Quite Spectacular
Reviews of books I've found to be really rather quite spectacular
What's Up With Jody Barton? by Hayley Long
I LOVED this book so much! It was like a good cup of tea. I can't give too much away because there's a BIG twist halfway through.
The twins were great characters. In fact, I loved the whole Barton family. I could picture them and hear their voices so vividly. It was nice to read about a working class family from London who loved each other dearly and weren't involved in anything dodgy.
The dialogue littered with colloquialisms were spot on. I laughed out loud many times at some of the London slang that we used to hear or use as kids. It was nice to have a diverse cast of characters that reflects modern day London. Not your Made in Chelsea London, real, living and breathing and working London. I just think it was nice to read a story set in North West London - I have a soft spot for NW. After East, my roots, NW is the only part of London I'd live in. It was very realistic.
Jody's obsession with Jim Morrison and River Phoenix was adorable. The drawings were a nice addition too and helped further bring the story to life. Extra points for making the Barton's Tottenham fans too - come on you Spurs!
What's Up With Jody Barton? was a lovely read about a wonderful family and a teenager going through something major. The ending brought a tear to my eye - in a good way.
Racing Savannah by Miranda Kenneally
I love the Hundred Oaks series and it was nice to see some of the other characters pop up here and there - Parker fans are in for a treat! I like that Miranda Kenneally's novels always focus on a main character with a passion for something because it helps you become absorbed in a world you might not necessarily come across every day - and that's what reading is all about, right?
Savannah's love for everything horse related really came through loud and clear and this was the strongest aspect of the book. Even the horse had personality! However, I wasn't so keen on the romance in this one. I kind of wish it had just been more family orientated because there was so much potential with the dad's story. He was a teen dad and we don't get many stories about teen dad's, do we? I can only think of Where the Stars Still Shine off the top of my head...let me know if you can think of some others. Then again, I suppose people want their swoon so Miranda Kenneally had to write it this way. Savannah's friendship with Rory was nice and felt genuine too. Overall, this wasn't my favourite Hundred Oaks book but definitely worth a read if you enjoy the series. If you've never read a Hundred Oaks, I'd suggest starting with Stealing Parker or Things I Can't Forget.
Life In Outer Space by Melissa Keil
Publisher: Hardie Grant Egmont
Format: Kindle e-book
Rating: 3/5
Sam and his best buddies are the geek clique of the school. Fans of cult horror movies and World of Warcraft, they are quite happy to stay out of the way of the 'populars', keeping their heads down in class and seeking refuge in the computer room at lunchtime. Then Camilla joins the school and upsets the apple cart. Camilla, having moved around her whole life and been the 'new girl' way too many times, avoids joining cliques and seeks being friends with everyone. This includes Sam and his crew. Over the course of a school year, Camilla's easy-going nature and general kindness brings together members of the student body who have previously avoided each other and helps Sam to believe in himself and his talents and his true friends.
Whilst reading this book, I couldn't help hearing the song 'For Good' from Wicked in my head. Firstly because this book is about those marker people who change you in some way. Secondly because it is a story set during the last year of high school and people like to sing this for leavers assembly and such like, don't they? Anyway, I like these kinds of stories and I enjoyed this book.
I didn't like Camilla at first because she seemed like every other manic pixie dream vintage dress wearing free spirt kind of girl. However, she really grew on me and by the end I was completely Team Camilla. Also, there are people out there who are genuinely like her - effortlessly cool, hippie, nomadic types. We didn't get to see too many of her flaws but a) it was Sam's story and b) we were seeing her through Sam's rather rose-tinted glasses.
Sam verged on being a bit of a Debbie Downer, which might be why Camilla came off so annoyingly perky and twee in the beginning. However, Sam really needed someone like Camilla to push hum to do things outside his comfort zone and learn to embrace life and everything that comes along with it. She also helped show him clique snobishness can go both ways - the majority of the 'populars' didn't necessarily hate the 'nerds' but the 'nerds' never gave them a chance because of the actions of one member - Justin.
The rest of Sam's gang were a cute ensemble. Adrian was the Howard Wolowitz of the group, fully embracing his nerdiness and not letting it hold him back from pursuing what he wants. Allison was sweet and I loved the scene at the beach where she found her voice and began to open up to the other girls. Some women say they can't be friends with other women but I think every woman needs a good girl friend. Camilla became Allison's person and it was very sweet. Finally, Mike, Sam's stoic, karate loving BFF since kindergarten. I appreciated that his story arc was not about his sexuality - it didn't define him. He had his own battle to deal with.
I really enjoyed the scenes when the whole school class came together, such as the beach and prom scene. The writing was strong as Melissa Keil presented a diverse body of students trying to deal with feeling a bit silly having spent the past five years looking down on and not speaking to each other. We all went through this during final year.
Along with growing up and moving on, another major theme was that of absent parents. It seemed like Camilla's need to reconcile everyone and everything stemmed from loneliness. Her dad - a music journalist - was constantly at gigs and enjoys globe hopping. Her mother is more concerned with running her modelling agency and pampering herself. There's a really sweet bit towards the end where Camilla, literally run down from trying to help everyone, finally accepts help from Sam and his family. I thought Melissa Keil handled Sam's parents' problems really well too. The extent to which their unhappiness effected Sam didn't manifest until the final third of the book when they make a decision and it was very well done.
Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot. The film references were lost on me because I don't watch horror films, however I would've loved to go to their prom! A nice Aussie novel.
Flamin' Nora, mate - what a read! I have never met an Australian book I didn't end up loving (let's just forget I ever owned The Slap) but this is definitely one of the best. Raw, funny and I'm now talking in an Aussie accent. Great stuff.
I bought this book because just after my first ever golf lesson I was listening to a Clear Eyes, Full Shelves podcast and Hooked was mentioned - perfect timing. When I read the synopsis, I thought it sounded like an interesting read because I can't say I've ever heard of a YA book with golf as the featured sport. We've had girls fighting to get onto football and ice hockey teams (Dairy Queen, Catching Jordan, Bittersweet) but never golf. Also, it's interesting to note that all of these sporting girls in male dominated sports have, what are generally considered, masculine or unisex names (D.J, Jordan, Hudson, Fred). Anyway, I really enjoyed Hooked. It's a quiet story with simple but universal themes - don't judge, do what you love, be kind to one another. I don't know very much about Native American culture but I loved the imagery and the poems and blessings that peppered Fred's side of the story. As a result, her voice came across as quite lyrical. The end scene in particular was very moving and I could picture it clearly. Fred was different (in a good way) to other sporty, teen protagonists. She was quiet but determined and she didn't whine even when the others treated her terribly. Her love for her family and heritage was evident in all of her actions. On the other hand, Ryan was a little more familiar but his true character shone through in the final act but to be honest, this is really Fred's novel.
I'm glad I read this and I will certainly read another book by Liz Fichera -although hopefully with a less embarrassing cover!
I absolutely adored The Misinterpretation of Tara Jupp. Eva Rice’s The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets is definitely one of my favourite books so I had high hopes for her latest novel and I was certainly not disappointed. The Misinterpretation of Tara Jupp follows Tara from childhood to late teens. One of a large family of even larger characters, Tara’s ability to sing allows her to stand out a little from her siblings. Chance meetings and childhood friends come good means that Tara ends up in London with a blossoming singing career amidst the backdrop of the rock ‘n roll 50’s giving way to the swinging 60’s. Familiar faces- both real and fictitious- pepper Tara’s whirlwind seventeenth year, opening her eyes and heart to new experiences and new ideas.
Coming of age tales are ten a penny but very few are so rich and satisfying without being over the top, poignant without being contrived. I loved that Tara was so no-nonsense and true to herself without being a typical rebel. She was very much an ordinary girl thrown into an extraordinary situation. Well, at least it was extraordinary to us. When you are part of the now, you don’t ever realise history is being made.
Obviously, it helps that I really enjoy reading and watching films about this period of time- and don’t get me started on the music!- but I was really blown away by the fullness of this novel. There were many characters spanning all age groups but each felt fully formed and distinctive, which is not an easy feat. Also, endings are often difficult and a little flat but the ‘Afterword’ was good- one that I wouldn’t mind happening to me and that’s what a good book is all about, no?
I’m not one for all these adaptations but I truly believe this would make an excellent mini series on BBC4 or something. I would watch it anyway. It would be a brilliant platform for fresh talent along with perhaps some more established actors in the older roles (Tom Hiddleston for Billy?).
I can’t even begin to delve into the themes of the story without giving anything away but I was genuinely moved by the building preservation storyline. In and around London we are constantly witnessing our colourful and eclectic heritage being bulldozed away in favour of these uniform boxes and it is heartbreaking. A chapter towards the end summed up all these feelings in an eloquent yet informative fashion.
Overall, I really enjoyed this novel and no doubt it will join that very small list of books that I regularly re-read.
I think I liked this a lot but my view is a little skewed considering I have just read the final pages while listening to 'We Used To Be Friends' and it fit perfectly, down to the last word/crossed out word and the fade out part. Hopefully a proper review will follow shortly...
A sweet and touching story. I definitely want a pair a cowboy boots now. Full review: http://sophilee.wordpress.com
I had to come back and change my rating to five stars because I found myself missing Madeleine, Mitchell and Leonard all week! As a Theology graduate I enjoyed Mitchell's story the most- on a side note how come I never met a Mitchell during my course?! No offence to KCL TRS Class of 2010. Anyway, I enjoyed all of the theory and it made me miss university something terrible. I found Leonard's story frustrating and heartbreaking and I wanted to be Madeleine. So all in all, great characters, great novel.
The final instalment in Jenny Han's summer series was bittersweet. I was not overly impressed with the story but I was reluctant to say goodbye to Isabel and the Fishers. In a way, the story did not seem to matter too much, as it seemed to take a backseat to the ultimate goal of tying up loose ends and finally seeing Isabel married to Conrad.
I have to agree with the review written by Naomi (author of the blog Inkcrush, which I love) who quite rightly pointed out the character inconsistencies created by the author trying to manipulate us into rooting for Conrad. Jenny Han did not need to do this because everyone was already on Conrad's side! If she had maintained Jeremiah's open and all-consuming nature from the first two books, it would have definitely added greater depth to the story and actually made it seem like Isabel faced a dilemma. In the first two novels, both Fisher boys are equally tempting to Isabel but by the end of the third Jeremiah seems like an immature, stereotypical frat boy and Conrad is literally Mr Perfect. I understand that it is a YA novel, written for the younger end of the spectrum but there is no need to actively talk down to the audience by creating such black and white characters.
One thing I do like about this trilogy is the nostalgic tone created mainly by the lack of sense of time and even place. I vaguely recall a Britney reference in the second book but other than there were not many topical references, meaning it will probably remain a teen favourite for a long time.
Overall, I have enjoyed this series- it has definitely been very up and down (for a start, I hated the title 'The Summer I Turned Pretty') and I am sure I will re-read them again someday. Hopefully, if nothing else, it will teach girls to avoid dating brothers!!
This is the second book in the trilogy, which began with 'The Summer I Turned Pretty'. It is far superior than the first in terms of character and plot development. In this novel, it is clear that Jenny Han really hit her stride. In this instalment, Belly teams up with Jeremiah to find a missing Conrad and save the summer house from Mr Fisher. In between, Belly reminisces about Susannah's death and the aftermath- as well as her 'relationship' with Conrad. In between the in-betweens we are treated to Jeremiah's point of view- so it is definitely a multi-layerd story this time around.
However, I wasn't too keen on Jeremiah's chapters, as they did not enlighten us in anyway. In fact, it stalled the flow every now and then. Also, I started to get annoyed with 'Belly' as I thought it was about time she stopped people calling her that! Isabel is one of my favourite names and whilst Belly might be cute for a toddler with a little paunch, Is is sufficient for a rising senior!
Although, I did enjoy seeing Isabel mature a little. Her voice still sounded young and she still acted like a spoilt child on occasion (such as at Susannah's funeral) however this is how Jenny Han manages to wonderfully capture the push-and-pull of adolescence.
Overall, a solid four stars for this sequel.
I really enjoyed this book-it was a true gem of a find! If I am not mistaken, I bought it after I got my Kindle. The UK Kindle bookstore was not as large as it is now and the YA pickings were slim (if like me, you are not so keen on paranormal romance). So, I stumbled across this and I am glad I did! In short, Delia Truesdale finds herself uprooted and transplanted to NYC from her native Palo Alto when her mother disappears whilst on an expedition; however, Delia is convinced her mother is well and truly alive and kicking. So, she attempts to seek out the truth amidst a backdrop of her polar opposite aunts; an elite private school featuring well known and loved staples such as 'fast-talking-know-it-all' and 'hot-but-misunderstood-rich guy'; melodramatic clairvoyants; detectives; and a few dodgy hedge fund managers for good measure.
Delia was a likeable character and the story read at a consistent pace. It all seemed well planned and therefore it was well executed. I was extremely pleased to read 'To Be Continued' at the end. Therefore, I would rate this a solid 4/5.
Elliot Allagash
On the whole, I did not particularly enjoy this book. This is in part due to some suspect marketing. The blurb likens it to a modern day 'Clueless' for boys, or a John Hughes film. However, whilst I can vaguely grasp what they were getting at, overall the promise was not fulfilled. In summary, the story centres on Elliot Allagash- a cold, Chuck Bass meets Malfoy-esque character- and his protegee, Seymour. Elliot uses Seymour to entertain himself in the form of elaborate schemes developed under the pretence of self-betterment where Seymour is concerned. These schemes ranged from winning the class election to gaining admission to Harvard. Predictable-and true to teen-makeover, comedy form- Seymour begins to feel guilty as the grandness of the schemes overwhelms him. Everything comes to a rather abrupt end and everyone ends up living happily-ever-after.
The first and main problem with this book was that there was not one likeable or relatable character. I believe Seymour was supposed to be the one we were rooting for but I could not make a connection. I think this was because Seymour- and all the other characters for that matter- were not fully formed. I could not picture any of the characters or settings, which was frustrating.The pacing of the book was a little off too. The first 3/4 dragged on end and then the climax felt incredibly rushed.
Overall, I would rate this book 2.5/5. I can see what the author intended and I appreciate the idea but I think it could have been a little more finely tuned.
A nicely written book about a rather unpleasant issue. I liked that Alex's friends continued to reiterate the fact that she always had 'options'- a good message. As a piano player, I was also pleased with all of the classical music references. I am not a big fan of Beethoven's Ninth however I did find myself humming 'Ode to Joy' almost every time I opened the book! The only thing I would have liked to see done differently was Alex's relationship with Martin. I would've liked to see them only just get together at the end rather than starting a full-on thing halfway through the book. Overall though, a good read.
I loved this book! I think it's the best from this pair of authors so far. It has the adventuring and crazy music of Nick & Norah coupled with the warm friendships and eclectic supporting characters of Naomi & Eli. I loved that Dash was 'snarly' and Lily was 'shrilly' rather than being too cool hipsters- after all, it's now game over for hipsters, right? I'm so glad I read this book this week as it's almost the same time of year as the setting.
Finally, I loved this book because I have ALWAYS wanted to find a hidden message in a bookshop.
