Book Review: The First Twenty

Title: The First Twenty
Author: Jennifer Lavoie
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Year of Publication: 2015
Summary: Humanity was nearly wiped out when a series of global disasters struck, but pockets of survivors have managed to thrive and are starting to rebuild society. Peyton lives with others in what used to be a factory. When her adopted father is murdered by Scavengers, she is determined to bring justice to those who took him away from her. She didn’t count on meeting Nixie.

Nixie is one of the few people born with the ability to dowse for water with her body. In a world where safe water is hard to come by, she’s a valuable tool to her people. When she’s taken by Peyton, they’ll do anything to get her back. As the tension between the groups reaches critical max, Peyton is forced to make a decision: give up the girl she’s learned to love, or risk the lives of those she’s responsible for.

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

If you like your books filled with page-turning action, heart pumping romance, and characters that pop right off the page... sadly The First Twenty isn't for you. Really, you should only consider reading this book if you love stagnant pacing, forced romance, or just possibly need something to put you to sleep.

The First Twenty, at a glance contained most things I love in YA fiction. Dying earth, diversity, interesting plot - but sadly all were poorly executed. By the end of the story I was not attached to any of the characters, nor was I invested in any of the zero-chemistry romances that occurred. And really, I can't even tell you what the main characters looked like aside from the fact that one was blonde and tall. They were all so very two dimensional.

The world building was another huge let down. Readers are left with more questions than answers at the end. How did society fall? What happened during the collapse? How long ago was it? What kind of town do the Settlers live in? Is it a city, or a suburb, or a small town, or just a bunch of buildings? Is there a wall or a fence around it? Wouldn't that be the smart thing to do if you are trying to keep people out?

Why is this book even called the First Twenty?

So many questions. Ultimately this novel is not the worst thing I've ever read but it does make me sad because it had so much potential. Two stars are all I can muster up for this one.

Rating: 2/5 stars

★★✰✰✰

Book Review: Lorali

Title: Lorali
Author: Laura Dockrill
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Year of Publication: 2015
Summary: Looking after a naked girl he found washed up under Hastings pier isn't exactly how Rory had imagined spending his sixteenth birthday. But more surprising than finding her in the first place is discovering where she has come from.

Lorali is running not just from the sea, not just from her position as princess, but her entire destiny. Lorali has rejected life as a mermaid, and become human.

But along with Lorali's arrival, and the freak weather suddenly battering the coast, more strange visitors begin appearing in Rory's bemused Sussex town. With beautifully coiffed hair, sharp-collared shirts and a pirate ship shaped like a Tudor house, the Abelgare boys are a mystery all of their own. What are they really up to? Can Rory protect Lorali? And who from? And where does she really belong, anyway?


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

Lorali, Lorali, Lorali. Whimsical? Definitely. Unique? I've never read anything like it. Touching? You bet tears were shed. Weird? Oh gosh this book was weird.

But you know what? I loved it. I want three hundred copies of this book, in paperback, in hardback, in audiobook, in e-book form. I want this weird little book on my shelves where it belongs.

This book follows Rory, an English boy who is definitely not the charmer that is generally in YA books. He doesn't have a sexy accent, and he uses words like fam and proper. Decidely not so average male love interest. This book also follows Lorali, a mermaid who pretty much acts like one would generally assume a mermaid who has never set foot on land to act. She doesn't know how to use a toilet. She accidentally pees on the floor. Grimy? Yeah. Realistic though.

But the book also had a third narrator. The ocean.

Yeah, that's right, the book had multiple chapters all narrated by the ocean. How cool is that? It's also as weird as you'd expect. Astoundingly, the author made it work, which speaks volumes for her talent.

Another aspect I appreciated about this novel was the lack of heteronormativity. Gay people exist. There is a line somewhere in the beginning about how our main character, Rory, can't grow a beard and when it does it looks like the neighbour's front yard after she pours bleach on it because her wife cheated on her. It's also blatantly said that Mer of the same-sex tesselate, which is to say they bang, and it's fine.

The Mer also could not care less about taboo. They dye their hair, pierce themselves, and generally seem not to care about nudity. Some of them, namely the queen occasionally take part in recreational medicinal use, which was skirted about in the novel until this gem of a line came about;

"The council of the Whirl make some eye contact, as Keppel furiously tokes from her bong."

That right there folks is probably the best line in the book. Do yourselves a favour and pick up this book. You won't regret it.

Rating: 5/5 stars
★★★★★

Book Review: Vengeance Road

Title: Vengeance Road
Author: Erin Bowman
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Expected Publication Date: September 1st, 2015
Summary: When Kate Thompson’s father is killed by the notorious Rose Riders for a mysterious journal that reveals the secret location of a gold mine, the eighteen-year-old disguises herself as a boy and takes to the gritty plains looking for answers and justice. What she finds are devious strangers, dust storms, and a pair of brothers who refuse to quit riding in her shadow. But as Kate gets closer to the secrets about her family, she gets closer to the truth about herself and must decide if there's room for love in a heart so full of hate.


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

Vengeance Road was a quick read, though it was not at all light. It was packed with adventure and action, and of course, revenge - one of my favourite themes in novels.

While the language and tone used throughout the whole book was at first jarring, by the end of the third chapter it was not at all noticeable and did not take from the story at all. The story itself flowed decently, though the twist near the end hindered the story more than helped in my opinion. There is not that much that I can say about this book, aside from the fact it was okay.

It had all the trimmings of an amazing novel but fell a bit short with its characters. They seemed a little two-dimensional, not enough depth packed in to make me really feel something when tragedy struck them. I mean, they weren't bad characters, I liked them okay, they were just not lively enough or really even memorable.

Frankly, even though I am a little disappointed by Vengeance Road I'd still give it three and a half stars because as I said, aside from the characters and the twist, the story was alright. I really do hope Erin Bowman writes more in this universe - I would read it, as I do love westerns - because the world building was pretty good. Maybe others will feel differently about the characters, so I definitely do recommend anybody who likes revenge and adventure to pick up this book

Rating: 3/5 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: The Accident Season

Title: The Accident Season
Author: Moira Fowley-Doyle
Publisher: Corgi Childrens
Expected Publication Date: August 18th, 2015
Summary: The accident season has been part of seventeen-year-old Cara's life for as long as she can remember. Towards the end of October, foreshadowed by the deaths of many relatives before them, Cara's family becomes inexplicably accident-prone. They banish knives to locked drawers, cover sharp table edges with padding, switch off electrical items - but injuries follow wherever they go, and the accident season becomes an ever-growing obsession and fear.

But why are they so cursed? And how can they break free?

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

The Accident Season is one of those books that I can't quite decide whether I loved or hated. On one hand, I loved the queer aspects to this book and the eerie feeling that surrounded the story. On the other, sometimes the writing was quite pretentious, and as well as that vague. I had only the faintest clue what was happening for most of the book.

I feel like the writing style didn't allow me to connect with the characters at all, especially with the switching between points of view that happened randomly throughout the story between Cara and then that weird third person that sometimes happened. I couldn't really get a proper grip on this book because of that.

Other aspects of the book felt quite contrived, especially the parts with the masquerade ball. I found myself eye-rolling through quite a lot of the dance planning scenes, and then in the actual dance itself. Also, the whole thing was pretty idiotic - the house was most likely private property and it was in ramshackles. Something really bad could have happened which the main characters did not seem to care about in the slightest despite the fact that it was the accident season.

The metal statue man was another source of frustration later in the book. Was he or was he not Christopher? This was never resolved. Neither was the case of the disappearing shop that Cara and Sam went to. A lot of things happened in this book that seemed significant at the time but were barely mentioned again.

Overall, I'd have to give this book a solid three stars. It could have been better, but it also could have been worse.

Rating: 3/5 stars

★★★✰✰

Book Review: The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly

Title: The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly
Author: Stephanie Oakes
Publisher: Dial/Penguin
Expected Publication Date: 9th June, 2015
Summary: The Kevinian cult has taken everything from seventeen-year-old Minnow: twelve years of her life, her family, her ability to trust.

And when she rebelled, they took away her hands, too.

Now their Prophet has been murdered and their camp set aflame, and it's clear that Minnow knows something—but she's not talking. As she languishes in juvenile detention, she struggles to un-learn everything she has been taught to believe, adjusting to a life behind bars and recounting the events that led up to her incarceration. But when an FBI detective approaches her about making a deal, Minnow sees she can have the freedom she always dreamed of—if she’s willing to part with the terrible secrets of her past.


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

Full disclosure: I cried. I cried a lot. I cried so much that I felt dehydrated and woozy afterwards. This book was probably the best book to happen to me so far this year, and it's only June.

I first discovered this book at the beginning of the year and I knew I had to get my hands on it as soon as it came out. I was very fortunate to receive a copy from Netgalley. I opened the book and read the first page as soon as I was approved - and then immediately had to close it because it was three in the morning and I needed to sleep. The first page played on my mind all of the next day before I could finally crack it open for real.

Minnow Bly had a voice that was as real and as raw as anything. I connected with her right off the bat and tore through the pages, devouring the story. The others around her - Angel, Jude, the Prophet, Constance etc - practically sprang off the page. Though most of this story was set in the juvenile detention centre, the story did not feel claustrophobic in the slightest.

I had to keep powering through this story. I needed to... and it never disappointed. The pace, the tone, the execution. This novel was absolutely perfect, and I highly recommend everyone giving it a try. Stephanie Oakes has done an amazing job on her debut novel.

Rating: 5/5 stars
★★★★★

Book Review: Witch Hunter

Title: Witch Hunter
Author: Virginia Boecker
Year of Publication: 2015
Summary: Sixteen-year-old Elizabeth Grey doesn't look dangerous. A tiny, blonde, wisp of a girl shouldn't know how to poison a wizard and make it look like an accident. Or take out ten necromancers with a single sword and a bag of salt. Or kill a man using only her thumb. But things are not always as they appear. Elizabeth is one of the best witch hunters in Anglia and a member of the king's elite guard, devoted to rooting out witchcraft and bringing those who practice it to justice. And in Anglia, the price of justice is high: death by burning.

When Elizabeth is accused of being a witch herself, she's arrested and thrown in prison. The king declares her a traitor and her life is all but forfeit. With just hours before she's to die at the stake, Elizabeth gets a visitor - Nicholas Perevil, the most powerful wizard in Anglia. He offers her a deal: he will free her from prison and save her from execution if she will track down the wizard who laid a deadly curse on him.

As Elizabeth uncovers the horrifying facts about Nicholas's curse and the unwitting role she played in its creation, she is forced to redefine the differences between right and wrong, friends and enemies, love and hate... and life and death.


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

The Witch Hunter was another one of those books that I wanted to love and was super excited to read. When I was approved to read it via Netgalley I was super stoked and dove into it right away. I love, love, love strong heroines, and adventure, and magic.

Sadly the amazing premise of this book was ruined by the poor execution and illogical characters. Our main character, Elizabeth, is supposed to be one of the best witch hunters in the country of Anglia. I expected bravery and stubbornness, and instead got a wimpy, useless heroine.

Her supporting cast of merry men had promise - but ultimately did not become more than caricatures. The writing was vague - half the time I had no idea which characters were present or what was happening - and the villain was so obvious from the get-go.

Ultimately I expected more from this book. The tone was way too light for the plot and the execution was sloppy. You could practically hear the wind whistling through the main character's ears. Also, I have no doubt that Caleb is still alive. Rule 1: If there is no body, then the character is not dead. Prove me wrong, Virginia Boecker, I dare you.

Rating: 1/5 stars
★✰✰✰✰

Book Review: The Walls Around Us

Title: The Walls Around Us
Author: Nova Ren Suma
Year of Publication: 2015
Summary:  On the outside, there's Violet, an eighteen-year-old dancer days away from the life of her dreams when something threatens to expose the shocking truth of her achievement.

On the inside, within the walls of the Aurora Hills juvenile detention center, there's Amber, locked up for so long she can't imagine freedom.

Tying their two worlds together is Orianna, who holds the key to unlocking all the girls' darkest mysteries…

What really happened on the night Orianna stepped between Violet and her tormentors? What really happened on two strange nights at Aurora Hills? Will Amber and Violet and Orianna ever get the justice they deserve—in this life or in another one?

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

Poignant, beautiful and breathtaking, The Walls Around Us has the power to send the reader reeling. Nova Ren Suma has done it again.

I first picked up one of the author's earlier books, Imaginary Girls back in 2013 and was quickly drawn into that story and intrigued and impressed by Suma's personal blend of magic. The same sort of magic made an appearance in The Walls Around Us, woven into the prose skillfully.

The story follows three girls through the viewpoints of two of them, Amber and Violet. Their voices leapt off the page and were very distinct from one another. I had absolutely no trouble telling the two apart which is what can sometimes happen when you have more than one PoV in a novel. All of the characters were creative, original, and well-formed. There were absolutely no stereotypes in this book.

The plot itself was amazing and well thought out, with more twists and turns than a whole season of Lost, and it kept me hanging on to every page. I read this book in less than five hours in one sitting, it was just that good.

Nova Ren Suma is an amazing author, and I cannot wait for more material from her.

Rating:  5/5 stars
★★★★★

Book Review: All We Had

Title: All We Had
Author: Annie Weatherwax
Year of Publication: 2014

Summary: For Ruthie Carmichael and her mother Rita, life has never been stable. Jobs are hard to find, men come and go. But when a set of unexpected circumstances strands them in Fat River, a small rural town in upstate New York, life takes a turn. Fat River becomes the first place they call home. 

The modest economic security they gain gives them peace and space for friends. The people of Fat River—Hank and Dotty Hanson, the elderly owners of the local hardware store being driven out of business by the new Walmart; Mel, the flawed, but kindhearted owner of the town diner where Rita finds work; and the cross-dressing Peter Pam, the novel’s voice of warmth and reason—become family. Into this quirky utopia comes Vick Ward, a smooth-talking broker who entices Rita with a subprime mortgage and urges her to buy the ramshackle house she and her daughter have been renting.

Tough and quick-witted, thirteen-year-old Ruthie—whose sardonic voice and plain-spoken observations infuse All We Had with disarming honesty and humor—never minded her hardscrabble existence as long as her mother was by her side. Through it all, the two have always been the center of one another’s lives. But when financial crisis hits, their luck takes a different turn. 



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

Beautiful and haunting, All We Had is a novel that is unpretentious and unabashed, and will leave you reeling.

Ruthie's voice gripped me from the very beginning and had me turning pages throughout the story. The beginning to middle was a little slow, but when it picked up it swept me off my feet and into Fat River, the heart of the novel and the place where it is set.

The eclectic characters had me spellbound - from Peter Pam who was by far my favourite, to the strange, but kind Hanson's who owned the carpentry store. The events and characters of the story had me in tears at multiple points, but especially the end.

There is so much of this story that hit home for me - but putting it into words seems impossible. It is truly a novel that you just have to experience for yourself.

Rating: 5/5 stars
★★★★★

Book Review: Doppelganger

Title: Doppelganger
Author: Milda Harris
Year of publication: 2012
Summary:  Citrus Leahy is having a really bad day. First she's late to school. Then she runs into the girl who drives her nuts because she always calls her Orange instead of her name. To cap it all off, when Citrus finally makes it to class, she sees herself already inside. 

Wait. What? Citrus Leahy has a doppelganger! It's probably aliens taking over the world and her life has just turned totally upside down. Goodbye, normal. Hello, paranormal! Luckily, her crush Aedan has the exact same problem!





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

Doppelganger seemed like an intriguing and fun read, that ultimately fell short of expectations. This one is a hard one to review because honestly, there wasn’t much I liked.

The main character, Citrus, was horribly annoying. I guess I could say that the voice of the novel was unique or interesting, but it wasn’t in a good way. Citrus is an airhead and a motormouth - everything she thinks could be condensed in about half time, ridding the novel of the unnecessary rambling and maybe making her connection to the other characters more memorable. It was easy to forget she cared about anybody but herself and Aedan with all the dribble in the way.

All of the people in the novel felt two dimensional - they were nowhere near fleshed out enough, and came out bland and dry with no real flavor attached. I struggled through a lot of this book, there was just nowhere near enough of anything to keep me turning the pages.

The above paired with the author’s writing ability, was a recipe for disaster. Too many adverbs, not enough detail, and words/actions that repeated over and over again. To top it off, the story ended without any real explanation, on a cliffhanger to boot - albeit a bad one, as I have no desire to read on to find out what happens.

Overall, I’d give this story two stars as it was only just bearable. If you’re looking for a story about doppelgangers, there are much better ones out there so keep looking.

Rating: 2/5 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: Frenemy of the People

Title: Frenemy of the People
Author: Nora Olsen
Year of publication: 2014
Summary: Clarissa and Lexie couldn’t be more different. Clarissa is a chirpy, optimistic do-gooder and a top rider on the school’s equestrian team. Lexie is an angry, punk rock activist and the only out lesbian at their school.

When Clarissa declares she’s bi and starts a Gay-Straight Alliance, she unwittingly presses all of Lexie’s buttons, so Lexie makes it her job to cut Clarissa down to size. But Lexie goes too far and finds herself an unwitting participant in Clarissa’s latest crusade. Both are surprised to find their mutual loathing turning to love.

A change in her family’s fortunes begins to unravel Clarissa’s seemingly perfect life, and the girls’ fledgling love is put to the test. Clarissa and Lexie each have what the other needs to save their relationship and the people they love from forces that could tear them all apart.


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

Frenemy of the People was such an adorable, light read. I wasn't so sure I would like it at the start - the first chapter felt clunky and claustrophobic but it got progressively better from the second chapter out.

The story did have it's flaws though. The characters were unique - but yes, they had their initial stereotypes, even if they quickly became so much more. Clarissa was such a naive airhead in the beginning of the story, reminding me a lot of Bianca Stratford a la 10 Things I Hate About You, but like Bianca she slowly revealed that she did indeed have a brain in there, even if her moods gave me whiplash sometimes, and her view on homeless people was kind of disgusting.

Lexie was pretty brash, and said a lot of things that could be interpreted offensively. Such as: "You just realised? How do you really know? Have you ever even kissed a girl?" Look… Lexie, you’re gay. You should know what it feels like when people say this to you. You do not need to have kissed or done anything else with a girl to know you are gay or bi or pan or queer or whatever. It’s about attraction. Most of the time though, Lexie takes it upon herself to be educated about why what she has said is offensive.

I identified strongly with Clarissa's fears after Lexie asked her how she really knew [that she was bi]. Being told by somebody in the LGBTQ+ community that you have to have kissed a girl to really know you like them is a really harsh blow, especially if you've been told the same thing by people outside the community previously.

That being said though, you should probably not go up to random strangers and ask them for a kiss.

And you should definitely not throw rocks through bank windows, or bulldoze houses, no matter how angry or in love you are. Seriously, don't. You will wind up in jail. I can't believe neither of the girls really got busted for either of their actions.

I can't believe Lexie's parents didn't forbid her from going to homecoming after what she did, either. I get that her parents are not really good ones, but still, sheesh. That's being awful lenient considering their daughter drove a bulldozer into a house.

Overall, the novel really was charming though, especially Desi. It definitely is the type of story that leaves you smiling for ages afterward, and I think that this one deserves a wider audience than what it currently has. Actual rating = 3.5 stars, but rounding down for the sake of uniformity.

Rating: 3/5 stars
★★★✰✰

Book Review: The Culling

Title: The Culling
Author: JC Andrijeski
Year of publication: 2011 (Netgalley says 2014)

Summary: Jet is a 19-year-old skag, one of the humans still living free on Earth following an invasion of creatures called the Nirreth. Squatting in the ruins of Vancouver, Canada, Jet and her family eke out an existence underground, hiding from the culler ships. No one knows where the ships take the people they grab, but they never return. When a culler finds Jet, she may discover the truth the hard way.


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

The Culling presented as an exciting, diverse, new dystopian series with a kick-ass heroine who wields a sword. Unfortunately, in reality The Culling was anything but.

The prose was clunky and repetitive (the amount of times someone hardened their jaw, chuckled, or folded their arms, especially in the same scene, was super annoying) and it also contradicted itself time and time again. There is no real flow to the story - any time we start getting somewhere another info dump is forced upon us, instead of being weaved into the story. The author also spends far too much time telling, rather than showing, and they use broad descriptors such as; Japanese-style, Indian, and Native American, instead of anything with actual depth.

Another fault is with the characters - the main character, Jet, specifically. Jet has lived as a skag all her life, is supposed to know the rules, and at the beginning of the story she is presented as having good knowledge of the Nirreth and being street smart and savvy. Quickly, the reader finds out that this is a load of crock as Jet is kind of dumb, sacrificing her safety for a bit of alone time. She also seems to forget everything she is supposed to know about the Nirreth until whoops, it's too late. To add to insult, Anaze says further into the story that, "Jet is the smartest person he knows, except for his dad" -- uh okay, we've seen absolutely zero evidence in the story so far, but hey, whatever floats your boat dude.

Something that bothered me also was that we didn't seem to get a proper description of the main character anywhere. All I remember from the story was that she has long, black hair. The covers are not much help either, depicting two completely different girls - though as a general rule I don't think we should be relying on the cover to tell us what the main character looks like.

Andrijeski also has a habit of not mentioning things that may have been integral to understanding the story until later. Towards the very end of the book, Anaze and Jet are talking and he mentions something about how she acted in the raids... maybe this should have been said earlier, to give us more information on Jet, instead of randomly thrown in like the author has written the book off the top of their head and then not gone back to edit or flesh out the story and the characters more.

Add in a pointless love interest in the form of Anaze, who we only get scant bits of information about in the narrative, as if Jet doesn't really care about him too but in the end it's basically announced that no, they are totally besties, and also, he's in love with her. Plus Jet's pretty much total amnesia re: her brother who is only mentioned maybe a handful of times in the story, and we have a doozy here. The characters are horribly constructed and so is the story. Not even the scant action in the book with the dinosaur is enough to save it. Maybe if the author went back and did a total rewrite of the story, taking out the pointless information dumps early on and spreading out the necessary bits, as well as building upon the characters, this mess would be salvageable, but as it is it's just barely readable.

I'd give this book zero stars if I could, that's just how bad it is. As Andrijeski is seemingly a seasoned author, I don't have much hope for any of their other books, and I don't think I'd recommend this one to anybody.

Rating: 1/5 stars

★✰✰✰✰

Book Review: Salt & Storm

Title: Salt & Storm
Author: Kendall Kulper
Expected publication date: September 23rd, 2014
Summary: Sixteen-year-old Avery Roe wants only to take her rightful place as the witch of Prince Island, making the charms that keep the island’s whale men safe and prosperous at sea. But before she could learn how to control her power, her mother, the first Roe woman in centuries to turn her back on magic, stole Avery away from her grandmother. Avery must escape from her mother before her grandmother dies, taking with her the secrets of the Roes’ power.

When Avery awakens from a dream foretelling her own murder, she realizes time is running short—for her and for the people of her island, who, without the Roes, will lose their ships and the only life they know.

With the help of Tane, a tattooed harpoon boy from the Pacific Islands, Avery plots her escape from her mother and unravels the mysteries of her mother’s and grandmother’s pasts. Becoming a witch may prevent her murder and save her island from ruin, but Avery discovers it will also require a sacrifice she never expected—one she might not be able to make


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

Kulper's debut novel, Salt & Storm, is as smooth as poetry, silk, and Lindt Chocolate. This book is definitely one of the best of 2014 and will stand up strongly on Best-Of lists. I'm not a big fan of Historical Fiction, but this was a dream to read from the very first page.

The Roe family history enticed from the very first paragraph. Avery's memory of tying the winds with her grandmother was a treat to read, drawing me into the story immediately, and making Avery's hatred for her mother's actions believable and cuplable from the get go. It also fueled a sense of urgency in me that Avery get to her grandmother, leaving me whipping through the pages and sending me reeling when she was rejected.

Tane was an interesting twist on the usual love interest, fully fleshed out with a backstory of his own. Sure, he was tall, dark, and mysterious, but for once I am not complaining. I did find myself wanting to know more about the island he was from and the traditions of his people, though Tattoo magic seems intriguing and now that [SPOILER] Tane's dead I really, really, hope it somehow makes an appearance in the next book.

I'd also really like to see more of Avery's mother in the next book, if there will be one. The journey from loathing her to liking her was quite a ride in Salt & Storm, as was the reverse for Avery's grandmother.

Did I mention that this book broke my heart a little? Because it did, even though I saw it coming, even though I knew that Tane would somehow die. I really cannot sing this book's praises enough. Mystery, heartbreak, intrigue, and magic - Kulper's debut has it all, all sewn perfectly together. What more could you ask for?

Rating: 5/5 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
★★★★✰

Book Review: Breaking Free

Title: Breaking Free
Author: Winter Page
Year of Publication: 2014
Summary: Raimi Carter is finally a girl, just like she always knew she was meant to be. At a new school where nobody knows she’s had gender reassignment surgery, she hopes to finally live the normal life she’s longed for, happy in her own skin.

Life is great until she discovers a dangerous bully is blackmailing head cheerleader, Clare Strickland, threatening to reveal her secret: she’s gay. As Raimi fights to free Clare from his clutches, the two girls move beyond friendship. But secrets from their pasts and their own fears of coming out tear them apart—maybe forever. Baring their souls to each other could cost them everything. For two girls trapped and desperately in love, only strength, courage, and trust in each other will help them break free and claim their future

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

Ah, where do I start with this one. The synopsis promised an interesting read - Raimi Carter has just started high school after two years of being home-schooled, and then finally gender reassignment surgery.

Listen, there aren't enough books in the world dealing with LGBTQ+ issues, especially Young Adult ones. Most books in the YA section of a bookstore are about cis/het individuals, who are more often than not, white. I've learnt to take what I can get regarding LGBTQ+ fiction - problematic relationships, bad writing, horrible characters, stereotypes galore... but gosh, I don't think I have ever read something this bad that wasn't written by a twelve year old on a fanfiction site.

I really, really wanted to enjoy this book, and I did... for the first two paragraphs, and then it all went downhill from there. Raimi is clearly the epitome of a Mary Sue - literally perfect at everything and oh-so-beautiful. She also looks down upon her peers and judges them, even though she herself would not want to be judged. The characters are little more than caricatures of stereotypes, which was evident from the moment Raimi's Spanish and Calculus teachers were introduced, and it did not get any better as we met the supporting cast.

The book didn't seem all that realistic, either, as Raimi has already had surgeries and hormones that usually are expensive and also generally illegal for minors. I get that this book was written by somebody still in high school, so I'm trying not to be too harsh. Page can spin a story, but I just think they need more practice and life experience, as evidenced by the events of the story and the horrible ending - which was way too sudden, and also, did I mention, horrible?

I think with a few re-writes and a good editor, this book could be really good and Page shouldn't be discouraged by the bad reviews. Rome was not built in a day and neither were best sellers. My advice to Page would be to keep going - there is potential for a great story here.

Rating: 2/5 stars
★★✰✰✰