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