the UKYA Extravaganza event at the end of the month, so that I can tell her how much I enjoyed the book and hopefully get my copy signed!

Jessie Hearts NYC is told from two perspectives, which I've said on many occasions that I love. Jessie is staying with her mom in New York City for the summer, along with her best friend Emma. Jessie loves New York so much that she doesn't want to go back home to Manchester at the end of the summer.

Finn lives in New York City with his parents, and hates working at the insurance firm his dad works for. He really wants to work in architecture, but he doesn't have the courage to tell his parents that he wants to change his major, as he fears they wouldn't approve. Finn also doesn't have the courage to tell his best friend Scott that he is in love with his girlfriend, Sam.

When Jessie and Finn's paths repeatedly cross, they have to ask themselves...is this fate?

I really enjoyed this book, the popular culture references reminded me of when I was in New York City myself. It also made me remember just how many brilliant films and television shows have been set in New York! It was a lovely book and I'll definitely be buying Emma Hearts LA soon! And fingers crossed I'll be able to return to New York soon too! :) 

Verdict: 5/5 :)

Hate List - Jennifer Brown

This is a book that I had been looking forward to reading for a long time, until I finally found it in Solihull Waterstones and was absolutely overjoyed! So far that's the only store I've seen that stocks her books, and I'd liked to read more from her ever since I read this.

The book takes place in an American high school after a school shooting, and follows the life of Valerie, the girlfriend of the shooter, Nick. When Valerie and Nick started a 'hate list', a list of everything and everyone that the couple hated, Valerie just thought it was a bit of fun, or perhaps maybe just a way of letting those feelings go by putting them on paper. But the victims of the shootings all came from that list, and they would have all died, had Valerie not stood in front of a victim before Nick could stop her, getting a bullet to her leg for trying to intercept it. This led to Nick killing himself, leaving Valerie to clean up the mess, and explain his actions. Everyone at school thinks she was a part of it, that she must have known he would do it, and this makes her return to school, after her leg gets better, absolutely unbearable. 

Although the book is told solely from Valerie's point of view, there are excerpts from newspaper articles to tell the story of the shooting in more details, especially telling the reader of the victims that the reader obviously never gets to meet. It was strange to read a book about a school shooting, as it was and still is a delicate matter, especially in America, where this book comes from. But I thought the subject matter was handled delicately and with respect to anyone who may have been affected by events like those in the book.

I really enjoyed this book, and I think it's a really important book to read. You don't know how deep someone's resentments lie, until the day they take it too far. If people had a decent outlet for their anger, perhaps massacres like that in the book could be prevented. 

Verdict: 5/5

Solitaire - Alice Oseman

This book is definitely in my all-time favourites list, and it's obvious why. I also had it in my ten books of 2014, which I posted to my Instagram account. 

Despite being twenty years old when I read this, I really connected with sixteen year old Tori Spring. I had been to Sixth form, I didn't particularly enjoy it, and I would have treated Solitaire as a welcome distraction from exam revision and other unpleasant things...at first.

Tori is the first character I've encountered who encapsulates my teenage years. She is this angsty, cynical, sarcastic person who, unlike so many, sees the world for what it really is.

I remember being at YALC at London Film and Comic Con last July, and seeing the book for the very first time. I overheard a lot of people talking about it, and a few even got copies a month ahead of the release. I wasn't so lucky, but I knew as soon as it came out I was going to buy it, and that's what I did. I finished it within a couple of days, which is something I only do if I'm really enjoying the book. I can definitely see myself re-reading it in the future, which is again something I don't normally do.

The tagline is this is not a love story, and it definitely isn't. I've seen reviews saying they have a 'ship', but as for me, I don't see Tori as someone who would care much for boys and dating. I could be wrong, but that's how I felt, and I don't blame her for it. I read so many love stories that it was refreshing to have a story that was a little bit deeper... It is essentially a voice for anxious, confused teens who don't belong in the inner-circle of school, and from the ukyachat's that I've been involved in recently, it seems Tori speaks for much of the YA community.

I loved the influence of Tumblr in the book. For something that, though not new, is not recognised as a popular social media site by parents and teachers, it was refreshing to have it included. This made it obvious to me, before I'd looked her up, that Alice was around the reader's age, as I don't think an older writer would have included it. Tumblr was my life when I was Tori's age, and even now when I casually check it now and again, I'm following Tori's page and I relate to a lot of her posts. I absolutely love how she has her own Tumblr, separate to Alice's, as it added a new dimension to my reading experience. 

On a personal note, I adore Alice, and I fangirl each and every time she replies to me. The fact that someone one year younger than me has written such an amazing book, it has truly give me the courage to pursue my dreams. Solitaire is the book that best represents my teenage years, and for that, it will always be a part of me, as a book that changed my life. Because I realised reading this book, that not everyone loved high school and sixth form, and I wasn't alone.

Verdict: 5/5 <3

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Cruel Summer - James Dawson

I simply had to review this, as its one of the best books I've ever read.

It sounds weird, but this book reminded me of An Inspector Calls, a book I had to read for my English Literature GCSE. Anyone can contribute to causing someone's suicide, even if they don't realise it themselves. And Janey's suicide left a mark on all of them in return, and effectively ruined the friendship they all once shared. 

There are many things I love about this book; the diversity of the characters, the screenplay or tv drama structure with the suspense looming, and it's mystery cliffhangers at the end of chapters. It felt like there should be an interval or advert break in there somewhere, I felt weird not taking a break from the book when something chilling happened! Finally, I loved that each character had their own side of the story to tell. I've said before that I love novels told from multiple perspectives, and this book is a shining example. I like knowing how each character feels, especially when it's intended to have come from them. The reader glimpses into each character's life as opposed to Ryan telling the whole story by himself. This worked really well, as I allowed secrets to be revealed that Ryan couldn't have possibly known, which made the story more realistic and engaging. 

James certainly knows how to keep his readers guessing, and I was hooked from start to finish, even as my heart was breaking towards the end.

Verdict: 5/5 :D

Fangirl - Rainbow Rowell

Fangirl became my favourite book of all time the moment I put it down.

Fangirl tells the story of Cath, an introverted university student who writes fanfiction, sometimes alone, and sometimes with her twin sister, Wren. They were inseparable, until they went to university and Wren wanted different things. Cath rooms with Reagan, and through her, she meets Levi. While writing fanfiction is easy, writing assignments you don't care for isn't as easy.

I really connected with Cath, both as a fellow fangirl and a fellow university student. The book brought back to me how I was feeling when I lived in university accommodation; The only different in our experiences being what while Cath threw herself into writing fan fiction in order to cope with her anxiety, I simply threw myself into reading and sleeping. I really struggled to concentrate on things I simply had no care for, and wished I'd chosen another path for myself. Rainbow assured me I wasn't alone in feeling this way, by giving me Cath.

We are alike in other ways, too. The way she helps Levi with his issues with exams is something I have done for my own friends, and the way in which she made friends with those near to her is something I can relate to. Neither of us actively went out in search of friendship, as the comfort of one's own room is too safe to resist.

I particularly loved the extracts of the Simon Snow books, and Cath's fan fiction of them. It made the story much more real to see what Cath was actually doing, rather than imagining what her writing would have been like. I'm so excited that Rainbow is actually writing a Simon Snow book because of the success of Fangirl!

I love how this story is essentially Cath learning to b herself outside of being a twin, while all the time not forgetting what is important to her: family. Her family are so wonderful, and so well-written, that I love them myself.

Verdict: 5/5 <3

All the Bright Places - Jennifer Niven

This is the beautiful story of love, loss and learning how to live again.

When Violet Markey's sister, Eleanor, dies in a car accident, she feels guilty having survived. She goes to the school's bell tower, and... meets a boy.

Theodore Finch wants to die; he spends all his time thinking about and researching ways to kill himself. Even falling in love with Violet doesn't make him want to take his own life any less.

This creates a problem. Theo saved Violet's life, but can she save his?

This book is very important for teaching people the randomness of mental illness and thoughts of suicide. They can attack anyone; the popular or the bullied. I really enjoyed this book and would be interested in finding stories like it. 

Verdict: 4/5

The Art of Being Normal - Lisa Williamson

PI had been looking forward to reading this book for a while, as I'd read so many positive reviews for it, and had it recommended in my local waterstones. Usually, this would set my expectations too high, but I went into this book with an open mind, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

David has always felt that he should have been born a girl, and because of this everyone who doesn't know this about him assumes that he's gay. This includes his parents and the school bullies. He has been dying to tell his parents for a long time, but can't bring himself to tell them in case they react badly. David is the first perspective this book is told from.

The other perspective is of the new kid at school, Leo Denton. All he wants is to survive his last year of high school without being noticed, but ends up falling for a popular girl in his class, getting him unwanted attention. 

I love books that are told from multiple perspectives, and this book does it brilliantly. It also deals with sensitive subjects, such as transgender issues and bullying, in such a way that you feel like you are going through it yourself reading it. I really connected with the characters, and LGBT or otherwise, I think anyone would enjoy this book. 

It really stresses the fact that not everyone is happy with who they are born as, and everyone is different in some way, and the sooner people understand that, the better the world will be. As a cisgender straight girl (props to James Dawson's 'This Book Is Gay' for teaching me the appropriate terminology!), I've never experienced anything that David goes through, but I would never discriminate against a person like him, because it's not his fault he wasn't born in the right body. But there are many people that don't understand this, and this is why we need diverse books, so that those people will begin to realise what transgender people go through.

I absolutely adored this book, and I can't wait to see what else Lisa writes.

Verdict: 5/5 :D

Vendetta - Catherine Doyle

As my first review on this blog, I thought I would review my favourite new release of January 2015, and that is Vendetta by Catherine Doyle! :) 

I gave this book 5 stars on goodreads, but had I been able to go past that I would have given it a perfect 10. I absolutely adored the book, and I already consider it one of all-time and 2015 favourites. I had been looking forward to read this book for so long, pre-ordering it and being delighted when it came early. Not only was it worth the wait, but it also didn't disappoint me in the slightest.

Vendetta tells the story of Sophie, a waitress who lives in Chicago with her mom, and has one friend, Millie, the only person who didn't abandon her when her father went to prison for murder. The mystery of the Priestley house in her neighbourhood consumes her thoughts, as soon as five boys suddenly move into the long abandoned home. 

The book reads exactly like a movie, with loads of twists and turns, and I could see the scenes in my mind. I really hope it gets picked up for a movie adaptation, Cat deserves all the recognition she gets from this book! The book was so easy to read and I really struggled to put it down. All the characters were so brilliantly described that I felt as though I knew them personally, and I can't wait for the next instalment in the series to see what happens!

Verdict: 5/5 :D

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