Dramarama by E. Lockhart

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 320

Publisher: Hot Key Books 

Released: 9th of February 2017 

Two teen theatre-fanatics. One dream. And SUMMER DRAMA CAMP.

All-round theatre-enthusiast, Sarah - better known by her showbiz name, Sayde - is a girl with ambitions too big for the small and conventional town she lives in. Her life doesn't have the razzle-dazzle she craves. For once she wants to feel special, noticed and be the centre of attention.

This summer Sadye has her talents set on Wildewood's prestigious theatre summer camp. And with her best friend Demi - a flamboyant falsetto, who is equally thrilled to be leaving their small town of Brenton - they will both experience a season of hormones, hissy fits, jazz hands, song and dance, true love and unitards! But despite all the glitz and glam, there comes rivalry and competition, and Sadye will have to prove her talents more than she has ever had to before. 

Summer at Wildewood will not only determine Sadye's future - but will also test her friendships.

What I Have to Say 

There were a lot of things I liked about this book and some things that I didn't. It was a good book. It was well written and had a really interesting way of telling the story by turning to the micro-recorder transcripts at time. I liked the characters and the whole atmosphere of the drama camp. 

But it got really intense with all the emotions that Sadye was struggling. Even though the signs that she was struggling were there from fairly early on, it still felt a bit like the carpet was pulled out from under me half way through. Like the fun story of drama camp that I'd signed up for was suddenly not the story that I ended up reading. Though I did like the ending. It was fitting and I felt it suited Sadye really well. 

I liked Demi. A lot. He was fun and dramatic and a really great personality. And I know that gay men have a huge history in finding a place to exist in musical theatre. I don't want to deny that by what I say next. But I just feel that it would have been much cooler with a gay girl and a straight guy. It would have changed the expectations and shaken things up a bit. 

Overall though, it was a really good book. It had a lot of very intense emotions and important things to say. 

My thanks go to Hot Key Books for providing me with this copy for review. 

Dreadnought by April Daniels

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 276

Publisher: Diversion Publishing

Released: 24th of January 2017 

Danny Tozer has a problem: she just inherited the powers of Dreadnought, the world’s greatest superhero.

Until Dreadnought fell out of the sky and died right in front of her, Danny was trying to keep people from finding out she’s transgender. But before he expired, Dreadnought passed his mantle to her, and those secondhand superpowers transformed Danny’s body into what she’s always thought it should be. Now there’s no hiding that she’s a girl. 

It should be the happiest time of her life, but Danny’s first weeks finally living in a body that fits her are more difficult and complicated than she could have imagined. Between her father’s dangerous obsession with “curing” her girlhood, her best friend suddenly acting like he’s entitled to date her, and her fellow superheroes arguing over her place in their ranks, Danny feels like she’s in over her head.

She doesn’t have much time to adjust. Dreadnought’s murderer—a cyborg named Utopia—still haunts the streets of New Port City, threatening destruction. If Danny can’t sort through the confusion of coming out, master her powers, and stop Utopia in time, humanity faces extinction. 

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Transphobia, horrific transphobic slurs, language

What I Have to Say 

I don't know how to even start expressing the love I have for this book. It's a such a touching tale of a young girl fighting transphobia and her abusive father. Oh and she's also a superhero. 

This book is filled with scenes that are heartbreaking and show the true extent of the hate that some trans people experience. I was shocked and disgusted by some of the things show. To have Danny's parents and friends turn on her so badly just because she's actually a girl, let alone all the comments and actions of Graywytch and other members of the Legion who were against having a trans superhero on her team. It  overwhelmed me almost in tears to see the kind of language and insults that were being throw at a character who I loved from the first page of the book.

It's just so wonderful to see a book where it's not all about the issues involving transgender. Because guess what, trans people are more than just trans. They have other problems that don't relate to their gender. Problems like having to fight a supervillion intent on taking over the world. There's so many books that are condensed down to one issue that it's just so refreshing to see the message that these characters can do so much more than just fight to be seen. I hope to see this trend continue both in books about transgender and other diverse characters. 

It's clear from the way the book ended that Danny's fight both to save the world and to defend her status as the first transgender superhero. 

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

Frogkisser! by Garth Nix

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 384

Publisher: Piccadilly Press

Released: 28th of February 2017 

The Last Thing She Needs Is a Prince.

The First Thing She Needs Is Some Magic. 

Poor Princess Anya. Forced to live with her evil stepmother's new husband, her evil stepstepfather. Plagued with an unfortunate ability to break curses with a magic-assisted kiss. And forced to go on the run when her stepstepfather decides to make the kingdom entirely his own.

Aided by a loyal talking dog, a boy thief trapped in the body of a newt, and some extraordinarily mischievous wizards, Anya sets off on a Quest that, if she plays it right, will ultimately free her land-and teach her a thing or two about the use of power, the effectiveness of a well-placed pucker, and the finding of friends in places both high and low.

What I Have to Say 

This book is humorous, entertaining and beautifully feminist. Princess Anya is a wonderful twist on the fairy tale princess, embarking upon a quest, which soon because more like a series of entwining quests, in order to fulfill her sister promise and change her sister's lover back from frog form. And all she really wants to do is get back to the warmth of her library and her books. 

The characters were wonderfully quirky and all had their own characteristics that set them apart. I think my favourite was probably Ardent, the dog, who is excitable, easily distracted but very, very loyal, as all good dogs are.

Despite the humour that surrounded all the characters, they were not only stereotypes and when they were, they had some sort of twist to make them different from the characters that are normally seen in fairy tales. They also each have so many wants that take the story in different directions and create conflict. It made it so that the story was not at all predictable, but at the same time, completely logical for each of the characters. 

This really is a beautiful story and would be perfect for younger readers who have an interest in fairy tales. Though people of all ages who can appreciate humour and ingenious twists. 

My thanks go to Piccadilly Press for providing me with this copy for review. 

Close Your Eyes by Nicci Cloke

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 304

Publisher: Hot Key Books 

Released: 23rd of February 2017 

Southfield High School is oh so normal, with its good teachers, its bad, and its cliques. But despite the cliques, there's a particular group of friends who have known each other forever and know that they can rely on each other for anything. 

There's the twins: Aisha, rebellious, kind, and just a tiny bit worried about what the hell she's going to do once this year is over, and Vis, smart, quiet and observant. Then there's Remy, the loudmouth, and Gemma, who's more interested in college boys and getting into the crap club in town. And then there's Elise: the pretty one.

But at the start of Year 11, when the group befriend the new boy, Elijah, things start to change. The group find themselves not as close as they used to be. 

What I Have to Say 

This was such an interesting read. I love the way that it was set out, so that the even though we knew from the start what was going to happen, it wasn't revealed until later exactly who was involved and how it would unfold. It was so fascinating to be introduced to the characters and get to know them in the time leading up to the event so we could see what drove the events to happen. 

It was told in several different ways as well, There were twitter feeds and blog posts were a good way to show what was going on and the way that the people both inside and outside the school would react. 

The I was quite excited by the twists as well. It was a good way to separate this book from others with the same topic. 

 

My thanks go to Netgalley and Hot Key Books for providing me with this copy for review. 

The Girl Of Glass by Holly Webb

Synopsis (from Netgalley) 

Pages: 132

Publisher: Orchard Books 

Released: 9th of March 2017 

Mariana lives with her family on the Venetian island of Murano - famed for its artists who create masterpieces from glass. But when Mariana's little sister, Eliza, dies of consumption and her mother's heart seems as though it will never heal from the pain, Mariana's father decides to use his glassmaking skill - and a dash of magic - to create a girl of glass in Eliza's image.

The remarkable glass doll, who sings, dances and talks, draws attention wherever she goes, and soon Mariana is famous for having the magical glass sister. But as the glass girl takes on more and more of Eliza's personality, Mariana begins to suspect that there is more than just magic at play. Could the girl of glass be her sister's ghost made real?

What I Have to Say 

I still haven't read the first two books in the series, but the beautiful thing is, it doesn't seem to matter. It's the kind of series where you can engage in each of the books and the magic world within in them without having to worry about loads of backstory you may have missed. Some of the same characters reappear, but only in minor rolls. It's both a series and a standalone in the best way. 

Eliza (the glass version, not the real version who we don't get to spend as much time with) is the most wonderful, beautiful character. She's an excitable little thing who you want to protect from all the harm in the world especially as being glass makes her so much more fragile. I truly fell in love with her as a character and felt the same towards her as Mariana does, ready to do whatever it takes to keep her safe. 

Mariana also is a really interesting character. She has magic but is unable to train properly as glass making magic is for men. Throughout the book she does a lot to protect her sister, but she also has her own desire to learn magic and see where her talents lie. 

This really is a beautiful series and so great for younger readers. I want to get everyone to start reading these books. 

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

Seven Days of You by Cecilia Vinesse

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Pages: 304

Publisher: Hatchette Children's Group 

Released: 9th of March 2017 

Sophia has seven days left in Tokyo before she moves back to the States. Seven days to say good-bye to the electric city, her wild best friend, and the boy she’s harbored a semi-secret crush on for years. Seven perfect days…until Jamie Foster-Collins moves back to Japan and ruins everything.

Jamie and Sophia have a history of heartbreak, and the last thing Sophia wants is for him to steal her leaving thunder with his stupid arriving thunder. Yet as the week counts down, the relationships she thought were stable begin to explode around her. And Jamie is the one who helps her pick up the pieces. Sophia is forced to admit she may have misjudged Jamie, but can their seven short days of Tokyo adventures end in anything but good-bye?

What I Have to Say 

This book had some cute moments, some awesome, crazy adventures in Japan, but it also had a lot of complicated romance. I wouldn't call it so much a love triangle as a ball of wool that has become so tangled up that untangling it is impossible and you have to resort to using scissors or just give up. Everyone in the book was in love with someone else and no one seemed to be in love with a person who actually loved them back. It's not the sort of romance that I enjoy and it just made me annoyed with everyone. 

Sophia's attitude really bothered me. Her feelings for Jamie were obvious from the moment he arrived back in Tokyo and yet she continued to pine after David, who she never even told about her feelings. Her dismissal of David's girlfriend was the worst though. She completely ignored her most of the time, without even attempting to make her feel like part of the group even though the girl felt like things were a lot different. She basically didn't see her as a human being with feelings. I didn't like that and honestly wanted to slap Sophia half the time. 

The book also had a lot of good parts though. It delved deep into how it feels for someone who is constantly shifted from country to country based on her parents whims. Okay not their whims, their jobs but still. It dealt with Sophia's feelings of abandonment from her father who has a perfectly stable life in Paris with his new family leaving no room for Sophia and her sister who are forced to move about between Japan and America with short holidays in Paris, never feeling like they belonged anywhere. This was all explored so deeply and I feel captured the feelings that these kids go through, though naturally I cannot say for sure because I've never been in that situation). 

Also as I said at the start, fun, crazy adventures in Shibuya with Jamie and Sophia. Arcades, Karaoke and Ramen with a side of Matcha lattes. What more can you ask for in a date? 

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

One Little Mistake by Emma Curtis

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 416

Publisher: Black Swan 

Released: 23rd of February 2017

Vicky Seagrave is blessed: three beautiful children, a successful, doting husband, great friends and a job she loves. She should be perfectly happy.

When she risks everything she holds dear on a whim, there's only person she trusts enough to turn to.

But Vicky is about to learn that one mistake is all it takes; that if you're careless with those you love, you don't deserve to keep them . . . 

What I Have to Say 

This book wasn't what I expected. For one thing, I would say that it wasn't just one little mistake, but a few quite big mistakes following one another. But I really enjoyed it. It was a really mystery with a lot of different threads coming together to create a dramatic conclusion. It was really well written. 

At first it was a bit confusing with the different threads. It's one of those books where you just have to trust that it will all make sense in the end. 

I liked the characters a lot. Vicky was really easy to relate to and sympathize with. You can see easily her reasons for making the "One Little Mistake" that the title refers to and even if you don't agree with what she did, you can see why and understand her feelings. 

It's a really good read for those who like a good mystery. 

My thanks go to Penguin Random House for providing me with this copy for review.