Tag Archives: YA

March 14, 2013 · 2:59 pm

Diary of a Mall Girl by Luisa Plaja.

Long time readers of my blog will know that I’ve been a huge fan of the interactive digital books being put out by Fiction Express. They started out by publishing YA novels, I reviewed them as the chapters went live – you can see my thoughts here. Since then they’ve gone on to publish books aimed at schools, and are continuing to tell wonderful stories interactively.

New publisher Curious Fox will be publishing four of the YA novels as complete books, they started last month with Sharon Gosling’s The Diamond Thief (previously Rémy Brunel and the Ocean of Light) and still to come are Soul Shadows by Alex Woolf in April, and The Soterion Mission by Stewart Ross in May.

Today however, the focus is entirely on Luisa Plaja’s brilliant Diary of a Mall Girl as it is published today.

DOAMG

From the back of the book:
The mall is the heart of the fifteen-year-old Molly’s suburban town. Most teens hang around with friends there, get their first job there, and experience their first kiss there. And Molly? She actually lives there, in the complex’s residential wing.

But living in a massive shopping centre isn’t as much fun as it sounds. That is, until mysterious twins Jewel and Jasper move into the flat upstairs. Suddenly life is a lot more exciting – and complicated. Will Molly get what she wants, or will it all come crashing down?

Find out the whole truth in Molly’s private diary!

I really enjoyed returning to Molly’s story, and spending time in the mall again with her. This book is so much fun, I found myself laughing lots as I read. There are also some truly brilliant cringey moments, the kind that make you remember your own similar experiences as a teen. One of the things I really love about Luisa’s books are the characters she creates, they’re wonderfully vivid – you really get the feeling that you’ve spent time with them. If you’re looking for a fun YA contemporary read then I’d say you would be fully satisfied by Diary of a Mall Girl.

To celebrate the publication of Diary of a Mall Girl there are a number of exciting things happening, you can see all of the details on Luisa’s website here.

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January 29, 2013 · 9:30 am

Book Review : OMG! Is This Actually My Life? by Rae Earl.

OMGFourteen-year-old Hattie Moore doesn’t actually know who her father is – but that’s the least of her problems. How can she become a TOTAL HOTNESS GODDESS when Miss Gorgeous Knickers at school hates her and no one fancies her because she has no breast? And her family are an actual nightmare. Her unbelievably annoying brother is EVIL and on top of that, her gran is a TOTAL mental who may be texting rude jokes to just about EVERYONE in the world. Including her dentist.

Hattie’s diary of this tumultuous year is an absolutely hilarious account of the ups and downs of teenage life including a dating bogey phobia, near death from biscotti and a home-made breast-growing machine.

When I received this book for review I read the blurb and thought it was the sort of book I probably wouldn’t have automatically picked up to read but it sounded like it could be really funny. I therefore didn’t start reading the book with many expectations at all.

To begin with I wasn’t sure whether I was going to get on with the book. It’s written in a diary format which is something I really enjoy, but I was switching rapidly back and forward between finding Hattie entertaining and infuriating. Once I got to grips with her I realised there was no way I was going to stop reading the book, I did care about what happened and I wanted to find out how Hattie’s year went.

The real grit of the book is Hattie’s quest to discover who her biological father is. She has the difficult situation of not knowing who he is yet having a stepfather who has been in her life for almost all of it and who she loves dearly. She has a real sense of conflict because as wonderful as her stepfather is she can’t help wondering about her biological father – the fact her mother is so reluctant to tell her about him only adds to the intrigue and wonder.

Hattie is a lively character, throughout the book I found at times I laughed with her, at times I wanted to give her a hug and at times I wanted to shake her! She’s a 14 year old girl (for most of the book) and I think she’s a pretty accurate representation of this – she’s suitably inward looking and self-invested! Her two friends, Weird Jen and Dimple are highly entertaining, the three of them together make for a great trio.

The real strength of the book for me was in some of the supporting characters. I loved Goose, the boy next door, and Hattie’s grandmother in particular. I felt at times that Hattie’s mother got a bit of a raw deal but this was probably very realistic in the circumstances.

By the end of it I enjoyed this book and was satisfied by the ending. There were a few surprises scattered throughout the book which were pleasing to discover. I think this book will be really popular with its intended audience.

OMG! Is This Actually My Life? is published by Walker in the UK from 7th February 2013. Whilst I was provided with a review copy of the book all of the opinions expressed are my own.

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January 24, 2013 · 9:30 am

Book Review : Pantomime by Laura Lam.

PantomimeR. H. Ragona’s Circus of Magic is the greatest circus of Ellada. Nestled among the glowing blue Penglass—remnants of a mysterious civilisation long gone—are wonders beyond the wildest imagination. It’s a place where anything seems possible, where if you close your eyes you can believe that the magic and knowledge of the vanished Chimaera is still there. It’s a place where anyone can hide.

Iphigenia Laurus, or Gene, the daughter of a noble family, is uncomfortable in corsets and crinoline, and prefers climbing trees to debutante balls. Micah Grey, a runaway living on the streets, joins the circus as an aerialist’s apprentice and soon becomes the circus’s rising star.

But Gene and Micah have balancing acts of their own to perform, and a secret in their blood that could unlock the mysteries of Ellada.

I need to start this review by saying that I absolutely loved this book, I made myself read it slowly (something I find pretty hard to do) just so the experience would last longer. I know that we’re only a few weeks into January but I know this book is going to be a contender for a place on my Top Ten Reads of 2013 – I loved it that much. This should be an easy review to write in that case yes? No. I think this might be the trickiest review I’ve written in a long time, possibly ever. The very things that made me adore this book are the very things I don’t want to write about – I believe the experience of reading this book and the way the story unfolds need to be protected.

I loved the circus setting for the book, it’s described so well – as you’re reading you feel as though you’re actually sitting watching all the acts or walking through the carnival after the show. The writing is wonderfully descriptive, one of the reasons I forced myself to read more slowly and really soak it all in.

The book moves between Gene’s story and Micah’s story, the move between narratives never jars, and I found I was really interested in both stories so was always eager to read more of them both. There is a strong social structure in the world that provides the setting for the book, I found this really interesting particularly as Gene and Micah are at opposite ends of it.

The circus setting also makes for some really interesting characters, I found the whole structure of the company of performers and backstage members fascinating. I really enjoyed the interactions between Micah and his mentors – aerialists Arik and Aenea. In Gene’s story I enjoyed the time she spent with her brother and his friends, the bantery nature of her friendship with them was so well created.

The world that the book is set reminded me quite a bit of Victorian England, though it has magical elements that leave me finding it really hard to put a genre label onto the book. The mentions of the Vestige throughout the book, objects that have magical properties add a real sense of atmosphere to the book.

As soon as I finished reading this book I started talking to people about it, telling them about how I’d really loved it and that they just needed to read it. I think I’ll be doing this for a good few months to come which is good as it will help me pass the time whilst I’m waiting for the next book in the series!

Pantomime is published by Strange Chemistry in the UK from 7th February 2013. Whilst I was provided with a review copy of the book via NetGalley.com all of the opinions expressed are my own.

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January 23, 2013 · 9:30 am

Book Review : The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith.

SPoLaFSWho would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan’s life. Having missed her flight, she’s stuck at JFK airport and late to her father’s second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon-to-be stepmother Hadley’s never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport’s cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he’s British, and he’s sitting in her row.

A long night on the plane passes in the blink of an eye, and Hadley and Oliver lose track of each other in the airport chaos upon arrival. Can fate intervene to bring them together once more?

Quirks of timing play out in this romantic and cinematic novel about family connections, second chances, and first loves. Set over a twenty-four-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver’s story will make you believe that true love finds you when you’re least expecting it.

When I travelled by plane for the first time on my own I found myself paying far more attention to my fellow passengers, and thinking about the fact that on a long haul flight you spend more time sat next to a complete stranger than you might in the space of a year with a distant relative yet you often get off the plane still knowing absolutely nothing about them. So when I heard about this book I was really intrigued by the plot, it sounded like something I’d really enjoy.

Enjoy? I absolutely loved it! Within the first few pages I was completely wrapped up in the story, from Hadley and Oliver first meeting to their plane journey and then their respective stories in London. The plot is lovely, and sweet, with plenty of funny bits, making it a really really good romantic comedy.

Hadley and Oliver are both great characters, I really enjoyed getting to know them both. The budding friendship and romance between the two of them felt really genuine and played out well. I also liked the way the supporting characters were written, Hadley’s dad and stepmom-to-be in particular.

I thought this books was brilliant, it’s a slim book so a fairly quick read, but one that I know I’ll be revisiting time and time again.

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight is published by Headline in the UK.

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January 21, 2013 · 9:30 am

Book Review : Sean Griswold’s Head by Lindsey Leavitt.

SeanGriswoldAccording to her guidance counselor, fifteen-year-old Payton Gritas needs a focus object—an item to concentrate her emotions on. It’s supposed to be something inanimate, but Payton decides to use the thing she stares at during class: Sean Griswold’s head. They’ve been linked since third grade (Griswold-Gritas—it’s an alphabetical order thing), but she’s never really known him.

The focus object is intended to help Payton deal with her father’s newly diagnosed multiple sclerosis. And it’s working. With the help of her boy-crazy best friend Jac, Payton starts stalking—er, focusing on—Sean Griswold . . . all of him! He’s cute, he shares her Seinfeld obsession (nobody else gets it!) and he may have a secret or two of his own.

In this sweet story of first love, Lindsey Leavitt seamlessly balances heartfelt family moments, spot-on sarcastic humor, and a budding young romance.

Contemporary YA is one of my great loves and when I heard about this book it sounded right up my street. I didn’t get round to reading it though until I read Raimy’s interesting review and thought it was about time I read it.

This book is about Payton, about her discovering that her father has Multiple Sclerosis and trying to adjust to both knowing this and the feeling of betrayal she experiences when she discovers the rest of the family had been keeping the news from her. If I’m being completely honest for a good proportion of the book Payton behaves like a bit of a brat but I didn’t find this frustrating, it felt like a very genuine reaction and one that I could understand even if I couldn’t imagine behaving the same way in the same situation. The one character I didn’t really take to however was Jac, Payton’s best friend. I found a lot of her behaviour irritating – she’s definitely the kind of person I wouldn’t want around me for very long.

Sean Griswold is the boy who sits in front of Payton in the classes they share – seating is allocated alphabetically and so she’s been sitting behind him for years without ever really noticing him. She chooses his head for a focus exercise the school counsellor gets her to do, it’s something that’s part of her everyday life. This allows us to get to know Sean as Payton does, I liked him a lot as a character. I really liked the way he and Payton grew closer through developing a shared interest, some of the moments they shared were lovely.

I thought that Payton’s father’s illness was covered in the book really well. It ended up not being the main focus of the book, instead it’s more about the effect it has on the family – I think teenagers in a similar situation to Payton or those who know someone who is might find it good to read. The one thing I would have quite liked to see however was a page pointing interested readers in the direction of reliable further information about Multiple Sclerosis.

This book is funny and warm with real heart. I thoroughly enjoyed it and just wish I’d not put it off for so long.

Sean Griswold’s Head is published by Scholastic in the UK.

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January 17, 2013 · 9:30 am

Book Review : Bluefish by Pat Schmatz.

BluefishFirst day, new school, no way out.

Travis hates being in the new town with Grandpa. He hates that they left their old home without finding their dog, Rosco. Travis doesn’t see the point of trying anymore. He feels stupid, angry, alone.

Then, suddenly, there’s a girl. Velveeta is as loud as Travis is quiet, as outgoing as he is shut in. She can see that Travis has a secret. And she should know, because she’s got a few of her own.

Velveeta is on the case: it’s time for Travis to tell the truth.

I think this is a real gem of a book. It’s a wonderful story with great characters that leaves you feeling really content as you read the final page.

The story is primarily about Travis, a boy with some pretty significant anger and emotional issues. He’s deeply resentful of the fact his grandfather has made them move, and particularly hurt and angry that their dog went missing just before they moved and his grandfather didn’t find him. School’s a real battlefield for Travis, he’s never been very keen on school for very good reasons and having to integrate into a new one seems like just too much. Luckily for him he hasn’t counted on two people entering his life, Mr McQueen – one of those super-teachers everyone should have the joy of encountering during their educational experience, and Velveeta who really shares the story. She also has secrets, she’s got some lousy adults in her life too and is trying very hard to make her own way in the world, however she can manage. Over the course of the book Travis and Velveeta’s stories become increasingly entwined and they pick away at the walls each other has built to keep the world out.

The characters Schmatz has created are great, I adored Mr McQueen – it’s so good to see a teacher who really cares, I was fortunate enough to encounter a couple of teachers like this when I was in high school so I always love seeing them in the books I read. My favourite character was Travis, he absolutely jumped off the page at me. I felt so invested in his story, he’s absolutely the kind of teen that makes me want to be a youth librarian.

The bulk of the book tells Travis’ story, but at the end of each chapter there is a page or two where Velveeta gets to tell her version of events from the same day. I really liked this structure, it was nice getting to hear from both of the teens and I think Schmatz has captured their very different voices perfectly.

I really enjoyed reading this book, it takes on some pretty big issues and handles them all in a careful and sympathetic manner. This is the sort of book that could have been cheesy or mawkish, but instead it’s realistic and the sort of book the reader can really identify with. Highly recommended.

Bluefish is published by Walker in the UK from 3rd January 2013. Whilst I was provided with a review copy of the book all of the opinions expressed are my own.

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January 10, 2013 · 9:30 am

Book Review : North of Nowhere by Liz Kessler.

NorthOfNowhereWhen Mia’s grandfather disappears, Mia and her mother immediately rush down to stay with her grandmother and offer support. With no friends and no internet access in the little seaside village where her grandparents live, Mia is bored and lonely–until she makes friends with Dee, the daughter of a fisherman from a nearby island, and Peter, who is on holiday with his parents. But Mia’s grandad is still missing, and actually meeting face to face with Dee is proving surprisingly difficult. Mia becomes determined to find out what’s going on, but the truth is much more mysterious than she ever imagined…

When this book arrived in the post the first thing that grabbed my attention was the gorgeous cover. I love the silhouettes of the trees against the stormy twilight sky, straight away I wanted to get reading to find out who the two children on the boat are and what they’re doing.

This is going to be a book that’s a little tricky to review, the plot is clever and needs to be discovered by reading rather than be me trying to describe it without giving anything away. At its most basic this is a story about family and friendship, but it’s so much more than this at the same time. Two or three times as I was reading I started to think I knew what was happening and where the book was going and then was thrilled to find that I was wrong or only half right.

I liked Mia, the main character, a lot. I found that as I was reading I felt like her thoughts were my thoughts from when I was in year 8, so many years ago. I think many young readers will really identify with Mia, particularly those in that tricky stage of trying to be the person they think their peers want them to be when at the same time they don’t really want to give up on things they love just because they might be perceived as babyish.

This book is targeted at the 9+ audience so I found it to be a lovely, quick read. There’s plenty packed into it and I found that I didn’t want to do anything other than keep reading it – there was no quick checking of Twitter or anything else until I’d finished reading, this is an exciting book that complete drags you in. I was really impressed by the book, it’s definitely one that I’m going to be pushing into young relatives’ hands.

North of Nowhere is published by Orion Children’s in the UK from 24th January 2013. Whilst I was provided with a review copy of the book all of the opinions expressed are my own.

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January 9, 2013 · 9:30 am

Book Review : My Dad Is Ten Years Old by Mark O’Sullivan.

MyDadIsTenYearsOldHis name is Jimmy. They told us not to call him Dad any more. It might freak him out.

The accident changed everything. Once, my Dad was the perfect father. We were the perfect family. Now he’s got the mind of a ten-year-old.

From one crazy day to the next, we lose a little more of the man we knew and loved.

And then a shocking discovery about his past makes us question everything …

I picked this book up purely based on the title, the blurb on the back suggested that there might be more to the book than I was expecting from the title and so I borrowed it from the library and got reading. There are two main plot threads to the book, the first is the one I was expecting – the story of a family adjusting to Jimmy (the father) suffering a traumatic brain injury that has left him with the mind of a ten-year-old and no memories of any of them. The second however was more of a surprise – there is a mystery thread as the family find that Jimmy had been keeping secrets from them and they try and unravel them.

The book is narrated by Eala, she’s the middle child of three with an older brother Sean and baby brother Tom. She’s an interesting character, she’s at that tricky stage of being a teenager and then has all the added pressures of her family situation which results in her not always being the most sympathetic of characters. At times I found her to be pretty self-centred but then I think she probably had reasons to be. There were lots of characters that I liked, I would have liked to know a bit more about Sean as he interested me.

One small issue I did have with the book was with the use of Irish slang. I don’t normally mind it when colloquial language and terms are used, I find it interesting to see how language varies by location, but in this book I found at times that I was having to just guess at what words meant. This did have the effect of pulling me out of the book periodically.

I enjoyed the book but it didn’t quite live up to what I’d been expecting from it. I think it was an interesting topic to cover but I think perhaps that whilst the mystery element was added to increase the drama for me instead it took away from the plotline I was really interested to read.

My Dad Is Ten Years Old is published by Puffin in the UK.

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January 7, 2013 · 9:30 am

Book Review : Black Spring by Alison Croggon.

BlackSpringInspired by Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights, BLACK SPRING reimagines the passionate story in a fantasy 19th century society sustained by wizardry and the vengeance code of vendetta.

Anna spent her childhood with Damek and her volatile foster sister Lina, daughter of the Lord of the village. Lina has magical powers, and in this brutal patriarchal society women with magical powers are put to death as babies. Lina’s father, however, refuses to kill her but when vendetta explodes in their village and Lina’s father dies, their lives are changed forever. Their new guardian Masko sends Anna away and reduces Lina to the status of a servant. Damek—mad with love for Lina—attempts to murder Masko, then vanishes for several years. Anna comes home five years later to find Lina about to marry a pleasant young farmer, and witnesses Damek’s vengeful return and its catastrophic consequences.

I need to begin this review with a little bit of a confession. I have read Wuthering Heights, it was a wonderful experience in my first year of uni – a group of us used to get together on a Sunday afternoon and drink tea and eat toast and take it in turns to read aloud whichever book had been set that week on my friend’s English Lit module. That was 12 years ago though and the very few bits of the book I can remember are as a result of watching the tv adaptation with Tom Hardy in it rather than from the book. I’m therefore not going to be able to talk properly about this book in regards to Wuthering Heights, if you want to read about this I suggest you look at Sarah’s review at My Favourite Books or Erin’s review at Oxford Erin.

The book begins with Hammel narrating, he’s escaping the city for a while and visits the Northern Plateau to do this. He only narrates for the first 40 or so pages and then the story is taken over by Anna who along with Lina takes responsibility for narrating the majority of the book. I found the book pretty difficult to get into until the narrative duties passed to Anna, I found Hammel a difficult character to take to and there were plot points I found I wasn’t really sure I was understanding.

Once the narrative switched to Anna telling Hammel the story of the people he’d already encountered and the ways of the Northern Plateau I found the book a far more gripping and interesting read. The book is still not an easy read, the vendetta that plagues the Northern Plateau makes for pretty miserable reading and the descriptions of the powers held and punishments exacted by the wizards weren’t always for the faint-hearted.

Black Spring is not a book filled with likeable characters who appeal to the reader. With the exception of Anna, and her mother, most of the characters are downright awful yet I found myself completely drawn into their world and wanting to know more about them and try to understand them. I think this is testament to Croggon’s writing style, a lesser writer wouldn’t have encouraged me to read on and I’d have just dismissed them all as dreadful and put the book down.

I didn’t love this book but I know a lot of people will. I’ve looked at the other books that Croggon has written and love the sound of them so I shall definitely be reading more from her.

Black Spring is published by Walker in the UK from 3rd January 2013. Whilst I was provided with a review copy of the book all of the opinions expressed are my own.

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December 3, 2012 · 9:00 am

Book Review : Ketchup Clouds by Annabel Pitcher.

Book Cover for Ketchup Clouds by Annabel PitcherFifteen-year-old Zoe has a secret – a dark and terrible secret that she can’t confess to anyone she knows. But then one day she hears of a criminal, Stuart Harris, locked up on death row in Texas. Like Zoe, Stuart is no stranger to secrets. Or lies. Or murder.

Full of heartache yet humour, Zoe tells her story in the only way she can – in letters to the man in prison in America. Armed with a pen, Zoe takes a deep breath, eats a jam sandwich, and begins her tale of love and betrayal.

Annabel Pitcher’s debut novel My Sister Lives On The Mantelpiece was one of the real success stories of 2011, it was shortlisted for a number of significant book awards and won a number of them including the Branford Boase Award. When I received my copy of her new book Ketchup Clouds I was really looking forward to reading it, could she do it again? Well in my opinion she absolutely has, and if anything she’s stepped up to a whole new level.

Ketchup Clouds is told solely through letters, Zoe has a huge secret and decides to unburden herself by writing letters to Stuart, a prisoner on death row. Her letters span 9 months, to begin with she is very reluctant to actually start writing about the secret she is keeping but as the letters progress she opens up and tells the story. Considering the serious nature of the letters there is a real warmth to the book and lots of humour.

The structure of the book works well for the plot and Zoe’s writing style brings in an element of suspense, there are a number of stories all unfolding through her letters – in addition to her story the reader also gets to discover Stuart’s story and her family’s story. These three plotlines are all woven together skilfully.

All of the characters are seen through Zoe’s eyes, the reader gets to see everyone as she sees them – I found the portrayal of her parents particularly interesting, as at 14/15 Zoe has reached that stage of seeing her parents as flawed but not the stage of trying to understand them. I liked Zoe herself a lot, though I think my favourite character has to be her youngest sister Dot. She steals the story whenever she appears.

I was absolutely gripped by this book, I was hooked by the opening lines and quickly realised I wasn’t going to get much else done until I finished reading! Throughout my proof copy there are points marked for illustrations to be placed in the finished copy of the book, I’m really looking forward to getting a copy so I can see these too.

Ketchup Clouds is published by Indigo in the UK from 27th December 2012. Whilst I was provided with a review copy of the book all of the opinions expressed are my own.

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