Only Mostly Devastated by Sophie Gonzales

Maybe my favourite film is Grease. No...Or is it? No.

Ollie and Will were a summer fling; now they're classmates. But only one of them is out...

It was the very last Wednesday of August when I realized Disney had been lying to me about Happily Ever Afters. Because, you see, I was four days into mine, and my prince was nowhere to be found.

"Please don't lose contact. I need to see you again," he'd said. So why was I here, banging my head against a metaphorical wall, weighing up the pros and cons of sending another message? This wasn't a big deal. It was just a guy texting another guy. A guy who knew all my biggest secrets, and had Seen. Me. Naked™. A guy who'd convinced me he really, really liked me. A guy who'd better have been abducted by goddamn aliens...

When Ollie meets Will over the summer break, he thinks he's found his Happily Ever After. But once summer's ended, Will stops texting him back, and Ollie finds himself short of his fairy-tale ending.

A family emergency sees Ollie uprooted and enrolled at a new school across the country - Will's school - and Ollie finds that the sweet, affectionate and comfortably queer guy he knew from summer isn't the same one attending Collinswood High. This Will is a class clown, a basketball jock and, well, a bit of a jerk.

Ollie isn't going to pine after a guy who isn't ready for a relationship. But as school life repeatedly throws them together, from music class to the lunch table, Ollie finds his resolve weakening.

With the noisy drama of their friends as the backdrop - from ambitious Juliette and frosty Lara, to big-hearted Darnell and king-jock Matt - Ollie has a decision to make.

The last time he gave Will his heart, Will handed it back to him trampled and battered. Ollie would have to be an idiot to trust him with it again. Right?


This was sold as a Queer Modern Retelling of Grease and it is. I think ten years ago, it probably would it been sold as High School Musical. Maybe that's just that the Love interest, Will is a basketball player. Oliver isn't a science quiz genius or anything. He does like music and is in a band. I guess basketball is just the modern equal of a bad boy car-obsessed gang. Yeah, that's not a thing anymore, probably because cars are not a novelty anymore.

I do like that we have Queer character outside the main romantic pairing. Queer people are friends with other Queer people even when we not out. We find each other completely on accident.

This novel is completely told in Oliver's POV, which I was slightly disappointed about, cause in my mind a Grease retelling should duo-protagonists, so you think the same it doesn't. This is Oliver's story more than Will's.

Will is not out to anyone, is major factor in how their relationship plays out. I think this was done well, consideration from both points of view, with both feelings been taken into account. Obviously, no one should be forced out but Will does go overboard in an attempt to hid their relationship.

This does deal with causal homophobia, by a causal, I mean making gay jokes while not intending target a gay or Queer person. Just to mock your friend because Straight boys think being gay is funny for some reason. I blame the patriarchy. This was a major problem when I was youngling and going off the teen barter I overhear its still a problem. Hopefully, this will not be a problem anymore in the future. I think its dealt with well and realistically.

This book deals with grief and the threat of grief. Knowing that you are likely to lose someone you love soon. This was done okay. The thing is I very recently read a 5/5 star book that had someone lose their Aunt to cancer. This book felt more about the romance than anything, so I didn't like it as much. I read romance heavy contemporaries but I'm Ace so I'm not all about that. There is a lot of romantic pairing going on, it's all very cute.

Overall, I give this book 4/5 stars for Rosegold Roses. This is cute romance with attempt at depth. It's perfect for people who like cute but want something more going on than just romance. T|he relationships between all the characters were done nicely.  I will read Gonzales again, her next book sounds interesting.

Read: 3/3/20199
Reviewed: 3/03/2020
Published Date: 5th March 2020
Publisher: Hodder Children's Books
Source: Netgalley
Content Warning: Cancer, Terminal Illness, Death of Love One, Homophobia, Being Outed (this not a big deal, but does happen technically twice), Diet and comments about eating,

Disclaimer: I received e-arc of this off the Publisher for review. My reviews are always honest.

Book Review: The Truth About Keeping Secrets by Savannah Brown

The Truth about Keeping a review schedule, it's really hard for me.

A stunning coming-of-age tale from poet and writer Savannah Brown.

Sydney's dad is the only psychiatrist for miles around in their small Ohio town.

He is also unexpectedly dead.

Sydney believes the crash was anything but an accident. And when the threatening texts begin, and June Copeland - homecoming queen and golden child - appears at his funeral out of nowhere, she's sure of it.

But through Sydney's newfound relationship with June, she's given a glimpse of a life without the darkness of an unresolved grief and the chance, just maybe, of a fresh start.

Until it's clear that the secrets won't go away, and the truth might bring everything crashing down...

Imperfect friendships, the shadow of grief and the sweet pain of romance - this is a poetic, thrilling ode to being human

I first heard about this book when Savannah Brown did a video announcing it but I can't actually remember how much she said about it in that video, but I've been keeping a lookout since.

The main character Sidney is gay and has a Queer friend. This is an established fact at the start of the novel and is just a fact about the character. Homophobia is a topic of the book and the character was previously outed. This is not a major part of the book but also is, like real life. I mean, yes the character is gay and that affects the way people treat her but that's not the story. It does have a Queer romance. You know what I mean. Hopefully.

This novel's plot does have thriller elements and it could be written as a thriller. The main reason I wouldn't classify it as a thriller due to pacing and that's not where the emphasis is. It reminds me of Cat Clarke's book (which are I love and are also often Queer), in its dark contemporary dealing with real things and a bit of mystery but has more focused on character development.

I really liked the writing style of this book, it's pretty sometimes without being too much. It's told in first-person and works great for the story.

Overall, I give this book 4/5 stars for Noises in the Night. I really like this book and I wish I was a better reviewer. I mean I'm literally reviewing when I should have reviewed it last year, but you can still buy it now.

Read: 5/3/2019 to 17/3/2019
Reviewed: 20/03/2019 - 26/02/2020
Published Date: 7th March 2019
Publisher: Penguin
Source: Netgalley/Owned
Content Warning for Book: Death; Death of a Parent; Domestic Abuse (Mostly off-page); Homophobia; Harsementl Stalking; Life endangerment; Being Outed; Forced Outed;
Content Warnings are given by the author. I also have trigger warnings and things this book contains in my tags as always (my old system).

Disclaimier: I received e-arc of this book from NetGalley and the Publisher. I also brought it before I finished reading it and I late with my review again as this came out on 7th March 2019.

Book Review: Language of Cherries by Jen Marie Hawkins.

Language of Cherries or just badly taking from other people's cultures.

When Evie Perez is cut off from everything she loves and forced to move to Iceland for the summer, she takes her canvas and paintbrushes into the picturesque cherry orchard behind her guesthouse. She stains her lips with stolen cherries in the midnight sun and paints a boy she’s never met.

Oskar is startled to discover Evie in his family’s orchard, and even more surprised to see himself on her canvas. Too ashamed to reveal his stutter, he remains silent as Evie returns day after day to paint, spilling confessions she wouldn’t even tell her priest.

As Evie’s life back home unravels, Oskar wants to comfort her with words, but he knows he’s waited too long, so he uses music instead. But when it all comes to the surface, he knows that if Evie can’t forgive him for lying, he may never forgive himself for surviving.

I am never going to read Jen Marie Hawkins again. I never enjoy this book which is the important thing when reading for fun and entertainment, but that's not the reason. No, I'm never gonna read Jen Marie Hawkins again because in the acknowledgements she thanks her husband by saying he's "The Joker to her Harley" which tells me she does not understand relationships. I know tons of people somehow miss that Joker and Harley are an abusive relationship, but seriously you need help if that's your ideal. The darker interpretation is that she outing her husbands in the acknowledgement. I don't normally review what authors say in their acknowledgements unless to see if they had information given by their knowledge on the subject the book deals with. Like if they used sensitive readers which Hawkins did.

This is another book with a weird stereotypic Scottish character who has red hair and uses Lad and Lass as though she is 180 years old. It's not that she uses lad or lass instead of boy or girl. No, it's that she says it at nasal as though you might forget that she a walking stereotype. Every other sentence, at times. The Catholic main character asks the Scottish character who named Agnes by the way, another reason why I think she 180 if she is Catholic. I get American wouldn't know how bad that is to do, but it's just a terrible thing to ask someone in general. This a book that wants to be about religion, but goes in no

I almost DNF the book when she appeared, even before I knew she had red hair because I knew by the way she was described I wasn't going to enjoy this nonsense. However, I thought that was kinda silly to be my last straw. They were other things in the book that I wasn't enjoying but this book had revealed itself to have one of my pet projects. This is a proof so I'm not meant to quote from it, so let's call this paraphrasing. Ages is called pushy like most Scots. What? Frankly, that's a new one and blatantly American thing to say. Like it's Heritage has the most to do with nature, rather than culture which varies town to town.

This a contemporary with magic cherry trees. It has the usual tropes, including the one I dedicate too much time, it seems, to discussing.

That's right a Silent Protagonist, okay, I don't expect everyone who reads this review to know what that is. Basically, a Silent Protagonist is the main character who for some reason does not speak for the majority of the novel. Sometimes this because they have a medical disorder where they are mute or have a mental disorder such as Selective Mutism but most of the time they're just doing it for kicks. So I have Selective Mutism so I'm interested whenever I see this in media, and since it's relevant, I also have a speech impediment and a slight stutter. Actually, a lot of kids do develop anxiety around talking due to speech impediments (not me, I just don't know how people work) so this interesting in its realistic but it's a 17-year-old boy that's decided not to talk to a single person because he dislikes her and then he fancies her. I've seen worse ways of doing it and he is my first boy. It goes on too long and Evie really should have figured out that he understood English, even if he didn't speak it. It never discussed properly why he did it.

The way language is used in this book is very performative and doesn't feel natural at all. Random mixing in Icelandic words into English sentences for no reason and the same with Spanish ones in a way that does not flow naturally. I'm not someone who has two first languages. I have Scots and figuring out what of those words don't exist in English, which is another reason why Agnes play as stereotype more than a general. I have been learning Gaelic so I can tell you that Welsh and Gaelic are not the same thing. I could have you that before, but now I know more of the differences. I could get Confusing Irish and Scottish Gaelic since they have similarities but besides being both Celtic languages they not that similar.

English is a useful language to have, but it has no sentimental value because its not our language. It's not Scots or Gaelic, its something that was forced on to us. I probably speak English to my kids if I lived in a foreign country because it's my first language and English is a useful language to know. No idea why his dad thought it was important they know both through, like its a thing. It made it seem like it was a sentimental thing for him when they living in Iceland and he was the Icelandic parent.

I think the biggest problem is that I don't like the main characters. I feel sorry for them sometimes but they haven't presented themselves as real people. This book is told in the third person closely following Evie and an obvious fake journal by Oskar, who writes in verse. Him writing in verse does nothing for me and often is not poetic at all. I'm not expert on poetry and I didn't read any of his poems out loud, so I don't have the tools to judge fully, however, I do have a Higher in English and learnt different forms of poems and I do like the style of poetry its meant to be but it doesn't feel like poetry, just random space lining which this book had a lot.

This isn't the novel's fault but the e-arc I received was badly formatted. Sometimes I could not read Evie's parts because the lines went off the page into the text into the next page. The Kindle version was fine, but that meant I had to keep switching formats from the preferred method of reading e-arcs. So in terms of fair reviewing, that probably lessen my enjoyment of this book but it didn't have much to take from.

Overall, I give this book 2/5 stars for Rotten Cherries. I know I obsessed over the Scottish stereotype thing but hey I'm Scottish and it was annoyingly distracting any time the character appeared. Nevermind, that Oskar was meant to be half Scottish, he was written very American. It's hard to get anything perfect if you don't belong to that culture, but they was literally no reason she was Scottish anyway. She could have just been English and it would have been the same thing. Druid is not a Scottish thing in our Culture, sure Paganish and witches but so is the rest of Great Britain.
Most importantly I didn't like the characters and they were the story.

On a serious note, I'm sort of joking about never reading again because of the Harley thing, Hawkins is a decent writer but this book does just a lot of things wrong for me. I would be interested to see more Own Voice reviews of this book about the elements that I can't speak on. This book just doesn't leave me excited to read anymore but never say never. This a debut.

Read: 5/2/2020 to 11/2/2020
Reviewed: 12/2/2020
Published Date: 11th February 2020
Publisher: Owl Hollow Press
Source: Netgalley
I received this book as an e-arc from the Publisher for free, my reviews are always honest and my own opinion.
Content Warning for Book: Fire; Car Accident; Death; Dementia;

Book Review: All the Invisible Things by Orlagh Collins

What a Bi time to be Alive.


A warm, witty, important story about being a young woman today, and what it's like to find a real connection amid all the noise.


Vetty's never told anyone she gets feelings for girls as well as boys. It could have been easy once, back when Pez was the boy-next-door and she was still comfortable in her own skin. But then Mum died and her family moved out of London, and it felt much safer to keep her heart in hiding.

Now Vetty’s seventeen and heading back to London, she’s determined to start living out loud. Pez is the key, she’s sure. She was always fearless around him.

But Pez is different too. Guarded. It’s like their special connection never existed. And suddenly Vetty’s sure he’s hiding something too.

Okay, this is an odd one. I thought I had written a review for this book but can find no record of it. I definitely had thoughts when I finished this book and I looked everywhere to find a record of these thoughts but there must have got lost in the drama of another hospital stay. Not mine but I did a lot of dring this week.

This has a Bi main character realising she bi, but it's an odd one because it's like she doesn't have access to the internet. She knows she like girls at the start of the novel but has never heard of any Queer labelling outside of the LG, I mean Bi is the next letter after that. I mean this book name drops Tumblr and apparently before it managed to destroy itself. At the age of sixteen, she does a quiz to find out if she Bi, but knew she liked girls at age 12. It does have a moment of "I hate Labels" which is a trope I hate when it comes to people who are attracted to multiple genders. Yeah, some people haven't found labels they comfortable with, but why is always people who are Bi/Pan in media.

This book was meant to be set the during the time I read it and I have some tragic news. It either really dated or lives in a parallel universe as the plot involves NSFW things being still allowed on Tumblr. Maybe Tumblr will try to save itself and allowing NSFW stuff back on it. In the internet age, books can date so easy when listing the actual website. Even with a website that still exists, people who uses them changes. Facebook was for young people, not only parents use it. It's still good for group work but not much for else.

A lot of issues are dealt with in this book, including grief and addiction. The friendships and family relationships in this book were done well.

Overall, I give this book 3/5 stars for Wedding Planning. It is good to have a book about having someone know that they Queer and coming terms to the attraction to the opposite sex. The intention is very good, but cultures change over time, so I don't buy that main character even with her gay Aunts, I just don't buy she wouldn't have realised that multiple-gender attraction is a thing.

Read 24 July 2019, Finish Review 29/01/2020
Published Date 7 March 2019
Publisher: Bloomsbury YA
Source: Netgalley
I received this book as an e-arc from the Publisher, my reviews are always honest and my own opinion.

Book Review: Outside by Sarah Ann Juckes

Scottish music, it's a thing.

Here's the thing about being Inside. Ain't no one believes that they are.

Ele has never been Outside, but she knows it exists - she just has to prove it.

Her whole world is Inside. Trapped with her books and the Others and Him. 
She has never seen a tree or felt the rain but that's about to change. Ele's getting out. For good.

Another book about someone being raised in isolation, but this time it's for the YA market. I would say it's Young YA, it has very dark topic but the way it's handled is almost middle-grade. I guess if you're not a 12 year watching True Crime Docs but that was me.

Ele has not been properly socialised so she doesn't know the words for basic objects and only has access to four books to frame her world. She speaks in a confusing way and it took me a while to figure out whether the word she kept using was meant to positive or negative. I got used it to eventually but I don't think it helps that I started this book while in a waiting room and didn't read it for hours later. Probably better to read the first fifty pages in one go.

Another language choice that is uncomfortable is the way she describes the character, Willow, whose mixed raced with a dead Jamaican Mother and ginger Scottish father. Yeah, it's does get minus points for stereotypes. Having diverse characters is a plus but the some of the descriptions of Willow by Ele are oddly racist; not in the racist way in that she been locked in a room entire life so doesn't know the connotation of the things she says; more in what the hell does that mean? "His head hair ain't like no truths in no books. It's all together and bouncy." I think Juckes is trying to be poetic, but it's more what? This could just be a me thing.

This book tries to have twists, but if you know true crime then it obvious what they'll be and you won't be shocked.  It's also a very Juvenile Happy Ending way, I mean the characters literally say we don't why, it just is, which is realistic of life, but the way it's said doesn't help. I do say this Young Ya, and to clarify is not a bad thing. A young side to YA is needed, so this book might be good for Young teen wanting to step their toes into something darker but safe in that there will be Happy ending for the characters.

This book is set in Scotland, but where in Scotland? Fantasy Scotland probably. So I was born in Scotland, I was raised in Scotland. I went to school in Scotland. Okay, I'm probably overkilling this. There's just a lot of questionable things in this book that makes me think that Juckes has never been to Scotland or had her book proofread properly. She checked with someone's mum that the dialogue was correct. There's odd things referring to potatoes as Tatties and potatoes: " brown spotted balls called 'potatoes' - once Willow also called them 'Tatties'' and this not something someone would do unless they were questioned. Frankly, it should be the other way if you wanted to point out that Scottish people called them that. You either use that word or you don't. The Scots was, of course, wrote very touristy, but this book is obviously meant for a non-Scottish audience. The thing that made me really go what?, is this scene: When he’s done with the slow song, he starts playing something else. Something fast.  Something that has him dancing from left to right as his arm swoops from side to side and up and down. The music bounces off the walls and has me sitting up, smiling, my feet bouncing along like they’re running on music.‘Come on!’Willow shouts, spinning round in a circle and bouncing from foot to foot. I get up and copy him, though it’s difficult without a violin to play myself. I hop from one foot to the other. Spin round. [dance till collapsing] ‘Phew! Ah, that’s a fun one.’I pull my head to the side so I can see him. He’s smiling wide at the ceiling, pulling in breaths from his inhaler. ‘Irish,’he says, catching my eye. ‘They know how to dance."

So this is the thing called Ceilidh in Scotland, and if you had gone to a Scottish School you would know from the age of 8, we are all taught Scottish Group dancing and this continues until we were finally free of P.E. (in 6th year in my case) but still would make us do them at the Christmas Dance (at least my school did), we were made to do them at Christmas Dances during Primary. The Gay Gordons are drilled into my head. My point is there is a scene where a Scottish person plays a fiddle fast and does a dance that can't wrap my head around at being like anything that exists. Is he meant to be 'Riverdancing' with a violin? Maybe the targeted audience won't be old enough to immediately think of that Irish Scene in Titanic and all those dead Irish people. There are really fast Scottish dances and that type of music would be associated with Scottish dancing, if you were Scottish. There are other questionable things like Ele somehow never seeing trees on her way outside, or not being eaten alive by midges. This isn't really a big deal, just in the back of mind, where the hell in Scotland is this meant to be? I think Highlands but a lot of Scotland has middle of nowheres. Basically, all the questionable Scottish stuff just becomes really distracting and I don't get the choice.

I mean if you're not from Scotland, then I don't know why you would do it. The setting is never really described in detail, there's a lack of houses so I know it must be in the countryside but that's it. It could be anywhere.

Another big problem is the unquestioning nature of the characters, I guess spoils for after the 30% of the book. Ele gets outside and through a series of events ends up staying in this boy's, Willow, house and his dad doesn't question anything. Even with this going on for several days, with this girl who doesn't understand the basic things of the world and it's obvious that this is a case where the police should be called. She is also magically toilet trained and she learns everything really easily.

Overall, I give this book 3/5 stars for Dead Trees. This is a book with serious topics that is unrealistic in its execution. This is on the Younger side of YA (which they has been lack of in recent years and they should be more published), with the protagonist being thirteen and the push for a happy ending. Maybe I'm just to jaded to be really touched by this story especially there are several books with similar topics. This is okay but not story that will stick with me.

I received this book for review off NetGalley and the publisher Penguin. It was published on the 3rd January 2019. Do I have to say that this review was honest?

Glasgow is Gone.

My cat died. My little, giant arse cat is dead. Born Thursday, 21st October 2011, died Wednesday 30th May 2018. Only six years old and I've had them since he was born (his mother was our cat, don't worry no taking kittens too young from their mothers).

We have lost a pet a year the past three years and really hope it's a trend that doesn't continue, because I went throw a cosmetic fit. We've went from having 3 cats and 2 dogs to a reasonably 2 cats and 1 dog. That 1 dog is also not one of the original two. Do have to change my Instagram to reasonably pet owner instead of "mass pet owner"?

Glasgow Smile died quite unexpectedly. Like he couldn't breath, found in the garden baking in the sun.

Glasgow liked to hide. I think he was hiding in the garden instead of my bedroom because my sister would not leave him alone. Even in his death there's still debate about whose cat he was. The answer is clearly mine. The fact she abandoned her own cat should be prove of that.

Fatykins is dead. I also called him fuffykins and furrykins, but his sister is still those things, while being tinykins. Mandela has been acting strange for her. More affectionate. Lying in Glasgow's typical spaces. His mother does not appear to care.

Losing animals is weird. I still miss my cat Inky and my dog Shep. Even miss Mysti sometimes, even though she wasn't really my dog. I miss Glasgow, I miss his loud purr, his paws, how he pop out of nowhere and rub himself against you and how he would let me hold him like a baby. I still have Leia who lets me hold her like a baby. Glasgow was also the only of the cats that would almost play wit her and sort of liked her. He was only one to be affectionate to her, which makes sense he was a dogcat and she is catdog. Their marking are similar too.

I also immediately came up with morbid jokes immediately, including highlanders jokes as Mandela is the last cat. Humour is how I cope. Also something about time capsule actually being a cat grave that a millionaire has left for children to dig up because he was secretly a dick.

Glasgow purred a lot. Though, I kinda taught him to purr if wanted to be left alone. He also bite as kitten and that didn't work.

I am gonna go now, cause I don't know what I was saying. See you next week and maybe last week.

Book Review: We Are Young by Cat Clarke

This book continued the trend of YA coma books I'm reading.

Three People died

and no one's asking why.

But I need answers.

I have to find out

what really happened 

that night.

Back once again with another Cat Clarke book, this time the actual year of publication. Reviews of most of her books can be found here. I found Cat Clarke by her YA debut and I have followed her since. She an auto-buy author. Basically, I really like her writing and have high expectation of her.

This book does involve a band and the main character really like playing music, but it not really a music book. They only have gig practices and only pop artists are named. I mention because someone else said they thought the vinyls indicated it as a heavy music book. No, they broken vinyls that the thing to play attention to and obviously to match Clarke's other books.

Evan Page is suspicious about her Stepbrother's car accident that involved four people that didn't belong to the same circle. Basically, this is a murder mystery involving drugs and spoilery things. I did miss that Evan's last name was Page so I was real confuse when people would call her that. Did she go through a name change and it was somehow not picked up in certain places during the revisions. Nope, I'm just Dyslexic.

Characters and their relationships with each other play a big part. Different families dynamic are explored within Evan own family  and her interactions with the families of those in the car, as she tries to solve the mystery of why.

Within the Band, there is a triangle of Exs with Evan at the centre. Evan is bi, Sid and Daze are friends and that events of the novel explore her feeling towards them. It's a nice addiction. I like it.

This book deals with a lot, most of it going into spoilers. (I do Trigger warnings in my labels). Clarke manages to handle all these well. The ending is slightly preachy, but also was a coherent and is a satisfying ending. With it being a hard subject, there no real satisfying ending of this book.

Overall, I give this 5/5 stars for Earned Guitars. In terms of mystery, I never guess exactly what was going to go down, which I often do and the writing is good as usual. Cat Clarke continues to breaks hearts. Breakfast Tim will stay with me and I will wonder about his career.

I got this book for Review off of NetGalley and is being published by Quercus Children's Books on 3rd of May 2018.

Book Review: Girlhood by Cat Clarke

Bordering School in Scotland and a Dead twin, what does that remind me of?

I lost myself

               when my sister died,

  and these girls rebuilt me,
     piece by piece.
I thought that nothing could 
  ever come between US.
I thought I knew who I was...
        Until
                  the new girl 
                        showed up.

This book came out on my Birthday and I went out and brought it on my Birthday which was an 2 hour journey for me. So course I've only read it now, despite also receiving a NetGalley of it as well. I don't even read the NetGalleys of my favourite authors on time (though I only got access to it, a day before it came out).

I've read most of Cat Clarke books (except one only published in America and the one that's not out yet). This was the most disappointing. It was the only one that didn't make me cry. It's not bad. It's not okay. It's is good. However, it was not Clarke ripping my heart out like she has with every other book. Even my least favourite book of her books made me cry. Though, I like this one better than A Kiss in the Dark.

It's similar to Cat Clarke books in I sat and read it in one sitting. Because you have to read Clarke in one sitting or you will spend all your time thinking about it, even if you're a sleep.

Okay, so what didn't work for me. The big conflict is a lot smaller than other Clarke books, it relays on subtly and relationships. The relationships and friendships are done well, but the issue is obvious from outsider point of view (even without another character saying exactly what's happening). Yes, I am not 17 like Harper is, but I think

Harper's relationship with her sister is a bit shallow for me. The idea of someone losing their identical twin sounds horrific, especially when they in their teens. This happens before the book and is one of Harper's defining issues. My problem is it all feels like plot to me. We have Harper talking about parts of their childhood and her death, not really flashbacks, more Harper talking to the reader about her sister like we were her friend/therapist. Anorexia is usually a slow death, so the time line feels a little muddled. Harper's guilt plays a role, but maybe a more hit and run death would have worked better. Clarke has done grief for a sister before and it worked then, so why didn't work now for me.

This also some girl on girl sexual tension which I always appreciate. We have a canon lesbian, Bi and someone at least willing to go there. It has almost nothing to do with the plot which is fun. There's some romance stuff, but it also like nothing. It's definitely a friendship book. I really should have loved this book.

Clarke as always, likes to tackle a harder subjects. We have grief, body image issues, depression and other stuff that's too much a spoiler to talk about in a review.

I thought the plot was going one way, it didn't which is probably for the best. The plot works for the most part. 

Overall, I give this book 4/5 stars for Stone Bars. The real problem is Cat Clarke is amazing and this didn't stab me in the heart, so I'm disappointed. Maybe I'm just getting more heartless as I get older. My actual guess, is that Clarke was juggling a lot more important characters than she normally does and my expectation was too high. I'm still going to shove Cat Clarke books at people, even they talk about books.

I got this book for Review off NetGalley and Quercus Children's Books. But I always going to read this anyway. It was published on 4th May 2018.

Currently £4 on Amazon (Affiliate Link):https://amzn.to/2HW1eLK

Book Review: Clean by Juno Dawson

"Gossip Girl, Interrupted" is a phases used in the book.

A razor-sharp, adrenaline rush of a novel from award-winning author Juno Dawson, Clean is Gossip Girl meets Girl, Interrupted.

'I can feel it swimming through my veins like glitter ... it's liquid gold.'

When socialite Lexi Volkov almost overdoses, she thinks she's hit rock bottom.

She's wrong. Rock bottom is when she's forced into an exclusive rehab facility.

From there, the only way is up for Lexi and her fellow inmates, including the mysterious Brady.

As she faces her demons, Lexi realises love is the most powerful drug of all ...

It's a dirty business getting clean ...

I've had some hits and misses with Juno Dawson. I usually like what she trying to do: her plots sound interesting and she tries to diversify the stories she tells, though that had lead to specific problem for me in the past, forms of Ableism and weird Queer Burying. Going into this story I have read very good short stories by her but her longer works have just not worked at all for me. I know she capable and she is trying so I've let some of her problematic stuff side because I know it not malice and I am a critical little shit. Basically, everyone is problematic, its the trying that counts and pointing out the bad is something you should do for growth reasons. If you're interested in my specific thoughts then I've have reviewed everything by Dawson that I have read.

Clean is about addiction, and the word clean is said several times in the novel. It actually probably the normal amount but it more noticeable because title. I think it done well from my experience watching others self-destruction but I've never been addicted to a substance. The process of Rehab is talked about a lot and I'm glad it not portrayed as a quick fix.

The setting is a high class recovery centre for under 24s. There's people there with different addictions and vice. Lot of mental health rep so all the characters we're introduce to, have issues.There's also some survivor guilt action which was my favourite.

The protagonist and narrator Lexi is unlikable at first, but addicts in denial are kinda unlikable so
realistic. Books takes addiction from the bored kid with money angle which is fine but everyone is capable of becoming addicted and anyone can be effected by mental illness as neither care about money. It just what this novel does, which includes the party attitude towards certain drugs, that reaches most class levels anyway. I did think it was interesting to address whether its problem if have money and no one seems to notice.

Toxic relationships play a part in this novel. I think it done well for the most part, especially as partners and friend groups have been proven as to why many struggle to stay clean. I don't love the rebound relationship stuff but I can also see why its in the book. I just carry a lot of baggage from Disney's Frozen.

Pointing out fun things: Dawson likes to do A, B, C, D and E. All of the Above. That would make a cool title.

Overall, I give this book 4/5 stars for Bastard Demons or Puppet Demons if that offends you. It still Dawson's voice, but this one worked better for me. I would read her again, but probably sticking don't buy anymore of her book though because I own most of them and most books on my bookcase are still not read. I didn't feel that attached to the characters and for me it was surface level and this probably light read for me because my heart is blacken. It deals with a complex issue well enough. Don't take Heroine, it always a problem.

I got this book for review off NetGalley and is being published on Quercus Children's Books on 5th April 2018.

Book Review: Bad Girls with Perfect Faces by Lynn Weingarten

I didn't buy any nail polish off this book.

No one is good enough for Xavier. Not according to Sasha, his best friend. There's nothing Sasha wouldn't do to protect Xavier from getting hurt, especially by his cheating ex Ivy, who's suddenly slithered back into the picture. Worried that Xavier is ready to forgive and forget, Sasha decides to do a little catfishing. She poses as a hot guy online, to prove cheaters never change.

But Sasha's plan goes wrong fast, and soon the lies lead down a path from which there's no return . . .

This is my second encounter with Weingarten. I really liked Suicide Notes from Beautiful Girls and was excited to immurge myself into her writing. This does have similar to that book, but I didn't like this one as much. I mean I did really like Suicide Notes.

The plot is okay, there were some twists attempts, but I wasn't the right type of invested to care. Half way point kinda lost me. It works well in theory, but also seem like quite a standard affair. The plot is bit reliant on the characters being idiots.

This is another friendship bordering on romance. It works well and funly tragic. The characters do a lot of dancing around each other. This is more relationship based than plot, as everything that happens due the character's relationships have with each other.

Overall, I give this book 3/5 stars for locked accounts. I had high hopes for this book and sadly it didn't meet them. It was still a decent read, and if you're looking for a YA thriller, give it ago.

I recieved this book for review off NetGalley and Electric Monkey, it came out on the 11th January 2018.

Book Review: What I couldn't Tell You by Faye Bird

There's a lot a couldn't you. Most of it isn't important.

When Love turns to jealousy, when jealousy turns to rage, when rage turns to destruction...

Laura was head over heels in love with Joe. But Laura lies in a coma and Joe has gone missing. Was he the one who attacked her?

Laura's sister Tessie is Selectively Mute. She can't talk but she can listen. And as people tell her their secrets, she thinks she's getting close to understanding what happened that fateful night.

I read this book because mystery and Selective Mutism. I am Selectively Mute and have been during a video series of reviews on novel with Silent Protagionist, so I found this book looking for books to review for it. This intrigued me as it was Mystery which seems to be the second favourite to straight up contemporary.

The Selective Mutism is done okay. Sometimes it felt a bit more telling but Bird also does a good job of showing Tessie stress from the threat of speaking. Tessie is bullied by two people, they seem to have no lifes. Maybe we should feel sorry for Kat and Holly. Remember Kids, bullies have no lifes and feel free to argue why do they spend so much time annoying you (unless they punch you, then go to the cops). 

My least favourite part is the romance side of this novel. It's a cringey. I just never got that side at all, I guess completely lust based and that's just not the romance for me. Tessie is a bit of bad friend and it can't be excused by the hard time and her SM. It's realistic be a bad friend sometimes because of a boy but it bit extreme. Tessie also runs on juvenile side for a 15 year old, but it could be argue because of how extreme her SM is, she delay in her relationship understanding.

Another big part of the book is the bond Tessie has with her family and their dynamic with in it. Tessie's mother has symtoms of depression before Laura's accident and her part was helping her mother cope. So without her Tessie and her older brother have to keep going mostly. The family being in limbo is explored a lot and the half grief they feel.

This story is mostly told in first person by Tessie with different parts. An odd choice is to just list exactly what happens to everyone after the story ends like in a film. I've never seen that in a book before but I guess it get the point across. 

Overall, I give this book 4/5 stars for missed words. This was decent portrayal of selective mutism, probably the best I've seen in book form yet. The crime/thriller aspect was decent but the romance for me really lets this book now for me, especially with ending up being such a major part of the novel. I don't know if the book would have worked without it either, I guess that part just wasn't for me.

Book Review: Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell

What a cheery way to spend Christmas Eve.

A MISSING GIRL. A BURIED SECRET.

She was fifteen, her mother's golden girl.
She had her whole life ahead of her.
And then, in the blink of an eye, Ellie was gone.

Ten years on, Laurel has never given up hope of finding Ellie. And then she meets a charming and charismatic stranger who sweeps her off her feet.

But what really takes her breath away is when she meets his nine-year-old daughter.

Because his daughter is the image of Ellie.

Now all those unanswered questions that have haunted Laurel come flooding back.

What really happened to Ellie? And who still has secrets to hide?

I don't actually have the summary that's convinced me to read this book because it was a paperback that I decided not to buy because the library had on ebook, meaning I read it shortly after discovering it, instead of the months/years it probably would have spent on my TBR if I had brought it.

Fun fact: This book ends on Christmas Eve and I finished reading it on Christmas Eve by pure coincident.

This book is told in a few point of views, but mainly from a third person narrator focus on Laurel in the present, with first person sprints. This works well for the most of the part.

The characters and the family dynamics are probably the best part of the novel. I felt for Laurel, despite her faults and wanted better for Ellie so that was job well done. It also explores the destruction of family from tragedy.

In terms of the plot, once of all the main players have been introduced, it pretty obvious what went down. There is an attempt to have a twist at the end, which is set up well, but I saw it coming across well. It pretty straight through mystery, when layout in paper with facts anyway.

Overall, I give this book 4/5 stars for unwanted Hamsters. This was an okay book to spend two days reads on the run up to Christmas. It could have took me one sitting but I had things to be doing surprisingly as an adult with two days of Christmas. It what I would consider a light read and would recommend to others that like murdery crime light reads.

Book Review: Devotion by Ros Barber

The cover is better than the book.

April is angry. Only nineteen, April is an elective mute, accused of a religiously motivated atrocity.  Dr Finlay Logan is broken, a borderline suicidal criminal psychologist, still reeling from his daughter's death. He must assess her sanity in a world where - ten years after the death of Richard Dawkins - moves have been made to classify religious believes as a form of mental illness. 
Both April and Finley struggle to understand what happened to them

Asking fundamental questions about the nature of reality, Barber skilfully explores the balance between the emotional and rational sides of human experience. 

Sharing Secrets, silence and inability to deal with the world around them. Gently unpicking the lives of these broken characters.

This book was disappointing. I read this book mainly because Skulls and 'Elective Mutism'. Skulls on the cover and it's cool cover. Makes senses with the actual plot. There's no Elective Mutism in this book or the more modern term of Selective Mutism. It's always fun where stories set in the future have outdated terms. Even acknowledging the old definition, it's used just to be smart more than describing April; who is deciding not to speak to her count appointed Psychologist, Logan who will decide her whether she insane or not.

Going off the description, I thought it would be a dual protagonists, but it's very much Logan's story and the effect he will have on April's final outcome. This puts me in the awkward situation as I read this as part of the silent protagonist review video series I'm doing. I have seen better summaries that rightly focus on Logan. Moving on.

So Logan is a bland, male that cheats and has done terrible things to woman and his children.

The prose is fine. I didn't think about it until I seen other people talking it. It has that whole literature thing going on. It's fine.

The plot is half-arsed questioning god, but also not really. Its end up being more about choices and the whole butterfly effect thing again. Its deals with mental heath and with several characters having bad mental health. Though, they all have had fucked up stuff have happened to them. This book raises questions to abandoned them. It's fine. The classifying religion as mental illness, only deals with the type fundamentalism that involves blindly killing yourself for the cause; that's badly defined and go against your actual religion's beliefs so probably should be.

Overall, I give this book 3/5 stars for ill-advise charity events. This book brings nothing new to the table but is also not terrible. I probably would have enjoyed it more if I hadn't had such mislead ideas about what it was about. It's fine. There's nothing to rave for or against. If you like the idea, go for it.

Book Review: For Holly by Tanya Byrne

All the girls in comas nowadays.

Lola Durand hates her stepmother. It's a cliché but it's true.

Lola Durand can't get through to her father. He never wants to talk about the things that matter: why they had to move to Paris, why he had to marry evil Agatha, and how they can get through the heartache of her mother's death together.

If he won't listen, she'll show him. She'll show him the truth about his new wife and then her life can go back to normal, just the way she likes it.

Lola Durand knows a secret about her stepmother. She's going to share it.

This is the second novel by Tanya Byrne that I have read (and reviewed). I probably enjoy this book less, but I really like Follow Me Down.

This book is in a diary/confession form from point of view Lola going over the events that lead outcome of the book. Most of the main plot has already happened by the time Lola starts writing. This book has a lot of tropes, but uses them to explore the emotion of the characters.

Lola is a sympathetic character going through a hard time since the death of her mother and her father's half abandonment. She has done dumb stuff, but I feel for her as she is a motherless 17 year old whose not handling her grief well with a bad support system. The adults aren't really better, as they aggravate the situation.

It explores grief and being from a mixed race character, Lola having a white French father and black Barbadian mother (I got this book from library, I might be slightly wrong), without the parent she takes after and feeling disconnected from her father without Mother's presence.

Overall, I give this book 4/5 stars for stolen lippy. This was a decent YA distraction, with complex character and though is filled with medical tropes (this is third book I've read with a coma in the past few months and it's a random first in books), they are used well as away get to the emotion.

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: The Seven Imperfect Rules of Elvira Carr by Frances Maynard

I swear I'm not reading another book by someone who taught autistic people.

Good covers don't mean good books

Funny, heart-warming and ultimately triumphant, The Seven Imperfect Rules of Elvira Carr is the perfect story for anyone who doesn’t quite fit in – and for everyone who chooses not to.
LOL, No. F off.

Elvira Carr is twenty-seven and neuro-atypical. Her father – who she suspects was in the secret service – has passed away and, after several Unfortunate Incidents growing up, she now spends most of her time at home with her overbearing mother. But when her mother has a stroke and is taken into care, Elvira is suddenly forced to look after herself or risk ending up in Sheltered Accommodation. Armed with her Seven Rules, which she puts together after online research, Elvira hopes to learn how to navigate a world that’s full of people she doesn’t understand. Not even the Seven Rules can help her, however, when she discovers that everything she thought she knew about her father was a lie, and is faced with solving a mystery she didn’t even know existed . . 

All the other reviewers on Goodreads are glowing about this book, being feel good and inspiration bullshit. I have yet to come across another own voices review, so here's mine: I'm autistic (Aspergers side) and therefore this book is not meant for me. It very reminiscent of the "The curious incident in the Nightmare" (I mean to write night-time, I'm keeping that in), a book I despised for its ablelist bullshit. Even if he not autistic, its still horrible book of presenting my disabled peers.  I've rated this book super low for two specific things.

Ellie never disclosed to the reader what her diagnosis is. It's refer to only as 'her condition' and that is gutless. If you're going to write a book about Autism, do it. Don't be spineless about it. I am sick of coded Autistic characters without the label. There is not enough representation of Autistic Adults to go without it. The term neurodivergent or neurotypical is hinted with the wrong term of "NeuroNormal". This is the wrong term. Normal is subjective and is not found in science. The correct term is Neurotypical. People on the Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) like correct terms when comes to sciencey things like the brain typically, and the way Ellie is presented I don't buy use the term "NeuroNormal". Normal is a dirty word when it comes to talking about neurodivergent people. Maybe once upon of time, but as of 2016 when this book is based, No one uses this term. Also another thing to know that neurodivergent/neuroatypical is also used to describes people with mental health disorders and other learning disabilities. For example, someone with mild dyslexic would be consider neuroatypical technically. Therefore, not neurotypical.  Another random point, my autism makings me disabled, that is not a bad thing, it's just a thing about me.

Another big factor is there is random (trigger WARNING) sexual assault in this book. It happens twice, getting worst. Most women will experience sexual assault in some form in their life, from being slapped on the butt to worst thing possible, so realistic. But you can't bush past sexual assault of women considered mentally disabled. Sexual Assault and manipulation is a bigger problem for people considered disabled because they are vulnerable or seen to be. She doesn't tell anyone. The most that happens is someone guesses.This book is about learning life lessons, but she doesn't learn one from this. One of the next things that happens is she tells a strange man where her house is over the internet. Sorry, spoilers which I don't do in reviews, but I have to address this. I am going to do a video about this is Spoiler discussion about why in extreme detail about how this is done wrong because I can't without spoiling a big chunk of the book. I hate sexual assault being used as life lesson tool. It can be augured that there is victim blaming in this book also. She could have had that lesson another way, it could have stopped at one. She could have told someone. Sometimes books shouldn't be realistic, but the ideal and with the stigma about sexual assault, the representation is extremely important. How it's handled. Silence is might be realistic, but it shouldn't be.

Without the above, this book probably a three star book. But I rated it one stars after the first assault and so far I don't feel like changing that.

Now for my fun, less problematic and more just issues. Ellie reads Mills & Boon as 27 year in 2016, whose mother hates that sort of thing. Mills & Boons are an old lady thing and it is never explained why she would read them as 20 something. Romance books sure, I'm borderline Asexual and read romances. Lots of Aces do. (she repeatedly says she doesn't want a boyfriend). Yeah, ASDA still sell them, but why would she ever pick them up? Like I don't know anyone that reads Mills & Boons religiously in the that age group or even a few above it. I've read them but only cause an elderly neighbour gave me them. 'Chick-Fiction' seems more realistic, they are always on deal.

We going to just pretend that the term Autism is used in this book and talk about that. Ellie comes across as actually being high-functioning (I hate that term too, but there's not a better one to my knowledge) but she has been gaslit her whole life by her mother, whose an old lady at the age of 72 (I did the maths). I don't know how old Frances Maynard is but she comes as across as someone much older than someone in their late 20s, like at least a few decades. The relationship with her parents is interesting and probably best part of this novel.

So Autism, there are two autistic coded characters, our protagonist and someone she meets. There are the same, which equals bad representation. So...like I really can't separate their traits to argue they're not. Maybe this book is a little too much about her 'Condition'.

The writing is well done for a Début. I mean, if I hadn't blacklisted her in my mind, I would probably pick Maynard up again.

Overall, I give this book 1/5 stars for handsy "NeuroNormals". This may be a book about the Neuroatypical, but its not one for them. Therefore, I could never recommend it, but I'm don't absolutely hate it. This book will be compared to the "Curious Incident" and for me that's a real bad thing. That is not the book to based on what a book about Autistic person should be like. This probably does a better job of personifying them than that horrid book. My big tip is if you want to write about Autism, write about Autism, don't just thank the National Autistic Society in your Acknowledgements. Remember Autistic people will be reading and we will be taking notes.

My last few books I've reviewed, I have been tearing them apart for seemly small things, but small things can be important. Maynard also credits a few books by Autistic people, which is weird that she missed a few things normal to Autistic/Aspergers life. Like neither coded characters have sensory issues. I have mild issues compared to others, but there still comes up in my life. It also like she never came across why Autistic people don't like to be touch or that it effects all senses: e.g. sound, light, and I've heard of people having taste issues. I'm going to go over this stuff in the video discussion.

I got this book for review (let no one say I'm biased in my reviews of free books) from Netgalley and it being Published by Mantle on 24 August 2017. Who hopefully, won't blacklist me, as I love most of the books the Publisher there are imprint of. I also did a video about this book.

P.S. Can you tell I've censored the swearing? 

Book Review:The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton

If they had only kept it in their pantaloons.


There is nothing hidden that will not be revealed...

On an autumn day in 1686, eighteen-year-old Nella Oortman knocks at the door of a grand house in the wealthiest quarter of Amsterdam. She has come from the country to begin a new life as the wife of illustrious merchant trader Johannes Brandt, but instead she is met by his sharp-tongued sister, Marin. Only later does Johannes appear and present her with an extraordinary wedding gift: a cabinet-sized replica of their home. It is to be furnished by an elusive miniaturist, whose tiny creations mirror their real-life counterparts in unexpected ways ...

Nella is at first mystified by the closed world of the Brandt household, but as she uncovers its secrets she realizes the escalating dangers that await them all. Does the miniaturist hold their fate in her hands? And will she be the key to their salvation or the architect of their downfall? Beautiful, intoxicating and filled with heart-pounding suspense, The Miniaturist is a magnificent story of love and obsession, betrayal and retribution, appearance and truth. 

This book was hyped way too much for what it is. A bad historical fan fiction, I listen to the audio book version of this from the library. I wish that meant I hadn't spent money on it and I haven't but I'm pretty sure I brought the ebook version at one point because voucher.

I'm not a big fan of historical fiction, except for Victorian Britain (that more to do with the insanity of the Victorians and the secret, weird stuff they got up to). I probably made a mistake in looking up the person this book is sort of based on. Sort of, in not all attempt to tell a possible story about the person with that name in history; the Petronella Oortman that did own a cabinet doll house and married Johannes Brandt. She was a rich widow, not impoverished upper-class teenager. The real Petronella sounds interesting. 

Not sure where the hype came from, because it originated from the Publishing world before the novel got this cool cover. The cover is fabulous and does deserve the hype. The novel in no way does. I think the setting of Amsterdam and some of the subject matter is what could sparked people's interest, but I had real hard time getting to the core of those subjects. The plot is actually dumb and depressing at the same time. This book needs plot re-haul. There something of an interesting story there, but things were set up and abandoned. If only one of the social justice plots had been taken, then maybe they would have been time to the explore the Miniaturist and not this thing where even the main character doesn't have time to think about it. The Miniaturist character was interesting but very little was done with it. I ran out of things to say that ain't big plot spoilers and there are sites that have done recaps.

I went on these recaps sites because I was super bored, but also intrigued. If this wasn't an audio book or if I had found something more interesting to listen to, I would not have finished this book and I would have not lost nothing or gain anything from doing that.

The character of Nella is boring. There is very little personality, she is a very Mary Sue with her 17-year-old peers. The reason this is not a YA book because it’s too boring to have any chance of keeping a teenager interested, also there is semi-graphic sex. There was attempt of character development, I could tell this was meant to be a coming age story for Nella. However, Nella was just unpleasant when she did show personality and dumb. I didn't like or enjoy any of the characters.

In terms of historical fact, it's as depressing as it should be. Women having no real option but to marry, and people are prejudice against the different. The fact that this book is so depressing is another reason I don't get the hype. There is also no real romance. Maybe because it is so different from most narratives about the past is why so people got behind it, but looking at reviews I don't see anyone truly love this book. The characters a very modern in the way they behaviour as well, but I don't know much much about Amsterdam past society structures.

The writing style was borderline modern poetic with random Dutch words in. I pick up no decent style from it, nor enjoy what we given. Burton might just need time and practice to developed her voice but right now there's nothing unique. Very bland, sometimes verges on purple prose. 

The audio book narration was bad for something read by the writer. Jessie Burton reads her own words without passion. I know she an Actor, so perhaps that's the issue with her reading that she did it like someone else work or this book is too boring for even the writer to convince me.

Overall, I give this book 2/5 stars for public sexcapade. This is Jessie Burton’s Debut so I won't be closing door to her but I don't know if I would bother with any more historical fiction from her. I do know her next novel is set (at least partly) in the last century. In theory this is a good, interesting book, but the execution needs development. I generally just don’t like historical fiction, nor weird fanfiction about real people, so this book was probably never going to be for me.

 

Book Review: A Tragic Kind of Wonderful by Eric Lindstrom

Brown Hair, Blue eyes and freckles doesn't make you a mutt. It makes you Scottish...looking.

How can you have a future if you can’t accept your past?
Mel Hannigan doesn’t have it easy. Mourning the death of her firework of a brother, trying to fit back into a school she’s been conspicuously absent from and struggling to deal with the loss of three friendships that used to mean everything. Struggling to deal with a condition that not even her closest friends know about.

So Mel tries to lock away her heart, to numb the highs and lows, to live quietly without hope – but also without pain. Until someone new shows her that it can be worth taking a risk, that opening up to life is what can make it glorious…

And that maybe, Mel can discover a tragic kind of wonderful of her very own.

The main character Mel has Bipolar Disorder and is in her second year of knowing she has it. This book does spend a lot of time going over what Bipolar disorder is and shows several characters with it that vary from Mel. I think a decent effect was made with this.

They were breaks from realities such as Mel going about being a freak for having very normal look aspects. Honestly, it was weird that she thought it was odd to have Blue eyes and pale skin, therefore freckles. Like who told her green eyes had anything to freckles (If reading this, Eric Lindstrom where did you get this)? Then someone else then mentions her appearance in this same detail. I think writers do fall in this trap sometimes.

So this is technically a romance book, but that's not really what I would sell it as and for me that's a good thing. I feel like it there because it has to be (old people set them up) and could have just been friends(I like friends). It fine though and definitely doesn't fall into the trap that 'love' cures all. There's a lot of friendships, there's a sprinkle of nice relationships throughout of the book, but I don't feel like the relationships were as developed as much as they should have been. Many they were too many things going on for the length of this book. There were lot of interesting dynamics, I think they could be in the one book and work, there's just wasn't enough dedication to them. I get why we did have so many characters with strong connections to Mel, I would have just liked more.

The novel is in the point of view of Mel, but I felt distanced to her and the other characters. They wrote well enough. I don't know if that due to the wall Mel has build surround her and the events we flashing back to a lot to, Or it could be I read it in one day because the world was on the bad side.

The title of this book is eye catching but it a bit generic and I don't think it suits the book that well. I have no alternative title suggestions so I'm the worst type of criticism bringer: says something is wrong and then runs away. 

Overall, I give this book 4/5 stars for beach beer.This book deals with mental illness well and has okay Bi, LBGT stuff floating about. This is a quick book to read, so I would recommend it if you like your light reads to have complex stuff going on. 

I got this book for review off NetGalley and was published by HarperCollins Children’s Books on 1st January 2017.

Book Review: Six Four by Hideo Yokoyama

I don't think the British police would care about a protest.

The Japanese crime sensation that sold a million copies in six days.
SIX FOUR.
THE NIGHTMARE NO PARENT COULD ENDURE.
THE CASE NO DETECTIVE COULD SOLVE.
THE TWIST NO READER COULD PREDICT.

For five days in January 1989, the parents of a seven-year-old Tokyo schoolgirl sat and listened to the demands of their daughter's kidnapper. They would never learn his identity. They would never see their daughter again.

For the fourteen years that followed, the Japanese public listened to the police's apologies. They would never forget the botched investigation that became known as 'Six Four'. They would never forgive the authorities their failure.

For one week in late 2002, the press officer attached to the police department in question confronted an anomaly in the case. He could never imagine what he would uncover. He would never have looked if he'd known what he would find.

This is a very slow book for something that comes technically under the thriller genre.

Our protagonist Mikami is an outsider, working in the hated media department in Administer, while having previously been a detective. Office Politics is big part of this book, with the police officers and Admin going up against each other. Mikami also has personal stuff that effects where he lies in this 'war' and this does goes in a circle while Mikami is trying to find out what they all up to, especially as he thinks its vital for him to know.

The mysteries presented are mostly solved, a big one is left to wonder about. I go on the pessimist side of what is hinted about the one that isn't.

The writing is odd sometimes, obviously this is a translation (translated by Jonathan Lloyd-Davies) so that might come from what is the usual in Japanese. Mikami just starts listing things, which is especially odd as this book is written in third person. This book is quite long and the plot drags on sometimes.  

They were some culture barriers in this book for me. A big early plot point is the Journalist threatening to put in a written compliant to the police and I honestly don't get why anyone would care as they were complaining about something Mikami was ordered to do. The police have no respect/like for the Journalist so why was a big deal if they complained. I know Japan does have a big thing about honour and shame so maybe because its a shamefully thing to happen, or the whole disconnect they have with their bosses. It doesn't really matter I guess if you understand why, it is important for plot reason and then what that leads to.

I listened to the audio book of this and I don't think I would recommended that. I didn't really like the actor's, Richard Burnip, voice. He also made the female character kinda whinny and didn't like a lot of the choices for the other characters either. I also found it confusing since I'm not familiar with Japanese names it was hard for me to remember character's by the sound of their names and would have been better reading it, but ar last I did not have the time to do that and got used to both these issues eventually.

Overall, I give this book 4/5 stars for Irritable Reporters. While I enjoyed this book, a lot things are left unresolved and everything that is resolved is done very quickly compared to the size of the rest of this book.

Discamilar: I listen to book on Audio book from the library, but I had also received a ebook version off it from NetGalley and Quercus Books when it came out in Hardback over here.