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

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

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

Spring Must Reads!

Here's my list of must reads for Spring!

1. The Start of Me and You - Paige is dealing with the loss of her first boyfriend, the power of female friendships and her relationship with her grandmother. This is a really sweet story that will have you turning pages at the speed of light. 
2. Anna and the French Kiss - Anna is sent to a boarding school in Paris where she immediately befriends Meredith, Josh, Rashmi and St Clair. This book is full of cheesy romance that you'd expect from a YA contemporary, however, every character is fully fleshed out. Anna finds herself falling for the off-limits St Clair, not only does he have a girlfriend but also Meredith has had a long-term crush on him too.
3. To All The Boys I've Loved Before - We follow Lara Jean who writes love letters to the five boys she's loved. She has never sent these letters, they're for herself. However, one day the letters are sent off and Lara Jean's love life starts to crumble. The relationship between the three sisters feels authentic. I love the interaction between Lara and each of the boys.
4. Billy and Me - Sophie May's day to day life is mostly uneventful as she works in a little tea shop with her best friend Molly. Then an actor comes to town and sweeps Sophie May off her feet. This adorable story is also heartbreaking and emotional as Sophie May comes under constant criticism. A real page-turner and I have also love Giovanna Fletcher's newer books, with Eve of Man being published in May. (co-written with her husband Tom)
5. Moxie - Trigger warning for sexual harassment, rape/sexual assault. This is a book with a strong and powerful message of feminism and speaking up for your opinion no matter how many people are against you. Viv is an inspirational main character that all girls/women should stand beside. The love interest, Seth, is unlike other male characters in that he listens to Viv's opinions and learns from his mistakes. He takes her seriously and their romance doesn't outweigh the feminist message.

These must reads are not newly released books but books that I love for Spring, have strong messages and I could read over and over again.

What books are you reading this Spring?

Kazia

Book Review: Some Kind of Wonderful by Giovanna Fletcher!

I just finished Some Kind of Wonderful by Giovanna Fletcher and it was fabulous! 5/5 stars!

You might know Giovanna as "Gi" through her YouTube channel and her marriage to Tom Fletcher (band member of McFly and McBusted) Her personality definitely shows through in this story especially as it's set in Essex which is also where Gi is from.

We follow Lizzy as she goes through a break up after being committed to Ian for ten years. It is a story of self discovery and I love that the ending was not as predictable as I thought it would be. (I accidentally spoiled myself by reading the name at the top of the final chapter!!) I also love that the characters were each explored on their own as Lizzy interacted with them. For example, Lizzy's Dad tells her that he is gay while they are running together.

To begin with I felt cautious about reading a book about a break up as I broke up with my own boyfriend quite recently, however, this book gave me hope that there's life after loss and you are your own person without anyone beside you. Lizzy finds herself and has her own interests.

Kazia x

As a side note:

I will be publishing book reviews as and when I finish books but I plan to do this at least once a month. I am quite a slow reader but when I get into a book and have a free afternoon I will get through it that day! (Is anyone else like this?)

I have added a link to a blog that guides you through YA book releases in 2018. I love lists and wish I could make one as efficient as this - I will definitely be looking at this list throughout the year to guide my reading choices and my book reviews. http://wanderingsofabookbird.blogspot.co.uk/2017/07/your-guide-to-2018-ya-releases.html

I have also already published this post on bloglovin' which you can find the link to here but it didn't post on my blog! (Technology, hey?)

5/5 stars! Heartwarming and empowering!

Book Review: They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera (+ My Audiobook Experience!)

I am currently listening to They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera and this is the first audiobook I have consciously listened to. I have around three hours left.

This book follows Rufus and Mateo who both receive a call to say that they have 24 hours to live. It is told from a dual perspective and also includes a few other characters' perspectives. 

* FINISHED *

This book was incredible! Incredibly emotional. I gave this book 5/5 stars. (Let me know how you choose star ratings - I feel like I am giving EVERY book 5/5 stars! Maybe I'm only reading amazing books)

I loved the voices of the narrators and how Rufus and Mateo were so defined as characters.

The relationship between these two boys/teenagers starts as a friendship and the way it develops is so interesting. It seems so natural for them to learn so much about each other in a short space of time compared to their closest friends.

The development of the other 'side' characters is great too because we learn about their backgrounds and their motives for their actions. They aren't just 'side' characters, we (at least I) would love to read more about each of these characters - Amy Du Bois, Peck (even though he makes me so angry!!), The Plutos, Lydia, etc.

I think this book is character driven which I enjoyed and I was on edge the whole time to know how Rufus and Mateo would die and whether the title was going to be misleading or not. It's safe to say, my heart broke within the last few chapters but I fully understand why the events happened and it didn't go in the direction I'd predicted for myself.

Adam replied to my tweet!

Kazia

Book Review: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

5/5 stars

We follow Starr as she witnesses the murder of her best friend Khalil and her fight for justice. This book was incredibly moving and I loved the writing style; the way Starr spoke as a black person in her black neighbourhood and as a black person in a school where she is surrounded by white people. It is a commentary on how people make judgements based on where you live and your skin colour.

I loved how Starr's love of basketball was woven into the story which made her a much more interesting character. She goes through a lot of change during the course of the book, learning about her relationships with friends and family. Her family dynamic is at the forefront of this story, unlike many YA novels where the parents do not seem to exist at all.

That's it for now

Kazia x