Monday, 30 March 2015

, , , , , , , , ,

Review: Not Otherwise Specified by Hannah Moskowitz

Not Otherwise Specified by Hannah MoskowitzNot Otherwise Specified by Hannah Moskowitz - Etta is tired of dealing with all of the labels and categories that seem so important to everyone else in her small Nebraska hometown.

Everywhere she turns, someone feels she's too fringe for the fringe. Not gay enough for the Dykes, her ex-clique, thanks to a recent relationship with a boy; not tiny and white enough for ballet, her first passion; and not sick enough to look anorexic (partially thanks to recovery). Etta doesn’t fit anywhere— until she meets Bianca, the straight, white, Christian, and seriously sick girl in Etta’s therapy group. Both girls are auditioning for Brentwood, a prestigious New York theater academy that is so not Nebraska. Bianca seems like Etta’s salvation, but how can Etta be saved by a girl who needs saving herself?

The latest powerful, original novel from Hannah Moskowitz is the story about living in and outside communities and stereotypes, and defining your own identity.
From Goodreads.
Continue reading Review: Not Otherwise Specified by Hannah Moskowitz
, , , , ,

Review: Me Being Me is Exactly as Insane as You Being You by Todd Hasak-Lowy

Me Being Me is Exactly as Insane as You Being You by Todd Hasak-LowyMe Being Me is Exactly as Insane as You Being You by Todd Hasak-Lowy (ARC) - A heartfelt, humorous story of a teen boy’s impulsive road trip after the shock of his lifetime—told entirely in lists!

Darren hasn't had an easy year.

There was his parents’ divorce, which just so happened to come at the same time his older brother Nate left for college and his longtime best friend moved away. And of course there’s the whole not having a girlfriend thing.

Then one Thursday morning Darren's dad shows up at his house at 6 a.m. with a glazed chocolate doughnut and a revelation that turns Darren’s world inside out. In full freakout mode, Darren, in a totally un-Darren move, ditches school to go visit Nate. Barely twenty-four hours at Nate’s school makes everything much better or much worse—Darren has no idea. It might somehow be both. All he knows for sure is that in addition to trying to figure out why none of his family members are who they used to be, he’s now obsessed with a strangely amazing girl who showed up out of nowhere but then totally disappeared.

Told entirely in lists, Todd Hasak-Lowy's debut YA novel perfectly captures why having anything to do with anyone, including yourself, is:

1. painful
2. unavoidable
3. ridiculously complicated
4. possibly, hopefully the right thing after all.
From Goodreads.

FYI: My review will spoil what Darren's dad reveals to him. We find out about this revelation really early on in the story, so I don't feel it's really that much of a spoiler, and considering it's a focus of the majority of the story, I have no idea how I can review this book without talking about it. If you don't want this spoilt for you, though, do not read any further.
Continue reading Review: Me Being Me is Exactly as Insane as You Being You by Todd Hasak-Lowy

Tuesday, 24 March 2015

, , , , , ,

Review: Half Wild by Sally Green

Half Wild by Sally GreenHalf Wild by Sally Green (reading copy) - WARNING! I cannot review this book without spoiling the others in the series. Read no further if you're planning on reading this series and don't want it spoilt for you.

After finally meeting his elusive father, Marcus, and receiving the three gifts that confirm him as a full adult witch, Nathan is still on the run. He needs to find his friend Gabriel and rescue Annalise, now a prisoner of the powerful Black witch Mercury. Most of all he needs to learn how to control his Gift – a strange, wild new power that threatens to overwhelm him.

Meanwhile, Soul O'Brien has seized control of the Council of White Witches and is expanding his war against Black witches into Europe. In response, an unprecedented alliance has formed between Black and White witches determined to resist him. Drawn into the rebellion by the enigmatic Black witch Van Dal, Nathan finds himself fighting alongside both old friends and old enemies. But can all the rebels be trusted, or is Nathan walking into a trap?
From Goodreads.
Continue reading Review: Half Wild by Sally Green

Sunday, 22 March 2015

, , , ,

Review: True Face by Siobhan Curham

True Face by Siobhan CurhamTrue Face by Siobhan Curham (review copy) - Don’t show me your tweet-face
Or ur txt spk
Show me your True Face
And let your heart speak

It’s time to unmask the real you.

We are living in the age of the image – the perfect image. From the constant bombardment of air-brushed photos, to the dubious lifestyle choices promoted by celebrities and the obsession with social media, young women are under pressure as never before to project a persona of perfection. And this is having a catastrophic effect, with girls as young as seven developing eating disorders and female self-loathing reaching epidemic proportions.

True Face is part mystery, part adventure. The mystery comes in working out who you truly are, the adventure comes in planning the life you really want to lead. From body image, bullying and social media, to love, sex and more, plus expert advice on how to silence your inner voice of doom, Siobhan Curham encourages women and girls to be honest, dream big, and create lives that are happy and fulfilling.

Keep Calm and Carry On is replaced by a new mantra: Forget the Fake and Keep it Real.
From SiobhanCurham.co.uk
Continue reading Review: True Face by Siobhan Curham

Thursday, 19 March 2015

, ,

YA Book Prize 2015: And The Winner Is...

YA Book PrizeThe inaugural YA Book Prize 2015 awards ceremony happened tonight! This is not an event report, because I'm bad at them, but I need to talk about it!

Fortunately for me, the awards ceremony was happening at my Foyles branch. Unfortunately for me, I was working the late shift, and so couldn't attend. However, my amazing boss, Jo, who is also one of the judges for the prize, spoke to our supervisors to see if it was possible that I could pop in for a short while, and they said yes! Using my break, I had 45 mins to spend in our events space, seeing all the lovely authors have their photos taken before the winner was announced.

YA Book Prize shortlisted authors
Sorry, best of a bad bunch!

And then the winner was announced! And it was...
Continue reading YA Book Prize 2015: And The Winner Is...
, , , , , , , ,

Review: Hold Me Closer: The Tiny Cooper Story by David Levithan

Hold Me Closer: The Tiny Cooper Story by David LevithanHold Me Closer: The Tiny Cooper Story by David Levithan (review copy) - Larger-than-life character Tiny Cooper, from the bestselling novel Will Grayson, Will Grayson, finally tells his own story the only way he knows how - as a stupendous musical.

This is the full script of Hold Me Closer, the musical written by and staring Tiny Cooper, from the New York Times bestselling novel Will Grayson, Will Grayson, written by David Levithan and John Green. Filled with humour, pain, and 'big, lively, belty' musical numbers, readers will finally learn the full story of Tiny Cooper from his birth and childhood to his quest for love and his infamous eighteen ex-boyfriends.
From Goodreads.
Continue reading Review: Hold Me Closer: The Tiny Cooper Story by David Levithan

Tuesday, 17 March 2015

, , , , , , ,

Review: Half Bad by Sally Green

Half Bad by Sally GreenHalf Bad by Sally Green (proof) - Wanted by no one.
Hunted by everyone.

Sixteen-year-old Nathan lives in a cage: beaten, shackled, trained to kill. In a modern-day England where two warring factions of witches live amongst humans, Nathan is an abomination, the illegitimate son of the world's most terrifying and violent witch, Marcus. Nathan's only hope for survival is to escape his captors, track down Marcus, and receive the three gifts that will bring him into his own magical powers—before it's too late. But how can Nathan find his father when there is no one safe to trust, not even family, not even the girl he loves?

Half Bad is an international sensation and the start of a brilliant trilogy: a gripping tale of alienation and the indomitable will to survive.
From Goodreads.
Continue reading Review: Half Bad by Sally Green

Thursday, 12 March 2015

,

The 2015 UKYA Blogger Awards: A Whole Lot of Awesome

UKYA Blogger Awards

Last Saturday saw the inaugural UKYA Blogger Awards take place at Waterstone's Kensington. It was an awesome night, despite not winning in my category. This isn't going to be a proper recap, other bloggers have done a far better job of that than I could now, writing this several days later, but I do want to talk about the evening, and what it means.
Continue reading The 2015 UKYA Blogger Awards: A Whole Lot of Awesome

Monday, 9 March 2015

, , , , , , ,

Review: Ashes to Ashes by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian

Ashes to Ashes by Jenny Han & Siobhan VivianAshes to Ashes by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian - WARNING! I cannot review this book without spoiling the others in the series. Read no further if you're planning on reading this series and don't want it spoilt for you.

New Year's Eve ended with a bang and Mary, Kat and Lillia may not be prepared for what is to come. After Rennie's death, Kat and Lillia try to put the pieces together of what happened to her. They both blame themselves. If Lillia hadn't left with Reeve...If Kat had only stayed with Rennie...Things could have been different. Now they will never be the same. Only Mary knows the truth about that night. About what she is. She also knows the truth about Lillia and Reeve falling in love, about Reeve being happy when all he deserves is misery, just like the misery he caused her. Now their childish attempts at revenge are a thing of the past and Mary is out for blood. Will she leave anything in her wake or will all that remain be ashes? From Goodreads.
Continue reading Review: Ashes to Ashes by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian

Wednesday, 4 March 2015

, , , , ,

Review: Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

Seraphina by Rachel HartmanSeraphina by Rachel Hartman - Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.

Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen's Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.
From Goodreads.
Continue reading Review: Seraphina by Rachel Hartman