Tag: book blog

Book review: Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

On By Beth JonesIn Book Review20 Comments

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My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.
But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly.
Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster.

Before I start: This review is spoiler free! You can carry on at your leisure.

To celebrate the US release of Everything, Everything, here I am with my book review!

Wow. I don’t even know where to start. Let’s just say this was a refreshing read after Thirteen Reasons Why. It was just what I needed – to find my love for books again.

“I was trying so hard to find the single pivotal moment that set my life on its path. The moment that answered the question, ‘How did I get here?’

Let’s try and break this up into a manageable review, and stop my head spinning around and around at the emotions I feel towards this book.

I always say the best books are the ones that make you feel everything. And this book did. I felt everything along with Maddy – I laughed at Olly’s sense of humor, I felt despair at her condition and the restrictions it included, I felt joy at her sense of adventure, anger at the plot twist and finally, hope.

That is what I loved most about this book – among many other things – the emotions. The journey. The sheer inability to guess what was going to happen.

But it’s never just one moment. It’s a series of them. And your life can branch out from each one in a thousand different ways.

So why has it taken me so long to get round to reading it? After all, it’s been on my TBR since release. Honestly, the hype put me off. That might sound ridiculous – but I was in a bitter post-TFIOS stage and I didn’t want to read anything with too much hype because I thought it would all disappoint me.

How wrong could I possibly be? Instead of hating this book, it’s become my favourite of the year so far. It might even stay there for my end of year summary.

Maybe there’s a version of your life for all the choices you make and all the choices you don’t.”

So..why? Becuase I just felt like everything in this book fit together. It had everything. It had characters I understood and felt a connection towards. It had perfect – yet cliche – romance. It had lovely, flowing, poetic writing that didn’t feel over the top in it’s beautiful quotes. It even had an amazing plot, with a plot twist I didn’t see coming.

Last but not least – a shoutout to Nicola Yoon for that plot twist. Unfortunately, good plot twists are few and far between in contemporary romances. If they do occur, they’re usually pretty safe and predictable. But Yoon took a risk with this one, and it paid off.

How I admire her for creating such a wonderful novel.

I give this book (undoubtedly)….

★★★★★

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

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Review: Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

On By Beth JonesIn Book Review23 Comments

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Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers thirteen cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker, his classmate and crush who committed suicide two weeks earlier.
On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he’ll find out how he made the list.

I could very easily say I hated this book – but I won’t. I can’t say I hated it. However, I will admit that it made me very angry, because it all felt so wrong to me.

I ranted a lot while reading this book – as everyone who has talked to me recently will know! I will admit I was wrong on one part though. I felt like this book doesn’t depict feeling suicidal very well – but people who have been through similar situations to Hannah said they felt like they related to her thoughts and feelings. So for that, I will say I was wrong. And the fact this book helped and related to people is an amazing thing.

Now onto my rant! I didn’t hate this book – but disliked it enough to list 13 reasons why I disliked it! Before I start, I have two notices.

  1. This post is kind of inspired by this post by Emma Reads!
  2. Please understand this is my personal opinion. I am not trying to start an argument or offend anyone! If you loved this book, I’d just avoid the rest of my review.

13 Reasons Why I Didn’t Like Thirteen Reasons Why

#1 – The melodramatic person that is Hannah Baker

Okay, I will admit I did find this different as I carried on – and towards the end I kind of started to understand a little more. But some of the little things that happened just seem so petty to me. But it might be wrong of me to criticise that – I know little things can affect me badly and I know it can be awful for people who go through that over and over again.

#2 – What she did to poor Clay

Yes, some of these people maybe did deserve what Hannah did *cough* Bryce *cough*, but not all of them. I don’t think even most of them would have deserved something as bad as what Hannah did – but Clay is definitely didn’t. He felt like it was his fault – even though Hannah says it isn’t – and yet she still put him on the tapes. She still made the poor guy, who was just too shy and too scared to make a move…and put him through all that.

#3 – Other teenagers feel like sh*t too!

A very important thing here. I’m pretty sure that at some point, teenagers have a low point (or more, or even many). We’re all vulnerable, emotional and have a lot going on. IT’S NOT JUST YOU, HANNAH.

#4 – Triggers

I know the adaptation of this book has given people panic attacks. I know it has trigger warnings, and that’s a good thing. But it doesn’t stop people watching it. It doesn’t stop people (even kids who are watching it because their friends watched it) seeing these graphic, awful images and having panic attacks because of it.

#5 – She doesn’t help herself

I know a lot of people find it hard (and scary) to get help. I totally understand that. But I just wish she had gone for help earlier. I wish it had been portrayed in a better light, and she had realised that poor Mr Porter just wanted to help.

#6 – People may care, but they don’t always notice

Hannah constantly blamed other people for not realising how she’s feeling. Ever occurred to you that having your hair cut doesn’t show that? That giving away a bicycle might just show that you’re a nice person?

Also, all teenagers have troubles. A lot of them are completely and utterly wrapped up in that. But it doesn’t mean they don’t care. It doesn’t mean they don’t want to help.

#7 – “I’m f*cked up, so I’ll just f*ck everyone else up too”

It’s obvious that Hannah feels like she’s been screwed over by everyone in some way – but her way of dealing with it is making other people feel the same way. Making other people feel like it’s their fault for your death. Putting it bluntly – how screwed up does that sound?

I’m not saying they don’t deserve it. Some of them maybe do…but then there’s others, who maybe were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. I just don’t feel like they deserve that.

#8 – Suicide is not an adventure. It is the end of an adventure

I hate the way suicide is shown in this book. At all. The whole cassettes and map thing makes it look like a twisted kind of treasure hunt. Real life just doesn’t work like that. It’s not a game, but I feel like the way it is connected to a kind of hunt isn’t a good thing.

#9 – There are two – or thirteen – sides to everything

Yes, I’ll admit that Hannah went through some tough sh*t. She didn’t deserve any of it. But what about Mr Porter, for example? He might not have been able to chase after her because he could have been fired. It might have looked wrong. He tried everything to try and help her, and he got pushed away.

#10 – So much blame

Sometimes, everyone has to accept they did something wrong. They could have asked for help. And I know this is a hard thing to get around, but sometimes life just happens and you can’t always control it. Hannah didn’t only put blame on other people, but she put blame on herself.

#11 – Where the f*ck are the parents?!

I like that this book is about how people do care, even when you don’t think they do. But I hate the fact that the parents are hardly mentioned at all! I’m sure they played a big part in Hannah’s life, and I wish I knew how they missed her. I wish Jay had shown us that your parents would find it hardest to heal. He missed such an opportunity there.

#12 – Get help.

As I said above, I know it’s hard to get to help – but this book puts the counselor in a bad light. It puts asking for help in a bad light, and that is something I think YA books about mental health should never do.

#13 – SUICIDE IS NOT THE ANSWER

I might be wrong, but I felt like this book almost recommended suicide as the answer. Instead of asking for help or telling people that you feel down or even suicidal, ending it all is the easiest way. I understand some people feel that way – but I feel like this book could have shown a much better message. It could have discouraged suicide. Hannah could have found help, and it could have shown that help is available. That help is right.

So after all that, let’s end on a good note. First of all, well done if you managed to get through all that. Anyway, the good note is:

  • I do think this book gave one good message. The fact that it did make me think about how actions can have an influence on people, and their mental health. It did make me think about my own actions. I just don’t think that message was portrayed in the right way.

I give this book….

★★

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

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Review: Lorali by Laura Dockrill

On By Beth JonesIn Book Review2 Comments

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Colourful, raw, brave, rich and fantastical – this mermaid tale is not for the faint-hearted.
Looking after a naked girl he found washed up under Hastings pier isn’t exactly how Rory had imagined spending his sixteenth birthday. But more surprising than finding her in the first place is discovering where she has come from.
Lorali is running not just from the sea, not just from her position as princess, but her entire destiny. Lorali has rejected life as a mermaid, and become human.
But along with Lorali’s arrival, and the freak weather suddenly battering the coast, more strange visitors begin appearing in Rory’s bemused Sussex town. With beautifully coiffed hair, sharp-collared shirts and a pirate ship shaped like a Tudor house, the Abelgare boys are a mystery all of their own. What are they really up to? Can Rory protect Lorali? And who from? And where does she really belong, anyway?

Disclaimer: I received this book from Hot Key UK in exchange for an honest review. This has not changed my views in any way.

This book reminded me very much of Ink, for a good reason and a bad reason. The good reason was the uniqueness. There is no denying I have never read a book like Lorali, or met characters like the ones in her world.

The bad reason, however, is the confusion. I liked the uniqueness, but you can go too far…and unfortunately, I feel like Lorali did.

Creating a whole new concept in YA is a brave thing – and I can say Dockrill did that. But even though the concepts for both Lorali and Ink are both good, they weren’t carried out in the right way.

For a start, the world of mermaids is a concept hard to get your head around, especially in this book. I think part of the problem was the writing – it felt so debut-y. And pre-teen-y. The language just didn’t seem right. Even though I enjoyed the different way Rory sounded in his writing, it came across as immature.

I also disliked the ending, which felt like it cancelled out some of the book for me. I won’t say anymore because of spoilers, but it kind of felt like she lost a lot of the things she gained by ‘surfacing’. Okay, I’m going to stop moaning in a second! The last complaint I have is the amount of different characters in this book. Oh, it confused me so!

Onto the good stuff. I think the concept salvaged this story more than anything else. It’s unique, it’s different, and a lot of people will love it. There are not many mermaid themed books, so this one definitely creates something fresh and interesting. I also can’t say I disliked the book while I was reading it. Sure, I found a lot wrong…but I didn’t hate the actual process of reading it.

So overall, mixed feelings. It’s been a tough choice, but I am going to carry on with the series and read Aurabal if I can! Even though I didn’t like the main ending, the epilogue has actually drawn me in.

I give this book…

★★★

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

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Review: One Italian Summer by Keris Stainton

On By Beth JonesIn Book Review5 Comments

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It’s been a year since Milly, Elyse and Leonie’s dad died, and a year since their last trip to Rome. Summer’s here again, and once again they are heading with their mum to Italy – but what’s it going to be like going without Dad? Rome still holds its familiar charms – the sun is still as warm, the gelato as delicious, the people as welcoming. But nothing is quite as it once was …
With grief still raw for all of them, Milly is facing the additional awfulness of having to see Luke again – gorgeous, gorgeous Luke, who she had a fling with last year, and who she made a total fool of herself with – or so she thinks. What’s going to happen this time? What’s more, things between Milly, her sisters and their mum are rocky – Leonie is being tempestuous and unpredictable, Elyse is caught up with her new boyfriend, and Milly feels like she just doesn’t know how she fits in any more.
Over one Italian summer, can Milly find a way back to the life she once had?

Disclaimer: I received this book from Hot Key UK in exchange for an honest review. This has not changed my views in any way.

It’s safe to say I loved this book. It was the perfect romance/contemporary and holiday read. As I explained in my video above, I loved most aspects of this book, and they all fit so well together.

The plot flowed pretty well. A week or two is a great time frame for a holiday read, and it really made me feel close to the characters and the setting!

The setting was one of my favourite parts of this book, and it really felt like I was, as a reader, in the setting and with the characters. This reminded me of Anna and the French Kiss, which also has a great representation of the setting.

Moving onto the characters, I really liked Milly. She felt real and relatable, struggling with many different things we feel day-to-day. She was a typical teenager with a love interest, but it really kind of worked. I really like that the entire book wasn’t completely focused on romance and it allowed room for other thoughts and feelings.

Some of these were really well represented, including worrying, paranoia and coping with grief from overcoming her dad’s death. The side characters were really well written, meaning a I found out about a lot of stories within the novel without being confused!

The only tiny gripe I could pick up in this book was the slight bit of insta-love, but I can’t really complain too much. As with much of the book, the love progressed with the story and it worked too!

Overall, I really liked this book. I didn’t want to finish it, and I actually avoided reading it for a while because I didn’t want to leave this story! I would definitely recommend it to anyone who loves YA contemporary, romance and holiday reads.

I give One Italian Summer:

★★★★

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

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Review: Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist

On By Beth JonesIn Book Review5 Comments

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A sexy, funny roller coaster of a story about one date over one very long night in New York. Nick and Norah are both suffering from broken hearts. So when Nick sees the girl who dumped him walk in with a new guy he asks the strange girl next to him to be his girlfriend for the next five minutes. Norah would do anything to avoid conversation with the not-friend girl who dumped Nick, and get over the Evil Ex whom Norah never quite broke up with. And so she agrees. What follows is an epic first date between two people who are just trying to figure out who they want to be – and where the next great band is playing.

Before I start: You may be interested to know my Week 1 of Mental Health Month is now up on Tumblr! You can read it here.

This book is definitely sexy! I love the easy feel of this book. It’s definitely one to read if you love contemporary YA and romance!

You may remember me reading Naomi & Ely’s No Kiss List and finding it a little confusing, but this one was definitely better. In both books there appear to be many different characters, but I liked how Nick & Norah had only, well, Nick & Norah.

That’s something I’d like to mention in this all-over-the-place review. I really liked the two characters. It was good to have the two viewpoints, but not confusing. I don’t think this book could work any other way!

I liked a lot about this book. The plot was good, and I liked the idea of it being panned over just a night, with all the detail included!

I also liked the writing, it was simple, and it made me feel like I knew exactly what both characters were thinking. The only downside about this book would be the actual love. This book is definitely insta-love, but maybe I should have expected that. I am definitely one to prefer people falling in love over a longer period of time, so if you do too, make sure you expect insta-love!

Overall, I liked this book. It was an easy, quick, casual and sexy read, but it wasn’t incredible. Definitely worth the read, but not one of my absolute favourites.

☽ ☽ ☽
3 out of 5 moons

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

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ARC Review: All the Good Things by Clare Fisher

On By Beth JonesIn Book Review10 Comments

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Twenty-one year old Beth is in prison. The thing she did is so bad she doesn’t deserve to ever feel good again.
But her counsellor, Erika, won’t give up on her. She asks Beth to make a list of all the good things in her life. So Beth starts to write down her story, from sharing silences with Foster Dad No. 1, to flirting in the Odeon on Orange Wednesdays, to the very first time she sniffed her baby’s head.
But at the end of her story, Beth must confront the bad thing.
What is the truth hiding behind her crime? And does anyone-even a 100% bad person-deserve a chance to be good?

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Penguin UK in exchange for an honest review. This has not changed my views in any way.

Note: This review will also be published on June 23rd as part of the All the Good Things blog tour.

The easiest way I can describe All the Good Things is raw. This is pure, honest feelings. There is absolutely no filter, and I loved it.

Beth is the perfect protagonist. She tells her story in a great way – and I loved the use of flashbacks to all the different parts of her life. The cast of characters is large, and I actually enjoyed that. Most of the time I find it easier to focus on just a couple or small group of main characters, but this time, it worked. I knew who everyone was, why they were there and what they added to the story. And that’s the other great thing – all of the characters fitted. All of them worked well together, and they were all needed to complete the story.

The story Beth tells is one of the most difficult I have ever read – but at the same time, I couldn’t stop reading. I became very attached to Beth, the damaged soul she is, and I wanted to know she would be okay.

The writing is extremely clever, in that we get to know Beth before finding out about this ‘bad thing’. In fact, we know everything about her and her life before this ‘bad thing’, and it works so well.

This stopped the judgement surrounding people in prison. It stopped the way we feel towards people who have committed crimes this serious, because we, strangely, were forced to understand. We were forced to relate. The fact that Fisher could do this in words baffles me. I look up to her and respect her as an author, because she did something beyond belief.

I love the lead up to the big ending in the story. The book follows a series of sessions Beth has with her counselor, Erika, in which she writes a list of all the good things in her life. With each point on this list, another part is added to the story.

So…did I guess the ending? I have to admit, I did. Not completely, but it was like this thing in my head was nudging me, going ‘it could be this, it could be this’, and it was right. But, the same as Beth, I didn’t want to accept the fate. And, the same as Beth, I ignored the nudging. This means the book works whether you guess the ending or not – because you still don’t want to face it, and you still want to find out what really happened.

Overall, this book was harrowing, but it needed to be. It was real. It was human. It showed a very important thing – we are complicate creatures. We are all different, and we are not defined by one single thing.

A beautifully written debut, and one I would thoroughly recommend to all readers.

☽ ☽ ☽ ☽ ☽
5 out of 5 moons

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

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ARC Review: Out of Heart by Irfan Master

On By Beth JonesIn Book Review2 Comments

Disclaimer: I have been provided with a proof copy by Hot Key Books in exchange for an honest review. This has not changed my review or opinion in any way.

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Donating your heart is the most precious gift of all.
Adam is a teenage boy who lives with his mum and younger sister. His dad has left them although lives close by. His sister no longer speaks. His mum works two jobs. Adam feels the weight of the world upon his shoulders.
Then his grandfather dies and in doing so he donates a very precious gift – his heart.
William is the recipient of Adam’s grandfather’s heart. He has no family and feels rootless and alone. In fact, he feels no particular reason to live. And then he meets Adam’s family.
William has received much, but it appears that he has much to offer Adam and his family too.

To put it simply, this book is unlike any I have ever read before. The writing is unusual, the characters are different, the setting is one not often used and the whole concept is one I would love to see more of.

I love the mixture of writing – it was extremely clever in structure. We jumped from different characters viewpoints, between prose, story and sketches. This book really stands apart in many ways, and above all, it intrigued me.

We dive right into the story, and I will admit that it confused me slightly. To be thrown into a characters life is a lot to take in – and I didn’t understand everything straight away! But the pure difference of this book made me want to carry on and find out more about the people this story follows. I wanted to understand.

On the subject of the confusion, I’d say that’s the only bad part of this book. Although much of it becomes clear as the story unfolds – some things were a little misty. One that stood out to me, for example, was the age of William. I thought he was not much older then Adam, and then I found out he was around the age of Adam’s parents. I liked this feature a lot, as it showed the unimportance of age, but I wish it had been clearly stated earlier in the story.

This book holds a lot of meaning. It talks about things many YA novels don’t – abuse, depression, illness, mental health and race. I love the way this book explored nationality and I felt some of it directly related to situations in some communities here in the UK.

I felt Adam’s story really demonstrated the need for equality, and I wish we had more of that. It really struck a chord with me, and reminded me the real importance for stories like this to be told.

A lot of things in this book felt important. The need to stand up for others and stand together. The longing to support others in their times of need. The need for love among those who are quiet, who are loud, who are different in appearance and age and backgrounds and personality and race. The need for love among all.

☽ ☽ ☽ ☽
4 out of 5 moons

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

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Review: Geekerella by Ashley Poston

On By Beth JonesIn Book Review6 Comments

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Part romance, part love letter to nerd culture, and all totally adorbs, Geekerella is a fairy tale for anyone who believes in the magic of fandom. Geek girl Elle Wittimer lives and breathes Starfield, the classic sci-fi series she grew up watching with her late father. So when she sees a cosplay contest for a new Starfield movie, she has to enter. The prize? An invitation to the ExcelsiCon Cosplay Ball, and a meet-and-greet with the actor slated to play Federation Prince Carmindor in the reboot. With savings from her gig at the Magic Pumpkin food truck (and her dad’s old costume), Elle’s determined to win…unless her stepsisters get there first.
Teen actor Darien Freeman used to live for cons—before he was famous. Now they’re nothing but autographs and awkward meet-and-greets. Playing Carmindor is all he’s ever wanted, but the Starfield fandom has written him off as just another dumb heartthrob. As ExcelsiCon draws near, Darien feels more and more like a fake—until he meets a girl who shows him otherwise.

This book is everything I have ever stood for. Everything I fight for. I feel as though Poston has ripped my heart out and scattered it among beautiful pages. It’s as though she described me better than I could ever describe myself – in a book.

This novel shows that fandom is real, and it can change your life. It captures the very essence of a con – that feeling of walking into a room and knowing everyone is just like you.

It demonstrated that no one can define who you are – except yourself. That bullies can come in every form and in places where you feel safest, but at the same time, not everyone is like that.

It showed the true meaning of words…and it showed that long distance relationships are manageable and can work, if you only remember to never miss a goodnight.

And it showed something I believe is even more important than anything else in this book. It showed that no matter who it is, what they do and wherever they are in the world – any two people can fall in love. Even through late night texts.

As you can tell, I related to this book on an infinite number of levels. I feel like talking about different things about this book would be pointless. Because everything – the plot, the characters, the writing, the concept – worked. This book is just…more than that. It’s more than picking apart the building bricks of it, because it’s just perfect. It’s just simply incredible. I don’t want to ever let this story, these characters, this fandom, go.

In fact, I think it’ll stay in my heart forever.

Look to the stars. Aim. Ignite.

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

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Review: Ink by Alice Broadway

On By Beth JonesIn Book Review3 Comments

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Every action, every deed, every significant moment is tattooed on your skin for ever. When Leora’s father dies, she is determined to see her father remembered forever. She knows he deserves to have all his tattoos removed and made into a Skin Book to stand as a record of his good life. But when she discovers that his ink has been edited and his book is incomplete, she wonders whether she ever knew him at all.

I know I’m a bookworm and this shouldn’t be a big deal – but I finished another book! I’ve had less college work to do recently, so it’s been a good time to delve into a few new reads.

To sum up Ink in 3 words, it would be: I liked it. I didn’t love it and I’m not going to rave about it, but it was a good, solid debut that may bring me back to reading Broadway’s other novels!

I’ll take you through a few things I liked and didn’t, probably in sections as I found a lot to talk about with this one.

To start with, the setting was…weird. It felt really mixed up. I imagined the people to be living in old-style houses, almost Tudor. But then I imagined some of the public buildings as extremely modern. It just fit – and it’s not the only thing that felt off.

Image result for tudor street

A lot of this book felt mixed up. For a start, there was no media (TV, radio, or even a newspaper) mentioned, but they had advanced methods of tattooing and a phone-line). Literally all of the information we heard about was through other people.

The clothes seemed to change a lot, too. Our main character would be wearing gray, baggy outfits while her best friend would be adorning smart business clothes.

The writing was good, but didn’t feel quite mature enough for a YA read. You could tell this book was a debut – but it wasn’t a bad read because of it.

I liked the characters – but something felt strange about them too. It’s clear our main character, Leora, is very naive about the world, yet she still felt very ‘censored’. I feel this a lot with YA novels that don’t include swearing – and I definitely felt it with this one. For me, if you’re going to target a book at teenagers, you shouldn’t refrain from swearing and using bad language.

The best thing by far about this novel was the plot. It felt extremely complex but simple in another way. I felt the confusion for and with Leora, but I didn’t feel confused about the backstory or anything similar. The only complaint I have is that all the action came towards the end of the novel, and the middle felt a bit…flat. Literally, Leora just thinks for the majority of the book. But carry on if you’re reading, because the ending does make up for it!

Talking about the ending – that was another thing I loved. Once I got to around page 280, I couldn’t put this book down. I felt so much tension portrayed through the words, I just needed to know what was happening.

So overall, a good read that I thoroughly enjoyed. I just wish we had a little more explanation in some areas!

☽ ☽ ☽
3 out of 5 moons

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

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Blog Tour: My Name Is Leon

On By Beth JonesIn Blog TourLeave a comment

Thank you to Penguin Random House for letting me take part in this tour!

So readers, I am proud and happy to welcome you to my very first blog tour. Hopefully it is the first of many! Before we start, I received a copy of this book from the publishing company for review, but all of my opinions are my own.

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A brother chosen. A brother left behind. And a family where you’d least expect to find one.

Leon is nine, and has a perfect baby brother called Jake. They have gone to live with Maureen, who has fuzzy red hair like a halo, and a belly like Father Christmas. But the adults are speaking in low voices, and wearing Pretend faces. They are threatening to give Jake to strangers. Since Jake is white and Leon is not.

As Leon struggles to cope with his anger, certain things can still make him smile – like Curly Wurlys, riding his bike fast downhill, burying his hands deep in the soil, hanging out with Tufty (who reminds him of his dad), and stealing enough coins so that one day he can rescue Jake and his mum..

It’s been a while since I’ve read a book about adoption/fostering, and I was a little apprehensive as it’s been so long. But I actually really enjoyed this one!

The plot…is steady, easy to follow and flows very well.

The characters…are touching. I loved Leon – and that the book was from his POV. His tender love for his family runs throughout this novel and it shines through to make this book what it is.

The writing…is amazing! I know I would struggle to write from a child’s viewpoint, but Kit De Waal really pulls it off.

Something I liked…this book…it really makes you feel for the characters. They are young, and therefore I felt so much sympathy for them – more I think than if it was in the POV of an adult.

Something I disliked…honestly, I can’t pick out anything. In it’s own right, this book is amazing. It’s not something I’d usually choose, but I’m very glad to have read it!

My thoughts…My Name Is Leon gives you everything you could ever want from a book. It’s emotional, extremely touching and it makes you think. I’d definitely recommend it!

My rating is…

☽ ☽ ☽ ☽
4 out of 5 moons

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

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