23 September 2018

Contemporary-A-Thon ROUND THREE

This September, Chelsea, Julie and Natasha host the Contemporary-A-Thon. I thought I'd spend the week reading along because it happened 17-23rd September - the week leading to my birthday. However, the only book I read was Turtles All The Way Down by John Green. I didn't even read it because it was an Audiobook but I listened and loved it. 4/5 stars. Full review here

As I didn't vlog or blog my experience I am going to recommend some contemporaries that I love and you should read too.


  1. SUMMER OF SALT BY KATRINA LENO!!! (Mine and Chelsea's favourite!)
  2. All of This is True by Lygia Day (Full cast Audiobook coming soon and already available in US!)
  3. Monday's Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson
  4. Little Do We Know by Tamara Ireland Stone
  5. Like Water by Rebecca Podos
I'm also going to link you to my Goodreads challenge - I finished all 50 books so any more that I read this year count as bonus reads! 

Kazia x

PS. I don't know about you but I'm feeling 22! Happy birthday to me!

19 September 2018

Taking a Break from Blogging...and my great return!

Helloooo!

I have finally returned to my blog after a break over the summer. I thought I would be posting more often during the summer but it turns out, I'd rather blog when I have a million and one other things/projects to work on...

I took a break during the summer, however, I didn't stop reading. I plan for those reviews to go up on Fridays at 6pm. (BST) In between reviews, I will also be posting:


  • Book Box Club - Monthly Reviews
  • Study tips and advice for university and other levels
  • General life updates
I am going to be planning posts for the rest of the week and then celebrating my 22nd birthday on Sunday! Hopefully that means the new posts will start appearing in the first week of October.

Kazia x

3 July 2018

June Wrap Up!


I read seven books in June. All book reviews will be linked!
  1. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - Book Review
  2. Big Bones - Book Review
  3. Juniper Lemon's Happiness Index - Book Review
  4. The Forseeable Future - Book Review
  5. The earth, my butt and other big round things - Book Review
  6. The universe is expanding and so am I - Book Review
  7. What I leave behind - Book Review

I read one book that was 3 stars, three books that were 4 stars and three books that were 5 stars. This is kind of an average month, I know what style and genres I like so I don't usually have ratings less than 3 stars.

2 July 2018

Book Review: The Universe is Expanding and So Am I

4/5 stars!
CAUTION: SPOILERS AHEAD! This is the sequel to The earth, my butt and other big round things which I reviewed here. Carolyn has hinted that there will be a third book and I'm VERY excited.

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Sexual violence, eating disorder, negative body image

We continue to follow Virginia, five months after the events, as she struggles internally with her body image and externally with "the ordeal" involving her brother. We know going into this book that Byron raped a girl when he was at college.

Virginia's parents are still the most frustrating people! They are sexist, pressurising, supporting their rapist son!! etc. However, I do like the fact that they are actually present in the main plot line because this doesn't happen all the time in YA.

Virginia meets a significant person who is connected to the plot and I didn't see the link coming. It is a forbidden romance because of the connection, however, we know Virginia is quite stubborn. Once she has set her mind on something, it's hard to change her. This is also true for her entire family. Also I didn't predict the ending and it definitely keeps it open for a third book!

I love the book references that Virginia shares with Sebastian. "I love the way the words complement the illustrations and the illustrations complement the words." (p.169)


28 June 2018

Book Review: The earth, my butt and other big round things!

4/5 stars!
CAUTION: SPOILERS AHEAD!

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Eating disorder, sexual violence, suicidal thoughts, self harm

The plot really started after the first 100 pages.

This book has been updated since it was first published in 2003, little details like the characters texting now rather than emailing. I love that these changes have been made because this story is a very important one.

We follow Virginia as she comes to terms with something happening in her family that flips everything on its head. It's not fully detailed because we are seeing life from Virginia's perspective and she doesn't know all of the details. The event is horrendous but the victim has hope and seems to rather be a survivor. She represents the readers who have also been through a traumatic event but have come through it. This book also shows that both families involved are still very human.

I do wonder though, whether it's only American students that eat their lunch alone in a bathroom stall. I have never experienced this happening before - let me know in the comments if you did this and aren't from America.

The food police are the worst!

I disliked Virginia's friendship with Shannon. She always seemed to have an excuse for not calling or texting V. I also disliked the school bully, obviously, Brie. However, there is something going on with her and V doesn't support her even though she is probably the only person questioning it.

V's Mum can't use the word 'fat' and I wonder if this has anything to do with her childhood that was hinted at. Anais could be a great sister but she is in Africa throughout the entire book so she doesn't have a big role to play. Maybe she will be more present in the second. I hope.

I loved Alyssa. She is going to be a great friend for V and this feels like a great set up for the second book. I also loved Mrs Crowley who was the only supportive adult that V interacted with. Dr Love seemed to point her in the right direction.

18 June 2018

Book Review: Juniper Lemon's Happiness Index

5/5 stars
One of my favourite books of the year so far!

Trigger warning: sucidal thoughts

p. 254 'Our kisses still spin fireworks and raging snow'

We follow Juniper, 65 painful days after her sister, Camilla's death. Juniper finds an unsent letter from Cam to You on the first day back to school and this sets off a snowball effect throughout the school year. We see Juniper as she makes new friends, rekindles old friendships and stands up to the school bully. She always has the right intentions but sometimes she doesn't take the easiest path to get there which causes conflict between the characters.

I love Juniper's friendship group, each have secrets of their own that connects them. Kody, Angela, Nate, Sponge (Lawrence) and Brand. Each character was well thought out and it was easy to tell them apart. I didn't support Juniper's relationship the whole time because it was toxic in parts, however, the love interest redeemed themselves in the end.

This book was beautifully written and I couldn't read it quick enough!

15 June 2018

Book Review: Big Bones

3/5 stars

I had an E-Arc of this book but didn't get to read it before publication.

We follow Bluebelle A.K.A BB A.K.A Big Bones. A body-confident, plus-sized sixteen year old who wants to leave school and get an apprenticeship at the coffee shop Planet Coffee. She has a younger sister, Dove, and parents that are on the brink of an on-off relationship.

Bluebelle is an unlikable character because she is constantly judging other people that are smaller than her while complaining that everyone judges fat people. The only thing that changes her attitude, slightly, is her sister's accident in the second half of the book. After that, she realises she should go to the gym (even though she's completely happy with her body image).

The book is written a food diary and the chapters are titled with each food that she is eating or has a memory attached to.

I annotated a few pages while reading including:

p. 101 BB is making a Shepherd's pie and has written out the recipe (which I want to follow!)

p. 106 Another recipe - this time for egg-fried rice

p. 174 - I feel like this quite often.

Is it just me or does it feel like every girl is secretly on a diet?
I thought we were all in this 'eating what we want when we want' revolution together but I've got a sneaky fear that I'm the only one taking it seriously.
Or maybe even doing it at all.

p. 188 BB gets the bus home from work and I just kind of laughed-out-loud because she was complaining about her thighs chafing. I thought 'You should get some chub rub shorts!' (It's an inside joke, if you follow Louise Pentland!)

p. 349 BB kisses the love interest (spoilers!) and says she feels 'truly beautiful'. I feel like contradicts everything about her self-confidence. She said to begin with that she felt beautiful in her own skin no matter what other people thought... You shouldn't suddenly feel beautiful only because someone has an interest in you. 

p. 367 'if you ever want to get a girlfriend maybe stop being such a sexist pervert?' 

YOU GO, BB!

p. 390 First lines are usually the most important but I loved the last line 'You're a girl. And you can do whatever you want. The whole world belongs to you.'

Many people enjoyed this book for its body positivity and I can see a few things scattered throughout but not 100%. This book wasn't one of my favourites and I was going to DNF it after 100 pages. I'm glad I didn't because the second half improved the whole book. This book won't be at the top of my recommendations list.

8 June 2018

Book Review: 99 Days

3/5 stars
I felt this story was forgettable and didn't bring anything new to the table. We follow Molly who was in a relationship with her childhood best friend last summer but she cheated on him with his older brother Gabe. Molly's Mum wrote a best selling book about it rather than comforting her daughter which pushed Molly to leave and spend a year at a boarding school.

I felt like I'd been dropped in the middle of Molly's story because everything had happened last summer and nothing was really happening now. She seemed to go straight back into bad habits, spending time with Gabe and unable to move on from Patrick even though he is in a new relationship. Molly didn't have any healthy friendships in this story and she didn't really spend time with her Mum (which is something that usually happens in YA that I'm not a fan of!)

The love triangle was frustrating because it felt like Molly hadn't learnt anything from the summer before. She didn't seem to have any interests of her own, although she had a summer job at The Lodge where she was Penn's personal assistant.

I am going to read the sequel 9 days and 9 nights which is Katie's new release. 

4 June 2018

Book Review: You're Welcome, Universe


4/5 stars
We follow Julia who was expelled from Kingston School for the Deaf after creating a beautiful (illegal) mural on school property to protect her best friend. Julia's life is messy and complicated with friendships and relationships that don't always follow the straight path you're expecting.

I love the diversity of this book - Julia is a deaf main character and there are many illustrations of sign language throughout the pages. Also some of the conversations are incomplete because she isn't able to read their lips easily. Julia also has two mothers that are both deaf. I thought the characters all had their own personalities and I could separate them from each other. Sometimes having a big cast of characters means that they blur together. I like that the story wasn't romance heavy, it's just Julia and her love of art.

We have to follow Julia through the graffiti war as she tries to work out who this other artist is and why they are competing. I liked Julia's relationship with Mr Katz, her art teacher.

The most disappointing part was the toxic friendship that Julia rekindled towards the end of the book. If I was in Julia's shoes, I wouldn't have forgiven this person. That is why I have given this book 4 stars rather than 5.

If you liked this, you might also like A Quiet Kind of Thunder by Sara Barnard

1 June 2018

May Fairyloot Subscription Box!


This is my first Fairyloot box and I really love each item that was included. As you may know from my book reviews I am not a huge reader of fantasy books, however, each of these items are versatile enough for anyone to enjoy.

CAUTION: SPOILERS AHEAD!



SPOILERS!

Also a signed book plate, author letter, book mark, tarot card, book buddy code and sticker - My buddy code is...


Smoke in the Sun Bookmark
Tarot card
The other side of my tarot card
  • The book - Onyx and Ivory (Published: 28 June 2018) 
Onyx and Ivory by Mindee Arnett
Here's the description/blurb on Amazon:


Acclaimed author Mindee Arnett thrusts readers into a beautiful, dangerous, and magical world in this stunningly epic and romantic fantasy for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Sarah Raasch.
They call her Traitor Kate. It’s a title Kate Brighton inherited from her father after he tried to assassinate the high king of Rime.
Cast out of the nobility, Kate now works for the royal courier service. Only the most skilled ride for the Relay and only the fastest survive, for when night falls, the drakes—deadly flightless dragons—come out to hunt. Fortunately, Kate has a secret edge: She is a wilder, born with forbidden magic that allows her to influence the minds of animals.

And it’s this magic that leads her to a caravan massacred by drakes in broad daylight—the only survivor Corwin Tormaine, the son of the king. Her first love, the boy she swore to forget after he condemned her father to death.

With their paths once more entangled, Kate and Corwin must put the past behind them to face this new threat and an even darker menace stirring in the kingdom.
 








Exclusive water-proof book sleeve 
This is water-proof and has a quote from An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir.
Tab up your books with these page flags!
Tea and coaster
It is themed around the book of the month. The scent is "moonstones and berries" which is fresh and fruity.

I gave this to my neighbour as she has five children under 10 years old who would enjoy it more than me. (It would be wasted otherwise as I don't have a bath) 
  • The Remnant Chronicles Lip Scrub ‘Morrighan’ by Geeky Clean
'Morrighan' Lip Scrub
This is a cruetly-free and Vegan lip scrub. There are three flavours - Morrighan, Dalbreck and Venda

31 May 2018

May Book Box Club!

Links to Book Box Club:

Instagram
Facebook
Twitter

This is a monthly book subscription box that includes a new release and lots of bookish goodies. May is my first box and I'm excited to unbox it.

SPOILERS AHEAD!

Inside the box:

My welcome card
Stargazers is May's theme
A bookmark

I always love receiving wrapped gifts within subscription boxes! This one had the book of the month inside.
This month's book is The Queens of Innis Lear by Tessa Gratton

I love this cat pin - adorable!

A Shakespeare quote is always fun! This is actually a mirror

A little pouch to use as a pencil case or maybe a make up case

Harry Potter inspired bookmark

Cute socks that I'll definitely be wearing on cosy reading days

The Smoke Thieves by Sally Green - promotional bookmark

A postcard promoting Skylarks by Karen Gregory - this is already on my TBR shelf
I really enjoyed all the goodies in this box and it's well worth the money. Although I am not the biggest Fantasy book fan, I do have this big chunk of a book on my TBR shelf and will give it a try soon.

Look out for next month's unboxing! The theme is... Bad Girls!

29 May 2018

G I V E A W A Y #3: Down Among The Sticks and Bones!

I listened to this series on Audible earlier this year and it is one of my favourites! I don't normally read fantasy but this series captured my heart.

Again, I ordered two copies and cannot cancel my order because it's already been dispatched!



RULES:

UK only
You pay postage costs
Email me (kazia.terry@happylittleblogger.co.uk)

I'll choose a winner on 1st June 2018

28 May 2018

Book Review: The Girl in the Broken Mirror

4/5 stars!
TRIGGER WARNINGS: Sexual assault and suicide

A gripping, contemporary story with strong female characters that explores the trauma of familial violence which teenage girls may face every day, whether as victims or bystanders. (From the publisher)

I loved the diversity in this book because I don't have much knowledge about Indian culture. There are many more books coming out that are about different cultures and backgrounds which I am excited about, especially in most recent years.

This book will break your heart over and over again. But there is a sprinkle of happiness and hope too.

I like the relationship between Jay and her Mother Neela. Neela has not kept strictly to Indian traditions but when they have to move in with distant relatives, she has no choice but to follow their rules. Jay finds it difficult to be without her Mother's constant attention like she had before the move. Aunty Vimala is the opposite of Neela, she believes in tradition. She has two sons who have quite different personalities and this makes the family dynamic unbalanced in a way that seems familiar and relatable.

This book has a constant tension running through it because the reader is unsure who committed this horrendous crime. There are many possibilities and each male character becomes a suspect. It is written in third person which allows us some scenes from Neela's point of view but mainly it is told through Jay's eyes.

Sita is a family friend and she is just a pure angel! I loved her since her first introduction and she helps Jay through the toughest time as she hits rock bottom. I couldn't control the tears then.

The story ties up nicely although it has left me with some unanswered questions. 

25 May 2018

Book Review: Leah on the Offbeat

2/5 stars!
CAUTION: SPOILERS AHEAD!

Leah had an attitude problem throughout this whole book and her personality didn't relate to how we saw her in Simon vs which was a disappointment.

The storyline of Leah's Mum and boyfriend fizzled out really quickly and I thought it would be much more at the forefront of the story. Also Leah's sexuality (bisexual) is a main part of the story but we don't need to be reminded of it literally every other chapter.

I felt like there wasn't much focus on Leah's love for art or drumming. We don't see any pictures of her artwork or her blog posts. I also wanted more of Leah and her love interest. It felt like the ending was rushed because there was so much romance in those last chapters. How did Leah just get over herself that quickly and feel comfortable with her love interest?

There was a racist comment that upset Leah a lot even though it wasn't towards her. It felt like she kept repeating this and overreacted. The person that it was aimed at hadn't really been bothered because they get comments like that ALL the time. This wasn't really fleshed out and I feel like it was brushed under the carpet.

Did Leah save enough money for her drum kit? Did she sell any of her artwork? Who made the comment "Two girls kissing at prom" on Leah's blog?

It seemed too convenient that Abby happened to have a friend with an apartment on/near campus... I felt like their road trip to the college was unrealistic. However, I want to know if Leah does join their band or not. She felt much more like her character when Becky Albertali described the feeling when Leah is drumming. This is her passion but it wasn't explored very much at all.

Thank you to my friend Sophie who let me share all my feelings about this book and helped to make them cohesive enough for this blog post!

G I V E A W A Y #2: My Box Shaped Heart!

MY BOX SHAPED HEART BY RACHEL LUCAS (17 MAY 2018)

RULES:

UK only
You pay postage costs
Email me (kazia.terry@happylittleblogger.co.uk)

I am giving away this book as I ordered two copies by mistake.

I will choose a winner on 1st June 2018

21 May 2018

Book Review: The Poet X

5/5 stars!
I was sent this as an ebook for honest review but didn't get to it before its publication date which is so unfortunate because I LOVED this book! I am glad that I read a physical copy though because the formatting is really fun and unusual.

This book follows Xiomara 'X' as she struggles to fit in with her Mother's strict rules about faith and wanting to have a voice of her own. X is from the Dominican Republic and some of the book is written in her native language.

The entire book is written in verse as X gets involved in her school's poetry club and her enjoyment of slam poetry evolves. X also struggles with the distance that is becoming more obvious between herself and her Twin brother. She feels guilty that she gave her Mother trouble ever since her birth. X's character development is so prominent throughout the book and I love how she changes but she is still herself at the heart.

Pages that stand out for me include 106/7, 109 and 198. Ms Galiano reminds me of my own English teacher through high school, she encourages X and realises that she is a good writer, she has some kind of talent.

15 May 2018

Book Review: Simon VS the homosapiens agenda

5/5 stars!
We follow Simon as he emails an anonymous guy from his school only known as Blue. He has a tight friendship group of Nick, Leah and Abby. He is part of the school's drama performance of Oliver! and we see his personality shining through those scenes.

There is a lot of diversity in this book as Simon and Blue have a M/M romance. There are also characters of different cultures and backgrounds.

I love Becky's writing style and a rememberable quote is "White shouldn't be a default anymore than straight should be the default. There shouldn't even be a default."

7 May 2018

#BUZZWORDATHON

Created by Kayla from BooksandLala, the theme of this read-a-thon is books with "Girl" in the title. This is my TBR for the read-a-thon which takes place between May 7 - May 13.


  1. Girl in Pieces
  2. The Girl In The Broken Mirror
I started reading Love, Hate and Other Filters yesterday, before I saw the announcement for the read-a-thon so I will be finishing that before starting these two books. I only have a small TBR because my primary focus is submitting my final assignment on May 24th.

3 May 2018

Book Review: Girlhood by Cat Clarke

5/5 stars!
This is another Zoella Book Club 2017 pick and it is amazing!

CAUTION: SPOILERS AHEAD!

This book follows a close group of girls at a boarding school while they struggle with the last year before (hopefully) leaving for university. This book focuses on how an outsider can upset the balance in your friendship group and whether this will bring you closer together and pull you apart.

The girls were all fleshed out really well and it was very clear from their personalities who was who. I love that their friendship is at the heart of this book rather than romance.

Harper had a twin sister, Jenna, who is at the forefront of her mind on a daily basis, however her death means Harper is left with a huge part of her life and identity missing. She now has to deal with the guilt she feels because she blames herself. She identifies as bisexual and even though this isn't a huge part of the storyline, it is good to see diversity between these characters.

Rowan is Harper's room mate in their remote boarding school in Scotland. She is a lesbian and everyone knows it. She is very loyal to her friends, however, this can also make her stubborn. I also loved Ama and Lily.

The new girl is Kirsty and she is hiding plenty of secrets. She becomes closest to Harper because they have a lot in common - both girls are grieving. However, Kirsty doesn't fit in because of her secrets and how she treats the other girls.

I loved how all the loose ends were tied up, it was emotional and heartwarming. I can't wait to read more from Cat Clarke!

Kazia

1 May 2018

Book Review: A Quiet Kind of Thunder

5/5 stars!


I rated this book 5 stars and Sara Barnard continues to be my favourite author right now! This is basically an entire post of me gushing about my love for this book and Sara! I can't wait for her to write more books, I still have to read Goodbye, Perfect.

CAUTION: SPOILERS AHEAD!

I made so many notes while reading this one because I loved it so much! I felt like I could relate to the main character Steffi more than I ever have before because she is a selective mute. She also suffers with anxiety.

The deaf representation in this book is amazing! I don't think I've ever read a book about deafness or that included British Sign Language. I have recommended this to my Step Mum as she is deaf and I would like to know if it is a good representation of how she lives her life in a silent world. (I am nervous about that though as there is a sex scene in this book - more on that later)

I love this quote "Little victories are everything in a world where worst case scenarios are on an endless loop in your head." p.78

The sibling relationships felt genuine and I love that Tem's little brother Davey wanted to be a fairy like Steffi's little sister Bell. I love that no one said he couldn't just because he's a boy. Not much was said about Clark's death although Steffi's parents are overprotective and don't want her to go to university even though (in my opinion) they should be building her up and encouraging her dreams. Having anxiety is bad enough and I know that going to university was extremely overwhelming for me but I had to go to get to where I am now.

At one point Steffi and Tem take selfies and I don't think enough YA books mention the use of mobile phones even though we all know that nearly everyone is attached to their phones in the real world.

I loved the one tiny scene that mentioned a girl in Steffi's class called Kasia! My name is so uncommon and to read about "me" is amazing! It's one of those things I really love...now to get personalised gifts with my name on... (That will be the day!)

The halloween party was so good! Rhys as a mime is genius! I didn't understand at first and then the realisation hit me and omg yesss!! It also meant that Steffi and Rhys could use sign language at the party and no one would think anything of it which is brilliant because drunk teens might not accept it so easily.

I love love love the sex scene when Rhys and Steffi go on their adventure to Edinburgh! It is not very common in YA books. It is also not like any sex scenes I have read about - it is truthful. The awkwardness, the exploration, the feelings that are shared. 

Kazia

29 April 2018

Book Review: If I Was Your Girl



4/5 stars!


This book was included in the Zoella Book Club 2016 and I rated it 4/5 stars!

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Suicide, bullying, sexual assault/harrassment

We follow a transgender main character who has transitioned from male to female before the story starts. This is such an important topic for more readers to be exposed to and aware of. It is an own voices novel as author Meredith Russo is a transwoman, however, she states in the Author's Note that some situations have been exaggerated for the book to be fictionalised. I feel that this disclaimer is not necessary for those of us readers that understand fiction is not the complete truth - it IS, in fact, fiction!

Andrew/Amanda has a lot of depth. Virginia as a character is great and really believable. There are lots of flashbacks which I loved. Chloe, Bee and Layla are good friends. The parents in this book were...frustrating at best!

I didn't like the male characters at the end. I'm still unsure about Grant. In my opinion, Bee did what she did (spoilers) because she was frustrated and didn't know how to show her emotions.

Kazia

25 April 2018

Book Unhaul #2!

I have a few more books to share that I'd like to send away to people who will enjoy them more than me. 

Book Unhaul #1

These are ones that have sat on my TBR for over 6 months:


  • Heaven by Christoph Marzi
  • Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
  • Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
  • Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan
  • Playlist for the dead by Michelle Falkoff
  • The trouble with goats and sheep by Joanna Cannon
  • Tape by Steven Camden

Message me through Instagram, Twitter or comment on this post.

G I V E A W A Y #1: Children of Blood and Bone!

The winner is...

Diana Pixie!

Congratulations.

I also have a book unhaul post which you can comment on if you'd like any of those books!

19 April 2018

#WarmestDayOfTheYear Recommendations

The hashtag is trending on Twitter so I thought it would be fun to recommend a few books to read on the hottest day of the year!

What are you reading this summer?



Tom Hazard has a dangerous secret. He may look like an ordinary 41-year-old history teacher, but he's been alive for centuries. From Elizabethan England to Jazz-Age Paris, from New York to the South Seas, Tom has seen it all. As long as he keeps changing his identity he can keep one step ahead of his past - and stay alive. The only thing he must not do is fall in love . . .
Maddy is allergic to the world; stepping outside the sterile sanctuary of her home could kill her. But then Olly moves in next door. And just like that, Maddy realises there's more to life than just being alive. You only get one chance at first love. And Maddy is ready to risk everything, everything to see where it leads.

Meet Dimple.
Her main aim in life is to escape her traditional parents, get to university and begin her plan for tech world domination.
Meet Rishi.
He's rich, good-looking and a hopeless romantic. His parents think Dimple is the perfect match for him, but she's got other plans...
Dimple and Rishi may think they have each other figured out. But when opposites clash, love works even harder to prove itself in the most unexpected ways.

Maya Aziz dreams of being a film maker in New York. Her family have other ideas. They want her to be a dutiful daughter who wears gold jewellery and high heels and trains to be a doctor. But jewellery and heels are so uncomfortable . . . 

She's also caught between the guy she SHOULD like and the guy she DOES like. But she doesn't want to let Kareem down and things with Phil would never work out anyway. Would they? 

Then a suicide bomber who shares her last name strikes in a city hundreds of miles away and everything changes . . .

Two teens find their way back to each other in a bookstore full of secrets and crushes, grief and hope - and letters hidden between the pages.
Years ago, Rachel had a crush on Henry Jones. The day before she moved away, she tucked a love letter into his favourite book in his family's bookshop. She waited. But Henry never came.
Now Rachel has returned to the city - and to the bookshop - to work alongside the boy she'd rather not see, if at all possible, for the rest of her life. But Rachel needs the distraction. Her brother drowned months ago, and she can't feel anything anymore.
As Henry and Rachel work side by side - surrounded by books, watching love stories unfold, exchanging letters between the pages - they find hope in each other. Because life may be uncontrollable, even unbearable sometimes. But it's possible that words, and love, and second chances are enough.


Kazia