I really enjoy novels where the narrative is split between a linked contemporary and historical story where at first thI thoroughly enjoyed Stranger.
I really enjoy novels where the narrative is split between a linked contemporary and historical story where at first the link isn't fully clear and over the course of the novel the linked are unveiled so I was incredibly excited to read this book.
The contemporary story is really lovely. It follows Megan who has arrived in Canada to celebrate a special family occasion and spend time with her father who she lives hundreds of miles away from. While it is supposed to be a happy time for her she has a broken heart and a secret which is meaning, whilst she is putting on a brave face underneath it all she s really suffering. I really enjoyed she the family dynamic, uncovering her secret and seeing her time in Canada.
The historical story is Emmie's story as she discovers a wild boy in the forest and, along with her mother, welcomes into her home despite the reaction it gets from her neighbours . I thoroughly enjoyed the historical aspects of the story and also getting into the mystery of who the boy was and why he had ended up as he had and it kept me guessing right through.
As the stories develop it is clear that there is a family link between the two and I really loved seeing how that all fit together.
Firstly I love love love boarding school books. It's something I loved reading about in books as a child and it I loved this book for several reasons.
Firstly I love love love boarding school books. It's something I loved reading about in books as a child and it is still something I adore. I like how it changes relationships and situations often making them more intense because of the close quarters the characters are living in and this book was no exception seeing how the characters interacted and how things played out.
I like that this book doesn't hold back and tackles some real issues in a thoughtful way in this case around the impact the death of Harper's twin has on her.
As a side note I was very excited to receive this book because one of the characters is named after me which my inner book geek is so ridiculously geeky about ever time I think about it.
I have been a fan of Keren David for a while. Her stories are always really engaging and I oten find myself reading them in one sitting because I can'I have been a fan of Keren David for a while. Her stories are always really engaging and I oten find myself reading them in one sitting because I can't put them down. This book was no exception.
I loved This is not a love story from the first page. for a variety of reasons.
Firstly it is one of those books that has made me to want to book a trip to the place where it is set for a holiday. This book is set in Amsterdam focusing particularly at the many British people that have made it their home. It describes Amsterdam as a really fascinating and beautiful city which I really want to go and explore now.
I loved the story of Kitty. Kitty is 16 and just moved to Amsterdam for a new start with her mother. From the first page you really feel for her. She has had it tough over the past few months and is in a really fragile state and going to Amsterdam really gives her a new lease of life and a chance to find out more about who she is without her past hanging over her.
This story has a bit of a love triangle thing going on without being the real focus of the book and I enjoyed that whilst it was part of the story it wasn't the be all and end all of the story. I also enjoyed that the love triangle wasn't a straight forward and featured a bisexual character. To my mind more diverse characters are so needed in YA fiction as role models for teens to tackle unhelpful stereotypes. The story itself had me hooked and I needed to know what was going to happen next.
All in all an awesome read which I would thoroughly recommend....more
I have been waiting to read trouble for a long time and I am delighted to say it didn't disappoint. Trouble is the story of Hannah and Aaron. Hannah iI have been waiting to read trouble for a long time and I am delighted to say it didn't disappoint. Trouble is the story of Hannah and Aaron. Hannah is 15 and pregnant and Aaron is the new boy at school who pretends to be the father of her child. It was the perfect read for me for several reasons.
Firstly the voices of both Aaron and Hannah are spot on. The way they think, the way chat about things with their friends captures all those thoughts and feelings of a 15 year old and it draws you completely in. As a result I was the with them from page one and had to keep reading as I needed to know more about these characters. Hannah is clever and funny and whilst she does necessarily use it in the traditional way at school you really get the feeling that she is the sort of girl you would have wanted to hang out with when you were at school. Aaron is absolutely adorable and I loved his loyalty and finding out more about his past and why he was the way he was. Not only were the two main characters spot on the whole host of secondary characters from the other kids at school to Aaron elderly friend Neville (whom I must admit I have a special soft spot for) were brilliantly well done too.
For me this book is all about friendship and the main characters learning what it is to be a good friend. As the book goes on you get to see shifts in the social groups both Hannah and Aaron associate with and it is brilliant to see them at that last stage of high school going into adulthood as they suss out which of their friends are true friends and deserve the loyalty the other can offer.
One thing I do love about this book is the way in which teenage sex is handled. It isn't judgemental and sees sex as an ordinary part of growing up and teenage life as it should be. It doesn't have a preachy message about it either although it does comment on the way in which society can look down on teenage girls who enjoy doing the deed. I also loved how one of the characters was gay but he wasn't included as a gimmick or put on a pedestal but treated normally. We need more of that in YA fiction please.
Ultimately for me the best part of the book was the relationship between Hannah and Aaron and seeing how it develops over the course of the book. I loved how they bonded but still fell out and argued like proper teenagers. I loved seeing Hannah through Aaron's eyes and I loved seeing how they supported one another through some really though situations.
All in all a fantastic read, heart warming whilst dealing frankly with serious issues in a sensitive and funny way. I for on will be recommending this far and wide for a long time to come....more