Review:Between-Jessica Warman

Jessica Warman-Between

'Between' isn't actually released in the US until August and October over here but I thought I'd review it now whilst it's fresh in my mind. Perhaps once I've been blogging longer I might have the foresight to make notes as I read but at the moment I'm just winging it!

'Between' arrived with a plain blue cover with hardly any blurb and comparisons to 'Before I Fall' and 'The Lovely Bones' (both books I really enjoyed), so expectations were high. At over 400 pages in paperback 'Between' is something of a beast and pacing-wise it's a bit uneven. I don't think I'm spoiling anything to say that the book starts with a bang as at the end of the first chapter Elizabeth discovers she has died, but after this initial revelation the book spends the first 100 pages dragging its feet until picking up again around the 150 mark.

My initial problem was with the character of Elizabeth Valchar herself. She's the typical mean girl those of us exposed to American teen books and movies know so well, a spoilt brat who thinks the world owes her a favour. She's similar to the protagonist in 'Before I Fall' in her selfish popularity but rather predictably she starts to grow as a person as she learns a few life lessons.

To begin with the aspects I've outlined above felt too familiar and left me frustrated, however as Elizabeth became accustomed to her existence as a spirit and began to remember more of her life before things became intriguing. Crafting the idea that after death Elizabeth and her companion Alex's memories of their lives are hazy was a clever turn as the reader fits the pieces together at the same pace as the characters do.

'Between' is a difficult book to discuss without giving away surprises the plot hinges upon but I really enjoyed seeing Elizabeth develop beyond a spoilt stereotype into a traumatised girl who spends much of her time feeling lost. The love story element referred to in the press release also took me by surprise and doesn't follow the usual path of the anguished paranormal love story.

By the end once all of the pieces were firmly in place I felt quite touched by Elizabeth's sad story and was really glad I'd persevered through the difficult beginning to get to the heart of the story beneath. 'Between' is a different take on the life beyond death theme and has shown me there is breath left in the telling of paranormal stories.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Did You Miss Me? Plus: Flyaway Review

My apologies for my lack of blogging business lately, I tend to run out of steam with things sometimes but I'm determined to try and keep this blog going, even if I don't update as regularly as I might like. I have been reading rather a lot so I have some books in my mental archive.

Anyway, it's on with business for a bit!

Helen Landalf-Flyaway

I got hold of this book via Netgalley, I'm always on the lookout for interesting YA books on there, particularly as a lot of American titles I might not be aware of otherwise turn up on there. 'Flyaway' was just such a title and one I started reading after noticing one of the reviews mentioned Ellen Hopkins.

'Flyaway' introduces us to Stevie, a fifteen year old free spirit who thinks her Mom is the greatest person on earth. That is until her Mom disappears for three nights with no warning, leaving Stevie forced to stay with her uptight and interfering Auntie Mindy.

In many ways Stevie is the archetypal teenager with problems: moody and angsty with a fair bit of door slamming and resentment on top. As Stevie gradually rebuilds her life without her Mom around and comes to terms with her Mother's flaws and drug addiction, she manages to blossom into her own person.

'Flyaway' is a really sweet story that deals with difficult issues in a way that manages to avoid oversimplifying or becoming too dark. Stevie's work at the bird sanctuary is a really nice aside as is her burgeoning romance. I think this book would have benefited from being a little longer but that aside I have no criticisms and it certainly left me with a smile on my face. Plus kudos on the cover it is lovely!

Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me access to the book.

Guest Post and Review:The Last Good Place of Lily Odilon

Firstly, I wrote a rather person guest post for the lovely Clover, which can be found here. I'm still not finding myself on the right track reading-wise but I am getting some reading done so it's better than nothing.

The Last Good Place of Lily Odilon by Sara Beitia

This was a rather random acquisition of mine, I'd seen it mentioned somewhere online and then decided to purchase the e-book whilst at a loose end last week. Rather unusually for me I bought and read this book within a matter of days, whereas a lot of the time I am 'desperate' to read a certain book only to have it sit neglected for eons until it's the 'right' time to read it. Anyway, I found the combination of the intriguing premise, good title and moody cover were not to be resisted.

Lily Odilon shifts between the present and the recent past and fills in gaps as it goes. All of the events unravel from Arthur's perspective, and I found it refreshing to read a YA from a male perspective. The action revolves around the enigma of Arthur's girlfriend Lily and her mysterious disappearance in the middle of the night.

There were several compelling parts of this book and a couple which were less so. I really liked piecing together a picture of Lily, as although at the centre of the book she is only seen through the memories of others and even by the end of the book I didn't feel like I was under her skin. I liked this because it was exactly the kind of character Lily was shown to be throughout, a damaged and unstable girl that had that certain something.

I also loved the use of memory and the 'gaps' in Lily's memories that contribute a lot of suspense to the story. It's difficult to go into detail about this aspect without giving away parts of the story but I liked seeing the fragile side of Lily and how she hid this from others, and I thought her diary was an excellent prop.

The things I didn't like so much were the rushed ending and generally the character of Arthur. He was only developed in relation to Lily so while we heard plenty of back story for her there was hardly any real personality behind Arthur and while I get he's meant to be a normal guy propelled into a crazy situation he was too cowardly and indecisive for me. The ending brings my rating for the book down from a 4 out of 5 to a 3.5 because after waiting for the whole book to find out what had happened to Lily there was such a rushed ending it fell massively flat.

I definitely enjoyed this book and it does tackle some tough subjects and it has some real moments of tension, but an extra 20 pages to explain things more would have created a more lasting impression for me.

Jenny Colgan-Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe

Jenny Colgan-Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe

Apologies for my lack of posts lately, I haven't been writing because I haven't been reading, or at least finishing books. I must have read a bit of about five different books but nothing stuck for me. Thankfully the book drought seems to be over as I finished this rather delightful book today.

'Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe' is Jenny Colgan's twelfth book and the first of hers I've read. Aesthetically it is such a pretty book and I love the title too. About 6 years ago I read a wonderful book called 'Sophie's Bakery for the Broken Hearted' by Lolly Winston and when I discovered this book I hoped I'd find something similar. Although the story here is more gentle it's certainly engaging and completely absorbing.

The story centres around Issy, a rather wallflower type character who has inherited her love of baking from her Grandfather. When she gets made redundant from her job as an estate agency, she decides to invest her redundancy money into starting her own business. The chapters are integrated with tried and tested cake recipes which I loved, and as the book progresses the reader gets to follow Issy on her journey to success.

Like all good girlie stories there is a suitably hopeless lovelife with a completely vacuous git as well as a rather dreamy alternative with some interesting baggage. Issy's friend Helena and colleagues Pearl and Caroline are always on-hand with both sage and, often unwanted, advice. As 'Meet me at the Cupcake Cafe' is a rather long book I felt I could really get immersed in the story and the pacing felt just right. Issy's business doesn't go from zero to hero overnight and this made the story completely credible. Issy is a really easy to like and everyday character and her Grandfather is lovingly developed.

This book definitely put a smile on my face (as well as making me desperate to try all of the cakes it mentions!) and got me out of my reading slump. I really want to attempt following one of the recipes now and I would definitely recommend this to anyone who likes romantic stories, particularly if you share my sweet tooth!

Four Stars

Guest Post

I've helped out with 'Translation Month' at Mostly Reading YA's blog, my review is here if you care to take a look:
http://mostlyreadingya.blogspot.com/2011/04/guest-review-eye-of-leopard.html
I will have some reviews coming up this week but I've fallen into a bit of a book slump so things are moving rather slowly.

Branching Out A.K.A My First Manga

Death Note-The Black Edition (Vol. 1 and 2)

So every now and then I surprise myself by reading something 'outside the box' on a whim and really enjoying it. I like to think my tastes are pretty varied already but I sometimes get into a bit of a genre rut and need something new to work its magic on me. After reading several fantastic books in a row recently I stumbled over what to read next. I spotted this new volume, (which combines the first two books), and was taken in by the black cover and black edges. Sometimes a pretty cover is just enough y'know?

So, the story? It goes something like this. Light Yagami is a model student and a seemingly ordinary teenager until a twist of fate lands a Shinigami death god's 'death note' into his lap. The death note in question is a notebook which, once you record a person's name in it they die. As the books progress the reader discovers more 'rules' of the death note and ways the owner can control the deaths and their victims.

As Light becomes increasingly addicted to the control the death note gives him a parallel story begins to develop chronicling the police investigation into the deaths of multiple criminals all over Japan (all victims of Light's death note of course).

I was hooked by the questions 'Death Note' raises about right and wrong. After all, at least initially Light's victims are criminals, many of whom are murderers so he sees his act as a positive one for the country and regards himself as the saviour of humankind. As Light becomes consumed by his power and control things slip and the line becomes more blurred.

Although this omnibus ends in the thick of the action I can't wait to read more and I'm glad I broke out of my mould! As a result I've also borrowed a few graphic novels from the library so I can rediscover those too.

The French Edition: Stephanie Perkins-Anna and the French Kiss

Stephanie Perkins-Anna and the French Kiss

I bought this book after seeing glowing reviews for it on tons of my favourite blogs and reading on Twitter than John Green was recommending it too. I then proceeded to put off reading it for several months as I thought it couldn't possibly be as good as everyone was saying, right? I WAS WRONG. This book is absolute perfection. I consumed is as quickly as I possibly could and haven't stopped thinking about it in the few days since, despite going on to read what seems like another great book.

In case anyone out there hasn't come across this book then here's a quick summary. Film geek Anna is forced by her super-tanned but not super-Dad Father to spend a year at school in Paris to broaden her horizons. Leaving everything she knows behind in Atlanta, including a possibly maybe romance, Anna goes to a country where she knows no-one and doesn't speak the language.

On her first night at school she is befriended by her next door neighbour and introduced to one of her friends, an English boy with the lyrical name of Etienne St. Clair. Anna's meeting and subsequent friendship with St. Clair forms the basis of the book and is a fantastically realised event. 'Anna and the French Kiss' isn't a plot-driven book and is all the better as a result. The development of the relationship between Anna and St. Clair progresses and evolves at a realistic pace and towards the end I was practically shouting at the characters to express their real feelings!

Anna is a great character and one I could really relate to. I love characters who are given a tangible personality and real interests and aren't just a series of physical attributes. Anna loves the movies and I loved reading the details about the films she sees and how Anna scribbles reviews in her notebook. I also love the 'Anna Banana' nickname, her obsessive cleanliness and Batman pyjamas... this is a girl after my own heart and one who feels noticeably real.

Now for St. Clair...well he's so perfectly written if there's any justice in the world he should immediately transcend to the top of the 'YA Hearthrobs' tree. Forget Edward Cullen this guy is a cupcake with sprinkles on top. He's funny, infuriating, loyal and loveable. He's the perfect best friend and possible boyfriend a girl could ask for, if only he'd just stand up and shout out his feelings.

I found much of the later part of 'Anna and the French Kiss' really touching, particularly when Anna describes a person rather than a place as home, I thought that was a really lovely sentiment. I also loved how Anna switched from calling her amour St. Clair to Etienne which not only has a noticeable effect on him but seems really intimate. I also found the way the relationship between them changes when St. Clair's Mom gets ill was really sweet, and although it's kind of inappropriate I loved his clandestine nights spent with Anna because he couldn't be alone.

In summary, this book is a treat of the highest order and will leave a smile on your face afterwards. The only things I even slightly less than loved about this book was the cover (which I find presents the book as rather cheesy and isn't how I imagine Anna would look at all) , and also the title for similar reasons. Those slight detractions aside if you love a believable romance that will leave your heart racing as well as making you laugh and cry then this is for you. I wholeheartedly LOVED it.

Five Stars

0.4-Mike Lancaster

Mike Lancaster-0.4

This was a book I purchased after seeing the cover online and being intrigued by the ideas behind it. I generally really enjoy dystopian fiction but I was a little unsure what to expect from this one as it's described as 'sci-fi' on the back cover, and sci-fi is one of the few genres I tend to avoid.

I'm really glad I decided to pick this one up a few days ago as it's a gripping and rather disturbing look at a possible future. This review is hard to write because I went into this book not knowing much about it and I think this is the best way to approach it. What I will say is that the book consists of 3 tapes narrated by Kyle Straker after events in his village take a very strange turn...

I really enjoyed the set-up of the tapes and the 'missing' parts from the blank space at the beginning and end of every tape. I also loved the footnotes added explaining popular culture references like Coldplay, and these really added some humour to the book. Although the characters could have been more developed, this may will be a necessary limitation of the 'tapes' set-up, meaning the events of the novel are filtered through Kyle's experiences alone.

This book is so current in its references to Twitter and the like that it succeeds in making the version of the future it presents that much more chilling and believable. The reader can only discover what the characters do which does make for some unanswered questions at the end of the book, although I gather a follow-up is planned.

'0.4' is a great introduction to dystopian fiction and one that reminded me of Michael Grant's 'Gone' series. It reads like a 'Brave New World' lite and would be ideal for teens not quite ready to tackle classics such as '1984'.

A thoroughly enjoyable and thought provoking novel that raises the question: how many advances in new technology or too many?

Four Stars

Fell in Love With A Band:C.J. Skuse-Rockoholic

C.J Skuse-Rockoholic

Every so often a book comes along that seems to tick all boxes and give me exactly what I wanted,sometimes things I don't even consciously know I want from a book. After trying to read 'Sing Me to Sleep' by Angela Morrison and getting nowhere 'Rockoholic' arrived in the post and I immediately loved the manic collage of the cover and dived right in. I bought this book based on good reviews I'd seen elsewhere and my awareness of the author's previous book, which I'm yet to read.

Straight-away I was hooked by Jody's story of obsessive love for her rock star Jackson Gaitlin. Not only did I think C.J. Skuse had captured spot on the feelings of a young girl with a big habit I felt like I was reading about the internal feelings of my own youth. It's worth adding a disclaimer here that I felt such an affinity with Jody because I was that kind of girl. An awkward teen with an all-encompassing love for a certain Manic Street Preachers, I spent my teen years eating, sleeping and breathing their music and much of my emerging personality and indeed person I am now was shaped by those years.

Essentially this book is about what happens to Jody when she goes to see her favourite band in the world and comes home with more than she bargained for. I loved the fact I didn't know much about this book before I read it so I don't want to reveal too much here.

I could picture myself when I read about Jody queuing for the Regulators gig in her 'special t-shirt that shows she is a real fan' and one of my favourite scenes in the book was her description of her thoughts and feelings while she waits for the gig to begin. The crushing disappointment that follows after she misses the ending and then later meets Jackson and sees the reality behind the persona were brilliantly realistic and very touching.

This book encompasses so many themes for me it's really awe-inspiring in its achievements. The maturity that comes to Jody with the realisation that the Jackson she fell in love with is nothing more than a myth was well-developed and runs alongside the gradual dawning of her feelings for Mac.

All of the characters here are realistic and well-developed but I think Jody's Grandad deserves a special mention. The fallout from her grief is very touching and I love that as a reader you get to gradually learn more about such superbly cool and rebellious man. The evolution of Jackson is at the heart of the story and I went through despising him at the beginning for crushing Jody's dreams to admiring him by the end when he takes massive risks in order to really make his own decisions.

In YA terms I tend to read a lot of American books and while these are fab, one of the many things I loved about 'Rockoholic' was its inherent Englishness. I loved the endless cups of tea and mentions of Asda and Waitrose, all of which meant I could relate to the story even more. Jody's madcap turns of phrase were really refreshing and hilarious and her 'thank Cobain' mantra made me smile every time. The dullness of being confined to a small town really comes to life and I love that Jody's hometown is only ever referred to as 'Nuffing-On-The-Wold'.

I actually find reviews this positive much harder to write than the more critical ones as I feel like no words will possibly do justice to how great I think this book is. Although the issues of grief and drug addiction form much of the basis to the story there is also masses of humour to be had and the curly wurly incident alone had me laughing out loud. If you've ever had an obsessive love for anything and found that other people fail to understand your wavelength then this book is for you. It's sad, laugh out loud funny and has characters that will really stay with you. The ending was pitch perfect and for me only made more so by turning to the acknowledgements page and seeing that one of C.J. Skuse's band dedications was the Manic Street Preachers, holy hell that was the icing on an already delectable cake!

So that's it. I've tried to put into words how much I love this book and I hope that somewhere amongst this fragmented review that comes across. If you want something fresh and exciting then look no further, this book will give you more than you even knew you wanted.

Five Stars!

Chelsea Cain-The Night Season

Chelsea Cain-The Night Season

Until about eighteen months ago crime fiction didn't really appeal to me, something that was swiftly changed by the arrival of a certain Chelsea Cain in my life. A friend of mine had read 'Heartsick'and sang its praises, so when I found it in a 3 for £1 sale I scooped it up. It may have been destined to stay on one of my ever higher piles neglected and unread had it not been for the fact that I had a sick day and wanted to be distracted.

The twisted relationship between Archie and Gretchen that develops throughout this series is certainly distracting, not to mention both fascinating and downright wrong. I quickly consumed the second book and later the third, leaving me well and truly hooked.

With a wait of nearly two years for the latest installment anticipation for 'The Night Season' was high...Firstly, the fact that this is billed as the latest Gretchen Lowell book is a bit misleading. Gretchen appears only briefly at the end and the book focuses much more on series regulars Archie and Susan.

The book has a solid beginning with the discovery of a 60 year old body in a river, a discovery which soon becomes entangled with the bodies being discovered in the present day. The backdrop of the novel is the massive and merciless floods attacking Portland and the scenes of chaos and destruction are described vividly and memorably.

As always Cain's writing is gripping and sparse and her characters are loveable and ones I always want to cheer for. As I neared the end of this book though I couldn't help but think things fell a little flat. It just seemed too short to tie the three threads of the story (the old corpse, the present day corpses and the mystery of a missing child) together adequately and the resolution of the story seemed a little too neat. Overall, although I enjoyed this book and read it quickly I felt like it was something of a stop gap while the ongoing enigma of Gretchen Lowell is left to develop in the background. I'll still greatly anticipate the next book in this series but I really hope it will go back to the twisted dynamics I fell for in the first place.

Star rating: 3.5 Stars

My Reviewing Policy

This is something of a housekeeping post to let anyone reading know what to expect from this blog. I will mainly (at least initially) be focusing on reviewing books that are either bought or given to me via work. In light of this I intend any reviews to be constructively critical and honest, and to provide a quick reference I will also include a star rating out of 5.

Once I'm more in the swing of posting regularly I hope to introduce other features including author profiles and spotlights on my all-time favourite books. Please bear with me while I find my groove!

Review: Simone Elkeles-How to Ruin A Summer Vacation

Simone Elkeles-How to Ruin A Summer Vacation

Firstly, let me tell you how much I love Simone Elkeles. I first came across her books by chance when a good friend at work received a copy of 'Perfect Chemistry' and urged me to read it. I was a bit unsure as I was worried it would be a cliched tale of star-crossed lovers. When another proof copy arrived in the shop I decided to take a chance on it and was BLOWN AWAY. I loved the characters, I loved the writing and I knew I was hooked by the fact that I stayed up far too late to finish reading. I was supremely touched by the book and although I found the epilogue a bit unnecessary, 'Perfect Chemistry' immediately made it onto my list of favourite YA novels. I've since read 'Leaving Paradise' and most recently 'The Rules of Attraction' and really enjoyed both.

Which brings me onto the book in question, 'How to Ruin A Summer Vacation'. When I became aware of Simone's books I quickly scoured the internet to find out what else she had written. I'm surprised that this series hasn't had as much attention as her others, I can only assume this is partly because they have only been published in the US. I don't think the covers do the books any favours either but if you overlook that this first volume is worth a look.

'How to Ruin A Summer Vacation' follows 16-year-old Amy who spends the summer in Israel with her estranged Father Ron, meeting family she didn't know existed and didn't know of her existence either. From the outset I found the path of the book pretty clear, as I assumed Amy would initially experience a culture shock before starting to see the good side of meeting her family and discovering her heritage. My initial assumptions proved to be correct in that Amy spends the first part of the book behaving like a spoilt brat and then later opens her mind a little.

I did find the pacing of the book a little off as it felt like Amy swung from hating her Father to loving him rather abruptly. Similarly the love interest seems to go from 0 to 50 in seconds, and as I read the romantic scenes with Avi I couldn't help but regard them as a prototype for the scenes Simone would write a few years later for the rather lovely Fuentes boys. That aside however and in light of the fact this is her debut, 'How to Ruin A Summer Vacation' does have its good points. As always Elkeles writes assuredly about a teen wrestling to find their identity and the challenges faced by who they are and how others view them.

Although not my favourite of Simone Elkeles books as I didn't warm to Amy very much throughout, I do think 'How to Ruin A Summer Vacation' is a solid basis for a series and I expect Amy will mature throughout the two subsequent books. Confronting the issues of religion, identity and family, this book demonstrates some key themes throughout Simone's books and is worth a look for anyone who has enjoyed her more well-known novels.

Star Rating: 3 stars