The Boy Next Story by Tiffany Schmidt

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 272 

Publisher: Amulet Paperbacks 

Released: 21st of May 2019 

This is the second title in a paperback original series about a girl whose classic literary crushes manifest in real life, this time told from Rory Campbell’s point of view and inspired by the timeless classic Little Women. Rory likes Toby, but Toby likes Rory’s sister Merrilee, even though Merrilee is already dating Toby’s friend Fielding—and it’s all about to get even more complicated at Reginald R. Hero High . . . where our leading ladies’ romantic fantasies come true, often with surprising consequences. Perfect for younger readers of YA or older readers of middle grade, this squeaky-clean series is sure to charm any reader who’s ever had a book boyfriend of her own.

SPOILERS FOR THE GREAT GATSBY AND LITTLE WOMEN IN THIS BOOK.

What I Have to Say 

I adored Merrilee's tale in A Date with Darcy and I've been excited ever since to see what will happen with Rory and Little Women. It was really great to see more of Rory, especially a new side of Rory. I don't remember much of her in A Date With Darcy other than her role as Lydia in the party scene with Merrilee's Romeo, but what was great about this book was that that we didn't just see more of Rory. We saw her side of her relationship with Merrilee. We saw her as the prickly little sister and now we get to see Merrilee as the older sister who keeps leaving poor Rory out of things. We see why Rory sarcastic and bitchy to Merrilee. We see the defences she's built up in response to the very close relationship between Merrilee and Lily. 

It broke my heart though. Merrilee's story came with enthusiasm and a love of books and a boy who you know she's misjudging from the start. Rory's story comes with a lot of loneliness and longing and a constant of anxiety about how they're going to do the bit in Little Women with Beth. I fell in love with Rory so much in this book and I wanted to cry at everything that went wrong for her. 

This book had everything. Romantic gestures, strong emotions and even references the Magic School Bus! But I do have two parts that I had problems with. The first was that I felt that Toby switched his attention from Merrilee to Rory a little too quickly. Especially considering we all knew that it was coming, not just from the plot of little woman, but because the other characters made no secret of the fact that they knew it too, I feel like we could have had a lot more little things to show the feelings that he had for Rory that he wasn't noticing because of his feelings for Merrilee. 

The second was that it spoilt the Great Gatsby for me!! I signed up for this book to read about Little Women, I wasn't expecting to get a book I hadn't read ruined for me in the process. Though I can forgive it, because it sounds like it's not something I need to read anyway. 

Looking forward to see what's more to come in this world where life imitates art! 

My thanks go to Netgalley and Amulet Paperbacks for providing me with this free copy for review. 

The It Girl by Katy Birchall

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 352

Publisher: Egmont

Released: 7th of May 2015

Everybody wants to be a famous It Girl. Don't they?

Anna Huntley's aims in life:

1) Must keep my two lovely new (and only) school friends by not doing anything in usual manner of socially inept dork and outcast.

2) Train Dog (my labrador) to high-five. This is probably the most ambitious life goal on this list.

3) Do not set the school's Deputy Queen Bee mean girl's hair on fire (again).

4) Work out whether 2) and 3) constitute being socially inept or outcastish.

5) Go to Africa and give out rice.

6) To hide in a cupboard FOR LIFE with Dog now Dad is engaged to one of the most famous actresses EVER, the paparazzi want to spash my face all over the papers and everyone in school (and The World) is soon to discover the level of my social ineptitude.

7) Is rice a bit done now? Maybe I can give out chocolate in Africa too. I do like chocolate. Must work out how to do it from the cupboard... 

What I Have To Say 

I don't know about anyone else, but I would love to have a friend like Anna! I think she's wonderful and hilarious and I would gladly have someone to act out scenes from the Lion King with. My dog may even be small enough to life up like Simba during the Circle of Life! Although she might be a bit too wriggly and over-excited... 

The book was quirky, funny and full of lists (I like lists in books). It was full of hilarious happenings from a very quirky characters, who I loved. Although it had a bit too much of the ideology that nerdy equals bad, I loved it from start to finish. 

Some of the background characters didn't really have much personality, or were stereotypes (school mean girl and her friends), but Anna certainly had enough personality to carry the whole thing. I have never seen a character quite like her. She reminded me very much of myself as a teenager. 

I would recommend this book to anyone who's looking for a nice quirky funny book as it's definitely very uplifting. 

Under My Skin by James Dawson

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 302

Publisher: Hot Key Books

Released: 1st of March 2015

Meet Molly Sue. Once she's under your skin there's no getting rid of her...

Seventeen-year-old Sally Feather is not exactly a rebel. Her super-conservative parents and her treatment at the hands of high school bullies means that Sally's about as shy and retiring as they come - but all that's about to change. Accidentally ending up in the seedier side of town one day, Sally finds herself mysteriously lured to an almost-hidden tattoo parlour - and once inside, Sally is quickly seduced by its charming owner, Rosita, and her talk of how having a secret tattoo can be as empowering as it is thrilling. Almost before she knows what she is doing, Sally selects sexy pin-up Molly Sue, and has her tattooed on her back - hoping that Molly Sue will inspire her to be as confident and popular as she is in her dreams.

But things quickly take a nightmareish turn. Almost immediately, Sally begins to hear voices in her head - or rather, one voice in particular: Molly Sue's. And she has no interest in staying quiet and being a good girl - in fact, she's mighty delighted to have a body to take charge of again. Sally slowly realises that she is unable to control Molly Sue... and before long she's going to find out the hard way what it truly means to have somebody 'under your skin'.

What I Have To Say 

I don't read many horror books, so I may be wrong, but I don't think that there are that many other horror writers that have the same sort of quirkiness to their writing and stories that James Dawson has. In this book you can see it clearly through Sally's friendship group and obviously Satanville (which I'm so a fan of now. I want to watch it!). It's the thing is probably going to make me end up reading Say Her Name too though it's going to traumatize me for at least a week. 

I could really see how Molly-Sue managed to play Sally so well at the start of the book. It made me really want a tattoo best friend (but um... without the horror stuff please!). Molly-Sue had character. At first I was worried she would be a bit of a cliché, but she was so much more than that. I absolutely loved her character. Though I did feel that the ending was a bit of a let down because of this. 

If you want a book with quirky characters and a cool plot and the awesomeness of sexy, psychopathic, Molly-Sue, then this would be a good choice. It's a fun read and only a little bit scary. Also, it has Satanville. 

The Map To Everywhere by Carrie Ryan and John Parke Davis

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 448

Publisher: Orion Books

Released: 4th of November 2014

'It is said the Bintheyr Map to Everywhere will take its possessor wherever he or she needs to go...'

Master thief, Fin, is unusual - when he's out of sight, everyone forgets he exists! He needs to find his mother - the one person who might remember him.

Schoolgirl, Marrill, boards a pirate ship in a car park and is carried off to another world. She needs to find her way home.

Fin and Marrill are on a wild adventure to find the Map to Everywhere, but can they escape the Oracle - a dark and powerful wizard who seeks the map to fulfil a terrifying prophecy?

What I Have To Say 

I always forget how much I love this kind of quirky middle grade fantasy adventure book until I read one of them. The Map to Everywhere was perfect. It had good ideas, a wonderful world and characters completed with a sense of fun that makes this kind of book such a wonderful experience to read. 

Fin was really interesting. I've never considered before how it would be to read about a character who was forgettable and how it would work with the other characters, but they pulled it off really well. He was a really lovable characters and I loved how he worked within the dynamics of the crew, having characters turn to him every so often and ask who he is. 

The Pirate Stream was inspired. It gave the possibility for so many different types of setting and gave a lot of potential to the story. Though I think that the kraken attack was defeated too quickly, there were so many different dangers that the stream brought to the story which made it exciting to read. 

I really hope there are more books about the Pirate Stream because I loved this book every second I was reading it.