Tag Archives: contemporary

Book Review: The Death House by Sarah Pinborough

Published 26th February 2015 by Orion Books.

24597331 Goodreads Synopsis: Toby’s life was perfectly normal . . . until it was unravelled by something as simple as a blood test.

Taken from his family, Toby now lives in the Death House; an out-of-time existence far from the modern world, where he, and the others who live there, are studied by Matron and her team of nurses. They’re looking for any sign of sickness. Any sign of their wards changing. Any sign that it’s time to take them to the sanatorium.

No one returns from the sanatorium.

Withdrawn from his house-mates and living in his memories of the past, Toby spends his days fighting his fear. But then a new arrival in the house shatters the fragile peace, and everything changes.

Because everybody dies. It’s how you choose to live that counts.

My Review: I hadn’t heard of The Death House until I received a proof copy, but after reading the blurb I was sure I would enjoy it! The concept sounded very chilling and dark, and it definitely was – it’s very unsettling at points.

The concept of the story is that if you get a certain result on a blood test as a child, you are sent to the Death House – here you stay with the other infected kids, similar to a boarding school, but there’s seemingly no way out… Unless you start to show symptoms and you’re taken to the sanatorium. Which nobody ever returns from.

I liked the mysterious concept, as Sarah leaves much to the imagination of the reader. I tried to come up with possibilities and answers, my mind running away with all sorts of scenarios of the outside world. The whole book is very eerie, because nothing about this illness, and not much about the outside world, is fully explained. However it did get to the point where I just needed to know how and what and why. I was a little sad the ending didn’t completely wrap it up – the last few pages were incredibly tragic but I felt at the end that there was something missing.

I’m quite mixed on the characters. They are incredibly well fleshed-out, real-feeling teenagers, and yet I just didn’t… Attach to them very much… ~~Oh god I have no heart.~~ I really don’t know why, but I know I’m in the minority of people who are mixed on this book – There have been so many five star reviews, and I can completely see why so many people have found this book, particularly the characters, truly astounding. Of course, there were a couple of bits I got quite choked up at but I just never felt like I was 100% into the story.

Overall, The Death House was a very evocative, quick read – I really recommend it if you’re looking for a very chilling, mysterious standalone novel. It’s hard to place it into a category, because it felt almost like a zombie novel, and it looks and feels like a dark horror, but it reads like a YA contemporary romance – quite bizarre sounding, but it’s incredibly memorable. I know I’m one of a small number of people who hasn’t enjoyed this just as much of others – for some reason, something just didn’t click with me – but I’m confident most people will be rendered completely awestruck by Pinborough’s inventive plot.

My Rating:

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

Book Review: Looking For Alaska by John Green [Tenth Anniversary Edition]

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Published February 2015 by Harper Collins.

24599112 Goodreads Synopsis: Miles has a quirky interest in famous people’s last words, especially François Rabelais’s final statement, “I go to seek a Great Perhaps.” Determined not to wait for death to begin a similar quest, Miles convinces his parents to let him leave home. Once settled at Culver Creek Preparatory School, he befriends a couple of equally gifted outcasts: his roommate Chip―commonly known as the Colonel—who has a predilection for memorizing long, alphabetical lists for fun; and the beautiful and unpredictable Alaska, whom Miles comes to adore.

The kids grow closer as they make their way through a school year filled with contraband, tests, pranks, breakups, and revelations about family and life. But as the story hurtles toward its shattering climax, chapter headings like “forty-six days before” and “the last day” portend a tragic event―one that will change Miles forever and lead him to new conclusions about the value of his cherished “Great Perhaps.”

My review is of the tenth anniversary special edition, which contains bonus content and deleted scenes.

My Review: This book came as a surprise in the post, but I was so excited when it arrived. I read Looking For Alaska last year, in the short period after finishing John Green’s latest book, The Fault in Our Stars, and I wasn’t sure about rereading it – but I ended up doing so and I think I loved it even more than I did the first time around.

Going back to revisit Miles and Alaska and the Colonel felt like a nostalgic reunion with old friends – I forgot how much I loved the characters and their chemistry. Though I feel that all of John Green’s characters are somewhat similar, I can’t fault them. They’re always endlessly funny, yet complex, and they have such well developed back-stories. Since my first read, I’d forgotten much of Alaska’s background and how it connects with her future, and it was quite haunting to rediscover it.

As for the plot, I somehow felt even more absorbed, knowing what was coming (though admittedly I forgot at which point the BIG PLOT TWIST THAT BROKE MY HEART happened, and it struck me really hard and I spent the rest of the night crying to my friend). I also picked up on some parallels in the ‘before’ and ‘after’ sections that the book is split into – I didn’t notice how events lined up and how the story begins 135 days before and ends 135 days after, exactly. This is why rereading is the best – There are so many things you pick up that you hadn’t noticed before!

However, I did dislike some bits of the plot – I loved the ending but I don’t feel it did the book justice, that near-end scene just felt a little disjointed and random to me. The ‘before’ part is definitely the best part, plot-wise, as in the ‘after’ I felt everything was just dragged out a little. However, it was definitely the most emotional part. I couldn’t help but tear up at so many parts.

the reason I’m reviewing this book again is because it’s a new edition, with bonus stuff, so I thought I may as well do a new post and not just reblog my old review. At the back of this edition there’s actually more new content than I’d anticipated – I loved reading John Green’s articulately answered Q&A, thought my favourite thing was the deleted scenes. There were original drafts of scenes such as the opening pages of the book, where Miles is saying goodbye to his parents and starting at Culver Creek school. I found it so fascinating to see how John Green’s writing developed over many rewrites.

Overall, I really recommend Looking For Alaska, especially this copy – whether you haven’t read it before and want to start reading Green’s books (Warning, does not come with tissues, you must purchase these yourself.) or whether you’re a long-time fan, as the new things included are really great! Also, hai, gorgeous shiny cover. The story is one of those rare ones that touches you in a way not many can. It rips your heart to pieces then puts it back together, over and over. The characters never truly leave you – the whole book is just unforgettable.

My Rating:

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

Book Review: The Imaginary by A. F. Harrold (Illustrated by Emily Gravett)

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Published October 23rd by Bloomsbury.

Goodreads Synopsis: Rudger is Amanda’s best friend. He doesn’t exist, but nobody’s perfect.
Only Amanda can see her imaginary friend – until the sinister Mr Bunting arrives at Amanda’s door. Mr Bunting hunts imaginaries. Rumour says that he eats them. And he’s sniffed out Rudger. Soon Rudger is alone, and running for his imaginary life. But can a boy who isn’t there survive without a friend to dream him up?
A brilliantly funny, scary and moving read from the unique imagination of A.F. Harrold, this beautiful book is astoundingly illustrated with integrated art and colour spreads by the award-winning Emily Gravett.

My Review: I opened The Imaginary looking forward to a really cute story about friendship, and intending to read just the first few chapters before I did some blogging. I ended up reading the whole thing in one sitting, and getting what wasn’t quite a cute story, but a beautifully told tale full of hope, friendship, terror and adventure. Pageturner is definitely the right word to describe it: I simply couldn’t stop reading… And there was a surprise around every corner, none of which I was expecting.

The Imaginary is marketed as an Middle Grade book, but I’m confident that teenagers and adults will fall in love with the story too – it’s got lots of crossover appeal. The plot was actually quite a bit darker than I was expecting – the antagonists were really freaky and sent shivers up my spine. However, the eerie elements of the story contrasted with the beautiful aspects of friendship and the power of imagination.

The characters were perfectly crafted and realistic: Amanda and her imaginary friend, Rudger, are truly unforgettable. Amanda is such a bubbly and bright character, and her personality made me love her instantly! Rudger was everything I’d love in an imaginary friend for myself, and I was unable to put the book down, wanting to know what he did next.

The story was captivating by itself, but Emily Gravett’s illustrations brought it to life. The character depictions were just as I would have seen them in my mind if the story wasn’t illustrated. I loved poring over the gorgeously detailed spreads. The use of Black and White versus colour was a very clever and pretty way of depicting normality/reality versus imagined worlds, too. I hadn’t seen any of Emily Gravett’s work before but after The Imaginary I’d love to read more MG books with her illustrations!

Overall, The Imaginary was a really stunning book and definitely exceeded my expectations. As soon as I’d started it, I didn’t want to stop reading – and as soon as I’d finished it, I wanted to flip back to the start to read it again! A F Harrold’s writing was fantastic; it’s sad, sinister, unforgettable and magical-feeling all at once – perhaps a little nostalgic too for everyone who’s had an imaginary friend. I really recommend Harrold & Gravett’s book – whether you’re an MG reader or older, looking for a very beautiful and captivating book.

My Rating:

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

Book Review: Anatomy of a Misfit by Andrea Portes

365 days of WONDER

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I was sent a copy of 365 Days of Wonder from the publisher, Random House, last week! I wasn’t expecting it, but I’ve been really interested in it since I heard it announced. However, it’s not the kind of book I can review in terms of the plot, or the characters, etc… This is a (beautiful!) collective book of precepts, quotes and inspirational things – a page for each day of the year.

Wonder by R J Palacio (read my review here) is about a boy called Auggie, who has a cranial facial disorder, starting middle school – and it documents his first friendships and hardships there. His English teacher, Mr Browne, is in love with Precepts – motivational quotes etc – and asks his students, including Auggie, to mail him their own precept on a postcard over a school holiday. The precepts mentioned in the book were all really powerful and inspirational!

RJ Palacio, the author, received lots of postcards from readers and fans with their own precepts written on them – and over a hundred of them were selected along with some famous icon’s quotes, and were all combined to create 365 Days of Wonder.

365 Days of Wonder is such a beautiful book! Every single page is different, but all of them are vibrant and gorgeous. There are typed precepts, handwritten ones, and occasional pictures. It’s such a beautiful book, whether you’re just flicking through it, reading it all in one go, or doing what the title suggests and reading a precept a day (for a year!).

A lot of the precepts reflect the world of Wonder so beautifully, like the one above. Though it is quite expensive as it’s a hardback, I do recommend checking out a copy upon release – if you loved Wonder, its spin-off novella The Julian Chapter, or if you’re just looking for a really pretty gift book. I’m now keeping my copy on my desk – to read a precept a day (:

[You can also check out and reblog these photos on my Tumblr book blog :)]

I received a copy of 365 Days of Wonder from the publisher, in exchange for a review. In no way at all did this affect my thoughts.

Book Review: Every Day by David Levithan

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Published September 2013 by Electric Monkey.

17451795 Goodreads Synopsis: Each morning, A wakes up in a different body. There’s never any warning about who it will be, but A is used to that. Never get too attached. Avoid being noticed. Do not interfere. And that’s fine – until A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets Justin’s girlfriend, Rhiannon. From that moment, the rules by which A has been living no longer apply.

My Review: Upon finishing Every Day, I was in… an emotional mess, to say the least. I know it’s a book I will go back to and read over and over again. In one word, it was beautiful. Levithan’s poetic writing style; his unforgettable characters; the original concept; the wild love story – It was all so beautifully written and captivating. Every Day is one of the best books I’ve read this year. Close contender for the best book I’ve read this year.

I’m not sure why I’d left this on the TBR pile for so many months, since reading the blurb when I bought it when it was first released had me really intrigued: Waking up in a different body every day, having to leave no trace of your true self anywhere, not being able to attach to anybody… The whole concept just sounded like a brilliant premise for a novel.

As I was starting, I got a bit worried I’d just get really confused – having to get used to a whole new character that protagonist A is inhabiting for every different chapter. However, David Levithan just made it work. I kept track of everybody and I was left thinking about all of the characters A inhabits just for a day, long after I put the book down.

A, the protagonist, has no gender, no ethnicity, no true body aside from each one A inhabits every day. A is just simply… A. Despite not being able to picture a face for the A, I found A to be one of the most memorable YA characters I’ve ever read about. A has such a memorable and complex personality that I instantly resonated with. On the other hand, Rhiannon is just an average teenage girl – but I fell in love with her character as much as I did with A, I think! She felt so three dimensional and I loved how she believed in A and went to huge lengths for him. They had such a great chemistry.

I can’t even write about the ending without spoiling it or crying so I’m just going to leave a gif here for David Levithan.

Overall, Every Day was evocative, emotional and beautifully written YA books I’ve ever read… I’m so glad I picked it up on a whim. I devoured the whole story in two sittings, but I really didn’t want to let it go at the end. I think I say that a lot in book reviews, but I really, really mean it – David Levithan had me completely caught up in the wild, devastating, but gorgeous love story he’s crafted, and I was much more attached to the protagonists by the ending than I thought I would be. Every Day really makes you think, about everything. About identity, living in other people’s shoes, and so much more. I know I’ll be rereading this over and over – if you haven’t already read Every Day, I really recommend it be the next book you pick up (:

My Rating:

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I purchased a copy of Every Day at a bookstore.

Book Review: Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan

Book Review: The Case of the Exploding Loo by Rachel Hamilton

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Published May 2014 by Simon & Schuster.

18870172 Goodreads Synopsis: Quirky twelve year old Noelle (Know-All) Hawkins may be one of the brightest girls in her class but even she can’t explain how her dad, wacky scientist Big Brain Brian, spontaneously combusted while sitting in a portaloo. It’s true that he was working on a new top secret Brain Ray machine and was on the point of a great break-through when he vanished – could this have had something to do with his disappearance? Know-All is sure all is not as it seems and with the help of her sister Holly she is determined to find out what really happened to her dad!

My Review: I started The Case of the Exploding Loo really excitedly, as I haven’t been reading many MG books lately, and this looked really quirky and funny. It definitely was! I ended up reading it in two sittings and I really recommend it if you’re looking for a really clever, giggle-inducing novel.

The Case of the Exploding Loo follows young, smart and inquisitive Noelle as she tries to uncover the reasons behind an exploding toilet that’s supposedly killed her dad, after starting to find lots of suspicious activity around her neighborhood. The plot is so wacky and crazy, with brain washing rays, lots and lots of portaloos and suspicious teachers. It’s completely unpredictable!

I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that’s full of so many things that worked so well. I really loved reading it; once I started it was actually quite hard to put down; there’s a new clue every few pages. It is quite a fast paced book, which made it a little hard for me to gather everything at first, but I did get used to the pace and was able to follow the story quite easily.

Noelle was such a brilliant main character. She’s nicknamed “Know-All,” a play on her name as she’s a bit like a human Google- she’s pretty dorky. That made her really fun and loveable. I really loved her inquisitive nature. I hope there’s another book based around her in the future, because I found her so adorable!

Overall, I really enjoyed reading The Case of the Exploding Loo. It’s a fun, quirky and genius début novel, from an author I’m sure will have many more hilarious books out in the future. The story has not just a memorable protagonist, but also lots of funny punchlines and a clever conclusion. Being quite scientific, it remind me a lot of the Doyle & Fossey: Science Detectives series for children- which was awesome because I adored those books a few years ago. Recommended if you want something that’ll make you giggle! (:

My Rating:

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

Graphic Novel Review: Confessions of a Blabbermouth

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By Mike and Louise Carey, illustrated by Aaron Alexovich.

Published in 2007 by Minx.

1335621 Goodreads Synopsis: After her mom brings home an annoying boyfriend, Tasha’s dysfunctional family is headed for a complete mental meltdown. But Tashas blog is her ultimate weapon–and shes not afraid to use it. Mike Carey (“LUCIFER, Hellblazer”) teams with his teenage daughter Louise for this tale of teen angst.

My Review: At the talk with comics writer Mike Carey I went to a few weeks ago, this book was briefly talked about. There were lots of graphic novels I was excited to read after hearing about them at the event, but this one stood out the most for me, as Carey wrote it with his fifteen year old daughter! I was in the library earlier this week, not actually looking for this book, but as soon as I saw it I knew I had to borrow and read it. I’m so glad I found it. I really enjoyed it!

Confessions of a Blabbermouth is centered around Tasha, a teenage girl who writes about her crazy life on her blog, Blabbermouth. Her mum’s prone to bringing home lots of boyfriends, and when her latest one turns up, so does his daughter. Tasha instantly grows to hate Chloe- but on an unpredictable journey she discovers something about her.

I really liked the story. It’s funny at points, pretty emotional at others. It was pretty crazy and I found some parts a bit strange, but it’s a great contemporary plot. While some bits are pretty wild, it’s a story I think lots of people will relate to, with the family drama and the stereotypical school bullies.

I loved the fact that Tasha had a blog! There are text boxes that narrate the story, that are parts of her blog posts. I really liked that. I also loved how the website plays a really unpredictable part in the outcome. Tasha was a very cool main character. She’s a bit quirky, gets very angry a lot with her mum and her new, horrid, boyfriend Jed, but she was easy to like. Chloe, who is effectively Tasha’s new stepsister, was a really three dimensional character. She develops a lot throughout the story- More than Tasha, and there are hints about Chloe’s secret laced all through the book, that all make sense at the end! (Also Chloe looked scarily like me. Double awesomeness :D)

The art was really great I liked the style. It’s really unique, and it suited the story. I really wanted to read some more comics illustrated by Alexovich now!

Overall, Confessions of a Blabbermouth was a fun, quirky read. I really enjoyed the story. I think even people who aren’t fans of comics will really enjoy it. The characters are relatable and three dimensional and the plot’s a crazy, dramatic ride. And, obviously, the art is really eye catching. I loved reading it! I’m hoping to look out for more books published by Minx in the future.

My Rating:

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I borrowed a copy of Confessions of a Blabbermouth from my local library.

Book Review: American Savage by Matt Whyman

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You can read my review of book one, The Savages, by clicking here!

Published June 5th 2014 by Hot Key Books.

19383531 Goodreads Synopsis: Vegan, veggie, carnivore… humanitarian? Welcome to the top of the food chain.

The Savages are back – this time in a country where servings come supersized. Titus, Angelica and the kids go to great lengths to fit into their new lives in sunny Florida. But that’s not easy when their appetite runs to feasts of human flesh.

In this dark comic serving of everyday family life with contemporary cannibals, the Savages seek to hide in plain sight by setting up a vegan café. But when the venture turns out to be a surprise sensation, and bad apples bob to the surface, Titus is forced to question whether the family have finally bitten off more than they can chew.

My Review: American Savage was a really great sequel- I devoured it in two sittings! I really loved The Savages when I had the chance to read it last year; it was a darkly hilarious story of a family of cannibals and various obstacles like vegetarian boyfriends. I couldn’t wait to read more about the family in this instalment; strangely, despite their… tastes… you grow to love them.

The plot was really great. American Savage sees the Savage family, plus adopted-into-the-family Amanda, moving to America for a change in lifestyle and to avoid arousing any more suspicion in their home country. The family sets up a vegan café; half to cover up any suspicious activity around the neighbourhood caused by them, and half because of a drama caused by Titus Savage and Amanda’s job. The plot kinda terrified me and made me laugh at the same time. It was really weird, seeing the family growing up, and dealing with different issues than had arisen in the first book. But I loved it! There’s a different story for every character, and they link together in clever and unpredictable ways.

The theme for the book is pretty dark and macabre, as it was in book one. But, Matt Whyman manages to keep the story feeling like an upbeat, funny, contemporary drama… except, there’s definitely a higher body count in this book compared to other YA contemps… 😀 Whyman’s writing is really enjoyable. It did take me a couple of pages to get stuck into the story, but after that, I couldn’t stop reading.

There was one thing that kind of disappointed me. In the first book, the most relatable character for me was Sasha- the teenage girl of the family who most of the story was centered around. However, she wasn’t actually in this story- instead she was in another American state studying. I really wish she was in the story, at least for a few pages! She’d been one of my favourite characters. I did get used to the family without her… but the ending, which was a bit heartbreaking, I wish she’d been there for. For reasons. But I can’t say why because I’ll spoil it…

Overall, aside from one part, I really did enjoy American Savage! I wasn’t sure how I’d find the sequel, as the first book was brilliant as a standalone… but this was awesome. It’s a mixture of macabre family tradition, romance, cover-up family business and American lifestyle… Sounds bizarre, but Matt Whyman makes it work. All of the characters are so well fleshed out and each one felt realistic and individual. I really, really highly recommend both The Savages and American Savage, whether you’re more of a contemporary fan or a fan of the macabre. Matt Whyman’s writing is really memorable and I can’t wait to read even more from him!

My Rating:

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