Book Review: Since You've Been Gone

Title: Since You've Been Gone
Author: Morgan Matson
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Year of Publication: 2014
Summary:  It was Sloane who yanked Emily out of her shell and made life 100% interesting. But right before what should have been the most epic summer, Sloane just…disappears. All she leaves behind is a to-do list.

On it, thirteen Sloane-inspired tasks that Emily would normally never try. But what if they could bring her best friend back?

Apple picking at night? Okay, easy enough.

Dance until dawn? Sure. Why not?

Kiss a stranger? Um... 

Emily now has this unexpected summer, and the help of Frank Porter (totally unexpected), to check things off Sloane's list. Who knows what she’ll find?

Go skinny-dipping? Wait...what?


Review: There are very few things in my life that I am sure of. In fact, I could count them on one hand. But right now, the easiest to put my finger on, and in my opinion, the one with the most unshakable truth, the one that makes sense in any universe - well ordered, or otherwise - was that Sloane loved Emily.

And not just that... Emily, in turn, loved Sloane.

Sure, as friends, but deeper than that too. I think at different points they both realised it - how much they truly cared for each other, how far that love went - but were unable, or unwilling to admit it.

In any universe - well ordered or otherwise - Emily and Sloane are together.

Best friends, girlfriends, wives. Whatever. All I know is that they stay together, in any combination, in any future, and in any universe.

Since You've Been Gone was beautifully written, well crafted, and deserves no less than four and a half stars with a solid rounding to five.

Rating 5/5 stars
★★★★★

Book Review: A History of Glitter and Blood

Title: A History of Glitter and Blood
Author: Hannah Moskowitz
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Expected Publication Date: August 4th, 2015
Summary: Sixteen-year-old Beckan and her friends are the only fairies brave enough to stay in Ferrum when war breaks out. Now there is tension between the immortal fairies, the subterranean gnomes, and the mysterious tightropers who arrived to liberate the fairies.

But when Beckan's clan is forced to venture into the gnome underworld to survive, they find themselves tentatively forming unlikely friendships and making sacrifices they couldn't have imagined. As danger mounts, Beckan finds herself caught between her loyalty to her friends, her desire for peace, and a love she never expected.

Review: **Copy provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

A History of Glitter and Blood was at it's finest  - intricate and moving, and at it's lowest - slow and confusing. I read it in one sitting, and I'm still not sure if it's one of the best books I've ever read, or the worst, and it can be compared with possibly no other Young Adult book... which I'm not sure this even is?

The thing I liked best about this book was probably the characters and their relationships with one another. There is a lot of intimacy between characters who were not necessarily in a romantic relationship and jealousy is rarely a thing that comes into play and it was all so deliciously real, you know? At least for a bunch of fairies and gnomes and tightropers. I also really enjoyed how there was no sense of characters being either/or in terms of sexuality everybody just -was- and it worked brilliantly.

The book did drag on a little, especially towards the end. On one hand a lot of it was integral to the story, but on the other parts were so slow that I was debating on just going to bed instead of finishing the book.

I did love all the pictures in the book. They added a significant element to the book and also helped the reader understand a little bit more about Ferrum's history - which ultimately I would have liked more of but as it stands the book did okay without it.

I could understand how this book could make someone uncomfortable - there were quite a few scenes in which the main characters are prostitutes, a fact which is not disclosed in the blurb. This is not something that would turn me off the book, but a little warning would have been appreciated. Then again, how do you casually slip the fact that Beckan, Scrap and Cricket are sex workers to the gnomes who occasionally eat fairies?

I'm still not entirely sure whether I really liked this book enough, but I'd have to give it 3.5 stars, rounding up to 4 for good measure, and I look forward to reading Moskowitz other works.

Rating: 4/5 stars
★★★★✰

Book Review: Slated

Title: Slated
Author: Teri Terry
Publisher: Orchard Books
Year of Publication: 2012
Summary: Kyla’s memory has been erased, her personality wiped blank, her memories lost for ever.

She’s been Slated.

The government claims she was a terrorist and that they are giving her a second chance - as long as she plays by their rules. But echoes of the past whisper in Kyla’s mind. Someone is lying to her, and nothing is as it seems. Who can she trust in her search for the truth?

Review: Let me start out by saying - this book was basically AMAZING. It was so good! I was drawn in from the very beginning - Teri Terry does an excellent job at weaving a story and creating characters that jump off the page. If I hadn't have been so busy I would have finished this novel in one sitting.

The world building was exquisite and believable. Teri Terry did an excellent job of distributing information throughout the book. The problem I have with a lot of dystopian or post-major event novels is the author tries to throw many details in very early in the book. This was certainly not the case in Slated. Details were revealed as they were needed, and not in huge clumps.

The characters were interesting and diverse, and they changed and grew with the story. For example at the beginning Kyla's new dad was joking and loving whereas her new mum was cold and aloof - in fact, I hated her mum at first, and then I quickly grew to love her. The teenagers were believable teenagers who rebelled and did stupid teenage things and were not perfect but especially in the case of Amy, they loved and cared about each other.

The only complaint I have about this story - and it's a big one - is the ending. WHY TERI TERRY? WHY? That should not have been the end of the story - that was a crap ending and I am frankly a bit mad that such an amazing novel was let down by that ending. It did not feel like the story was over at all. There was no climax. I would gladly have continued reading for another hundred to two hundred pages just for something big to happen.

I am a bit torn between giving this story four or five stars. On one hand almost everything was absolutely perfect... but on the other, the thing that was not perfect was a total let down. So I guess I have to concede, and give this book 4/5.

Rating: 4/5 stars
★★★★✰

Book Review: Vanished

Title: Vanished
Author: E. E. Cooper
Year of Publication: 2015
Summary:  Friendship. Obsession. Deception. Love.

Kalah knows better than to fall for Beth Taylor . . . but that doesn't stop her from falling hard and falling fast, heart first into a sea of complications.

Then Beth vanishes. She skips town on her eighteenth birthday, leaving behind a flurry of rumors and a string of broken hearts. Not even Beth's best friend, Britney, knows where she went. Beth didn't even tell Kalah good-bye.

One of the rumors links Beth to Britney's boyfriend, and Kalah doesn't want to believe the betrayal. But Brit clearly believes it—and before Kalah can sort out the truth, Britney is dead.

When Beth finally reaches out to Kalah in the wake of Brit's suicide, Kalah wants to trust what Beth tells her. But she's swiftly realizing that nothing here is as it seems. Kalah's caught in the middle of a deadly psychological game, and only she can untangle the deceptions and lies to reveal the unthinkable truth.

Review: Vanished was a confusing book. Confusing in a good way. But there were so many red herrings, it almost gave me whiplash. It also reminded me a lot of Gone Girl.

I have to put this out there straight away, I knew Britney wasn't dead from the moment it was revealed on the page that she had committed suicide. No body? Pssh. I've seen like five seasons of Pretty Little Liars. No body = not dead. Always.

So while this story was a little predictable, it was also a good read and a strong debut novel for the author, E. E. Cooper. I liked most of the characters, even when I hated them - they were well crafted. Well, maybe with the exception of Britney's mother who was horrible and a little bit racist, and sort of one dimensional and oh, did I mention absolutely horrible? Yeah, I hated her.

I am almost wishing for a sequel or more pages in the book so we can see if Britney was ever brought to justice or not. Also, I would have loved to read more about Kalah and Beth's relationship. I definitely did not agree with how Kalah handed it, especially to do with Zach but I can emphasize. I remember all too well how falling in love with someone I was not supposed to felt.

I don't know how realistic this novel was, but it was an entertaining read nonetheless. I look forward to more by this author. Rating 3.5, rounded up to 4.

Rating:
4/5 stars
★★★★✰

Book Review: Strings

Title: Strings
Author: G. Miki Hayden
Year of publication: 2014
Summary: In Strings, Robert, an ordinary boy, finds himself in a newly chaotic world. Buildings move when and where they please, and time jumps around according to no known laws of physics. For Robert, getting to his regular school in the morning is impossible, and as for getting home... But Holden, a boy he and his friend Nila meet in a cave, offers them a string. No, not twine—a string of the kind that forms the universe. Teeny and tiny, and invisible to the naked eye, this string will take Robert and Mila to their homes and way beyond, to other dimensions.

Robert doesn’t intend to save the world or to do anything except get by as best he can. Yet despite his hope to remain uninvolved, those he meets and where he goes draw him to participate. Robert’s companions on the journey through the multiverses include: the boy genius, Holden, who will defeat the alien Flatlanders at all costs; Nila, the girl next door, who doesn’t live next door just yet; Mr. Marvin, the clueless physics teacher, who considers the discrepancies they encounter to have a logical explanation; and Alfred Einstein (no, not Albert), more a nemesis than a companion, who still spends a lot of time traveling with the others. Hop on board an elusive string and see what the higher dimensions have to offer


Review: **Copy kindly provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review** Strings tells the whimsical tale of Robert, who lives in a chaotic world where the buildings move around as they please. It wasn’t always like this, six months ago everything was as it should be, but now…

Beautifully crafted and wonderfully strange, this book reminded me a lot of Coraline, by Neil Gaiman in the way that it was written. Sometimes it was a little confusing in the way that it was written, but I think it added to the unusual genius of the story. Although it was a fantasy, it was written with such confidence, as if the author had been there herself and firmly believed in the existence of the worlds visited.

In my opinion, this was definitely more a middle grade novel than a YA one, but readers of any age will be wonderfully entertained either way as this story has enough detail and depth to draw any dreamer in. The characters are fantastic, each with a distinct flavor of their own to get used to.

Highly recommended, fans of Lemony Snicket, Dianna Wynne Jones, and Madeleine L'Engle will be delighted with G. Miki Hayden’s debut novel. A great addition to anybody’s bookshelf, and well worth a read.

Rating: 4/5 stars
★★★★✰

Book Review: Turning on a Dime

Title: Turning on a Dime
Author: Maggie Dana
Year of publication: 2014
Summary: Two girls from two different centuries and the horse that brings them together.

Teenage equestrian Samantha DeVries wants to be the first African American to ride in the Olympics. Her father, a successful trainer, pushes Sam to excel, while Sam’s academic mother tries to instill a sense of heritage in her headstrong daughter who’d rather be riding horses than studying history. But Sam’s beliefs and her carefully constructed world shatter like a jelly jar when she travels through a time portal and lands in the canopy bed of an 1860s Southern belle.

Even more surprised by Sam’s unexpected arrival is Caroline Chandler. She’s a tomboy who wears breeches beneath her crinoline and rides horses bareback, much to the dismay of her critical mother.

But neither girl has time to fret over petticoats and prejudice. The Civil War is raging, and soldiers from both sides are stealing horses. At risk is Pandora, Caroline’s beloved mare. Without her, Sam’s future Olympic horse, Nugget, might not exist in the present.

Neither will Sam if the slave catchers grab her.


Review:  **Copy kindly provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

Maggie Dana delivers a smooth read, and a light story in Turning on a dime. It is more of a middle grade or childrens book than YA, and this is reflected in the prose and short chapters, but overall it is still a very good read.

The characters were well rounded and interesting - both girls were tomboys, which I appreciated. They also had fire in their blood, and fought back against the various antagonists at every turn, never taking no for an answer.

Sam’s room was legitimately my ultimate fantasy as an eight year old child. I was pretty much horse crazy and if my family had had the funds, it would definitely have showed.

I would have appreciated more about Sam’s dad, and maybe some more dialogue between them as at the beginning of the story it kind of led on that it would be about them and various issues to do with Sam’s Olympic training.

Another thing I thought the novel was kind of lacking in were scenes between the two girls. We missed a good chunk of their friendship developing, only to have the author give us snippets of things that had happened - like the two girls playing Angry Birds on Sam’s iPhone. Sometimes a lot of time passed between chapters, which was a little detrimental as I felt we missed out on integral development between the characters.

But overall, the story was light and charming, and would be a good addition to any middle schoolers bookshelf, especially if they love horses as much as the main characters do. Kudos, Maggie Dana, you’ve got a blue ribbon here.

Rating: 4/5 stars
★★★★✰

Book Review: Remember Me

Title: Remember Me
Author: Melanie Batchelor
Year of publication: 2014
Summary:  Jamie Richards has lost a lot. Her father died four years ago and her mother is consumed by her career. Jamie finds an escape through her artistic passion and her first love—the one person who hasn’t abandoned her, Erica Sinclair.

Overwhelmed by their own harsh realities, Jamie and Erica create a world of their own in an abandoned park—a place they call “Wonderland.” Jamie idolizes Erica until the two grow closer, and she realizes that her ideal image of Erica is nothing shy of fiction. When cracks beneath the exterior become more prevalent, Jamie begins to question the love she thought she had for Erica, and if that love was ever reciprocated.

And then it happens. A shocking event occurs that changes Jamie and Erica’s relationship forever. Jamie knows that there’s no escaping this reality—she’ll have to find a way to move forward without hiding behind her sketchbook.


Review: **Copy kindly provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

Remember Me is a book written entirely in verse, which I did not know going into the story. Usually I don't read books like this, finding a better story weaved in regular fiction - however Remember Me is an exception.

Remember Me was the sort of book that was better because it wasn't perfect. Sometimes the words seemed clunky, or there wasn't enough explanation, or it just plain would have read better as a short story. Overall though, the raw honesty and emotion of Batchelor's work sent me into tears more than once. The parts about Jamie's dad were absolutely gripping. I don't know if the author has experienced such a loss in her life or not, but she was absolutely spot on there. Jamie's grief felt tangible and was absolutely flooring.

Batchelor's debut is a job absolutely well done, especially at such a young age. The story read very well, with a few exceptions - I would have liked more information on Asher, Chris, and the days between Erica's suicide and the end of the book. But perhaps in this book, less is more as it makes the story a bit more memorable.

Overall, I'd give the book 3.5/5 stars as a whole, rounding up to 4 and would definitely read more of Batchelor's work in the future

Rating: 4/5 stars

★★★★✰

Book Review: Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel

Title: Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel
Author: Sara Farizan
Expected Publication Date: October 7th, 2014
Summary: High-school junior Leila has made it most of the way through Armstead Academy without having a crush on anyone, which is something of a relief. Her Persian heritage already makes her different from her classmates; if word got out that she liked girls, life would be twice as hard. But when a sophisticated, beautiful new girl, Saskia, shows up, Leila starts to take risks she never thought she would, especially when it looks as if the attraction between them is mutual. Struggling to sort out her growing feelings and Saskia's confusing signals, Leila confides in her old friend, Lisa, and grows closer to her fellow drama tech-crew members, especially Tomas, whose comments about his own sexuality are frank, funny, wise, and sometimes painful. Gradually, Leila begins to see that almost all her classmates are more complicated than they first appear to be, and many are keeping fascinating secrets of their own


**Copy kindly provided by Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.**


Review: Farizan's second novel is a great addition to the growing list of LGBTQ+ YA fiction. Our protagonist Leila, attends a prestigious high school where she is already different because of her Persian heritage - if word got out that she liked girls, life would be twice as hard.

The novel itself was a mostly light, funny, and well written read that never felt stilted or contrived. Farizan does a great job weaving the tale with an equal measure of hopeful, humorous, and heartbreaking moments - at some points, it was enough to bring me to tears.

Leila is a great protagonist and believable teenager with a true-to-life voice. Scenes with her family were some of my favourite of the book. Her parents were not absent, like so many of them are in YA fiction. They felt real and vivid, and I could tell they loved their daughters very much.

The tech trio were some of my favourite characters of the book - I kind of wished we'd got more of them sooner. They were quirky, in a good way, and kind of reminded me of the three fairy godmothers from Sleeping Beauty.

Saskia was a real piece of work. The worst part of her character was that there really are girls like that in real life, and they will play with your heart. I kind of wished we'd gotten more closure on what happened to her, maybe seen some justice getting served... but the sad part is that in reality, the bully often does get away with it, especially if you go to a less-than accepting school and you happen to be part of a minority group.

Leila's coming out scene was painfully real. As I read it, I felt that familiar bubble of nausea in my stomach that seems to be present whenever I have to come out to somebody, whether it be a new friend, or a family member whom I haven't seen in years. It was absolute torture waiting for Leila's mom to tell the rest of the family. I felt so on edge reading through that part of the book, I know how Leila felt.

Overall, Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel was a great read that gets bonus points for actually making me shed tears. I read it in one sitting, unable to put it down. It's a step up from the usual selection of YA LGBTQ+ fiction, and stands firm with other releases from this year so far. I'd recommend this book to anyone and everyone - it's well worth the read and Farizan does a great job with it.

Rating: 4/5 stars
★★★★✰