Review: Under Rose-Tainted Skies by Louise Gornall

Under Rose-Tainted Skies by Louise Gornall

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Under Rose-Tainted Skies has to be my favourite debut of the year so far – and it will definitely feature on my Top Books of 2016!

I was lucky enough to win a copy of the US ARC from Louise herself – so many thanks to Louise both for writing this book and for sending me a copy!

Under Rose-Tainted Skies is an #OwnVoices novel about agoraphobia and OCD. Norah suffers from extreme anxiety which means she can’t leave the house, and this is her story as she deals with what life throws at her – namely her mum gets involved in an accident, and when a boy moves in next door who takes an interest in her.

What I loved so much about this book (and it was something I was genuinely worried about) was that Norah’s mental illness doesn’t magically go away when confronted by a hot boy. Her behaviour is still frustrating and self-destructive, she doesn’t magically improve because she has a crush on the boy next door, and this was so refreshing and felt realistic. The entire book felt real to me as it is an OwnVoices book, and this really is something special that should be on your TBR list.

Norah’s agoraphobia is all-consuming, and this really shows throughout the book. There isn’t a single scene where Norah’s mental illness doesn’t play a role, and this really is an unflinching and realistic depiction of living with agoraphobia and OCD. I particularly enjoyed how Norah’s mental health affects all of her relationships – especially with her mum. I honestly believe YA needs more parental figures who have actual wants and hopes and dreams and personality, and Norah’s mum is definitely one of those characters. There were a lot of interesting family dynamics in this book, which I enjoyed a lot.

On to the love interest – Luke is a really interesting (and attractive) character, who really seeks to care for and understand Norah, and, best of all, he’s human. He gets frustrated with Norah and her behaviour, which is understandable and realistic, and that’s what made him a great love interest – he really was human.

If I haven’t persuaded enough to drop everything and buy this book now, Louise’s writing is drop dead gorgeous. Like seriously, this book is so beautifully written, it gave me The Wrath and the Dawn vibes (and that book is seriously good too!).

Also, the cover is gorgeous. The UK edition comes in three shades of pink which are all seriously gorgeous. Go buy them!

Under Rose-Tainted Skies is a beautifully raw #OwnVoices depiction of agoraphobia and OCD, and my favourite debut of the year so far. Not one to miss!

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Also Louise will be at YALC this year!

YALC Reading List: Part 4!

Welcome back to part 4 of the YALC reading list!

Here are parts one, two and three, for those catching up or rereading!

The YALC Reading List is posted every Sunday evening.

28. Alex Wheatle

Book to read: Brixton Rock

Alex Wheatle, aka the Brixton Bard, grew up in Brixton, where most of his books are set. His debut novel, Brixton Rock, is about a mixed race teen in 1980s Brixton, who has grown up in a children’s home for most of his life – and when he’s reunited with his mother, he falls for his half-sister, Juliet. This sounds like a really gripping story, and I’d like to expand the diversity of my YA reads, so this looks like one I’ll be picking up. Wheatle’s latest novel, Crongton Knights, is out this year.

29. Alex Scarrow

Book to read: Time Riders / Re-Made

Time Riders won a RedHouse award, a Catalyst award and Hampshire Book aware, as well as being shortlisted for Galaxy Children’s Book of the Year. The series is now on its ninth book, following three teens who are recruited by ‘The Agency’ moments before their deaths, to make sure key moment in history stay constant. Scarrow’s latest book, REMADE follows a brother and sister team as a deadly virus spreads across the world, turning people to liquid before their eyes.

30. Sara Barnard

Book to read: Beautiful Broken Things

Beautiful Broken Things has been one of my favourite books this year (review here) – it deals with toxic friendships and mental illness, and has been a refreshing and original addition to the UK YA literature scene. I’d definitely recommend picking this one up before YALC (especially if you’re bored of the same old YA romance), and Sara has just announced her next novel, which will be called A Quiet Kind of Thunder (and which I will be eagerly awaiting!).

31. Sophia Bennett

Book to read: Love Song

Threads, Sophia’s first book, is a book I was aware of but just never got round to reading. Love Song has been receiving a lot of high praise on Twitter recently, so perhaps I will have to pick some of Sophia’s work up. Love Song was release in April, and is the story of Nina, who has just become the assistant to the fiancee of the lead singer of the hottest band in the world. This one has really good reviews, so it’s probably not long until I cave and buy it.

32. Katy Birchall

Book to read: The It Girl series

The first It Girl book I read as it was included in Chelley Toy’s introduction to book blogger -ing gift bag at YALC, and I really enjoyed it – review here. These are really fun books about a girl whose father happens to start dating one of the most famous actresses ever. Highly recommended for fans of the Georgia Nicholson series, the second book, Team Awkward, was released in the UK in January.

33. Nicole Burstein

Book to read: Other Girl

Nicole’s fist novel, Other Girl, was released in April last year and is a bout a pair of best friends, one of whom has super powers. This sounds like such a great concept, and the reviews for this book have been outstanding, so it’s one for my to-buy list. Nicole’s next novel, Wonder Boy, is set in the Othergirl universe and is out Summer 2016.

34. Katy Cannon

Book to read: Secrets, Schemes and Sewing Machines

As well as being the author of the Pooch Parlour series, Katy has also written two  YA novels – Love, Lies and Lemon Pies and Secrets, Schemes and Sewing Machines. Both have excellent reviews, but it’s the latter which has really caught my eye – focusing on Grace, a girl who is stuck making costumes for the school play instead of playing the starring role.

35. Honor and Perdita Cargill

Book to read: Waiting for Callback

Another book which has benefited from Twitter hype has been Waiting For Callback, written by the mother-daughter writing duo, Honor and Perdita (how cool is that?). Billed as Geek Girl meets Fame meets New Girl (and who doesn’t like all three?), Waiting For Callback is the story of Elektra, your average girl-next-door trying to make it in the world of acting whilst also juggling family, friends and crushes.

So those are our additions to the YALC Reading List this week – come back next Sunday for more great YA reads!

Which books have you read? Which books are you planning to read? Tweet me at @annalisebooks or comment below!

Annalise x

Review: Trouble by Non Pratt

Trouble by Non Pratt

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

First, I have the UK (Teal) edition, and whereas I do really like it now, I know teenage me would have cringed to have a book with sperm so prominently featured on it! The US version is a little more subtle, and the German version (Fuck you Leben!) is quite… to the point? Despite the sperm, this book actually really fits in colour-wise with the rest of my bookshelf (teal is REALLY popular at the moment) so I’m happy.

Trouble is written in dual-narrative between Hannah and Aaron. Hannah is a troublesome 15 year old who has just discovered sex and booze, and Aaron is a student who’s just transferred from another school. Hannah finds herself pregnant unexpectedly, and the book follows her pregnancy (it’s split into three trimesters) as she battles the bump, family issues, and her ex-best friend. She finds a friend in Aaron, who, despite never having slept with Hannah, suggests that he pretend to be her baby’s father.

Trouble is a thought-provoking, and at time, shocking book (in a good way). It’s rare to find teenagers written about honestly and realistically, living in the UK and not off at boarding school/fantasyland. I love unconventional families, and Trouble also features elderly people and parents as real people and not just plot devices to control our main characters. The juxtaposition of Hannah and Aaron is interesting, and there’s a really good cast of supporting characters, from the friendly Gideon and Anj, to angsty older stepbrother Jay.

This is no idealistic teenage fantasy – these teenagers drink and sleep together and fail exams. They lie and keep secrets and make mistakes.

The writing is really good (I read the first page on Kindle then knew I had to get the book), and the story has twists and turns. Overall, a really engaging novel that I read in a few days.

My only issue (and what stops the book getting the hallowed 5 stars) is that it ends quite abruptly (something I’ve found quite common with my reading choices lately). There’s no real resolution of a few plot lines – an epilogue would have been really nice here!

If you’re looking for something realistic from UK YA fiction, you can’t go much wrong with Trouble by Non Pratt.
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Review: The It Girl by Katy Birchall

The It-Girl by Katy Birchall

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

First I’d like to thank @Chelleytoy and @EMTeenFiction for the book – I received this book during a talk at YALC on Book Blogging. Thank you so much!

The It Girl is probably not a book I would have bought myself, simply because it’s been a while since I was an awkward 14 year old (I am now an awkward 21 year old, thank you very much). However, once I got into it, this book was really enjoyable, and I related a lot to Anna. The characters are likeable, with flaws (and yes, this is a good thing – they became more real) and very relatable.

Anna is a great character, and the perfect teenager who is trying to find her way, making mistakes along the way – which makes for great reading. I think everyone can probably see some part of themselves in Anna. Her relationships with the other characters are one of the highlights of the book, and I particularly enjoyed the family dynamic – dealing with divorced parents and a new stepfamily. I felt that Anna reacted how I would react, and as such, she is a realistic character with believable actions.

The format of the book is mainly regular chapters, with emails dotted throughout the book to and from various characters. This book was easy to read, and the format broke up the book and made it a little more fun

Overall, a really enjoyable read, whether you’re looking for something aimed at the younger YA market because you’re a younger reader, or you want a fun, light read that’ll make you feel nostalgic and cringe a little at your younger self.
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The Starlight Blogger Award

A huge thank you to Olivia Emily over at Bibliomad – please go and check out her blog before even thinking about reading the rest of this post!

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The Rules

1. Thank the giver and link their blog to your post.

2. Answer the 3 original questions and then the 3 new questions from your nominator given to you.

3. Nominate your 6 favorite bloggers! In your nominees I would like for you to think at the light emanating from the stars the ones that truly touch your soul with their work, the ones that are the light for you a true STARLIGHT Blogger.

4. Please pass the award on to 6 or more other Bloggers of your choice and let them know that they have been nominated by you.

5. Include the logo of the award in a post or on your Blog, please never alter the logo, never change the 3 original questions answer that first then answer the 3 new questions from your nominator and never change the Award rules.

6. Please don’t delete this note:
The design for the STARLIGHT Bloggers Award has been created from YesterdayAfter. It is a Copyright image, you cannot alter or change it in any way just pass it to others that deserve this award.
Copyright 2015 © YesterdayAfter.com – Design by Carolina Russo”

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The Original Questions

1. If you could meet anyone from throughout history, who and why?

They say ‘Don’t meet your heroes’ so probably not someone who it would be too disappointing to actually meet – think when Hazel meets the author of An Imperial Affliction and he turns out to be a knob in TFIOS. I would probably go for someone who could divulge information that isn’t common knowledge today – from the Dark Ages or the Biblical Age.

2. What is your favourite book and why?

Here’s a selection:

• Anna and the French Kiss – Stephanie Perkins
• 1984 – George Orwell
• The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood
• The Great Gatsby – F Scott Fitzgerald
• Obsidian – Jennifer L Armentrout
• The Book Thief – Marcus Zusak
• Memoirs of a Geisha – Arthur Golden
• The Time Traveler’s Wife – Audrey Niffenegger

3. Who is your favourite fiction character from any medium and why?

I have a feeling I’ll really like Celaena Sardothien when I start on the sequels to Throne of Glass… Big fan of Georgia Nicholson from Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging and Evie from Am I Normal Yet? by Holly Bourne.

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Olivia’s Questions

1. If you could visit any place in time or space, where would you go?

Egypt, during the discovery of the tombs (think The Mummy). Alternatively early USA, perhaps the Gold Rush in California?

2. What was the last movie you watched? Was it good? Better or worse than expected?

I think the last movie I watched was Lady Chatterley’s Lover (the 2015 BBC adaptation). It was pretty good, a little more boring than expected and not quite true to the book, but enjoyable all the same.

3. Which book are you absolutely dying to read?

I’ve seen some brilliant reviews of Illuminae by Amie Kaufman (which is released this October).

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The Nominees

Nya @ Nyareads

Disha @ Franklenstein

Anna @ Annathebibliophile

Dani @ Danireviewsthings

Macy @ MacyAvenue

Mara @ AcrossTheBooks

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My Questions

1. Which book did you just not gel with?
2. If you could choose one book to reread every month, which would it be?
3. What’s your favourite food to accompany a book?

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Thanks for reading!

Annalise x

Review: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fangirl is a book that needs no introduction, but have one anyway.

The ‘fangirl’ in question is a girl called Cath, who moves away to university with her identical twin sister Wren, leaving her dad at home (their mum walked out on them when they were 8). Cath writes fan fiction for her favourite book series, Simon Snow (think Harry Potter) as she waits for the eighth and final book to be released, but Wren has grown up, perhaps a little too fast. Cath’s social anxiety plays up as she’s forced into new scenarios, new experiences and even forced to write original characters (shock horror!).

Although the book is about growing up and moving away to university, it is firmly Young Adult. I personally love stories about starting university – it’s interesting to see characters forced to adapt and change during a story, and it’s a plot that’s rarely used (despite the fact that it’s fundamentally interesting).

This novel is definitely character driven – I found the characters to be well defined and fleshed out (the pictures at the front of the book may have helped), although the plot is a little hit-and-miss – I wasn’t too sure what was going to happen at the end, and the ending felt a little rushed and not quite wrapped up – this also happened in the other Rowell novel I’ve read, Eleanor & Park. Although this leaves you thinking more about the characters, there’s not too much tying up of loose ends, no big finale (unlike the Simon Snow novels!).

On the character front, we do see some diversity (which makes the characters interesting!) – Art is a single-parent father, Cath and Reagan are both described as plus-size, and Jandro and Abel are both Mexican, for example. The characters are flawed as well, with the love interests being realistic and not hot rod sex gods – which makes them all the more relatable. A real highlight of Rowell’s novels is the interesting characters and their development, and they do stand out against the white-washed Mary-Sue adventures that often clutter the YA bookshelves.

On the point that the plot wasn’t developed enough, especially for a book of 460 pages, I’d like to add my suggestions. I would have liked to have seen more conflict between the twins and their mother, as well as between the twins themselves – they don’t talk for three months but this is mentioned as an afterthought, and there’s no seething and anger from Cath during this time or any real indication Wren is gone. I also didn’t cotton onto the blossoming relationship between Cath and Levi until it was spelled out to me in sky writing – so I would have liked to have seen more scenes between them earlier in the novel. Nick also completely disappears, and he could have been a really interesting character, but instead his plot his resolved suddenly just before the end.

I quite liked how the excerpts of fan fiction broke up the novel – but honestly, I wasn’t invested in the characters, and so there’s way way too many excerpts written in. Especially as some chapters are Cath reading her fan fiction to Levi, without any real addition to the plot. Carry On, Cath’s fan fiction novel is being released this October, but I’m not particularly interested in reading it – the characters are a slightly-too-obvious rehash of Harry Potter.

I would recommend Fangirl if you’re looking to read something original, entertaining and popular. If the plot had been expanded and consolidated more, this would be a definite five stars, but it just doesn’t quite live up to the hype.

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Annalise x

Review: Am I Normal Yet? by Holly Bourne

Am I Normal Yet? by Holly Bourne
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Before I start, I just want to point out that this is my first 5-star review, and for that reason, you should definitely go out and buy this book, RIGHT NOW. I’m serious.

I admit that I probably wouldn’t have bought this book if it hadn’t been free on iBooks. Am I Normal Yet? was a book I heard a lot of praise for at YALC back in July, but I didn’t look too much into what the book was about, and I didn’t think it was for me. I was wrong.

Am I Normal Yet? is the story of Evie, a 16-year-old who is starting sixth form after three years of battling severe OCD and anxiety. After being the weird girl at her old school, she’s looking forward to making new friends, and she’s slowly but surely coming off her meds – trying to become ‘normal’ again. Despite her therapist’s advice, she’s also interested in boys – and one boy in particular.

The characters are well-developed and interesting, and they all feel like people you know – the girl obsessed with her first boyfriend, the sex-obsessed teenage boy… this book is a genuinely great UKYA novel. I’ve not read too many books concerning sixth form/FE colleges which is a shame, because they’re an ideal setting – lots of new characters and character development, but still in the mindset of a teenager (and a solidly YA environment).

I especially loved that the characters are flawed – there is no ‘dream hottie’ but there is sexual tension and obsession. This book is a great reflection of teenage life, rather than some soppy sixteen-year-old who drops everything for an eternity with their 117-year-old vampire lover.

The layout of the novel is also good – there are therapist pages dotted throughout the novel, and Evie’s ‘bad thoughts’ are highlighted. The layout really adds to the feel of the novel.

In the Q&A at the back of the book, Holly Bourne writes that she was inspired by the Georgia Nicholson novels – which are the books that I was reminded of throughout this book. It’s funny, yet tackling some serious issues. As well as being an insight into living with OCD, the book has a great feminist theme (in fact, the characters form a feminist club) and is informative, as well as fun to read. It’s refreshing to read a novel which discusses what it’s really like to be a teenage girl – menstruation, dickhead boyfriends, the whole bundle.

I read this thinking it would be a stand-alone novel, but, thankfully, it is actually the first of a series. The series will be called ‘The Spinster Club’, and the second novel, How Hard Can Love Be? will focus on Amber, with the third book focussing on Lottie. The next book is out February 2016 (and I will be pre-ordering!).

To summarise, this book is fantastic. It’s original, funny and realistic. It’s also incredibly cheap (it’s 59p on Kindle) so please please please go and read it.

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How did you find the novel? Comment below or tweet me at @annalisebooks 🙂

Annalise x

Review: Suicide Notes from Beautiful Girls by Lynn Weingarten

Suicide Notes from Beautiful Girls by Lynn Weingarten
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

June barely has time to mourn the death of her best friend Delia, before Delia’s ex-boyfriend convinces her Delia was murdered, and June is swept into a tangle of lies, deceit, and conspiracy.

I’d like to thank YA Love Magazine for running the competition in which I won my copy of Suicide Notes From Beautiful Girls.

I probably wouldn’t have bought this book myself, although I did end up really enjoying it – the title is a little morbid and I was a little scared that people would think that I was considering suicide! The UK Cover is also dark so adds to the morbidness of this book.

SNFBG is written primarily from June’s perspective, a typical high school girl with a typical high school boyfriend. A year prior to the beginning of the story, ‘something’ happened which led her friendship with her best friend, Delia, to come to an end. Now, Delia is found, burned to death in her stepfather’s shed. Initially it seems to be a straight-forward suicide, but as June reaches out to Delia’s new friends who have their own suspicions about what really happened, she starts to believe that there’s more to Delia’s death than meets the eye.

The perspectives in the book are really clever – with current events written in the present tense and flashbacks in the past tense, and the multiple perspectives are used really well.

The book could easily be split into two sides – the first half of the book is much more linear, whereas the second half is full of twists and turns with a shock ending. This definitely kept me reading – I simply had to find out what happened in the end.

On the ending, it takes a little thinking to figure out what actually happened – which isn’t necessarily bad, but there are a few plot points which are a little frayed, that is it’s a little too difficult to make out what actually did happen. A few characters are left at an end, and if I had to make any changes to the book, I’d personally resolve the book a little more wholly – and I’d ramp up the toxic relationship between June and Delia a little more. Their relationship is hinted at throughout the novel, but nothing really seems to come of it.

I really think this book is a great addition to any YA bookshelf – it’s different to most of the YA fodder out there, and the ending is delightfully unpredictable.

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Have you read this book, or are you planning to? What did you think? Comment or tweet me @annalisebooks 🙂

Annalise x

Review: Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch

Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I found this book the good old-fashioned way – it caught my eye when I was out shopping for books last January at Blackwells in Oxford. Usually when I buy books, I know exactly what i’m going to read from all the hype on twitter or goodreads, so it’s nice to find a book completely by yourself.

I found this book in the Fantasy section (which is next to the YA) but met the author, Ben Aaronovitch at YALC (which is primarily young adult fiction). The characters in the book are not young adults, but this book would be suitable for young adults (read: there aren’t any raunchy sex scenes).

Rivers of London (Midnight Riot in the US) follows Peter Grant, a probationary constable in the Metropolitan Police as he transfers to a proper unit. By chance, he takes a witness statement from a man, who is actually a ghost, and this brings him to the attention of Chief Inspector Nightingale, wizard and leader of the secret supernatural unit. Peter becomes an apprentice wizard and supernatural detective, all the while tending to his crush on his former colleague, Leslie May.

So why did I pick up this book? It’s written really well, with real British humour and a distinct witty voice. It’s a really original take on the genre, and it’s based in London, real London (not just the tourist traps). It’s great to see a book so brilliantly British taking on fantasy and mythology. It is definitely more character driven rather than plot driven, with memorable characters, although the plot is a little more forgettable.

Who would like this book? I think it makes a refreshing change for any YA fan out there, but also any fan of fantasy, mythology and/or murder mysteries should be sure to give it a go. The books are a little expensive on Amazon (£6-7) but they are coming thick and fast – Foxglove Summer, book 5, came out in July, and The Hanging Tree, book 6 is due out in November.

I look forward to reading more of the Rivers of London series, although their current price means that it might be a while before I pick up another Peter Grant novel.

Annalise x

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Review: On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I bought this book during YALC after a weekend of enthusiastic recommendations. The format of the book itself is a little strange – the first part documents how Stephen King became a writer, but it’s not quite an autobiography – it flits from scene to scene, year to year, only stopping to comment on a particularly important event. The second part of the book is a collection of tips for the aspiring writer. The third part of the book returns to autobiography, this time concerning the events that occurred during the writing of this book – that is, the car accident King was involved in in 1999.

I haven’t read any Stephen King before, but his work has become part of popular culture – his novels are incredibly popular, and have also been turned into some of the best films of our time – Carrie, The Shawshank Redemption andThe Shining to name a few. My knowledge of King’s works mostly comes from an episode of Family Guy – Three Kings, Season 7, episode 15 – which parodies three of King’s stories – Stand by Me, Misery and The Shawshank Redemption.

King regularly refers to his own works – surprise, surprise – throughout the book, so an acquaintance with his novels wouldn’t go amiss before diving into this book – but don’t despair. This is an inspiring and amusing book even without knowing his books in any detail.

King also uses the book to address the questions he most frequently gets asked at signings and book tours – and there’s a handy reading list at the back of King’s favourite novels, including one dedicated to the 21st century.

This is not a stiff non-fiction ‘How to write’ book, more of a gentle conversation with King himself as he gives advice and recalls tales of yesteryear.

A lot of the advice given here by King has been reiterated by authors again and again – I recognised a lot of the tips as ones authors themselves gave during YALC. I’d say that’s a pretty good indication that it’s good advice – and i’m almost certain i’ll be using it whilst writing my own stuff.

This is a book I’d certainly recommend for the aspiring writer, and/or fans of Stephen King. It’s clever, concise, and interesting, and a must-read for anyone thinking of writing their own fiction.

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