How to Die Famous by Benjamin Dean

Pages: 383 

Publisher: Simon and Schuster Children's UK 

Released: 20th of July 2023 

From award-winning author Benjamin Dean comes a deliciously dark and addictive YA thriller following the lives of Gen Z’s rich and famous through the lens of an undercover teen journalist. Perfect for fans of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder and One of Us is Lying . 

London-born Abel has landed the role of a lifetime for an upcoming blockbuster. On the face of it he’s Hollywood’s latest teen star, but below the surface he’s an undercover journalist on a mission to expose the ‘squeaky clean’ entertainment industry and the part they played in his brother’s ‘accidental’ death.

As Abel steps into the spotlight alongside fellow actors Lucky, Ryan and Ella, he soon discovers that beneath the glittering surface of fame and riches lies a darker world of secrecy, scandal and murder. Nobody is who they seem when the cameras are off, and everybody has something to hide. But who’s next in line to die famous? 

Drawing on his previous career as a celebrity journalist, Benjamin Dean examines the dark underbelly of showbiz, leaving no stone unturned.

What I Have to Say 

It's always fun to come across a book that reminds me of everything I love about YA. How to Die Famous is definitely one of these books. With four queer protagonists embroiled in a manipulative industry, it doesn't hold back in showing the dark side of Hollywood. 

I loved the four characters so much. I think Ella and Ryan were my favourites because I'm always a sucker for a Sapphic couple. Abel was probably the character I liked the least, but I still liked him a lot. Each character was strong and had their own issues going on, but they were so strong together. 

The ending was clever, as all mystery endings should be. I guessed some stuff, but there was still plenty to surprised me. 

Read for a great mystery and fantastic characters! 

4 stars 

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

Someone is Watching You by Tess

Pages: 320 

Publisher: Hodder Children's Books 

Released: 2nd of February 2023 

An abandoned prison. A deadly game. How far would you go for a dare?

Nia would do anything to win the approval of her boyfriend Scott and his friends, especially mean girl Olivia. When Olivia dares Nia to explore an abandoned prison, she sees it as the perfect opportunity to prove herself. Facing dark tunnels, distant noises and creepy mementoes left behind by incarcerated criminals will surely all be worth it.

But it isn't long before Nia and her little sister, Kayla, find themselves trapped inside. And then Kayla vanishes.

Suddenly, this feels like more than a game gone wrong. Someone is hellbent on making Nia and Kayla the prison's last inmates ...

An utterly compelling, terrifying thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat, from remarkable new author Tess James-Mackey.

What I Have to Say 

This book was really tense. It was so enthralling that I read it in a day. I really wanted the main character to get out from under her "friends'" control and it hurt a bit when she kept doing what they said. 

It was however a bit predictable. The was only one or two twists that I didn't see coming. It made me feel good to guess them, but it also felt a bit disappointing because I felt like I knew what was coming. 

I liked the theme of bullying and toxic friendships though. I really liked the characters a lot even when I didn't agree with their actions (except the toxic friends obviously). Kayla was my favourite because she was such a sweet little girl, even if her character was a bit flat. 

All in all, I'm glad I read it, but it's not one I'll pick up again, 

3 stars 

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

The Silent Patient by Alex Michealides

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 320 

Publisher: Orion 

Released: 7th of February 2019 

Alicia Berenson’s life is seemingly perfect. A famous painter married to an in-demand fashion photographer, she lives in a grand house with big windows overlooking a park in one of London’s most desirable areas. One evening her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot, and Alicia shoots him five times in the face, and then never speaks another word.

Alicia’s refusal to talk, or give any kind of explanation, turns a domestic tragedy into something far grander, a mystery that captures the public imagination and casts Alicia into notoriety. The price of her art skyrockets, and she, the silent patient, is hidden away from the tabloids and spotlight at the Grove, a secure forensic unit in North London.

Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who has waited a long time for the opportunity to work with Alicia. His determination to get her to talk and unravel the mystery of why she shot her husband takes him down a twisting path into his own motivations—a search for the truth that threatens to consume him....

What I Have to Say 

This book was an incredibly wild ride. A good one for the most part, but the ending kind of disturbed me a bit. If you like that sort of disturbing thriller, then that's fair enough, but I found it rather creepy. I don't want to give it away too much, but I feel like the way that power was abused was just a bit much for me. 

I also felt like the handling of mental health was a bit off. For psychotherapist, working with mental illness, the narrator, Theo talked rather a lot about seeing "madness" in people. Including himself. This felt kind of insensitive. I can maybe put some of it down to the character, but it's hard to say. It's just not okay to talk about people with mental illness being mad or having madness inside them. We can joke about it in relation to ourselves, but this was different. This just felt more offensive. 

The plot was really gripping though. From the first page, I was entranced by this book, speeding through it to find out. It was definitely written to engross and intrigue the reader. 

Definitely a page-turner, but some of it made me really uncomfortable. 

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

The Twisted Tree by Rachel Burge

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 180

Publisher: Hot Key Books 

Released: 27th of September 2018 

Martha can tell things about a person just by touching their clothes, as if their emotions and memories have been absorbed into the material. It started the day she fell from the tree at her grandma's cabin and became blind in one eye.

Determined to understand her strange ability, Martha sets off to visit her grandmother, Mormor - only to discover Mormor is dead, a peculiar boy is in her cabin and a terrifying creature is on the loose.

Then the spinning wheel starts creaking, books move around and terror creeps in . . .

What I Have to Say 

I loved the mythology in the book and the way the author weaved it into the story, how everything fitted in to the myths and legends of Norway. I loved Martha so much. She was an interesting character, I loved how she could read clothing. It seemed like such an interesting ability and one I hadn't come across before. 

The creepiness was a good level for me. I wasn't too scared by it but it did have a creepy atmosphere that sent shivers down my spine. The isolation and the storm made the whole thing feel so much more risky. I wanted so much for them all to survive, especially Gandalf, the dog. 

It was just a good story with a solid foundation of mythology adding to the story. I loved the way that it all worked perfectly as a story, the world of gods and norns fitting smoothly into a modern setting. 

Definitely great for mythology fans. 

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

Ascension by Victor Dixen

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 496

Publisher: Hot Key Books

Released: 28th of June 2018 

Six girls, six boys. Each in the two separate bays of a single spaceship. They have six minutes each week to seduce and to make their choices, under the unblinking eye of the on-board cameras. They are the contenders in the Genesis programme, the world's craziest speed-dating show ever, aimed at creating the first human colony on Mars.

Leonor, an 18 year old orphan, is one of the chosen ones. 

She has signed up for glory.

She has signed up for love.

She has signed up for a one-way ticket.

Even if the dream turns to a nightmare, it is too late for regrets.

What I Have to Say 

I was intrigued by the idea of this book, but nothing prepared me for how good it really was. It's a cute idea,  but nothing is cute about the book itself. Everyone on board the ship (and many of the people left behind on earth) has a secret and as the secrets are slowly revealed and kept hidden, things get dramatic, ending in a cliff-hanger that will make you count down the days until the next book is released. 

We see most of the ship-board action through Leonor's eyes and I loved her as a character. She was so determined to find a new life on Mars, despite the reasons she felt would hold her back. I loved seeing her meet the different boys and discover the secrets about the Genesis programme. Her no-nonsense approach to trying to decide which boy to marry was a good way to view the book through unromantic eyes and even better when she started to feel things along the way. 

Whatever you expect from this book, I can guarantee it will surprise you in some way. It's so compelling with so many secrets that it's just impossible to put down. This is definitely going to book I'll remember for a long time.

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

Cross Her Heart by Sarah Pinborough

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 400

Publisher: Harper Collins 

Released: 14th of May 2018 

SOMEONE IS LIVING A LIE… BUT WHO?

Is it Lisa?

Haunted by a tragic past, all Lisa wants is a quiet life with her daughter, Ava. And when she meets a new man, things seem to be falling into place. But Lisa is hiding a secret so momentous it could shatter her entire world…

Is it Ava?

When sixteen-year-old Ava saves a young boy’s life, she becomes a local hero. But never in a million years could she have anticipated the fallout of her actions…

Is it Marilyn?

Marilyn has the perfect life. Her husband, her job, her house—she seems to have it all. But she could never admit to her best friend Lisa the lies she tells herself to get through the day…

One moment will change these three women’s lives forever. And the secrets they’ve been keeping could destroy them all.

Trigger Warnings: Child death, rape, child abuse, drug usage, forced drug usage. 

What I Have to Say 

It is impossible to predict the end of the book. Or even a few of the twists and turns that filled the pages. It was thought out so well,  written in such a way that you find yourself thinking you know what's going on, only to find out that the author has other ideas. It kept my eyes on the page the whole time reading it, not wanting to wait another second to find out what came next. 

Even though parts of this book were hard to read, I enjoyed it overall. I love a good mystery and I love a book that pulls out the carpet of what you think you know from underneath you. This is definitely my definition of a perfect thriller. 

The characters were interesting too. I felt worried at the start because the two adult characters, Marilyn and Lisa weren't the sort of characters I tend to like reading about, but as they got caught up in the events of the book and all the secrets hidden in their lives started to come out, I was hooked. 

If you're looking for something to read this bank holiday weekend you could do worse than a book by Sarah Pinborough.

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

The Vanishing of Audrey Wilde by Eve Chase

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Pages: 324
Publisher: Penguin
Released: 13th of July 2017

From the present day . . . 

Applecote Manor captivates Jessie with it promise of hazy summers in the Cotswolds. She believes it's the perfect escape for her troubled family. But the house has an unsettling history, and strange rumours surround the estate.

to the fifties . . .

When teenage Margot and her three sisters arrive at Applecote during the heatwave of '59, they find their aunt and uncle still reeling from the disappearance of their daughter Audrey five years before.

The sisters are drawn into the mystery of Audrey's vanishing - until the stifling summer takes a shocking, deadly turn. Will one unthinkable choice bind them together, or tear them apart?

What I Have to Say 

I really enjoyed this book. The modern day story-line combined with the things that happened in the fifties made the story all the better. I'm not sure that a book without both thee storylines would have worked as well as it gave a lot more depth to the book and showed how much such a tragedy as a missing girl can haunt a place for so many years, even after everyone connected to the events is gone. 

I liked Margot a lot. Her story was my favourite I think I liked how torn she was. How much she missed Audrey and wanted her back, but how much her aunt unsettled her with the things they did together in Audrey's room to feel close to her. 

The mystery at the heart of the story was really compelling. With every thing of Audrey's that was found during the modern day construction work, with every new piece of evidence that Margot and her sisters found out I wanted more and more to know what happened. The conclusion of what happened as well was thrilling and interesting and it all came to a conclusion that was unexpected but that still made sense. 

Eve Chase is definitely a mystery writer I will look out for in the future. 

Take the Key and Lock Her Up Ally Carter

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 320

Publisher: Orchard Books 

Released: 26th January 2017 

THE PRINCESS IS DEAD.

LONG LIVE THE PRINCESS.

Centuries ago, the royal family of Adria was killed . . . or so everyone thought.

Now Grace Blakely knows the truth:

There was one survivor, and that survivor’s blood runs through her veins. This simple fact could cause a revolution — which is why some people will stop at nothing to keep it from coming to light.

There is only one way for Grace to save herself, save her family, and save the boy she loves. She must outmaneuver her foes, cut through the web of lies that has surrounded her for years, and go back to the source of all her troubles, despite the risk.

If she wins, she will inherit a throne.

And if she loses, she will inherit the fate of all the dead princesses who came before her.

What I Have to Say 

This was a great final book for the Embassy Row Trilogy. It had everything I've come to expect from Ally Carter. It had adventure, mystery and surprising twists and turns. Except for Grace's self-sacrifice. Even though she hadn't completely given up, it felt so out of character for her. Grace fights, always, from the start to the end of her life she has always been a fighter, whether it's fighting to keep up with her older brother, or fighting for her life. The lull of her acceptance of her fate just didn't feel right for her character at all. 

But the rest of the book was perfect. The ending felt completely right. With such a situation that seems so impossible to fix without bloodshed and destruction, it felt amazing that Carter managed to pull the perfect solution out of her hat, but she managed it and I really liked the way it turned out. 

I've always preferred the Gallagher Girls to this series, but I think that any book by Ally Carter is well worth reading, she always knows how to tell a thrilling and addictive story. 

 

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

Pushing Perfect by Michelle Falkoff

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 352

Publisher: Harper Collins Children's Books 

Released: 29th of December 2016 

Kara Winters is always striving for perfection. But when her anxiety takes over, the price of perfection spirals out of control… 

'Perfect' Kara Winters has always hated her nickname. Especially now that she no longer lives up to it. She used to have normal friends, she used to be normal. Now all she wants is to get into Harvard and leave high school behind. 

So when the pressure to ace her exams finally gets to her, Kara does one tiny bad thing, just to help out, to ease the stress. If it will help Kara get a perfect exam score and one step closer to a new life, it’s a price she’s willing to pay. 

But she never expects to get caught out. Or that Alex, Raj and her other not-so-perfect new friends might get embroiled in a horrible mess that could ruin all of their futures. Sometimes perfection isn't what it's cracked up to be.

What I Have to Say 

A very well told story of pressure, secrets, lies and drugs, Pushing Perfect was neatly woven tale of friendships drifting apart and mysterious blackmailers. It hooked me in with the strain of trying to perfect and get into a good school- the pressure of living up to everyone's impressions and expectations of you, but the blackmail compelled me to read on and on, desperate to find the resolution. 

I loved Alex as a character so much. Kara was a great main character, but Alex just added so much more life and fun to the story. She brought Kara out of her shell and made the book what it was. I loved the friendship and partnership between the two girls more than anything else in the book. 

It was a thrilling ride, but I do feel it was wrapped up a little too easily. A lot of the problems that arise during the book would never have happened had the characters not lied to each other so much. It's probably rather accurate to real life, but it all seemed rather an simple solution for everything. 

For anyone who's felt stress or pressure to be someone they're not, this is a book to find solace in and a good thriller of schemes and blackmail. 

My thanks go to Harper Collins and Netgalley for providing me with this copy for Review. 

The Memory Hit by Carla Spradbery

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 352

Publisher: Hodder's Children's Books

Released: 4th of June 2015 

On New Year's Eve, Jess's life is unrecognizable: her best friend is in the hospital, her boyfriend is a cheater. A drug-dealing cheater it would seem, after finding a stash of Nostalgex in his bag.

Nostalgex: a drug that stimulates memory. In small doses, a person can remember the order of a deck of cards, or an entire revision guide read the day before an exam. In larger doses it allows the user detailed access to their past, almost like watching a DVD with the ability to pause a moment in time, to focus on previously unnoticed details and to see everything they've ever experienced with fresh eyes. As Leon, the local dealer, says 'it's like life, only better.' What he fails to mention is that most memories are clouded by emotions. Even the most vivid memories can look very different when visited.

Across town Sam Cooper is in trouble. Again. This time, gagged and bound in the boot of a car. Getting on the wrong side of a drug dealer is never a good idea, but if he doesn't make enough money to feed and clothe his sister, who will?

On New Year's Day, Jess and Cooper's worlds collide. They must put behind their differences and work together to look into their pasts to uncover a series of events that will lead them to know what really happened on that fateful New Year's Eve. But what they find is that everything they had once believed to be true, turns out to be a lie ...

What I Have To Say 

I have to admit, I thought this would be more like Sleepless by Lou Morgan. Or at least more like the 100 Society. Because I really enjoyed the speed and this was a lot more flat. I didn't really get absorbed into the mystery and tension in the way I would have liked. 

Also the characters felt a little bland. Apart from the good portrayal of the abuse, I didn't really feel any connection to the characters. Hannah and Jess felt a bit too everyday as there wasn't really that many details about their everyday lives. 

It wasn't a bad book, I just didn't get into it enough I think. And I felt the conclusion came a little out of nowhere.