Tag Archives: contemporary

Book Review: The Julian chapter by R J Palacio

Published 1st May 2014 by Random House Children’s books.

20878809 Publisher’s Synopsis: Over 1 million people have read Wonder and have fallen in love with Auggie Pullman, an ordinary boy with an extraordinary face. Now readers will have a chance to hear from the book’s most controversial character—Julian.

From the very first day Auggie and Julian met in the pages of the #1 New York Times bestseller Wonder, it was clear they were never going to be friends, with Julian treating Auggie like he had the plague. And while Wonder told Auggie’s story through six different viewpoints, Julian’s perspective was never shared. Readers could only guess what he was thinking.

Until now. The Julian Chapter will finally reveal the bully’s side of the story. Why is Julian so unkind to Auggie? And does he have a chance for redemption?

My Review: The Julian Chapter was a story I fell in love with from the start. It’s engaging, emotional, and incredibly powerful. Spinning off from Wonder, R J Palacio’s much loved début, The Julian Chapter tells the story of the bully who hated Auggie for his looks.

As soon as I’d gotten an email about this spin-off chapter, I was too excited for words! I fell in love with wonder last year. It was so moving and powerful. I couldn’t wait to hear more from R J. I started the story straight away and once I’d begun, I couldn’t stop. I was so engrossed in the story! Julian was a character whose narrative wasn’t in Wonder, which switched between the viewpoints of lots of people in Auggie’s life. I was so glad I could finally see through Julian’s eyes.

The writing, of course, is brilliant. R J Palacio has adopted the voice of a middle-school kid really well. Julian’s voice is really distinctive and realistic. I could feel his anger and fear about the situation he was in because of Auggie. If you read Wonder, you’ll have really disliked Julian for the things he did to Auggie. I did. But in this novella, I got to understand all of the reasons behind his actions. Obviously, the things he did are still awful- but The Julian Chapter has made all of his actions make sense, and it’s built a really good back story to one of the most complex characters in the story.

The Julian Chapter tells Julian’s side of the story in Wonder, then goes on to after the events of Wonder. I loved how much Julian develops throughout the story. He changes into such a different person over the course of the novella, and honestly, the last few chapters made me start crying. I grew to forgive Julian, and liked him by the ending; The Julian Chapter shows how it wasn’t all Julian’s fault- how his actions were caused by so many things. I love that R J Palacio has made Julian such a more understandable character with an eighty page story.

Overall, The Julian Chapter was just… amazing. It’s poignant, honest, and written so well. I loved hearing Julian’s voice, and learning about his life and back story. The Julian Chapter gives a whole new side to the story. If you loved Wonder, I cannot recommend this highly enough! For an under-100-page story, it’s unbelievably emotional and engaging. I won’t be forgetting The Julian Chapter any time soon!

My Rating:

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I received a copy of The Julian Chapter, in exchange for a review. In no way at all did this affect my thoughts.

Book Review: Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira

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Love Letters to the Dead might actually be the best book I’ve read this year: and I don’t think I can even do the book justice. About a week ago, I picked the book up again, and I reread it. I’m in the middle of my second or third reread now… It’s just amazing, and you can tell it’s a pretty special book, because I don’t think I’ve gone back to reread a book so quickly.

Published 1st May 2014 by Hot Key Books.

20703051 Goodreads Synopsis: It begins as an assignment for English class: write a letter to a dead person – any dead person. Laurel chooses Kurt Cobain – he died young, and so did Laurel’s sister May – so maybe he’ll understand a bit of what Laurel is going through. Soon Laurel is writing letters to lots of dead people – Janis Joplin, Heath Ledger, River Phoenix, Amelia Earhart… it’s like she can’t stop. And she’d certainly never dream of handing them in to her teacher. She writes about what it’s like going to a new high school, meeting new friends, falling in love for the first time – and how her family has shattered since May died.

But much as Laurel might find writing the letters cathartic, she can’t keep real life out forever. The ghosts of her past won’t be contained between the lines of a page, and she will have to come to terms with growing up, the agony of losing a beloved sister, and the realisation that only you can shape your destiny.

My Review: Love Letters to the Dead completely blew me away. It’s nothing less than an absolutely stunning début novel- there aren’t actually many words that can do this story justice, I think. It was emotional, captivating, and beautifully written.

Love Letters to the Dead is written entirely in what the title suggests. Protagonist Laurel is starting a new chapter of her life, and at the same time, is still grieving for her sister, May. She pours her riveting, moving life story, and everything that she can’t say to anyone else, into letters to Kurt Cobain, River Phoenix, and Judy Garland, to name a few people. Each and every letter is heart-wrenchingly powerful, and I found tears welling up reading most of them. Ava Dellaira has a fresh, gripping writing voice. It’s going to captivate anyone who reads this, I’m sure!

The romance in this book was heartbreaking, and heart-warming at points. It was beautifully told. Laurel’s relationships with characters in this book was mesmerising. I can’t say who she falls for, but I will say that the love story was a roller coaster and I couldn’t close the book. What touched me the most, though, was the story between two supporting characters. It deserved its own book; it was really unforgettable and emotional.

We get to know Laurel’s sister, May, really well over the course of the story. It’s quite hard to describe how I felt about May, but she is an unforgettable character. Her bond with Laurel is so memorable and unlike anything I’ve ever read about. Laurel is such a strong protagonist, because as the story progresses, we find out that she’s been through a lot more than we thought she had, and each new event shocked me so much. I felt really close to Laurel, and I loved her personality that really shone through in all of her letters. She’s a new favourite contemporary protagonist, and I really miss reading about her now that I’ve finished the book.

Overall, Love Letters to the Dead was an absolutely amazing début. I was a little apprehensive about starting it because I wasn’t sure how I’d find it… but there was no need to be. Love Letters to the Dead captivated me; Ava Delliara’s story captured me from the beginning and didn’t let me go until the very last page. All of the characters are so well fleshed out and memorable. I completely agree with what Steven Chbosky’s said on the front cover of the book: Ava Dellaira is a bold new literary voice. I’m really hoping to read more from her soon and I can tell Love Letters to the Dead is going to be a book I reread over and over again. It was mesmerising.

My Rating:

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I received a copy of Love Letters to the Dead form the publisher, in exchange for a review. In no way at all did this affect my thoughts.

book review: hate by Alan Gibbons

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You can also see my post from the HATE blog tour, by clicking here!

Published 10th April by Indigo books.

18692305 Goodreads Synopsis: Eve’s older sister, Rosie, was bright and alive and always loved being the centre of attention. Then one day, she is brutally murdered. Six months later, Eve meets Antony and discovers that he was there the night Rosie died and did nothing to help. Is there any way she can ever get past that? Inspired by the Sophie Lancaster murder in 2007, which saw Sophie and her partner Rob viciously attacked in Stubbylee Park, Bacup, Lancashire because of the way they dressed. This is a hard-hitting real-life thriller about friendship, courage, loss, forgiveness and about our society and communities.

My Review: The real-life inspiration behind HATE really shocked me. It’s terrifying to hear stories of hate crime. I started HATE nervously; how would it treat the topic? How would I find a story, that takes such a serious real-life inspiration?

Luckily, I found it really well written. HATE was gripping and eye opening- I read the whole book in one sitting. HATE’s centered around Eve, whose sister Rosie was killed by a gang because of the way she dressed. One day at school, she recognises the name of the new boy, Anthony Ward. He was one of the witnesses that day, who saw Rosie but did nothing to help… and now at school, tension is rising between one character who speaks up and another character who hates him because of it.

HATE is quite a short read, no more than 300 pages, but its plot is quite complex. It did take me quite a few pages to grasp the format, because it switches between six months before the present events in the book, and between the present tense narratives of Eve and Anthony. It did take me a bit to grasp everything about the characters, too, but after a few chapters I became completely engrossed in the story.

The plot is terrifying, made even more so, as it’s based on shocking true events. It really paints a realistic picture of the grief the victim’s families go through, as well as showing how hate crime can be caused, using homophobia and its effects for the central plot of this book. It’s a very tense book, and very heart-breaking, though at the same time, heart-warming at the end.

I grew to like the main protagonists- we learn so much about Eve, and after a while, I also grew to understand Anthony despite what he hadn’t done the night Rosie was attacked. Despite growing to really love the central characters the book is based around, I found the story a little too short, almost, to grow too attached to them! I blame that a little more on me reading it in one sitting- just over two hours- though…

Overall, HATE was a very tense, riveting and compelling read. It’s based around a scarily real topics such as homophobia and hate crime, and it’s not a book that can be forgotten easily. The characters felt three-dimensional, and Alan Gibbons’ writing is brutally honest and powerful. I felt the ending was a little bit abrupt, and the format was a little hard to get used to at first- but it’s most definitely worth picking up a copy of. HATE is a brave, and powerful read.

My Rating:

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

book review: writing in the sand by helen brandom

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Published 1st April 2014 by Usborne.

20957971 Goodreads Synopsis: “Amy! Wait till you hear this…”
I hold my breath.

“What?” I say.

“Last night someone left a baby on our doorstep.” My heart stops. This is it, I think. Now what do I do?

Sixteen-year-old Amy is used to keeping secrets – about her mum’s illness, her irresponsible sister and her ex-boyfriend. Amy is her mum’s sole carer and every day is filled with tiny battles to achieve the simplest things, from cooking a meal to keeping the house clean, especially when social services come round. No matter how difficult stuff gets, Amy doesn’t want anything to change. But then a shocking discovery turns everything upside-down.

When a newborn baby is left on her best friend’s doorstep, it becomes the talk of the town, and only Amy holds the key to the baby’s identity. Now she has two choices: tell the truth, or live a lie forever.

My Review: Writing in the Sand is a very poignant, and brutally honest story! It covers themes of love, loss, and family, and I really enjoyed reading it.

The story begins with our protagonist, Amy, who, as she’s sitting her exams, is also experiencing a lot of pressure at home. She has to care for her mother, and she’s torn apart over her ex boyfriend’s migration, and now, a baby has turned up on her best friend’s doorstep and Amy knows who’s left it there, and it’s turning her life upside down.

I really liked the character of Amy, because she felt like such a realistic teenager. I was rooting for her all the way through the story, even though some of the choices she made weren’t the best available! I think she’s going to be well loved by anyone who reads this book!

I was really intrigued by the pretty mysterious plot (Though from a note on the press release I realised everything and AHHH! :s) and all of the débuts I’ve read so far this year have been stunning, so I had really high hopes! The plot deals with a lot of pretty scary themes for a teenagers to be dealing with. I’m really impressed that the début author, Helen Brandom, has written everything so well. I had a little correct idea of the outcome, though wholly, the book is quite unpredictable.

Helen Brandom’s writing is truly great. She’s captured the voice of a teenager so successfully and I really loved the narration!

Overall, I really enjoyed Writing in the Sand. It’s a heart-breaking, but also heart-warming story that deals with complicated relationships, pregnancies, and children who have to care for their less able family members. Riveting and powerful, I think a lot of people are going to find the plot really memorable- as they will also find the protagonist! There was one character I wanted to know so much more about, but, oh well… I would really love to hear much more from Helen in the future. A really great, recommended, contemporary!

My Rating:

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

Review-Graphic: GOOSE by Dawn O’Porter

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I really loved Goose! It was the sequel to Paper Aeroplanes, which I really enjoyed last year. I decided to a graphic for this review, though it’s not as cool as I hoped it would be… I hope you enjoy it! Goose, even though it’s the second book, also works as a standalone too… And both titles are definitely worth picking up!

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

New Books! #41… Also, Nerdfighter stuff :)

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S0, this week’s haul is exciting 😀 There was a lot of squealing. Also, I’m taking photos of my books now instead of using the book jackets from Goodreads, because Hawwa’s book photography tutorial is awesome and even though my photos are awful compared to hers, especially the last one I took in a rush this morning, they look nicer than my rushed Picmonkey collages (Or, so I’m hoping)!

The Gospel of Loki by Joanne M. Harris: *dances* I’ve been looking forward to finding a copy of this for a couple of months now! I was in the lovely London Forbidden Planet on Monday, looking at the Sci-Fi/Fantasy charts, and saw it was number one. The hardback was so pretty, so I picked a copy off the shelves, then looked closer and saw it was signed. There was much squealing and jumping up and down and people-looking-at-me-weirdly. But I don’t care, I have a copy now! Yay! I’m so excited.

Daughters of Time by the History Girls: This came through the letterbox on Thursday… and the copy is so gorgeous! I’m looking forward to starting it; Daughters of Time is all about the women in History who’ve shaped today’s world. I’ll also be participating in the blog tour, very soon, so keep an eye out! thanks to Templar for sending this to me.

The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer: This looks and sounds amazing. I’ve definitely seen the cover around, but I’ve never actually had a proper look at the book before. After hearing and reading about its Costa book awards win, I decided I’d buy a copy, to see what it’s like. I read the blurb in the store and was just… wow-ed. I think this is going to be amazing.

The Blackhart Legacy, #1: Banished by Liz de Jager: I can’t even put into words how excited I am for this! I’ve been waiting for ages to be able to read it; pretty much since I found out the lovely Liz had gotten a book deal, months ago. The cover’s absolutely stunning, and the first two chapters are too- they’re on Tor’s blog. I’m completely ditching the TBR pile for this: I’ve already started it, and I’m loving it. Definitely worth the waiting for!

RUN by Gregg Olsen: I received this from the lovely people at Newbooks magazine, so thanks, you lovely people! I love the magazine, which comes out every month, and I’m really excited to get the chance to review in it, starting with Run… and hopefully getting to review future titles for them, too! 😀 Run sounds brilliant; like a really gritty, thrilling crime book, so I’m positive I’ll enjoy it. It’s from Hot Key, and I don’t think they’ve released any/many crime books yet, so I’m eager to see what this one’s about.

Extra thing I’m going to randomly add onto the end of this post: A lot of you probably know I’m an avid nerdfighter, a lot of book bloggers are! Especially Lucy, who’s the blogger and booktuber behind Queen of Contemporary. She’s hosting a Nerdfighter Month very soon, with lots of videos and a readathon of John Green’s books, and loads more awesomeness! Get the word out, people of the internet, this is going to be awesome. Dftba, of course. 😀 Here’s the introductory announcement video, which doesn’t seen to embed into this post, for some reason:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcIbiUtzk5Q&feature=youtu.be

Book Review: Bird by Crystal Chan

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Published 30th January 2014 by Tamarind books (A Random House imprint).

13260749 Goodreads Synopsis: ‘Grandpa stopped speaking the day he killed my brother, John. His name was John until Grandpa said he looked more like a Bird with the way he kept jumping off things, and the name stuck. Bird’s thick, black hair poked out in every direction, just like the head feathers of the blackbirds, Grandpa said, and he bet that one day Bird would fly like one too. Grandpa kept talking like that, and no one paid him much notice until Bird jumped off a cliff, the cliff at the edge of the tallgrass prairie, the cliff that dropped a good couple hundred feet to a dried-up riverbed below. From that day on, Grandpa never spoke another word. Not one.
The day that Bird tried to fly, the grown-ups were out looking for him – all of them except Mom and Granny. That’s because that very day, I was born.’

Twelve-year-old Jewel never knew her brother, but all her life she has lived in his shadow. Then one night, on her birthday, she finds a mysterious boy sitting in her oak tree. His name is John. And he changes everything.

My Review: Bird is a beautiful book…. there aren’t actually many words to describe it properly and do it justice. It’s a poignant tale about love and loss, and I think it’s going to captivate anybody who reads it.

The story’s completely riveting: Literally right from the first page, where the reader finds out that Jewel was born the day her brother jumped from a cliff, and that their grandfather’s never spoken a word, since. Crystal Chan’s writing is so good, I honestly did have tears in my eyes from the beginning. Chan’s captured the voice of a twelve year old flawlessly. I was sucked right into the story of Jewel, and the complicated relationship with her grandfather and the friendship growing between her and John- a boy who’s staying in the town, who has the same name as her brother.

The plot is flawless- there’s no other way to describe it! Every event was completely unpredictable, and Crystal Chan can make you laugh or cry with every page. The plot is very character driven, exploring the ups and downs of a torn apart family, and focusing on the impact of Jewel’s new friend on her grandfather. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever read before. The plot twists are all emotional and shocking, especially the big one about John, Jewel’s friend. I was completely blown away, and I couldn’t stop reading.

Jewel is a character that any reader can instantly fall in love with: She’s so well developed and realistic, and her voice just captured me, and didn’t let me go until the very last page. Her narration is really captivating and she’s probably now one of my favourite contemporary fiction characters. John’s also such good protagonist. Chan made me really mixed on him at points, with those plot twists… but he’s the kind of character you can’t not love!

Overall, Bird is amazing, and a book that I’ll be recommending to everybody I know, regardless of what kind of books they like. The central character were so three dimensional and loveable, I really wanted to read more about them after finishing… I’m pretty sure I’ll be rereading this book! The plot weaves themes of superstition into themes of love and loss, and it’s just beautiful. Bird is moving; more emotional than most books I’ve read this year, and I really can’t recommend it highly enough!

My Rating:

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

Book Review: Far From You by Tess Sharpe

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Published by Indigo (Orion), 27th March 2014. (Also, admire the pretty GIF cover from fiercefiction.tumblr.com! ;D I had to borrow this for the post. It’s gorgeous.)

Goodreads Synopsis: Nine months. Two weeks. Six days. That’s how long recovering addict Sophie’s been drug-free. Four months ago her best friend, Mina, died in what everyone believes was a drug deal gone wrong – a deal they think Sophie set up. Only Sophie knows the truth. She and Mina shared a secret, but there was no drug deal. Mina was deliberately murdered. Forced into rehab for an addiction she’d already beaten, Sophie’s finally out and on the trail of the killer – but can she track them down before they come for her?

My Review: Far From You is a beautifully written, captivating novel, and as soon as I picked it up, I physically couldn’t put it down. It’s gripping, thrilling, and I think it’s going to be a seriously big debut! Far From You touches on drug and accident recoveries, whilst also being about a really beautiful but complicated love story. I loved it, and I’m pretty sure every body else who reads it will, too.

Sophie was an instantly loveable character; she was so strong and realistic, and jumped off of the pages. I think she’s the best developed character I’ve read about all year (and that’s out of almost 40 books!). She nearly dies at at a young age in a car crash, and the second time she has a close chance of dying, her best friend, Mina, is killed. After Sophie comes out of rehab, despite never needing to go in the first place, she’s determined to uncover the killer, and work out the mystery. I fell in love with her from the start, and Mina too- as she featured in most of the flashbacks. I grew so attached to the characters that I really didn’t want to finish reading about them at the end…

The plot was unpredictable, a real roller-coaster of a book. As soon as I opened the first page, I was completely sucked into the story, and as I already said- was left reluctant to leave everything behind after I finished! There was no way I could’ve guessed anything. I loved the themes, and it was just addictive… I have no other words to describe it!

The story is written in a breath-taking style. I think Tess Sharpe is definitely a write to keep an eye on! I loved the format of the novel- written in chapters that alternated between the present and key moments in Sophie’s past. It all unfolded in such a genius way, though I think at points I did get a little confused, mixing past events up in the present, but I did get it all in the end, and I loved it.

Overall, Far From You was a beautiful debut. I was so excited for it as soon as I first saw the cover- and it was definitely worth getting excited for! It’s a chilling, dark crime thriller, with hints of romance, and centered around a really strong relationship. Sophie and Mina were amazing characters, and I don’t think I could forget them. Although I struggled a couple of times with the format, I think Far From You was written really, really well. I’m looking forward to more from Tess Sharpe- this is set to win awards, and it definitely deserves to!

My Rating:

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

Book Review: RED by Alison Cherry

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Published by Quercus, January 2014.

18755824 Goodreads Synopsis: Top student. Beauty queen. Girlfriend of the hottest football jock: Felicity’s got everything. And it’s all down to her red, red hair.

Felicity lives in Scarletville, the world’s only redhead sanctuary, where red hair is celebrated, protected – and the key to sucess.

But Felicity has a secret. A red hot secret. And if anyone finds out, she’s finished.

Because Felicity’s actually a natural blonde.

And in Scarletville, blondes need not apply.

My Review: RED isn’t the kind of book I’d normally read. I often read contemporary books, but none that are about beauty pageants and hair and… well, not exactly my thing! But, I requested this after some great reviews… though I read a few bad ones too… I did enjoy quite a few parts of this, though! I’m really mixed, overall.

The world is one thing that really bugged me! Felicity, the main character, has naturally strawberry blonde hair, and living in Scarletville, the world’s redhead sanctuary, you’re destined for a life of discrimination. I kind of didn’t get that at first- I’m strawberry blonde, and I’m mistaken for being a redhead. Yet Felicity would get harassed for being one… But, I pushed that aside and then thought, as I know Debbie did, why didn’t Felicity just move? Surely that would be an easier option…

I did really enjoy the plot, on the other hand. Its main focus was on bullying and blackmailing, with a really nasty non-redhead girl controlling Felicity to get her way. I enjoyed watching everything unfold, and there were a lot of great plot twists that did keep me reading. The relationship between Felicity and one other character I won’t mention here was really well written, I loved that aspect. Also, it has a bit of an undercover agent feel, what with Felicity sneaking down to a hidden underground place to dye her hair… though I found that a bit funny at first!

Felicity was really hard to like for a large part of the book, to me. She just let herself get blackmailed by someone. If I were her, I would’ve done something back… Yet, Felicity just seemed to let it happen for the most part, and get really stressed about it. I was hoping for her to fight back more. I’ll admit, though, that I did grow to like Felicity a lot towards the ending, where there’s a certain rebellious act involved that puts everything in the line. I did love her for that!

Overall, RED is a book I’m really mixed on! Despite being largely about beauty pageants and dresses and things I generally dislike, it was an enjoyable read, and quite fun to follow. I liked the plot, though I couldn’t really get my head around the fact that Felicity had never considered moving, seemingly. Felicity was hard to like at points, not always standing up for herself, but she did definitely become more likeable as the story progressed. The unfolding love story was cute. Recommended to fans of contemporaries revolving around high school events, though I’m not sure it’s exactly for everybody!

My Rating:

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

Book Review: The Humans by Matt Haig