Beautiful Broken Things by Sara Barnard - Review

Where did I get it? Pan Macmillan via NetGalley, so thank you very much to Pan!

What's it about? Caddy and Rosie are best friends, about to go into their GCSE years at different schools in Brighton. Caddy is at a private girls' school and has just turned sixteen. She wants three things to happen in the next year: to get a boyfriend, to lose her virginity, and to have a Significant Life Event. All the bad things that she knows of have happened to people she knows and not to Caddy. For example, her sister was very unwell when Caddy was little, and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. 

Now, this premise kind of annoyed me a lot, because I'm someone who's had maybe a lot of Significant Life Events and who had a lot of them happen before I was the age that Caddy is. I found her romanticising of those types of events very annoying and didn't warm to Caddy until maybe a third of the way through the book.

A new girl, Suzanne, starts at Rosie's school and Caddy soon feels threatened by their friendship. Suzanne is funny and exciting and new, and Caddy feels dull and boring in comparison. Then she discovers more about Suzanne's traumatic past and she becomes friendly with her too. 

I felt for Caddy when she described being a middle-of-the-road student at her school, I empathised very much with this. I really liked the playlists and music mentioned in the book, it was very much my kind of music and I'll have to see if anyone has made Spotify lists of songs mentioned! I loved the friendships between all the girls; they felt very real and flawed but with beautiful and loving parts too. I believe that was part of the author's intention - in the back of the book she describes is as a love story with no romance and it's true. I liked the book a lot, even though I felt it had flaws. 

What age range is it for? 15+

Are any main characters LGBTQ+? No, I would have liked that to be honest

Are any main characters people of colour? No

Are any main characters disabled either mentally or physically? Yes

Is there any sex stuff? Not much - there's a little bit of discussion around consent which I thought was good. 

Are drugs mentioned or used? Yes, nothing too strong but some. 

Is there any talk of death? Yes, and trigger warning for suicide too 

Are there swear words? Yes, just they're judiciously used 

Would I recommend the book? Yes. When I started I was pretty sure it would be a seven out of ten for me, because the beginning of the book really annoyed me as I said. But the latter half really lifted the whole thing for me, and even though I felt it had problems, I feel like the message - about girls supporting girls - is an important one. 

How many stars? Eight, with the caveats above.

Seed by Lisa Heathfield - Review

Where did I get it? I bought it, I think it was on the Guardian YA shortlist earlier in the year? I'd seen it at YA Shot last year though, where my friend Sam bought it. 

What's it about? Pearl lives at Seed. Seed is a cult, run by Papa S, and where everyone is one big family and where everyone worships Mother Nature. Pearl doesn't know who her real mother is, because everyone just lives as one family, but she's close to Elizabeth, who is expecting another baby. She has siblings of her own age, Jack and Kate, and some younger ones, Bobby and Ruby. The elders, including Papa S, were, I think, the original founders of the cult.

At the beginning of the novel, Pearl gets her period for the first time, and is made to go into a dark hole in the ground as she becomes a woman. Later, she has to go to the Forgiveness Room for her impure thoughts, and she's also asked to become Papa S's Companion at one point too. 

Three newcomers arrive from the Outside - Linda, and her children Ellis and Sophie. Ellis and Pearl grow close and Ellis tells her the truth about some things at Seed, and begins to expose its dark heart.

Now, one thing you might not know about me is that my undergraduate degree is in Theology and Religious Studies, and that I am really fascinated with cults of all kinds. So a book like this is perfect for me. I actually wanted more background on Seed and its origins, but I understand that, from Pearl's point of view, there might not be much point in relaying that information, as she has lived her whole life in Seed and nothing about it is strange to her. I felt like putting Nature at the centre instead of God was a really good decision by Lisa as it seems a little bit less controversial. I believe Seed is going to have a sequel and I'd definitely be interested to read it. 

When I read Paper Butterflies it absolutely destroyed me. I finished it about 3am one morning and wanted to throw it out of the window! Last weekend, at YA Shot, I took Seed to get signed and said to Lisa that I hoped that Seed wouldn't break my heart the same way Paper Butterflies did. She promised me it wouldn't and, well, she lied! The ending absolutely did me in! I think there is a paucity to Lisa's writing which really adds to her work and which is in no way a criticism - it makes the reader work and makes the reader more invested in what happens to the characters. 

What age range is it for? 15+

Are any main characters LGBTQ+? No

Are any main characters people of colour? No

Are any main characters disabled either mentally or physically? Yes, I can't say more without giving away spoilers, but there's some violence and illness

Is there any sex stuff? No

Are drugs mentioned or used? No

Is there any talk of death? Yes, be aware

Are there swear words? No

Would I recommend the book? Yes, especially if the premise interests you

How many stars? Eight and a half out of ten, it's really good!

Where is the book going now? I'll keep it, because Lisa very nicely signed it for me!

If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo - Review

Where did I get it? I bought it at YALC this year after hearing a lot about it. 

What's it about? Amanda is a trans girl, and is just moving from living with her mum to living with her dad at the beginning of the novel. She is in the south of the United States, in pretty much the bible belt. She has been out for a few years and has had surgery and taken hormones. She hasn't had much to do with her dad in that time, as he struggles to accept her. She quickly makes friends at school, from popular girls Layla, Anna and Chloe, to Bee, who confides that she is bisexual.  Amanda also starts going out with Grant, and wants to tell him about herself, but he has secrets of his own. 

Interspersed within the main narrative are chapters going back into Amanda's past, including when she was very small and living under her previous name, and including her parents dealing with her and each other and their divorce. 

Amanda is a really gorgeous character - I loved her. I was utterly rooting for her at all points. She's very likeable and humanly flawed. I really liked her. I like Grant, too, I liked his issues and his family. 

Meredith Russo is a trans woman herself and there are notes to cis readers and trans readers in the back of the book, which were both lovely. I think it's great to read a book by a trans author and I fully support more diverse authors getting published. 

What age range is it for? 15+, I think

Are any main characters LGBTQ+? Yes, of course. Amanda is trans, and straight. Bee is bisexual and I liked this side plot.

Are any main characters people of colour? It isn't mentioned, so I assume not.

Are any main characters disabled either mentally or physically? No

Is there any sex stuff? Yes, a little, and it is beautifully done and was lovely to read.

Are drugs mentioned or used? Marijuana, but that's it. I liked it, actually, I thought Amanda and Bee sitting on the grass smoking pot was entirely real.

Is there any talk of death? Yes, and trigger warning for suicide/suicide attempts

Are there swear words? A few, and also homophobic slurs.

Would I recommend the book? Yes, god yes. Go, read it now. 

How many stars? Nine and a half out of ten - wonderfully almost perfect

Where is the book going now? I'll keep it, for sure. 

YA Shot 2016

22nd October saw the second YA Shot event in Uxbridge, London. You can read my post about last year's event here. This year was even bigger and even better! I had such a lovely day.

I drove to Uxbridge on Friday afternoon; I'd booked a room in the Premier Inn in Uxbridge which is really new, very clean, very quiet, and has a huge car park. I'd definitely recommend it if you want to go to YA Shot next year, and even if you'd like to visit London but not stay in the centre. I lounged around feeling very luxurious in my hotel room, and I had food with my friend Von, and I went to sleep all cocooned in the duvet.

Having gone to YA Shot last year, I knew I could park in the Intu shopping centre and walk across to the civic centre. It cost me £10 for up to ten hours, which seemed absolutely reasonable. Having learnt my lesson at YALC, I had brought a suitcase with plenty of room for books, which was a little bit annoying to wheel around all day, but worth it! I arrived at the venue at around 10.30 and greeted by Alexia Casale and her mum, and went into hear the opening comments.

The first panel I went to was over in the Ministry of Magic, and it was "Out of the past: the age of the Tudors and Stuarts in YA", and was chaired by Andrew Prentice along with Ally Sherrick, Jane Hardstaff, and Jonathan Weil. While I'll probably never write any historical fiction, I enjoyed the panel and liked the sound of Ally's book, so bought it.

Here's this panel:

I headed back over to Middle Earth to hear a panel I was very excited about, called "The sound of music: the role and portrayal of music and the music industry in YA". I was excited to hear Chris Russell speak as I heard he went down a storm at YALC, I also really liked hearing Eleanor Wood, and the other panellists Marianne Levy and Sophia Bennett were excellent too. I asked a question about writing about music itself and whether they found it as difficult as I do - which they said they did! I bought Eleanor's book and went up to get it signed. I also spoke to Chris and he signed my notebook, and he gave me this Songs About A Girl wristband. 

This was the music in YA panel, it was really funny and cute. 

Here's my glittery event wristband and Songs About A Girl wristband, aren't they both cute?

My next panel was "Multiplicity: innovative ways of exploring identity in YA", chaired by Hilary Freeman with Kathryn Evans and Jeannie Waudby. It was really interesting and each of the panellists was very honest about their work which I appreciate. I went to speak to them in the signing room and all three were lovely. I'm really intrigued by the premises of Kathy's and Jeannie's books and look forward to reading them, and as you'll have seen previously, I really enjoyed When I Was Me by Hilary Freeman. 

This is a photo from this panel. I love Kathy's hair and dress so much!

After this I went and sat outside to eat my lunch; it was cool but not too chilly and honestly it was nice to have a bit of a break. Then I headed back into the Ministry of Magic for "The hurt locker: love, loss, and coping" with Sarah Alexander and Jenny Downham and chaired by Claire Furniss. Their novels all sound right up my street - gritty and realistic. I asked a question about whether there's anything they wouldn't write and they all felt that no, as long as it was done sensitively and with respect. 

I bought both of Claire's book because the blurbs both sounded excellent, and the others' books too, so afterwards I went back to the signing room yet again. I felt like I spent a lot of time in that room but the queues were really short and it was done really well. 

After that I had a bit of a chill out again in a quiet few seats near the signing room. I needed it and I was glad that kind of space was available! I was waiting for Lisa Heathfield to sign my copy of Seed, which I'd started reading on the Friday night. She was incredibly lovely and I gushed about how much I'd liked Paper Butterflies, even though it absolutely destroyed me emotionally!

Then I headed down to the final panel of the day, "To have and have not: exploring poverty, privilege and class through YA", which was chaired by Polly Ho-Yen with Michael Byrne, Patrice Lawrence and Steve Tasane. This is one of the things that I'm passionate about in YA - I think issues of class and privilege are massively underexplored at the moment. I couldn't buy books by these authors because the Waterstones stall had packed away, so I ordered them online while I was sitting in the audience. I am so glad that the organisers included a panel like this in the day. 

This is a photo from that final panel. 

Afterwards, I went back to my car and set off back up north. It wasn't a bad journey, just very dark in places! I should have booked another night in the hotel really. Next year I will!

And here's what I bought. Don't they all look so inviting?! They're all signed except for Boys Don't Knit which I picked up just because it appealed to me!

I think the organisers did so well again - YA Shot has a really welcoming, DIY atmosphere with no division between authors and visitors. I spoke to lots of authors about my own work which was really grand, and I just had a wonderful time. I can't wait for next year!

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson - Review

I recently read We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson as part of a bloggers book club that I'm part of. I tried to read it back in August but couldn't get into it, but once I got used to the style I found it really engaging and read it quickly. I can see how Jackson was an influence on Stephen King, because the kind of claustrophobia that King writes so well is found here as well.

The heroine of the story is Mary Katherine Blackwood, a troubled 18 year old who lives in a big house on the outskirts of a small town. She lives with her sister Constance and their uncle Julian, who is quite disabled and who needs a lot of care from Constance. The rest of the family are dead, poisoned by arsenic in the sugar bowl six years earlier. Constance was charged with their murders but was acquitted at trial and since then, she hasn't gone further than the garden.

Mary Katherine, aka Merricat, goes down in to the village twice a week to buy groceries, and while she is there must put up with the stares and hatred of the villagers, who taunt her with a song about the murders and who are resentful because the Blackwoods blocked off their land. Mary understands that her family were hated and that she is a pariah.

Back in the house, Mary feels a change coming, and has several rituals that she undertakes to try to protect herself. But then cousin Charles turns up and nothing will ever be the same again.

I don't want to write more about the story because I don't want to spoilt it. I think it's a really well-crafted story with really creepy parts. I think that teens who are into something like Stephen King, or the TV show Stranger Things, would appreciate this book. It's a great short novel. I'm giving it 9 out of 10!

YA in Dorset

Not content with going away to Ireland, I have also been to Dorset with my partner. We mainly relaxed, went to the seaside, swam in the pool, ate ice creams, things like that! One of my favourite things is to go in all the charity shops to see what they've got. I like to look at the books, jigsaws, bric-a-brac, records, whatever really!

First of all I found these Agatha Christie books in a shop in Honiton, where we went because I wanted to look at the lace they have there. They've got really nice covers and they were just £1.50 each, so I had to have them! I've only read one Agatha Christie so far in my whole life, so I'm looking forward to reading more.

The next books came from a bookshop in Chard, which sold both new and 2nd hand books, which I've rarely seen, but I liked it! On the Teen shelf, there were lots of classics which I thought was nice, and then this shelf below. I have All The Bright Places and need to read it soon!

Then there was also a shelf of pre-owned children's and teens books, all for £1 each. I picked up The Lottery, Sea Dance, and North of Beautiful just because they looked interesting and for a quid I'll take the chance! I also bought the Peter James book for my mum as a present as she's getting into the Roy Grace novels (and making me read them too).

I then bought When Mr Dog Bites for £1 in a charity shop in Axminster, because my friend Stacey recommended it to me aaaages ago, and again for a pound I'll see whether I like it!

I am extremely pleased with my holiday book haul!

Remix by Non Pratt - Review

Where did I get it? I bought it, back in March. 

What's it about? Kaz and Ruby are best friends. They've just finished their GCSEs and are spending the weekend at the Remix festival along with lots of friends and Ruby's brother, Lee. Kaz has just broken up with Tom, but still loves him, and Ruby has just broken up with Stu, who cheated on her. The girls are very excited to see their favourite band, Gold'ntone, but they also meet new people, see new bands, and more.

I read Trouble by Non Pratt earlier in the year and the problem I had with it was the same here - I just didn't feel like the story was complex enough. Or that they characters were, either. I felt like the storyline in Remix was thin, and I felt like there was too much telling and not enough showing. It's a shame because I really want to like this author, but I just don't love her stuff. Of course, others may feel really differently.

I found that the setting of a music festival here was an interesting one. I write about music myself, and I understand the difficulties in translating music on to the page. I felt like Non Pratt did well in parts, like when Kaz is playing the guitar, but not in others. I really liked seeing how another author handled this, though. 

What age range is it for? Given that Kaz and Ruby are both sixteen, I would normally expect to say that this was for fifteen year olds and older. However, due to the simplicity of the novel, I would say that anyone 14+ could enjoy it, and maybe even some thirteen year olds. 

Are any main characters LGBTQ+? Yes, Ruby's brother Lee has a boyfriend, I actually really liked their side plot. 

Are any main characters people of colour? Kaz is supposed to be, although it's not explicitly said. 

Are any main characters disabled either mentally or physically? No

Is there any sex stuff? Yes, it's not very graphic, and there's plenty of mention of using condoms, which made me happy.

Are drugs mentioned or used? Yes, a couple of times. 

Is there any talk of death? No

Are there swear words? Yes, quite a few. It's quite well representative of British teens in that way!

Would I recommend the book? Not overly, but of course your opinion may differ and that's fine. 

How many stars? Four out of then

Where is the book going now? I'm not sure. I might give it away to someone.