Review: Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy

Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy (review copy) - When sixteen-year-old Alice is diagnosed with leukemia, her prognosis is grim. To maximize the time she does have, she vows to spend her final months righting wrongs - however she sees fit. She convinces her friend Harvey, who she knows has always had feelings for her, to help her with a crazy bucket list that's as much about revenge (humiliating her ex-boyfriend and getting back at her archnemisis) as it is about hope (doing something unexpectedly kind for a stranger and reliving some childhood memories). But just when Alice's scores are settled, she goes into remission.

Now Alice is forced to face the consequences of all that she's said and done, as well as her true feelings for Harvey. But has she done irreparable damage to the people around her 0 and to the one person who matters most? From the blurb.

Review: What's a Girl Gotta Do? by Holly Bourne (#Ad)

What's a Girl Gotta Do? by Holly Bourne

I was sent this proof for free by Usborne for the purpose of providing an honest review.

HOW TO START A FEMINIST REVOLUTION:

1. Call out anything that is unfair on one gender

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

3. Always try to keep it funny

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

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

Review: The Graces by Laure Eve

The Graces by Laure Eve (proof) - Everyone said the Graces were witches.

They moved through the corridors like sleek fish, ripples in their wake. Stares followed their backs and their hair.

They had friends, but they were just distractions. They were waiting for someone different.

All I had to do was show them that person was me.

Like everyone else in her town, River is obsessed with the Graces, attracted by their glamour and apparent ability to weave magic. But are they really what they seem? And are they more dangerous than they let on?

This beautifully-written thriller will grip you from its very first page. From Goodreads.

ETA: Since reading this book, I have discovered that it is problematic due to biphobia and racism. Because of this, I can no longer recommend this book with a clear conscience - but I am leaving my review here for purposes of transparency. Read more in @eternaldelicacy's thread (though it contains spoilers), in Lisa the Bookworm’s review, and in Delicate Eternity’s review.

Review: No Heroes by Anna Seidl

No Heroes by Anna Seidl (reading copy) - An ordinary schoolgirl with a carefree bunch of friends, Miriam's just embarked on her first relationship with her loving boyfriend Toby. She lives with her dad and she has a good relationship with her grandparents. All this ordinary happiness is shattered when one of Miriam’s schoolmates goes berserk one day at school with a handgun and kills several pupils and teachers. Toby is shot right in front of her. Shock, grief, bereavement, terror—Miriam and her friends run the gamut of emotions in the days, weeks and months following the shooting. But the worst emotion of all is guilt. "Is it our fault?" is the haunting question that tortures Miriam as she tries to piece her life together again. From Goodreads.

Review: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs (review copy) - A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of curious photographs.

A horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows. From Goodreads.

Retellings Reading Challenge 2016: Link to Your August Reviews

Welcome to the Retellings Reading Challenge 2016 August link-up! How are you guys doing? I have had a tough time IRL lately, and so for comfort I've only been reading Harry Potter, so I've not read any retellings for quite a while now. But I'm getting back on to it today, as I'm currently reading Stealing Snow by Danielle Paige!

Here's hoping we all read more retellings this month! And when you do, link to your reviews below! But before you do...

• You must sign up for the challenge before you post links to your reviews. Links from people who haven't signed up will be deleted. Sign up for the challenge here.
• Make sure your links go directly to your reviews, not to your blog/Goodreads page/youtube channel. Those of the latter will be deleted.
• To count, books must be read in May. Only books read at the very end of April will count for May if posted at the very beginning of the month. Otherwise they won't count.
• When you link to your reviews, in the "Name" field, please include the title of the book, the author, and your blog name. For example: Wicked by Gregory Maguire @ Once Upon a Bookcase.

Review: You Know Me Well by Nina LaCour & David Levithan

You Know Me Well by Nina LaCour & David Levithan (reading copy) - Who knows you well? Your best friend? Your boyfriend or girlfriend? A stranger you meet on a crazy night? No one, really?

Mark and Kate have sat next to each other for an entire year, but have never spoken. For whatever reason, their paths outside of class have never crossed.

That is until Kate spots Mark miles away from home, out in the city for a wild, unexpected night. Kate is lost, having just run away from a chance to finally meet the girl she has been in love with from afar. Mark, meanwhile, is in love with his best friend Ryan, who may or may not feel the same way.

When Kate and Mark meet up, little do they know how important they will become to each other -- and how, in a very short time, they will know each other better than any of the people who are supposed to know them more. From Goodreads.