Amber

By Julie Sykes, published by Curious Fox Books.

Amber Goodreads Synopsis: How do you live by the rules if you don’t know what they are?

Amber’s lost her memory. She doesn’t even know her real name. The only clues to her identity are a beautiful amber necklace and a broken mobile phone. She’s determined to learn the truth about her past life, and the secrets she’s hiding, but how many rules will she break along the way?

My Review: I was so excited to start this! Pretty cover? Check. One of the first titles from a new publisher? Check. Mysterious synopsis? Check. 😀 I read this in October and thought I had published the review, but found out that I hadn’t! A HUGE apology to Curious Fox! (I can still be in #TeamFox, right…? ;D)

The synopsis made me want to read this story so much, so I dived straight in, as soon as my copy arrived. Luckily, I wasn’t disappointed. Amber was packed full of action, drama, and a splash of romance that livened up the otherwise rather dark aspects of the story.

The plot was really great. I was hooked on this story; reading it between lessons at school was really hard- I just wanted to ignore maths and get on with it! Addictive is a very appropriate word. I devoured the story in a couple of days, utterly absorbed into the story, and sitting on the edge-of-my-form-class-seat, holding back fangirly gasps from the plot twists, so my class wouldn’t think I was weird. Amber was a really unpredictable book- one minute, I thought I had everything sussed out- but I hadn’t. I was so far off the actual result. A real thriller of a book!

The story begins as what seems like a contemporary book, with the summer camp. I just got used to that, enjoying the tension between some characters, almost forgetting that Amber has this special past. Then, things started to unravel for Amber, and the rest of the book was very clever, in terms of plot twists, form then on!

Amber was a character that I loved throughout. She was as confused as me about her past from the beginning of the book. That’s what I love about this book: You form a bond with the main character, because you’re both shocked as more is revealed about the character’s past. There’s a really intriguing supernatural conspiracy to it. I found some parts a little strange- for example, I couldn’t get on with the idea of Amber’s real past at first, and a few parts were revealed quite quickly. The reveal of Amber’s past could have been more suspenseful, but it was interesting all the same. Also, Amber, to me, didn’t seem that emotional about her past, to me, and I’m not sure why.

Overall, Amber was a really thrilling read- apologies for what’s not the greatest review ever- this was half-written from straight after I’d read the book, and half written-just-now as I realised I’d never gotten this post up! The plot was really great, and had me hooked on the story. I loved Julie’s writing, and I’d really enjoy reading more books by her in the future- especially a sequel to Amber! (Hint, hint!) This book has a memorable protagonist, who you can relate to, as well as supernatural aspects that means any sci-fi lover will enjoy it. Fans of both contemporary and sci-fi will devour this book, as I did!

My Rating:

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I received a copy of Amber from the publisher,in exchange for a review. In no way at all did this affect my thoughts.

TEARDROP

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This week’s a bit of a review-catch up! I haven’t written many reviews this month, and I need to get some published, in time for my Steampunk event on the 1st!

By Lauren Kate, published by Random House.

Goodreads Synopsis: Never, ever cry…

Seventeen-year-old Eureka won’t let anyone close enough to feel her pain. After her mother was killed in a freak accident, the things she used to love hold no meaning. She wants to escape, but one thing holds her back: Ander, the boy who is everywhere she goes, whose turquoise eyes are like the ocean.

And then Eureka uncovers an ancient tale of romance and heartbreak, about a girl who cried an entire continent into the sea. Suddenly her mother’s death and Ander’s appearance seem connected, and her life takes on dark undercurrents that don’t make sense.

Can everything you love be washed away?

My Review: Ah! So many mixed feelings about this… I’m not entirely sure how to review it! Teardrop was a great book… But there were points when I was just really unsure of what to make of everything.

I’ll talk about the characters first! Eureka sounded really unique. And she most definitely was. She’s a very conflicted teenager, who recently attempted to kill herself, because of all of the trauma she had gone through with her mother’s death. Right from the beginning, where she’s stuck in another psychiatrist’s office, I could sympathise with her. She was a really realistic character, for the most of the book. At a couple of points, I found it a little hard to love her. But mostly, she was a great character.

Ander and Brooks are the love interests. I got so annoyed… Yet another love triangle, with one mysterious, stranger boy, one male best friend…. Cliched. I’ve read too many books like hat, so this really made me want to give up. Though, I did persevere, because of the book’ school concept! Ander is a character you can grow to like, but I didn’t particularly. He just seemed so… Stereotypical! Brooks, the best friend, I liked much more than him; though, of course, he was a very stereotypical character too.

Onto the plot. The plot was unpredictable, definitely. I had no idea where the story would go, mostly! There were some really cool inspirations behind the story- the mythological aspects. That was the reason that I requested this! It took a while for the whole mythology and mystery behind the objects Eureka inherited to be explained. But I think it was all really clever. There’s a story behind it, based around Atlantis. I’m really interested in that mystery, so obviously I became very interested in this story. I was very worried about all of the revealing: it was, if I remember right, less than a hundred pages until the end before we even got to know a big chunk of everything. I discovered there’d be a sequel (how did I not know this before?!) just before I’d finished. Even though I’m not very keen on a few parts of this book, I probably will rush to the stores as soon as the sequel’s out- as I need to know the rest of the story, and I want the mythology detailed on some more!

The writing was good. I’m not entirely sure how to talk about it… The descriptions, especially of one particularly gruesome scene (which. Was. Awesome.) were really vivid and realistic. Lauren Kate has a really great writing talent. Though, I don’t think it was the best. I wasn’t particularly gripped, as such, but I definitely did want to keep reading!

Overall, I’m really not sure of my overall opinion on Teardrop! The ideas behind it were great, and Lauren Kate has created a book that really details, in a fascinating way, on the myth subject, but just not enough, so everyone who reads it (including me!) will be itching for the sequel. The plot was great, and the events were pretty much unpredictable. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the ending, because while it was very dramatic and shocking, I didn’t feel like I was pulled into the story enough to enjoy it as much as I would have hoped. Eureka was a great main character, who had an interesting and sad past. I liked her as a character, but really couldn’t get on with the love triangle and the two male love interests who have been used in so many YA paranormal romances before. This book will appeal to lots of people. I’m sure it will do brilliantly. However, I just couldn’t get on with parts. Recommended if you’re a fan of the genre, though!

My Rating:

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This is a good book, but there were just too many points that have been done before- so that made the rate drop from my original idea of a four!

I received a copy of Teardrop from the publisher, in exchange for a review. In no way at all did this affect my thoughts.

Anti-Bullying Blog Week: Bloggers on Bullying

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Hello, people! The lovely Sophie from A DAY DREAMER’S WORLD is hosting a really special blogging week, to go with a special themed week that’s happening too: Anti-Bullying Week. She’s been posting some brilliant author guests posts, that are both emotional and supportive. Sophie’s so amazing for hosting this blog week, and supporting bullying victims in general.
As a part of her blog week, I and a lot of other bloggers were asked if they would like to help, by posting today. The title is Bloggers on Bullying: and it’s all about sharing experiences and being supportive and things 🙂 So, below, I’ve decided to not write a thing about my experiences. Yes, I have been bullied a lot of times before, and it’s awful. I’ve had name calling, and even physical bullying. But I’d rather post some book recommendations, to read if you’re a victim! All of these books, I’ve absolutely loved, and a lot of them I read whilst I was being picked on, and they really, really helped me. So, hopefully, this post might help somebody, which would make me so glad!

My Recommendations:

Bullying is a subject that’s tackled in so many YA books, especially nowadays. It’s amazing to see so many authors, like Siobhan Curham, supporting bullying victims and helping campaign against bullying. Below, are books that I’ve read that cover bullying. I’ve decided to only pick ten, or this post would be a mile long. There are so many great books about brave victims out there- I wish I could list them all!

#1: Finding Cherokee Brown by Siobhan Curham

I read this in one school day, which was a really awful school day. It cheered me up so much, because Cherokee’s ending was happy. She’s an amazing character.

#2: The Curious incident of the Dog in the Night Time

Though not entirely about bullying, Curious Incident features a boy who is picked on a lot because he’s autistic and attending a specialist school.

Wonder #3: Wonder by R J Palacio

It’s heart warming, and heart-breaking too. The bullying themes in his are really powerful. It’s also a beautiful story about hope and friendship!

#4: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J K Rowling:

Before Hogwarts, Harry’s bullied by his aunt, uncle, and cousin. That beginning is a really sad one, before he wreaks a hilarious revenge involving a snake!

Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, #1) #5: Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney:

Okay, you might not see this as bullying- I don’t, particularly. However, Greg Heffley is socially excluded and you can tell he does have a pretty hard time, if you read between the lines and ignore the humour!

#6: Matilda by Roald Dahl:

Realistic and uplifting, it’s a childhood classic I read and re-read whenever I want to smile, because Matilda overcomes the awful people.

#7: Geek Girl by Holly Smale:

This is an obvious one! Harriet matches my personality exactly, minus the modelling. She’s a social outcast, picked on by an awful girl called Alexa. Holly Smale captured school bullying so well in this book, as well as its sequel.

Teardrop (Teardrop, #1) #8: Paper Aeroplanes by Dawn O’Porter:

The themes in this are more of teenage-romance: however, it definitely does touch on bullying and peer pressure. Dawn’s writing is gritty and realistic, and there’s also a short spin-off Dawn wrote for world book day from the POV of the bully- which gives a really emotional insight into a bully’s life.

#9: Teardrop by Lauren Kate:

I only just finished this book! I wanted to include it here, because the protagonist, Eureka, is left out because of things she’s done in the past. The bullying isn’t the biggest focus of the book, but I really felt it and it was really sad, and I’m sure things all get resolved in the sequel.

#10: Furnace- Lockdown by Alexander Gordon Smith:

In the first parts of the book, before the protagonist is sent to prison, he’s experiencing serious peer pressure; the need to follow in his friend’s footsteps and bully others. It’s a really heart-rendering story; full of bullying’s consequences as well as horror. This took my mind off of my own bullying problems, a lot!

Thank you, Sophie, for inviting me to do a post! I know this wasn’t exactly the topic every other blogger has been doing. However, I thought it might be a good way to help anybody who is a victim of bullying still; maybe if you’re reading this, you’ll pick up one of the books, and it’ll help you, like a lot of these did for me. If you want to know more about the Anti Bullying Blog Week, check out Sophie’s blog or use the hashtag #AntiBullyingBW on twitter!

Guest Post: Siobhan Curham

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Siobhan Curham writes amazing YA books, and I’ve read Dear Dylan and Finding Cherokee Brown and loved them to pieces. Siobhan is a brilliant writer, and she covers issues in teenage lives so well in her books. One main topic is bullying: and Siobhan has released a spin-off eBook-guide today, on beating bullying! The eBook is titled FINDING YOUR INNER CHEROKEE and is a non-fiction guide Siobhan wrote after Finding Cherokee Brown. Celebrating the book’s release, Siobhan has written a guest post for the blog today! It’s not like any other author post I’ve organised before- this is along the lines of a Dear Teen Me post. Siobhan Curham has written to her younger self on bullying and abuse, and I think it’s a really beautifully written letter. So, without further ado, I’ll hand over to Siobhan…

Finding Your Inner Cherokee

In March of this year, my novel Finding Cherokee Brown was published. Finding Cherokee Brown tells the story of a 15-year-old girl who finds the confidence to stand up to her bullies in her own unique way. After the book was published I received many emails from readers telling me that the book had helped them deal with bullying in their own lives. This made me want to do more to help and so the idea for Finding Your Inner Cherokee was born. Finding Your Inner Cherokee is a non-fiction e-book, full of case studies, exercises and advice, designed to help victims of bullying find their inner strength and become happy again.

In Finding Your Inner Cherokee I also talk about how I was bullied in a relationship. I hope that, by sharing in this way, it will fill the reader with hope that they will also be able to overcome their bullying and go on to live happy and fulfilling lives. I wish I could travel back in time and tell my younger self that everything was going to turn out so well. As I can’t do that, I’m going to write a letter to my younger self instead:

Dear Siobhan,

You don’t know this, but one day you’re going to look back on what you’re going through now and it will all just seem like a bad dream. You have so much joy and so many exciting adventures ahead of you. I know that right now it seems impossible to imagine feeling happy and free again but trust me, you will. I know that now, as you cry yourself to sleep yet again, you feel hopeless. Night time is always the worst – the fear is always magnified in the dark. But you know that seed of anger you feel deep inside, buried beneath all the fear and pain? That seed is going to grow and one day it’s going to help you say ‘enough is enough’. And you know that idea for a novel that’s just taken root in your mind? Well, one day you are going to sit down and start writing it out. Page after page after page. And some days you are going to cry from the exhaustion of it all. And some days you are going to want to give up, but you won’t. Because deep down you are strong. Stronger than you could ever imagine. And so you’ll keep on writing and hoping and praying for a better day and a brighter future. And one day you’ll do it – you’ll type those oh-so-glorious words The End and although you won’t realise it then, it really will be the end. Because that book is going to find its way to an agent who will love it. And she will send it to a publisher who will love it too. And you will get a call from them that will change your life forever. And it will make you cry – but this time you’ll be crying tears of joy. Because somehow, from the depths of your pain and fear, you have written your way into your very own happily ever after. There’ll be no more abuse. No more mental torture. No more stress. Instead, a prairie-wide life of freedom, joy and love – so much love.

So, sweet younger self, feel me reaching back in time to wipe your tears and hold you tight. And know that you don’t deserve what is happening to you – you don’t deserve it at all. But all of the pain you are going through right now is making you stronger. It’s making you wiser. And one day you’ll be putting everything you’ve learnt into a book – your tenth book – and you’ll be showing others how they can create their own happily ever after too.

With love and hope,

Siobhan

Finding Your Inner Cherokee will be available from Amazon Kindle and all other e-book stores from 18^th November and can be downloaded for FREE at my website: www.siobhancurham.co.uk

New Books! #31

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Yay! A lot of very awesome books arrived this week, and I just want to start them all, now! A big chunk of them were won, because I enter a competition at the London MCM Expo in October. So I have five lovely, expensive looking, geeky books to fangirl over- as well as some lovely titles from publishers! (: I wrote this post as I normally do, but I had so much to write, I’ve had to shrink the pictures a lot- otherwise, you’d be scrolling to the end for ages! s:

Received in Post:

Books from the comp!

1000 Incredible Costume and Cosplay ideas: Cosplaying, if you don’t know, is designing costumes based on fictional characters, mainly! There are so many cosplayers at conventions and events like the MCM. I don’t cosplay myself, but I do love the idea of designing costumes, and want to, properly, at some point! This is full of lovely pictures of some beautiful outfits. I love it- may mini-review at some point!

An Anatomy of Steampunk by Katherine Gleason: This is the book I entered the competition for! I don’t really review much steampunk on here, as I’m more about the fashion and artwork- but I absolutely love this style. This book is so beautiful, and I’ve been wanting it for ages! I’ve had a flick through, and I’m definitely going to be including this in my Spotlight on Steampunk event!

The Making of Return of the Jedi: eeeeeep! This looks so great! I love Sci-Fi, and am a little bit of a Star Wars Fangirl.I can’t wait to have a proper read of this, as I really want to have a look at backstage, and all of the special effects, and costumes!

Terminator Vault: The Complete Story Behind the Making of the Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgement Day

The Terminator Vault: I couldn’t find the right cover for the copy I’ve got, online! But, I think I have watched Terminator, but I can’t really remember much… So, I’ll probably read this, then have to watch the films! It is a great book, though, as it has lots of replicas of documents and photographs featured in the film, and copies of scripts! All very awesome! (:

Middle-Earth-Envisioned: ASDFGHJKL. I was NOT expecting this book- I didn’t even see it on Aurum Press’s MCM Expo table! But Middle Earth! LoTR! Squeeeee! I can’t wait to have a proper read of this; the beautiful cover has had me so intrigued. I love Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit so much- and flicking through this, it’s got everything about Middle Earth- right down to the LEGO kits!

Not the comp prizes!

We Will Destroy Your Planet: An Alien's Guide to Conquering the Earth

We Will Destroy your Planet: an Alien’s Guide to Conquering the Earth: Well, this had me intrigued, by the title. It’s a funny MG handbook for Aliens, and I can remember reading something similar, when I was at the target age range. The lovely people at Osprey Publishing have sent me a copy- so I’m excited to start reviewing for them, and for reading this!

Received on Netgalley:

Phoenix by S. F. Said: This looks like such a great title! I have seen it a few times in bookshops- and was originally captivated by the illustrations. I love Dave McKean’s art! Then, I read the synopsis, and was really intrigued. I really can’t wait for this- but I’m sure after reading it on a Kindle, I’ll go and buy a hardback copy- because they’re really beautiful!

Stay Where you Are and then Leave by John Boyne: Is it bad I’ve never read John Boyne’s The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas? Gosh, that is bad. That’s a modern classic! Well, I got his new titles on Netgalley, which is also meant to be as heart-rendering! I’m really looking forward to both of Boyne’s titles- I’ll probably read them back to back. I also want to read more Historical Fiction, so this was convenient! (:

PAWN by Aimee Carter: Never Judge a Book by its Cover… I know. But I did request this based a lot on the cover- it looks so original, with a sci-fi dystopia element! However, the book does sound amazing, not only cover-wise. I haven’t read that much by this publisher before, so this book looks like a good starting point!

In all, I’m so excited about all of these books (Sorry about the overuse of excited exclamation marks :P)! It’s increased my TBR pile by a lot, though- so I better start reading more, as I haven’t been much, this year. Leave a comment telling me what you think of the titles if you’ve read them- or link me back to your own haul (:

ALLEGIANT

An Interview with… Julie Mayhew for the UKYA blog tour!

The Isobel journal

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By Isobel Harrop, published by Hot Key Books.

The Isobel Journal

Goodreads Synopsis: THE ISOBEL JOURNAL is no ordinary snapshot of a contemporary teenage life. A charming and

vivid narrative scrapbook of the eighteen-year-old author’s sketches, mini-graphic novels, photographs and captions, it captures her wit, her observations and her creative talent as she takes us through the three central themes in her life: ‘Love’, ‘Friends, Art and Otters’ and ‘Me’.

Resonant of Laura Dockrill’s MISTAKES IN THE BACKGROUND and with the powerful naïve illustrative style of cult Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara, this is a collector’s gift for teenagers and all who have the teenage experience still in their hearts. Readers will emphasise with this witty and honest journal of a girl getting to grips with impending adulthood. A must-have for all hipster teenagers and anyone who appreciates the raw creativity of youth. Enchanting and poignant

My Review: This arrived in the post today. I got back from school, opened it, got annoyingly distracted by revision. Grr. But then, on a revision break, I thought to my self: aha! I’ll read a few pages now, as I’ve not got my current read near me. I opened it, and got so immersed in Isobel’s world, I just devoured the whole thing in one sitting!

I’ve never read, or looked at (Most of it is illustration, photos and scrap-booking) anything much like this before. Isobel’s doodles are quirky, contemporary and uplifting- I enjoyed looking at them so much! This cute book is packed full of drawings of Isobel’s family, friends and strangers see sees that she scribbles down in her notebook. They all made me smile! Of course, I’m following Isobel Harrop on Twitter, so I know full well that she LOVES cute animals- especially otters. IF you pick up a copy of this, make sure you look at her section in which she draws the animals she loves! I almost fainted, from the cuteness overload ;D

The whole book is not exactly a fiction book… it’s pretty much all like a diary or a scrapbook, full of pictures of places with Isobel’s illustration’s of them, and there are some event recounts, with lots and lots of awesome drawings. It really is like taking a peek into the life of an eighteen year old (Yes, Isobel is eighteen! And with a book published! WHOA!). I found myself transported to all of the places Isobel has drawn and written about: like the Boy Problems Bus Stop (That made me giggle).

Look! A lovely page with photos and drawings and that homemade, scrap-book feeling. Photo credits to the HKB Tumblr page!

I better stop here, now, or I’ll start rambling on and on, describing each and every picture in the book. Yes, I would do that. I could write about this book and how amazing it is for ages! Overall, it’s a must have, for anybody. If you love art, and comics, buy it. If you’re a fan of vintage clothes, or otters, buy it. If you’re looking for a heart-warming, unique read that you’ll fall in love with, buy it. I enjoyed reading it so much! It’s one of those unique, original books that I’ll treasure- and this page I’ll leave you with especially had inspired me to make a similar scrapbook:

I loved these scrapbook, diary style entries!

Go grab a copy now! I can’t recommend it enough!

My Rating:

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I received a copy of The Isobel Journal from the publisher, in exchange for a review. In no way at all did this affect my thoughts.

Guildford Book Festival: Darren Shan

An interview with… Caroline Green! (PLUS GIVEAWAY!)

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Wahey! If you have been reading my blog for a while, you’ll know that I read and loved the teen thriller, HOLD YOUR BREATH by Caroline Green. It was an awesome read, and you can see my review HERE! I went to the blogger’s lunch run by Hot Key, Piccadilly Press, and Templar Books a couple of weeks ago. There, I met Caroline- and she’s such a lovely person! We chatted for quite a while, and I took home another copy of her book by accident. I asked Caroline, and she was happy for me to do a special giveaway for it! I was also lucky enough to interview Caroline, online, after the event. So, here’s an interview, all themed around HOLD YOUR BREATH, one of her latest teen thrillers!

You can follow Caroline by her Facebook page, or her website: https://www.facebook.com/CarolineGreenAuthor

http://www.carolinegreen.net/

•Firstly, can you tell us a little bit about HOLD YOUR BREATH, your teen thriller?

Hold Your Breath is about a 15-year-old girl called Tara who has the ability to locate lost items. This used to be a bit of a party trick within her family but things took a dark turn when she tried to help the police find a missing person, a toddler, for the first time. Her ‘gift’ appeared to be flawed on this occasion and her involvement actually led to tragedy. So as the story begins, Tara is in a new town with her family. She pretends she doesn’t get these images of lost things or people anymore, because it caused so much trouble and heartache before. But when a nasty girl in her class called Melodie Stone leaves school suddenly, Tara keeps getting disturbing pictures in her mind that suggest Melodie has been abducted and is in serious trouble. She has to make the decision whether she should become involved to help someone she doesn’t even like and who no one else thinks is in danger. Then there’s the fact that she doesn’t even trust her gift anymore…

•What was your main inspiration that triggered the idea for the book?

Unlike my other books, Dark Ride and Cracks, this one didn’t begin with a clear mental picture. This time I played around with a number of ideas until this one started to get me excited. I knew I wanted to write a psychological thriller because I love reading that kind of book!

•Your protagonist, Tara, has a special talent: why did you decide to give her that quality?

I was really interested in exploring what it would be like to have a skill that some would perceive to be a gift, but my character sees as a curse. Because her ability is potentially a useful one for other people, it means she would sometimes be under pressure to use it, when really, she would rather not have this special ability at all. She just wants to be normal.

HOLDYOURBREATH300DPI

•If you were to meet one character from this book, that wasn’t Tara, for a day, who would you pick and why?

Well if I was about 25 years younger it would have to be Leo! I did enjoy writing him and hope he is as a

ppealing on the page as he was in my imagination. But maybe it would be Leo’s dad, who cooks fantastic Italian food!

•Where do you write your novels?

My number one favourite writing place is the British Library. I love it there and find I can get lots done when I get the chance to spend the day there.

•Finally, do you have any advice for aspiring writers, in general or in the genre you write in?

I always say that writers must be readers first. So read, read, read, and not just in the genre you like best (although that is crucial too). All those words go in and whirl about in your brain and help you to make new stories. I really believe that. And you must want it really badly too and not let the inevitable knock-backs stop you from following your dream. It took me seven hard years of rejections to get published and I thought I would DIE from how horrible it was! But some stubbornness kept me going and I’m so glad I did.

Thank you so much, Caroline, for some brilliant interview questions! Now for a giveaway! ;D

UPDATE: Raflecopter is being stupid, and the code doesn’t let the widget show, and the link that was up previously doesn’t work. I’ve sent an email to them, but they can’t work it… so, in order to enter to win a copy of the book, please, instead, leave a comment telling me why you’d like to win HOLD YOUR BREATH!

TERMS: I will pick a winner at random fairly. The book will be sent via post, so if it gets lost or delayed I’m not responsible for it. Sorry! The giveaway is running from 12AM 7TH NOVEMBER until 12AM 21ST NOVEMBER. UK only, please, because otherwise postage is a lot of money 😦

Good luck!