I Recommend 5: YA Thrillers

I haven't done one of these in a couple of months but it seemed only right to use the month of October to recommend some edge of your seat, full of plot twist thrillers. I haven't read loads of thrillers, and a lot of the Adult thrillers I have read are the super popular ones that everyone will have heard of. I have, however, read quite a few YA thrillers over the years that I have really enjoyed and not heard too much about. I decided I would share five of them in the hope that you might find a great spooky season read. 

These are not necessarily books that I have rated 5 stars, as it takes a lot for me to give a thriller such a high rating. However, I have chosen books with interesting stories, some good plot twists and will keep you hooked until the last page.

1. Girl, Missing by Sophie McKenzie

This was one of the first thrillers I ever read, way back when I was still in school, and I still think about it sometimes. It follows a girl who, while researching for a school project, finds her own picture on a missing children's website. I still remember getting this book from my school library and just completely devouring it. I'll be honest, I don't remember loads about it, other than it has lots of twists and I never knew what was coming, and my opinion may be different now, but 10+ years ago I absolutely loved this book. 

2. Lying About Last Summer by Sue Wallman

I picked this one up back in 2016 and remember I just couldn't put it down. This is about a girl who goes to a camp for bereaved teens after her sister dies and while she is there she receives texts from someone pretending to be her dead sister. This is another one that I just couldn't predict anything that happened. From what I remember, it was a bit Pretty Little Liars, with the anonymous messages, meets We Were Liars, with the creepy, not sure who to trust atmosphere. 

3. One Of Us Is Next by Karen M McManus

This is a more recent release and definitely more popular than the other books I have mentioned. This is the sequel to One Of Us Is Lying, which is also a really good thriller that I would recommend, but I actually preferred the second book. The sequel follows a mostly new set of characters but is set in the same school as the first book. This involves a game of truth or dare, controlled by an anonymous person, that turns deadly. I love thrillers involving games, so I was completely hooked the entire time. This is another one that completely threw me with the plot twists.

4. There's Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins

This is probably a bit more of a horror than a thriller but I'm including it anyway. This is essentially a slasher film in the form of a YA book. It takes place in a small town in which high school students begin to die one by one in pretty gruesome murders. It is very creepy, a bit graphic, and nothing like you would expect from the author of the Anna and the French Kiss books, but I really enjoyed it. It definitely isn't for everyone and has received some very mixed reviews. As someone who hasn't really read any horror and had nothing to compare it to, I really enjoyed it and was on the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading it.

5. Follow Me Back by AV Geiger

This one is a bit of a strange recommendation from me. I gave this book 2.5 stars, so obviously it wasn't a favourite of mine. However, that rating was due to the way one aspects of the story was portrayed and probably not something that would bother a lot of people. Putting that to the side, this was exciting, creepy, everything you would want in a thriller. It follows a girl with agoraphobia and a pop star who decides to troll her on Twitter. It is an interesting story, a lot of the twists I didn't see coming and it was a thriller that I think a lot of people would enjoy. My issue with this was the fact that I HATED the way fans were portrayed, but if that isn't something that would bother you I would definitely recommend giving it a go.

Those are five YA thrillers that I would recommend picking up and giving a go if you are looking for something a bit creepy over the next week or so. They aren't quite as intense as a lot of adult thrillers, but definitely a good place to start if you are not typically a thriller reader. 

What is your favourite YA thriller? Have you read any of the books on my list?

Sophie :)

A Beginner's Guide To Kasie West

If you've been around here much at all in the six years of the existence of this blog, you may know that Kasie West is one of my all time favourite authors. She writes primarily YA contemporary romance and, as of right now, has a total of 13 published works. I have read all of her YA contemporary novels, so now seemed like a good time to try a give a little guide to Kasie West's books for those who maybe haven't read anything from her yet. 

As well as her 11 YA contemporary romance novels, she also has a YA paranormal duology. While I have read the first book in that duology, Pivot Point, which you can find out my thoughts about here, I am going to focus on the contemporary novels today.

I'm going to be giving a little bit of information about each book, just enough that you get an idea of what it's about but not too much, and a bit about what I liked and didn't like so much. Then, at the end, I will be trying to rank all eleven books from my favourite to least favourite.

The Distance Between Us

What It's About: Rich boy and not-so-rich girl with a mother who hates rich boys meet in a doll store. They start hanging out but hiding it from her mother. She also has a bit of a thing with the local rocker.

What's Good: Great quirky doll store setting, super sassy main character, adorable romance.

What's Not So Good: Really abrupt ending.

I would recommend if you like...slightly forbidden romance, love triangle, quirky setting, snarky main character, adorable romance.

Full Review

On The Fence

What It's About: Tomboy girl raised by a single dad with three older brothers starts working at a boutique and discovers all things girly, while also falling for her next door neighbour through late night fence chats.

What's Good: Pretty much everything? Very family focused, nice family dynamic, great main character learning to be herself, some touches on grief and dealing with the death of a parent, the sweetest romance.

What's Not So Good: I don't remember anything I disliked about this.

I would recommend if you like...friends to lovers, brother's best friend romance, large families, single dads, grief, double life, a bit of sneaking around.

Full Review

The Fill-In Boyfriend

What It's About: After being dumped by her boyfriend in the parking lot of her high school prom, the boy waiting to pick up his sister becomes her fake boyfriend for a few hours. 

What's Good: Fake dating trope done really well, very cute romance, good message about unhealthy female friendships and the perfect ending.

What's Not So Good: Slightly underwhelming characters.

I would recommend if you like...fake dating, great friendship between love interests, good message about friendship.

Full Review

P.S. I Like You

What It's About: Notes scribbled on a desk in Chemistry class turn into letters passed between anonymous pen pals. When Lily starts to fall for her pen pal, she has to figure out who he is.

What's Good: Back to the usual unique and quirky Kasie West characters, the best friendship without all the girl hate and drama, really interesting relationship development.

What's Not So Good: Harder to get in to, slow start, quite predictable, easy to guess who the letter writer is. 

I would recommend if you like...relationship developing through letters, anonymous love interest, a bit of a mystery, great friendship, super cute relationship, awesome characters.

Full Review

By Your Side

What It's About: A good girl and bad boy get stuck in a library together over a long weekend, waiting for someone to rescue them but nobody comes.

What's Good: What's not to love about characters stuck in a library? Fun library antics, a great bad boy love interest, really good anxiety rep, a more serious second half to the story.

What's Not So Good: Kind of dull main character who isn't much more than a girl with anxiety. 

I would recomment if you like...enemies to lovers, bad boys, forced proximity, fun story with more serious elements, good anxiety rep, really cute relationship.

Lucky In Love

What It's About: A girl buys a lottery ticket on a whim and ends up winning. Everything in her life changes and everyone starts treating her differently, except her coworker who seems not to know about her win.

What's Good: Fun story, decent characters, cute romance, fun zoo setting.

What's Not So Good: A bit boring, nothing unique to the lottery winning storyline, predictable plot, so much drama.

I would recommend if you like...lottery wins, friends to lovers, zoo setting, a lot of drama.

Love, Life And The List

What It's About: After getting rejected from an art show, a girl creates a list to improve her art and enlists the help of her best friend, who she happens to have the biggest crush on, to help complete it.

What's Good: Absolutely everything! The list aspect, the small beachy town setting, the best friendships, the most adorable friends to lovers storyline, amazing characters, a strong family aspect, anxiety rep, the evolution of the artwork as Abby grew as a person from her list.

What Not So Good: Tiny bit too much drama.

I would recommend if you like...friends to lovers, summer vibes, completing a list, great friendship group, finding new friendships, great banter between characters, amazing character development, strong family element, anxiety and how it can impact a whole family.

Listen To Your Heart

What It's About: A girl is unexpectedly chosen to host her school's advice podcast. The podcast gets an anonymous call from a guy asking for advice about his crush, and she's pretty sure she knows who it is.

What's Good: Fun story, cute romance, some good friendships, summer vibes, fun podcast element.

What's Not So Good: Generally forgettable, not the most exciting plot, friends wanting the same guy, family drama.

I would recommend if you like...podcasts, a bit of an anonymous love interest, drama, best friends interested in the same guy, lots of time spend on the lake.

Fame, Fate and the First Kiss

What It's About: An aspiring actress is making her movie debut alongside a teen star but is struggling to bond with her costars, trying to deal with the annoying tutor her dad hired, and then discovers someone is trying to sabotage her.

What's Good: The best relationships between characters, really fun friendships, how the strained relationship with her father is handled.

What's Not So Good: Underwhelming romance, slightly juvenile sabotage plot, a bit boring.

I would recommend if you like...books about famous people, behind the scenes of a film set, great friendships, strained family relationships, mystery sabotage plot.

Maybe This Time

What It's About: Taking place during nine events over a year, a girl working in a small town florist helping plan the town's events finds herself clashing with the son of the fancy chef helping cater the events.

What's Good: Fun small town events with a bit of a Gilmore Girls feel, good banter between main characters, good friendships.

What's Not So Good: Only seeing the characters at events meant little character development, no flow to the story, not a lot of plot.

I would recommend if you like...Gilmore Girls, enemies to lovers, small town setting, set over a year.

Moment Of Truth

What It's About: When a person dressed as action hero Heath Hall crashes the star swimmer's swim meet, she sets out to find out who was underneath the mask. 

What's Good: The romance! The sweetest love interest, the perfect development of the relationship, great character development, interested family aspect that added a whole other layer to the story, how the mystery played out, the cameos from the Love, Life and the List characters.

What's Not So Good: The first half of the book. Boring to start with, initially very bland characters, the mystery plot wasn't interesting to start with.

I would recommend if you like...enemies to friends to lovers, super sweet love interest, great character development, dealing with grief, strained family relationships, swimming.

It might be quite easy to tell how I feel about a lot of these books by now, but I want to try and rank them from favourite to least favourite.

1. Love, Life And The List - My favourite relationship in a Kasie West book.

2. On The Fence - I just love this family dynamic.

3. By Your Side - I'm a sucker for a bad boy. And they're stuck in a library!

4. The Distance Between Us - As my first Kasie West, this will always have a special place in my heart.

5. The Fill-In Boyfriend - A fun story and fake dating is a trope I love.

6. P.S. I Like You - I love this relationship but it was a bit slow and predictable.

7. Listen To Your Heart - I really enjoyed this at the time but it's forgettable.

8. Moment Of Truth - If the whole book was like the second half, this would be way further up.

9. Fame, Fate And The First Kiss - I expected more from this and ended up disappointed and a little bored.

10. Lucky In Love - I'm not a fan of lottery win stories so this was never going to be a favourite.

11. Maybe This Time - I just don't think the story being told over nine events worked for me.

If you are looking for where to start with Kasie West, I would definitely recommend starting with one of her older books. Although I read most of them a while ago and could probably do with rereading them, I still think her older ones are better. I would say On The Fence, By Your Side or PS I Like You would probably be great ones to start with and seem to be the ones I hear most people enjoying. 

The great thing about Kasie West is the fact there is a book of hers for pretty much any of the popular tropes, so she should have something to suit anyone. My one negative is the lack of diversity in her books. While she has started to include more racially diverse side characters and love interests in her books, I am hoping she will feature more diversity in her books in future.

I was a bit unsure about how to do this kind of post and I'm still not sure I really love how I have ended up doing it, so if you have any suggestions for how to improve this for any future author guides, please let me know. Also, if you're curious about something I haven't covered in this post, or have any questions about Kasie West's books, feel free to ask away. 

Have you read any books by Kasie West? What was your favourite?

Sophie :)

The Eve Illusion by Giovanna & Tom Fletcher Review

The Eve Illusion by Giovanna & Tom Fletcher
Series: Eve Of Man #2
Published On: April 16, 2020
Published By: Michael Joseph
Genre: YA, Dystopian
Pages: 400
Format: eBook
Source: Netgalley
Rating: ★★★

Eve is the last girl on earth. 
For the last sixteen years, Eve has been a prisoner. Guarded by the Mothers. Trapped by her fate. Watched by the world. 
Until she took her chance, and escaped. 
Eve finally has the freedom she has wanted for so long, and with Bram she has the love. But both come at a price. In this dangerous new world beyond the Tower, the regime are only ever one step behind. And together with the desperate rebel group fighting against them, Eve has found herself in more danger than she ever could have imagined. 
With everything stacked against them, can Eve and Bram survive?

This is the second book in the Eve Of Man trilogy by Giovanna & Tom Fletcher, a book I didn't realise I was anticipating until it's publication was announced. The premise of this series sounded so interesting to me when the first book was released. It is a dystopian series following Eve, the first girl born in fifty years. While the first book was interesting and enjoyable enough, it didn't blow me away or make me super excited to know how the story would continue. However, upon seeing the second book being published, I found myself interested in how Eve's story would progress.

The second book picks up immediately after the first book ends, so be aware there will be spoilers throughout this review. This isn't something I find happens often, but I very much enjoyed diving straight back into the story and being right in the middle of Eve's escape. I also enjoyed the extra perspective brought in to this sequel. I particularly enjoyed Michael's POV of the escape, as this helped to make it feel more real.

While the first book in the series did a great job of setting up the story and introducing us to the life Eve was living within the tower, the second book brought the action. Though not a huge amount went on in terms of development of plot, the authors did not shy away from hard-hitting, action packed scenes. There was a lot of torture and death throughout this instalment, with nothing appearing to be too gruesome. I found this aspect to be quite thrilling and made me feel deeply for our main characters.

Despite all the action, the main plot was a bit boring. As I previously mentioned, there wasn't much plot development until near the end, which resulted in much of the book dragging. While the characters did show development, and I really enjoyed seeing them and their relationships with each other grow and evolve with the new situations they found themselves in, it just wasn't enough to keep me interested.

Overall, this was an enjoyable book and decent second instalment in the series. I would say it is on par in quality with the first in the series, but the series itself is still just average for me. I do enjoy the characters and found many of the elements of this book thrilling and interesting, but not enough to keep me invested in the story. I am interested to see how the series concludes, so will be picking up the final book, which I have higher hopes for given the ending of this one.

Review | The Potion Diaries by Amy Alward

The Potion Diaries by Amy Alward
Series: The Potion Diaries #1
Published On: July 2, 2015
Published By: Simon & Schuster
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Pages: 320
Format: Paperback
Source: Bought
Rating: ★★★★
Amazon | BD | Goodreads

When the Princess of Nova accidentally poisons herself with a love potion meant for her crush, she falls crown-over-heels in love with her own reflection. Oops. A nationwide hunt is called to find the cure, with competitors travelling the world for the rarest ingredients, deep in magical forests and frozen tundras, facing death at every turn. 
Enter Samantha Kemi - an ordinary girl with an extraordinary talent. Sam's family were once the most respected alchemists in the kingdom, but they've fallen on hard times, and winning the hunt would save their reputation. But can Sam really compete with the dazzling powers of the ZoroAster megapharma company? Just how close is Sam willing to get to Zain Aster, her dashing former classmate and enemy, in the meantime? And just to add to the pressure, this quest is ALL OVER social media. And the world news. 
No big deal, then.

Do you ever pick up a book years after buying it and realise you're not interested anymore? This was how I felt about this book. However, I decided to give it a chance before getting rid of it, and I'm glad I did. This is a really fun story of a girl searching for the cure for a love potion in a competition being followed by people all over the world (think The Hunger Games but less violent and deadly). It is full of adventure, fast paced, and generally a really enjoyable read.

The characters did feel a little underdeveloped, particularly the side characters who all felt quite similar. However, they were not bad characters. I enjoyed reading about them and hope to get to know them more as the series continues. The relationships between the characters felt a bit forced - the friendships didn't feel real and the romantic relationship happened very quickly. I do think these can hopefully be improved upon in future books in the series.

As I have mentioned, this is a very fast-paced book with a fun plot. I flew through it and didn't get bored once. There is always something happening. My only other complaint about this book is how convenient things were. This is supposed to be an incredibly difficult competition to find a cure no-one knows the ingredients for, yet all of these competitors just know what to do next or how to solve their problems. There is some very impressive guess work.

Despite having a couple of complaints, I did really enjoy this book. It is not the next great fantasy series, but it is a fast, fun read and perfect for those, like me, who don't tend to enjoy too much fantasy. This read a lot like a contemporary with fantastical elements, which I enjoyed. It is not the best written, most creative book, but it has definitely made me want to carry on with the series and see where it goes.

Review | Fierce Fragile Hearts by Sara Barnard

Fierce Fragile Hearts by Sara Barnard
Series: Beautiful Broken Things #2
Published On: February 7, 2019
Published By: Macmillan
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Pages: 354
Format: eBook
Source: Netgalley
Rating: ★★★★★
Amazon | BD | Goodreads

Two years after a downward spiral took her as low as you can possibly go, Suzanne is starting again. (Again.) She's back in Brighton, the only place she felt she belonged, back with her best friends Caddy and Rosie. But they're about to leave for university.  
When your friends have been your light in the darkness, what happens when you're the one left behind?

*A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

I often find that when you really loved a book, it is very difficult to gather your thoughts in order to give a review that says more than just 'OMG this book was amazing'. However, I will try my hardest.

I didn't know what to expect when I picked up Beautiful Broken Things and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Going into Fierce Fragile Hearts, the follow up to BBT, I expected I would enjoy it. Yet it still managed to pleasantly surprise me by exceeding all of my expectations. 

While various topics are discussed in this book, and the characters are all dealing with their own problems, the core of the book is friendship. We follow the original friendship group from the previous book - Suzanne, Caddy and Rosie - as they face the newest challenge in their friendship. Suzanne has just moved back as her two best friends are leaving for university and this book does a great job of authentically dealing with the challenges that brings. As much as I adore the original friendship dynamic, possibly my favourite thing about this book was the new friendships it introduces. With her friends away, Suzanne builds new relationships. This throws some new characters into the mix and I loved each one of them.

The characters are the real highlight of this book, just as they were in the previous book. They are real, genuine young adults (well, most of them) navigating life and the various challenges and questions that brings. I often find that characters this age are more what an adult thinks they should be, while these characters feel very authentic and, in some ways, remind me of myself at that age. They are all so well developed and each character shows incredible growth throughout the book. Suzanne's characters growth, in particular, is something that greatly contributed to my rating this book 5 stars. I still tear up thinking about the Suzanne we see at the end of this book compared to the girl we see at the beginning, and even more so the one we first meet. I really connected with these characters, which made for an emotional rollercoaster of a reading experience.

Unlike Beautiful Broken Things, this book was written from Suzanne's point of view. To me, this was the perfect idea as so much of Suzanne was a mystery in the first book. It was interesting to learn more about Suzanne and get answers to some of the questions raised in the first book. I felt I understood her character much more and appreciated her struggles, as well as why she makes the decisions she does.

The characters are very much the main focus of this book and progress the story more so than the plot itself. The plot of this book is not action packed or drama filled, but it is full of difficulties and hurdles facing the characters. We get an insight into Suzanne's life as a care leaver and the struggles that come with living independently for the first time, which is something I have never read in a YA novel before. This is real life for many young people and I think it is important to showcase that. 

This book does deal with some tough topics including abuse and attempted suicide. Suzanne also deals with a lot of anxiety and panic attacks are depicted within the book. I felt the abuse and attempted suicide topics were discussed sensitively, however I do not have experience of these to accurately say how well they were handled. As someone who has dealt with anxiety for a long time, though, I have nothing but praise for the way Sara Barnard portrays it within all of her books. This was no exception, I felt the anxiety representation was incredibly accurate and I really felt what Suzanne was experiencing at times.

Overall, this was an wonderfully written, beautiful story of an incredibly strong young woman learning how to live her life after dealing with a horrific past. It features some of the best friendships I have ever read, involving so many fabulous characters that I just want as my own friends. This has firmly placed Sara Barnard as one of my favourite authors, I want to read anything she ever writes.

Mini Reviews | Easy Prey & Dear Evan Hansen

I don't have an awful lot to say on these books, both were just middle of the road 3 stars for me, so I thought I would just share my few thoughts in a more casual review. I thought I would share a few things I liked and a few things I didn't like about each book and you can decide from that whether you think these would be books you would enjoy. Both of these books were received fro publishers in exchange for an honest review.

Easy Prey by Catherine Lo
Published On: October 12, 2018
Published By: Amulet Books
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Mystery
Pages: 352
Format: Paperback
Source: Publisher
Rating: ★★★
Amazon | BD | Goodreads

Only three students had access to a teacher’s racy photos before they went viral. There’s Mouse, a brainy overachiever so desperate to escape his father and go to MIT that he would do almost anything, legal or not. Then there’s Drew, the star athlete who can get any girl’s number—and private photos—with his charm but has a history of passing those photos around. And finally there’s Jenna, a good girl turned rebel after her own shocking photos made the rounds at school last year, who is still waiting for justice. All three deny leaking the photos, but someone has to take the fall. This edgy whodunit tackles hot-button issues of sexting and gossip and will have readers tearing through the pages to reach the final reveal.

I Liked...
- The plot. It was fast-paced and the story was very interesting. It was definitely engaging and you were kept wondering how situation were connected and how things would come together in the end. The premise was interesting and a lot of relevant topics were addressed and debated from various points of view,
- The characters. All three main characters were so different but each had their own issues and storylines aside from the main plot. I really enjoyed reading from each characters perspectives, all of which had their own distinct voice. They were not the most likeable group of characters but they didn't need to be for me to enjoy them.
- The majority of the book. This was a really fun, enjoyable book for the first three quarters of it. I was really enjoying the story and the characters, like I said, and was generally having a good time. I thought it was cleverly written, it kept me wanting to read on and find out what happened next and I was flying through it. Sadly, it didn't last.

I Didn't Like...
- The end. I understand why this book ended the way it did, I understand what the author was trying to do. I just didn't agree with it. I don't like how things worked out and was quite disappointed by the ending. I wanted something better.
- That it was predictable. I had guessed who 'done it' pretty early on was just waiting to find out how and why. I know some people like to be able to guess the culprit but it always annoys me when I'm not surprised by the reveal.
- I can't think of a third thing, it was really just the ending that I didn't like.

Dear Evan Hansen by Val Emmich
Published On: October 9, 2018
Published By: Penguin Random House
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Pages: 368
Format: eBook
Source: Netgalley
Rating: ★★★
Amazon | BD | Goodreads

When a letter that was never meant to be seen draws high school senior Evan Hansen into the Murphy family's grief over the loss of their son, he is given the chance of a lifetime: to belong. He just has to stick to a lie he never meant to tell. That the notoriously troubled Connor Murphy was his secret best friend. Suddenly, Evan isn't invisible anymore. And Connor's wealthy parents have taken him in like he was their own, desperate to know more about their enigmatic son from his 'closest friend'. As Evan gets pulled deeper into their family, he knows that what he's doing may not be right, but if he's helping people, how wrong can it be? No longer tangled in his once-incapacitating anxiety, this new Evan has a purpose. He's confident. He's a viral phenomenon. Every day is amazing. But when everything is in danger of unravelling, he comes face to face with his greatest obstacle: himself.

I Liked...
- It's Dear Evan Hansen. I love this musical so of course I'm going to enjoy that this book is based on the show.
- The story. Like I said, I love the show and as this is the story of the show, it's safe to assume I would enjoy the story.
- The characters. Again, they are the same as the show. However, they really came to life in the book. They were all very well written and I really enjoyed reading about all of them.

I Didn't Like...
- It just didn't translate well. The story alone without the music and stage production just didn't live up to the standard of the show. It fell a bit flat.
- I was bored. As much as I love the story, I found it boring in this format. It took me too long to get through it and I lost interest.
- I was disappointed. I set my expectations too high as this was one of my most anticipated releases of the year. Sadly, it didn't meet my expectations, which is probably more my own fault than the book itself.

Both of these books have their positives but neither blew me away. However, I can see why so many people have enjoyed them, they just weren't for me.

Sophie :)

Mini Review | What If It's Us by Becky Albertalli & Adam Silvera

What If It's Us by Becky Albertalli & Adam Silvera
Published On: October 18, 2018
Published By: Simon & Schuster
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Pages: 433
Format: eBook
Source: Netgalley
Rating: ★★★½

Arthur is only in New York for the summer, but if Broadway has taught him anything, it’s that the universe can deliver a show-stopping romance when you least expect it. 
Ben thinks the universe needs to mind its own business. If it had his back, he wouldn’t be posting a box of his ex-boyfriend’s belongings. 
But after a chance meeting at the post office, the boys leave wondering what exactly the universe does have in store.


I really wanted to love this after really enjoying books I have read from these authors previously. I expected an adorable relationship I wanted to root for, which I got. I expected some great friendship groups, which I got. I expected a fun, engaging plot, which I almost got. I'll be honest, I got bored.

I enjoyed the first section of this and then things went downhill for me. I thought the meeting and the search to find each other was a lot of fun to read about and really kept me engaged. However, I just wish that section had lasted longer. Once that part was over I got bored and stopped losing interest in where the story was going. I also started to really dislike one character.

Arthur made me so mad. I didn't have a problem with him to start with, but eventually the way he was acting towards certain situations and the way he was treating Ben sometimes just started to really get on my nerves. I wanted to like him, as I was really rooting for their relationship, but by the end I just didn't.

I liked it, but I didn't fall in love with it. It was an enjoyable read, despite dragging in some parts and making me lose interest. It's clear that Becky and Adam work well together and I definitely think they could write my new favourite book if they were to continue writing together. However, this one just wasn't there for me.

Overall, I can see why others would love it and perhaps this was more a case of 'it's not you, it's me'. If you love previous books by these authors and you're looking for an adorable relationship, great friendships and a more slow paced plot, I would definitely recommend checking it out. I just didn't love it as much as I wanted to.

Mini Review | That's Not What Happened by Kody Keplinger

I've been majorly slacking recently and haven't had a chance to review any of the amazing books I have been lucky enough to receive eARCs of over the last few months. In fact, I've been slacking so much that I have now forgotten so much about these books that I can't even write a full review. I will try to do better, but for now you'll have to make do with this half-assed, two month late, attempt at a review.

That's Not What Happened by Kody Keplinger
Published On: August 28, 2018
Published By: Hodder Children's Books
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Pages: 384
Format: eBook
Source: Netgalley
Rating: ★★★★
Amazon | BD | Goodreads

It's been three years since the Virgil County High School Massacre. Three years since my best friend, Sarah, was killed in a bathroom stall during the mass shooting. Everyone knows Sarah's story--that she died proclaiming her faith. 
But it's not true. 
I know because I was with her when she died. I didn't say anything then, and people got hurt because of it. Now Sarah's parents are publishing a book about her, so this might be my last chance to set the record straight . . . but I'm not the only survivor with a story to tell about what did--and didn't--happen that day. 
Except Sarah's martyrdom is important to a lot of people, people who don't take kindly to what I'm trying to do. And the more I learn, the less certain I am about what's right. I don't know what will be worse: the guilt of staying silent or the consequences of speaking up . . .

*A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

As someone who has a strange interest in books about school shootings, this immediately interested me. It's a very different perspective of a school shooting as it revolves mostly around the aftermath and how the survivors deal with what happened to them. I found it particularly interesting that the main story focused less on the shooting itself, but instead on the situation surrounding Sarah. This story was inspired by a true story from the Columbine shooting, yet it was still such a unique take on the topic and a very interesting read.

This book is not action packed and full of drama, but it is incredibly important. It focuses very much on the survivors and the victims, and the importance of remembering them rather than the perpetrators. It is explicitly stated that the shooters name will not be mentioned in the book, and the idea of fans that support shooters in these situations explored, which is a very real concept. This book does a great job of highlighting the genuine issues surrounding press coverage and the way society discusses these situations in a way that makes the reader think about their own actions in similar real life situations.

Overall, the characters in this book were nothing particularly special, in fact I can't really remember them all that much, and the plot was not the most thrilling or exciting you will ever read. However, it is an incredibly important story highlighting some of the very real issues in today's society and how this kind of tragedy can impact the lives of those involved.

Mini Review | Toxic by Nicci Cloke

Toxic by Nicci Cloke
Published On: July 26, 2018
Published By: Hot Key Books
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Pages: 304
Format: eBook
Source: Netgalley
Rating: ★★★

Amazon | BD | Goodreads

Hope has never been happier. She's on her way to Crete, after a group of her friends have made her an honorary 'lad' and let her tag along on their boys' holiday. There's a slight complication in that one of those boys, Logan, is Hope's ex-boyfriend, but they're still friends and Hope's pretty confident it won't be too awkward. 
The next couple of days are exactly what Hope was hoping for - lazy days in the sun, and long, drunken conversations. She can't help but notice that Logan's flirting with her. Logan and Hope end up alone and Hope is horrified when, after she leans in to kiss him, Logan completely rejects her. Embarrassed and annoyed, Hope is on a mission to get drunk, and with the alcohol flowing, and the sun going down, Hope's starts having a great time. 
The next thing Hope knows, she's being woken up on the beach by two strangers. It's 9 o'clock the next morning and she can't remember anything about the previous night . . . what on earth happened?

*A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

  This book was not what I expected at all. From the synopsis, this sounds like a mystery trying to uncover what happened to Hope after she wakes up on the beach while on a 'lads holiday' with no recollection of how she got there. However, there is a lot more to this book.

  It's split into three sections, each with a different narrator. The first follows this holiday that Hope goes on with her male friends, including ex-boyfriend Logan. This was a really fun storyline that really got me in the summer mood and made me want to go on holiday. It also featured the mystery aspect of what happened to Hope, as well as another mystery that is revealed throughout the book.
The second section focuses more on the aftermath of the holiday and how friendships have changed due to the events that took place. There are a lot of important topics covered in this section, most prominently mental health and asking for help. This was an incredibly important section and one that I found really struck a chord with me.

  The third section very much relates to the title of the book. This section really draws attention to toxic friendships, but it also deals with topics such as homophobia and sexual abuse. This is not the light and fluffy read the cover might lead you to believe, it deals with some really hard hitting stuff and this final section does go to some quite dark places.

  While I did generally enjoy this book, some aspects didn't quite meet my expectations. The characters were all pretty average and I didn't have a strong connection with any of them. I also found the mystery aspect to be anti-climactic and not really necessary to the story, other than to emphasise how awful certain characters were. I also found that the three sections, though not set out as three separate sections, were very distinct in their separation and so the story didn't flow as well as it could have. On top of that, things did start to drag a little towards the end and I found myself getting a bit bored.

  Overall, this is a good book with many layers to it. It deals with some difficult, hard-hitting topics, but important topics that need to be discussed. These topics were, I feel, handled sensitively and written well. Though there were aspects I found disappointing and I was bored at points, the main themes of each section were interesting and engaging for the most part. It was not at all what I was expecting, and definitely not the story the cover would suggest, but I did enjoy it and would recommend it to those who like darker contemporaries with a bit of summer fun thrown in.

Mini Review | Floored by Sara Barnard, Holly Bourne, Tanya Byrne, Non Pratt, Melinda Salisbury. Lisa Williamson & Eleanor Wood

Floored by Sara Barnard, Holly Bourne, Tanya Byrne, Non Pratt, Melinda Salisbury, Lisa Williamson & Eleanor Wood
Published On: July 12, 2018
Published By: Pan Macmillan
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Pages: 320
Format: eBook
Source: Netgalley
Rating: ★★★½
Amazon | BD | Goodreads

When they got in the lift, they were strangers (though didn't that guy used to be on TV?): Sasha, who is desperately trying to deliver a parcel; Hugo, who knows he's the best-looking guy in the lift and is eyeing up Velvet, who knows what that look means when you hear her name and it doesn't match the way she looks, or the way she talks; Dawson, who was on TV, but isn't as good-looking as he was a few years ago and is desperately hoping no one recognizes him; Kaitlyn, who's losing her sight but won't admit it, and who used to have a poster of Dawson on her bedroom wall, and Joe, who shouldn't be here at all, but who wants to be here the most. 
And one more person, who will bring them together again on the same day every year.

*A copy of this book was provide by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

This book has been described as The Breakfast Club meets One Day and I can't think of a better description for it. Written by seven of the UK's best YA authors, Floored follows six complete strangers, whose lives are brought together by the events of one day, as they all come together on that same day each year.

This wasn't at all what I was expecting, partly because I didn't actually read the synopsis, but it was a pleasant surprise. With such big UKYA names, I knew I would love the writing and I was not disappointed. Each characters was written by a different author, therefore they all had their own individual voice, yet were not so distinct that changing between characters perspectives felt drastically different. This helped the story to flow well, as did the seventh 'character' of the narrator who really helped to join the six individual stories together.

As I mentioned, we meet these characters on one day over several years, and while that was fun it did bring about my one issue with the book. Each character grows and develops throughout the book; however, we don't really get to see much of the development as it is done in the years between the characters meeting. That makes complete sense in the context of how the story is written, but for me it meant that I did not feel as connected to the characters as I would have liked.

Despite this, I did still really enjoy the characters. They are all very different and each have their own issues that they are dealing with in their lives. Through these characters, important issues such as disability, socioeconomic status, sexuality and so many others are discussed. These authors explored a lot of issues surrounding young people and did so with great sensitivity. While I did have some issues with a few characters every now and again *cough* Hugo *cough*, I did enjoy reading about every one of them and found myself invested in each of their stories.

Overall, this is a great advert for the quality of YA we have in the UK. These seven authors have done something so unique, fun and unlike anything I have read before. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know these characters and seeing where the story took them over the years. I really hope this is not a one off and these authors collaborate again in the future, but for now I plan to go and read all of their individual works, because this book was so well written.

Series Review | Did I Mention I Love You? Series by Estelle Maskame

One of my goals for 2018 was to try something new with my reviews and, having realised in my mid-year update that I haven't done that yet, I thought now would be a good time to mix things up. I recently read the second and third books in the DIMILY trilogy by Estelle Maskame, as well as the spin-off/companion novel Just Don't Mention It, so I thought I would try something new and combine my reviews for these books into a series review.

*Please Note: Minor spoilers for previous books in the series may be included in the reviews for the later books. I will try my hardest to avoid spoilers but please be aware that some may slip out.*

Estelle Maskame's DIMILY series follows sixteen-year-old Eden Munro as she spends the summer with her father and his new family in Santa Monica, California, where she meets her new stepmother and three stepbrothers for the first time. One of those stepbrothers is troubled Tyler Bruce, whose bad boy ways both infuriate and intrigue Eden. Throughout the series, we see how these characters grow and how their unconventional relationship develops, as they navigate the challenges of difficult pasts and unknown futures.

Did I Mention I Love You?
Series: DIMILY #1
Published On: April 30, 2015
Published By: Black & White Publishing
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 422
Format: eBook
Source: Bought
Rating: ★★★½
Amazon | Goodreads

A full review of this book can be found here.

I previously reviewed this book after first reading it last year and went into much more detail on my thoughts in that review. Overall, I thought this was a great introduction to the series that was fun, fast-paced and had me not wanting to put it down. It still amazes me that this series was written by someone so young, as it is written so well. However, this made the teenage voice much more authentic and the actions taken by characters felt very realistic. It is 90% a cute, fluffy romance but there are more series topics dealt with throughout the book, which add a lot of depth to the story. I was impressed by how well someone so young wrote about such serious topics, everything was covered with great sensitivity and maturity. My one and only issue with this first book was that some plot points were a bit predictable and a little immature at times, but I did find that this became less of an issue as the series went on.

Did I Mention I Need You?
Series: DIMILY #2
Published On: October 19, 2015
Published By: Black & White Publishing
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 387
Format: eBook
Source: Bought
Rating: ★★★★½
Amazon | Goodreads

Did I Mention I Need You, book two in the series, is most definitely my favourite! This book in no way suffers from second book syndrome, it's full of great story and a whole lot of fun. This book is set two years after DIMILY and follows Eden as she goes to spend the summer in New York with Tyler. I absolutely adored the setting, as I love New York, and was very impressed with Estelle's knowledge of the city, even more so when I discovered she had never even been until after writing this book. I also really loved the development in Eden and Tyler's relationship and to see how their dynamic changed when they were away from family and friends and didn't have to keep things secret. Tyler himself has grown so much between the first and second books, and while it would have been nice to see that growth as it happened, it was great to see how much he had progressed. He did still have a bit of a bad boy side in there though, which I really liked seeing. There is a bit of a cheating storyline in this book that didn't take away from my enjoyment, but did make me a little uncomfortable and may well be an issue for others. Once again, Estelle throws in a big shocker in the ending, as she did with book one, and makes you need to pick up the third book straight away. I can't praise this book enough, I loved it.

Did I Mention I Miss You?
Series: DIMILY #3
Published On: July 21, 2016
Published By: Black & White Publishing
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 384
Format: eBook
Source: Bought
Rating: ★★★★
Amazon | Goodreads

The third and final book in the series takes place a year after the events of DIMINY, during Eden's first summer of college. I had very mixed feelings at the beginning of this book because, for the first time during reading this series, I disliked Tyler! I thought his actions were unnecessary and actually found him to be very patronising throughout the book. He grows so much throughout the series but by the third book he isn't showing any of his former bad boy ways, so as a girl who likes a bad boy I kind of lost interest in him. However, there were many things I loved about this book. I loved seeing how Eden and Tyler dealt with not everything in their relationship being good, it made them seem more real and like an authentic relationship. I also found the situation with their family very interesting to read about, particularly as each family member was dealing with things in different ways. We also get another new setting in this book, which I won't disclose because spoilers, and I absolutely loved it. The settings in each of these books are so well written and explored that I feel as though I am visiting these places with the characters, and this setting was no exception. Overall, I think this was a great conclusion to the series as many of the issues arising throughout the series were addressed, as well as some great new plot points and twists introduced, but things weren't wrapped up in a neat little bow. I loved seeing all the characters in this series, not just Tyler and Eden but also their family and friends, grow and develop into the people they are by the end of book three and deal with all of the challenges life throws at them. I honestly feel like these characters are my friends and I have been on one hell of a journey with them.

Just Don't Mention It
Series: DIMILY #4 (kind of)
Published On: June 21, 2018
Published By: Black & White Publishing
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 470
Format: eBook
Source: Netgalley
Rating: ★★★★
Amazon | Goodreads

Just Don't Mention It is a spin-off/companion novel to the DIMILY series, which follows two timelines told from Tyler's point of view. The first timeline, present day, is the first book in the series told from Tyler's point of view. The second timeline is five years prior to that telling the story of Tyler's life with his dad. This is a very, very tough book to read. On the one hand, it's great fun to go back to the start of Tyler and Eden's relationship and get to relive that story through Tyler's eyes. However, on the other hand, in the alternate chapters you have the story of Tyler's horrendous childhood and the horrific abuse he suffered. I really enjoyed the present day timeline, particularly as I spent much of DIMILY wondering what on earth Tyler was thinking. It was interesting to see situations from a different perspective and see what was going on when he wasn't with Eden. The past timeline is not something I can say I enjoyed, that definitely isn't the word to use. I found those parts to be incredibly difficult to read and just heartbreaking. Despite the content, they were very well written and such a difficult topic was covered with great sensitivity and maturity, which is impressive from someone so young. I was impressed with how well this book was written overall, and how easily it flipped from one timeline to the other so seamlessly, yet both stories felt completely different. I thought this was a great addition to the series and I felt as though I know Tyler so much better and understand the reasoning behind many of his actions.

Overall, I really love this series. It starts off as a pretty light, fluffy forbidden romance story but becomes so much more. As I mentioned, the characters are written so well that I feel as though they are my friends and I have experienced this journey with them. The settings are written so vividly that I feel as though I have been there. It blows my minds that this series is written by an author who has only recently turned 21! I can't wait to see what else is to come from Estelle Maskame, she is now one of my favourite authors and I will pick up anything she writes.

Mini Review | Bookshop Girl by Chloe Coles

Bookshop Girl by Chloe Coles
Published On: June 14, 2018
Published By: Hot Key Books
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Pages: 224
Format: eBook
Source: Netgalley
Rating: ★★

Amazon | Goodreads

Bennett's Bookshop has always been a haven for sixteen-year-old Paige Turner. It's a place where she can escape from her sleepy hometown, hang out with her best friend, Holly, and also earn some money. 
But, like so many bookshops, Bennett's has become a 'casualty of the high street' - it's strapped for cash and going to be torn down. Paige is determined to save it but mobilising a small town like Greysworth is no mean feat. 
Time is ticking - but that's not the only problem Paige has. How is she going to fend off the attractions of beautiful fellow artist, Blaine? And, more importantly, will his anarchist ways make or break her bookshop campaign?

*A copy of this book was provide by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

A quick, fun read.
This was a nice short, fast-paced read that I managed to fly through. The plot was fun and the characters are definitely relatable for younger readers. I definitely think this is aimed at younger YA readers, I think I would have loved this at 14/15, but it felt very young to me as a not quite so young adult, particularly in the language used.

It was all about the books.
I really enjoyed the bookshop storyline and the fact that the importance of books was discussed a lot. Any book lover will easily relate to the passion these characters have when they talk about books and what their bookshop means to them. However, I felt like the saving the bookshop storyline was somewhat overshadowed at times by a lot of unnecessary drama.

So many pet peeves in one book.
This book contained so many of my bookish pet peeves that there wasn't really much chance of me loving it. We had a best friend fallout over the most insignificant thing and added nothing to the story, probably my most hated thing in books, and a girl becoming obsessed with a boy she knows absolutely nothing about. These things, among others, I just couldn't get past.

It tried too hard to be feminist.
Now don't get me wrong, I am all for using an opportunity within a book to discuss important issues, like male privilege and treatment of women in society. However, going out of your way in the book to make crossing the road into one of these moments is a bit of a stretch. There were some really great moments within the book, such as one within an art class, where an opportunity arose within the story to talk about these things. For me, though, there were too many times where we were taken completely out of the story to do so, which made it feel less genuine.

The boy drama was too much for me.
Despite our main character talking a lot about women being more than just their bodies and the way they look, she becomes obsessed over a boy she has never actually spoken to because she likes the way he looks! She then claims to be in love with him after they've exchanged about four words and still no nothing about each other. I was over this 'relationship' before the real drama even kicked off.

It did have a good message.
The main idea of this book is about standing up for what you believe in and fighting for the things you want, which I think is a really great message to be portraying to young readers. It did a great job of showing that even a 16-year-old girl can try to make a difference and that you're never too young to put up a fight.

Overall, this book was not for me. I can see the appeal for younger readers and do think it is a book I would have enjoyed as a young teenager. However, their were just too many things that annoyed me and little issues that I couldn't see past in order to enjoy it as much now.

Mini Review | The Summer Of Us by Cecelia Vinesse

The Summer Of Us by Cecelia Vinesse
Published On: June 14, 2018
Published By: Hachette
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Pages: 320
Format: eBook
Source: Netgalley
Rating: ★★★

Amazon | Goodreads

Aubrey and Rae have been planning their European tour since the moment they met. It was meant to be the perfect way to spend their last summer together before university, but now it's not just the two of them . . . 
There's Jonah, Aubrey's seemingly perfect boyfriend, and Gabe, who Aubrey may have accidentally kissed. Then there's Clara, the friend Rae is crushing on, hard, even though there's no hope because Clara is into guys, not girls. And on top of all that Aubrey and Rae's friendship appears to be falling apart. Things are more complicated at eighteen than they were at ten. 

*A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

A fun summer read.

If you're looking for a nice fun, summery adventure, this is the book for you. It takes you on a trip around mainland Europe, visiting some of the most iconic landmarks in the most popular European cities and you do feel as though you are there witnessing these sights with the characters. I went on an adventure reading this book.

I enjoyed the characters.

All five of the characters in the friends group were decent characters. They were all well-developed and I enjoyed reading about them. The story is told in alternative points of view from both Aubrey and Rae, both of which I enjoyed equally. Though there was nothing particularly special about any of the characters, and none I felt especially drawn to, they were not bad characters by any means.

The drama was just too much.

I was under to illusion that this would simply be a fun trip around Europe with no drama or arguments. However, for me, there was just a bit too much drama. There was drama between almost every character all at the same time and it wasn't necessary. In fact, it made things kind of confusing, I couldn't keep up with what each of them were fighting about. It was as though the author felt the book needed more drama to keep it interesting, when actually the trip itself was interesting enough for me.

Fun adventure to drama backdrop.

Towards the second half of the book, this fun trip around Europe became more of a backdrop than the plot of the book. The drama and developing relationships completely overshadowed the trip. It got to the point where we, as readers, only really got to see the train journey to other places, rather than the places themselves. Important landmarks in great cities become nothing more than the place where relationships moved forward or characters argued. While this was still showing these great places and it still felt like I was on an adventure around Europe, it didn't seem as important to the story, which was disappointing.

I ended up getting bored.

The unnecessary drama combined with the lack of exploring amazing cities lead to me losing interest in the story completely for much of the second half of the book. I stopped liking some of the characters at times and just wanted it to be over. I was so disappointed as it had started off so well and I had been really enjoying it. However, I suppose it just wasn't for me in the end.

Overall, this book started out promising but went downhill. While I enjoyed the travelling aspect, this became overshadowed by the friendship and relationship drama. I appreciate the need for some drama to keep the book entertaining, it was too much for me and really took away from the fun of the book. I guess this book just wasn't what I was hoping for and was not the book for me; however, I did enjoy parts of it.

Mini Review | A Thousand Perfect Notes by CG Drews

A Thousand Perfect Notes by CG Drews
Published On: June 7, 2018
Published By: Orchard Books
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Pages: 282
Format: eBook
Source: Netgalley
Rating: ★★★

Amazon | Goodreads

Beck hates his life. He hates his violent mother. He hates his home. Most of all, he hates the piano that his mother forces him to play hour after hour, day after day. He will never play as she did before illness ended her career and left her bitter and broken. But Beck is too scared to stand up to his mother, and tell her his true passion, which is composing his own music - because the least suggestion of rebellion on his part ends in violence. 
When Beck meets August, a girl full of life, energy and laughter, love begins to awaken within him and he glimpses a way to escape his painful existence. But dare he reach for it?

*A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

I can't say I enjoyed this book.
Enjoyable is not a word I would use to describe this book, but not because it was a terrible book. The subject matter is not pleasant but I think it is something that needs to be discussed. Our main character, Beck, is subjected to some truly disgusting abuse from his mother frequently throughout the book, which made for a very difficult read.

This book is heartbreaking.
Beck's mother's treatment of her children is so horrendous that I really struggled to read this book. It broke my heart to read about Beck's home life and everything he has to deal with. The situation felt so real, at times I had to remind myself that these were fictional characters. Despite these characters being fictional, it was an important reminder that this kind of thing does happen more often than I would like to think about. It is a very important topic.

Interesting take on child abuse.
I found it particularly interesting that the abuse Beck is subjected to is regarding his music. Beck is forced to obsessively play piano and is subjected to horrendous violence should he not play for the required time or make mistakes. I have never read anything like that before. I found it especially poignant as music is commonly considered something that brings joy and comfort, which was definitely not the case in this situation.

The characters felt real.
The characters were the best thing about this book. Both Beck and August felt well developed and almost felt like real people. I loved how different they were, August was the complete opposite of both Beck as a person and his life in general. She was a ray of sunshine and it was lovely to see her bring some light to Beck's life.

The plot was lacking.
This was the let down for me; there wasn't much plot to this book at all. I was always waiting for something big to happen, some big plot twist that would make the story more exciting. However, other than the development of the relationship between Beck and August, and August's deteriorating home life, not a lot happened. It definitely wasn't a plot driven book but, for me, it just needed a bit more to happen.

Overall, this was a difficult read due to the subject matter but I enjoyed it as much as a person can enjoy such a topic. The characters were well-developed and felt like real people standing in front of me. However, the lack of plot resulted in me becoming bored at times. I needed a little something more to keep me fully engaged.

Mini Review | Eve Of Man by Giovanna & Tom Fletcher

Eve Of Man by Giovanna & Tom Fletcher
Series: Eve Of Man #1
Published On: May 31, 2018
Published By: Michael Joseph
Genre: YA, Dystopian
Pages: 400
Format: eBook
Source: Netgalley
Rating: ★★★

Amazon | Goodreads

AGAINST ALL ODDS, SHE SURVIVED. THE FIRST GIRL BORN IN FIFTY YEARS. THEY CALLED HER EVE. 
All her life Eve has been kept away from the opposite sex. Kept from the truth of her past. But at sixteen it's time for Eve to face her destiny. Three potential males have been selected for her. The future of humanity is in her hands. She's always accepted her fate. Until she meets Bram. 
Eve wants control over her life. She wants freedom. But how do you choose between love and the future of the human race?

*A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

This had so much potential.
While so many people may be over the dystopian 'trend', I am one of those who still enjoys a good dystopian. I would say that is exactly what this book is; a good dystopian. It didn't blow me away but it is an interesting plot and an interesting society.

The story is not something I have read before.
I know there are various books out there that are somewhat similar in the basic premise, but I have never read anything like this in which no females have been born for fifty years. It was a very interesting concept that was used in a creative way. The idea of keeping Eve away from the rest of the world in a purpose built tower and exposing her to very little of the real world was a very unique concept that I enjoyed.

We had two well-developed societies.
Due to Eve being confined to the tower, it was almost as though two separate societies were created for this story. We had the society within the tower, in which things were very futuristic and incredibly interesting to read about. Then, we also had the world beyond the tower. This, I felt, was slightly less developed than within the tower, though much less of the book was spent in this setting. I expect this will be developed more in future books in the series.

The technology was very creative.
So much of this story is based around the technology used within the tower. As I mentioned, it is all very futuristic. I have no idea how the authors managed to think of all of the unique, incredibly advanced technology described in the book; I was so impressed. It was a little confusing at time, but it was definitely interesting to read about.

The characters were bland.
Despite all of the things I enjoyed about this book, the characters fell flat for me. This was very unexpected, as one of the things I enjoyed about the one other Giovanna Fletcher book I have read was the characters. However, both Even and Bram were dull and had little personality.

It was let down by the pacing.
The pacing of this book was completely wrong for me. The first 75% of the book was very slow and while things were happening, they seemed to be taking forever to happen. Then, in the last 25%, everything happened. At one point I didn't actually think there was enough time left in the book for it to finish. The last part of the book needed much more time to be fully developed, it seemed much too rushed and ended up being a little confusing.

Overall, I do think this series has potential. I was unsure how I would feel going into this book as it was something so different for these authors, but I did enjoy it. There were some really great things about this book. However, the pacing and the characters let it down for me. I am interested to see how the series progresses, as I think many of the issues I had with this book could be resolved in future books.

Mini Review | From Twinkle, With Love by Sandhya Menon

From Twinkle, With Love by Sandhya Menon
Published On: May 22, 2018
Published By: Hodder & Stoughton
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Pages: 384
Format: eBook
Source: Netgalley
Rating: ★★

Amazon | Goodreads

Aspiring filmmaker and wallflower Twinkle Mehra has stories to tell and universes to explore - if only the world would listen. So when nerdy classmate and fellow film-obsessive Sahil Roy approaches her to direct a film for the upcoming Summer Festival, Twinkle can't wait. 
The chance to showcase her artistic voice? Dream come true. 
The opportunity to get closer to longtime crush, Neil Roy-aka Sahil's twin brother? Dream come even truer. 
When Twinkle receives an email from a secret admirer - the mysterious 'N' - she is sure it's Neil, finally ready for their happy ending. The only problem is that, in the course of their movie-making, she has found herself falling for Sahil - the wrong brother. Twinkle soon realises that resistance is futile. 
The romance she's got isn't the one she scripted... But will it be enough?

*A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

It's time to accept that Sandhya Menon is not for me.

I wanted to love When Dimple Met Rishi and was disappointed. However, I was determined, for whatever reason, that I would love the next book she published. Sadly, I really did not like From Twinkle, With Love. Therefore, I think I have to accept that she is not an author whose books I fall in love with.

Everything about this book annoyed me.

I want to say nice things about this book but I was just constantly annoyed the whole time I was reading. Whether that was down to the characters and their actions or whatever was happening in the plot, something always got to me. 

The characters were frustrating.

To me, the characters all seemed much younger than they were. They were all very immature and often their actions did not seem like those of young people their age. Twinkle, especially, seemed like a young 14-year-old in the way she was behaving and I found her incredibly annoying. There was also a lot of unnecessary drama and girl-hate, which added to the younger feel. I found the majority of the characters annoying, and those that didn't annoy me were not particularly well developed.

Film-making was supposed to be a more integral part of the story.

As with the coding aspect of When Dimple Met Rishi, Twinkle's passion for film-making was much less prominent in the story than I would have liked. It was used as a way of introducing characters and to facilitate some of the drama but it seemed to blend into the background as all of the boy and friend drama became the main focus of the story. It was such an important part of Twinkle's life and, for the majority of the book, it became simply a way to get the boy and reconnect with her friend.

I still don't understand what a 'groundling' is.

Twinkle was obsessed with the idea that no one liked her because she was a 'groundling' and everyone else was rich and had big houses. For me, this was probably the most annoying part of the whole book. She lost her best friend because she wasn't rich and had a small house, yet to me it just seemed like she was jealous that her 'best friend' had dared to make other friends so pushed her away. Also, all of the spoilt rich kids were terrible and she wasn't one of those terrible people, but neither was Sahil who was rich and lived in a huge house. It just doesn't make sense to me and didn't seem essential to the story.

Did we really need a love square?

Speaking of things that weren't essential to the story; a love triangle just wasn't enough. I was already not loving the love triangle with Twinkle and the two brothers and then this random email admirer, N, was introduced and I wanted to scream. I found this strange as it didn't even last long enough to be properly developed. It didn't become a major part of the story as they were arranging a meeting only a few pages after the first email was mentioned. For me, it needed to either be a love triangle involving a more developed email admirer and Sahil, or no email admirer at all.

It didn't need to be written in letter/diary format.

A book written in the form of letters, if only that had been done before! The idea of Twinkle writing letters in her diary to inspirational female film-makers is nice. It's a nice idea, but it didn't work. It added nothing to have the book written this way and it read no differently to a book written normally. 

Overall, I was extremely disappointed as I had really hoped to enjoy this book. Sandhya Menon seems to be a much loved new author but her books are not for me. I found most of this book annoying and much of the content felt unnecessary. I would definitely recommend When Dimple Met Rishi over this book but I  doubt I will be reading more from this author in the future.