When the Light Went Out by Bridget Morrissey || Review

"You're a billion pieces, building and unbuilding, stacking and unstacking, hinging and unhinging, pushing, pulling, leaning, standing, falling, all to create something bigger than you." 

This book was kindly sent to me for review, via Netgalley, by SOURCEBOOKS Fire. Many thanks to both!

Name: When the Light Went Out 

Author: Bridget Morrissey

Rating: 3.5 Stars 

Pages: 320

Publisher: SOURCEBOOKS Fire

Published: June 1st 2019

Marley Bricket was the light of their friendship group, she kept everybody on their toes with their annual scavenger hunt called the Adventure, her stories and she made small town life bearable. Everybody knew they, Marley and her friends. When the Adventure comes around, they all get more than they bargained for. A gun that wasn't supposed to be loaded. An accidental shooting. Marley Bricket, dead. 

Five years later, her friends all get together after her memorial, the first one with them all together, for one last adventure. But will finishing what Marley started years ago raise more questions than answers and make everyone fall back into the spiral of grief and loss? 

I wanted to love this book. I really really did. 

And I didn't hate it. 

The writing was great, I really enjoyed the alternating point of view between the day that Marley died, and the days of the Adventure. It flowed well. But the present day point of view almost made parts of the throwback chapters redundant, it answered your questions too early I feel, which potentially made the book drag along a little. The ending was suspected. It made it hard to read and follow the flow. But the author really does have a lovely way with words, there were so many sections of this book I found myself taking note of and highlighting along the way because they encapsulate the process of grief so well. 

Grief is a really difficult topic to write about, especially grief from bereavement. How do you put loss in to words? Morrissey does it very well and the sections that spoke on grief were poignant and raw. They sat with you through the story and you can really feel what the main characters are expressing. 

That being said however, one reason this book isn't rated higher is the main characters. Ollie and Nick were the youngest two of the group and the two that were there when Marley died, Nick pulled the trigger and Ollie watched as Marley was killed by a gun that wasn't supposed to be loaded. That type of trauma is bound to mess anyone up, especially eleven year olds. But something about Ollie didn't sit well with me, I found her character reckless for the sake of being reckless and her unhealthy obsession with Marley was kind of unsettling in places. Particularly when she dresses as Marley to go to her memorial every year. That in particular made me feel a little weird. Ollie's voice is the narrator in this book, she's followed by the spirit of Marley, this presence of Marley was nice but I felt like it could have been developed further. 

I wanted a bit more from that aspect of the book. 

Now looking at Nick, he was a good character. But in terms of him and Ollie and their budding romance, it didn't seem like it was something that was for the best. It seemed too predictable and too cliche for the book, and in my opinion, Ollie forgave him way too fast for not talking to her in five years. 

Something that was unprecedented from this book were the conversations about mental health and whether Marley knew the gun was loaded when she told Nick to pull the trigger. It was a conversation that fit well into the story and made it even more harrowing than before. 

Overall Rating: 3.5 stars, this book didn't fully hit the mark with me, but it was also a good read. I wouldn't call it a favourite but I don't hate it.

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The Lost Coast by Amy Rose Capetta || Review

"Sometimes lost is where you need to be for a while."

This book was kindly sent to me for review, via Netgalley, by Candlewick Press. Many thanks to both!

Name: The Lost Coast

Author: Amy Rose Capetta

Rating: 5 Stars 

Pages: 352

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Published: May 14th 2019

The Lost Coast follows the journey of six LGBTQIA+ witches navigating through Tempest, California, they are searching. Searching for themselves, for their friend, for the one they love. They Grays have lost one of their own, Imogen, although there physically has lost herself. Her personality, her spark, her magic, just gone, and The Grays need the help of Michigan newcomer, Danny, who while she was looking for something new, the Grays were looking for her. 

However, Danny doesn't know where to help because she believes her only power is kissing girls and making small town people uncomfortable. 

They must come together to figure out what happened to Imogen, piece together the bits of the story that don't make sense, they have to solve why they keep finding bodies, and how the story of a ghost from the previous century connects. This is a story of finding friendship in unexpected people, love in unexpected places and best of all, MAGIC. 

I didn't know what to expect from this book, and I know I say that a lot, but I genuinely didn't. I find some stories containing LGBTQIA+ characters can usually fall into being a cliche, where their identification label is their sole character trait, but this book wasn't that at all. This book explored sexuality and gender identities in such a nice way, where the characters were more than just who they decided they wanted to kiss or what they were attracted too. It was integrated as an important part of these characters and their journeys but I liked that the author didn't use it as the only thing about these characters, for example, Leila is fiesty, she has heartache and she's real, Rush is quiet and intelligent, musically literate and has sythesthia (another thing I'd never really seen a YA author tackle.) 

My favourite character was Danny. Danny was super interesting, and she was a lot more complex than I first thought. I felt like she was so kind, sure she was looking for a new life and she was looking for new friends, but what The Grays were asking her to do was a lot, and she did it. She knew that Rush and Imogen were a thing, and despite falling for Rush, she was still determined to help them out in finding Imogen. 

The writing style of this book drew me in straight away. I love trees. I love being in the forest, I love being surrounded by trees, so straight off the bat, the ethereal description of being surrounded by Redwood trees made me really happy. It really made for a magical setting and it set up how beautiful the region of the Lost Coast must be. I think Amy Rose Capetta has a really beautiful writing style, it flows really well and the layout of the book and the alternating points of view didn't affect the flow of the story in the slightest. I think the story had enough twists and turns to keep the reader fully immersed and I read this book in one sitting. 

Overall Rating: 5 Stars. I think this story fills a gap that is missing in YA Witch Lit, it covers a ground that I feel some authors are afraid to cover/haven't covered in a good way and if it sounds like a book you'd be interested in, I would recommend you pick it up! 

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The Square Root of Summer || Review

I received a free physical copy of this book from the publisher, Macmillan's Children's Books, in exchange for an honest review! 

Title: The Square Root of Summer
Series: N/A, Stand alone 
Author: Harriet Reuter Hapgood
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Fantasy 
Pages: 336 
Publisher: Macmillan's Children's Books 
Publication Date: May 3rd 2016
My Rating: 5 stars 

Last year, Gottie's reality fell apart. She lost her beloved grandfather, Grey, and she lost her first love, Jason. But now, as she fells stronger, she begins to notice the threads at the edge of her sleepy seaside town life unravelling. 

Strange things begin happening. 

She keeps having "episodes" where she experiences the past as if it's the present. But she doesn't believe this is caused by a psychosomatic problem, and she uses her knowledge of maths and science to get the bottom of these "wormholes." These episodes get stronger when her childhood best friend Thomas returns from Canada, and Gottie realises that they may have something to do with their last meeting and the time capsule in the garden...

This book was something unique, that's for sure!

I've had a real kick for contemporary over the past while, and this book really epitomised two of my great literary loves. Fantasy. Contemporary. I loved it. I thought that the author really thought out this book. The plot was incredibly structured, the characters were well rounded and likable, Gottie especially. I immediately knew I'd love her, with such a unique name, how could I not? 

The love story in this book didn't even phase me, it was inputted to the plot so well that it felt organic and non-forced. The use of Thomas and his return was so pivotal and interesting that it made my heart really happy! 

This is just a personal little side note, but I love when books incorporate science, especially women and science. This is such a little thing but it really makes my heart happy!! 

This book is the perfect way to start summer off, why not make yourself some memories with a time capsule and some cinnamon buns! 

QOTD: If you were to make a time capsule, what would you put into it? 

My final rating is 5 stars!

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You Know Me Well by Nina LaCour and David Levithan || Review

Title: You Know Me Well
Series: N/A, Stand-Alone
Author(s): Nina LaCour and David Levithan
Publisher: MacMillan Children's Books (Pan MacMillan)
Publication Date: June 2nd 2016
Pages: 256



I was sent a physical copy of this book, in exchange for a honest review, with thanks to the publisher, MacMillan Children's Books. 

Who knows you the best?

Your siblings?

Your parents?

Your best friends?

Does anybody really know us? 

On a wild night in the city with his best friend who he just so happens to be in love with, Mark runs into Kate who has just ran away from the opportunity to meet the girl she's admired from afar. They've sat beside each other everyday for a year in school, but they've never spoken to each other. 

These two teenagers have no idea how much they will grow to know each other in such a little time, and they realise that they know each other more than anyone else in their lives. More than their best friends, more than their family. 

This book follows these two characters as they face problems and challenges and we see this unlikely friendship blossom.

This was a really quick, fast paced contemporary. It was the type of contemporary that makes your heart warm and you really hope for the best for these characters. Sometimes, books with alternating views can be pretty hit or miss, but this book had a really great flow and it showed a great collaboration between Nina LaCour and David Levithan. 

This book, although it had it's hard hitting moments, was pretty lighthearted throughout. It had love, friendship and pride as the main themes. This night in the city acts as the catalyst for their friendship and it allows Mark to have the support of Kate when the best friend that he is love with, Ryan, meets a guy that he loves. Mark has to confront Ryan about these feelings between them and he has to decide if he's okay with just a platonic relationship, or if he needs more. 

Kate also uses Mark's support when she has to deal with college pressures, friend pressures and the chance to meet the girl she's loved from afar. Is she ready to deal with all of these things? 

My only issue with this book would be Kate's annoying best friend Lehna, let's just say I have no patience at times, and the body has 7 trillion nerves and she was getting on every single one.

I suppose this book could be deemed as coming of age as the characters have to learn to trust themselves, each other and their hearts and heads. This is a heart warming and poignant book that makes you follow each moment with expectancy and the best of wishes. 

This book is being released in June, and I deem it as a must-read for Summer 2016!

My final rating is 4 stars!

QOTD: Who knows you well? 

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Just A Few Inches by Tara St. Pierre || Review

I received a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, from the author, with thanks to Tara St. Pierre!

Title: Just a Few Inches
Series: N/A, Stand alone
Author: Tara St. Pierre
Publication Date: May 31st 2015
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
Pages: 306

Ever wanted to lose a few inches?

Maybe your hips are too big to fit into that beautiful pair of jeans? Maybe that perfect prom dress doesn’t fit? For Carrie, all she wanted was to drop a few inches in order to fit into a red, electric prom dress to wow her date. When she gets her hands on some diet pills, she thinks her prayers have been answered when she wakes up with the weight just dropping off. But one thing she didn’t account for, inches coming off her height too.

When Carrie starts shrinking, she not only loses weight but she starts to become shorter and shorter until her story gets told nationwide and she has to get to the root of the problem, did the pills cause this to happen to her? Will she ever find love when she’s down to the size of a toddler? Can she ever have a normal life? Will she shrink and disappear completely? 

When the author contacted me about reading this book, I didn’t really know what to think, it sounded really unique and interesting and my initial thoughts were correct! I’ve never read a story that’s quite like this one. This book mixes Fantasy with Contemporary in a way that is so coherent and well thought out that you don’t even think about the fact that these genres don’t usually mix.

Carrie is a great character, she is relatable and she takes this whole situation in her stride, reacting to it the way that she should, with worry, but not letting it stop her from finding a cure or living her life. I like how she continued going to school, I like how she continued being a normal teenager despite the fact she was 2 foot nothing and still going to school. She continuously motivated and encouraged people through her blog and I think that was a pretty nice touch. 

I got so angry reading this book at her sister. Her sister was so selfish and ignorant, and I understand she was a young teenager who soon learned the error of her ways, it was a really odd feeling to have as I was enjoying the book so much and hadn't felt angry at anyone yet! (*Spoiler* Her sister locks her in a cupboard so she can have a house party and one of her friend's almost assault Carrie.)

The fact that the author has been playing with this idea for years really interested me, and I'm glad that she finally shared it with us all!

This is a brilliant book, and I highly recommend it, 

QOTD: If you were to shrink, how would you deal with it? 

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Review: Cutter Boy

Please be aware that this book tackles the issue of self harm, if that is a trigger to you in anyway, it is the main theme of this book. Please stay safe. 

Title: Cutter Boy

Series: N/A, Stand alone (Possibly Sidestreets.)

Author: Cristy Watson

Genre: YA, Contemporary 

Publisher: Lorimer 

Publication Date: 12th February 2015

Pages: 176

I received a free digital copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley, with thanks to Lorimer and Netgalley. 

Ignored at home. 

Bullied at school. 

Travis' only solace is found in a blade. 

It becomes his dependency to cope with how his parent's don't talk to him, how he has no friends, how his sister's live miles away. It takes away the emotional pain and replaces it with a physical pain that he can control. But every changes when he meets Chyvonne. She breaks the stereotypes of everything around her, she shines like a light, and Travis's parents seem to love her more than they love him. He even discovers a love for art that seems to relieve the urge to cut himself, and rather he cuts the paper.

But will his scars prevent something happening between them? 

Or can she help him? 

Books that tackle self harm are either a hit, or they are a miss. And in this situation, I think it was between the two. In some ways, it missed mainly in the fact it was quite short. However, the author answered a question saying that the publisher had a word count for these "Sidestreets" books at 25,000 words, so I think in the way she tackled this really tough issue in less than 200 pages in simply fantastic. 

I felt as if I was reading a full length novel. 

You immediately felt heartbroken for Travis, it's clear to why he feels so alone from the offset. His parents don't talk to him at all, they just talk to each other when he leaves the room and they seem to tiptoe around him just so they don't have to spend any time with him. His school bullies are also presented in a realistic, but incredibly brutal way. You almost can feel Travis's emotions as you're reading this book. You understand him. 

I just wanted the best for him throughout this book. 

The author arcs this book in such a way that you go up and down, you're sad, then you're happy. Then everything just seems so bleak, but then it gets happier again and towards the end, you can truly see a positive output for Travis. 

My favourite parts left me bittersweet, like when his dad lay in his bed and watched TV with him, or when Chyvonne found out about the self harm. 

My final rating is: 4 stars

If you're struggling with self harm, please don't be afraid to talk to someone about it. A teacher, a parent or a friend. There are anonymous forums and numbers you can ring to just vent about it. Please, stay safe, take care of yourself. 

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