Review: UNDER THE ICE by Rachel Blok

Under the Ice by Rachael Blok
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It is the week before Christmas and the cathedral city of St Albans is blanketed by snow. But beneath the festive lights, darkness is stirring. The frozen body of a young girl is discovered by the ice-covered lake.

The police scramble for clues. A local woman, Jenny, has had visions of what happened the night of the murder. But Jenny is an exhausted new mother, whose midnight wanderings pull her ever closer to the lake. Can Jenny be trusted? What does she really know?

Then another girl goes missing, and the community unravels. Neighbour turns against neighbour, and Jenny has no idea who to believe. As Christmas Eve approaches, Jenny discovers a secret about her past – and why she could be key to everything...

--

Under the Ice is Rachel Blok’s debut, a crime novel with a strong psychological thriller vibe set in the week before Christmas. As it happened, I read this book in the lead-up to Christmas which added a nice feel to it.

This book opens with the discovery of a young girl’s body in a frozen lake, and swiftly moves on to introduce us to Jenny, one of the protagonists. She’s a first-time mother who’s struggling with motherhood—and she sees ghosts.

Okay, her ghostly “visions” and experiences somewhat annoyed me. I found those sections slow and not that engaging. While the way they were written symbolised Jenny’s confused mindset at the time, where she was only half awake, I found these passages a challenge to read. I had to really concentrate as I read to work out what was going on, and it felt like hard work. I don’t mind reading engaging books where you have to really think to know what’s happening, but I don’t think the writing style quite worked here as it threw me out of the story and reminded me that it was writing that I was reading, which in turn slowed down the pace a lot for me during these sections. But the ghostly visions also certainly added a mysterious element to Jenny’s character, and played nicely into her unintentional unreliable qualities as a narrator.

One thing I really loved about this book was how it alternated between psychological thriller (with the narrator being Jenny) and police procedural (with the narrator being detective Maarten). I love police procedural and it was so interesting seeing the hunt for the murderer from two different perspectives—and more than once it made me convinced that Jenny was going to be revealed as the killer.

Adding in a second crime to this murder mystery—the disappearance of a second girl who has no connections to the first—was nice as it upped the stakes and really increased the tension. With the second girl also being the best friend of Maarten’s daughter, it added a nice personal element to Maarten’s motivation to find the killer. We saw the pressure on him both from a family perspective and a professional one. It really developed his character nicely.

The actual identity of the killer was not something I saw coming. I was shocked, both in a good and bad way—partly because the real killer had never been on my suspect list at all (or the police’s or Jenny’s suspect list). It did seem to come out of the blue, but it it didn’t seem totally unbelievable.

Overall, this is a solid crime thriller.

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Review: TORN by Cat Clarke

Torn by Cat Clarke
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

They didn't mean to kill her...now the guilt will tear them apart

Alice King isn't expecting the holiday of her dreams when she sets off on a trip to the wilderness with her mates. But when her best friend Cass decides to teach mean girl Tara a lesson, Alice finds herself in a nightmare she can't escape.

Now Alice is the guardian of a secret too horrific to tell; and a secret too terrible to keep. A secret that will change all of their lives for ever...

— 

Torn is the second book by Cat Clarke that I’ve read, and this is a good read. I absolutely loved her other book, Girlhood, and I think that’s the problem—if I hadn’t read that book and been blown away by it, I probably would’ve enjoyed Torn a lot more than I did. But for me, Girlhood was excellent, and though Torn is a great story, it felt a little flat compared to it.

Don’t get me wrong. This IS a good book. I just went into it with really high expectations.

Torn tells the story of Alice, a sixteen-year-old who’s caught up in the murder of classmate and former best friend, Tara. The plot is high tension and the ending particularly was well done.

I especially enjoyed how Clarke explores Alice’s unravelling mental state and the ghostly apparitions of Tara.

The characterisation, on the whole, was well done in my opinion and all main characters felt real and believable. They felt like the typical girls you’d meet in a secondary school, and reading the chapters sent during school really felt like we were stepping into a high school.

Tara was probably my favourite character. I really liked how we saw her evolution and how Clarke allowed to see who and what had shaped Tara into what she’d become—and how those same factors played into her death.

The romance between Alice and Jack, Tara’s brother, felt a little forced, particularly at the beginning. By the end, I was fully onboard with it—though there seemed to be a few pacing issues where we’re told rather than shown how time is passing and how the relationship progresses.

The ending of this book felt raw but satisfying.

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Review: GIRLHOOD by Cat Clarke

Girlhood by Cat Clarke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’ve been in a reading slump lately, and GIRLHOOD by Cat Clarke is the book that brought me out of it.

This book is amazing. It’s poignant, raw, and dark. And so, so emotional.

Harper, the MC, is at boarding school and is dealing with her grief and guilt over her twin sister’s death. Jenna died from anorexia, and Harper blames herself as she was the one who suggested they both went on a diet. The portrayal of anorexia is sensitively done and focuses largely on the impact that Jenna’s death has had on her twin and parents. Harper’s coping mechanisms seem realistic and authentic.

Female friendship is a huge part of this book, and Clarke tackles this in such a good way. She shows how groups of girls can turn on each other, how fragile a once-string friendship can become—and how quickly too—and really captures what teen friendships can be like: both the intensity of them and the importance of them in regards to building identity.

GIRLHOOD starts with four friends—Harper, Ama, Lily, and Rowen—when they meet newcomer Kirsty. Lily is headgirl and organises an almost initiation test for Kirsty—one that is unpleasant and somewhat dangerous. This book doesn’t shy away from how mean girls can be.

As the book progresses, Kirsty slithers further into the friendship group, and it becomes evident that she’s trying to cause trouble. She isolates certain girls, playing both the tormentor and rescuer—something that Lily is also referred to.

There are secrets and lies, jealousy and betrayal wrapped up in this complex story of friendship. But what I really liked was how all five girls pulled together and supported one another. Explanations for Kirsty’s behaviour are given—and these explanations perfectly explained her motivation for her ghastly actions and why she wouldn’t to hurt the girls. And the other girls forgive her, just as they forgive each other for other things they’ve done. Forgiveness is a huge theme in this book, and it ends with Harper trying to forgive herself for Jenna’s death.

I was really glad that this book didn’t have a love story, as so many YA books do. It would’ve detracted from the important messages this book gives.

It’s also worth noting that the cast of this book is diverse. This is the first book I’ve read where the MC is bisexual and this representation was really well done. Rowen also tells readers early on she’s a lesbian, and at least one other character appears to either be bi or lesbian too. There are also characters of colour too.

My only negative about this book is some of the characterisation. When you have a book with so many teenage girls as main characters—it’s set at a boarding school—keeping them separate in your head as you read is always going to be a challenge. And a few times, I found it hard to distinguish between Ama, Lily, and Rowen. But Harper and Kirsty’s characterisation was expertly done.

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Review: VOX by Christina Dalcher

Vox by Christina Dalcher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Set in an America where half the population has been silenced, VOX is the harrowing, unforgettable story of what one woman will do to protect herself and her daughter.

On the day the government decrees that women are no longer allowed more than 100 words daily, Dr. Jean McClellan is in denial—this can't happen here. Not in America. Not to her.

This is just the beginning.

Soon women can no longer hold jobs. Girls are no longer taught to read or write. Females no longer have a voice. Before, the average person spoke sixteen thousand words a day, but now women only have one hundred to make themselves heard.

But this is not the end.

For herself, her daughter, and every woman silenced, Jean will reclaim her voice. 


—-

Vox by Christina Dalcher gives us a snapshot into a terrifyingly real world.

Girls and women are no longer allowed to speak more than 100 words a day. If they do, they face extreme punishment. They’ve been stripped of their jobs and any authority they once had is long gone. This is a terrifying look at female oppression and Dalcher explores just how far society will go—and what, if anything, can be done to stop it.

Jean is a great protagonist. She’s relatable and strong-minded, yet she’s careful and cautious too. Seeing the world directly through her own experiences in it was, quite frankly, uncomfortable to read in many places. The injection of flashbacks throughout the MS that showed how the world had come to be like this was also very interesting, as not only did it provide backstory in small amounts, but it also gives the reader a chance to see how Jean’s character has changed and grown, to see how she’s adapted to the new rules of society.

Jean’s relationships with her children were also really interesting. In particular, her eldest son and her daughter. These characters also felt well though-out and well written.

The writing itself is concise and appealing. It invites the reader to “just read another chapter” at every point. It’s a compelling book and it has some fantastic images that border on being almost lyrical in their writing.

The affair in this book was a bit of a surprise for me—but a good one. Seeing the contrast between Patrick and Lorenzo, and how each interacted with Jean was really interesting.

The one thing I didn’t like was the ending. It felt really rushed, and when Jean and Lorenzo so easily realise that they can trust another person so quickly, it just seemed very convenient. I didn’t quite believe they could trust this third character (trying not to give spoilers here) and I was waiting for it to backfire... only it didn’t.

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Review: THE TRUTH WAITS by Susanna Beard

I'm so excited to be taking part in the publisher's blog tour for The Truth Waits by Susanna Beard!

About The Truth Waits: 

Anna has everything worked out – a successful company, all the comforts she needs and no ties. But when she stumbles across the body of a young girl on a deserted beach in Lithuania, everything changes.

Anna is compelled to uncover the story behind the tragedy, despite concern from her partner, Will. Everything points towards sex trafficking, but as she searches, her own deepest secrets start to surface.

When Will disappears without a trace, Anna is pulled further into the murky world of organised crime. Time is running out for them all, and there’s a killer out there who will stop at nothing.

Beard enthralls the reader in this fast-paced psychological crime thriller. Anna serves as the perfect power-house protagonist, her daring escapades leaving the reader questioning: how far should one go to solve a murder?

Review: 

The Truth Waits is the first book by Susanna Beard that I’ve read, and I was not disappointed. This is a fast-paced crime thriller about sex trafficking. 

When I started reading and found this book is written in third-person present tense, I wasn’t sure how easily I’d become caught up in the narrative. I love present tense, but third-person present tense has always been a hard read for me, and I’m not sure why. Yet I had no problems getting into this book. There’s something compelling and almost lyrical about the writing, and I just felt like I needed to read more and more every time I sat down to read “just a couple of chapters.” 

What really makes this book is the characterisation. Anna is a great main character. She’s a work-obsessed business woman and it’s hinted early on that she has a dark secret. On the surface, she seems rather cold, but as you read, you discover hidden depths to her character. When her dark secret is revealed, it’s done so in a way that is still sensitive to the character and heart-wrenching for readers. Though the secret had the capability to paint her as a villain, Anna still doesn’t seem like a villain in the reader’s eyes, despite her secret, and I think the execution of it was beautifully done. She’s definitely the villain from another (off page) character, and it just proves that the protagonist and antagonist of a story very much depends on the point of view and narrator. 

Our other main character is Will, a travel journalist. We start off not knowing much about him, and Beard cleverly builds the suspense as she has us questioning whether Will really is everything that he says he is, as Anna finds evidence to support both her theories (that he’s a sex trafficker and/or that he’s investigating the sex trafficking). This back-and-forth structure as Anna tries to make up her mind, made it a compelling read, and right from the start, I found Will to be an intriguing character. 

The book begins with Anna finding the body of a sixteen-year-old girl on the beach not far from her hotel in Lithuania. What follows is a dark journey into the gritty world of sex trafficking as Anna tries to work out who murdered the girl, and struggles to trust those around her. 

For me, the only negative point about this book was the ending. Although all the plot points are wrapped up in a satisfying way, it felt a little rushed in places. Anna almost seems to find out the answer too quickly, after spending so much of the book deliberating, and there are no huge twists in the final section—due to the large amount of back-and-forth worrying that Anna has as she suspects other characters, the ending confirms that the bad guy is one of the people she suspected. I was expecting there to be a reveal after this that someone else close to Anna was also involved, and I feel that would’ve just made this book have the edge. 

Overall, this is an engaging crime thriller and well worth the read. 

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book and for the publisher for inviting me to be part of the blog tour with this review. 

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Review: BRAVE THUMBELINA by An Leysen

Brave Thumbelina by An Leysen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ever since I was little, I have loved reading fairy tales. The story of Thumbelina holds a special place in my heart as this was one of my favourites as a child. Thus, when I got the opportunity to read an early copy of An Leysen’s BRAVE THUMBELINA, I couldn’t say no, even though children’s books aren’t the usual books I review.

Firstly I want to start by saying that the illustrations in this book are gorgeous. I received an e-copy of this book and after opening it on my kindle, I switched to my kindle app so I could view the illustrations in colour. These drawings really add a special magic to the story.

This book is aimed at readers aged 5 and older, and the language and writing style certainly seemed appropriate for that readership. The story itself is well-written, though the plot doesn’t differ much from the traditional story of Thumbelina, so it didn’t seem as much of a “retelling” as it could have been. It essentially was the Thumbelina story that most people know.

Nonetheless, I really enjoyed it and it felt magical reading it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance copy.

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Review: REACTIVE by Becky Moynihan

Reactive by Becky Moynihan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the first book by Becky Moynihan that I’ve read, and I was not disappointed. This is largely a fast-paced read that had me turning the pages faster than I could read them.

The worldbuilding of this book is something that’s especially well done. I recently read Whisper by Lynette Noni, and the opening of Reactive particularly struck me as similar. But whereas, for me, Whisper lost its pace and tension in the next chapters (and ultimately became a book I did not finish), Reactive was the complete opposite. This is the story I was looking for.

Lune is a great protagonist. Her voice and personality shone through the writing. As a character, she felt authentic. She was strong-minded, yet hesitant at times, and I really liked this as it made her human and really relatable. And we definitely discover more about her as she faces the trials, which was something I really liked.

There were a couple chapters that had slight pacing issues, but this doesn’t really detract from my overall feelings on the book. This is a solid dystopian.

Thank you to the author for providing me with a free review copy.

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Review: ETERNAL SEAS by Lexi Rees

Eternal Seas by Lexi Rees
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Such a small parcel shouldn't cause experienced smugglers much trouble, but this parcel is far from normal.

Lost and scared after a violent storm, Finn and his sister, Aria, take shelter on a remote island. They discover the parcel contains a relic belonging to a long forgotten people. Locked inside are powers which will change their lives, and the world, forever.

As Finn realises his connection to the relic, a vision strikes him - but what does it mean? Who should they trust? And if they decide to follow their hearts rather than their orders, will they manage to deliver the relic in one piece?

Chased across the seas as they try to solve the mysteries within the parcel, the fate of this ancient people depends on them. Finn and Aria must choose between what is right and what is easy - and time is running out ...

I was delighted to get the opportunity to read an early copy of this book--huge thanks to the author and publisher.

This is the first MG novel I've read in over a year (as I usually read and review YA and adult), but as soon as I'd read the first couple of pages, I knew I was going to love it. This is such an action-packed fantasy tale, perfect for fans of Harry Potter who are looking for a magical, nautical adventure.

What really struck me about the prose was the sea imagery. It really is beautiful, and the language is evocative and rhythmic--but it's not overdone or overwhelming in any way, and it's at a suitable level for its intended readership. (I really appreciated how Lexi Rees doesn't write 'down' to her readers or over-simplify things, just because they're children, as I've noted this can be a problem with many MG and children's books.)

The characterisation is strong, and there's a very good dynamic between protagonist and antagonist (and this is definitely a villain who readers will love to hate). I particularly liked how charged Finn and Aria's names are--not to give too many spoilers here, but once you've read it, it becomes obvious why they have these names and I thought that was a lovely touch.

A big theme of ETERNAL SEAS is loyalty, and I loved how the author integrated such a powerful message as she tests her main character's loyalty as secrets are revealed. But it's done in such a way that it's not preachy at all, and it is an entertaining read--for both adults and children. The pages simply brim with energy, and this is an atmospheric read that just grabs you.

In short, ETERNAL SEAS is a must-read for young fantasy fans.

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Review: HEAD CASE by Niki Cluff

Head Case by Niki Cluff
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

I was given an e-ARC of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.

So, for me, Head Case is a hard book to rate. I’m going for a 3.5 because while there were many things I liked about it, there were a few things that just seemed off, and a couple of things that just didn’t suit me as a reader.

The plot of this book is, based on my personal reading experience, original (though I haven’t read many other books of a comparable genre), and I found it refreshing. The opening chapter immediately had me hooked, and I was eagerly reading. The writing is, on the whole, well-written, and characterisation is good.

The imagery is also really great. I particularly loved the image of the old woman waiting in the corner of the hospital room, and how Ally reacted to her. That really infused personality and atmosphere into the scene.

Unfortunately, I had quite a few of issues with the pacing—particularly when Ally reaches the new game world, the pacing seemed slow and the writing got a little heavy with description and threw me off a bit. All the tension that the author had built up started to disappear at that point, and I was a little saddened as up until then I’d felt really invested. It made it a little harder to get back into the story, but I ploughed on. And I’m aware this could be my personal preference as I do prefer fast-paced books.

The other big thing that I didn’t like was how easy it was for Ally to get her parents to believe her when she astral projects to them (particularly the first time) and tells them what the doctors are really doing. It just seemed a bit too easy and I didn’t really believe it. And similarly, there was the same thing with Harrison’s parents too. I would’ve liked a bit more of an obstacle there, some sort of added layer of conflict, rather than keeping the conflict sources as the doctors and Ash.

Ally herself was a great character and really well developed. She felt real, and I liked finding out about her hobbies and interests—especially as they are so different to mine. I went into this book thinking it would be more dystopian sci-fi than it is, and I think that it was these expectations that meant I couldn’t quite get into the book as much as I wanted to as it’s centred around these hobbies—computer coding (which I don’t know much about) and gaming (and I’m not a gamer)—and it assumed some prior knowledge, especially for terminology linked to the coding. I haven’t read other LitRPG novels so this book felt a little “unknown” to me and I personally found it harder to understand the worldbuilding (despite being an avid sci-fi fan) but it was interesting.

Head Case also has an Alice In Wonderland vibe with many of the characters relating in some way to Lewis Carroll’s. This is something that I wasn’t really expecting and I found I really liked it, especially with how the author has put a slant on it. It also helped greatly with the characterisation of the other characters, and made them easier to remember and distinguish once I realised it, as up until then I’d been getting a couple of them mixed up.

Overall, this is a book I think fantasy gamers will enjoy greatly.

Review: CELESTIAL by S.E. Anderson

Celestial by S.E. Anderson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ever since I read S.E. Anderson's debut, STARSTRUCK, I've been hooked on her books. These are fun sci-fi adventures like no others I've read, and I was lucky enough to get an advance reader copy of the fourth in the series, CELESTIAL.

And let me tell you this: With phenomenal character development, huge plot twists, and worldbuilding that gives us something new in the Starstruck world, CELESTIAL is an entertaining adventure and an emotional story that really makes you think about what's right and wrong.

The main thing about this book is it's so different to the others. We see a whole new side to Sally as her mental health is explored further, and as she jumps into the role of Goddess for a group of people she's only just meant. She becomes almost harder-faced and harsher, and some of her decisions surprised me, but I really liked how we saw her confidence grow. She felt like she'd grown into her role within the space-traveling-trio and she owned it--she's far from a tag-along now. She spoke her own mind, and although at times I didn't agree with her or her actions, I appreciated that she felt strong.

The other thing that's really different is the worldbuiling. There's less science-fiction in this book compared to the others in the series, and it's more fantasy-based, more spiritual. I really liked that and the new setting allowed us to see new sides to all the characters (not just Sally). I especially liked how we see much more of Blayde and understand her more.

The plot itself reminded me a lot of The Road to El Dorado, but it had a serious tone underlying it too.
The tension's high in this book, and there are many twists. Sort of a spoiler: there was also one death that made me cry.

And the ending...! Wow. I did not see that coming and evoked some VERY strong emotions. I can't wait for book five now.

Review: Jane: A Retelling by Lark Watson

Jane: A Retelling by Lark Watson
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Unfortunately this is a DNF for me at 10%. I am just not sure what to make of this book... On the one hand, this is described as a gothic romance retelling of Jane Eyre, and I love Jane Eyre retellings and anything gothic. But this book just didn’t do it for me. It felt flat, there was little characterisation for anyone other than the MC, and it lacked the atmospheric imagery typically found in gothic novels.

The pacing at the start seemed off to me—there’s a lot of exposition for Jane’s background in the very first chapter, which does build her character well, but it just seems too much in one go, particularly as every moment of her interview is given to us, yet in the chapters that follow we’ve got whole months passing in a page. This really disrupted the rhythm, and I’d have appreciated it a bit more if we were given more time with Jane as she settles into her new job, so we can see what it’s like, rather than just being told what happens over the course of a month. (I did love the how Jane clashed with the interviewer though, but in a quiet way.)

Linked into this, I also found there was lots of telling and not much showing. Jane’s being employed as a nanny, yet when she meets Adelia and begins nannying, we aren’t given anything to tell us about the girl from Jane’s POV, her impressions of her, or any descriptions really. Whole days pass in a single paragraph, and a page later and a whole month has passed and we know little about five-year-old Adelia or Jane’s relationship with her. What we do know about the girl is told rather than shown, such as: “But, I realized nothing would save me if I didn’t have a gift in hand as Adelia was a very materialistic girl” and it was the first time I began to get a sense of who the little girl was/what her personality is—but it didn’t grab me as the writing just seemed flat and I would’ve liked to have seen examples that proved Adelia was materialistic rather than being told it. Things like this should’ve been integrated into the story more, and I’m afraid I just didn’t connect as there’s very little about Adelia’s personality.

Instead, the language used to describe Adelia at times “others” her. Before we even meet Adelia (and in fact, we don’t get to witness an introduction with the girl) another character calls her “odd” as she doesn’t speak English. This isn’t called out by the protagonist—not even internally, which first person narrative allows for—and is just left to pass as a normal comment which in itself is problematic. It places her nationality as inferior to the other characters’ nationalities, and almost suggests the only thing worth noting as she is introduced is her otherness. There’s nothing about her personality at this point—which could’ve easily been slipped in if we’d been given a scene where the two meet.

Yet even this portrayal of Adelia as Other is not consistent, as we are given her dialogue in English and there’s very little, if anything, about her Spanish culture, except for that she’s “odd”. The protagonist is supposed to also be conversing with Adelia in Spanish, but I just didn’t believe it. Coming from a household where one of my parents would regularly speak Spanish and I knew it growing up, we’d have little Spanish phrases we’d all use (even slipping them into conversations that were otherwise spoken in English) and it would’ve been nice to see something similar as it would’ve just made it more believable—and it would’ve *shown* a bit more, which there was very little of.

By the time we get to where the gothic tropes come into play—Jane seeing a person in a window of a house that she’s told is empty—I’d unfortunately lost interest. It also didn’t help that even these scenes were basically told to readers with the exception of one or two nice images. The author could’ve really made these into atmospheric moments with lots of evocative imagery and gothic language, and I was disappointed to find this wasn’t the case.

I’m also under the impression this is a romance, but 10% into the story, and we don’t seem to have met the love interest. To me, this is another pacing issue.

So at the moment this is a DNF for me. Unfortunately, it’s just not my cup of tea.


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Review: ...AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR? by Holly Bourne

...And a Happy New Year? by Holly Bourne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Evie, Amber and Lottie are having a New Year party to remember. For the first time since leaving college, all three girls are back together. It’s time for fun and flirting, snogs and shots. Because everything’s going great for these girls – Spinster Club for ever! Right?

—

...AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR is the final book (this time a novella) in Holly Bourne’s Spinster Club series. I devoured the other books and when I saw this one had been published, I just had to get a copy.

This book is told via alternating POVs between Amber, Lottie, and Evie, and takes place across a couple of hours in the lead up to a new year. A few months have passed since the end of the last book, and we see how the girls have grown apart a little, yet still rely on each other.

As a fan of the other books in this series, I really loved this novella. It was a gem and really reminded me why I fell in love with Evie, Lottie, and Amber. It was so nice to revisit them—and I particularly liked how Evie’s OCD is still there, it hadn’t just been ‘fixed’. And each of their personalities really shine through their first person narratives.

We also get to find out more about the girls’ boyfriends, particularly Oli and his struggle with mental health and how this affects Evie.

As with all of Bourne’s books, this book speaks truth. It shows what university can be like for some teenagers (via Lottie), how mental health issues don’t completely go away (Evie), and looks at big life changes (Amber), and ‘growing up’ and apart from school friends.

The only thing that makes this book a 4 star rather than 5, for me, is that the plot line seemed a little weak—nothing huge happens like in the other books, and this book is definitely written for those readers who are already familiar with the series. Whereas I felt the other books could be read in any order and each worked as a standalone, this one is one definitely to read after the others.

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Review: THIS RAGING LIGHT by Estelle Laure

This Raging Light by Estelle Laure
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

Can you fall in love when everything is falling apart?

Estelle Laure is a major new talent to rival John Green and Rainbow Rowell. Her debut novel, This Raging Light, is a heartbreakingly beautiful book that you'll devour in one sitting, but remember forever.

How is it that you suddenly notice a person? How is it that one day Digby was my best friend's admittedly cute twin brother, and then the next he stole air, gave jitters, twisted my insides up?

Lucille has bigger problems than falling for her best friend's unavailable brother. Her mom has gone, leaving her to look after her sister, Wren. With bills mounting up and appearances to keep, Lucille is raging against her life but holding it together - just.

—

THIS RAGING LIGHT is the first book by Estelle Laure that I’ve read, and I have mixed feelings.

On the one hand, I loved the writing. It was metaphorical and beautiful. I loved the set-up; Lucille’s father is “crazy” and is living at a half-way house leaving 17-year-old Lucille to raise her younger sister.

But for me, the romance totally let it down. I just didn’t understand WHY Lucille was attracted to Digby, and to be honest, he seemed like a bit of a jerk. (Warning: spoilers ahead!) He’s been in a long-term relationship with Elaine (they’re discussing marriage) yet he has no problem kissing Lucille in very passionate ways. And it totally didn’t seem to trouble him in any way that he was cheating on his girlfriend. And Lucille, although she says she felt bad, didn’t exactly do much to stop it. It was only when Digby’s twin Eden (Lucille’s best friend) says that it’s cutting Digby up, trying to choose between Lucille and Elaine, that I thought maybe he does care and have a sense of right and wrong. But his earlier actions hadn’t really shown it.

Eden was an interesting character. The “best friend forever...who has no problem ignoring you when you fall out.” I just wasn’t sure what to think of her at all—but I almost think that’s the point; we feel as lost about Eden as Lucille does when Eden stops talking to her. Neither Lucille or the reader totally understands Eden. All the same, Eden’s characterisation was solid—a ballet dancer, possibly with anorexia (though it’s not outright said) who seems lost and hurting inside. Her hurt runs in an almost opposite arc to Lucille’s hurt in the book, which was interesting. In short, I found Eden to be a much more developed character than Digby, the love interest. She had depth, whereas it felt Digby’s only purpose was to be the love interest.

The plot twist involving Eden was also one I didn’t see coming, so good points for that!

But the overall ending just seemed a little rushed. It felt like all the obstacles Lucille had been facing just suddenly disappeared; the whole book she was scared of repercussions if people found out she was looking after her sister, but then there weren’t any. It just seemed too neat an ending.

My rating: 2.5 stars.

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Edited to add: I’ve since found out that there’s a sequel to this book, and it’s told from Eden’s POV rather than Lucille’s. I’m now more inclined to try another book by this author than I was previously as Eden was my favourite character in this by far.

Review: CLEAN by Juno Dawson

Clean by Juno Dawson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

Because rock bottom is when she's forced into an exclusive rehab facility.

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

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

It's a dirty business getting clean.

—
I started reading CLEAN by Juno Dawson, not really knowing what to expect. And at first, I found it a bit intimidating—which is a sign of good writing, for me, as I was so overwhelmed by Lexi’s life and felt really uneasy. And I totally get that that’s the point of the writing there. It’s dark, gritty, and disturbing in more than one place.

Lexi is a wealthy seventeen year old with a drug problem. CLEAN follows her on her many ups and downs as she goes to the Clarity Centre for rehab.

One of the things I really appreciated about this YA novel is that it doesn’t shy away from dark topics that some might argue aren’t appropriate for YA readers. There’s drugs, addiction, sex, death, grief. And it’s all handled really well and in a respectful manner. Even when Lexi (when in withdrawal from heroin) insults one of the nurses, using a homophobic slur, she does call herself out on it when she’s clean and apologise to the nurse herself.

The diversity of the characters is great too. There are many characters of colour who are central to the book (such as Saif, Sasha, and Ruby), characters with different religious identities, and LGBTQ+ characters (Kendall is trans, at least two nurses are gay, and one of Lexi’s school friends is shown in a “sexually fluid” relationship) and the best thing about all of these diversities is it’s all treated so normally! It’s not pointed out as being “different” which is what I’ve seen in a few other YA novels unfortunately (or sometimes it feels like these characters have only been put in the book for the sake of diversity—not the case here). These characters’ ethnicities/genders/religions/sexual identities are NOT shown to be their only defining feature as in some other books I’ve read and—no, they’re fully developed, treated like everyone else (as they should be!), and as far as I could see, Dawson doesn’t fall into any stereotypes. This, for me, really made this book a good read and I’ll be highly recommending it.

In a book about addiction and recovery, it was obvious mental illness rep was going to be a big part of it, and I was pleased to see a large number of mental illnesses (addiction, anxiety, OCD, anorexia and other eating disorders, etc) examined; seeing them through Lexi’s eyes was also interesting, particularly how her thoughts on the others changed during her journey in recovery.

 However there were a few things that felt unrealistic, particularly in the treatment of anorexia: I doubted that nurses really wouldn’t be aware of Kendall’s nighttime exercise and when she was so underweight, why wasn’t she using a wheelchair? I was also surprised that the staff didn’t intervene in the water fight when Kendall joined in, chasing the others. Also, surely on an island, there’d be more staff watching the beach and the hotel in general. Why didn’t anyone but Lexi notice when Saif was high?

The romance, for me, built a little quickly and it felt a little like insta-love. But I totally get that that’s because of the vulnerable places both Lexi and Brady are in. It may feel a little fast, but it’s believable and realistic to Lexi’s situation. I guess it’s just my personal preferences that prevented me from really “feeling” the love between these two characters as I prefer more of a build-up.

While this is a solid 4 stars, what stopped me from upping it to 5 is the writing. For me, it would have been nice to have a little more imagery in it at times—possibly in the vein of WINTERGIRLS by Laurie Halse Anderson (which looks at anorexia) or THICKER THAN WATER by Kelly Fiore (also about addiction). For me, those two books used dark, disturbing imagery to really heighten the grittiness of the story, and I think if this book had had a little of that it would’ve truly made it a haunting story in places. As I was reading, I just wanted something more from the writing itself.

However, CLEAN does give us a very strong narrating voice and so I do realise that some more imagery may have lessened the impact of Lexi’s narrative had that been the case! So again this is probably just personal preference as I’m a sucker for imagery!

Overall, this is an important read. Highly recommended.

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Review: THE WALLS AROUND US by Nova Ren Suma

The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

On the outside, there's Violet, an eighteen-year-old dancer days away from the life of her dreams when something threatens to expose the shocking truth of her achievement.

On the inside, within the walls of the Aurora Hills juvenile detention center, there's Amber, locked up for so long she can't imagine freedom.

Tying their two worlds together is Orianna, who holds the key to unlocking all the girls' darkest mysteries…

What really happened on the night Orianna stepped between Violet and her tormentors? What really happened on two strange nights at Aurora Hills? Will Amber and Violet and Orianna ever get the justice they deserve—in this life or in another one?

In prose that sings from line to line, Nova Ren Suma tells a supernatural tale of guilt and of innocence, and of what happens when one is mistaken for the other.

—-

I’ve just this moment finished The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma, and I have to write about it.

This book, simply, is incredible. It’s haunting and deep, moving and disturbing. Suma lures us into a dark tale of murder, guilt, and justice, gives us more than one unreliable narrator, and fills us with lyrical words, images that just claw at us, and a twisting storyline.

I knew this book was going to be good, I just didn’t expect it to be THIS good. Really, it is.

Told from the dual perspectives of Amber and Violet, the novel focuses on these two girls and how they’re connected by a third, Orianna Speerling, who’s been imprisoned for murder. Violet is Ori’s best friend from before her arrest, and Amber is her new cellmate. Both narrators are amazingly unreliable; they both draw you in, and right away, we know something’s not quite right with each of them. We know not to trust them. Yet we want to. I particularly wanted to root for Amber.

The characterisation is brilliant. Seriously brilliant. I felt like I really knew who each of these girls was. I felt their pain.

The lyrical writing was probably my favourite part of this book—though the plot and characters are simply great too! But the writing itself is beautiful. Evocative, pure, and disturbing.

The ending? Wow. I was speechless. It was both cathartic and hypnotic, alluring and moving.

This is an addictive read, a modern ghost story, a book about friendship, betrayal, and murder. But it is also so much more than that. It speaks deeply to its readers, it grabs our souls and refuses to let go.

I’ll definitely be picking up more books by Nova Ren Suma.

Review: ARE WE ALL LEMMINGS & SNOWFLAKES? by Holly Bourne

Are We All Lemmings and Snowflakes? by Holly Bourne
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Welcome to Camp Reset, a summer camp with a difference. A place offering a shot at “normality” for Olive, a girl on the edge, and for the new friends she never expected to make – who each have their own reasons for being there. Luckily Olive has a plan to solve all their problems. But how do you fix the world when you can’t fix yourself?

—

Oh. My. God. This book is incredible.

I’ve read all of Holly Bourne’s other YA novels and when I had the opportunity to pick up an early copy of this book, I jumped at the chance, cradling the paperback protectively against my chest. No way was I not reading it ASAP.

And it is incredible. I read it in just over 24 hours. Soooo good.

So it’s about Olive, a 16-year-old who suffers from mental illness (later assumed to be bipolar) and follows her as she’s sent to Camp Reset, an inpatient therapy-based programme. And Bourne definitely just GETS mental illness. She writes it how it is and in an accessible way. There’s no shying away from such a difficult, tough subject and she handles it soooo well. This book just bounces with Olive’s personality. We feel her depressive thoughts and her manias just as strongly as she does (warning: it does have some suicide ideation).

Bourne challenges/explores the notions of labelling and categorising illnesses, self-fulfilling prophecies, whether individuals are responsible for their mental illnesses and actions—and she does all of this in an amazing way. Seriously, this book is AMAZING (just like I knew it would be because all her books are).

In terms of the characters, they all felt so authentic and real. Bourne is an expert at characterisation, let me tell you.

Everyone should read this book.

Review: WHISPER by Lynette Noni

Whisper by Lynette Noni

“Lengard is a secret government facility for extraordinary people,” they told me.

I believed them. That was my mistake.

There isn’t anyone else in the world like me.

 I’m different. I’m an anomaly. I’m a monster.

 For two years, six months, fourteen days, eleven hours and sixteen minutes, Subject Six-Eight-Four — ‘Jane Doe’ — has been locked away and experimented on, without uttering a single word. As Jane’s resolve begins to crack under the influence of her new — and unexpectedly kind — evaluator, she uncovers the truth about Lengard’s mysterious ‘program’, discovering that her own secret is at the heart of a sinister plot … and one wrong move, one wrong word, could change the world.

—-

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Firstly, thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book. Unfortunately, this book wasn’t what I’d hoped it to be and it’s currently a DNF. Over the last couple of months, I’ve picked it up several times, but each time I just couldn’t get into the story much past the 60% mark and so it FELT like reading and I just wasn’t as absorbed in the story as I wanted to be.

Don’t get me wrong; the beginning was brilliant. Jane’s situation sucked me in right from the start and I was so curious. I devoured the opening.

But then the pacing just seemed a little off. I don’t know, it just seemed a bit too flat at times and way too tense at others—to me, the reveals and twists didn’t quite meant sense. I felt there were a lot of contradictions, especially regarding the supernatural abilities.

Ward was by far my favourite character and I loved the romance building and how he gave Jane a nickname.

But unfortunately this book just wasn’t for me at the moment.

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Review: WHAT I LOST by Alexandra Ballard

What I Lost by Alexandra Ballard
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

What sixteen-year-old Elizabeth has lost so far: forty pounds, four jean sizes, a boyfriend, and her peace of mind. As a result, she’s finally a size zero. She’s also the newest resident at Wallingfield, a treatment center for girls like her—girls with eating disorders. Elizabeth is determined to endure the program so she can go back home, where she plans to start restricting her food intake again. She’s pretty sure her mom, who has her own size 0 obsession, needs treatment as much as she does. Maybe even more. Then Elizabeth begins receiving mysterious packages. Are they from her ex-boyfriend, a secret admirer, or someone playing a cruel trick?

—

I have such mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, it’s an important read—it deals with eating disorders in a very respectful way, and tackling issues like this is always tough. The author does a good job of bringing such a sensitive topic to the forefront. Yet it seemed a bit flat in its execution.

The representation of anorexia is also especially well done, and from what I know, it was pretty realistic as well as it showed Elizabeth’s journey to recovery.

But for me, the writing felt flat. The tone pretty much stayed the same throughout and I struggled a little with reading it at times as I kept getting distracted and couldn’t always remember which character was which. But the story itself was powerful enough for me to pull through and finish it.

There also were a couple of things I did feel that read a bit like a how-to manual for deceiving people about how much you’re eating, so these “tips” at hiding food could prove a little triggering for some readers. Just something to be aware of.

I’ve been reading a lot of novels looking at characters with eating disorders recently, and this is the first one I’ve come across where the mother of the protagonist also has an eating disorder which she is made to realise and come to terms with too. That gives this book a slight edge in that respect.

Overall this is a good read, it just lacked the emotional impact I was hoping for.

Review: WINTERGIRLS by Laurie Halse Anderson

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

About Wintergirls: 

“Dead girl walking,” the boys say in the halls.
“Tell us your secret,” the girls whisper, one toilet to another.
I am that girl.
I am the space between my thighs, daylight shining through.
I am the bones they want, wired on a porcelain frame. 

Lia and Cassie are best friends, wintergirls frozen in matchstick bodies, competitors in a deadly contest to see who can be the skinniest. But what comes after size zero and size double-zero? When Cassie succumbs to the demons within, Lia feels she is being haunted by her friend’s restless spirit.

---


This has to be one of the most disturbing books I've read in a long time. I don't mean that in a bad way--just that it is a VERY powerful and emotional read.

It delves deeply into the mindset of Lia, a girl suffering from anorexia, who is struggling to cope with the death of her best friend (who died from an eating disorder). Because of how deep the POV is and just how much we're put into Lia's shoes, I found this really hard to read at times. It's not a light read, but it's an important read, though I found it triggering.

There's also extensive self-harm too in this book, which, again, made it difficult to read at times.

I did however love the writing style, with the many crossed-out words, and how we really get to see Lia's mind and her thought processes. The imagery and metaphors were also especially good and evocative. These really made this book special to me--not just the important message within its pages, but the way this message is delivered both in terms of the plot and the writing.

I'd definitely recommend it to fans of Girl in Pieces (Kathleen Glasgow) and Thicker than Water (Kelly Fiore).


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Review: MONDAY’S NOT COMING by Tiffany Jackson

Monday's Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Monday Charles is missing, and only Claudia seems to notice. Claudia and Monday have always been inseparable—more sisters than friends. So when Monday doesn’t turn up for the first day of school, Claudia’s worried. When she doesn’t show for the second day, or second week, Claudia knows that something is wrong. Monday wouldn’t just leave her to endure tests and bullies alone. Not after last year’s rumors and not with her grades on the line. Now Claudia needs her best—and only—friend more than ever. But Monday’s mother refuses to give Claudia a straight answer, and Monday’s sister April is even less help.

As Claudia digs deeper into her friend’s disappearance, she discovers that no one seems to remember the last time they saw Monday. How can a teenage girl just vanish without anyone noticing that she’s gone?

___

Okay, so I’ve been wanting to read this book for what seems like ages, and when my UK pre-order finally arrived, I was ecstatic. And this book is AMAZING. Seriously. It blew me away. I can’t believe just how good it was. It’s probably my favourite read of 2018 so far.

It’s rare that I read a book that I had such high expectations for based on what I’ve heard AND it lives up to those expectations. Well, in fact, this book exceeded them BY FAR.

I loved how the different timelines are woven together, how we see the before and after of the disappearance of Monday Charles—and the effect this has on the narrator, Claudia. And wow, that twist near the end? I did not see that coming. I was speechless.

And Tiffany Jackson is an expert and creating tension, let me tell you! I just had to keep reading. Jackson is now an auto-buy author for me.

In summary, MONDAY’S NOT COMING is an emotional, poignant, and harrowing story of a girl’s disappearance and her best friend’s struggle to find out what happened to her. It covers difficult topics—child abuse, neglect, and bullying, to name a few—but in a skilled and sensitive way, all the while creating a real page-turner that had me reading well into the night.

Five stars, without a doubt.

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