Review on 'Our Wild and Precious Lives'

When their father is stationed at a base in Werteim, Tom and Melly Mcarron must adapt to their new temporary home in 1960 Cold War Germany. Although apprehensive about leaving their American home, Tom and Melly create strong bonds of love and friendship with the other teenagers on base, something that the majority of the teens parents have never truly known. However, tensions in Berlin are rising, and with the construction of the Berlin wall, the teenagers worry that this will bring about a third World War. With an abusive father who served in World War II and the Korean war, and a war bride mother, Tom and Melly struggle to find a love that their parents never had, and hope to find some sort of stability in their ever changing lives.

I loved that this novel was set during the Cold War and found the setting interesting. Tom and Melly are both likable characters, and their bond of pure unconditional love for each other is something you don't often find between fictional siblings.I loved Melly's feistiness, but also thought she was quite spoilt at times, such as when she complained to her mother about the dress she had made for her looking too similar to her friends. The siblings don't get on with their parents, with their father often physically abusing Tom and their mother doing nothing to stop it, so I felt that his strong bond with Melly was important, as she is the only person he can truly talk to about it.

Although I disliked their father, I loved reading the back story provided for him, as it showed that he was once not as heartless as he seemed to be in the present day. I also love reading war stories, so I enjoyed reading about his time fighting in World War II. I also enjoyed that his time in the Korean war was mentioned, as novels often focus on the World Wars, but not lesser known ones such as the Korean war.

I immediately loved LJ, an army brat living on the same base as Tom and Melly. I felt that he was an important friend to Melly, and I loved that although he had romantic feelings for Melly, he never tried to force a relationship, and remained a loyal friend to her even after she started to date Wes. I initially disliked Wes, but warmed up to him when it became clear that he genuinely did like Melly, and wasn't just carrying out his fathers orders. I felt that Wes was a brave character, and I loved that he ended up defying his father and not allowing him to control his life.

Although I loved most of the characters, I did feel that there were too many minor characters, and often got confused over who they were when they came up. I also felt that there were too many abbreviations, as although they were all explained, I found myself forgetting what certain ones meant and having to go back to check. I loved that the book spanned over the course of three years, but I personally thought that school dances were mentioned too often. I'm not fully aware of the American high school system, so I don't know if they would truly have that many dances, but I felt that other aspects of school life could have been shown more instead, such as seeing more interaction with their school friends inside classes rather than continuous dances and sports games.

The ending of the novel was both shocking and heartbreaking, and I felt great sympathy for the pain that the characters had to endure. It definitely was not a happy ending, so I’d recommend to avoid this book if you are looking for a happily ever after. However I overall loved the book and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a good YA historical novel.

Our Wild and Precious lives can be purchased HERE

Review on 'Fraud at Snowfields'

Will Burns is an average child with a great love of Christmas. That is until he is whisked off to Snowfields, a special school to train children like Will in helping Father Christmas to make and deliver presents ready for people to discover on Christmas day. Will is excited to start his classes, especially learning to perform magic. However, Will discovers that all is not what it seems. Someone inside the school seems to be abusing their power by creating forged bank notes with magic. With the help of his new teachers, Will must find out who is behind the forgery and stop it once and for all.

I loved this story and it really helped me to get into the Christmassy mood. It reminded me of a more festive Hogwarts, as although the school is centered around making and delivering presents, magic is also involved. As Harry Potter is my all time favourite book series, this automatically meant that I would also love this book. However as Hogwarts was my first thought, I felt myself seeing similarities to the Harry Potter series throughout the book, such as the door guardians reminding me of the portrait guarding the Gryffindor common room and the table computer being similar to the marauders map. I also saw some similarities between some of the characters in this book and the characters from Harry Potter. However I thought Will and Annabel were original and interesting, and didn’t find myself comparing them to anyone.

I thought the imagery for the village of Snowfields was beautiful, and I had a clear picture of what it looked like in my head as I was reading. Everything is described beautifully, from what the buildings themselves look like to the Christmassy decorations. I loved that the names of the teachers were relevant to what subject they taught at the school, and I enjoyed reading about the different classes Will had to attend. I did however feel as if the main plot came in a little too late, as Will did not discover the forgery until about halfway through the book. I also felt that the person behind the forgery was a little too obvious, as after one clue I knew who it was. I enjoyed reading the battle scene near the end of the book as it was action packed and exciting. Although I loved Will fighting alongside his teachers and Lektrarissima, I felt that it would have been better if some of his school friends were also involved, especially Annabel. I loved the friendship between Will and Annabel and felt that they worked well together, so I would have enjoyed Annabel being involved with finding out who was behind the forgery.

The idea that delivering gifts could go wrong was interesting and I loved that Will and Annabel’s jobs were to put things right at each home using the magic they had learned at the school. Bluerin was also interesting, and I loved that the magic they used at Snowfields revolved around this substance. I also loved the idea behind the Bluerorcs, although the word “orc” instantly reminded me of Lord of the Rings, so those were the creatures that instantly came to mind when I read this word.

This is a great book for anyone who wants a fun, festive read and for anyone who loves the Harry Potter series.

You can purchase Fraud at Snowfields HERE

Review on Balky Point Adventure #1 The Universes Inside the Lighthouse

After 17 year old twins Emma and Charlie explore a lighthouse on the island they are vacationing on, their lives change forever. With help from their friend Ben, a resident of the island, they must discover the truth behind a man and a young girl who seem to never age, and what truly lies beyond a seemingly normal storage closet in the lighthouse. Emma, Charlie and Ben must travel through the universes with their new companions in search of Vik, a man who has been terrorizing the Universe. But is there more to Vik than meets the eye, and does Emma truly need to use the elevators to traverse the Universes?

I thought this book was really interesting and I loved the Sci-Fi theme of it. I loved the idea of the Hub, and felt that it was quite similar to the TARDIS from Doctor Who, as the twins gained access to it from inside a storage closet. The imagery for the Hub was fantastic and I had a clear picture in my head of what it would look like. I also loved that the Hub did not seem to have a fixed space, as the twins were able to access it from other planets.

The characters were interesting and well thought out. I particularly loved Dr Waldo who seemed like an eccentric mad scientist. I also loved Charlie as he was funny and quite sarcastic at times, and nothing ever seemed to phase him. His relationship with his sister was sweet, although I did find it strange that he was willing to leave her instead of staying around to protect her. I also felt that the alien characters were a little too familiar with Earth, and didn't stand out from the crowd. I felt that some of the adult characters such as Milo and Ed were a little one dimensional, but the teenagers were perfectly written.

I loved that the romantic sub-plot wasn't too much of a major theme, and didn't come up too often. I always feel that YA Sci-Fi and fantasy books include too much romance, but with this book it wasn't a problem, as the teenagers were more interested in exploring the Universes than dating each other, which I think made it seem more realistic to the situation.

The exploration of the planets was interesting, and I particularly loved the ghost planet. I did find myself wondering if there was more to the water and dead planets than met the eye, and would have liked to have seen the characters try to explore these more instead of leaving again right away.

One of the main themes of the book was loneliness, which I thought was interesting and relatable, as everyone feels that they are alone and no one cares about them at some point in their life. The explanation of The Void creating these feelings was a unique look on it, as sometimes we can still feel alone even if we are surrounded by friends and family.

I recommend this book to fans of Doctor Who, and anyone who loves to read Sci-Fi novels.

You can purchase The Universes Inside the Lighthouse HERE

Review on 'Roots Entwine'

15 year old Joaquin is a Phoshat, a boy with a powerful gift which allows him to heighten his senses past that of a normal human. Joaquin's gift allows him to hear a person's movements from miles away, he can see much further than anyone else, and can smell what someone had for their dinner just from the scent left on their clothes. However, Joaquin's gift comes at a price, as the longer he uses it, the weaker he gets, causing him severe headaches and requiring him to sleep for long periods of time. After a stranger named Kallum arrives in Joaquin's village, his quiet life is turned upside down. Joaquin agrees to go on a mission with Kallum and his friends set by the King to track down Scarvus, a man who has been terrorising the country and is rumoured to be in hiding. With Joaquin's help, it should be easy to track down Scarvus, but will Joaquin's gift become more of a hindrance than a help?

This YA fantasy novel was an interesting read. I loved the protagonist, a teenage boy named Joaquin who has been shunned his whole life for being and looking different to the rest of his family. He is a strong character who stands up for what he believes in, and is a loyal friend. Joaquin often puts the safety of his companions before his own, and is sometimes wreckless, but he is also brave and kind. I loved watching the relationship between Joaquin and Hesir progress, as Hesir dislikes him at first, and I loved finding out the reason why Hesir was wary of Phoshats.

I felt that the book started out quite slow, and it did not really start to pull me in until Joaquin and his friends had entered Shenandya. The company travelling and stopping at inns did not grab my attention, as not a lot else was progressing apart from the relationship between Joaquin and his companions. However once they had entered Shenandya I was gripped by the story and couldn't wait to find out what would happen when they tracked down Scarvus. I loved the names of the characters, as they were so unusual and helped to give the story a mystical feeling.

I felt that the book lacked female characters, as Maylaya was the only one that stood out to me. Although I loved Maylaya's tomboyish attitude and refusal to be left behind by her father and the scouts, I also found her to be quite annoying at times, as she seemed to be quite spoilt and childish. Although she is the same age as Joaquin, I fel that Joaquin seemed to be a lot more grown up than Maylaya, and overall a much more likable character. I felt the romance between Joaquin and Maylaya seemed to be quite forced and unnecessary, and I would have preferred it if they had remained friends instead of turning it into a romantic relationship a couple of chapters before the book ended.

Overall I loved the book and this fantasy world, and would recommend it to fans of Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings, or anyone who enjoys the fantasy genre in general.

You can purchase Roots Entwine HERE

Review on 'Two Boys Kissing'

When Harry and Craig decide to attempt the world record for the longest kiss, they don't realize that they will become the focus point for other teen boys around the world going through the same things as them. While they kiss, events start to unfold for other gay teens, including Peter and Neil, who have been together for a year, and Ryan and Avery who have only just met. Meanwhile Cooper is addicted to gay hookup sites, but feels empty inside. Although they all have separate lives, they all share the struggle of being gay in a homophobic world.

I thought this book was amazing and really captured the thoughts and feelings of the characters. I loved that so many issues were dealt with, such as relationship problems, coming out, homophobia, depression and gender identity. The gay characters are all very different as individuals, but as a group they share the same problems.

I think gay teenage boys would be able to identify with this novel, as sadly many of them have homophobic parents, and choose to stay in the closet for as long as possible to avoid confrontation. We live in a world where the older generation tend to cling to what they see as social norms. Being gay used to be a crime which could be punishable by imprisonment, and some people still see it as “abnormal” or “not natural.” It's not uncommon for parents to estrange themselves from their gay child, which is shown brilliantly in Craig and Cooper's cases.

I loved Avery, as it is even rarer to come across a transsexual character in YA fiction than it is to come across a gay character. Ryan's acceptance of Avery for who he is was adorable , and I loved how a big deal wasn't made out of it. I thought Avery was a strong character for standing up for himself, and empathised with him for not feeling 100% confident about his body, as I feel as if every teenager, no matter their gender or sexuality has felt like this at some point.

Cooper's storyline was important, as teenagers feeling unsafe in their homes is a huge issue. A lot of teenagers feel like Cooper does, but do not get the help they need, which results in hundreds of teen suicides every year. The book gives a strong message that teenagers shouldn't be like Cooper, and should get the help that they need.

I thought the narration was slightly strange, and it put me off the book slightly to start with, but got into the flow of things as it went on. The issue of gay men in the past not getting the help they needed having contracting AIDS is important, but I found it slightly strange that they were narrating from the afterlife, and gave a supernatural sense to an otherwise contemporary novel.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. It is aimed at an audience of gay teenage boys, but as I am neither of those things and still enjoyed it, I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys YA contemporary novels.

Review on Twisted Fate #1 Fate's Exchange

Alyssa Frank's fate was not to die, so when a brutal attack by a group of teenagers causes her untimely death, she is given a second chance at life. Alyssa must do things differently this time, and escape the clutches of death. But having been given no clues as to what she is meant to do, Alyssa must face D-Day alone. That is until a mysterious and gorgeous new student named David joins the school, and quickly forms a strong relationship with Alyssa. As D-Day approaches, Alyssa must tread her path carefully and finally escape the clutches of Death.

The first thing I thought when I started reading this book was that it reminded me of my favourite Supernatural episode, 'Mystery Spot'. I loved the idea of Alyssa having to come back to the same spot each time she died so that she could do things differently, and I felt that it was a bit like

I really enjoyed the first half of the book, and each time that Alyssa died in a different way, I was looking forward to finding out what she had to do to get out of the loop and stay alive until the weekend. I did however find myself wondering what would have happened if she had stayed at home instead of going to school, and found it slightly strange that she didn't really consider this option.

There are some strong themes in the book, particularly centred around rape. Although there is not an actual rape scene, I felt that it could still be triggering for some people, and thought it was worth a mention in case anyone finds it too upsetting to read about. I did however find that the topic was covered brilliantly, and showed how such an awful act can be life changing for rape victims.

I loved the introduction of David, and how he was hiding his true identity from Alyssa. His conflicted emotions of loyalty and love played out brilliantly. I did however find that the plot centered around the romance too much, and by the middle of the novel, Alyssa's relationship with David seemed to be more important to her than the fact that she could die at the end of the week, so I felt that she needed to sort out her priorities. I did enjoy the romance between them, and loved the idea of a supernatural being dating a human girl, but I felt that it would have been more enjoyable for me personally if it had been more of a sub plot, as I was far more interested in the storyline of Alyssa dying, and found it quite tedious to read through chapter after chapter of making out and going on dates before the story got back on track.

I liked the ending, and the hint that David would once again have to protect Alyssa. I also loved how one of the Sisters was keeping a secret about Alyssa's fate, and I would love to carry on reading this series to find out what that is. 


You can purchase Fate's Exchange HERE