Book Review: Submarine by Joe Duntorn

Starting October with the Horror of Pretentious Teenage Boys.

Meet Oliver Tate, fifteen years old. Convinced that his father is depressed ('Depression comes in bouts. Like boxing. Dad is in the blue corner') and his mother is having an affair with her capoeira teacher ('a hippy-looking twonk'), he embarks on a hilariously misguided campaign to bring the family back together. Meanwhile, he is also trying to lose his virginity - before he turns sixteen - to his pyromaniac girlfriend Jordana. Will Oliver succeed in either aim? Submerge yourself in Submarine and find out . . .

No, I never did find out why this book is called submarine.  This opens greatly and has a lot of good one liners, especially towards the start but after page 200 (the edition I read was 290 pages) I was done with Oliver. Especially, as all of the plot stuff that this novel has was completely resolved (or as much as it gets in this novel). If I liked Oliver as a person or character, then maybe those 90 pages of pointlessness would have been fun. 

Oliver is realistic teenage boy, the sort I personally would hated even as a teenager. His actions make him so unlikable and never learns from his actions. He's really immature for a fifteen, he comes across as thirteen. Sure, they are people like that, but I don't want to read about them. Though, I still want to watch the movie. Less about this book, more to do with who was involved in making it. 

This book has mental illness, relationships in trouble and the teen hormones that lead to what that usually does. It's just there. If you want a glimpse into the life of really annoying person. 

The writing style is meant to be a diary but also obviously breaks that format a lot. Oliver is pretentious so there's some attempt at depth and Dunton manages to capture that pretentious voice of a 15 year old boy that needs to grow up.

Overall, I give this book 2/5 stars for shoe stealing. I don't the main character so I didn't like the book, that's the risk with character driven characters. I didn't anything from this. I don't know who this book is for, teenage boys you want to throw off a bus?

Book Review: Eden Summer by Liz Flanagan

Eden is not a Paradise to spend time with.

IT STARTS like any other day for Jess – get up, draw on eyeliner, cover up tattoos and head to school. But soon it’s clear this is no ordinary day, because Jess’s best friend, Eden, isn’t at school . . . she’s gone missing.

Jess knows she must do everything in her power to find Eden before the unthinkable happens.

So Jess decides to retrace the summer she and Eden have just spent together. But looking back means digging up all their buried secrets, and she starts to question everything she thought Eden’s summer had been about ...

This book takes places over a day, with flash backs to the events leading to Eden's disappearance, in first person, with a flash forward about as well.

 Even with everything Eden is dealing with she still comes across as unlikable, especially with the flash back before the event. She has this perfect life, till the terrible thing happens and just come across as spoiled. I only cared about her being missing because the effect it was having on Jess and other characters. Jess is likable protagonist and I felt for the other characters.

This book deals with a lot of complex things including Hate crimes on sub-cultures and grief. It does a decent job of dealing with the topics.

Overall, I give this book 4/5 stars for Graveyard Snow. It was a quick read with some punch. I would recommend it for a readathon.

Book Review: Countless by Karen Gregory

Love is random fling on street corners.

'Is there anything that's concerning you?’ Felicity says. ‘College, home, boyfriends?' Though she's more or less smiling at this last one.

I don't smile. Instead, I feel my face go hot. Silence stretches as wide as an ocean.
When I look up, Felicity has this expression on her face like she's just seen Elvis. Slowly, she leans forward and in a gentle voice I've never heard her use before she says, 'Have you done a pregnancy test?'

When Hedda discovers she is pregnant, she doesn’t believe she could ever look after a baby. The numbers just don’t add up. She is young, and still in the grip of an eating disorder that controls every aspect of how she goes about her daily life. She’s even given her eating disorder a name – Nia. But as the days tick by, Hedda comes to a decision: she and Nia will call a truce, just until the baby is born. 17 weeks, 119 days, 357 meals. She can do it, if she takes it one day at a time …[Check if same]

I found this book randomly on the buy one get one free at Waterstones and picked up several times before buying. I'm really glad I did. This is honest heart breaking novel and does so many things well.

Relationship play such a big part of this novel and they are done brilliantly. 
The romance in this book is done very realistic. Its more about their friendship and isolation they both have from their different situations. I loved both Robin and Hedda as individuals and just wanted them both to be happy. Family plays a big part in the story as Hedda has complex relationships with her parents and sister, having practically been kicked out the family home, then realising she pregnant, the responsibility of motherhood comes on her shoulders. We also have Hedda's unit friends that she sees herself reflected and having strong friendships with makes the situation complicated. 

This is an own voices book and I think you can tell when someone has given a character their own battles. I have never suffered from an eating disorder, but I can tell what an honest portrayal of mental illness and how hopeless your inner struggles can be, so there were parts I related. Did I bawl my eyes out? Yes, several times. Near the end I couldn't stop. Crying is good for your mental health, you should read this book and try it out (though, if you triggers you, pick someone else tragedy to do it with). There are no quick fixes with mental health and it nice seeing that portrayal as so many YA books go for the quick magical fix of Romance or miracle clue. I know that's a slight spoiler, but it such a big selling point to this book for me.

This book is written so well. Its from Hedda point of view, upon the day of realisation of new situation. Hedda feels like such a real person, in her bad and good moments.

Overall, I give this book 5/5 stars for mound filled corners. This is one of the few times where reviewing a book made me it rate it higher. This is definitely one of the best books I've read this year.

Buy:

Book Review: Another Day by David Levithan

How do you have another day after every day?

Every day is the same for Rhiannon. She has convinced herself that she deserves her distant, moody boyfriend, Justin. She knows the rules: Don’t be needy. Avoid upsetting him. Never get your hopes up.

Then, out of the blue, they share a perfect day together – perfect, that is, until Justin doesn’t remember anything about it. Confused, and yearning for another day as great as that one, Rhiannon starts to question everything. And that’s when a stranger tells her that the Justin she spent that time with … wasn’t Justin at all.

This is the sequel/companion to Every Day (which I reviewed an hour ago). The book take place during the same time as the first, but obviously in Rhianon's point of view. I think you should probably read Every Day first, but it might not matter.


Reading from Rhiannon's point of view does make her more likeable but her boyfriend is just straight up an arsehole. There is nothing redeeming about him. With being in Rhiannon's head, it would have been nice to see why there ended up together besides Rhiannon's low selfesteem. Actually, in a lot we've still only scratched the surface of her life after being in her head.

The thing that really stood out to me was the number of pop-culture they are in this when there was none in the first book. Yes, different points of views but I now know what songs were being sang despite not being out when the first book came out. Not as a single anyway.

Overall, I give this four out of five stars for awkward emails. It was intriguing to see the events of Every Day from Rhiannon's point of view. It was slightly less charming than the first day but A is in this less. I would recommend this book if you like the first book to read this and I of course recommend Every Day.

I got this book for review off NetGalley and Electic Monkey. It came out on Jul 30 2015 so you might be able to find at your local bookstore that never has YA book the week they release.

Book Review: Every Day by David Levithan

This is Quantum leap but worse because there is no Al or suppose purpose.


Every day I am someone else. I am myself - I know I am myself - but I am also someone else. It has always been like this.
Each morning, A wakes up in a different body. There's never any warning about who it will be, but A is used to that. Never get too attached. Avoid being noticed. Do not interfere.

 And that's fine - until A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets Justin's girlfriend, Rhiannon. From that moment, the rules by which A has been living no longer apply. Because finally A has found someone he wants to be with - every day...

The concept of this book is horrifying. I never realise how terrible it was until was half way through the book. This made me think of Quantum leap and have since been trying to figure out which was one is worse. Where there could be a leap home or you never had a home to leap to? A’s situation is worse than Sam’s but both are lives I would want to have. 

A has no gender and the English language has failed to come up with gendered neutral term, I will refer to A as a ‘She’ because everyone is secretly female in terms of biology and everyone always goes with ‘He’ when they don’t the know someone gender. I hate it and try to break the mode by using 'she' especially since it more likely to be true. They is just confusing to use. We need gender neutral term; maybe we should just steal the Swedish one.

The book is in A’s point of view and the book is separated by the actual days of the story and we actually told what day that is in A’s live, meaning it is possible to figure out A’s age. It was a nice touch and worked for the story.

We get to know several characters in this book and get a good taste of what A’s regular life is like. A is nice and likable in her morality. The thing is it is hard to get know character where they change bodies/lives everyday so A basically only has books and reads. Her personality is a bit bland and so is her love interest, Rhiannon. They are nice, Rhiannon has friends, A has a set of morals that she breaks for Rhiannon. I’m guessing they both like books. It could be they’re overshadowed by the other characters.

 The relationship was okay, the thing it comes from A of feeling sorry for Rhiannon and that where her feelings seem to stems from. I never notice that much when I was reading the book and they carry the novel well.

We learn more about the people that A takes over, which are a diverse and interesting cast with different living situation. There is an interesting side to this story. There is a big side to LGBTQA+ side as we get most of those letters and with A not having a defined gender, she herself doesn’t care about gender. There was good representation of mental health. The way being in different the bodies was described was awesome and realistic of what we know of bodies. 

Overall, I gave this book 5/5 stars for possession confessions. The idea of this book was interesting and the execution was great. I am going to read and review the sequel in an hour. I am totally that quick.

Book Review: The DUFF by Kody Keplinger

My friend group just had a straight friend.

Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper may not be the prettiest girl in her high school, but she has a loyal group of friends, biting wit, and a spot-on BS detector. She's also way too smart to fall for the charms of a man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush, who calls Bianca the Duff - the designated ugly fat friend - of her crew.

But things aren't so great at home and Bianca, desperate for a distraction, ends up kissing Wesley. Worse, she likes it. Eager for escape, Bianca throws herself into a secret enemies-with-benefits relationship with him. 

Until it all goes horribly wrong. It turns out Wesley isn't such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she's falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.

I read this book in one sitting. It was compelling to keep going, though I had already decided on all nighter because of reasons so it was good company. I heard that this book was good but no one ever say why? I'm going to tell you why.

The characters are realistic and I really liked the main characters Bianca, especially her cynical nature and her attitudes are appealing. The relationships were really good as well. The only thing I couldn't buy was someone having a bowl cut in 2010 (going off the year this book was originally published), those things are terrible looking.

This book deals with slut shaming and body image really well. It was definitely one of my favourite parts of the book and I would recommend it on this alone. Especially, since slut shaming is such a rampant problem in YA. It also has other things like divorce and alcoholism.

Overall, I gave this novel four of five stars for smashed pictures. This was a really great contemporary and definitely worth a read. It's real shame that they never actually made a film of this and just stole the idea of a duff from the book. Though, teens swearing, having sex and being complex are the things that terrify Hollywood. Back to the actual book, I would highly recommend this and it one of the few books I wish I had read sooner.

I got this for review off Netgalley and from Hodder Children's Books.

Book Review: The Storm by Virginia Bergin

I missed the butterflies.

My name is Ruby Morris. I don't go when it rains.
Once you've survived an apocalypse, the old rules don't seem to matter so much.


Like today I drove a Ferrari that wasn't mine, but no one cared (there's no one left to care). 


If I want to eat only Nutella, then I can (there;s nothing else to eat).

And if I want to go to wild parties in mansions, I will (this only happened once).

Of course, there are bad things too. Like everyone you cared about being gone, having no one to trust and, worst of all, not being able to stop thinking about THAT KISS with Darius Spratt...

But I've survived this long and I'm not going to die now.


I think enjoyment of this novel does depend on reading the first one. If you haven't read the first book, why not check out my review of it instead of possibly spoiling yourself with this review.

The story starts back up months later and a disillusion Ruby. She still the same Ruby and does dumb stuff, but she makes a better effort not to do dumb stuff.

We get some answers in this book, and a satisfying ending to the series. The science continues to be a bit effy. I think this novel might be more horrifying than the last book. Though, I did feel like emotions didn't hit as strong as I felt they should have. Things that happen didn't impact much and felt more like getting rid of a character out of the way.

The character development was nice to see, Ruby has grown up a bit in this series and you see in this book. The relationships were good and some were interesting to see.

Overall, I gave this book four out of five stars for eating things out of a well. We get answers and the series leaves off with a satisfying ending.

Book Review: One Man Guy by Michael Barakiva

Alek's family are Armenian? I had no clue.

Alek Khederian should have guessed something was wrong when his parents took him to a restaurant. Everyone knows that Armenians never eat out. Why bother, when their home cooking is far superior to anything "these Americans" could come up with? Between bouts of interrogating the waitress and criticizing the menu, Alek’s parents announce that he’ll be attending summer school in order to bring up his grades. Alek is sure this experience will be the perfect hellish end to his hellish freshmen year of high school. He never could’ve predicted that he’d meet someone like Ethan.
Ethan is everything Alek wishes he were: confident, free-spirited, and irreverent. When Ethan gets Alek to cut school and go to a Rufus Wainwright concert in New York City’s Central Park, Alek embarks on his first adventure outside the confines of his suburban New Jersey existence. He can’t believe a guy this cool wants to be his friend. And before long, it seems like Ethan wants to be more than friends. Alek has never thought about having a boyfriend—he’s barely ever had a girlfriend—but maybe it’s time to think again.

I think this book tricks a lot of boxes, set partly in New York City, diversity with the main character being Armenian and this is gay romance.

Told in first person, Alek makes good narrator. The plot is enjoyable platform for these characters.
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The characters are quite realisic and interesting. I really enjoy Alek's relationships with his family and bad mouthing them because if that isn't realistic then I don't know what is.

Overall, I gave this 3 out of 5 stars for water bottles in the sun.  I enjoyed reading this book but never left much of imprint on me, found it very hard to review for some reason, but it's nice to read good published LGBT fiction.

I got this for review off Netgalley. 

Book Review: Roomies by Sara Zarr & Tara Altebrando

My college roommate is hopefully going to be a skeleton.

It's time to meet your new roomie.

When East Coast native Elizabeth receives her freshman-year roommate assignment, she shoots off an e-mail to coordinate the basics: television, microwave, mini-fridge. That first note to San Franciscan Lauren sparks a series of e-mails that alters the landscape of each girl's summer -- and raises questions about how two girls who are so different will ever share a dorm room.

As the countdown to college begins, life at home becomes increasingly complex. With family relationships and childhood friendships strained by change, it suddenly seems that the only people Elizabeth and Lauren can rely on are the complicated new boys in their lives . . . and each other. Even though they've never met.

This is the second book by Sara Zarr book I have read and reviewed (here's the video review How to Save a Life). The first by Tara Altebrando and I have no idea who wrote what. This book is in the point of view of the two roommates to be. They going to college (or uni as I would call it) and have been assigned the same room so they start emailing each other. 

The both characters were likable, realistic and their issues were nice contrast against each other.

In a lot of ways, this is a typical YA contemporary : Romance, personal struggles and family issues. All that growing up stuff and preparing to live without your family in the same building. But it was good and it was interesting to read about two characters that were in the same situation as me, going to uni after the summer. 

The plot was good, was little over top at the end but was understandable and realistic situation. 
The novel is told in first person, changing between each girl every chapter, which really works. The only thing is I don't like that its starts and ends with the same girl. I can get why they would do that but I like to be equal. We also have their emails to each other and placement in the chapter could be interesting.

Overall, I gave this 4/5 stars for someone else's snoring. It was nice little book and would recommend anyone who embarking on the journey to Uni/college.

I sent this book for review by way of BookBrigdr. It's published by Hodder & Stoughton.

Book Review: Follow Me Down by Tanya Byrne

Boarding schools are fun and tragic places in YA novels.

When 16-year-old Adamma Okomma, a Nigerian diplomat's daughter, arrives at exclusive Crofton College in Wiltshire, she is immediately drawn to beautiful, tempestuous, unpredictable Scarlett Chiltern. Adamma and Scarlett become inseparable - until a boy comes between them. Soon the battle lines are drawn and Adamma is shunned by Scarlett and her privileged peers. But then Scarlett goes missing and everything takes a darker turn.

This is a cool book with a cool writer. coolio.

The book is formatted into an interesting way with the book being a cycle. The story switches between the present, the day Scarlett disappears and from the day Adamma meets Scarlett. So if you want you could just read the past entries first and then go back and read the present part but probably won’t be as good of experience since the book wasn’t design to be read that way. Maybe do that if you decide to reread it. 

The plot had you guessing and doubting where Scarlett had gotten off to. The relationship between Adamma and Scarlett was really well done and believable. I felt really invested with the characters by the end of the book and heavy effected by what occurs between them all.

I really love the end scene and its kinda perfect for the book.

Overall, I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars for drinking in the woods. Whilst really liking this book, I did find it bit predictable near the end but it still amazingly written so read it.

Book Review: Lobsters (also now know as A Totally Awkward Love Story) by Tom Ellen & Lucy Ivison

Don't buy books with Lobsters on them unless they have a daisy in their claw and

Sam and Hannah only have the holidays to find 'The One'. Their lobster. But instead of being epic, their summer is looking awkward. They must navigate social misunderstandings, the plotting of well-meaning friends, and their own fears of being virgins for ever to find happiness. But fate is at work to bring them together. And in the end, it all boils down to love.

I saw this book on Netgalley and didn't click on it because it looked like a American book and contemporary American romances is not something I'm not interest in, well because it everywhere. Of course going off the cover, wellies are not very American so I should have known that it wasn't set in the states. 

 I have also met these authors at the Edinburgh Book Festival (which is experience to be found here).

This is a duo perspective with Ellen writing the point of view of the boy character Sam and Ivison writing the point of view of Hannah. The story follows both them and their friends' summer. They live near one another but don't know each other at the start of the novel. They of course bump into each in comical ways through out the summer and hilarity insure.

 I really enjoyed this book as its funny and the characters are realistic. They are teenagers and do dumb things like teenagers do. I love finding realistic teens in YA (which is mainly why I don't read contemporary American romances).

They take the character to fun places such as music festival which reminded me fond memories of the time I went to TTIP the summer I left school.I also just want to say that there is a ton of Harry Potter references in this book. 

 Overall, I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars for names on doors. I really loved this book and I'm so glad that Edinburgh International Book Festival made me pick this masterpiece of YA contemporary (I'm not totally laughing from writing that last bit. I'm thinking of scene from the novel). I would totally recommend you read this book on bus on way and back to a Book Festival.

Book Review: The Rain by Virginia Bergin

Because films just don't include the important detail of bathroom habits during the apocalypse.

One minute sixteen-year-old Ruby Morris is having her first proper snog with Caspar McCloud in a hot tub, and the next she’s being bundled inside the house, dripping wet, cold and in her underwear. Not cool. As she and Caspar shiver in the kitchen, it starts to rain. They turn on the radio to hear panicked voices – ‘It’s in the rain . . . it’s in the rain . . . ' That was two weeks ago, and now Ruby is totally alone. People weren’t prepared for the rain, got caught out in it, didn’t realize that you couldn’t drink water from the taps either. Even a drip of rain would infect your blood, and eat you from the inside out. Ruby knows she has to get to London to find her dad, but she just doesn’t know where to start . . . After rescuing all the neighbourhood dogs, Ruby sets off on a journey that will take her the length of the country – surviving in the only way she knows how.

The thing is about this book is that unusual in that the main character in no way or form should survive the apocalypse. Ruby has survive mostly from luck. She is not at all practical, she wastes drinkable water a lot. I guess it would be highly unlikely if she didn't have practical people around her. It interesting to have apocalypse from that point of view.

I feel like they run out of liquid too soon. I mean they run out of any form of water the next day after the run came. I guess it could just be greatly unfortunate that grocery day was tomorrow when it suck. I also don't think the science is quite all there. Certain things don't make sense, like why does it only effect the humans so explosively and there nothing at all to indicate that the water is infected at all. There's probably a science thing that could at least test it, but we don't really meet anyone with that skill set. This the start of series so hopefully we get those answers. Also who cut off all the phone lines.

Overall, I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars for murderous neighbours. This book had it funny moments with featured reference to that if this was Hollywood movie and of course mostly it was just tragic as everyone dies in the world and there no water to be had. The story could have ended where the book does but I am glad there is going to be a sequel and plan to read it.

I got this off Netgalley for Review. It is being published by Macmillan Children's Books on 17th July (tomorrow).

Book Review: Anatomy of a Boyfriend by Daria Snadowsky

Nothing sexier than a naked Ken doll.

Before this all happened, the closest I'd ever come to getting physical with a guy was playing the board game Operation. Okay, so maybe that sounds pathetic, but it's not like there were any guys at my high school who I cared to share more than three words with, let alone my body.

Then I met Wes, a track star senior from across town. Maybe it was his soulful blue eyes, or maybe my hormones just started raging. Either way, I was hooked. And after a while, he was too. I couldn't believe how intense my feelings became, or the fact that I was seeing—and touching—parts of the body I'd only read about in my Gray's Anatomy textbook. You could say Wes and I experienced a lot of firsts together that spring. It was scary. It was fun. It was love.

And then came the fall.

 I generally like this book, though they were few issues with it though that bugged me.

Domuqiue is a virgin with access to the internet yet she never looks up Sex tips or whatever. She relays on her Best Friend for her sex info mostly. I actually cringe at certain parts because even in my inexperince I know they're doing it wrong. Remember kids, if someone bleeding you're doing it wrong (even if it your first time). Dom is all about the safe sex, it just seems a bit weird that knowledge about that but not actual sex.

I don't percudilair like Dom, I don't perduliar like Wes. Maybe that makes them a perfect couple then. Probably not. Though, I do think they are very realistic teenagers, just the sort of teens I would roll my eyes at whist I passed them the hall at school. This book deals with Teenage sexuality realistic. They certain thing in here I could critised for being stupid but sadly certain things Dom does are what actual real woman do.

Overall, I give this book 3 out of 5 stars for buckets of fiction tears. I recommended it for anyone who likes Romance and wants a YA book that actually deals with sex. 

 Joins us next ( month probably, certainly not next) week where I shall be reviewing the sequel 'Anatomy of a Single Girl'.

Disclaimer: I was sent this book for Review by the Author, but you know me I'm highly critical of everything, even things I love, so I won't be swayed by free books. I just felt I should tell you that.