Pretty Little Memoirs - a YA Book Blog

Where The Storyline Continues. . .

5 stars

Book Review: Slayer by Kiersten White

Slayer

Author: Kiersten White

Published by: Simon & Schuster Kids on February 1st, 2019

Rating: ★★★★★

Genre: Young Adult // Paranormal // Urban Fantasy 

Similar Books I’ve Read: The Coldest Girl In Coldtown, The Rise

Disclosure: I received this book from the Publisher/Author in exchange for an impartial review. This is an unpaid/unsponsored post.

Into every generation a Slayer is born…
Nina and her twin sister, Artemis, are far from normal. It’s hard to be when you grow up at the Watcher’s Academy, which is a bit different from your average boarding school. Here teens are trained as guides for Slayers—girls gifted with supernatural strength to fight the forces of darkness. But while Nina’s mother is a prominent member of the Watcher’s Council, Nina has never embraced the violent Watcher lifestyle. Instead she follows her instincts to heal, carving out a place for herself as the school medic.
Until the day Nina’s life changes forever.
Thanks to Buffy, the famous (and infamous) Slayer that Nina’s father died protecting, Nina is not only the newest Chosen One—she’s the last Slayer, ever. Period.
As Nina hones her skills with her Watcher-in-training, Leo, there’s plenty to keep her occupied: a monster fighting ring, a demon who eats happiness, a shadowy figure that keeps popping up in Nina’s dreams…
But it’s not until bodies start turning up that Nina’s new powers will truly be tested—because someone she loves might be next.
One thing is clear: Being Chosen is easy. Making choices is hard.

First Thoughts  

I’ve always been a huge fan of Vampires. Give me one over anything any day. I was such a huge Twilight fan back in the day, and then breezed through the True Blood series and of course, was also such a fan of The Vampire Diaries and The Originals books and shows. But before any of these existed, I was the biggest Buffy fan there is. I watched the show, I even had the video game (and the board game, I know, totally showing my age here). So when Slayer came along, thanks to the lovely S&S team, I knew I had to read it. I owe it to my younger self to delve back into the vamp-tastic world.



My Review  

If you have no clue about the Buffy world before you start to read Slayer, it can take you a while to get the type of humour and the backstory that makes the world so enthralling. So “new” readers to the universe might take a hot second to get accustomed to what Slayer is all about, but Kiersten makes this extremely easy. Entering the world with sharp-wit and a heroine that didn’t ask to be chosen, or even want to be a Slayer, we have Nina. Born Athena, twin-sister of Artemis, formerly. Instead of focusing on the Slayer world like the tv show did, Slayer focuses more on the Watchers, which was extremely refreshing and seeing Nina turn from this proposed damsel into a sudden kick-ass woman was character development in it’s peak.

Let me start by saying that Nina didn’t ask to be a Slayer. She has always strayed towards healing and focuses all her energy on that. So when she’s called to a Slayer, it’s a shock for her and all those that surround her. There’s a well-known distaste for Buffy amongst the Watchers (which is explored and pulled apart as the book goes on and we learn how they get to realise the sacrifices a Slayer makes and how their hatred was displaced) because Nina’s father died protecting Buffy. If you were a fan of the history of the Buffyverse, you might remember him as her first Watcher. But now, Nina is the newest Chosen One. And the last Slayer ever. Suddenly she’s thrown into this confusing and monster-filled skill that she never wanted to learn, shadows that fight hard and bodies surrounding her dreams and real life. 

Overall, Slayer well surpassed my expectations. I wasn’t sure if I was going to get a Buffy knock-off, but instead, it was like I was reading this new spin-off of the world, the same sharp, on point humour, exceptional main and secondary characters (Rhys and Cillian, 100%), perfect pacing and downright unputdownable story. Kiersten has written something that’s kick-started my reading slump and given me something to sweeten my Vampire-loving collection, the first in a very long time. Huge five stars. 

Have you read Slayer?


You can buy it:
Amazon | Book Depository

I definitely recommend you add to your Goodreads and browse it at your local Library! Fans of Buffy need this in their lives!


happy reading!

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Book Review: Save The Date by Morgan Matson + Giveaway!

Title: Save The Date
Author: Morgan Matson
Published: June 5th, 2018
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Rating: ★★★★★
Find the Author: Goodreads 

Disclosure: I bought this book myself, reviewing it as an impartial review. Giveaway copies are sponsored. As always, my reviews are fair and unbiased.

Charlie Grant’s older sister is getting married this weekend at their family home, and Charlie can’t wait—for the first time in years, all four of her older siblings will be under one roof. Charlie is desperate for one last perfect weekend, before the house is sold and everything changes. The house will be filled with jokes and games and laughs again. Making decisions about things like what college to attend and reuniting with longstanding crush Jesse Foster—all that can wait. She wants to focus on making the weekend perfect.
The only problem? The weekend is shaping up to be an absolute disaster.
There’s the unexpected dog with a penchant for howling, house alarm that won’t stop going off, and a papergirl with a grudge.
There are the relatives who aren’t speaking, the (awful) girl her favorite brother brought home unannounced, and a missing tuxedo.
Not to mention the neighbor who seems to be bent on sabotage and a storm that is bent on drenching everything. The justice of the peace is missing. The band will only play covers. The guests are all crazy. And the wedding planner’s nephew is unexpectedly, distractingly…cute.
Over the course of three ridiculously chaotic days, Charlie will learn more than she ever expected about the family she thought she knew by heart. And she’ll realize that sometimes, trying to keep everything like it was in the past means missing out on the future. 

First Thoughts…

YAS! That is the first thing that came into my mind, several months ago, when I heard Morgan had another book coming out. I’ve been a fan since the Amy & Roger days, and this latest edition would be no different. I pre-ordered my copy on Book Depository, and when it arrived, I FLIPPED. But not because of the book, but because I didn’t know that it was a SIGNED FIRST EDITION! For a moment, I thought there had been a mistake and even took to Instagram to fangirl. But it was all good! And I began reading that same day…

My Review…

Charlie’s sister is getting married. For any normal family, this would be a perfectly normal amount of stress. But when you’re part of the Grant family – of GRANT CENTRAL STATION, a comic-strip –  it’s a whole other world of chaos, especially now that the house they’ve grown up in and was featured in the comic-strip, is being sold. So Linnie, Charlie’s sister, wants to get married there before it’s gone to them forever. There’s a lot of history there, and from the word go, there’s 100% laughs-meets-drama.
Charlie has been in love with Jesse Foster, her brother Mike’s best friend, since she can remember. There’s nothing she wants more than to be happy with him, but there’s history there, too. Things that have kept them apart. And despite their fiery past, their present has been divided from each other’s lives. So when all Charlie’s siblings come back for the wedding, she’s thrown into Jesse’s life again, whilst juggling planning Linnie’s wedding, and it comes to a head with disaster after disaster…
I’m always a sucker for these types of books. Morgan has such a way of building character development and making me automatically care about the Grant family from the first few chapters. There’s love – a lot of it – heartbreak, family and so. much. more! I can’t tell you just how fast Save The Date has climbed into the top three books I’ve read this year, and I’ve only read twenty or so!
Overall, Save The Date is a story not to be missed. There’s something so magical about this book, these characters and the way the words make me fall faster in love with each new chapter. Morgan has gifted us the beauty of her best book to date. I had this feeling, as soon as I’d finished reading, like my heart was full. And I think it’s to do with the family and love, that came together in this gift, wrapped in a bow, that never had a dull moment. You are missing out if this isn’t on your TBR. Five stars completely! GOSH I just want to gush all day about this sweet-as-sugar book.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster (and Olivia!) I can offer THREE paperback copies of SAVE THE DATE for a giveaway! UK Only, ends July 1st! 

To enter, all you have to do is follow the instructions on my pinned-tweet. Good luck!

Have you read Save The Date?


What did you love the most about Charlie’s story?


Let me know in the comments or on twitter @LittleMemoirs!


happy reading!

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Blog Tour & Review: Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody

I’ve been dying to read Amanda’s Ace of Shades ever since I heard of her debut novel, Daughter of the Burning City. Getting to be on a Blog Tour for a book that I (spoiler) LOVED, is such a pleasure. So, welcome to the ACE OF SHADES Blog Tour Day One, read a little and let me know if you’re as big of a fan as I am now…

Title: Ace of Shades (The Shadow Game #1)
Author: Amanda Foody
Published: May 17th, 2018
Publisher: HQ Young Adult
Rating: 🐱🐱🐱🐱🐱
Find the Author: Goodreads 


Disclosure: I received this ARC in exchange for an impartial review. As always, my reviews are fair and unbiased.


ADD TO GOODREADS

Welcome to the City of Sin, where casino families reign, gangs infest the streets…and secrets hide in every shadow.
Enne Salta was raised as a proper young lady, and no lady would willingly visit New Reynes, the so-called City of Sin. But when her mother goes missing, Enne must leave her finishing school—and her reputation—behind to follow her mother’s trail to the city where no one survives uncorrupted.
Frightened and alone, her only lead is a name: Levi Glaisyer. Unfortunately, Levi is not the gentleman she expected—he’s a street lord and a con man. Levi is also only one payment away from cleaning up a rapidly unraveling investment scam, so he doesn’t have time to investigate a woman leading a dangerous double life. Enne’s offer of compensation, however, could be the solution to all his problems. 
Their search for clues leads them through glamorous casinos, illicit cabarets and into the clutches of a ruthless mafia donna. As Enne unearths an impossible secret about her past, Levi’s enemies catch up to them, ensnaring him in a vicious execution game where the players always lose. To save him, Enne will need to surrender herself to the city…
And she’ll need to play.

First Thoughts…

Ace of Shades was all over my Instagram, my Twitter…my everything for so long, that I was painfully anticipating getting to hold it in my hands for myself. I thought I’d have to wait until release day with the huge following of Amanda’s books, but when HQ YA offered a Blog Tour slot, I jumped, of course. It was never even a question! I started reading this as an eBook and then finished off with the Paperback after it arrived following the Bank Holiday mail delay (can we just have mail every day?!).

My Review…

I haven’t read a book quite like this in a very long time, so getting into the Fantasy landscape, introductions to the characters and rules of this new world, took some time. But in that time, I had been pulled into the pages and absorbed by the intricate plot that Amanda had woven ahead of me. Enne, our main character, is what I’d call a proper character, aka totally fancy. She’s straight-laced, knows what she’s doing, is more or less a lady in all senses. So she shouldn’t be in New Reynes, right? It’s the City of Sin, so no lady would be there just for the heck of it. But she’s on a mission. Her mother has gone missing, and after the allotted time of her anticipated return passes by, Enne knows she has to find her, one way or another. 
But her journey leads her to Levi Glaisyer, a street lord and all-round con man, far from the people she’s used to surrounding herself with. Still, they find that they’re each other’s only hope, sort of. Levi is in a pickle himself, as well, and helping Enne could reimburse him to solve his own problem. But the journey of delving into Enne’s mother’s disappearance is far from easy, and it’s rocky at best. Glamour masqueraded casinos, still cut-throat and on the verge of enemies, their search leads them to an incredible secret that shocks Enne’s world to the core, unveiling a piece of herself she didn’t know existed. Levi still can’t stay out of trouble, though, and it’s up to Enne to sacrifice herself and her values to save him and regain the upper hand in the City of Sin.
Overall, Ace of Shades is a rule-breaking, fast-paced read with killer instincts and lively characters, set against a backdrop I could picture and sense from the get-go. Amanda has written such a detailed, gripping YA novel that I just know is going to be loved by every reader it makes a home with. Huge, huge love for this novel. Consider me a newfound fan and anticipating the next installment with an edge-of-my-seat awaiting move. Five stars! What else would I give it?!
You can buy ACE OF SHADES:
Amazon | Waterstones | Book Depository 

Have you read Ace of Shades? Are you looking forward to it?


Check out the other tour dates today and let me know in the comments!


happy reading!

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Blog Tour & Guest Post: The Girl In The Broken Mirror by Savita Kalhan (No Spoilers)

Hello, book lovers! I am so honored to bring you The Girl In The Broken Mirror today. I devoured this book entirely and there’s no doubt in my mind you’re going to feel the same way. Today on Savita’s blog tour, I’ll be reviewing the book and sharing a playlist!

Title: The Girl In The Broken Mirror

Author: Savita Kalhan

Published: March 29th, 2018

Publisher: Troika

Rating: 🐱🐱🐱🐱🐱

Find the Author: Goodreads 


Disclosure: I received this ARC in exchange for an impartial review. As always, my reviews are fair and unbiased.

ADD TO GOODREADS

Jay’s creative writing exercise is to write a fairy tale, to end with they lived happily ever after.
But the way her life is panning out she’s not sure it will ever reach that stage. She and her mother are moving in with distant relatives, and they have super strict rules for girls. Jay is expected to have only Indian friends, if she has any at all. How can she see her school friends, Chloe and Matt? But this is only the beginning of a nightmare for Jay.
When her life implodes, how can she hide the shame and how will she find a way to keep going?

First Thoughts…

When Savita reached out to me with her book, I just couldn’t take my eyes off it. I saw the words Harrowing and Touching on the cover, and that just makes me FEEL like I’m in the book. These certain keywords lure me into the book, because who doesn’t love a book that makes your heart feel it?

My Review…



Spoiler free. Just a few pages in, and I’m hooked. No. I mean it! I sat down to read The Girl In The Broken Mirror a little after it arrived on my doorstep and opened the cover for a little while and the rest is history. Jay’s perspective is so clear-cut, so vivid and open, I felt like she was talking to me. The book deals with some heavy topics, including Rape, and I think that Savita dealt with these topics about shame, finding a place in this world and trusting others, with such grace and delicate consideration.
Jay, our main character, gets a creative writing assignment to write a fairytale, you know, with the whole happy-ever-after and etc. But the thing is, Jay can’t imagine it. Her life isn’t what she wants it to be, feeling overshadowed by what her Mother thinks her life should be. When they move in with distant relatives, it’s worse. They’re strict, especially when it comes to girls. She’s not supposed to have any friends that aren’t Indian, but that doesn’t stop her from wanting to be with her school friends, Matt and Chloe. Her life starts to spiral after events that halt her existence, and she’s forced to watch her life implode, while trying to gather the courage to move forward.
Overall, The Girl In The Broken Mirror was a breathtaking YA novel with so. much. emotion. I found myself tearing up for Jay, her story tugging at my heartstrings. I’m actually at such a loss for words. I’ve recommended this book to three of my friends so far, and I don’t just hand out recommendations like it’s nothing. If I say it’s good, I mean it, it’s that good. Savita has quickly climbed a list of Authors to Watch for me, and I can’t wait to see what she writes next. Huge five-star novel.





About The Author:

Savita Kalhan was born in India, but now lives in the UK and studied at the University of Wales. She has travelled extensively, and lived in the Middle East for several years, where she taught English. She is keen on tennis, boxing and running. She is an avid allotmenteer and somehow manages to fit in some writing, reading and blogging too! She now lives in North London with her husband, her son, and her lion of a cat, Marley.

Her new YA book – The Girl in the Broken Mirror will be published on May 1st by Troika Books



Soundtrack to The Girl in the Broken Mirror

Hi Becca, thank you for inviting me on your blog today! It’s so exciting to be here, to have a book out there in the world, in readers’ hands! And to top it – I got to compile the soundtrack for it, too. So here it is – the soundtrack to The Girl in the Broken Mirror. It’s a mix of songs that feature in the book, and songs that Jay loves, her parents used to play, and the music played at her uncle’s party.
Have a listen and then when you get to the end, you’ll see I’ve set a little challenge for you all. . . I’ll give you a clue: it’s about Matt, Jay’s best friend in the book.

I Wish I Knew How it Feels to be Free by Nina Simone
Jay loves Nina Simone because it reminds her of her dad, who died almost three years ago. She plays I Wish I Would Know How it Feels to be Free when she’s trying to do her English homework – a creative writing essay with the title – ‘Once Upon a Time…’

Rolling in the Deep by Adele
Jay loves Adele. If she was allowed to go to a concert, she would go and see Adele sing live in a heartbeat. She blasts this song out loud on top volume after her mum has given her the terrible news that they are moving in with her uncle and aunty in 42 Primrose Avenue. Jay knows her life is about to change forever – and not in a good way. Her aunty is super-strict and very traditional, which for Jay spells bad news. She’s about to lose all her freedom.

1942 A Love Story. This song is considered to be one of the most romantic love songs in Bollywood. It was Jay’s parents’ song. Jay’s mum Neela doesn’t play it after her husband’s death because it brings back too many memories of her husband, of the time when she was the happiest.

The Eye of the Tiger by Survivor, from the soundtrack of Rocky. Deven plays this song when he is working out in the gym. It’s a favourite amongst some Asian men. It’s not mine! In fact I don’t like it all.


Jai Ho by A R Rahman. Since the release of Slumdog Millionaire, this song has become iconic. It’s played at most parties and weddings, and has everyone on their feet.


Apna Punjab Hove by Gurdas Maan. This is classic Punjabi Bhangra music.


Thori Thori by PBN and Raj Bains – the boys always hit the dance floor when this is played!


Someone Like You by Adele. The ultimate break-up song. If Jay was playing music when she saw Matt and Chloe together, this is the song she would have played.

Anywhere by Rita Ora. Sitting in the basement room of No.42 Primrose Avenue, this is the song that Jay thinks of as her and Matt’s song as she dreams of a living far away, living a different life.


Here’s the challenge to all your readers – what would Matt’s top five songs be? If you’ve read the book then you’ll know what Matt’s like, but basically, he’s pretty cool!

I’d love to hear of any other songs that your readers think would fit in with the book?

Please write them in the comments section below – or tweet me @savitakalhan with the hashtag #thegirlinthebrokenmirror #mattssongs.

Becca, thank you so much for having me here – it’s been so much fun! I hope you all love the book!



It’s been amazing! Have you read The Girl In The Broken Mirror? 


Let me know in the comments, or join in the conversation on Twitter!

          happy reading!     
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Book Review: A Thousand Perfect Notes by C.G.Drews

Title: A Thousand Perfect Notes

Author: C.G.Drews

Published: June 7th, 2018

Publisher: Orchard Books

Rating: 🐱🐱🐱🐱🐱

Find the Author: Goodreads 


Disclosure: I received this ARC in exchange for an impartial review. As always, my reviews are fair and unbiased.


Add To Goodreads

An emotionally charged story of music, abuse and, ultimately, hope.
Beck hates his life. He hates his violent mother. He hates his home. Most of all, he hates the piano that his mother forces him to play hour after hour, day after day. He will never play as she did before illness ended her career and left her bitter and broken. But Beck is too scared to stand up to his mother, and tell her his true passion, which is composing his own music – because the least suggestion of rebellion on his part ends in violence.
When Beck meets August, a girl full of life, energy and laughter, love begins to awaken within him and he glimpses a way to escape his painful existence. But dare he reach for it?

First Thoughts…

I was so freaking excited to read A Thousand Perfect Notes that I actally asked BKMRK for an ARC. I’m pretty sure I did a happy dance when they said yes! Cait has long been one of the best bloggers I know and her tweets are literally *exactly* how I’m feeling 100% of the time. She just gets it, you know? If you don’t know what I’m talking about, check out her perfect tweets right here. 

My Review…

The story in itself is quite unique. Beck is this painfully beautiful character created by Cait, who pretty much hates his life. But more importantly, his evil mother. She’s violent and aggressive and makes him play the piano for hours on end until the cycle repeats, and he hates his life over and over again. His mother can no longer seek her own dreams of playing the piano, since illness has struck her career down the drain, but she was once world renowned for her talents. So the energy that she has, that passion for playing, she’s forced on her son, Beck. I truly felt for his character, having to suffer in the shadow of his mother. All he wants is to compose his own music, but even the minor mention of doing so is ended with clap-back from his mother, often violently and hurtfully. Throw in the fact that he wants to protect his younger sister from secondhand violence, and you have a reason for Beck to continue the torturous playing over again.

Beck soon meets August (can I just say, I ship these two SO MUCH, it’s insane!), a girl with this spark that follows her wherever she goes. She’s got this special kind of soul, full of smiles and love and something within her dwells perfectly with Beck. Her family needed more scenes! I truly, truly loved how their kindness was the complete opposite of Beck’s family. The more time he spends with August, the spark between them developing into a loving bond, the more he can finally see a future without his Mother’s violence ruling his life with an iron fist. The romance is slow-burn, but I mean, that slow-burn could light up fireflies. It’s so precious and just effortless.

Overall, A Thousand Perfect Notes is in a word, perfect. Everything boils down to an epic finale and it really surprised me! I didn’t see it ending in that way…or that conclusion, but it makes sense. It makes perfect sense. The musically-fueled pain reeled me in, but the healing when Beck met August kept me reading, turning the pages faster than I could blink. I was in awe at just how beautiful Cait has made these characters and made me connect on such a deep level to them, Beck especially. This beauty isn’t out until June, but ohmygosh, if you don’t read this when it’s out: you’re missing out on one perfect note of a story (couldn’t help the pun). Five cats!


Have you heard of A Thousand Perfect Notes or read it?

What did you think?

Let me know in the comments, on twitter @LittleMemoirs or on Facebook!

happy reading!
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Blog Tour & Review | Force Of Nature by Jane Harper


 I am thrilled and very honored to be a part of Jane’s second book, following the major success of The Dry! I absolutely loved the first book and I couldn’t wait for the second! Thank you to Little Brown for letting me be a part of this bookish journey! You can read my review for THE DRY here.

Title: Force Of Nature

Author:  Jane Harper

Published: February 1st, 2018

Publisher: Little, Brown

Find the Author: Goodreads 


Disclosure: I was sent this ARC from the Publisher in exchange for a review. As always, my reviews are fair and unbiased.


Add To Goodreads

Five women reluctantly pick up their backpacks and start walking along the muddy track. Only four come out the other side.
The hike through the rugged Giralang Ranges is meant to take the office colleagues out of their air-conditioned comfort zone and teach resilience and team building. At least that is what the corporate retreat website advertises.
Federal Police Agent Aaron Falk has a particularly keen interest in the whereabouts of the missing bushwalker. Alice Russell is the whistleblower in his latest case – in just a matter of days she was to provide the documents that will bring down the company she works for.
Falk discovers that far from the hike encouraging teamwork, the women tell a tale of suspicion, violence and disintegrating trust. But does it include murder?

First Thoughts…

The Dry definitely left me wanting more from the Aaron Falk books. Jane has this certain way of writing that just leaves me wanting more, despite being a huge YA fan. I’d definitely class her as an Author to-watch and one of my new favourites!


My Review…

I have always had a certain thing for thrillers. Whether it was the underlying tone of a book, the hook of a movie or the darker things in life (anyone else obsessed with night time and the moon/stars?!). So when books like Force Of Nature come along, I can’t say no. We’re thrust back into the mystery of The Dry, in a small town, the thickly unnerving atmosphere so real it could reach out of the book and pull you in. Aaron Falk is back, only this time he’s looking into a different mystery – surrounding five women who got lost in the Forest, and only four make it back – but what’s shocking is that the secrets of The Dry are not over and done with. Aaron is bewildered to find that Alice, his informant on a case, is the missing woman. Suddenly he’s thrown back into the ever-weaving mystery that surrounds the dark case, delving into unknown territory to uncover the truth. 
Since The Dry left off, Aaron’s character development has soared into Force Of Nature. Piece by piece, as a reader I can put together this image of him and the person that he was and has become. Jane’s thrilling and poignant story-telling is magnificent once again, the descriptive passage of the heat in The Dry, into the deep dark forest in Force Of Nature, are forces to be reckoned with. Told in these two distinctive points of views; one in the moment, and another that sends chills up my spine (yes, it’s that good), it was a match made in heaven. I was intrigued by Carmen, Aaron’s new work partner, and how their relationship seemed to build and change with the plot effortlessly. 
Overall, Force Of Nature is definitely a very fitting name – it swept into my hands and didn’t leave until the last page was turned. I was turning and turning and turning, so captivated by the characters, the description, the everything. Jane is quickly becoming one of the best Authors I’ve had the pleasure of reading books from and it’s insane how fast you will become addicted to these stories. I can’t recommend them enough! Five stars completely.



You can buy Force Of Nature here:

Amazon UK | Book Depository

Have you read The Dry / Force Of Nature?

Let me know in the comments, on Twitter using the tag #ForceOfNature or on Facebook!

happy reading!

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Book Review: The Fandom by Anna Day


Title: The Fandom

Author:  Anna Day

Published: January 4th, 2018

Publisher: Chicken House

Find the Author: Goodreads 


Disclosure: I was sent this ARC as part of a giveaway. As always, my reviews are fair and unbiased.


Add To Goodreads

Cosplay ready, Violet and her friends are at Comic-Con.
They can’t wait to meet the fandom of mega movie, The Gallows Dance. What they’re not expecting is to be catapulted by freak accident into their favourite world – for real. Fuelled by love, guilt and fear, can the friends put the plot back on track and get out? The fate of the story is in their hands …
A fast-paced, genre-flipping YA fantasy adventure from a brand new author, writing in homage to the best YA fiction.

First Thoughts… When I won The Fandom as part of my prize from my newfound friend, Kate, on twitter, I was so excited. I wasn’t able to attend YALC and snag an ARC myself, so when I won it, it was a dream come true. I mean, just look at that blurb. It’s a story about getting thrown into a real fandom world. Isn’t that the dream?! Or for some, maybe a nightmare?
My Review… Violet can’t wait to get to Comic-Con. Along with friends and her younger brother, they anticipate to finally get to meet the actors of their favourite fandom, The Gallows Dance. (Short note: I loved this concept. There are so many teens/young adults that love fandoms and it’s never appreciated that much in literature). Despite the actors not being anything close to the characters they play, lifestyle wise, they’re still eager to meet the fandom they’re all obsessed with. But it’s not going easy for Violet and her friends. After meeting their hero, they soon get thrown into the world they love. Like. . .literally. As in, they are in the fandom world they know so well. 

Everything comes crashing to a halt for Violet. Soon enough, they find themselves following out the plot as the timeline moves along as they know it. But with the option to change the fearful conclusions, Violet could change the world and risk her friends lives or do everything she can to get them out. Throughout it, we see so many YA Fantasy tropes and a twist on calling out certain over-hyped ones (major plus points) and how putting a contemporary set of characters into a dystopian world worked (brilliantly, of course). 

Overall, every single thing that happened in The Fandom was surprising, unpredictable and wild (in the best, best way). I was rooting for the characters as the plot played out, unraveling the storyline and hanging onto my seat in a carousel of amazement and adventure. The relationships between the characters were *perfect* and that’s something that just gave The Fandom a little bit of an added edge for me. They were realistic and totally believable down to the sibling bond. Everyone has at some time in their lives been obsessed with something or a Fan of someone and I think that Anna has truly captured the essence of loving something so fiercely – and what can happen when everything goes wrong. I can’t think of anything I didn’t like about it – it’s THAT good. A true must-read this year! 

Buy The Fandom Tweet This Review
Have you read The Fandom?

What did you think?

Let me know on Twitter, Facebook or in the Comments! 

happy reading!

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Book Review: Meet Cute: Some People Are Destined to Meet by Jennifer L. Armentrout & Various Authors

Title: Meet Cute

Authors:  

Published: January 2nd, 2018

Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers

Find the Author: Goodreads 


Disclosure: I was sent this book for review by the publisher. As always, my reviews are fair and unbiased.


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Whether or not you believe in fate, or luck, or love at first sight, every romance has to start somewhere. MEET CUTE is an anthology of original short stories featuring tales of “how they first met” from some of today’s most popular YA authors. 
Readers will experience Nina LaCour’s beautifully written piece about two Bay Area girls meeting via a cranky customer service Tweet, Sara Shepard’s glossy tale about a magazine intern and a young rock star, Nicola Yoon’s imaginative take on break-ups and make-ups, Katie Cotugno’s story of two teens hiding out from the police at a house party, and Huntley Fitzpatrick’s charming love story that begins over iced teas at a diner. There’s futuristic flirting from Kass Morgan and Katharine McGee, a riveting transgender heroine from Meredith Russo, a subway missed connection moment from Jocelyn Davies, and a girl determined to get out of her small town from Ibi Zoboi. Jennifer Armentrout writes a sweet story about finding love from a missing library book, Emery Lord has a heartwarming and funny tale of two girls stuck in an airport, Dhonielle Clayton takes a thoughtful, speculate approach to pre-destined love, and Julie Murphy dreams up a fun twist on reality dating show contestants. 
This incredibly talented group of authors brings us a collection of stories that are at turns romantic and witty, epic and everyday, heartbreaking and real.

First Thoughts…When I saw that these authors – these AMAZING writers – were coming out with a book together, not only that, but it was called Meet Cute (one of my favourite plot devices and all-round words), I flipped! I was lucky enough to get a copy on NetGalley and ordered my hardback copy alongside it to support these incredible authors. 

My Review...In the mood for a feel-good story (so, always) I picked up my iPad to read Meet Cute early this year, immersed in the New Year of books ahead. It’s clear from the beginning that these stories are full of whip-smart, lovable characters who are discovering something new and magical in the world with someone else: love. I won’t do a mini-review of every book in the anthology (gosh, can you imagine how long that review would be?!) but I will be saying my favourite things about the book as a whole, of which there were many. 

The stories, depicted as the beginnings of how they met, are the stories of YA dreams. Not only are they achingly beautiful – in particular Nina LaCour, Huntley Fitzpatrick, Emery Lord and Jennifer Armentrout’s stories – but they’re meaningful, frank and oh-so-realistic. I’m also super proud that Meredith Russo wrote a trans heroine for her story in Meet Cute, and that the authors showed the ups-and-downs of breaking up, that love had no bounds in futuristic tales and humorous romances that will make your heart swell. Now, because these stories are short and involve an “instant connection” meaning a Meet Cute, there is the dreaded insta-love. But you know what? It’s the good kind of insta-love. The kind that is really believable. I could honestly imagine this is how some people – soulmates and true love – actually meet and fall in love in an instant, fleeting moment.

Overall, Meet Cute is as magical as it sounds. Each story holds something momentous and epic, a love story for the ages. I couldn’t fault any of the unique spins on Meet Cute’s, or any of the ways that they panned out. This is truly such a breath of fresh air, the perfect weekend read and equally welcome book for fans of sweet YA romances with sparkling beginnings. A huge five stars!

Have you read Meet Cute?

What did you think?

Let me know on Twitter, Facebook or in the Comments!

happy reading!

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Book Review: The Best Kind Of Magic by Crystal Cestari

Title: The Best Kind of Magic

Author: Crystal Cestari

Published: May 16th, 2017

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Find the Author: Goodreads 


Disclosure: I bought this book myself! As always, my reviews are fair and unbiased.

Amber Sand is not a witch. The Sand family Wicca gene somehow leapfrogged over her. But she did get one highly specific magical talent: she can see true love. As a matchmaker, Amber’s pretty far down the sorcery food chain (even birthday party magicians rank higher), but after five seconds of eye contact, she can envision anyone’s soul mate.


Amber works at her mother’s magic shop–Windy City Magic–in downtown Chicago, and she’s confident she’s seen every kind of happy ending there is: except for one–her own. (The Fates are tricky jerks that way.) So when Charlie Blitzman, the mayor’s son and most-desired boy in school, comes to her for help finding his father’s missing girlfriend, she’s distressed to find herself falling for him. Because while she can’t see her own match, she can see his–and it’s not Amber. How can she, an honest peddler of true love, pursue a boy she knows full well isn’t her match?


The Best Kind of Magic is set in urban Chicago and will appeal to readers who long for magic in the real world. With a sharp-witted and sassy heroine, a quirky cast of mystical beings, and a heady dose of adventure, this novel will have you laughing out loud and questioning your belief in happy endings.

First Thoughts 

When I saw this on Wordery, I was really enticed. The cover, for one, is freaking beautiful and then to match it – that blurb! I couldn’t believe I’d finally stumbled upon a Realistic Fantasy Novel that sounded totally plausible and unique. I posted my reading progress on social media and SO MANY of my followers were really excited to see my views on this. 

Review 

Amber Sand isn’t a witch. She’s not mad over it, but it’s a little disheartening. The Sand family gene seems to have skipped her (almost) and left her a somewhat matchmaker. With this power, she can see your perfect match and your future together. But there’s not a lot of perks of the job, telling people that their significant other isn’t the one for them doesn’t sit well with a lot of the public. Although, much to her dismay, she can’t see her own perfect match (but she gets closer and closer to seeing her best friend’s love story every time they meet up, despite Amani – a fellow supernatural – not wanting to find out). But that doesn’t stop her from being a crucial part of the Sand family Wicca shop, enchantingly named Windy City Magic. 

When Amber’s Mom starts acting odd, hanging out with a frequent visitor into the shop, the Mayor, she desperately wants to find out what’s happening. But because Amber isn’t a witch, she’s magically sealed off from listening in and whenever she tries to dig for details, she gets nothing but stale information. But when the Mayor’s son, Charlie (the most desired boy at school) comes into the store wanting to find his Father’s missing girlfriend, Amber ties the two situations together. The more that they start hanging out together, trying to solve the mystery of their Parents secretiveness and the actual mystery at hand, Amber can’t hide her feelings any longer. She’s falling for Charlie, hard. But she’s seen his perfect match, and it’s not her, so she feels like the magnetic pull isn’t enough to dispute the Fates plan for his own match. As they work together in a bustling, lively Chicago, it’s more than clear that they’re in for startling revelations and intriguing supernatural enigmas.

I just can’t stop thinking about this book (and the next in the series!) and it definitely shows. I finished it a little while ago, but it’s taken me so long to try and sum my words up into a considerable amount and not reel on for pages. Crystal has written a world of wonder with down-to-earth characters, sass (lots of it) and a killer vein of romance with an eager pulse on magical elements. As much as I loved Amber and Charlie, Amani was definitely my favourite character. I really loved her personality SO much. Overall, this is probably the best Fantasy book I’ve read this year, or maybe even longer than that. Huge five-star read! 

Rating & Recs

For fans of Magic Realism and Fantasy! For younger to older YA readers.

Have you read The Best Kind of Magic?


Let me know what you thought in the comments or on twitter @LittleMemoirs!


happy reading!

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Pride 2017: “Girl Hearts Girl” by Lucy Sutcliffe

Title: Girl Hearts Girl

Author: Lucy Sutcliffe

Published: June 24th, 2017

Publisher: Scholastic  

Find the Author: Goodreads 


I received this book for review on my blog! As always, my reviews are fair and unbiased.

An inspiring, uplifting and sympathetic story about sexuality and self-acceptance, Lucy Sutcliffe’s debut memoir is a personal and moving coming out story. In 2010, at seventeen, Lucy Sutcliffe began an online friendship with Kaelyn, a young veterinary student from Michigan. Within months, they began a long distance relationship, finally meeting in the summer of 2011. Lucy’s video montage of their first week spent together in Saint Kitts, which she posted to the couple’s YouTube channel, was the first in a series of films documenting their long-distance relationship. Funny, tender and candid, the films attracted them a vast online following. 

Now, for the first time, Lucy’s writing about the incredible personal journey she’s been on; from never quite wanting the fairy-tale of Prince Charming to realising she was gay at the age of 14, through three years of self-denial to finally coming out to friends and family, to meeting her American girlfriend Kaelyn.

My Review

LGBT books are becoming rightly a huge part of YA literature. One of the first LGBT books I ever read was by Robin Talley and since then, they’ve become a huge part of my YA loves. Not only was I already cover-stalking Girl Hearts Girl, but I was so eager to get involved in Pride Month – my first year getting properly involved, thanks to Scholastic! I had always had a few ideas of what to do or post and considering having supported LGBT books all year round, I knew that my post had to be extra special to properly draw attention to the importance of LGBT representation in YA books.

Enter Girl Hearts Girl, a story that’s actually real and a memoir of all things! Pretty Little Memoirs started because of my own desire to write my memoirs of life, so it’s only right that I finally read a YA memoir too. Lucy’s story isn’t quite the typical YA boy-meets-girl, because Lucy has never been interested in having a Prince Charming whisk her away like in the fairytales. She’s known from her early teenage years that she liked girls. But it hasn’t always been easy for her. There were patches of denial, before finally coming out to her family and realising that she had to start believing in herself – and stop denying who she was inside. 

But Lucy finds herself in someone else, too. Meeting online when she was seventeen, she started talking with a girl called Kaelyn from America. It’s clear, reading about their conversations and honesty with each other that they share a true, raw connection. They meet the summer that followed their first year of talking and since that day, Lucy and Kaelyn’s lives changed as they documented their relationship online through social media for the world to see; through highs and lows and the pressures, backlash and frank moments that I can truly feel Lucy’s voice echoing in my ear. 

Girl Hearts Girl was a sheer slice of sunshine. As Lucy walks us through her life, I can’t help but smile and cry along with her on this extraordinary journey of self-acceptance and the power of love. I can’t rate this any higher. A shining example of Pride. 

Rating


Read an extract from GIRL HEARTS GIRL here!

Have you read Girl Hearts Girl?

What did you think?
Let me know in the comments and don’t forget to use #ReadwithPride on twitter! 

happy reading!

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Blog Tour: PERFECT by Cecelia Ahern (featuring a guest post by Cecelia!)

Title: Perfect (Flawed #2)

Author: Cecelia Ahern

Published: April 6th, 2017

Publisher: Harper Collins Children’s Books

Find the Author: Goodreads 


I received this book for review on my blog! As always, my reviews are fair and unbiased.

The thrilling, shocking and romantic sequel to the bestselling YA debut FLAWED is finally here. When we embrace all our flaws, that’s when we can finally become PERFECT…


Celestine North lives in a society that demands perfection. After she was branded Flawed by a morality court, Celestine’s life has completely fractured – all her freedoms gone.


Since Judge Crevan has declared her the number one threat to the public, she has been a ghost, on the run with the complicated, powerfully attractive Carrick, the only person she can trust. But Celestine has a secret – one that could bring the entire Flawed system crumbling to the ground.


Judge Crevan is gaining the upper hand, and time is running out for Celestine. With tensions building, Celestine must make a choice: save only herself, or risk her life to save all the Flawed. And, most important of all, can she prove that to be human in itself is to be Flawed…?

Review

I am a HUGE fan of Cecelia’s books, and have been since the day I read Where Rainbows End many years ago. Since then, her writing style has remained one of my all time favourites. I’ve always thought she fitted the Adult fiction world so flawlessly, but after reading Flawed last year, I knew she was a total contender to be a hit author in the YA league as well. I was so over the moon to be invited to be part of the Perfect tour that I actually did a small happy dance. 

Where we left off in Flawed, Celestine had a perfect life. She never put a foot out of place and was so well loved by everyone. So when she makes an impulsive decision when she encounters something she can’t ignore, the remnants of her life turn upside down. She could now be found flawed and imprisoned. Now in Perfect, Celestine knows that the society she lives in, the one that requires absolute perfection, has turned her back on her after she was found flawed by the court. Everything in her life she knew like the back of her hand has been totally shattered. With a target on her back after being deemed a threat to their society, Celestine has gone on the run with the only person she can trust, Carrick, but that’s just the beginning of what’s going to happen to her life. Her secrets could bring an end to the entire Flawed reality, and faced with the options of rescuing herself or the entire Flawed, she knows that there’s a thin line between being Flawed and just human. 

Perfect delivers an incredible follow up to Flawed. Not only does Cecelia’s writing soar beautifully, but my expectations were exceeded and blown away. Celestine is a fresh, brave and intricately foolproof character. I love how not only did the story take some turns that surprised me (emotionally and powerfully), but the love triangle was effortlessly done. The romance in YA literature, especially utopian and dystopian, can sometimes be cliche and come undone, but Cecelia knows her way around a gorgeous romance highlight to a story and she wrote it brilliantly. 

Overall, Perfect was the perfect (pun intended) end to this duology. I thoroughly found it engrossing and a unique turn on the dystopian genre. Celestine was such a memorable character and until I picked Perfect up after reading Flawed last year, I forgot just how much I loved reading about her. Cecelia never fails to impress! 5 stars. 


 

Tips for World Building by Cecelia Ahern

I wrote Flawed in 6 weeks which is the fastest time I’ve ever written a novel. I felt so passionately about the story, it just flooded out. However I wrote it without there being a very strong sense of place.  I understood my character and the story but the first draft had no real feeling for where it was set.  During the editing process I went on a city break to Prague with my husband and as soon as I set foot in the city I realised I had found my world for Flawed and Perfect. While my novels are set in a fictional country named Humming, in the capital city Highland, the city has a history and aesthetic very similar to Prague. I loved that it had darkness but also a fairy tale quality.  It had so much history, it had experienced great turmoil and also had great beauty. From the medieval palace to the baroque bridges, its town square with the astronomical clock that reveals the Walk of the Apostles on the hour, ending with the figure of death ringing the hour, to its fairytale houses surrounding the palace, I knew I had found a place that fit Celestine’s town. A place that had suffered in the past, a modern city rich with history, that was dark and light, and had many stories to tell.



Cecelia Ahern was born and grew up in Dublin. She is now published in nearly fifty countries, and has sold over twenty-five million copies of her novels worldwide. Two of her books have been adapted as films and she has created several TV series.

What did you think of the Flawed series?


Let me know in the comments, by using #PerfectlyFlawed on social media and don’t forget to stop by all the stops on this tour! I’m so honoured to be part of it.


happy reading!

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The Sense of an Ending: Review & Comparison Spotlight

Title: The Sense of an Ending 

Author: Julian Barnes 

Published: August 4th, 2011

Publisher: Vintage

Find the Author: Goodreads 


I received this book for review/feature on my blog! As always, my reviews are fair and unbiased.

Tony Webster and his clique first met Adrian Finn at school. Sex-hungry and book-hungry, they would navigate the girl-less sixth form together, trading in affectations, in-jokes, rumour and wit. Maybe Adrian was a little more serious than the others, certainly more intelligent, but they all swore to stay friends for life.

Now Tony is retired. He’s had a career and a single marriage, a calm divorce. He’s certainly never tried to hurt anybody. Memory, though, is imperfect. It can always throw up surprises, as a lawyer’s letter is about to prove.

The Sense of an Ending 

Hello, book lovers! Today I’m talking about the great read that is The Sense of an Ending. If you’ve been at the movies recently, or watching trailers on YouTube, you might have seen the movie adaption on the big screen (which by any means looks like an amazing film). Or if you were a fan from the very start when it was just a book, you might have been waiting anxiously to see it played out by famous faces Jim Broadbent, Charlotte Rampling, Harriet Walter, Michelle Dockery, Freya Mavor, Billy Howle and Joe Alwyn. 

I just finished reading the book that bounced onto the scene in 2011, and without a doubt can see what the hype is about. I usually steer toward YA, but this was a totally refreshing and welcomed change. Today I’m going to do a review of the book and talk a little about the comparison between the book and the movie and share a little about it. 



Review

After watching the trailer for The Sense of an Ending, I had only high expectations for the book. I knew that there would be some differences as with all book-to-movie adaptions and since I hadn’t watched the film, only the trailer, I could go into it with fresh new eyes. Tony Webster is quite the character. When he meets Adrian at school, in the past portion of the short novel, they become fast friends. Through their teenage years, they get up to all sorts of mayhem and trudge their way through inside jokes and fun times together – but something happens that throws all those good times to the dirt – and it changes both their lives, and the people around them, forever.

Adrian was always the smart, consistent one. But after Tony and Veronica, whom they were both friends with in the past portion of the novel, break up after a year of dating, Adrian starts dating Veronica. Tony, feeling a dwelling of betrayal and mixture of feelings inside, drunkenly decides to write them both an angry letter. 

But what we know as the reader could ultimately be due to an unreliable narrator and repression of the past, because sometimes, we don’t want to remember the things that happened in the correct way that they did, all because we think: we have time to fix them, which is in my opinion the true moral of the story. 

I thoroughly devoured and adored The Sense of an Ending. Without giving too much away, because Pretty Little Memoirs is a strictly no spoilers zone (unless disclosed beforehand) this book is a total game-changer that’s thought-provoking, witty and incredibly powerful at twisting the past and present into a life meaning lesson. It was warm, absorbing, careful and reckless at the same time, filled with multidimensional characters and a story that begged to be told. Julian Barnes is a brilliant storyteller and I can’t wait to watch the movie and become an even bigger fan. Five stars completely!




Watch the trailer yourself to know just what I’m talking about:


The Sense of an Ending is out in UK cinemas 14 April.

As you can see, this novel-to-movie looks incredible, doesn’t it? 

The Sense of an Ending movie is directed by Ritesh Batra and based upon the screenplay by Nick Payne and the book by Julian Barnes (did I mention it won the Booker Prize?!). 

The movie description differs a little from the book description, but we’re still following the life of Tony Webster, divorced and retired who lives a lonely and quiet life. He quickly learns that the mother of his university girlfriend, Veronica, left in her will a diary kept by his best friend, who dated Veronica after they parted ways. Tony’s quest to recover the diary, now in Veronica’s possession, forces him to revisit his flawed recollections of his friends and of his younger self. As he digs deeper into his past, it all starts to come back; the first love, the broken heart, the deceit, the regrets, the guilt… Can Tony bear to face the truth and take responsibility for the devastating consequences of actions he took so long ago?

Comparisons 

Some book-to-movie adaptions can be clear cut the same, with minimal differences and still play out wonderfully. But then, there are certain people who would argue that to make the film a hit and success, it must be unique and different to the book to really stand out. I think that the rule can differ, personally. When it comes to adaptions like Gone Girl or Divergent, they stayed relatively the same. Knowing that The Sense of an Ending played a more emotional and touching adaption sounds like it would attract a wider and differing audience. 



In the book, Tony remembers incidents over and over, whereas in the movie he recalls certain memories from his past but knows that his versions have been manipulated as time has passed by. Unreliability in a main character has always attracted my attention because that in itself is a mystery, trying to pick out the truth from the fabricated and I think that the movie has stayed true to this from watching the trailer and hearing the notes from the screening. 



Overall, I think that the book-to-movie has been done beautifully and I think that they picked the perfect people to play the parts of the characters, particularly Tony and Veronica. When you read a book, you always have this vision of who they would be or what they would look like, and for me this rang true and the characters did look very similar in my imagination! I’ve watched the trailer over and over (maybe I broke the re-play button) and I can say that it’s going to be one of the best British films this year.

What do you think of The Sense of an Ending?


Have you read the book?


Let me know in the comments your thoughts! The movie is out April 14th and it’s definitely one to watch.


 happy reading!

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