Book Review: Harry Potter and The Cursed Child Parts 1 & 2.

Hey, everyone! I hope you're doing well. I have read SO many books lately that I have a big list of book reviews to do, haha. So let's begin with one which is being completely hyped up right now (without spoilers)!

This is, of course, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. This is what everyone is talking about right now - the hype is real! I know I've put 'book review' but this isn't a book. It is a two part West End stage play written by Jack Thorne based on an original new story by Thorne, John Tiffany and J.K. Rowling. It is a rehearsal script, not a novelisation of the play, but it is the eighth story set in the Harry Potter universe.

The Background

Set 19 years after Voldemort's defeat, the script picks up where the seventh book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, ended. Harry Potter is now the Head of Magical Law Enforcement and has three children with his wife Ginny Weasley: James Sirius, Albus Severus and Lily Luna. Hermione Granger is now Minister of Magic and also has two children with Ron Weasley: Rose and Hugo. This story follows Harry's son Albus' journey as he struggles to cope with being put in Slytherin and being different to his father. He becomes close friends with Draco Malfoy's son, Scorpius, on this new adventure.

My Thoughts

I don't know if anyone else felt like this but when the story picked up from where the last book/film ended, it made me feel all nostalgic and like a kid again. I have really missed waiting for a new Harry Potter book or film to come out every single year since the last film came out in 2011.

In the beginning, the script really made you feel like you were picking up from where we last saw Harry. The story overall was pretty good, I enjoyed reading it. It was great seeing where Harry, Ron and Hermione were like as adults and how they have grown to become who they are. 

It was also refreshing to see that Harry still suffers from his past (morbid, I know) because he went through ALOT as a kid if you think about it. So it's good that his traumatic past isn't just glossed over. Nobody would be 100% fine with everything  that he went through! His dreams and feelings of resentment are expertly described and played out perfectly. 

It was lovely seeing Ron and Hermione still being completely in love with each other all these years. Their relationship is subtly explored more throughout the script and their endless flirting and bickering is just too much for my heart to take! Especially Ron's suggestion of renewing their vows, omg!

The story itself is smart and good. I enjoyed reading how Albus and Scorpius became friends and I love their friendship despite the legendary fact that Potters and Malfoys have notoriously never gotten on with each other. They both struggle with their fathers' legacies and worry about how to live up to them with disastrous consequences.

But, as always, there's a few cons. First of all, it's a script. I knew it was a script when I was buying it but I am so disappointed they chose to do this. The entire concept and story had so much to it. It really should have been a fully fleshed out book rather than a script. Some scenes and moments were very rushed for me and I would've loved them to have been more detailed and slowed down.

Albus and Scorpius' friendship has been heavily criticised. Personally, I loved their friendship but like others I have to agree that there seems to be something more than friendship between them. Some of the dialogue between them seemed to be more romantically-inclined rather than a friendship angle. Example:

At the end of the book, I was half expecting them to get together! And that actually would've been nice to see rather than the usual heterosexual relationship ending like always.

Also, we hardly hear from Harry's other children or Hermione and Ron's. I know the story is mainly about Albus and Scorpius but it would've been nice to have seen more input from the others. I mean, particularly Rose, who seemed to have only been there to be a reminder why Albus and Scorpius can't be together as you see towards the end.

There is alot more I could criticise but I can't without spoiling the book so I will leave you to read it and make up your own minds. On the whole, I did enjoy reading a new Harry Potter book but it is far from perfect.

Have you read this? Let me know what you think!

Thankyou for reading.

Laura.

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Book Review: The Magpies by Mark Edwards.

Hey, everyone. Sorry for being AWOL, just had alot on with job hunting and sorting out graduation things since finishing university. Feels like the stress is building up even more now that I've left uni! But I have a book review for you all today, so let's get into it.

This is The Magpies by Mark Edwards and it is well worth a read! I will give you some background without spoilers, of course, and then what I thought of it.

The Background

The Magpies is about a couple, Jamie and Kirsty, who move into their first home together - their future filled with plans to get married and have children. Their neighbours seem friendly enough who all warmly welcome Jamie and Kirsty to the building.

However, this new happiness doesn't last long as strange things start to happen to Jamie and Kirsty like dead rats being left on their doorstep, hearing disturbing noises, getting hoax calls and packages and much worse. As Jamie's best friend, Paul, is injured in a horrible accident, the couple find themselves being targeted. Jamie vows to fight back but has no idea at all what he is up against.

My Thoughts

I thought this book was a good psychological thriller where the evil isn't any demons or monsters but rather the couple's own neighbours. It starts with Jamie and Kirsty's seemingly perfect and idyllic lives which get completely turned upside down. It shows how little it takes to have everything taken from you which made this book all the more creepy! The characterisation is well written yet shows how easily it is going to be all thrown into turmoil. Edwards subtly keeps the feeling of dread moving throughout the novel with ease as you wonder what the culprits are going to do next.

The campaign of terror is tense and horrible as you continuously read all about what the abusers do to Jamie and Kirsty, some of it will make your skin completely crawl. Not only that, it was all psychological rather than actual physical scary stuff so you couldn't even be sure whether some of these things where actually happening or whether it was the characters imagining them thus keeping you, the reader, on edge and questioning what's going on.

The ending was pretty good and neatly tied things up with some answered questions from Edwards himself at the end of the book. It had me gripped from the get go and I have no doubt it will have you feeling the same if you love thrillers like these. What makes it even more scary is that this is something that could possibly happen in real life and actually has to the author himself as he explains at the end. Horrifying stuff!

A brilliant solo debut novel from Mark Edwards, highly recommended!

Get it here for £7.64!

Have you read this? What do you think of it?

Thankyou for reading.

Laura.

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Book Review: Broken Harbour by Tana French.

Hello everyone, having a good Sunday? I've got a book review for you all today! It's the first book I've read in three years that hasn't been a uni book. It felt so good to finally read something that I actually want to read. 

This is Broken Harbour by Tana French and it was such a bargain! I got it for like £1-2 in some shop that was getting rid of everything when it's just under a tenner online. So, let's get into the review!

The Background

Broken Harbour is the fourth novel of the Dublin murder squad by Tana French. I didn't know it was part of a series but it doesn't matter too much, because the books are told through different perspectives from various detectives on different cases which sounds good so I'll have to pick up the other ones soon!

Anyway, Broken Harbour is about tough cop, Mick 'Scorcher' Kennedy, who sticks to the rules and works hard at his cases. He is Murder Squad's top detective which is why he is handed the biggest case yet by his boss, O'Kelley. He is famed for keeping control of everything but he is troubled by his dark and tragic past. His new case is about a family called the Spains who have been murdered apart from the mother Jenny who is in intensive care. The father Patrick and the two children have been brutally murdered on one of the half-built/half-abandoned supposedly luxury developments.

At first, Kennedy and his rookie partner, Richie believe it's going to be an easy solve especially as they get a particular person in custody. But there are too many things that aren't as easy to explain such as the half dozen baby monitors, the cameras which point at the huge holes littered around the house. Not only that, the computer has been completely erased of all files and the story Jenny told her sister Fiona about an intruder who has been coming into the house, slipping past all of the locks and alarm.

Also, Broken Harbour, now called Brianstown, holds alot of memories for Kennedy and as his deranged sister, Dina, turns up and sends everything down the drain for him again, he is being constantly reminded of a tragic incident that happened when he was a child and he begins to lose control on things which, naturally, affects his handling of the case.

My Thoughts

I don't usually read crime stories but this one was good, very psychological thriller-like! But I will say right now if you have any sensitivity towards particular issues such as suicide, depression and blood, this is your warning now because there is alot of detailed descriptions of such subjects which may be triggering.

This is a complex yet well-written book full of emotions and secrets. The crime is brutal in its nature and Tana French doesn't hold back with the details. Not one scene is hurried or shoddy. However, this doesn't work for French sometimes because some scenes could definitely be shortened because some moments became a little bit tedious but not overpoweringly so.  She does so well describing Broken Harbour aka Brianstown as a haunting place of hopelessness that was once full of rich, vibrant people looking forward to a new future. It leaves you with a feeling of creepiness that makes you glad you don't live there! 

Around halfway through the book, it becomes harder to figure out who the murderer is and there are two distinct suspects. One of them is the prime favourite and the other suspect is the father himself, Patrick Spain. The narrative twists and turns are done so well that you are torn between who actually committed the murder. Not only that, when Dina (Kennedy's sister), comes onto the scene and throws Kennedy's world off balance when he should be focusing all of his energy into the case, it gives you an insight into what Kennedy's life is really like and what he has been through.

The books picks up pace just after halfway and scene after scene builds up the tension of who the suspect is, what motives are there and just what happened in Kennedy's past to make him and Dina the way they are. It is highly gripping and has you glued to the book all the way to the end. The climax is ultimately emotional and shocking. French writes so well that no detail is left out and each character is brought to life perfectly in the 544 pages. Well worth a read!

You can buy this book here for £8.99

Have you read this? What do you think of it?

If you have any recommendations for me, let me know!

Thankyou for reading.

Laura.

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Book Review: My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

Hello, everyone. I have a book review for you all. It is My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult which was made into a film with Cameron Diaz. It is one of my favourite books so I thought I'd write about it, maybe give you a good review of it so you want to read it too!

The Background

This story is about Anna Fitzgerald's older sister, Kate, who suffers from acute promyelocytic lukemia, a blood and bone marrow cancer. To save Kate's life, Anna was created by Sara and Brian to donate what needs to be donated to help Kate. Initially, it is successful but the cancer continuously relapses throughout Kate's life, causing Anna to donate much of her blood and various other things to help her.

However, now that she is thirteen, she is told she needs to donate one of her kidneys which isn't guaranteed to work and the operation may kill Kate anyway as well as Anna's own life being impacted. Anna petitions for medical emancipation with help of Campbell Alexander, a lawyer who is willing to take her case. The court also appoints a guardian ad litem, Julia Romano, whose job is to decide what would be best for Anna. She was also romantically involved with Campbell back in their school days before he broke her heart. The story follows these people as they all become affected by Anna and Kate.

My Thoughts

I'll be honest and straight. I didn't think I'd like this book when I first read it a few years ago. The medical terminology and law speak/court scenes was enough to put me off. I didn't really understand what exactly was being donated by Anna and what they were talking about when it came to her case. I almost gave up on the book because it is kind of a slow burner type of novel too. 

There isn't actually much pace in the novel until about the middle-ish to the end either. There are chapters about the past and there are chapters focusing on the present. It works well once you really get into it because it ties in what happened and how the parents, Sara and Brian, came to their decisions and how they coped with them. The book centres around Anna's perspective as well as Brian and Sara's. We don't read any of Kate's thoughts or indeed their brother, Jesse, who is pretty much ignored by the rest of the family and sets buildings on fire in response. Dramatic, right? 

I loved Jodi's style of writing because you become completely torn in your emotions. One minute, you're pissed at Sara and Brian for how they are using Anna and how they don't take into account her feelings or thoughts about certain situations. But then on the other hand, you realise you don't know what it's like to be a parent of a dying child while also trying to juggle life with a juvenile delinquent and a thirteen year old who is suing you! You are pulled one way and then another way throughout the entire book but in the end, you completely sympathise with them.

It's a heart-wrenching story that has you feeling all of the emotions! I couldn't put it down when I first read it and I still find myself going back to it from time to time because it is such a great story. The ending is absolutely heart breaking and a bit of a shock, actually. It is rare for me to cry at books, I tend to cry more at films and that but this really made me shed a tear. Especially because it is a book about cancer and I have lost a few people to that dreadful disease. 

It might seem like a depressing book to read and it is at times but it is also an uplifting book because some relationships are healed which really makes you smile. It is worth reading because it has become one of my favourite books of all time. Once you get through the beginning, it is worth every page. I haven't watched the film yet but it is definitely on my to-watch list.

Have you read this book or seen the film? What did you think of it?

Thankyou for reading.

Laura.

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Book Review: You Deserve a Drink by Mamrie Hart.

Hey, I finally have a book review for you all! I haven't read much lately because of university and other complications but I just had to tell you all about this book. Now, anyone who knows me knows that I'm not a fan of YouTubers bringing out books because they are clearly just making money from their young audiences who don't really know any better. It seemed like every YouTuber I watch was coming out with a book that didn't need writing especially when they aren't particularly entertaining or basically rip offs of other books i.e. Pointlessblog/Alfie's Pointless Book copying the Wreck It Journal.  However, the only two books I definitely wanted to read were Shane Dawson's (which I reviewed here) and Mamrie Hart's.

The Background

 Mamrie Hart launched her YouTube channel 'You Deserve a Drink' back in 2011, which you can see here, and she has steadily built up a devoted fanbase of more than a million viewers. In her videos, she creates drinks and various alcoholic concoctions dedicated to various celebrities, YouTubers and pop culture in general. Her humour is very hilarious and full of puns that'll have you laughing for days. Like her bawdy show, her book is about her boozy misadventures with a different original cocktail recipe beginning each tale which sound and look incredibly tasty. 

My Thoughts

This book was absolutely fantastically hilarious and I never have read anything as funny as this. Mamrie Hart is undeniably a funny lady and her humour shines through the pages. Unlike her quick videos, she has more time to build her jokes and her punchlines have you laughing until you're crying. 

She also made me realise that we are all young at heart and we should really have more fun with our friends and family. Nothing should be too serious in life and anything can be funny. There are some genuinely important life lessons that come through just as strongly as the humour does. She tells us about her agonising times in college, work and even delves into situations that we'd never find ourselves in, i.e. the stripper story. Her life is mad, boozy, fun and above all very funny and worth telling to anyone who will listen. It makes you wish that your own life has been as exciting and crazy as hers. If her life was made into a film, I would definitely see it because there is no doubt that it would be hilarious and full of fun.

Well worth a read. If you don't get to read it, atleast check out her Youtube channel.

You can buy the book here for £10.19 

Have you read this? What did you think of it?

Or are there any other YouTubers you have read?

Thankyou for reading.

Laura.

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Book Review: I Hate Myselfie by Shane Dawson.

Hey everyone, I have a book review for you today! This one is a little different because it is actually written by a YouTuber which I'm not usually a fan of. I have a slight bias against books written by YouTubers because publishers know they will make money off of young fans who don't really know any better and who are willing to throw money away for their idols. Yes, I might seem a little hypocritical because I've gone and bought Shane Dawson's book and Mamrie Hart's book (which I will also review soon!) but these two YouTubers are the only ones I'd read anything from because of how funny and genius they are.

Shane Dawson is a YouTuber who vlogs and creates hilarious, comedy sketches. His videos are really popular and he's very open about his own life and his hardships while also offering hilarious perspectives on pop culture and various celebrities. I Hate Myselfie is a little different but is made up of 18 personal essays about embarrassing but funny incidents that have happened in his life. Each one ends with a certain moral than Shane wants you to take away from the book as well. There are amazing drawings by fans at the beginning of each chapter which I thought was a great idea because it shows Shane's appreciation of his fans and how he's using his platform to showcase their abilities.

This book was a really fun read for me and it doesn't have any complicated storylines. I do love complex stories, especially ones by Stephen King but it was just a nice, refreshing change to read something that was funny, quick and easy to read. Shane's style of writing is hilarious but it may not be for everyone. Shane's sense of humour is very dark as shown through his YouTube videos and this humour is what makes this book so funny. Some of the language and jokes may be a little graphic and shocking to those who don't particularly like dark comedy so I wouldn't recommend this book if you're easily offended. But it was a great, easy, funny book to read and I whizzed through it easily and I think it's something everyone can enjoy. 

Have you read this? What did you think?

Thankyou for reading.

Laura.

Book Review: Looking For Alaska by John Green.

Hey everyone. I have a book review for you all today and this is a book I really, really recommend. I read it during my recovery from my operation and I fell in love with it. I love John Green for the obvious reason.. The Fault In Our Stars' book and film both blew me away and I'm planning to read almost every book he has. But Looking For Alaska is what I want to talk about today.

The Background

Looking For Alaska is about a boy called Miles Halter who leaves his home and starts his junior year at Culver Creek Preparatory High School. He is fixated on reading people's biographies and famous people's last words and François Rabelais' last words - "I go to seek a Great Perhaps" - encourages him to go to boarding school at such a late age. There he meets his roommate Chip 'The Colonel' Martin, Takumi Hikohito and the whirlwind that is Alaska Young. Alaska Young turns Miles' life upside down and changes it forever through their complicated relationship.

My Thoughts

I loved this book so much. The characters are so funny, well-written and act just like teenagers by playing pranks, making bets and partying like most students. John Green shapes their character developments perfectly through the good times and the shocking turn of events. The layout of the book is so good as it labels the pages as 'before'/'after' and counts down to the tragedy through a number of a days, really building up the suspense.  

It's a really good coming-of-age story that doesn't come with a happy ending but allows the characters to each find closure in their own way and come to terms with the tragedy that occurs. John Green, as we know from The Fault In Our Stars, doesn't hold back and writes the novel in a raw, emotional and heartbreaking way with a fantastic pace that makes you never want to put the book down. It isn't your typical boy-meets-girl-and-they-fall-in-love story and John writes about loss, young love and growing up in a honest and brutal fashion.

You will feel ALL of the emotions; anger, sadness, happiness which'll make it a memorable book for you. You may not cry as much as you would do if you read The Fault In Our Stars but John doesn't fail to make us feel attached to Miles and Alaska and their friends.

Have you read this book? Can you recommend any others for me?

Thankyou for reading.

Laura.

Book Review: Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler.

Hey everyone!
Happy New Year!
Hope you all enjoyed bringing in the new year whatever your plans were for the night. My first post for 2015 is going to be a book review and I'll be talking about Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler.

This book is written by Daniel Handler with beautiful art by Maira Kalman. It is about a girl in high school called Min Green and a senior basketball jock, Ed Slaterton and their relationship that lasted from 5th of October to November 12th. The entire novel is in the form of a letter in the narrative of Min who is writing to Ed about why they broke up. The letter is accompanied with a box full of objects that tracks the progress of their relationship which are all returned to Ed at the end of the letter. The box contains two bottle caps, a movie ticket, a lobby ticket, matches, a pinhole camera, a folded note, a rubber band, a high school pennant, a toy truck, a book full of recipes, an egg cuber, a polaroid, a comb, a pair of earrings which are described as ugly and several other items; all of which are beautifully designed on each beginning page of every chapter by Kalman.

I really liked this book, in fact it even made my favourite books list for 2014. The illustrations are lovely and look really vintage. They accompany the story brilliantly as Min describes how each item came to be hers and how much they meant to her. Min doesn't have any real social standing but Daniel Handler really gives her a voice that makes her stand out. I do think how she speaks will put some people off but I didn't find her irritating at all.

I thought Min and Ed's relationship was pretty sweet and adorable. You can't think of any reasons why they would break up until right at the very end and you understand Min's heartbreak completely. But although they were both cute together, I did also secretly root for Min and one of her best friends, Al who is the completely opposite to Ed. Handler really did capture what a teenage girl would be thinking and feeling in this situation perfectly.

Although I do like Min and her unique personality, the only criticism I have of the book is how she neglected her original friends who were well crafted, funny and different. It rings true to my own personal experiences when friends have up and left to spend more time with her boyfriends rather than with those who have been there from the start. I'm sure it'll do the same for others who have been through the same.

But other than that, I loved the book and I don't want to spoil it too much for those who want to read it because whatever I say won't do it justice. My heart completely broke for Min as I really thought their relationship was pretty good even if it was only very short. But the ending put the pieces of my heart back together again and I felt proud of Min.

You can buy it off Amazon, used, starting from £4.00

Do you have any recommendations for me? I'd love to know!

Thankyou for reading.
Laura. 

Book Review: Rose Madder by Stephen King.

 

So I haven't done a book review in what seems like forever due to the fact I've had to do a lot of other reading for university. But, I've managed to sneak in a bit of my own preferred reading and finished off Rose Madder by Stephen King for about the third or fourth time. Stephen King is my favourite author and his book Misery is one of my most loved books of all time so it's no surprise that another one of my favourites of his is Rose Madder. 

Firstly I must warn you, this book is pretty graphic at times and it isn't for the faint-hearted. Known for his horror, Stephen King's Rose Madder follows the same theme with elements of the supernatural and involves plenty of domestic violence as its heroine Rose Daniels suffers 14 years of violence and abuse from her husband, Norman who is a policeman. She finds the strength to leave him after she spots a one drop of blood on the bedsheets she is changing that came from another brutal violent attack from her husband. She steals a bankcard they both share and boards a bus to her new destination while her husband plans to hunt her down and kill her by using his police skills.

Although it's a very dark novel, it's a great tense game of cat-and-mouse with a relentless pace. The reader is taken in almost instantly as you become heavily involved with Rose's problems. The supernatural aspect of the book doesn't enter until quite late into the book, allowing King to build up the characters, Rose and Norman. Using horrifying imagery and unbelievable graphic details, he sets the tone for what you feel for them both; pure horror for Norman and desperate sympathy for Rose.

It's a book full of suspense, horror and fear. He takes us through how Rose begins to change and take back her identity by first of all, changing her surname back to her maiden name; Rosie McClendon which I thought was so empowering for her that I felt like cheering for her. Not only that, he shows us how cunning, smart and messed up Norman is by telling us his thoughts, plans, words throughout the book. He also introduces a new love in Rosie's life; Bill which creates even more tension because you become terrified of what Norman would do if he ever got his hands on him. I also think the paranormal element of the book wasn't really central to it and I think the novel would've worked just as well without it. But the description of Rosie's 'dream' is so beautiful and well-written that you can actually think up the scenes for yourself as well as the ending.

The only criticism I have is how fast Rosie and Bill fall in love after literally about two weeks. I wouldn't of thought a woman who'd been in an abusive relationship for 14 years would be able to move on and accept a new, fresh bond with someone so quickly. Also, she does tell Bill about EVERYTHING Norman's ever done to her and he seems to accept it without questioning very much which I don't think would be the same in reality. However, I can ignore this because the way Stephen King writes it makes you feel so happy for her and you can bypass the fact it's so quick.

However I think it's a great, thrilling book which would be a good read for you for over the Christmas period. It's one of my favourite books and I always recommend it to anyone who needs a riveting read. 

What do you think of it if you've read it too?
Any recommendations for me?

Thankyou for reading.
Laura.

Book Review: The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson.

 

I cannot emphasise how beautiful this book is. It is going straight onto my 'best books I've ever read' list. I hope you enjoy this review and have a read yourself.

It is about a 17 year old high school student Lennon Walker, nicknamed Lennie or Len, who's struggling through the loss of her sister Bailey who died by arrhythmia. Lennie, Gram and Uncle Big are taking it day by day in this deep depression and Lennie's comforts are nature and the band at school as well as leaving notes and poems throughout the town. Written down on these notes are conversations she once had with her sister and poems about her heartache. During all of this, she begins a secret relationship with Bailey's fiancé, Toby and they grieve and lament over the loved one they've lost. Not only that, a new boy appears in school called Joe Fontaine, a half French/musically talented/sweet boy who takes on Lennie's sorrow and helps her resulting in a relationship between the two of them at the same time as the relationship between Lennie and Toby.

The Sky is Everywhere is narrated by Lennie herself and this allows the reader to be taken on a journey that explores her grief and anguish at first hand. This does have its disadvantages because I found myself not liking Lennie at first just because of the silly mistakes and actions she does that left me frustrated and wanting to shake her. Although she is lost in grief, her actions can often be seen as selfish and she can lie pretty well which didn't make me trust her at all. Eventually however I found myself really feeling for her character and seeing that she is just confused, alone and heartbroken. Her notes and poems are on the beginning page of each chapter and they're really heart wrenching to read.

The other characters really play their parts well within this book. Gram, who is essentially a hippy, wafts around with her famous flowers and her paintings.. you find yourself really falling love with her and her weird antics. She really is vital person in Lennie's life and tries to help keep the every day routine going despite her internal suffering. Uncle Big, the five times married pothead is a rather funny and sometimes philosophical man, you just can't resist him. They helped make this book a magical, special one as it showed you how grief affects everyone in different ways and how they deal with it. It shows you and Lennie how not alone you really are when it comes to losing a loved one.

The controversial storyline of Lennie kissing Toby while also forming a relationship with Joe really bugged me at first. I don't know if that was Jandy's idea from the start but I really found myself disliking Lennie for allowing herself to try and elope with her dead sister's boyfriend. I mean, we've all grieved at some point in our  lives but we haven't found ourselves wanting to suddenly start making moves on your loved one's partner. But in a way, as you go further into the book, you find yourself understanding her confusion and desperation. For her, Joe takes her out of her sorrow and makes her forget just for a minute how unbearable life is without her sister while Toby comforts her in the moments when it all gets too much.

This book also really gets the tears going at some parts. Obviously when the inevitable happens when Joe sees Lennie kissing Toby, while she desperately tries to resolve things with him and decide what she really wants with Toby she sort of suffers a breakdown. The writing becomes so fast paced that you feel the speed of Lennie's thoughts and emotions as she breaks down. I certainly got teary eyed at that part, it really moved me.

The only criticisms I have of this book is the sophistication of the characters for their ages. I certainly didn't declare my undying love for anyone at the age of 17 like Lennie and Joe did! The romance did become a little too intense for my liking after Joe planned to "deflower" Lennie after like 3 days into the relationship. And at times, I didn't see how lust and grief could concide that extremely for Lennie to do the things she did.

Either way, this book is really beautiful and takes you back to the times you have grieved over someone. Lennie's moments of mourning alone in her room really hit home with you. Jandy Nelson's style of writing is great and I look forward to reading some more of her books in the future.

Have you read this? What did you think?
Please leave any of your thoughts in the comments below.

Thankyou for reading.
Laura.

Book Review: You're The One That I Want by Giovanna Fletcher.

 

So this is probably one of the best books I've read all summer and it is written by the lovely Giovanna Fletcher. Giovanna is an actress and freelance journalist, originally from Essex where she lived with her dad Mario, mum Kim, big sister Giorgina and her little brother Mario. She is married to the very wonderful Tom Fletcher who is in the band McFly (one of my most loved bands from my teen years!).

Her debut novel Billy and Me is another one of her books I would love to read but You're The One That I Want was the first one I got my hands on after getting a great recommendation from Carrie Hope Fletcher (Tom's younger sister) on goodreads. It is about a strong, unbreakable bond between three people; Maddy, Rob and Ben who were affectionately known as 'The Tripod'. Having been best friends since childhood, they thought nothing could come between them but their love for each other is tested to the limits and it turns out it is exactly that.. love. Love that changes everything. We follow them as they go through their childhood, adolescence and their twenties. Maddy has never felt anything for either of the boys but as soon as they begin to grow up, all sorts of emotions come out which leads to a very complex situation between them all. Maddy is torn between the two of them, Ben and Rob, and has the heartbreaking decision to make; to decide which one she loves more. Standing at the altar with Rob, there is a possibility Maddy will end it all with him to be with Ben, the best man, if he speaks up..

Right I'll be honest, I didn't think I would like this because I'm not a fan of the whole love triangle cliché or girls and boys being unable to be friends with each other without any other feelings being there but I decided to give this novel a go and I'm really glad I did. It was a full of emotion and I really liked the character Maddy as she wasn't a weedy, fragile type of girl. She was really 'one of the boys' and slotted in perfectly with Robert and Ben and bravely got up to all sorts of adventures with them. I connected with her quite well as I too seem to get on with lads better than I do with girls.

The story is told from all three characters' points of view and I felt this really worked well as we were able to collect the emotions from every person in each situation they were in from school to Paris to university. I really liked how Giovanna described each place they were in, making us feel like we were actually there alongside the characters from their homes in Peaswood to London and Paris. The transition between places was perfect and well written by her. It was also paced really well, no scene or moment was rushed and every ending of a chapter made you want to read more. I couldn't put the book down! 

Giovanna writes this novel expertly and leads the way to show us how each character develops over the years. Out of the two lads, I really liked reading Ben's viewpoint because he is such a loyal, sweet and sensitive boy who is clearly madly in love with Maddy and always has been from the day he met her. He's kind of every girl's dream boy. I felt more sympathetic with his feelings too and I just fell in love with him. He was so easy to connect with and understand more because I have been in a similar circumstances too where I was in love (or I thought I was) with someone for quite a few years without ever telling them which messed up a few opportunities for me. But thankfully, I'm past all of that even though, like Ben, I still have a soft spot for them but I'm able to move on carefree and happy now.

The only problem I have with this book is the amount of spelling and grammar mistakes. I'm such a picky person when it comes to things like this and most could be brushed off as genuine, honest mistakes. Rookie mistakes, yes, but if Giovanna is going to have a career in writing, I'd hate to think her future books will suffer the same problem and I hope she gets them edited and looked over again before being published.

But other than that, it was a great read and had me on the edge of my seat considering I don't normally like these types of books. It's great for your first chic-flick kinda book because there's no graphic love scenes or anything and it addresses the issues of unrequited love and love triangles realistically with a perfect finesse. It left me all nostalgic for my younger days especially when they go to Paris and made me think of many happy memories I've spent there with family and school, mainly in Disneyland!

I was hooked from the first page to the very end. It was beautifully told and really captures your heart and your emotions either through the characters or through experiences of your own.

 I am really looking forward to seeing what Giovanna has in store for us next. I really do think she has a great future in writing and I'll definitely be on the look out for more of her books. 

Have you read this book? What did you think of it?

Any comments will be really appreciated.

Thankyou for reading.
Laura.

Book Review: Lolito By Ben Brooks.

So I have just finished reading this book and I have to say I am a little bit disappointed even though it is quite a funny story but weirdly still okay enough to recommend. I decided to take an interest in this novel after Carrie Hope Fletcher recommended it so highly on her YouTube channel.

As the title clearly suggests this is a gender-swapped story similar to Lolita written by Vladimir Nabokov in 1955. 21 year old Ben Brooks' own novel is about a fifteen year old boy oddly named Etgar who is living life as a modern day teenager who suffers with anxiety over what he calls 'The Outside' (the regular street or town to you and me). He is cheated on by his long time girlfriend and first love Alice at a house party. Since he regularly uses social media, Facebook statuses and depends on random, often bizarre YouTube videos, in an online chat room, he poses as a mortgage broker in his twenties and gets talking to a middle-aged woman who is an attractive, fed up housewife called Macy. After going on a seven day drinking binge alongside various pills, he engages in inappropriate relations with her.

Taking into account the subject of the book, it isn't as tongue-in-cheek as you'd expect. Yes there are some quite graphic details of what Etgar and Macy get up to online but Brooks is more involved with the central character's despair over his failed relationship with Alice, his alcoholic rages and film anecdotes. It is peculiar to find yourself wanting more disturbing scenes within the book considering what it is about. You find yourself wanting more details about Etgar and Macy's time together when they do finally meet up in a London hotel. Macy is just a seemingly bored housewife with no paedophilic desires although she does seem still go through certain sexual acts with him despite finding out his real age upon meeting him. It just seemed to me that, despite the nature of the book, Ben Brooks just seemed hesitant to fully follow through with handling such a controversial subject. Also when their affair is eventually discovered, it seems to happen through dramatic inevitability rather than being developed logically throughout the story.

I will admit though, Brooks' does very well capturing the voice of a 21st-century teenager with the plausible insertion of Facebook statuses and internet chatrooms which gives you an insight into the lives that are lived partially online by more or less everyone these days. Through this, he does all of this with great humour and delivers a comedic element that entwines with Etgart's anxiety. However this isn't enough to feel sympathetic towards Etgar's dilemma with Alice and Macy's portrayal as the bored wife at home is sometimes quite clichéd which makes it seems like a lazy plot device. In time, the book becomes monotonous and tedious which makes what was an appealing idea in the beginning become limited and not used to its full potential.

However I would say it is worth a read just for the comedy as that is the only thing I cannot fault and it is perfectly timed throughout the novel. I would recommend no one under the age of 16 should read this as there are graphic details of a sexual nature. I haven't read his other books and this may not be the book of the year but I do think Ben Brooks is someone to keep an eye on!

What do you think of my review? Have you read this book too?

I will be so grateful for any of your thoughts.

Thankyou for reading.
Laura.
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Book Review: Relentless By Dean Koontz.

 

Dean Koontz is one of my favourite authors and I really enjoyed this book by him, Relentless. The international bestseller's book is about the predicament a successful author Cullen "Cubby" Greenwich and his wife Penny, his intelligent son Milo and dog Lassie are in as they are stalked and hunted by the seemingly untouchable, "America's most feared critic" Shearman Waxx. He's after Cubby and his family and is intent on destroying them and everything they hold dear.

This book is brilliant and after the first 35 pages, there is a fast pace which doesn't let up until the ending. I was worn out just reading it! The graphic details of Waxx's killings and tortures of other authors leave you squirming and praying the Greenwich family escape from the same fate. I won't say too much as it will most likely spoil almost all of the book for you. With the exception of the last 25 pages or so of the book, Relentless was absolutely riveting and full of action.

Like I said, the last 25 pages aren't as great as the rest of the book. Shearman's mother, Zazu, is pivotal to the story as she seems to be his teacher in torturing and killing but she is only introduced at the ending which allows the reader to only see hints of how different of a mother she is compared to Penny. As you are totally engrossed in the story, you're wanting to know more about her and her past and maybe see her in action to see how she influenced Shearman but none of this was to be. 

The ending is tied up far too quickly and easily for me as it felt like Cubby and his family just disappeared easily despite the amount of effort, from Waxx and his associates, that went into hunting them. Considering it was such an action packed and fast paced book, I felt like the conclusion should have been the same and given the climax it deserved. However this just might be me nitpicking as the rest of the book overpowers this small detail and is incredible enough for me to recommend it to you.

So I think you should go and buy it and experience the ride aswell!

You can buy other people's used copies from Amazon from 1p!

Or if you wish to have a completely new copy, it's only £5.66

Thankyou for reading.
Laura.