Review: Moonrise by Sarah Crossan

They think I hurt someone. 
But I didn't. You hear?
Cos people are gonna be telling you
all kinds of lies.
I need you to know the truth.

Joe hasn't seen his brother for ten years, and it's for the most brutal of reasons. Ed is on death row.

But now Ed's execution date has been set, and this might be the last summer they have together

Review: I read this book both on eBook and on audio book but I would still really love to read the hardback because I imagine it is beautiful. The reason I imagine this is because Sarah Crossan's writing is beautiful. She can take serious issues, such as those explored in this book and write about them so beautifully, you almost forget the issues that the characters are going through!

This book, like Sarah's last, is written in verse so each chapter and therefore each page is quite short. The audio book that I listened to was just under 4 hours long and yet the book has 400 pages, this gives you an idea of how the layout effects the length and the flow of the book. Some chapters have only a few words and some pages the same. This means that, yes it is quick to read, but also it means that you have time to take everything in and explore the enormity of what Joe is facing. 

Now the subject matter of this book isn't easy and so you really do need to think about whether a book a about a boy who is facing the fact that his brother has been sentenced to death is your cup of tea or not. But if you are in any way on the fence then let me try and help you by stating that never is the issue forced upon you, this doesn't feel like and issues led book, and also the structure of the writing turns something completely terrible into something you can see as beautiful and in fact life affirming. 

There were some points in this book where it felt fairly slow paced and I may have skimmed a few of the chapters but overall I enjoyed getting to know Joe. I wanted to rescue him and his family and somehow change their situation but alas, I can't jump into the book with them! As I say, consider the subject matter before picking this book up but let me reassure you that this is truly a beautiful read. 

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Guest Review: Date with Malice by Julia Chapman

It’s dark in the Dales this winter . . .

When Mrs Shepherd arrives at the Dales Detective Agency on a December morning, quite convinced that someone is trying to kill her, Samson O’Brien dismisses her fears as the ramblings of a confused elderly lady. But after a series of disturbing incidents at Fellside Court retirement home, he begins to wonder if there is something to her claims after all . . .

With Christmas around the corner, Samson is thrown into a complex investigation. One that will require him to regain the trust of the Dales community he turned his back on so long ago. Faced with no choice, he enlists the help of a local – the tempestuous Delilah Metcalfe.

Against the backdrop of a Yorkshire winter, Samson and Delilah must work together once again if they are to uncover the malevolence threatening the elderly residents of Bruncliffe. Could the danger be perilously close to home?

Review: This is the second book in the Dales Detective series from Julia Chapman. I found the first in the series (Date With Death) very enjoyable and was looking forward to publication of this new title. As before, the action takes place in the Yorkshire Dales, an area of great natural beauty that I know well. Also in common with the first book, this one has a most attractive cover, illustrating various aspects of the story. 

This tale once again unites the characters Samson O'Brien and Delilah Metcalfe. Both have business premises in the village of Bruncliffe, where Delilah runs not only the Dales Dating Agency, but also a web design company. Samson has returned home to the village after a long absence to open the Dales Detective Agency. Mysterious goings on at the Fellside Court retirement home in the village bring the pair together when Samson is asked to investigate. In addition to Samson and Delilah, there is a delightful collection of elderly residents from the home and local residents from the village playing roles in the story, many adding a touch of humour. Of course, it would be remiss of me not to mention Delilah's faithful hound, Tolpuddle the Weimaraner, who helps with the inquiry as well. 

I very much enjoyed this story. It drew me in from the start and kept me guessing all the way through with respect to what was going on and how it was all going to end. It was very skilfully written to put the reader off the scent at a few junctures. Of course, the lovely Yorkshire Dales scenery was brought to life in the narrative. Although not obviously a festive tale, it was nice that the action took place in the run up to Christmas, with all the preparations going on in the background. This would certainly be a good book to pop into someone's Christmas stocking, but don't forget to buy a copy for yourself as well. 

Click here to order your copy: UK or US

Review: Turtles All The Way Down by John Green

Sixteen-year-old Aza never intended to pursue the mystery of fugitive billionaire Russell Pickett, but there’s a hundred-thousand-dollar reward at stake and her Best and Most Fearless Friend, Daisy, is eager to investigate. So together, they navigate the short distance and broad divides that separate them from Russell Pickett’s son, Davis.

Aza is trying. She is trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, a good student, and maybe even a good detective, while also living within the ever-tightening spiral of her own thoughts.

Review: It's always really hard to review a book that has had a lot of hype around it isn't it?

I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was a real hon eat take on what it is like to be a teenager in today's society. It is also a good account of what it is like to be a young person struggling with mental health, and anyone struggling with their mental health really. It is very appropriate that it came out on World Mental Health day because I really think that this book tackles the issues surrounding anxiety and OCD really really well. It was encouraging to read, gave m hope and educated me to some extent.

I really loved Aza as a main character. She seems to have much more of a handle on life the  other people do, I have to admit I was a little bit jealous of that. She can recognise when she needs help, she doesn't always make the right decision when it comes too seeking help, but she also has a great relationship with her mother, which I love. There are far too many books out there that have main characters who have awful relationships with one or both parents and so it was really refreshing to read about a young person who has such a good relationship with hers.

Aza also has some great friends and these make for great characters to read about, whether they are new friends or old friends. The friendships are realistic and it is good to see them going through the usual ups and downs of high school life together.

This book gave me an education of not only someone else's mental health issues but also what a tuatara is! I loved the fact that i learned so much from this book as well as having it take me on a journey with a character and entertain me. A lot of people think that John Green's books will only make them cry but I did not cry over the course of this book, I did laugh though. Proper laughing out loud, this was definitely entertaining.

Of course one of the main selling points of this book to me was John Green's writing, i just love the way he writes, his turn off phrases is just lovely, there are so many beautiful metaphors and nothing is ever dumbed down, language that should be used is used. And then of course there is the fact that he is so honest with his audience. We don't need another story about someone with issues over coming them, we don't need a story where nothing realistic happens, this is honest writing about being in high school and all that that entails. It is about having issues in your life but learning to live with them and showing how the can affect your life.

I really did enjoy this read, it is a very different from John Green's last book but different isn't always a bad thing, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone out there.

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Review: We are Okay by Nina LaCour

You go through life thinking there’s so much you need. . . . Until you leave with only your phone, your wallet, and a picture of your mother.

Marin hasn’t spoken to anyone from her old life since the day she left everything behind. No one knows the truth about those final weeks. Not even her best friend Mabel. But even thousands of miles away from the California coast, at college in New York, Marin still feels the pull of the life and tragedy she’s tried to outrun. Now, months later, alone in an emptied dorm for winter break, Marin waits. Mabel is coming to visit and Marin will be forced to face everything that’s been left unsaid and finally confront the loneliness that has made a home in her heart. 

An intimate whisper that packs an indelible punch, We Are Okay is Nina LaCour at her finest. This gorgeously crafted and achingly honest portrayal of grief will leave you urgent to reach across any distance to reconnect with the people you love.

Review: This book really wasn't what I was expecting it to be. I think I was expecting a much more angsty, issue based read but what I got was beautiful and poetic, dealing with someones issues, yes, but in no way the issues I thought we would be dealing with! The summary of this book says that it deals with grief, but this book deals with grief in a way you wouldn't imagine unless you had lived it and at first I was a little wary of this, but having had time to think about it, this is an extremely clever plot and something which I think is completely unique in the market!

The characters in this book are very interesting too and don't necessary conform to the norms that you might imagine, two girls from the west coast in a university dorm room in New York City might be. I loved that about them. I'm beginning to think that the term 'diverse characters' is getting over used but the characters and the storyline really are diverse in this case.

I listened to this book on audiobook and would really like to see it written down because the writing really was beautiful and poetic, you find yourself forgetting about the storyline sometimes because you are listening to the prose and losing yourself in the description of the settings and the feelings of the characters. The setting description is wonderful, of course, and you can definitely picture yourself walking in Merin's shoes.

The book features time shifts and flashbacks and I think this definitely would have been easier to follow had I been reading this as a physical book and no and audiobook, this was the only part I found difficult, but when Merin is talking about her Grandfather, generally that was in the past and so it was easy to manage by remembering that. I definitely enjoyed this book, given that it was so completely different from my expectations. I think if you are looking for something like the kind of thing Nina LaCour writes with David Levithan, then you will be disappointed, but if you think of this as a unique story in its own rights then this will be a pleasurable read for you.

Click here to get your copy and see for yourself. 

Review: I Woke Up Dead At the Mall by Judy Sheehan

When Sarah wakes up dead at the Mall of America, she learns that not only was shemurdered, her killer is still on the loose. A contemporary YA novel with a hauntingly supernatural twist that tackles some of life’s – and the afterlife’s – biggest questions.  
When you’re sixteen, you have your whole life ahead of you. Unless you’re Sarah. Not to give anything away, but . . . she’s dead. Murdered, in fact. Sarah’s murder is shocking because she couldn’t be any more average. No enemies. No risky behavior. She’s just the girl on the sidelines.

It looks like her afterlife, on the other hand, will be pretty exciting. Sarah has woken up dead at the Mall of America—where the universe sends teens who are murdered—and with the help of her death coach, she must learn to move on or she could meet a fate totally worse than death: becoming a mall walker.

As she tries to finish her unfinished business alongside her fellow dead teens, Sarah falls hard for a cute boy named Nick. And she discovers an uncanny ability to haunt the living. While she has no idea who killed her, or why, someone she loves is in grave danger. Sarah can’t lose focus or she’ll be doomed to relive her final moments again and again forever. But can she live with herself if she doesn’t make her death matter?

Review: This book was so much more than what I was expecting it to be. I originally picked this up because of my interest in the mall of American (shopping is my sport of choice, what can I say?) but this turned out to be a magical story about the afterlife and what we expect it to be versus what we actually expect it to be. I really enjoyed this aspect of the storyline, despite being someone who doesn't necessarily enjoy magical or fantastical novels. I found it to be well explained, it was all logical and made sense and therefore I could cope with the idea of viewing ones funeral or having a special floor of the mall just for the dead to roam around!

I liked getting to know the characters in this book too. We have five young people who have all been murdered and all come from New York City. In fact, they find that they all lived in the same neighbourhood as each other. Where some of them died a while ago, some of them died at virtually the same time, did they know each other in their former lives? I liked the fact that there was a bit of conflict between the characters, but also the relationships that they formed with one another. Sarah is our main character and so we see things through her. She has had it tough in life, but not as tough as some of the others and there is definitely more to her than meets the eye!

Of course I loved the setting. There is a particular scene where they go down to the aquarium and another where the ride the roller coaster and I really enjoyed reliving my trip to MOA alongside them. The description is great though, particularly the scenes in New York and so if you haven't been to either of these places, you will definitely feel at home there after reading this book!

As I say, this book isn't quite what I was expecting, but I really enjoyed what I got. Perhaps there could be further clarity on the jacket as to what to expect, but if you are ready to suspend your disbelief and you are ready for a little bit of magic, then I am sure you will enjoy this story of teens and their afterlives.

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Review: The Last Piece of My Heart by Paige Toon

When life feels like a puzzle, sometimes it's the small pieces that make up the bigger picture... Join Bridget on a journey to put her world back together.

A successful travel journalist, Bridget has ambitions to turn her quirky relationship blog about the missing pieces of her heart into a book. But after a spate of rejections from publishers, she accepts an alternative proposition.

Nicole Dupré died leaving behind a bestselling novel and an incomplete sequel. Tasked with finishing the book, Bridget is thankful to have her foot in the publishing door, even if it means relocating to Cornwall for the summer and answering to Nicole's grieving husband, Charlie...

Review: I was so excited to read this novel and once I started it I couldn't put it own. I love how Paige Toon has such a knack for sweeping you off to a new place and leaving all your worries behind. This time we are swept off to Cornwall for a little bit and then to Thailand, what more could we ask for? I still really felt so immersed in Paige Toon's writing, even though I wasn't necessarily somewhere exotic, it just must be the gift that she has! 

I loved the fact that this novel features and author, I wonder how much personal experience was put into this? And yet it is also about so much more. It is about learning to love after being hurt, about what constitutes lies and deception and about grief and how people handle that in different ways. And there are so many characters facing all or some of these issues. And yet I never felt at any time like this was an issue driven book. I just loved getting to know Bridget and in turn her getting to know Nicole and Charlie. 

This book definitely has a slightly slower pace than some of this author's previous novels, I think perhaps because so much of it takes place in one setting. I loved the family aspect of it too, both Nicole's family and Bridget's family. There were some mo moments that made me laugh and others that made me cry. Of course I wanted to be eating fish an chips during the first section of the novel and then during the latter part of the novel, I was desperate for Pad Thai!

If you are a fan of Paige Toon then obviously you will love this novel. If you are looking for a summer read that you can loose yourself in and escape from the real world then this definitely needs to be added to your collection. The slightly slower pace didn't stop me finishing this one in one day and I am sure that you will absolutely fly through this one, tissues at hand and be left feeling all warm and fuzzy afterwards!

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Review: The Hope Family Calendar by Mike Gayle

Tom Hope is broken. Ever since his wife Laura died he hasn't been the same man, and definitely not the same father. Luckily for Tom his mother-in-law Linda is around to pick up the pieces and look after his two struggling daughters, Evie and Lola.

But Tom getting arrested on the first anniversary of his wife's death is the last straw for Linda.

In a last bid attempt to make Tom reconnect with his daughters she takes drastic action and leaves for Australia. With two fast-maturing daughters Tom has to learn how to accept his responsibilities and navigate the newly discovered world of single fatherhood - starting immediately.

With only himself to rely on, will Tom fall back into grief or finally step up and be the father his girls need?

Review: Oh it was so great to be back in the world of Mike Gayle's writing again. I don't know why it took me so long to pick up another of his novels, this one has been sitting on my TBR for so long and I just loved every moment of it! Mike Gayle writes a fabulous male lead, of course, and his books are always so character driven, it is hard not to be swept along by them. I listened to this one as an audiobook and the person that narrates the Mike Gayle audiobooks that I have listened to always does a great job.

This is basically the story of a father having to cope with the loss of his wife at the same time as having to cope with being a full time dad again. There is also a parallel storyline involving his mother in law Linda and her own journey of self-discovery. I loved the relationship that that two characters have and that they do have such a strong relationship still after their respective wife and daughter leave their lives. Of course there are some really emotional moments in this book, when you are dealing with grief, what do you expect. I loved reading about Tom's relationship with his children though and his struggle to try and live up to his wife's way of doing things sometimes leads to some really funny moments as well!

I liked Tom as a c character, he is not without his flaws and so was easy to relate to from the word go. He grows as a person as well as as a father over the course of the novel and this was great to watch. As I mentioned above, Linda also plays a key role in the novel. The way it is structured is that there is a Tom chapter followed by a Linda chapter, and it generally follows that form over the whole novel. She too has a journey of self-discovery and this really opens up the audience of the book. We have lead characters, one male and one who is older, something which Mike Gayle does incredibly well.

Of course there is a little romance thrown into this book as well as new friendships. I loved reading about these relationships, there were some real aww moments for me, and not just when Tom has a in with his daughters. There is so much to love about this book and if you are new to this author, this would be a great starting place. I think this is definitely something fans of this genre should be adding to their TBRs, but also something for those of you who prefer an older protagonist, or a male lead. A great read!

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The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett by Chelsea Sedoti

Hawthorn wasn't trying to insert herself into a missing person's investigation. Or maybe she was. But that's only because Lizzie Lovett's disappearance is the one fascinating mystery their sleepy town has ever had. Bad things don't happen to popular girls like Lizzie Lovett, and Hawthorn is convinced she'll turn up at any moment-which means the time for speculation is now.

So Hawthorn comes up with her own theory for Lizzie's disappearance.  A theory way too absurd to take seriously...at first. The more Hawthorn talks, the more she believes. And what better way to collect evidence than to immerse herself in Lizzie's life? Like getting a job at the diner where Lizzie worked and hanging out with Lizzie's boyfriend. After all, it's not as if he killed her-or did he?

Told with a unique voice that is both hilarious and heart-wrenching, Hawthorn's quest for proof may uncover the greatest truth is within herself. 

Review: There was a lot of hype surrounding this book and sometimes that means that one picks up a book which has been championed by the hype and is somewhat disappointed by what they read. I wasn't hugely disappointed by this one but I wasn't as blown away by it as some people seem to have been.

This book was very easy to get into and was definitely a real page turner in the beginning because of the nature of the missing girl and trying to work out where she was and what had happened the night she disappeared. At the same time, we have Hawthorn's own storyline, her position as an outsider at school, seeing her relationships with her classmates and her family. For me though, the book starts to slow down after this initial rush of action. We get to see Hawthron's take on the disappearance and how her reaction compares to others in the community. But that's all that really happens. Obviously by the time we reach the end of the novel, we get to find out some answers about both girls and the pace definitely picks up again, but there was definitely  slump in the middle in terms of the storyline and the pace for me.

I thought Hawthorn was an interesting character and i could definitely relate aspects of her life back to my own time in high school. I think the main crux of Hawthorn's story is that she is having a bit of an identity crisis, as so many of us are as teenagers and so she sees Lizzie's disappearance as a chance for reinvention herself, but she ends up mirroring a lot of what Lizzie did in an attempt to be liked. There is much deeper forces at play throughout this storyline and I liked the story of Hawthorn's self-discovery much more than I liked the mystery aspect of the book.

There is also a little romance at play here and, of course, I really loved that story. There were some really cute moments and some other moments that were appropriately cringe-worthy given the fact that this is fist love territory. I really like the way the book ended and I was highly satisfied with the way all aspects of the plot wrapped up. This was a good read but unfortunately it didn't live up to the hype!

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Review: Where Am I Now? by Mara Wilson

A former child actor best known for her starring roles in Matilda and Mrs. Doubtfire, Mara Wilson has always felt a little young and out of place: as the only kid on a film set full of adults, the first daughter in a house full of boys, a Valley girl in New York and a neurotic in California, and a grown-up the world still remembers as a little girl. Tackling everything from what she learned about sex on the set of Melrose Place, to discovering in adolescence that she was no longer “cute” enough for Hollywood, these essays chart her journey from accidental fame to relative (but happy) obscurity. They also illuminate universal struggles, like navigating love and loss, and figuring out who you are and where you belong. Candid, insightful, moving, and hilarious, Where Am I Now? introduces Mara Wilson as a brilliant new chronicler of the experience that is growing up female.

Review: This was a really interesting read. As soon as I saw this book in the bookshops, I knew I had to read it. As I do with most autobiographies/memoirs, I listened to this on audiobook which I downloaded from the library. This was a very interesting read because I've always been a little bit fascinated by Mara Wilson. When you grow up watching somebody in films, really good films that you love and then they just disappear, you really do want to know, where are they now and this book allowed me to answer that questions, along with a few others I had about this actress!

One of the other interesting aspects about this book is that it deals with the subjects of death and anxiety, two very serious subjects, but two which were dealt with honestly and sensitively in this book. Mara talks about the death of her mother, as well as the death of her friend Robin Williams. It is really interesting to hear her talk about these deaths that happened at very different times in her life, and also to hear how differently they affected her. It was also great to hear how honestly she talks about her anxiety, right down to describing her trips to the doctors and how she spoke to her family about it. 

I was also interested to hear how acting at such a young age affected her, how she dealt with school and how she chose which parts to take and which to turn down. All of the different essays in this book contain honesty but also a lot of humour. I really enjoyed listening to Mara tell these stories in her own words, and laughed along with her as she laughed and felt for her when things weren't going so swimmingly. I think that if you enjoy memoirs and autobiographies in general, even if you've not seen many of Wilson's films, you'll enjoy this one because of the structure, the content and the writing. 

To get your copy now click here!

Review: Instructions For A Second Hand Heart by Tamsyn Murrary

Jonny has a faulty heart and his time is running out. Niamh has just lost her twin brother in a tragic accident. As their fates collide, soon Jonny is on the mend - but desperate to know more about his donor. When he tracks down Niamh, he only intends to find out about her brother, the first owner of his heart. He doesn't plan on falling in love... A stunning, tear-jerking novel about grief, guilt, and the unpredictability of love.

Review: I was worried how emotional this book would be before picking it up as I had heard nothing but good things about it in terms of the amount that I was going to cry, but as soon as I started reading it, i forgot all about that and found myself drawn into the world of Johnny and Niamh. I found this to be an incredibly quick read because I was so drawn to the two of them as characters and the stories that they had to tell, I raced through the pages!

This sounds like quite a morbid topic for a YA novel but this is so much more than a story about people who have died and people who are close to dying. Niamh and Johnny are just two teenagers, like any other teenagers. The difference between them and many other teenagers is that they have this different take on life, a heightened respect for it in many ways and they know, but don't always appreciate how precious their lives are. I really liked getting to know them as characters and found myself wanting to find out more about them and about their growing friendship.

Obviously there many emotional aspects to this book. Dealing with terminally ill children and children who loose their lives is always going to be emotional but that is not the main aspect of this novel, so if you are worried about it being a morbid look at death and cancer and the like, then you need not fear! As I've mentioned above, these characters have a respect for life that so many of us forget about because of how close they have come to loss, but this doesn't mean either that this book is all about the completion of bucket lists and living life to the full. It is more about an attitude and a mind set than an about any actual thing. 

I so enjoyed this book, i cried twice and it left me thinking. These characters have stayed with me and I do hope to hear more about them one day but they will stay with me for a while yet, and that, to me, is the sign of a good book!

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Review: A Year and a Day by Isabelle Broom

Three women. Three love stories. One city. For Megan, visiting Prague with her friend Ollie is just business. Nothing more. Because if she admits the truth she might lose everything. For Hope, this trip is a surprise treat from Charlie, her new partner. But she's struggling to enjoy the city when she knows how angry her daughter is. And that it's all her fault. For Sophie, Prague has always been magical. And now she's counting down the moments until her boyfriend Robin joins her in the city that holds so many of their memories . . .

Review: where do I start with this book? I just binge-read the last 30% of this when I should have been sleeping because I simply had to find out what happened to the characters. This book is set in the winter time, so it is kind of a festive read but really could be read at any time of year and don't make direct connections to Christmas in any way. This book is set in Prague and Prague really is the fourth major character in this story. The description of this beautiful city is just amazing. You can feel yourself there on every single page. You feel like you've stepped where the characters have, felt the cold, seen the magnificent architecture. I've never Ben to Prague but I feel like I visited after reading this book! 

This story centres around three distinct characters or character pairs. We have Hope, Sophie and Ollie and Megan. All 3 character storylines are separate but all end up crossing over and interconnecting as the novel progresses. I loved that they had each come to Prague with their own stories for their own reasons and with their own secrets. Hope's story was just so heart warming and I think that Ollie and Megan were my favourite characters. I loved their friendship and I loved the way they saw the city. Obviously I identified with Ollie because he is a glasses, wearing teacher who shares the same name as my husband but I really loved the energy they brought to the storyline. Sophie's story was he most compelling for me. I found myself holding my breath waiting to find out what was going to come next for Sophie and she is definitely the most mysterious character. 

Although the novel takes place over just a few days, we get to learn so much about these characters and abut Prague, they all go through such a transformation and I find myself wondering, where are they now, am I going to hear about them again? This really did feel like a classic in this genre and although this is a fairly new author, she feels like one of the established authors of this genre and is now an autobuy author for me. I so enjoyed this read, there were so many levels to this book an the novel is pacy but ultimately heartwarming. This should definitely be added to your Christmas list and your winter TBR! 

To get your copy now, just click here!

Review: A Place for Us by Harriet Evans

From international bestselling author Harriet Evans, an engrossing new novel about a woman who, on the eve of her eightieth birthday, decides to reveal a secret that may destroy her perfect family.
The day Martha Winter decided to tear apart her family began like any other day.

When Martha, a wife and mother of three, sits down one late summer’s morning to write out the invitations to her eightieth birthday celebration, she knows that what she is planning to reveal at the party could ruin the idyllic life she and her husband David have spent over fifty years building…

But she has to let her family know what she and David have sacrificed. She can’t live a lie any more.

The invitation goes out far and wide, calling her three children and their families back home to Winterfold, their rambling house in the heart of the English countryside. They are Bill, the doctor; Florence, the eccentric academic; and Daisy, the child who never fit in. As the story unfolds, each character reveals the secrets, joys, and tragedies they are wrestling with through the confines of the family. What will happen when Martha finally tells the truth? 

Review: in terms of length and depth, this read was epic. It was also enjoyable, although it did take a while to get through. I originally read this book as part one and part two but then i decided to sit down and read it from start to finish when it was released as a whole book. I found that I couldn't remember exactly what had happened with each individual part so I'm glad I did this and glad I started back at the beginning again! Just a bit of advice if you are planning on picking this one up!

I loved the fact that this was told through various different characters, i love reading books that are structured that way! It was interesting, as well, to have these characters be different ages and different genders. I really liked hearing from Joe's point of view because he was outside of the Winter family and so it was good to have his perspective on everything that was going on inside of The Winter family. 

In terms of plot, this book really does give you everything, there's romance, deceit, a LOT of family secrets, break downs, break ups, death, mystery but overall, the general theme of this book is family and what that means, how it can affect us and how it can be such a positive thing when all is said and done. The fact that this book covers so much meant that, although it was long, there was always something new coming up. The multi-perspective chapter structure also helped this but literally not knowing what was going to be around the next corner in the story really was the best thing about this book. 

In terms of setting, we have the family home in rural setting, we have a little bit of Florence, a little bit of Paris and just a touch of London. I really liked this as well and it helped separate out the main characters more (until they all came together in the family home of course!) I would recommend this book if you have got the time to give to it because it is definitely worth sitting down and reading cover to cover on a weekend or a holiday. I also listened to this on audiobook and that was a really good listening experience too!

Review: Three Amazing Things About You by Jill Mansell

Hallie has a secret. She's in love. He's perfect for her in every way, but he's seriously out of bounds. And her friends aren't going to help her because what they do know is that Hallie doesn't have long to live. Time is running out...

Flo has a dilemma. She really likes Zander. But his scary sister won't be even faintly amused if she thinks Zander and Flo are becoming friends - let alone anything more.

Tasha has a problem. Her new boyfriend is the adventurous type. And she's afraid one of his adventures will go badly wrong.

THREE AMAZING THINGS ABOUT YOU begins as Hallie goes on a journey. A donor has been found and she's about to be given new lungs. But whose?

Review: I loved this book so much. This book made me feel warm and fuzzy and I found myself trying to read it just all of the time. Because I bought this book on audiobook, I was trying to sneak my headphones in anywhere and everywhere, trying to get myself stuck in traffic just so I could try and get this book finished, it seemed to get me out of a total reading slump. Now the only problem is that I'm going to have to read all of Jill Mansell's back catalogue! 

I was hooked into this right from the word go. This is another of those novels that has three fabulous characters all tied together somehow and it was wonderful trying to work out how they would all come together at the end. I loved the storyline of each of the characters, particularly Hallie's storyline although I felt the whole way through that each of them was going to have to go through some sort of tragedy...

Although there was bad news with each of the good thing that happened to these characters, this is by no means a book which is a real downer. There are a couple of moment where you might cry and a couple of tears of joy moments but overall it is totally a feel good novel. It has the perfect pace and the perfect balance of action for each character and these all add to the stuff that made me enjoy this book so much. 

I wasn't entirely sold on the settings but it is interesting to have a book set outside of London or New York for a change. I can't believe this is my first Jill Mansell novels, if they are all this good then I'm going to have to get some serious reading done, and soon! This book really did have it all for me, I loved the structure, the storyline and the characters. It had the perfect balance of feels and it should definitely be your next read! 

Review: I was Here by Gayle Forman

This characteristically powerful novel follows eighteen-year-old Cody Reynolds in the months following her best friend's shocking suicide. 

As Cody numbly searches for answers as to why Meg took her own life, she begins a journey of self-discovery which takes her to a terrifying precipice, and forces her to question not only her relationship with the Meg she thought she knew, but her own understanding of life, love, death and forgiveness.

A phenomenally moving story, I Was Here explores the sadly all-too-familar issue of suicide and self-harm, addressing it with it sensitivity, genuity and honesty.

Review: this book was a lot darker than I expected and is definitely for older teens and not those at the younger end of the YA market. I like Gay Forman's writing and her storytelling because she doesn't throw the whole story at you all at once, she gently guides you through each scene and adds in other characters slowly, making sure that you are fully aware of twist and turns before moving onto something else and I think that this is why i enjoy her novels so much. It also means that tensions builds up because you really get to know the people on the page and that is why they can be very emotional-this book being no exception. 

This book deals with some major issues. Issues about identity, issue surrounding suicide, friendship, sex and life choices. Again though, these issues aren't thrown in your face, you don't have to deal with them all at once, they are introduced throughout the course of the book end dealt with very sensitively,. The whole issue surrounding supported suicide groups online and neo-nazi forums is a major thing to take on, but Gayle Forman deals with it in a very clever way, she doesn't dance around the issue, she really explores the impact that these groups can have. There were a few uncomfortable moments in the book for me, but they just reflected what main character Cody is dealing with. 

I liked Cody as a character but some of the choices she made did annoy me a little. I did find myself having to remind myself that she is only 18 and therefore doesn't know it all and has to make mistakes in order to grow. She has her best friends interests at heart and really does grow as a person as the novel progresses which i really liked. The other characters in this novel all contribute to the storyline ans it is as much of a mystery as it is a contemporary novel which I found interesting and liked more than I would have expected. Overall I enjoyed the book but I think you need to approach the storyline informed of what issues it is going to throw at you. Now I just need to re-read the rest of my Gayle Forman collection!

Review: The Making Of Us by Lisa Jewell

Lydia, Robyn and Dean don’t know each other – yet.

They live very different lives but each of them, independently, has always felt that something is missing.

What they don’t know is that a letter is about to arrive that will turn their lives upside down.

It is a letter containing a secret – one that will bind them together, and show them what love and family andfriendship really mean…

 

Review: I just love Lisa Jewell's writing. The way she phrases things, the comparisons she draws and the sentiments that she expresses through her writing are all just wonderful. I could list sentences I have enjoyed, phrases that have made me smile but that would be boring so I'll move on. I listened to this book on audiobook. I do have the lovely paperback with this very cover, not the other cover but i decided to go for the audiobook version as my eyes are very tired at the moment and I enjoy being read to! The audiobook was an excellent performance and so that really made this lovely writer's words come alive for me!

The premise behind this book is just wonderful and such a brave topic to cover,. This is another thing that this lovely author does so well, finds the topics that need exploring and explores them through her novels. I had never imagined children of donor parents actually finding each other and meeting up, discovering new brothers and sisters, such an original idea for a book and told in such a powerful way. Jewell is sensitive to what these children might be going through and really thinks about the ins and outs of the emotional roller coaster that they will all be riding throughout the novel. The ending is also well-written, not everything is wrapped up neatly and not everyone is happy but everyone feels they have moved forwards in some way and achieved something so the ending felt ultimately satisfying!

The Characters in this novel are real people and are a really nice mix. They could all be people you've met in your life, although I don't think I've ever come across someone who has become a millionaire through inventing odourless paint, but who knows-maybe someday! I think the character I liked most was Dean because he had the furthest journey to come through. He is real and he is measured but he was incredibly endearing and i found myself wanting to sit him down and tell him it was going to be OK. I liked the relationships between the main charaxcetrs and the minor characters and I really liked how Maggie brought everyone together. She was an understanding woman and someone i would love to meet in real life!

There are some sad moments in this book it is definitely an emotional read, although i didn't cry, but even if this is the first novel you've considered by this author, you should definitely give it a go. It is a book that makes you think, a book that teaches you something and a book that will leave you feeling satisfied and fulfilled. There are a few comedy moments but on the whole it is a thought-provoking serious read but one which is put across in a non-threatening way to make for a very enjoyable read. This writer's way with words is just a gift and so i would definitely recommend picking up this novel and giving it a go!

Review: Where She Went by Gayle Forman

The stunning sequel to Gayle Forman's international best seller,If I Stay - Now a major film starring Chloe Grace Moretz.

If you had a second chance at first love . . . would you take it?

It's been three years since Adam's love saved Mia after the accident that annihilated life as she knew it . . . and three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever.

Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Julliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future - and each other.

Told from Adam's point of view in the spare, powerful prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance.

Review: I'd been wanting to pick up this novel from the moment I put down If I Stay, I HAD to find out what happens next, but then I HAD to wait until the book was delivered! I love the fact that this is a sequel but this is a sequel three years on and from Adam's perspective when the last novel was from Mia's POV. I think that was a very good choice on the part of this author! You are dropped right into the action, we catch up with Adam and what he has been up to with his band and it becomes apparent straight away that whilst the first novel deals with death and grief and trauma as well as romance and love and friendship, this novel is going to be decidedly darker, Adam is not as well left him in If I Stay. 

I'm really not sure I like Adam as a character in this novel, whilst i Liked him in the previous novel, I'm not sure I'm crazy about what he has become. I think though that this is down to circumstance and what he has been through and so I really didn't hold it against him, I still wanted to find out Where She Went. Mia too is a very different character from the first novel she is much stronger now, much more independent, which I liked, but she is also in a much darker place because of the loss and the grief and the new life that she has, but I still really loved catching  up with her life and seeing what ending she would be left with at the end of the novel. 

One of the really great things about this novel is the setting. I love books set in New York and so we get some wonderful descriptions of the city and Mia and Adam get to see secret places that Mia has found during her time there. The pace of the book wasn't quite a quick as the previous novel, i wasn't desperately running the pages dying to find out what would happen next, but because of the length of the book, I still read it in a day!

Overall, if you've not read any Gayle Forman before then this duet of novels would be a great place to start. They are easy reads but thoroughly enjoyable and well worth the short time it takes to read them. Most key issues are covered in both books as well as so they are well rounded reads. I didn't enjoy this novel as much as the first but I still found it a pleasant book and it was great to have some closure on If I stay!

Review: If I Stay by Gayle Forman

On a day that started like any other, Mia had everything: a loving family, a gorgeous, admiring boyfriend, and a bright future full of music and full of choices. In an instant, almost all of that is taken from her. Caught between life and death, between a happy past and an unknowable future, Mia spends one critical day contemplating the only decision she has left. It is the most important decision she'll ever make.

Simultaneously tragic and hopeful, this is a romantic, riveting, and ultimately uplifting story about memory, music, living, dying, loving.

Review: this is one of those books where I ask myself, why did it take me so long to read this? What a wonderfully quick read but one full of story and heart and feeling-I loved it! I read this book in a day, picking it up as I had to do other bits in the day and putting it down and then immediately ordered the next book in the series to match it because this is definitely a keeper! 

I really wasn't sure how I would feel reading this book because obviously I know that it surrounds a life-changing car crash and I was genuinely worried it was all going to end in tragedy. Now there is definitely a certain amount of tragedy in the novel, don't get me wrong, but it is peppered with sweet sweet flashbacks and gorgeous feels and a real strong sense of family and friendship. I found the structure a little difficult to deal with in the beginning because you really really want to find out what is going on with the car accident and the state of the family, but when you get into the flow of the book, you understand that all the flashbacks, you learn about Mia's past and these all contribute to her decision whether to stay or not...

I really liked Mia as a character, I thought she was definitely an old head on young shoulders, but I'd much prefer to read about a girl who knows what she wants and can make her own decision than one who is flapping and whining and winging all the time! I thought the decisions she made in her past as well as in her present were commendable and I really enjoyed reading about her. The other characters in the novel are definitely supporting characters, her family, her boyfriend, her best friend and her grandparents all play a part but this is a book very much lead by the protagonist and I really enjoyed that, it kept it very focused for me and really worked! 

Overall I thought this was a great read! It didn't take up much time but definitely made an impact on me as a reader. It had heart and feeling and you genuinely didn't know how it was going to end until the very last sentence. If I don't ever get to see the film I will still be happy that I've read the book and I hope that the film does the book justice because this really is a wonderful author and someone who I hope I can read a lot more from! 

Review: A Song For Issy Bradley by Carys Bray

The Bradleys see the world as a place where miracles are possible, and where nothing is more important than family. This is their story.

It is the story of Ian Bradley—husband, father, math teacher, and Mormon bishop—and his unshakeable belief that everything will turn out all right if he can only endure to the end, like the pioneers did. It is the story of his wife, Claire, her lonely wait for a sign from God, and her desperate need for life to pause while she comes to terms with tragedy.

And it is the story of their children: sixteen-year-old Zippy, experiencing the throes of first love; cynical fourteen-year-old Al, who would rather play soccer than read the Book of Mormon; and seven-year-old Jacob, whose faith is bigger than a mustard seed—probably bigger than a toffee candy, he thinks—and which he’s planning to use to mend his broken family with a miracle.

Intensely moving, unexpectedly funny, and deeply observed, A Song for Issy Bradley explores the outer reaches of doubt and faith, and of a family trying to figure out how to carry on when the innermost workings of their world have broken apart.

Review: I love the blurb for this book, it gives absolutely nothing away! It's going to be a lot harder to give nothing away in my review but I'll give it a go... Firstly, I love any book that teachers me something and this book taught me so much. I knew very little about the Mormon Faith before reading this book, despite doing religious studies as part of my degree) and now I feel I know so much more about the beliefs, the dynamic and the feelings of the Mormon community and so I already love this book for giving that to me. 

The characters are another things I loved bout this book. I don't love any of the characters more than the others, I don't really think I necessarily liked them, but then are so well written and so genuinely portrayed on the page, they feel like real life people who could actually be living next door to me. The structure of the book is that each of them gets a chapter every now and then and you really feel your sympathy switching to whichever character it is you're reading about as the novel progresses. This is an amazing feat of writing and one which I very much admire. This sometimes made me feel a little uncomfortable but I therefore applaud the book for challenging my securities as I read! 

The structure and characters are fantastic but the storyline is also good. It only takes place over a couple of months, I would've liked for it to have spanned a bit of a longer time period but I think that the short amount of time covered means that you do feel that intense relationship with the characters and everything they are going through. The things that actually happen in the book had me laughing and crying, thinking and as I said at the beginning, learning things too, I found it a fairly exhilarating read and yet conforting and emotionally draining in points too-this is clearly something special for tat reason alone! 

I have to say I really found the ending of this book difficult to cope with. The ending becomes just a little bit cryptic and very very dark and I'm still not sure now exactly how it all ended. One side of me interprets the ending one way and the other part of me interprets the complete opposite, I kind of hate that and love that in equal measure. I know I've not talked in great detail abut anything that went on in this book but that's because I really don't want to spoil it for you whe you come to read it. This is anything but a light read but something I really did enjoy, don't let the religious aspect out you off, it really isn't shoved down your throat at any point in this novel, it is very much character driven and very much something to be enjoyed and savoured. 

Review: The Dead Wife's handbook

'Today is my death anniversary. A year ago today I was still alive.'

Rachel, Max and their daughter Ellie had the perfect life - until the night Rachel's heart stopped beating.

Now Max and Ellie are doing their best to adapt to life without Rachel, and just as her family can't forget her, Rachel can't quite let go of them either. Caught in a place between worlds, Rachel watches helplessly as she begins to fade from their lives. And when Max is persuaded by family and friends to start dating again, Rachel starts to understand that dying was just the beginning of her problems.

As Rachel grieves for the life she's lost and the life she'll never lead, she learns that sometimes the thing that breaks your heart might be the very thing you hope for.

Review: I think the blurb of this book captures what is inside it more than anything else I've read recently. I was so worried that this novel was going to upset me and make me sad about the thought of losing my own mum or dying but it really didn't, at no point was I inconsolable with tears. This is a novel about seeing someone's life from their perspective after they have finished living it. How very day things can affect those we've lost without us even realising it and the feelings of a mother who has died before their child has had the chance to grow up. 

I found this novel entirely compelling and beautifully written. Each chapter ends with some sort of wonderful reflection which are each a book on their own and will be uplifting if that particular chapter has had something a little more difficult to cope with. The structure is just a women seeing her husband and her daughter over the course of a year in what would've been her life, her glimpsing them every now and then moving on and growing, nothing more complex than that and I loved this bok for that simplicity and that ease of reading. 

Rachel is a woman just like you and me, she gets angry and sad and jealous just like any other person despite the fact that she is dead and I found this really engaging and make her like her lots. She even gets jealous when her best friend gets friendly with someone else! I loved her little family, Ellie is sweet and max is trying his best to be sensible and do what is right for his daughter, he doesn't always get the on the mark but then that's just the whole human error thing and makes him equally loveable for trying his best to do the right thing. Max's family and Rachel's family are also a bit part of this book highlighting the importance of family during difficult times. 

A lot of peoplpe had recommended me read this book, other authors as well as bloggers, but I was worried about the content but it's not sad and it's not scary, it's real and it's lovely and so I would recommend this book to anyone out there! It obviously deals with someone looking on from the afterlife and this author hasn't tried to define what that is, just every now and then we get a nod to a mist surrounding Rachel or her looking down from the clouds. I think this was a rally brave move from this writer and makes me love her writing even more! This should definitely go on your to be read pile now!