The Death and Life of Eleanor Parker by Kerry Wilkinson

Ebook provided by NetGalley for review. Thank you.

I loved the concept for this book, the whole waking up dead thing was fascinating! I really enjoyed that this was a teen thriller, it was like nothing I've read before.

The characters were all great and I loved all of their interactions. I really enjoyed how different suspects were hinted at and found myself second-guessing everything. The diner sounded epic! I loved the sound of the music wall and they were great about picky customers.

The only letdown was that while the reveal was great and I wouldn't have guessed who is was, the whole thing went down a little too quick. The ending on the whole was a little abrupt.

Stef Out x

Believe Me by JP Delaney

Ebook provided by NetGalley for review. Thank you.

So twisty! It kept me guessing until the very last page and even then I was still like "What?".

Claire was a fascinating character, so intriguing and I enjoyed reading about her history. Patrick was interesting. I liked how you never knew what was true and what wasn't. I didn't really like the constant talk of the poems and what they might mean. I don't care what they mean just get on with the story.

Stef Out x

P.S. This review was written weeks if not a couple of months after reading the book. Evidently a very bad decision as it has ended up rather brief...

Blank by Sabrina RG Raven

Ebook provided by NetGalley for review. Thank you.

This started out as a 5, then I thought a 4 and by the end it had dropped to a 3. The ending was disappointingly open and apparently with no plans for a sequel.

The characters were a mixed bag, I liked Darnell and loved Zale but Almara was flat and under-developed, she had very little growth compared to the others. The world-building was rich and interesting and perfectly set-up for scope to expand into a series. I loved the authors take on the soulmate idea and I highly appreciated the inclusion of gay characters.

Edited to add: The author has since commented on my Goodreads review saying that there is now a sequel in the works!

Stef Out x

Bookshop Girl by Chloe Coles

I am so sorry I haven't updated in a while. Work has been rather busy to say the least and all reviewing/blogging motivation went out of the window. Needless to say I now have a bit of a backlog to post... 11 including this one. Whoops! Oh well on to the review!

Ebook provided by NetGalley for review. Thank you.

Paige is awesome! I loved her go-getter attitude and her unwillingness to let things slide. Her friendship with Holly was fab, I loved the way they supported each other and even the one blip they had was minor.

I loved the characters in the life-drawing class, especially Sue, she was a hoot and a great support to the girls! It was obvious fairly quickly that Blaine was not a good guy but it was great seeing him get his comeuppance. My main criticism was that the book seemed very short.

Stef Out x

The Weight of a Thousand Feathers by Brian Conaghan

Ebook provided by NetGalley for review. Thank you.

This book was interesting and bland at the same time. I loved the relationship between Bobby and his mum - who was absolutely amazing by the way - and Bobby and Danny. The MS stuff was well-written and appeared to be well-researched which was in stark contrast to Danny. It was like "Hey here's my headcase brother who is bad enough to go to a special school but we don't want a diagnosis for him." What was that about?

Bobby's friendship with Bel seemed quite hollow and under-developed and feelings or not how do you not tell your best friend that you're gay? Also the group stuff was very weak and seemed like just an awkward way to meet Lou. I didn't like Lou, he was a manipulative liar who used Bobby.

I hated the ending and how Bobby involved Danny, everything after seemed kind of muddled. How did they handle the authorities, especially with Bobby still being under 18?

Stef Out x

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

Ebook provided by NetGalley for review. Thank you.

This was a tricky one. I loved Xiomara and her fiery attitude. I loved that most of the cast were non-white. I loved Xiomara's relationships with her friends and even - though strained - her family, it was so authentic and there was clearly love in the struggles between them though that does bring me to the main reason that I struggled with this book - the religion stuff.

I am not religious and honestly it all freaks me out a little. Also I'm a big supporter of free will and Xiomara's lack of it was sad. I disliked that she just called her twin "Twin", it was de-humanising in my opinion.

The writing flowed and pulled me along but the poetry stuff went over my head a little. I'm never sure what counts and what doesn't.

Stef Out x

P.S. Considering this blog is 99% book reviews these days I've decided to remove the 'Book Review' clarification from post titles. I will only add it if it's an exception e.g. a film review.

Book Review: From Twinkle With Love by Sandhya Menon

Ebook provided by NetGalley for review. Thank you.

I loved how authentic this book was. The Indian stuff was really cool even though I didn't understand most of it, it was just really nice to have a novel that wasn't completely white-washed. In fact I think most of the main characters were characters of colour which is awesome! We even had G and B of the LGBT crew and the G half was a black guy!

I loved Twinkle's voice and I loved seeing her growth through the novel and that she was willing to learn and admit her mistakes. I also loved her naivety regarding life and love and Sahil. Oh Sahil, what a sweetheart, it was so obvious from the start that he liked Twinkle yet she was so oblivious! The ending was perfect as well.

Stef Out x

Book Review: I Still Dream by James Smythe

Ebook provided by NetGalley for review. Thank you.

This was an interesting book. I loved that the main character was a female computer programmer. I loved that we watch her grow up. I found the rise of SCION fascinating. I enjoyed all the computer stuff even though a lot went over my head - talk of coding and suchlike - and Organon both fascinated and scared me. The whole thing seemed too real, too possible...

I did think the sections cut off a little too abruptly, I would be thinking "this is interesting, what's going to happen next?" and then it would move forward another 10 years. Some of the sections also had different narrators which confused me at first because there wasn't any difference in the voices.

I loved the section written by Laura's father, seeing the origin of it all was fascinating. That ending though... If you can call it that. I didn't understand any of it. I think the author was trying to do a Christmas Carol type thing but it was about as clear as mud and there was some disconnected rambling about a neanderthal. The conversation between Laura and Organon was also hard to follow due to the lack of quotation marks. Overall I struggled with the lack of clarity in the ending.

Stef Out x

Book Review: Wonder by R.J. Palacio

This was a lovely heartwarming story that all kids should read. It's true kids struggle with people who look different but hearing the perspective of someone who is and what they feel and go through should help a lot.

Auggie was so genuine and beautifully written, his voice was young but mature and I loved his growth throughout! Only a few things bothered me, while I loved Via's chapter, her boyfriend's (whose name I've forgotten) and Miranda's seemed more pointless, and Jack's, honestly it would have been better being single persepective.

I wish they'd been more specific regarding Summer's background, she's physically described as being blonde if I recall yet mention is made, referencing a photo, that she's biracial. I feel like it would help kids who struggle with dual identity to know what she is specifically. Summer is such a great character, kind and implied to be smart, that she'd be a great role model for kids reading this book.

Overall I loved this book and it's writing and I wish it had been longer but I understand it covers a single school year.

Stef Out x

Book Review: Beautiful Broken Things by Sara Barnard

I really enjoyed the book but more for the story than the characters themselves.

Caddy was a little too blank and too much of a pushover, if she didn't want to go to private school why wasn't she honest with her parents? Rosie was quite brash and harsh and didn't seem like a very good best friend. She was also selfish and started to act up as soon as things weren't about her.

I loved Suzanne's character and her friendship with Caddy was so pure. Suzanne was selfish and reckless and vibrant and brave and sad. She was both everything and nothing and I loved her story arc and the way she changed everything, she was like a storm blowing through town.

I didn't understand how Suzanne and Rosie became friends, they're similar enough that I can imagine them clashing strongly even at the start. I did love how Suzanne's story didn't end with everything being fixed and perfect because real life isn't like that. It's a process that takes time.

Stef Out x

Book Review: Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine

This was a very interesting novel. I found Eleanor fascinating as a character and her story really drew me in.

I can relate to her feelings of loneliness in routine and being annoyed if things change. The way her character developed over the course of the novel was so real and remarkable and the way she realised that she was allowed to participate in life, not just watch it pass her by was lovely.

I loved her friendship with Raymond, it was unexpected but so sweet and I'm glad they appeared to be staying as just friends, romance would complicate things too much. The gradual revelation of Eleanor's past was so sad but so well done. Overall beautiful writing.

Stef Out x

Book Review: Marley and Me by John Grogan

This was a lovely heartwarming story about a couple and their crazy Labrador, Marley. Some of their training or lack of was not great. I feel like they gave up too easily and I wasn't much keen on the choke chain idea but I guess it could have been worse... It could have been a prong or shock collar.

The main area that worried me was Marley's reaction to storms. If he's scared enough that he's mutilating himself then something more really needs to be done. I did love that despite his behaviour they did keep him when they had kids - the No 1 reason pets are dumped (I could be wrong about this statistic) - and it's also one of the most accurate book to movie adaptations I've seen. Also the writing is beautiful and really drew me in, I rarely cry but the end did bring tears to my eyes.

Stef Out x

Book Review: The Smoke Thieves by Sally Green

Ebook provided by NetGalley for review. Thank you.

Too many narrators. None of them were in first person either so it made narrator changes in the middle of a scene very odd and kind of pointless.

The story was slow moving at the start, a lot of unnecessary travelling. I liked the way the individual stories eventually connected. My favourites were Catherine and Tash, feisty women with their own minds in a very medieval misogynistic society.

I was curious how the smoke would be involved and the eventual reveal was interesting, I'd like to know where that goes. Oh and if demon smoke is illegal why is there a hand-sign in a book for it?

Also Ambrose annoyed me. He was whiny and pathetic, too willing to be the hero and selfish I'd say. The world building was magnificent though! So detailed and so much thought put into everything.

Stef Out x

Book Review: When Dreams Come True by Rebecca Emin

Ebook provided by NetGalley for review. Thank you.

A weak storyline, weak characters and weak writing. There was also a lot of tell rather than show. We're told repeatedly that Auntie Jenny is ill but not with what. We're told Charlie and the boys are best friends who text loads but they don't have many conversations or texts.

In the UK I can't imagine any 13/14 year old (year 9 age) needing a childminder, you go to a friends house or just home on your own. The book wasted a lot of time on the school trip and completely rushed the whole ending making everything a bit jumbled. Also were the dreams prophetic/magical or not? It was implied they were but it was never covered.

Stef Out x

Note: These next few reviews are going to be a little out of order as I have a couple of NetGalley reviews I need to prioritise - especially as I read them a few weeks ago.

Book Review: The Tall Man by Phoebe Locke

Ebook provided by NetGalley for review. Thank you.

For a thriller this wasn't very thrilling. Highly disappointing actually. I kept going because I hoped there would be more.

The writing was decent but the plot was seriously lacking, I think it may have been better as a novella, it was a lot of talk with not a lot of action. Most of the characters is the present day sections were very under-developed and I didn't really care about them. Or any of the characters really. I wanted to know more about the Tall Man and how it started. The ending was also weak compared to how much it was built up.

Stef Out x

Book Review: Skylarks by Karen Gregory

Ebook provided by NetGalley for review. Thank you.

It is so rare to see lesbian relationships in YA fiction so this was a treat and beautifully written. I loved the kind of Romeo and Juliet vibe that Joni and Annabel had going on, though their relationship was very sweet in some moments I can understand why it may not work long-term.

The story was shockingly real and worryingly plausible. I know that feeling of having to scrape your last pennies together for loo roll, it's demoralising and you do feel weird and maybe defensive around people with money. Thankfully for me that's currently the past but things can change so quickly. At the same time I did also feel bad for Annabel with her having parents that cared more about her achievements then her feelings.

There were a couple of niggles though, Joni just assumes Annabel is gay because of the whole kissing girls thing, bisexual is again forgotten as an option, especially as the pair didn't discuss past relationships, how they realised etc at all. Also personally I would have preferred that it didn't end the way it did. It felt too much like fan-service, not every ending has to be happy in that sense.

Stef Out x

Book Review: Melody's Unicorn by Richard Swan

Ebook provided by NetGalley for review. Thank you.

If I'm honest with a title like 'Melody's Unicorn' I wasn't expecting much, maybe some fluff for younger readers about a girl and her pet unicorn, I couldn't remember the original blurb from when I picked it... Just checking now it mentions Dryads and a prophecy and well prophecies are interesting so that'll be why I picked it.

Boy was I wrong to judge so early! A beautifully well-written novel with a creative storyline. Optimum age range 12 and up, some elements are a little darker for young readers although I'd say if they can handle the first two 'Potter' books then they'll be fine.

The writing was so descriptive and there was a vibrant cast of characters, a little short on women though, only 4 - 5 if you count Melody's unseen mother - and one of those had minimal page time, all the mentors and direct sidekicks were male. It was also a little unclear how old Melody is, she seemed mature at times and young at others. I admired how well she knew her own mind though, especially in the context of the Faerie world.

Stef Out x

Book Review: Sticks and Stones by Jo Jakeman

Ebook provided by NetGalley for review. Thank you.

I liked the way the story opened at the end, it was instantly gripping, how did we get here? Part of the answer is years of abuse inflicted upon soon to be ex-wife Imogen and current girlfriend Naomi. Original ex-wife Ruby had seemingly few troubles in her marriage to Phillip - the deceased - but she soon changes her mind about him.

Some of the events of the book are a little unbelievable - why don't the neighbours notice and call the police? Also the timeline seemed very quick although Google tells me that in the UK (where I live - not that I have much experience with funerals other than attending a couple) funerals can be as little as two days later if there are no suspicious circumstances.

Also some of the flashback timings were a little odd as one was mentioned as being x years, x months and 1 day (x as a substitute for numbers I do not remember), why the 1 day? Overall it lacked a lot of mystery and suspense.

Stef Out x

Book Review: Cross Her Heart by Sarah Pinborough

Ebook provided by NetGalley for review. Thank you.

A gripping story full of twists! I loved the triple narration between Lisa, Marilyn and Ava. The pacing of this book was perfect the way it started slower and then picked up as it went on revealing more puzzle pieces as it goes along with flashback scenes that show more information.

I am a terrible thriller guesser and was working on a couple of different theories whilst reading but I was so wrong it was ridiculous! I especially loved how the characters developed over the course of the story, Lisa and Ava's relationship in particular. I do wish the ending could have been a little more filled out though in regards to repurcussions etc.

Stef Out x

Film Review: The Incredible Journey vs Homeward Bound

I just watched Disney's The Incredible Journey for the first time. I feel like I've read the book but it was so long ago that I can't remember it and I've been a fan of the remake for years so I thought a watch of the original was in order.

The Incredible Journey tells the story of young Labrador Retriever Luath, elderly Bull Terrier Bodger and talkative Siamese cat Tao. The animals are living with a family friend as their own humans have gone to England temporarily for the father to complete a visiting fellowship at Oxford.

One day their foster owner leaves for the open of the duck hunting season on the understanding that the housekeeper will keep an eye on the animals. This is not to be as Luath spots some geese flying home overhead which awakens his own instincts to return home. With some persuasion the others follow - getting into several scrapes along the way including bears, porcupines, a deadly river and a lynx. Bodger being elderly struggles along the way and nearly doesn't make it but eventually all three animals make it home after more than three weeks of travel.

The human acting and scriptwork left a lot to be desired but the narrator Rex Allen had a wonderful, smooth voice that was easy to understand and listen to. The animal actors on the other hand were fantastic, so well-trained and none of them appeared unhappy. There was just one thing they forgot to keep an eye on... Bodger is referred to as a male dog but for 80% of the film at a rough estimate he was portrayed by a female dog.

Overall 3/5 stars for The Incredible Journey.

Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey is the flashier remake also by Disney following Chance the rambunctious American Bulldog, elderly Shadow the Golden Retriever and Sassy the Himalayan cat. Their story begins when the family temporarily relocate to San Francisco and leave the pets at a ranch. Shadow, the old, wise one misses his boy Peter and thinks something must be wrong which sets of a strong homing instinct and he persuades the others to leave with him.

From there the base plot is much the same as the original but the action is livened up with the animals being given voices and Chance narrating the overall action. The general acting quality is much improved as well. The switch to having the leader being the eldest was a wise decision because it was always stretching believability in my opinion having the eldest being a follower, would that pack loyalty go far enough to follow without question? Whereas Shadow being the old leader he has the mindset to push through the pain. I also really loved the scene where Shadow falls in the hole because it does put everything in jeopardy and you don't know the definite outcome until the very last minute.

4/5 stars for Homeward Bound.

Stef Out x

Book Review: Shatter Me by Tehereh Mafi

Ebook provided by NetGalley for review. Thank you.

I feel like the story has potential but the flow could use some work. There was a lot of not a lot, Juliette telling us about Adam's eyes and his, well, everything a lot.

Then we had a change of scene with Warner the psycho head of sector (or something) who made me think of a slimy, overweight old man despite him being described as apparently being an attractive 19 year old. We get more obsessiveness over his eyes as well... The author certainly has a thing for them.

The action picked up during the second half but there is still a general lack of information or half information that was frustrating. I would like to know what happens though so I may do a library request sometime or something.

Stef Out x

Book Review: When We Were Young by Anna Benoit

Ebook provided by NetGalley for review. Thank you.

Content Note: Rape, domestic violence, drug use.

I think damaging would be a way to describe this book. Shocking considering the author is apparently a therapist.

We follow two troubled teenagers: Livvy and Jack. Jack is on probation following a stint in juvenile detention for assault and is connecting with a father who never knew he existed. Livvy is the girl next door whose parents have all but abandoned her all while she's dealing with abusive boyfriend Luke.

Honestly if I'm seeing domestic violence in teen novels I want it to be more of an instruction manual on how to get out safely unlike in this book where Livvy only escapes in the last couple of chapters thanks to a near-death experience.

The characters on the whole were not that likeable and I found Jay and John hard to distinguish and Livvy's friends were a waste of space. 2 stars only because I finished it. Also small niggle but the title makes no sense since there is not mention of the characters when they are older to be talking about 'When We Were Young'. Overall do not recommend.

Stef Out x

Book Review: Truly, Wildly, Deeply by Jenny McLachlan

Ebook provided by NetGalley for review. Thank you.

This book was really cute and I loved the characters!

I loved that Annie was a wheelchair user and that the information was sort of snuck into a scene, not thrown right at us. I really enjoyed Annie's attitude about it all. The bus scene depressed me though. Legally in the UK bus drivers must make people move their pushchairs for a wheelchair user but so many still don't. Disability blogger Shona Louise has done several posts around this Left on the pavement 1, Left on the pavement 2 and Wheelchair spaces on buses that are all worth a read.

I liked Fab as a character and the Polish stuff was obviously well researched but his behaviour and persistence following Annie's "No" are off-putting and knock off a star. I also would have liked to get to know some of the other characters better.

Stef Out x

Book Review: That Secret You Keep by Brenda Benny

Ebook provided by NetGalley for review. Thank you.

A really sweet book that flowed nicely and had likeable main characters. It tells the story of shy Max and his long term crush on Serena who is consumed with grief and guilt following the death of her mother in a car accident.

A big hurdle to their relationship is Max's general inexperience around girls thanks to 2 dads and a gay best friend with whom he used to be very close - a point I wish could have been explored further - however their relationship developed steadily and was overall very sweet.

I wish we could have learnt more about Hayden and Vanessa, in general the backing characters could have used some more fleshing out. Also we had Max debating whether he was actually straight - thanks to his dads and his past with Hayden - but I think Brenda missed an opportunity here to make him bisexual. We need more bi characters in fiction and bi men in particular get a bad rap but I can also understand not wanting to be too controversial with a debut novel. All in all I quite liked the book but it was just missing that spark to make it a 5.

Stef Out x

Book Review: The Cows by Dawn O'Porter

Ebook provided by NetGalley for review. Thank you.

Strange in places but compelling. I loved Cam, liked Tara and hated Stella. I thought her obsession with having kids was weird, especially the way it started to consume her entire being, it freaked me out a little but her overall story arc was interesting in it's progression.

I was impressed with Tara for doing things her way with her job and raising her kid but I did find the tube thing a bit much but thinking about it that's probably because we hear so little about female sexuality. Also Cam is right when she says that watching these non-consensual videos is contributing to the continued abuse of the victim. I thought that the way she turned things around was brilliant although I did want to know if her boss did ever come out..?

Cam was fab! As a childfree woman myself I completely empathised with her and I'd do the same thing in her situation - one that is thankfully unlikely personally thanks to gayness - I'm just sad that her storyline had to end the way it did but I understand it had to happen for the others to be able to move on.

Stef Out x