A few weeks ago I shared a very special post to celebrate Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow by Siobhan Curham. Siobhan’s new book is all about empathy and seeing things from another person’s perspective and Walker Books organised a blogswap in which they invited bloggers to step into somebody else's shoes.

First, Kirsty from Books, Occupation... Magic, shared my post on Acts of Kindness in her blog (read it here) and then I welcomed Kirsty into my blog, with a very interesting post about women and fertility and how we need to talk more and be more open about it (read it here). And today I am sharing my thoughts on the book:

Title: Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow

Author: Siobhan Curham

Published: August 1st 2018 by Walker Books

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: An uplifting story of friendship, unity and hope that highlights the important and topical issues surrounding young carers and young refugees.

Fourteen-year-old Stevie lives in Lewes with her beloved vinyl collection, her mum ... and her mum's depression. When Stevie's mum's disability benefits are cut, Stevie and her mother are plunged into a life of poverty. But irrepressible Stevie is determined not to be beaten and she takes inspiration from the lyrics of her father's 1980s record collection and dreams of a life as a musician. Then she meets Hafiz, a talented footballer and a Syrian refugee. Hafiz's parents gave their life savings to buy Hafiz a safe passage to Europe; his journey has been anything but easy. Then he meets Stevie... As Stevie and Hafiz's friendship grows, they encourage each other to believe in themselves and follow their dreams.

Review: This is a heartfelt and hopeful story about friendship that deals in a very gentle way with several serious issues that affect many young people nowadays. The book is narrated by Stevie and Hafiz in alternate chapters, which gives us readers an insight in both their lives, their struggles and their dreams. 

Both characters have a very difficult life and have had to grow up faster than their peers at school. After her dad's death, Stevie takes care of her mum, who suffers depression and is not able to leave the house. She worries constantly about their lack of money and tries to find solutions to their problems. Music is her only scape. She is a great musician and thanks to her dad's love of music she always has a song to make every situation better. I tried to listen to the same songs she was listening to while reading her chapters and I felt really connected to her. I would definitely recommend checking the songs, as it gives the story a very special touch.

Hafiz is a Syrian refugee. He had to leave his family and friends behind and leave the country with smugglers. After a very long and arduous journey through Europe, he is finally in the UK with his uncle and wife. He is new at Stevie's school and not exactly welcomed by her classmates. Somehow though Hafiz and Stevie gravitate towards each other and start a tentative friendship. Little by little, their bond grows stronger and they are able to share their stories with each other. 

I especially liked Stevie as a character, she was such a determined and inspiring young girl and I hope she inspires many readers. As I said, this story handles very important topics that don't get enough attention in books or media in general, which makes this book very special and especially recommended for readers looking for something different and heartfelt. It reminds us that every single person has a story and it's worth listening to it.

Rating: 4.5 stars

I would like to thank the publisher for sending me a copy of this book. This is my honest opinion.

Today I have a very special post to celebrate Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow by Siobhan Curham. Siobhan’s new book is all about empathy and seeing things from another person’s perspective and Walker Books has organised a blogswap in which they have invited bloggers to step into somebody else's shoes. 

Last week, Kirsty from Books, Occupation... Magic, shared my post on Acts of Kindness in her blog (read it here) and today I welcome Kirsty into my blog, with a very interesting post about women and fertility and how we need to talk more and be more open about it. Thank you Kirsty for sharing your experience with us, and sending you luck and lots of positive energy on your journey:

Empathic Conversations to Women about Children 

This is a PSA to approach conversations about having children with others sensitively and with an open mind, and try not to make assumptions. 

Not all women are broody. 

Some women don’t want children.

Some women have partners who don’t want children.

Some women can’t have children. 

Some women can’t relax and let it happen naturally. 

Some women have lost children. 

Adoption is not an easy process. 

Did you know that 1 in 4 pregnancies end in miscarriage? I was totally shocked it was that high a percentage. And yes women do grieve these losses. 

Here’s a really useful video on how to support (and not support) people through grief - http://www.refugeingrief.com/2018/07/19/help-a-friend-video/. 

Despite what we are led to believe, age is a limiting factor in having children. Women are born with all the eggs they will ever have and over time the quantity and quality of eggs diminishes. Supposedly this dips rapidly after the age of 35 but may affect people younger. Being aware of the age your mother went through the menopause (yet another thing we don’t talk enough about) may be a useful indicator for you. 

I am turning 40 in August and am still single. I have recently had a number of fertility tests that indicated that my fertility is not as good as I’d have hoped. I have been blogging about my experience in order to raise awareness including my recent round of IVF which sadly failed. 

If you’d like to read more of my journey search IVF on Books, Occupation... Magic! at https://kirstyes.co.uk/

About the Book:

Title: Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow

Author: Siobham Curham

Published: August 2nd 2018 by Walker Books

Amazon | Amazon UK

Described as "A gripping and gloriously treacherous thriller without guide ropes or safety nets. Leave all certainties by the door," White Rabbit Red Wolf is Tom Pollock's new YA thriller. This is my first book by this author and here are my thoughts about it:

Title: White Rabbit Red Wolf

Author: Tom Pollock

Published: May 3rd 2018 by Walker Books

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: A taut thriller about murder, maths and the mind. Peter Blankman is afraid of everything but must confront truly unimaginable terror when his mother is attacked.

Seventeen-year-old Peter Blankman is a maths prodigy. He also suffers from severe panic attacks. Afraid of everything, he finds solace in the orderly and logical world of mathematics and in the love of his family: his scientist mum and his tough twin sister Bel, as well as Ingrid, his only friend. However, when his mother is found stabbed before an award ceremony and his sister is nowhere to be found, Pete is dragged into a world of espionage and violence where state and family secrets intertwine. Armed only with his extraordinary analytical skills, Peter may just discover that his biggest weakness is his greatest strength.

Review: White Rabbit Red Wolf is definitely a roller-coaster of a read. The first chapter starts already in the middle of a panic attack of the main character, Peter. This sets the tone (dark but with humor and irony) and the pace of the story (really fast). From there, we follow him and his family in a crazy race against time to try to figure out what is going on and who is threatening their life as they know is. 

Peter is a hugely interesting character, he is a very talented mathematician and he suffers an extreme anxiety disorder. His life is a battle to be in control and his lifejacket are his numbers, everything needs to be evaluated, counted and risk assessed. But as we follow him, we soon discover a lot more about him. His family, his friends, his school, his memories... and they are all key to the story. 

But the story is not only about Peter, there is so much more. It's a true thriller: it keeps you on your toes all the time, biting your nails, holding your breath and above all, shocking you with every twist. I really had no idea where the story was going to go next and it definitely gave me a lot of food for thought. Absolutely recommended for thriller fans, both young and old, especially those looking for something completely new and unique. I do hope we hear more from these characters.

Rating: 4 stars

I would like to thank the publisher for sending me a copy of this book. This is my honest opinion.

Today's new review is for a YA title: Flying Tips for Flightless Birds. This is Kelly McCaughrain's debut and is set in a circus school, I don't think I've read any stories sets in a Circus so I was really curious to find out more. Here are my thoughts:

Title: Flying Tips for Flightless Birds

Author: Cally MacCaughrain

Published: March 1st 2018 by Walker Books

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: From debut author Kelly McCaughrain comes a sweet and kooky romcom for fans of R. J. Palacio's Wonder, Sarah Crossan, and Susin Nielsen's We Are All Made of Molecules. Twins Finch and Birdie Franconi are stars of the flying trapeze. But when Birdie suffers a terrifying accident, Finch must team up with the geeky new kid, Hector Hazzard, to form an all-boys double act and save the family circus school. Together they learn to walk the high-wire of teen life and juggle the demands of friends, family, first love and facing up to who they are – all served up with a dash of circus-showbiz magic.

Review: Flying Tips for Flightless Birds is a sweet and quirky coming of age story set in a circus school in rural Wales. The main characters are twins Finch and Birdie Franconi, but the story is narrated only by Finch. He is a very complex and sometimes difficult to like character but he definitely steals the show.

Finch and Birdie are a team, both in stage and in real life. They don't have any other friends in high school and are often bullied by the "cool" kids. Finch doesn't seem to care, as long as they face them together. But then, two huge things happen: a new boy, Hector, joins their school and is determined to be their friend and Birdie suffers an accident. This means Finch has to face a new reality and he soon realizes that he might actually care, a lot.

I have to stay that the story was a bit slow at the beginning but after the first few characters, it picked up pace and I started having fun with these characters. Plus, at the beginning of each chapter, there is a blog post from Birdie talking about the circus school, their students, how it started and about circus history in general. I found those really interesting, not only because there were a lot of things I didn't know about the circus, but because they fitted with the story. It felt like Birdie was talking directly to Finch and helping him figure it all out.

I also enjoyed how the friendship between Hector and Finch developed. Hector was a very interesting character and I admired his dedication and optimism. Some of their scenes together were really special, and Hector's brighter personality complemented Finch's moody and sometimes darker one.

Rating: 4 stars

I would like to thank the publisher for sending me a copy of this book. This is my honest opinion.

The trials of high school start to feel like a modern-day witch hunt for a teen with all the wrong connections to Salem's past in this thrilling, creepy and romantic New York Times bestseller.

Title: How to Hang a Witch

Author: Adriana Mather

Published: January 4th 2018 by Walker Books

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: After Sam's father is hospitalised, she has to move from New York to Salem with her stepmother, Vivian. Unfortunately, Sam is related to Cotton Mather, one of the men responsible for the Salem Witch Trials, and to say she feels unwelcome in Salem is an understatement... She is particularly unnerved by The Descendants, a mysterious and tight-knit group of girls related to those persecuted in the Trials. At the same time, she must deal with Elijah, the handsome but angry ghost who has appeared in her house, and her new neighbour Jaxon only complicates things further. 

When a centuries-old curse is rekindled, Sam finds herself at the centre of it. Can she stop history repeating itself?

Review: I love stories based in real historical events with a twist and How to Hang a Witch definitely has several unexpected twists. Sam Mather is the descendant of one of the men responsible for the Salem Witch Trials and although the story is set in current times, the memories and consequences of the trials are very much still alive in Salem. 

As soon as Sam lands in Salem, accidents start happening and the town is pretty sure that she is the one behind them. Sam suspects something bigger and darker is going on and with the help of the most unexpected friends, she is determined to solve the mystery. As we follow her around Salem and its history we learn a lot about the trials and the mass hysteria that caused them. I found this more historical plot really interesting and it picked my curiosity to read more about that era. 

The story had a really strong start, which caught my attention immediately. It did slow the pace a bit after a few chapters, as a more romantic subplot was introduced. I found this subplot a bit silly but it did complement pretty well the darker and more intense main plot, so I ended up enjoying it too. And I have to say that Elijah, the ghost Sam meets in her house, grew on me as the story progressed and we knew more about him and his past. 

I've seen that there is a follow-up to this story (involving The Titanic!) and I'm definitely going to get that one asap as I cannot wait to see what adventures await for Sam. 

All in all, How to Hang a Witch is an interesting story with a few darker bits, lots of tension and several surprises. 

Rating: 4 stars

I would like to thank the publisher for sending me a copy of this book. This is my honest opinion.

Today I have a new book review for the tense and clever psychological thriller The Loneliest Girl in the Universe by Lauren James, a romance set in space from the beloved author of The Next Together series.

Title: The Loneliest Girl in the Universe

Author: Lauren James

Published: September 7th 2017 by Walker Books

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: Can you fall in love with someone you’ve never met, never even spoken to – someone who is light years away?

Romy Silvers is the only surviving crew-member of a spaceship travelling to a new planet, on a mission to establish a second home for humanity amongst the stars. Alone in space, she is the loneliest girl in the universe until she hears about a new ship which has launched from Earth – with a single passenger on board. A boy called J.

Their only communication with each other is via email – and due to the distance between them, their messages take months to transmit across space. And yet Romy finds herself falling in love.

But what does Romy really know about J? And what do the mysterious messages which have started arriving from Earth really mean?

Sometimes, there’s something worse than being alone... 

Review: let me start with... wow! This is one of the best psychological thriller I've read this year. When I first started reading this story I was pretty sure there would be a big romance with some tension... I was NOT prepared for what really happened. What a clever, well written, compelling and addictive story. 

The build-up tension during the whole story is just perfect, you really don't know what is going on until you are in the middle of the action, holding your breath, completely absorbed in the story, devouring page after page until the early hours of the morning. It had been a really long time since a book had put me in such a stressful state. 

Also, how original and unique is the idea behind this novel? It's set in the near future, when NASA has sent a spaceship into the deep space to reach a viable planet for humanity to develop. Romy happens to be only survivor left in that spaceship and, somehow, it's really easy to relate to her, even if she has never been in the Earth. I loved getting to know her and I surprised myself at how much I cared about her. Definitely a very well developed character.

I highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy a good thriller. Believe me, this story will surprise you, will shock you and will completely capture you! 

Rating: 5 stars

I would like to thank the publishers for sending me a copy of this book. This is my honest opinion.

Today I have a new book review for the beautiful and compelling story The Dollmaker of Krakow by R.M. Romero. A timeless fantasy set in the Second World War that weaves together magic, folklore and history, perfect for fans of The Book Thief, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and Goodnight Mister Tom.

Title: The Dollmaker of Krakow

Author: R.M. Romero

Published: October 5th 2017 by Walker Books

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: In the land of dolls, there is magic.

In the land of humans, there is war.

Everywhere there is pain.

But together there is hope.

Karolina is a living doll whose king and queen have been overthrown. But when a strange wind spirits her away from the Land of the Dolls, she finds herself in Krakow, Poland, in the company of the Dollmaker, a man with an unusual power and a marked past. 

The Dollmaker has learned to keep to himself, but Karolina's courageous and compassionate manner lead him to smile and to even befriend a violin-playing father and his daughter--that is, once the Dollmaker gets over the shock of realizing a doll is speaking to him. 

But their newfound happiness is dashed when Nazi soldiers descend upon Poland. Karolina and the Dollmaker quickly realize that their Jewish friends are in grave danger, and they are determined to help save them, no matter what the risks.

Review: The story between these pages is as beautiful and complex as its cover and illustrations. A real treat for both young readers and adults.

The Dollmaker of Krakow is a solitary man. One day though, one of his dolls comes to life and quickly becomes a key part of his life. Together they hope for a better life for them and also for their new Jewish friends. But Poland is in a very delicate situation, Nazi soldiers have just arrived to take control of the cities and things are about to change... 

World War II is a chapter in our history that we, as adults, know pretty well. But thanks to numerous magical elements and well developed and interesting characters, this novel broke my heart all over again. I kept wishing that somehow, it would end differently for them. And I am sure that many young readers will learn a lot with this book, as I did when I first read Anne Frank's story all those years ago.

This reads like a classic fairytale, not the happy-ever-after Disney stories but the darker ones, that teach you that life is not fair and good not always wins. The more fantastic elements intertwine really well with the historical storyline and it's easy to get lost in its pages and forget about everything else. 

The beautiful illustrations really add something else to the story and help create the perfect atmosphere for such a special story. 

Definitely a story that will touch many hearts.

Rating: 4.5 stars

I would like to thank the publishers for sending me a copy of this book. This is my honest opinion.

This is my first book by Patrick Ness, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I had read quite a few ravishing reviews though so I was really curious to discover more. Here are my thoughts:

Title: Release

Author: Patrick Ness

Published: May 4th by Walker Books

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: Inspired by Mrs Dalloway and Judy Blume's Forever, Release is one day in the life of Adam Thorn, 17. It's a big day. Things go wrong. It's intense, and all the while, weirdness approaches...

Adam Thorn is having what will turn out to be the most unsettling, difficult day of his life, with relationships fracturing, a harrowing incident at work, and a showdown between this gay teen and his preacher father that changes everything. It's a day of confrontation, running, sex, love, heartbreak, and maybe, just maybe, hope. He won't come out of it unchanged. And all the while, lurking at the edges of the story, something extraordinary and unsettling is on a collision course. 

Review: My first thought after finishing this book was wow... what has just happened? A few days after finishing Release, I am still thinking about it non-stop. It has the perfect touch of weirdness to make it absolutely brilliant. And although the whole story happens in the time frame of a single day, so many things happen that you feel like you've been with these characters way longer.

Although I haven't read Mrs Dalloway nor Forever, if this story is inspired by these books, then I need to change this fast. The more I read about Adam Thorn the more I wanted to read about him. It was fascinating to be in his head in such an eventful day, you could really feel his struggles with his religious family and also his broken heart. At the end of the day you felt like he had taken a little piece of your heart with him.

Adam Thorn wasn't the only interesting character though. His friend Angela was like a breath of fresh air. The perfect brighter yin to his darker yang. I really enjoyed the scenes they had together and how they really got each other. 

As I said, I'm still not sure what happened with the more magical plot... but it somehow perfectly worked with the main storyline and I was certainly very curious about the queen and her loyal follower. 

All in all, a fascinating read. 

Rating: 4,5 stars

I would like to thank the publisher for sending me a copy of this book. This is my honest opinion.

After loving The Moonlight Dreamers, an unforgettable story of friendship, self-belief and love, I was really looking forward to catching up with these girls again. Here are my thoughts on this sequel:

Title: Tell it to the Moon (The Moonlight Dreamers #2)
Author: Siobhan Curham

Published: August 3rd 2017 by Walker Books

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: To make a dream come true, tell it to the moon! Tell It to the Moon continues the story of Moonlight Dreamers Amber, Maali, Sky and Rose, who are not like everyone else and don't want to be: becoming friends gives them the courage to be themselves. After failing to find her surrogate mother, Amber is left unsure of who she is and what she wants to do; Maali's spiritual faith is tested when her father becomes ill; Sky, previously home-schooled, struggles to adapt to the pressures of the school system; and after having found the courage to come out, Rose begins to pursue her dream of becoming a patissier. Once again the four girls band together to help one another overcome their individual challenges and fulfill their dreams in this fabulous and heart-warming celebration of friendship.

Review: Tell it to the Moon is the sequel of The Moonlight Dreamers and it starts right where the previous book ended. It was lovely to be back with these girls. Amber, Maali, Sky and Rose have their own club where they can be themselves and support each other to be able to achieve their dreams. After getting to know them in the first book, I was really looking forward to joining them in their new adventures. 

Each of them faces their own troubles and challenges. I love how diverse their stories are, from sexuality to religion, passing by struggling to find your identity or simply not fitting in. This is one of those reads that I would have loved even more if it has existed when I was in high school and struggling to fit in myself. But reading about these girls, I can still see a bit of myself in there, which makes me really connect with their story.

What I love most about this series is how friendship is portrayed. Thanks to being friends, these girls are more confident, they aim higher and they achieve more. It reminds us it always better to support than to make fun of. And, of course, I also love the literary references. Those Oscar Wilde quotes really fit with the story and I have started using them myself in my daily life to motivate me. Because sometimes you all need to be reminded that:

 "Be yourself, everyone else is already taken"

All in all, I would highly recommend these series to YA readers looking for something special, something different from your usual love story. This is a very inspirational and heart-warming story that will connect with a lot of readers. 

Rating: 4,5 stars

I would like to thank the publishers for sending me a copy of this book. This is my honest opinion.

Today's review comes with a big serving of delicious Italian gelato. Perfect for the summer holidays, Love & Gelato is Jenna Evans Welch's debut. Read my thoughts about it here:

Title: Love & Gelato

Author: Jenna Evans Welch

Published: June 1st 2017 by Walker Books

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: The dying wish of 16-year-old Lina's mother was for her daughter to live in Tuscany and get to know her father, whom Lina has never met. 

"Howard is the best man I've ever known," her mother says, "he'll keep you safe." Why did her mother wait so long to tell her about him? Lina has a happy life in Seattle and doesn't want to leave. Shortly after she arrives at Howard's home, Lina meets Sonya, who gives Lina a diary that belonged to Lina's mother, the one she had kept while she was a photography student in Florence. While Lina is living her life and exploring Tuscany with her handsome neighbour, Ren, she follows in the footsteps of her mother and gets to know her as never before. She also finds out the truth about her father. Mostly she finds out about herself.

Review: Love & Gelato certainly delivers what it promises: lots of love and delicious Italian Gelato. The story starts in Seattle where Lina lives with her dying mother. Her last wish is for Lina to go live in Italy with Howard, an old friend. After her death though, Lina discovers that Howard is actually her father and she is moving in with him in an isolated house in the Tuscany. 

I can't even imagine what a confusing and saddening situation Lina finds herself into. She has lost the most important person of her life and now she needs to leave everything and everyone she knows behind to go live with a stranger. But we soon discover Lina is a very strong and lively girl, who is not afraid of change. I think the author made a really good job of balancing the sadness and the happiness in this story, and it's obvious that adding a little bit of sunshine and laughs into Lina's life is exactly what she needed.

The two main characters that Lina meets in Italy are Howard, her father, and Ren, who lives in a neighbouring field. They are both really great characters with a huge heart and they both help Lina in their own ways. Thanks to them too, Lina (and us) get to discover the beautiful Tuscany and the stunning Florence. Reading about their adventures in the north of Italy is a real treat and you really feel like you are there with them. 

There's also mystery in the story. Lina gets a diary that belonged to her mother when she arrives in Italy and little by little we get to know her and what she was up to when she lived in Italy herself as a young woman. I found these passages really moving and I loved how Lina tried to recreate her steps. I was also really curious to know about these event and how they related to the present. I was quite surprised to see how everything intertwined. 

All in all, this is a very heart-warming and fun story that will make you want to take the first plane to Florence. The characters are very well developed and interesting and I think they act their age, they can be a bit silly but they have no malice. I definitely ended up caring a lot Lina and Howard and Lina's friends were such a fun bunch! A highly recommend summer read for YA readers. 

Rating: 5 stars

I would like to thank the publisher for sending me a copy of this book. This is my honest opinion.

Today's review is for a very special story, Phantom Limbs by Paula Garner. This debut was a beautiful story that surprised and captured me. Read all my thoughts about it here:

Title: Phantom Limbs

Author: Paula Garner

Published: June 1st 2017 by Walker Books

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: How do you move on from an irreplaceable loss? In a poignant debut, a sixteen-year-old boy must learn to swim against an undercurrent of grief—or be swept away by it.

Otis and Meg were inseparable until her family abruptly moved away after the terrible accident that left Otis’s little brother dead and both of their families changed forever. Since then, it’s been three years of radio silence, during which time Otis has become the unlikely protégé of eighteen-year-old Dara—part drill sergeant, part friend—who’s hell-bent on transforming Otis into the Olympic swimmer she can no longer be. But when Otis learns that Meg is coming back to town, he must face some difficult truths about the girl he’s never forgotten and the brother he’s never stopped grieving. As it becomes achingly clear that he and Meg are not the same people they were, Otis must decide what to hold on to and what to leave behind. Quietly affecting, this compulsively readable debut novel captures all the confusion, heartbreak, and fragile hope of three teens struggling to accept profound absences in their lives.

Review: Phantom Limbs is a beautifully written story about grief, about growing up, about moving on (or maybe a little bit about moving on and a little bit about not wanting to move on), but above all, about love. First love, romantic love, friendship love, family love, encompassing love, hurting love, secret love, undesired love... 

It was really easy, since the beginning, to connect with Otis. He narrates the story with such sincerity and humour that I felt like I really got to know him, his secrets, his fears, his goals. And he really had such a good heart. Sometimes I felt like the world was too complicated for him but far from being intimidated, he kept going forward. 

Both his relationships with Meg and Dara were difficult to understand, even for him, but getting to know them, I got to really care for them both and I understood why they were so hard for him sometimes. They made me cry, they made me laugh, they made me feel. These three characters were really well developed and felt completely real. As did the supporting characters too. 

Phantom Limbs is equally heart-breaking as inspiring. It is not a story with a lot of action but it is one with a lot of feelings and one that will stay with me for a long time. Stunning debut, I am already looking forward to Paula Garner's future work.

Rating: 4 stars

I would like to thank the publishers for sending me a copy of this book. This is my honest opinion. 

Lately I've seen this novel everywhere and everyone has been raving about it, so I was really curious to discover for myself what all the hype was about. Here are my thought about it:

Title: The Hate U Give

Author: Angie Thomas

Published: March 13th 2017 by Walker Books

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, Angie Thomas’s searing debut about an ordinary girl in extraordinary circumstances addresses issues of racism and police violence with intelligence, heart, and unflinching honesty. Soon to be a major motion picture from Fox 2000/Temple Hill Productions.

Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.

Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil’s name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.

But what Starr does—or does not—say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.

Review: I'm quite sure that if you are an avid reader you have heart by now about The Hate U Give. I've certainly seen it everywhere, so to say that I had hight expectation about this one would be an understatement. Well, guess what? It totally and completely surpassed my expectations. What a book, what a story, what a main character! Unbelievably good and definitely a firm contender to book of the year, if not the decade.

I've read a review that says this is a classic in the making and I couldn't agree more. But I feel privileged to be reading it as it comes out too because it handles very current topics. It is inspired mainly by the Black Lives Matter movement and it is such an important read. I think that it should be on every school curriculum for teenagers to read because it's a book that makes you aware of a lot of things that you never really thought about before. For example, something that really got me thinking was the image we have of a police officer. As a kid, my parents would always tell me to look for a police officer if I ever got lost or needed some kind of help, but in a community like Starr's the talk kids get from their parent about the police is a very different one because there's the risk that the police might arrest you or even kill you with no apparent reason. And that's exactly what happened to Starr's best friend.

From that moment, Starr finds herself in the middle of a huge injustice but is afraid to speak up because she knows that with the current system she has already lost the battle: a young poor black guy who sold drugs probably deserved it, he was a danger for everyone. It's shocking that the reality couldn't be more different and that no one really cared. But reading about Starr, her family and her community was really inspiring. Sometimes your voice really is the greatest weapon you have.

Apart from the importance of this topic and how well this book brings awareness about it. I have to say that this is a fantastic book with a well-thought plot and with complex and engaging characters. Starr is probably the most special characters I have read about in a long time. Not only is she easy-relatable, smart and fair but she is kickass heroine that brings the best in people. And every single character in this story is as complex and interesting as her. They all have their own story that complements the main plot perfectly. It feels like every single one of them has its role, nobody is there for the sake of adding a few pages to the story or to fit a cliche. 

Starr's family is really a joy to read. They couldn't be more supporting and loving and they always tried really hard to show how much they cared. They obviously had their problems but they also added a really fun spark to the story. Because yes, this is a very serious topic but the story if full of funny moments (if you love Harry Potter, you'll find yourself actually crying with some of these moments).

All in all, The Hate U Give is a story you need to read. It has a really important message, you learn a lot from it and you have a great time reading it, what else can I say? Just go and get a copy, you won't regret it.

Wing Jones is the much anticipated debut novel from Katherine Webber, published on 5th January 2017 in the UK. With a grandmother from China and another from Ghana, fifteen-year-old Wing is often caught between worlds. But when tragedy strikes, Wing discovers a talent for running she never knew she had. Wing's speed could bring her family everything it needs. It could also stop Wing getting the one thing she wants…

Throughout January, over 40 bloggers are participating in the #WJphototour – a photo blog tour documenting Katherine’s path to publishing her debut novel. From childhood memories that inspired her writing to her time living in Atlanta and Asia that influenced the book to authors she’s met over the years right up to receiving her first finished copy of the book, follow along to see Katherine’s author life unfold! Keep an eye on the hashtag to see the latest photos!

Today is my stop on this mega Photo Tour. I've been following the tour and discovering many things about the publication path that brought Wing Jones to us, have you? If you haven't yet, you should totally check them all out here. But for now, here's today photo:

One of the people I met working at BookTrust was the wonderful Katherine Woodfine. Katherine took me under her wing, brought me to book launches and events with her, and became not only one of my dearest friends, but a mentor. Still, I was SUPER nervous when I went with her to my first UKYA Drinks event, organized by Jim Dean, who at that point I’d only ever met on Twitter. I was intimidated by everyone! All the awesome bloggers and amazing authors. But everyone was so nice. Jim, Daphne Lao Tonged, and Robin Stevens were especially welcoming, even though I wasn’t a blogger or an author or anything like that. This was when I started to realize what a fantastic community the UKYA community is, and started to desperately hope that I could be a part of it someday.

About the Book:

Title: Wing Jones

Author: Katherine Webber

Published: January 5th 2016 by Walker Books

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: Jandy Nelson meets Friday Night Lights: a sweeping story about love and family from an exceptional new voice in YA. With a grandmother from China and another from Ghana, fifteen-year-old Wing Jones is often caught between worlds. But when tragedy strikes, Wing discovers a talent for running she never knew she had. Wing's speed could bring her family everything it needs. It could also stop Wing getting the one thing she wants.

About the author:

Katherine Webber was born in Southern California but has lived in Atlanta, Hawaii, Hong Kong and now in London. For several years she worked at the reading charity BookTrust, where she worked on projects such as The Letterbox Club which delivers parcels of books to children in care, and YALC, the Young Adult Literature Convention. You can find her on Twitter @kwebberwrites

Today I review My Lady Jane, a book co-written by three YA adults that re-interprets the story of Lady Jane Grey, who reigned in England for 9 days. Read my thoughts about it here:

Title: My Lady Jane

Authors: Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton and Jodi Meadows

Published: September 1st 2016 by Walker Books

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: A comical, fantastical and witty re-imagining of the Tudor world, perfect for fans of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Lady Jane Grey, sixteen, is about to be married to a total stranger - and caught up in an insidious plot to rob her cousin, King Edward, of his throne. But that's the least of Jane's problems. She's about to become Queen of England. Like that could go wrong.

Review: My Lady Jane is like nothing I've read before. When I first got it, I thought it might be some kind of historical fiction romance with humorous touches but imagine my surprise when I discovered a crazy story with tones of humor, magic that completely re-imagines a real event in the history of England.

For example, take our main character: Lady Jane Grey, a fifteen-year-old bookworm who ends up married to a horse and after his cousin's death, the then sixteen-year-old king, is crowned queen (and might or might lose her head a few days later). Yes, you've read that right, a horse. In the book, there are people who can transform into animals. And there's a bit of a war between the people who have this ability and those who don't. This might sound crazy but it actually works perfectly in the story. Everything makes a lot of sense and the narrators have the most hilarious way to explain it all. Their comments about the story are spot on and they make you feel part if it all. That might actually be my only complaint about the book: there are not enough ironic comments from the narrators.

I found My Lady Jane to be a really creative and original book. The characters were all complex and layered and I just wanted to keep learning more about them. Lady Jane herself was for me the star of the story, with her clever comments and her brave behaviour, I loved following her around. The authors even managed to include some love scenes and stories that complemented the main plot perfectly without taking centre stage.

All in all, I had a great time reading My Lady Jane. It was not at all what I was expecting but this turned out to be a good thing.

If you are looking for some laughs and some craziness that actually makes sense in the strangest way, My Lady Jane is the book for you. I am now curious to discover other work by these authors.

Rating: 4 stars