I recently read an interview with Ann Patchett where see was asked about how hard it was to scrap a piece of writing that wasn't working, and to start again. The interviewer thought it might be like a little death to let go a hard-won piece of writing, but Patchett was more pragmatic. Her reply … Continue reading The End of the World is Bigger than Love | Davina Bell #AWW
Smile and Sisters have been two very popular books at work with 11-14 year old girls. Now I see why. Raina Telgemeier has created two very personal, engaging stories from two significant events in her pre-teen years. Smile details her rather horrific orthodontic work, while Sisters not only features her relationship with her younger sister, … Continue reading Smile & Sisters by Raina Telgemeier
Things a Bright Girl Can Do is a YA story that grabs its title from a much older book called Three Hundred and One Things a Girl Can Do. Published in 1911, it included things like how to decorate a church, make coloured fires, the rules of croquet, how to pitch a tent, do magic … Continue reading Things A Bright Girl Can Do by Sally Nicholls
It's quite simple really.If you have a teenage boy in your life, then I strongly urge you to read this book from cover to cover. Now!He'll Be OK is heart-warming, affirming, informative, humorous and thought-provoking.Lashlie pulls no punches as she shares the insights she gleaned from her work on the Good Man Project in 25 boys schools in … Continue reading He’ll Be OK: Growing Gorgeous Boys Into Good Men by Celia Lashlie
Shadows is book two in the Ashes trilogy. I enjoyed the first book immensely. It raced along with lots of action, suspense and left us with a fabulous cliff-hanger ending. I was looking forward to Shadows release date with great anticipation.And... well... it's okay.Sorry, that's the best I can do.Shadows is so full of action and drama and … Continue reading Shadows | Ilsa J. Bick
I wasn't sure what I was expecting from The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I've seen a lot of online hype about the forthcoming movie starring Emma Watson. I've also watched our sales improve at work, week by week, as the buzz increases. I was curious. I thought this was a going away to college/coming of … Continue reading The Perks of Being a Wallflower | Stephen Chbosky
Having read (or partly read) so many ordinary teen and YA books in recent times, I have made a promise to myself.From now on I only read stuff I like, am interested in or that moves me. If it's uninspiring, poorly written, ill-conceived or completely lacking in humour, intelligence and authenticity, then I will leave … Continue reading Friday Brown | Vikki Wakefield
OMG!!! Wow! Wow! Wow! Warning! This is going to be a rave review complete with gushing, exclamation marks! and declarations of love. Okay....deep breath! To start - for my day job, I end up reading (skimming) through a lot of YA and teen books. Sadly, a lot of it is dross. I usually don't bore … Continue reading A Corner of White | Jaclyn Moriarty
This will be one of those books that many parents will hate...with a passion. It is littered with jokes about genitals, sex and bodily functions. There are swear words and crude concepts. It was like eavesdropping on my teenage stepsons phone conversation or facebook page - fascinating as a sociological exercise and disconcerting as … Continue reading S.C.U.M. | Danny Katz
The Way We Fall is an end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it book. A virus suddenly takes hold on an island population. They're quickly cut off from the mainland and left to fend for themselves as one by one they die, go hungry and become desperate. Only 6 people survive the virus. One of them is Kaelyn and this is … Continue reading The Way We Fall | Megan Crewe
As you know by know paranormal lit is not really my thing, but I received a reading copy of Forever and felt obliged to try it. I haven't read the first 2 books in the trilogy, but the story was pretty easy to pick up. Wolves and teen angst is the short version! It was … Continue reading Forever | Maggie Stiefvater
If you enjoyed 'The Hunger Games' "Tomorrow When the War Began' and 'I am Number Four', then I'm sure you will love POD too. Aliens come to earth and wipe out anyone who happens to be outside at the time. That only leaves pockets of survivors who were inside their homes or shops at the time. … Continue reading POD | Stephen Wallenfels
I did enjoy When You Reach Me. It was well-written and the characters were drawn sympathetically. The ending was satisfying and resolved all the the time-slip stuff in a way that made you go "uh-ha - of course - now I get it!" But despite all the things it had going for it (including New York … Continue reading When You Reach Me | Rebecca Stead
I loved the cover of Birthmarked as soon as I saw it - and in this case - you can judge a book by its cover! Gaia lives in a future world scarred by the climate changes caused by the previous peoples. A world where your future is decided by whether you live inside the walls of the enclave or … Continue reading Birthmarked | Caragh O’Brien
This is a worthy book. 'In The Sea There Are Crocodiles' is the true … Continue reading In The Sea There Are Crocodiles: The True Story of Enaiatollah Akbari | Fabio Geda
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