and a Happy New Year?

By Holly Bourne

3.5/5

I have been highly anticipating this little novella since I finished reading What’s A Girl Gotta Do? I love Holly Bourne’s writing and I was very exciting to see Evie, Amber and Lottie again.

The story is written in hourly sections as the countdown to midnight begins and in each section there are three chapters, one for each of the girls, which I enjoyed because the story is about how they’ve all drifted apart from another so it was interesting to see each girls reasons for this and how they individually felt about things. I especially liked Amber’s chapters as I feel she really matured as a character in the time between the books. However, I found that I really did not get along with Lottie’s character anymore, which is a shame because I really liked how outspoken and confident she was but in this book she just seemed too confident and a little cocky. I loved the chapters from Evie’s perspective, they tugged on the heartstrings as we watched her internal struggle with how she feels about Oli’s relapse.

This is a really fun, but emotional, book about friendship and relationships set at one of the most magical times of the year. I highly recommend if you are a fan of Holly Bourne and The Spinster Club, or if you just want something quick and easy to read.

What’s A Girl Gotta Do?

By Holly Bourne

5/5

This is the final book in the Normal series and it follows the last of the three girls, Lottie, as she stands up for what she believes in and takes over the world with her stance on feminism.

If you have read my reviews for Am I Normal Yet? and How Hard Can Love Be? You will know how much I adore this series. I wasn’t too sure I was going to like this book as much as the other two because Lottie’s character is a little too boisterous and outgoing for my liking but I really enjoyed it. The book was so modern, covering topics that are spoken about all over social media today such as catcalling, feminism and cyber-bullying. I couldn’t put this book down!

I actually really liked Lottie’s character and this book showed a more vulnerable and honest side to her which was lovely to see. I enjoyed her interactions with Evie and Amber and it was nice to catch up with their lives as well as learning more about Lottie. Lottie’s character is an inspiration and someone I think everyone should look up to as she stands up for what she believes in, despite facing a lot of criticism and hate from family, people at school and the world. But despite having a few emotional breakdowns, she doesn’t stop fighting and I really admire that! It was lovely to be introduced to some new characters; I love Megan, she was so sweet and vulnerable but also incredibly strong and a true friend; I also really liked Will by the end of the novel, despite disliking him at the beginning when he was a bit rude and cocky. Jane also made a reappearance and it was nice to see that she had mellowed from the first book and had become quite a close friend to the girls.

I think what I like most about these books, as well as them dealing with current and relevant topics, is that the girls are the same age as me and are going through what I’ve been through. Reading about Lottie applying for university brought back so many good and bad memories of me applying late last year and going for interviews earlier this year and knowing how much pleasing your parents is a part of the experience but also achieving goals for yourself. My only wish is to have a group of friends as supportive as the Spinster Club!

I highly recommend this series of books to everyone! They’re incredibly funny, witty, poignant and heart-warming and I really believe they are a must read for every teenager girl today! I cannot fault these books!

How Hard Can Love Be?

By Holly Bourne

4.5/5

How Hard Can Love Be? Is the second book in the Normal trilogy and it follows Amber as she goes to work at an American Summer Camp to spend time with her mum.

I didn’t enjoy this book as much as Am I Normal Yet? and to be honest, I’m not really sure why because it was brilliantly written, hilarious yet also thought-provoking and a little heart-breaking. It has taken me a couple of days to read which is very unlike me as I can usually read a book this size in a day. I feel I wasn’t as engrained in the story so I found it easier to stop reading and put down for a few hours and then pick back up again. My other issue with this book is that I feel it ended a bit abruptly, I was expecting to follow Kyle and Amber on their road trip but this didn’t happen. However, I did like how the book ended, especially Kyle’s love letter.

I adore Amber’s character; she is incredibly funny and her passion for feminism is really uplifting. Despite all her crying in the book, which is understandable considering her relationship with her mum and her situation with her parents, she is incredibly brave and she has a positive outlook of the world. I also really love Whinnie, Russ and Kyle, even though we don’t see as much of Russ as I would like. Whinnie is so endearing and the kind of friend anyone would want to have. Kyle is utterly perfect and I would really like it if he could just step out of the pages of the book and become my boyfriend. He’s the perfect gentlemen; kind, understanding and chivalrous but he also deals with some self-esteem issues which I think is really nice to see because boys are often stereotyped as never having these feelings.

The setting of the American Summer Camp has really made me want to hop on a plane and fly to America to participate in camp activities despite having the biggest fear of flying. This is a perfect summer contemporary that I will definitely be picking up again next year.

Am I Normal Yet?

By Holly Bourne

5/5

The first thing that I loved about this book is that a tackled a mental illness that is often overlooked and that no one but the sufferer truly knows the extent of. I haven’t read many books on mental health but those that I have read have discussed depression and anxiety, which are no less important than any other mental illness, but I feel as though people are more aware of them and understand them better than other illnesses. I think many of us will be guilty, at some point, of dismissing OCD as just wanting things to be clean and tidy, and even saying things such as, “oh, my bedroom always has to be clean. I’m so OCD!” I’ll admit that I am guilty of this, despite knowing that OCD is so much more, and reading this book has really opened my eyes to what those with OCD suffer with and I’ve come to realise that they are incredibly brave people.

While this book is incredibly sad as you watch Evie’s illness spiral out of control, it is also very uplifting as she has true friends that make her laugh and feel “normal.” Evie, Amber and Lottie calls themselves “The Spinster Club” and they discuss feminism and how boys do not know how to treat girls properly, something which Evie experiences first-hand as she goes on a couple of dates in an effort to make herself “normal.” The family dynamic is also really important in this book as it shows how mental illness affects those around you. My favourite character in the book is Rose, Evie’s younger sister, how is incredibly wise for her age and the sort of person you would want fighting your corner. Rose also goes through her own problems throughout the book and I feel this is what makes her a better sister to Evie because, to some extent, she understands what Evie has gone through.

I would highly recommend this book to everyone and I honestly believe it should be a mandatory read as so many people are dismissive of OCD and I think it would really change people’s perceptions if they read this book to understand what people who suffer with OCD really go through.