I’ll Give You The Sun

By Jandy Nelson

4.5/5

This book. Wow. I finished this book about 20 minutes ago and I am still speechless. I can’t stop thinking about it and I don’t think I’ll be able to stop for a very long time.

I was a bit unsure of this book when I first began reading and for a good 100 pages I wasn’t sure if I was going to like which is the reason I gave it 4.5/5. There’s lots of imagery and flowery language and if you’ve read some of my other reviews you will know this isn’t really my thing. However, when the story got going I could not put this book down. This story is breath-taking and relatable and so incredibly wonderful. Jude and Noah are so gorgeous and though I hated them both at different times, I still love them both wholeheartedly. I really liked how Noah’s chapters are from his younger perspective and Jude’s from their present age because it really enables you to see how they have grown and developed. Their relationship is so heart-breaking but is what makes the book so special. Noah and Jude will forever be in my heart.

The romance in this book is incredible. Noah and Brian made me laugh and cry and I felt every emotion they went through. Jude and Oscar are so perfect and their relationship is so special. I adore all of the characters in this book and it was wonderful to see how they all intertwine.

I could go on about this book forever but I don’t want to spoil its magic. You really must go and pick up this book – it’s one of a kind and a story that will stay with me for a very long time.

Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda

By Becky Albertalli

4.5/5

This book has been hyped so much on Bookstagram and I knew, no matter what, I had to read it. Yesterday was that day. I’d been hesitant about purchasing this book because of its length; I am a really fast reader and I knew it would only take me a couple of hours at the most to read so I felt it was a bit of a waste of money. However, I received a Waterstones voucher for my birthday and so was able to purchase the book without paying for it myself and now I am so happy to have this book in my life. It’s a really easy read that made me smile and laugh and even gave me butterflies with how utterly adorable it was. I read it one sitting because I just couldn’t put it down.

The characters are wonderful and vibrant; I am a big fan of Abby and Nick. Friendship is so important throughout this book which I love; Simon’s group of friends are as random as they come, with soccer players and those from the drama club but they fit together like a family and each individual character helps the others to grow. Family is also very important in this book and Simon’s family are as crazy as they come; his sisters are fantastic! You can’t help but smile at the romance in this book. The emails exchanged between Blue and Jacques (Simon) are endearing and are exactly what you would expect of two 16 year old boys getting to know each other. I was incredibly happy when Blue was revealed and the relationship that developed between the pair was beautiful.

I could gush about this book forever so instead of listening to me waffle on about how amazing it is, go and read it for yourself. You won’t regret it.

The One We Fell In Love With

By Paige Toon

3/5

I picked this book up from the supermarket with no expectations of what it was going to be like; I just needed a quick read to last until I went to my local bookstore. This book did the trick. The story follows triplets, Phoebe, Rose and Eliza, who all fell in love with the same boy, Angus. However, the story is more than just a romance, it is more importantly about the relationship between the sisters after a tragedy.

I found this book to be a really quick and easy read. It made me smile and was just the sort of book I needed to get me out of a reading slump. However, the story was difficult to follow at times as I couldn’t really figure out what was happening in the present and what had happened in the past. This became clearer towards the middle of the book when the tragedy was revealed but as such, it is one of the reasons this book only got 3/5. A second reason is because I found the characters really hard to relate to; usually in a book there will be at least one character who I see some of myself in but I found it really difficult to get to know these characters. Perhaps it’s because the sisters are much older than myself but being unable to relate to them created a barrier between myself and the story and so I could not fully immerse myself into the book.

On the other hand, this book was really easy to read and I would probably read it again if I had nothing else on my shelf. 

Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy

By Cassandra Clare

4/5

If you are a fan of The Mortal Instruments series, you must read this book which follows Simon as he ascends to become a Shadowhunter. Our favourite characters also make an appearance but it was nice to see Simon’s character develop without the help of the others as he made some new friends and learned more about his past.

Simon was one of my favourite characters in the TMI series so I was really looking forward to being reacquainted with him in this spin-off and he did not disappoint. He was the same charming, witty, awkward Simon that we all know and love but he grew as a character which was lovely to see. I also fell in love with the character of George Lovelace and the witty banter the two shared made me smile. Catarina Loss was another favourite of mine and her relationship with Simon was so special.

My favourite stories in this book were definitely the final two; Born to Endless Nights made me smile so much as we were reunited with our favourite couple, Malec, and Angels Twice Descending made me smile and cry in equal measures.

I will most definitely read this book again and I believe it to be a must read for all Cassandra Clare fans. However, I am now impatiently waiting for Lord of Shadows, the second book in The Dark Artifices trilogy, as I have missed this beautiful world that Cassie created.

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.

I’ll Be Home for Christmas

Various authors

3/5

This is a collection of short stories about Christmas written by various YA authors to support the charity Crisis. The stories are all completely separate so it is a really good book to read if you have a spare 20 minutes or so every day as you can read one story and not have to worry about forgetting the plot as they are all individual. To be truthful, I hadn’t heard of most of the authors who have stories in this book and I only purchased it because there is a story by Holly Bourne and she is one of my favourite authors. However, I will definitely be looking into some of the authors as I really enjoyed most of the other stories.

This is quite a difficult book to review because it would take me a long time to review every single story so I’m just going to list a few of my favourites. Of course, The Afterschool Club by Holly Bourne was one of my favourites, but I also really enjoyed Ghosts of Christmas Past by Non Pratt, Family You Choose by Cat Clarke and Homo for Christmas by Juno Dawson.

I would definitely recommend this book if you are looking for something to get you into the festive spirit and if you just want a quick and easy read. This book also supports a really great cause so you know your money is being used well.

How to Find Love in a Bookshop

By Veronica Henry

4/5

This book is utterly gorgeous. It made me laugh and cry in equal measures and it has definitely enhanced by dream to open up my own bookshop. The story follows a number of characters who are all linked by Nightingale Books, a lovely bookshop owned by Julius Nightingale before he died (if you have seen the films Valentine’s Day or New Year’s Eve, this book is kind of like those films in that all the characters know each other in some way).

I adored all of the characters in this book, especially Dillon and Jackson. However, due to this following different characters perspectives, the author only scratches the surface with her characters; we do not really find out too much about them. Despite this, the book is still romantic and endearing and I will most definitely be reading it again.

What I liked most about this book is how much it understood me as a reader. I could pick out many quotes that stand out for me in this book but this is one of my favourites; “So that was why people read. Because books explained things: how you thought, and how you behaved, and made you realise you were not alone in doing what you did or feeling what you felt.” I think this quite perfectly captures what it is to be a fan of literature, whether that be children or YA fiction, adult fiction or even non-fiction to an extent, and how understanding this book is of us as readers is what really made it so special. A definite must-read!