Review: The Hunger Games Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Warning: may contain spoilers
Katniss Everdeen returns in the explosive Hunger Games finale, Mockingjay. It contains all of the thrills and drama we've come to expect from the series, with a lot of surprises along the way. In fact, my boyfriend kept poking fun at all of the different facial expressions I kept making while engrossed in this book. I'm sure I expressed a wide collection of emotions! 
Picking up from Catching Fire, Katniss learns that her hometown, District 12, has been destroyed by the Capitol. She is thrust into the world of District 13 and the secret rebels who plan to overthrow President Snow and end The Hunger Games forever.
Katniss is chosen as the 'mockingjay', thanks to her iconic badge, the face of the revolution. Mockingjay has a very different feel than the previous two books (which I loved! You can check out the review here and here). The war rages on, and although we see a lot of strength from various characters, we see a more vulnerable Katniss. Some readers were disappointed by this, expecting her to be the strong and fearless girl she was in The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, however, I think Mockingjay brought a more realistic element to the "girl on fire".
When put into context, Katniss had survived two arenas, watched countless people die, saw her friends tortured and saw her hometown burned to the ground. But she still managed to come out of the other side. In doesn't matter if her fire isn't as strong, the fact that she still has some left is remarkable! 
I really enjoyed Mockingjay as it gave you a perspective as to what happened after the games and what the real motives were. There's a real power struggle between President Snow and President Coin of District 13, who Katniss doesn't know if she can trust. This element was a great edition to the series.
The only thing that got slightly tedious was the love triangle between Katniss, Gale and Peeta. And although I loved reading about her complicated and deep history with both boys (I'm team Peeta, in case you were wondering), I felt like shouting "come on, there's more important things to think about! Like the war!"
Overall, a great book and a brilliant end to a great series. I can't wait to see the second instalment of the film in November!

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Review: Tampa by Alissa Nutting

Tampa is not for the faint-hearted as I found out when I started reading it last week. It's clear to see why it was coined as the "most controversial book of the summer" in 2013. In Alissa Nutting's debut novel, she tackles the taboo topic of pedophilia from the perspective of beautiful teacher, Celeste Price.

While Tampa was predicted to be the must-have beach book when it was first published, the subject matter unapologetically makes the reader uncomfortable (really uncomfortable!) Graphic sex scenes between a 26 year old woman and a prepubescent schoolboy isn't the easiest of topics to read about, particularly not on your morning commute!

It is clear that Alissa was influenced by Lolita and American Psycho, Celeste is a sociopath with intense desires and opinions. However, we see the world through her eyes, an uncomfortable place for the reader and it forces you to tackle the social statement Alissa Nutting intended head on.

Tampa is based on a the real-life case of Debra Lafave, who Alissa went to school with. Despite her inappropriate relationship with an underage student, Debra was deemed "too pretty" to go to prison, and although was put on three years house arrest, she served no jail time.

The story makes an example of how much physically attractiveness can benefit you, despite your crimes. Celeste uses her beauty to manipulate those around her to get what she wants, and what she wants most of all is the touch of young boys. I dare say that there would have been very different consequences if the genders were reversed and the beauty taken away.

Tampa is beautifully written, and although a disturbing read, the message behind it is demonstrated perfectly. I'll be very sad to take this book back to the library.

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Review: The Help by Kathryn Stockett

The Help transports its readers back to 1960s Mississippi and introduces three inspiring, strong and intelligent women. Two black maids, Aibileen and Minnie, and a young white woman, Skeeter. The three become unlikely friends as their lives unfold and intertwine on the page.

Sometimes it was a very hard read. We're told about how a young black man was beaten so viciously that he lost his sight. His only crime was that he accidentally used a white man's bathroom. It's hard to stomach and to think that these acts of violence and hatred were a normal part of society.

However, it's not all about the mistreatment and oppression of black people, there was some very touching stories about friendship, loyalty and standing up for what you believe in. Aibileen is an incredible nanny and becomes close to each white child she takes care of, trying to teach them self-love and kindness towards others. Minnie is sassy and suffers no fools but underneath her hard exterior there is a kind and gentle person who would do absolutely anything for someone she cares about.

Skeeter helps them to put their stories into words. They write a book together about their experiences as maids and hope that it someday might get published with the intent that Mississippi will then start to change.

Kathryn Stockett did an incredible job bringing these bold characters to life. We're given the perspective of each of the women through the book and even without being told, it was clear who was narrating as they each had a distinctive voice and thought pattern.

In the epilogue I learned that Kathryn grew up with a black maid herself, one she was very close to. I started to draw similarities between her real life and the book. This made the story a lot more touching for me. I loved it and found myself experiencing a mix of emotions towards the end! 

   

 

Have you read The Help? What did you think?

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Review: It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini

Craig appears to have it all. He's got a supportive family, a group of close friends and he attends ones of the most prestigious schools in New York. If all goes well, he'll be heading to Wall Street in no time, bringing home a ridiculous amount of money and not having a care in the world.    But, it's not as simple as that.    He has suicidal thoughts - intense ones. He can't eat anything without throwing it back up, he can't sleep and he can't get his mind to stop racing at every opportunity. He traces every wrong decision and every mistake to its worst possible outcome. If he doesn't get a 100% in an exam, he'll convince himself that he will become homeless and die alone.    These overwhelming pressures lead him to a psychiatric ward, and due to hospital refurbishments, the teenage patients are put into the adult ward. He meets people there that he would never of had the chance to before, and they change his perspective entirely. It turns out that a short stay in Six North hospital is just what he needs. Away from the stress of school, he is able to focus on finding the root of his depression.   It's Kind of a Story tackles a lot of serious issues, however, there is humour buried beneath them. I was on the verge of bursting into hysterics and crying on quite a few occasions. The aspects of mental health are presented with authenticity and regardless of whether you suffer with depression, I can guarantee that you'll find certain parts uncomfortably relatable.    I later found out that Ned Vizzini spent some time in a psychiatric ward himself, battling his own demons. Unfortunately, he took his life in 2013. It really upsets me to think that this novel has more than likely helped readers who deal with mental illness but it failed to help the author.   A truly beautiful book - one that will stay with me for a long time.   

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Review: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

There's a reason that this book has received so many gleaming reviews and is celebrated by so many. In ten days I was transported to 1930s Nazi Germany and fell in love with the story of Liesel Meminger, the book thief.

 

Firstly, we're introduced to Death. He explains that he is tired of his job and in desperate need of a holiday, but who else would carry the souls the same way that he could? In order to avoid distractions, he rarely looks down at the people who are left behind. The worst part of his job is not collecting the souls of the dead, but glancing down at the pain-stricken family and friends who have been left to grieve. 

He prefers to look at the colour of the sky, until he meets Liesel and steals her notebook. The young girls spirit and passion for words enchants him and he retells her story. Liesel has already seen more than any ten year old should have. The death of her brother haunts her, providing her with the most epic and frightening nightmares.

Her mother gives her up to a foster family, due to her ill-health and she is never seen or heard from again. Although her new carers love Liesel, there's still something missing. Set in Germany in 1939, she is apart of the Hitler Youth and the majority of the nation has been brainwashed by the words of Hitler. 

This novel explores the beauty and the power that words can have. They can control a whole nation, but they can awaken people, too. Liesel finds her place and purpose in words and begins stealing novels. First to help her to read and then to offer an escape. They will eventually lead her into telling her own story.

Markus introduces a wide range of characters and families. Each with their own problems and each psychologically whole. It can often be difficult for an author to include so many different characters and have the reader keep up, but he does this flawlessly. Liesel's relationships with her Papa, her best friend, Rudy and Jewish boy, Max become central to the story. It's wonderful to see each one unfold and develop.

It's a strange mix of humour, devastation and hope. You'll feel a wide scope of emotions when reading this novel. I cried because I was heartbroken, but I also cried because I was relieved. (Disclaimer: there was a lot of crying!)

 

Have you read The Book Thief? What did you think?

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Review: The Year of Reading Dangerously by Andy Miller

 

Admit it, we've all lied about reading books we never have at some point in our lives. Perhaps it's a classic or the latest raved about read, but we've all done it. Andy Miller had a whole house filled with books that he'd claimed to have read. A publishing editor and a writer by trade, Andy realised that he's not quite as well-read as he thought and needs to make time for reading.

It starts off with a short list that he entitles "the list of betterment." These books claim to have changed lives. The big beefy classics with important themes and messages. The most acclaimed and celebrated books were all on there. After successfully tackling some of the more difficult reads, Andy has gets the reading bug and soon sets off to read fifty books in a year. 

Andy has a great writing style, which at times was eloquent, funny and knowledgeable. It was obvious that he had spent a long time researching each novel and its author. There was a lot of background information given about the context of the novel and personal attributes that would have influenced the writer. However, the frequent footnotes often seemed to break up the flow of the text and were often unneeded.

You learn a lot about Andy's life as well as each book he attempts to read. It was really lovely reading about days out with his wife and young son. I particularly enjoyed learning about his early love of books. However, that's where most of the positivity about his personal life ends. 

 

During the time of writing, it was clear that Andy was going through a bit of a tough time, he disliked his job and felt constrained by his daily responsibilities. And although there were some weak links back to the books, it often felt like I was reading his dairy, which would be all well and good if I had chosen to do so, but I was ready to hear about the books, and that sometimes fell a little short. 

He doesn't discuss all of the books that he read in the year. Obviously 300 pages is a limited space, however, I think that if he had spent less time delving into his personal life and his past, it would have freed up a lot of space to discuss the books. Some novels were analysed in full detail whereas Catch 22 and American Psycho were skimmed over. If fact, we learn nothing more about those books other than the fact that he had read them. Annoyingly, those were the two books that I wanted to hear about the most!

However, it was great to read about somebody falling back in love with books. There was quite a few books that he discusses that I now desperatly want to read, including The Sea, The Sea by Iris Murdoch and Absolute Beginners by Colin MacInnes. Towards the end of the book we discover that his quest altered his perspective on life and helped to shape his future plans. It's very uplifting and shows the power a great book. 

 

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Review: Shopaholic to the Stars by Sophie Kinsella

In the seventh in the Shopaholic series, we’re reintroduced to Rebecca Brandon (née Bloomwood) and all of her wild antics. But this time she’s the Shopaholic to the Stars (like what I did there?) All of the familiar characters such as husband, Luke and best friend, Suze are whisked off to LA for an amazing new adventure.

Becky is tired of being a personal shopper and she’s set her sites on something much bigger, she wants to be a stylist! But not just any old stylist, a celebrity stylist! Luke’s new PR client is silver-screen super star, Sage Seymour and Becky is determined to get her on her side.

In typical Sophie Kinsella style, this book was filled with wit and humour. If you’ve read any of the Shopaholic books, you’ll know that Becky’s pride and greed can get her into some hilariously uncomfortable situations. These might seem like bad qualities in a person but Becky is a loveable character with a big heart, however, it didn’t translate well in this book.

All of the same situations and humour was included but it wasn’t as believable as before. I feel like I’ve grown up with Rebbeca’s character and she hasn’t shown any growth or progression. There was one scene in particular where Suze was distort and on the brink of bursting into tears and Becky continued to sneak glances at a new dress. I wanted to shake her!

I don’t think it’s believable to have a character behalf the exact same way as they did in the very first book. Becky is now married with a toddler. Her selfishness and the crazy situations that she gets herself in didn’t seem as genuine anymore. Her priorities should have changed however, her actions didn't.

Another big problem I had was the end. Oh my God, the end! To say that it ends abruptly is a complete understatement. It ends half way through a conclusion, which means to actually know what’s going on, you’ll have to wait until the next book.

I usually don’t mind waiting for books instalments, I expect it with series such as The Hunger Games, but not from Sophie Kinsella. Of course all of the Shopaholic books are linked but I’ve never read one that’s had such an ambitious ending. The great thing about the other books is that every loose end gets tied up. They've never ended on a cliffhanger before and I didn’t appreciate having a conclusion snatched away from me. 

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Review: Paper Towns by John Green

 

Margo Roth Speilman is the coolest girl in school. The type that can easily waltz into the back stage of a rock concert and is completely adored by the whole school. Quentin has always admired her from afar, but one night, she bursts into his bedroom window and demands an all-night road trip pulling pranks on all the people who have wronged her.

The next day, Margo is nowhere to be found. She's completely disappeared. Quentin and his friends will now have to follow clues to discover her whereabouts, constantly wondering who the real Margo truly is. 

It's needless to say that I was gripped from the very first page. John Green has a way of sucking you straight into the centre of the action. His characters are always quirky, mysterious and full of witticisms and Paper Towns is no different.

The novel is set in his home town of Florida. I've been there a couple of times with my family on holiday and I loved spotting landmarks in the novel that I'd been to in real life.

The main theme of this book is facades. It turns out that Margo is a mystery, as the clues develop, it's clear that there's a lot more to her than meets the eye. Maybe she's not the "cool girl" everybody thought she was.

I found it a very relatable read as I think everybody's felt like they were hiding a part of themselves at some point in their lives.

And John Green can do no wrong in my eyes!

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Review: Us by David Nicholls

  David Nicholl's has been at it again, making me think long and hard about life, relationships and everything in-between with his beautifully written new novel, Us.
As usual, David presents a highly quotable book filled with emotion and humour. Main character, Douglas Peterson is a pedantically organised biochemist, whereas his wife Connie is a flamboyant and free-spirited artist.    This book outlines their entire life together from when they right through to current day where they're taking their 17 year old son on a trip around Europe - the thing is, Connie has landed the bombshell of a potential divorce before the trip, which makes things spectacularly uncomfortable.   The narrative jumps back and forth between current day and the significant memories and milestones of Douglas and Connie's relationship. It was great as a reader to be drip feed information as it made you actively piece things together to fully figure out the characters.    There was some highly comedic moments and there was definitely heartbreaking ones too. The emotion represented was raw and all three of the characters were presented in vulnerable states as well as comedic ones. The core of the novel is watching the strains of marriage slowly tear two people apart.    One of the aspects I adored was the trip around Europe, the novel is split into parts that depict the country the family are traveling to. There are plenty of trips around all of the different art galleries were some of the paintings are described in details. There's even a map at the back of the book that outlines exactly where they went and which museums they visited, so you could do the trip yourself! (Hopefully without a family union that seems to be falling apart.)   Overall, a stunning book that I think anybody who has an interest in relationships and family life would enjoy. 

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Review: The Hunger Games Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

After finishing The Hunger Games, I doubted that I could love the following books anymore, turns out I was wrong.
When Katniss Everdeen won The Hunger Games she thought that was it - she would go back to her normal life; continue hunting with Gale and protecting her mother and younger sister back in District 12. Oh, how wrong she was.
Catching Fire picked up as The Hunger Games left off, Katniss and Peeta cheated the system and made history when they were the first victors who managed to win The Hunger Games together. They're still alive and the promise of a large house each, financial security and exemption from all future Games seems unbelievable to the pair but this sense of security doesn't last long.
This is the start of the revolution and rebellion between the districts, finally people have realised that reaping two children to ship off to a televised death match is no way to live and Katniss has unintentionally become the figure head of the movement. Catching Fire explores the struggle she faces as she chooses between fighting against injustice with the districts and protecting the ones she loves.
The arena in this book is definitely my favourite so far, although I could change my mind when I read Mockingjay. The Games are set in a tropical forest filled with danger at every turn: poisonous fog, rabid monkeys and lots of other sinister surprises.
You really start to see Katniss and Peeta's relationship develop as their feelings strengthen. It's clear that Katniss is still unsure of her romantic intentions between both Gale and Peeta, however the love triangle never takes centre stage in the novel - Katniss has more important things to think about such as saving her family and defeating the evils of the Capitol!
If you've watched the films and would like to read the books, I'd recommend reading them all in order starting with The Hunger Games. The films are a great representation but there's certain elements that have been omitted from them that really help to create a much bigger picture of the story. 

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Review: Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle

Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle

 

Let me start off by saying that this book is magic. I started reading this on Boxing Day and when I was about 10 pages in, IT STARTED TO SNOW! It's like Jumanji but in book form (and with snow...)

The three different stories take place in Gracetown on Christmas Eve during the worst snow blizzard in fifty years. Each of the characters, locations and themes are intertwined making it feel a little like an American Love Actually, which is always a good thing this time of year. So let's take a look at each of the stories:

• The Jubilee Express by Maureen Johnson 

This story started off with so much promise. We meet Jubilee, her boyfriend and her parents who are obsessed with a set of ceramic winter-scenes called Flobie Santa Village. You can only buy the pieces once a year in Florida, so of course her parents go but what they didn't expect was to get caught up in a riot over the valuable collectables and end up in jail!

Spoiler alert: Due to her parents spending the night in prison, Jubilee is forced to spend Christmas with her grandparents. This also doesn't go to plan as her train breaks down due to the heavy snow. The thing that really really reallyyyyy bothered me about this is that all of a sudden it becomes a love story between her and someone she's just met. She spends Christmas Day with him and gets annoyed when she finds out he has an ex girlfriend he didn't tell her about. After. One. Day! Sigh.

2/5 - Well written but the unbelievable and gushy plot twist let it down

 

• A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle by John Green

...But not to fear, John Green comes in to save the day! I adored this story. We meet school friends the Duke, Tobin and JP who are having a Christmas Eve James Bond marathon, however this plan gets swiftly interrupted by a phone call from their other friend who works at the Waffle House twenty miles away.

There's cheerleaders there! Lots of them. They're stranded and they want to play Twister - hurry hurry! So, in the worst blizzard in fifty years, the three friends set out in Tobin's parents beat up car in the hopes of getting a Christmas kiss from one of the cheerleaders. 

4/5 - Hilarious characters and a heartwarming love story.

• The Patron Saint of Pigs by Lauren Myracle

Meet Addie. She's spending Christmas Eve alone because of one stupid mistake that cost her her one true love. The beginning of the story is all self-reflection and strikes a chord with anyone who's experienced heartbreak. A lot of mopping, sad music and picking apart every last photograph ensues.

Just when you think this story is just about Addie's failed relationship, her kooky best friends enter, one of which is eagerly awaiting the arrival of her new pet pig. The fate of a teacup will soon lie with Addie, but can she get past her self-obsessed ways to help her friend? The of of this story is where all of the other characters from the previous two stories are introduced and it's great to see how everybody is interlinked. 

3/5 - Started off slow but the introduction of the teacup pig saved it!

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Review: How Not to Write a Novel by Sandra Newman and Howard Mittelmark

How Not to Write a Novel by Sandra Newman and Howard Mittelmark

First of all, if you've ever toyed with the idea of writing your own novel: read this book!

As some of you may know, I completed NaNWriMo last month. I still can't believe that I managed to hit the 50,000 word count in just one month. Despite most of it being complete drivel that needs completely rewriting, I'm really proud of myself.

However, before I entered into the deep dark world of the second draft, I wanted to make sure that I was clued up on some of the writing sins that should not be in my book. How Not to Write a Novel is an absolute joy to read and has really helped me figure out what I need to do next.

It starts by explaining that there are countless ways to tell a story and the only thing most authors would agree on are the things not to do. It is broken down into sections such as: Plot, Character, Style and it presents short paragraphs of bad writing and then details how these mistakes can be corrected.

It's both funny and informative and I've definitely learnt a lot from reading this. I've now got quite a few of my own writing sins to be edited out such as my main character having a cat for no reason other than the fact that I wanted there to be a cat... (I really like cats.)

A must-read for anyone looking to write their own book.

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October Reading Challenge: Flappers and Philosophers by F. Scott Fitzgerald

F. Scott Fitzgerald has a remarkable way with words, in just a single sentance he is able to fully transport you into an entirely different world. It is no secret that I absolutely adore The Great Gatsby so I was very pleased that I had the opportunity to visit one of my favourite authors this month for my 2014 reading challenge.

Flappers and Philosophers is a series of short stories set in the 1920s. Money, power and society are strong themes that are referenced throughout each tale. In usual Fitzgerald style, the lives of the incredibly wealthy and breathtakingly beautiful are fully explored.

It is widely believed that Fitzgerald often took inspiration from his own marriage when writing, and I've noticed more turbulent and troubled relationships depicted in these stories than other Fitzgerald books I've read. It's interesting for me, as a fan, to pick apart the stories and speculate which parts are fact and which parts are fiction.

I really enjoyed reading this collection of stories, however certain parts did let it down for me. A couple of the stories often seemed shallow - which proves that Fitzgerald was a young writer at the beginning of his career and had not yet developed into the superb storyteller than he is now celebrated for.

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Review: Solitaire by Alice Oseman

Sometimes the hardest reviews to write are about the books that you loved... But here I go:

Alice Oseman perfectly captures the conflicting emotions, thoughts and beliefs most people feel when growing up. (They don't call them 'growing pains' for nothing!) The main character comes in the form of Tori Spring - a cynical teenager who likes nothing more than to waste hours on end on Tumblr and sleep.

Tori is quite content plodding through her teenage years and is perfectly comfortable in her contradictions. For example, she hates reading by studies English Literature and she silently judges the vast majority of her "friends". Enter Solitaire, an anonymous group of internet pranksters that force Tori to face her problems head on.

Alice Oseman is a very talented young writer - all of the characters felt real and psychologically whole. Honest is the best word to describe this book. Influences from Catcher and the Rye drip from it and honestly, who best to write about being a teenager than a teenager?!

I adored this book. Seriously, read it.

Oh, and just one last thing: This is NOT a love story!

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Review: The Second Life of Amy Archer

The Second Life of Amy Archer - R.S. Pateman

Happy Sunday bookworms,
 

I hope you've all had a great week.

It's only a quick update today as it's been a bit of a crazy week. I spent all yesterday house hunting with my boyfriend - we're finally taking the plunge and I've also spent a night at the theatre watching the hilarious Avenue Q.

I've also gotten around to reviewing my second book for GeekTown last week - I've got a few more thrillers/horrors on the pile so I'm really looking forward to getting stuck into those. Head over and read my thoughts on The Second Life of Amy Archer by P.S. Pateman. It was a very gripping read so I'd recommend it for fans of thrillers.

Hope you've all got a fantastic week planned. I certainly have as I'm seeing Alt-J tomorrow! 

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Review: Deadlands by Lily Herne

Deadlands by Lily Herne*

Life for Lele is beyond bizarre - she lives in an enclosure in Cape Town and outside of the large fence zombies roam free in the suburbs, known as the Deadlands. The low hum of their murderous groans is now the backdrop to her life. 

The living are watched over by a mysterious cult called the Guardians. They dress in robes and their faces are always hidden. They escort the deceased to the Deadlands and keep the living at bay by enforcing strict rules. Each year they stage a human Lottery that selects five teenagers to be sent outside of the enclosure for a secret task. It's highly sought after with a lot of teens aspiring to be picked - but not Lele. She has her doubts and seems to be the only one who questions the motives of the Guardians. What could they possible want with all these teenagers?! 

Written by mother-daughter writing duo under the name of Lily Herne, this book provides mystery, suspense and heart racing fight scenes that you'd expect from a zombie drama. Think The Hunger Games meets The Walking Dead.

Deadlands is the first of the series and is the first young adult zombie book I've read. This book serves as an introduction to all of the different characters (some of which you'll grow very attached to) and the backdrop of post-apocalyptic Cape Town.
 

I loved this book and I can't wait to read the rest in the series! 

*Thanks to Constable Robinson for sending me this book to review! 

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August Book Challenge: The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling Review

Before I start this review, I just want to make it clear that I desperately wanted to like this book. The Jungle Book is one of my most loved childhood films (both live-action and Disney animated) and I couldn't wait to revisit this book.

I'm not sure if I unintentionally tripped myself up by expecting great things or that I'm too used to the heavily adapted film versions, but I struggled to enjoy this book. It's a lot more violent and revenge-filled than the adaptation and it worked in parts, however at times I found the uproar unnecessary. 

The book is a collection of various short stories about the wildlife that live in the jungle. Well-loved characters Mowgli, Baloo and Bagheera are the subjects of quite a few of the stories, but not all. Although the theme of friendship and family is constant throughout, I think the message often got lost amongst fighting scenes.

Each short story was used as a fable to teach moral lessons to children at the time it was written. It was also speculated that they represented the politics of society at the time. I usually enjoy novels that encompass those themes, however, I think that I am too used to the adapted versions to fully appreciate this book.

 

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Review: The Humans by Matt Haig

The Humans by Matt Haig

My favourite kind of story is type that can blend tragedy and comedy perfectly. The Humans by Matt Haig is one of those books that will make you laugh out loud, but will also make you reflect on serious issues.

The book is written in the perspective of an alien who is inhabiting a famous academics body. Human life is a completely bizarre concept to him as he comes from a planet that is void of emotion. His homeland is completely rational, and he views human beings as being violent, greedy and fame-hungry. However, the man who's body he has consumed has a wife, a teenage son and a dog. At first he is repulsed by all of them, but then starts to realise the importance of family.

The laughs come from the alien trying to figure out his place. He first arrives to Earth naked without any concept of money or etiquette. On his planet, spitting at people is a polite and friendly greeting - something that is not taken too kindly to here on Earth!

The books genius is that it forces you to see the 'ordinary' through a completely new pair of eyes. It makes you question your own lifestyle choices and those of others. Plus the subject of depression is handled beautiful in this book.

I had the pleasure of meeting Matt at World Book Night in April and during a Q&A session he said that his main inspiration for The Humans was his own experiences with panic attacks and depression. He felt completely alienated by the rest of the world and found it hard to relate to people. I think this is such a brilliant way of channeling those feelings into such an original idea for a story. 

I'd highly recommend this book!

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Lolito by Ben Brooks - Book Club Review

Lolito by Ben Brooks

A few month ago a blogger friend of mine, The Girl in the Moonlight and I, decided to have our very own book club! We picked a book out of a hat after suggesting three books each, which led us to Lolito by Ben Brooks. (It turns out that we both wanted to read it after Youtuber, Carrie Fletcher recommended it - complete fan girls!)

We sent each other regular emails about our thoughts while we were reading it and I must admit, I haven't enjoy a book so much in a long time. I completely sped through the story and ended up finishing it in a couple of days.

The plot is a modern day take on Lolita written by Vladimir Nabokov. The genders are switched in Lolito and it becomes a story about a young boy, Etgar who embarks on a intimate relationship with a much older woman, Macy.

On the surface, a story about a fifteen year old and a forty-something seems outrageously wrong, but Ben handles the sensitive subject matter in such very positive way. He presents Macy as a good person, but who also seems depressed and confused. Etgar and Macy are both lost and going through tough times in their lives and they find solace in each other, and that makes the relationship hard to question despite how uncomfortable it should make you feel.

In fact, it was Etgar that manipulated Macy into believing that he was older than what he was, which eliminates any thoughts of Macy being a paedophilic predator. This book completely questions your ethics and were you stand morally and I always give high recommendations to books that make you think.


Make sure you read The Girl in the Moonlight's review here.

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Review: The Three by Sarah Lotz

The Three by Sarah Lotz*

Black Thursday. The day that will go down in history forever. The day that four planes at different points in the world crashed simultaneously. Miraculously three people survived the devastating accidents - children who appear unharmed.    Conspiracy theories are rift throughout the book and The Three even has a website full of faux-news articles, eye-witnesses and messages boards on their website that can be found here.    The book is structured as a non-fiction account of the after-math of Black Thursday, written by journalist Elspeth Martins. Each chapter is either an interview, account or newspaper article that appeared after the accident.   Once I started reading, I couldn't put this book down. There are so many different characters with conflicting opinions and beliefs that you're left wondering what really happened. You start to piece the story together bit by bit and even come up with your own theories.    Fans of thrillers and horrors will no doubt love this book. I was hooked from the first page!  You can buy The Three from Amazon here.     
*Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for sending me this copy to review

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