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Edition: Paperback, 322 pages, published February 25th 2016 by Macmillan Children’s Books (UK)
Synopsis: Best friends Caddy and Rosie are inseparable. Their differences have brought them closer, but as she turns sixteen Caddy begins to wish she could be a bit more like Rosie – confident, funny and interesting. Then Suzanne comes into their lives: beautiful, damaged, exciting and mysterious, and things get a whole lot more complicated. As Suzanne’s past is revealed and her present begins to unravel, Caddy begins to see how much fun a little trouble can be. But the course of both friendship and recovery is rougher than either girl realises, and Caddy is about to learn that downward spirals have a momentum of their own.

I never expected a book about best friends to be this good. When I read contemporary I always like to have a bit of romance rather than fighting friends, but this one really surpassed my expectations.

The plot…I loved it! It was interesting and exciting, with plot twists and turns all over the place. It made me really want to find out what was going to happen between the three of them!

The characters…I loved them. There was part of me that could have absolutely hated Caddy purely for the annoying and immature decisions she made at some points – but there was a massive part of me that understood them, too. And that’s what stopped me. I could relate to her more than I could possibly dislike her.

The writing…I knew from the start was going to be great. It manages to be both beautiful and relatable at the same time. Sort of extra-ordinary but normal…how does one pull that off?

Something I liked…the ending. It gave an overwhelming sense of hope – something I really like at the end of a book. Sometimes, there needs to be optimism for the future rather than a happy ending…it makes the reader think about the book and keeps it in their heart for longer – does that make sense?

Oh, and I also loved the British-ness about this novel! It has the perfect balance of being relatable to anyone in the UK but not so classicly British that other people wouldn’t understand it.

Talking about balance…that’s another thing that stood out for me. Sara somehow managed to make everything…balance. It’s hard to explain, but she perfectly countered friendship and emotion,  the complication and simpleness of love and family, heavy, beautiful writing with lighthearted sarcastic conversations.

Something I didn’t like…it could have very easily been Caddy at certain points – but no. Sara has such skill there, in creating a relatable character who can still make bad decisions but seem good-natured at the same time. So, other than that, probably the start of the book. Not anything in particular, but just that I found it a little slow to get into – if I’m being picky!

My thoughts…I was quite surprised at this book. I never thought I would be able to feel such emotion in friendship – and I never thought an author could create such beauty in the process. In fact, I didn’t even expect for the complicated beauty of friendship to ever even be able to be explained by words…but Sara suceeded and surpassed anything I could have ever hoped for.

My rating is…

☽ ☽ ☽ ☽
4 out of 5 moons

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

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Edition: Paperback, 285 pages, published March 6th 2014 by Not Avail
Synopsis: Caggie’s life was perfect.
But when a moment of recklessness on the Manhattan rooftops is misunderstood by her friends and family, Caggie knows that her life has changed forever. Nothing makes sense anymore, and no one seems to understand.
Then she meets the dark and enigmatic Astor – the only person who understands what she’s going through. But as he seduces Caggie further away from her old life and everyone she once cared about, she starts to wonder if she’ll ever find her way back. Because once you fall, there’s no going back.

This book was perfect for me, romance and contemporary with an interesting plot.

The plot…was captivating and enticing. I really wanted to see what was going to happen (and had happened) to Caggie.

The characters…were great! I loved Caggie but I admit, I found the others a little hard to figure out. I wasn’t sure whether I was meant to like or hate Astor/Trevor, and I didn’t see enough of Claire to know what to make of her, either.

Saying that, in the end the book shows you (as well as Caggie) who to trust.

The writing…is simple, but easy to follow. It’s classic contemporary with the right balance of romance.

Something I liked…the romance! It was interesting and it wasn’t overpowering.

Something I disliked…I don’t think there was much – the only thing (as mentioned above) is the confusion between my feelings for different characters!

My rating is…

☽ ☽ ☽ ☽
4.5 out of 5 moons

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

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Edition: Paperback, 384 pages, published May 1st 2014 by Speak
Synopsis: Izzy is a hypochondriac with enormous boobs that won’t stop growing, a mother with a rare disease who’s hiding something, a best friend who appears to have undergone a personality transplant, and a date with an out-of-her-league athlete who just spilled Gatorade all over her. Yes, Izzy Skymen has a hectic life. But what Izzy doesn’t realize is that these are only minor symptoms of life’s insanity. When she discovers the people she trusts most are withholding from her the biggest secrets, things are about to get epic–or is it epidemic?

I just finished The Symptoms of My Insanity, a cute, sweet book that took me only a few days to get through – and for good reason!

I read this book on behalf of The Book Junkies book club, owned and run by me, Emma and Sophie. Emma chose this month’s book and I have to say she did a great job – thank you Em!

If you’d like to see more about what we all thought, stay tuned to find out in a chat post at the end of this month!

The plot…is mostly great! There were a few places when I felt it was going a little slow but mostly I loved it – solid, steady and real. The day-to-day approach really works for this book!

The characters…I love Izzy! She’s just so…normal, a real person. There is no elaborate character building or parts of the book to make Izzy anything more than what she really is – a teenage girl.

The writing…is good. It really suits the book and makes it seem more like a diary than a novel – and therefore you feel extremely close to the main character, Izzy.

Something I liked…the reality of this book. It’s nothing extraordinary and it’s pretty normal, but it has a real charm to it. It’s relatable, sweet and an all round feel good book. I would definitely recommend it to lovers of Night Owls, South of Sunshine and We’re All Made of Molecules!

Something I didn’t like…not a lot, really. I found a few things really obvious and could sometimes guess what was about to happen…and I did think the plot was a little slow in places. I also took a while to understand completely about what was happening to Izzy’s mum, but other than that, I loved it!

My rating is…

☽ ☽ ☽ ☽
4 out of 5 moons

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

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Edition: Mass Market Paperback, 96 pages, published February 25th 2016 by Macmillans Kids UK
Synopsis: If you broke Elena’s heart, Star Wars would spill out. So when she decides to queue outside her local cinema to see the new movie, she’s expecting a celebration with crowds of people who love Han, Luke and Leia just as much as she does. What she’s not expecting is to be last in a line of only three people; to have to pee into a collectible Star Wars soda cup behind a dumpster or to meet that unlikely someone who just might truly understand the way she feels.

I just read this adorable little story in around half an hour – and I’m so glad I did!

Rainbow has this lovely, unique, recognizable style of writing which really shone through right from the start; and made me want to carry on reading until the end!

Kindred Spirits is basically a short story about nerds, for nerds. It’s a mini celebration of nerd-ity, and no one could possibly do it better than the author of much loved YA novel, Fangirl.

I love the diary, day-by-day layout of this little book! And the characters…ah, the characters. I love Gabe – and I actually have a friend who reminds me of him – and I don’t understand how Rainbow can make you love characters so much in such a short space of time! That author has serious skill.

This story is cute, sweet and funny. Okay, scratch that.

It’s freaking adorable.

And if you love Rainbow Rowell as much as I do, you need to pick this up. Stop caring that it’s only 62 pages long and will only take you half an hour to read – it’s perfect, and it’s a must have for the Rainbow section of your shelf.

Seriously, get out there and treat yourshelf, both you and that lovely bookcase of yours (I’m jealous of it, such a gorgeous collection you have there), and get this amazing little story! It might be small, but it deserves a big rating…

☽ ☽ ☽ ☽ ☽
5 out of 5 moons

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

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Disclaimer: I received an ARC copy of this book from Penguin UK in exchange for an honest review
(Expected) Release date: June 2nd 2016
Synopsis: 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 take Jake away and give him to strangers. Because 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…nothing in specific!

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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Disclaimer: I received this book from Penguin Random House UK in exchange for an honest review.
Release date: May 26th 2016 (UK) April 5th 2016 (USA)
Synopsis: Raul is an Argentinian painter, fresh on New York’s buzzing downtown scene, who has just caught the eye of the city’s most infamous critic.
James is the critic. His synaesthesia lets him interpret art as fireworks and symphonies – but he’s just been struck by writer’s block.
And then there’s Lucy: newly escaped from small-town Idaho, young and beautiful, the perfect artist’s muse.

I loved this book so much! Honestly guys, this is a must read.

The plot…is very easy to follow and read. It’s simple, set over the course of a year (1980, duh) but pretty amazing too…because Prentiss has this outstanding way of making everything seem that way.

The characters…are really well written. I felt close to them, yet detached. In fact, I felt so close to them I laughed and I cried. I felt. It was strange, like watching their every move from above but knowing their every thought at the same time. Which leads me on to…

The writing…the writing is extra-ordinary. Honestly, I have never, ever read a book quite like this one – which is why I liked it so much.

This book takes beautiful to a whole new level. It takes poetry and lifts it to the heavens. It takes words and creates something very distinctly like art.

I was absolutely blown away by this novel. I actually feel tounge-tied, writing this review. I felt like I was reading art, and it made me appreciate it more than I ever have before.

I honestly feel like I can’t form words to show you how much you need to read this novel. In fact, I loved the writing so much I literally could not stop picking up my phone to type quotes…which I’ve put on Goodreads here, so you can appreciate this along with me!

Something I liked…as you can probably guess, the writing. Honestly, I’m astonished that such a sheer amount of beauty could come from pages. And as I read up to 100 books a year…that’s a big thing to say. I’m astonished.

Something I disliked…honestly, absolutely nothing. I can’t think of anything.

My rating is (definitely)…

☽ ☽ ☽ ☽ ☽
5 out of 5 moons

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

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Disclaimer: I received this book free on behalf of NetGalley & Harper Collins UK.

Edition: Kindle Edition, 321 pages, published December 31st 2015 by HarperCollinsChildren’sBooks
Synopsis: Parker Grant doesn’t need perfect vision to see right through you. That’s why she created the Rules: Don’t treat her any differently just because she’s blind, and never take advantage. There will be no second chances.

When Scott Kilpatrick, the boy who broke her heart, suddenly reappears at school, Parker knows there’s only one way to react – shun him so hard it hurts. She has enough to deal with already, like trying out for the track team, handing out tough-love advice to her painfully naive classmates, and giving herself gold stars for every day she hasn’t cried since her dad’s death. But avoiding her past quickly proves impossible, and the more Parker learns about what really happened – both with Scott, and her dad – the more she starts to question if things are always as they seem.

The plot…is steady, solid and captivating. No, it’s not crammed full of action or massive plot twists – but I don’t think it should be, either. This book is written on a day-to-day basis, but that doesn’t make it boring. It makes it realistic.

The characters…are likeable, sweet and funny. I love Parker, she’s sassy and makes you laugh throughout the book. But things aren’t always laughable…and Parker makes sure you feel that, too.

Basically, I really felt connected with Parker – and other people – in this book. Not If I See You First is full of excellent, very skilled character building, and that’s what makes this book so great.

The writing…just adds to the list of things to admire in this novel. It is truly lovely – but personal, too. I felt like Parker was writing it – and for a first person story, that is exactly the way to make a reader feel. I really look up to Landstrom…because his skill and obvious passion for writing is outstanding.

Something I liked…is the real unique-ness that comes with this novel. This is the first book I’ve read with the main character being blind – but it really worked. Landstrom made sure not to stray too far from the norm that comes with contemporary YA, but still made it different enough for me to love even more.

Something I disliked…nothing I can think of! Though at the very, very start of the book I wasn’t sure whether I would love or be annoyed by Parker’s badassery. It really could have gone one way or the other. Lucky for me, it went in the ‘love’ direction – especially when Parker’s emotional, vulnerable interior shone.

My thoughts…this book made me cry, laugh, feel humiliated, embarrassed, emotional, happy and loved.

This book took me through an entire spectrum of emotions.

This book made me feel – and that is exactly what I look for when I’m reading. So congrats, Eric Landstrom. I wish I could write like you.

My rating is…

☽ ☽ ☽ ☽
4.5 out of 5 stars

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽