Inbetween Days by Vikki Wakefield

Synopsis (From Goodreads) 

Pages: 352 

Publisher: Simon and Schuster 

Released: 30th of August 2016 

At seventeen, Jacklin Bates is all grown up. She’s dropped out of school. She’s living with her runaway sister, Trudy, and she’s in secret, obsessive love with Luke, who doesn’t love her back. She’s stuck in Mobius—a dying town with the macabre suicide forest its only attraction—stuck working in the roadhouse and babysitting her boss’s demented father.

A stranger sets up camp in the forest and the boy next door returns; Jack’s father moves into the shed and her mother steps up her campaign to punish Jack for leaving, too. Trudy’s brilliant façade is cracking and Jack’s only friend, Astrid, has done something unforgivable.

Jack is losing everything, including her mind. As she struggles to hold onto the life she thought she wanted, Jack learns that growing up is complicated—and love might be the biggest mystery of all.

What I Have to Say 

I'm not going to hold anything back. I was bored through most of this book. It's just not the kind of story I'm interested in. It doesn't have to all be action and adventure, but a lot of this book, nothing really happened. There was so much set up that we were really far through the book before a lot of the stuff that's referenced in the blurb even happen. 

Looking as this book purely as art, I can see how it kind of resembles the pace of the small town that Jack lives in and the way that the days blur together with not much happening when you are a new adult who's just making your way in the world, be that at 16, 18 or older. The title Inbetween Days even reflects that. So I think that the thing that put me off the book could be a real draw for someone who likes that kind of thing. 

It just wasn't my kind of book. 

My thanks go to the FMCM for providing me with this copy to review. 

The Bone Sparrow by Zana Fraillon

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 240 

Publisher: Orion Children's Books 

Released: 14th of July 2016 

Subhi is a refugee. Born in an Australian permanent detention center after his mother and sister fled the violence of a distant homeland, Subhi has only ever known life behind the fences. But his world is far bigger than that—every night, the magical Night Sea from his mother's stories brings him gifts, the faraway whales sing to him, and the birds tell their stories. And as he grows, his imagination threatens to burst beyond the limits of his containment.

The most vivid story of all, however, is the one that arrives one night in the form of Jimmie—a scruffy, impatient girl who appears on the other side of the wire fence and brings with her a notebook written by the mother she lost. Unable to read it herself, she relies on Subhi to unravel her family's love songs and tragedies.

Subhi and Jimmie might both find comfort—and maybe even freedom—as their tales unfold. But not until each has been braver than ever before.

What I Have to Say 

This was a beautiful magic story set against the backdrop of one of the worst places a human can exist. The magical feeling of the Night Sea and the Shakespeare duck are a massive contrast to the grim and horrific reality of the center. Subhi is the perfect person to tell this story because his optimism and imagination soften the tone and make it so that it doesn't get too depressing.

I loved Jimmy as well. Having the two views, one from inside the camp and one from outside the camp really contrasts the differences, even though Jimmy's life isn't that great, it highlights the fact that even someone living in a trailer with very little in her life, she is still better off than those in the camp.

This is definitely an eye opening book, but it is also a really fun and enjoyable read.

My thanks go to Orion and Netgalley for providing me with this copy for review. 

The Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl by Melissa Keil

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 294

Publisher: Little Tiger Group 

Released: 11th of February 2016

Alba loves her life just as it is. She loves living behind the bakery, and waking up in a cloud of sugar and cinnamon. She loves drawing comics and watching bad TV with her friends.

The only problem is she’s overlooked a few teeny details:

Like, the guy she thought long gone has unexpectedly reappeared.

And the boy who has been her best friend since forever has suddenly gone off the rails. 

And even her latest comic-book creation is misbehaving.

Also, the world might be ending – which is proving to be awkward.

As Doomsday enthusiasts flock to idyllic Eden Valley, Alba’s life is thrown into chaos. Whatever happens next, it’s the end of the world as she knows it. But when it comes to figuring out her heart, Armageddon might turn out to be the least of her problems.

What I Have to Say 

This is a book about comic-books! Well, not just about comic-books. It's also about art, the possible end of the world and the fear of leaving what's comfortable and safe in order to go out into the big wide world and do something with your life. But they had me at comic-books, everything else just made it extra awesome. 

I'm almost ashamed to say how confused I got with the setting of this book. I couldn't work out how it was the summer holidays and the end of school at the same time as it was coming up to Christmas. Luckily as soon as I realised it was Australian, it all fitted in. 

As I said, this book is about the scary part of life where you let go of your comfortable home life in order to go out into the big wide world. I think a lot of people know what this feels like. I know I do. It shows an very realistic look at how the need to make this decision and take the plunge can be paralyzing and watching your friends do it with relative ease can be the worst thing in the world. 

I think this is very relevant for the teenagers getting ready to go off to University as well as people in their 20s starting to head out into the workplace. 

Though to be honest, at any stage of life there are places where you may have to make this kind of decision. 

Also, comic- books!!