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Book Review: “The Names They Gave Us” by Emery Lord

Title: The Names They Gave Us 

Author: Emery Lord

Published: June 1st, 2017

Publisher: Bloomsbury Children’s Books

Find the Author: Goodreads 


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

From acclaimed author Emery Lord comes a vibrant, compelling story of love, loss, faith, and friendship.

Lucy Hansson was ready for a perfect summer with her boyfriend, working at her childhood Bible camp on the lake. But when her mom’s cancer reappears, Lucy falters—in faith, in love, and in her ability to cope. When her boyfriend “pauses” their relationship and her summer job switches to a different camp—one for troubled kids—Lucy isn’t sure how much more she can handle. Attempting to accept a new normal, Lucy slowly regains footing among her vibrant, diverse coworkers, Sundays with her mom, and a crush on a fellow counselor. But when long-hidden family secrets emerge, can Lucy set aside her problems and discover what grace really means?

Emotionally-charged and unforgettable, Emery Lord’s storytelling shines with the promise of new love and true friendship, even in the face of life’s biggest challenges.

First Thoughts

When this arrived, I can quite easily say I FLIPPED and hugged it. Everyone who reads PLM knows how much I adore YA, but more importantly, when Emery contributes to it with her amazing characters and flawless world-building. The premise for The Names They Gave Us sounds like it’s going to make me smile/cry/repeat and it went to the top of my TBR so fast.

Review

I have never started a review with my rating for it (not that I can ever remember going back to 2012 when I started my blog) but right here? We have the biggest FIVE star book I’ve read this year, hands down, swear on all my bookshelves. I was expecting greatness (it’s an Emery Lord book, obviously) but this is just some kind of magic. Let me tell you why: Lucy is just like us. What I’m trying to say is that she feels real, like she’s my best friend or someone I went to school with. I felt for her with personal empathy for the things she was going through with her Mother’s cancer, and for the unwinding spiral of her life as she tried to maintain some kind of control over it.

The Names They Gave Us isn’t all about cancer, despite Lucy’s story being intertwined with it, or about Religion despite Lucy being a firm believer in God. In fact, because of Lucy’s Mom being sick, she decides that for once, it’s okay to not follow the lines of her religious beliefs and to let herself be Lucy; opening herself up to things that she previously wouldn’t have done, namely because the Summer Camp job she has switches to a different kind and it makes her sceptical about what this Summer will bring, along with the fact that her boyfriend just paused their relationship (how dare he!). But then, she meets the characters that truly shape this book for the better: a diverse, amazing, beautiful array of people that as secondary characters, light up the pages with their own radiant spotlight. 

I just CAN’T explain how much this book affected me. It’s heartbreaking, raw, true and beautifully messy and I thoroughly loved Lucy’s strikingly honest POV and how much she trusted her faith. Overall, The Names They Gave Us is a YA Book unlike any other (I know, it’s a cliche to say that, but it’s so, so true) and Emery has truly outdone herself with her latest novel! I’m always amazed at how much her writing can make me laugh and cry at the same time at these characters that you just want to hug and be friends with. This can’t get a higher five stars from me.

Rating

Have you read The Names They Gave Us?


What did you think?


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


happy reading!

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Book Review: “When We Collided” by Emery Lord

Title: When We Collided

Author: Emery Lord

Published: April 7th, 2016

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Find the Author: Goodreads


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

We are seventeen and shattered and still dancing. We have messy, throbbing hearts, and we are stronger than anyone could ever know…

Jonah never thought a girl like Vivi would come along.

Vivi didn’t know Jonah would light up her world.

Neither of them expected a summer like this…a summer that would rewrite their futures.

In an unflinching story about new love, old wounds, and forces beyond our control, two teens find that when you collide with the right person at just the right time, it will change you forever.

I am guilty of having all Emery Lord’s books (so far) and having not read any of them (I know, I know, BIG mistake) because as soon as When We Collided fell into my hands (thank you Bloomsbury!) I was in love with it. The whole blurb on the back that quoted Vivi talking about Jonah was too beautiful for words. 

Is it possible for love at first sight for books? If so, then When We Collided has utterly won my heart. From the first page, Vivi was this lively, beautiful person who had the most vibrant personality that made her my favourite POV (sorry, Jonah!). While I was reading, this sort of soundtrack came into my mind like the type you’d hear in a rom-com with a perfect score. The moment Vivi came into Jonah’s world and both of them (like the title) collide, it was such a unique spin on a YA Romance that also dealt with real life issues like mental disorders and illnesses with care and shone a light on the awareness for them for which Emery should be highly praised for because this isn’t done hardly enough. 

Vivi and Jonah have a special type of relationship that changes and evolves throughout the book, from when they meet to when certain aspects of their individual lives conflict or overlap. Set in an idyllic town called Verona Cove that’s described as a small, everyone-knows-everyone place with pretty sights and friendly people, it’s a perfect Californian setting. You could say that such a small town like this was too small for a girl like Vivi. She was an ambitious, huge character that seemed to light up the pages and like he did for her, she lit up Jonah’s life too and changed it completely. There’s not only big personalities, but a big family and big feelings and issues that tell themselves so well and were written with poise. I love how there wasn’t a dull moment, not even an odd chapter or line with any of the plot segments that interacted. The character developments were timed just right and I couldn’t fault how perfect the world Emery created was, showing that imperfect is loveable too and not every family and relationship is plain sailing. 

Overall, When We Collided is a stand-out YA book of 2016 that is bursting with love, beauty and charm. I can’t recommend you read it highly enough. I’ve been seeing it everywhere and it surely deserves all the attention it’s getting. Five stars for a realistic, charismatic book that totally won my heart. 


YA Contemporary fans.

 Have you read/heard of When We Collided?

What did you think?

Let me know in the comments, on twitter @LittleMemoirs or #WhenWeCollided to spread the word!

happy reading!

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Book Review: “There Will Be Lies” by Nick Lake

*NO SPOILERS REVIEW*


Title: There Will Be Lies

Author: Nick Lake

Published: January 6th, 2015

Publisher: Bloomsbury Childrens

Find the Author: Goodreads


I received this for review from Bloomsbury for review. As always, my reviews are fair and un-bias.

Shelby Jane Cooper is seventeen, pretty and quiet. 

It’s just Shelby and her mom, Shaylene, a court stenographer who wears pyjama jeans, stitches tapestry, eats ice-cream for dinner and likes to keep Shelby safe. So safe she barely goes out. So safe she doesn’t go to school. Because anything could happen, to a girl like Shelby. Anything.

When Shelby gets knocked down by a car, it’s not just her leg that’s broken: Shelby’s world is shattered. Her mom turns up to collect her and drives off into the night, like it’s the beginning of a road trip, like two criminals on the run, like Thelma and Louise or Bonnie and Clyde. And somehow, everywhere she looks, there’s a coyote watching her, talking to her, telling her not to believe.

Who is Shelby Jane Cooper? If the person who keeps you safe also tells you lies, who can you trust?

Shelby Jane Cooper has led a pretty sheltered life so far. At home it’s just her and her mother; Shaylene. Shelby’s Mom likes to keep her safe, like any mother wants of their children – but with Shelby, it’s pretty different. Shaylene likes to keep Shelby so safe that she doesn’t go to school or barely goes outside to do anything, too terrified that something will happen to a girl like her. On one of the few outings Shelby is allowed, she is hit by a car and suddenly everything comes to a halt. Her leg is broken, and now everything else seems to be too. 

Setting off out of town, Shaylene pulls her daughter into a road trip. The overprotective mother that Shelby had mixed feelings about – whether she accepted the safety and understood her mother or craved more freedom – became clear that this was more than just a road trip. They were on the run. 

Now everything seems different to Shelby. Everywhere she looks, there’s a coyote watching her and taunting her, telling her things. Her dreams are wild and inquisitive, telling her things to believe. The storyline picks up right away, setting a scene for thrills and a story with layers you’ll love to delve into. 

I was won over by the enthralling enticement for There Will Be Lies, into the darkness of the lies and secrets hidden inside Shaylene and Shelby’s lives. At times it reminded me of something straight out of a movie like Gone Girl or Before I Go To Sleep, the tension and exhilarating storyline twisting into an explosive conclusion. 

Overall, There Will Be Lies is a book you don’t want to miss, thriller fans. You’ll be surprised, like I was, at the carefully crafted characters and significance of Coyotes and dreams that uncover the meaning of Shelby’s story. If you love psychological thrillers and stories that keep you on the edge of your seat, scoop up this and read just how amazing it truly is. 


         


 For fans of S.J. Watson and Gillian Flynn – you will love this. 

 What did you think of There Will Be Lies?

Did you think it was as thrilling as I did?

Let me know in the comments!

happy reading!
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Book Review: “Better Than Perfect (Wild Cards #1)” by Simone Elkeles

Title: Better Than Perfect (Wild Cards #1)

Author: Simone Elkeles 
Genre: Young Adult – Contemporary Romance
Release Date: August 4th, 2014
Published by: Bloomsbury Childrens


I received this from Bloomsbury Childrens in exchange for an honest review. As always, my reviews are fair and non-bias. 



Ashtyn’s life just got complicated. Her boyfriend is being distant and her sister’s back at home after ten years – with a stepson in tow!

 Derek has a perfect body, THE sexiest smile and a car – Ashtyn’s only way to escape from her crazy life. But Derek likes to play by his own rules and is keen to take Ashtyn on a ride she’ll never forget. As they spend more and more time alone together, will Derek’s flirty games drive Ashtyn wild?

 A sweet and steamy romance from New York Times bestselling author Simone Elkeles.

I was immediately intrigued when I stumbled upon Simone’s novels a little while ago because I had heard so many amazing things about her Perfect Chemistry series, so I jumped at the chance to read this! So ultimately I was going into Better Than Perfect searching for a new favourite Contemporary YA Author!


Ashtyn isn’t your typical girl and her life is far from perfect. She’s a football player for a start, and it’s really important to her that she is treated as equal and not because she’s a girl. Derek, on the other hand, is your typical bad boy. Expelled, he’s sent to live with his Father’s new Wife back in her hometown, walking right into Ashtyn’s life and shattering it into thousands of complex little pieces. 
At first it seems like this is your usual bad boy meets good girl, but when Better Than Perfect gets going, it headed right into my favourite reads right away. Ashtyn and Derek’s connection is lively and they weave straight into each others lives, the game of back and forth glances and flirty conversations become more inevitable. Ashtyn is a very driven, hardworking girl and all she wants is to be noticed doing what she loves in football, maybe even to get a scholarship. But Derek isn’t driven for anything like Ashtyn is, and he knows her type just like she knows his. They’re not “supposed” to be meant for each other, but their fiery chemistry begs to differ. From the nicknames to the addictive, enchanting romance, Better Than Perfect played all it’s cards right for me. Simone’s writing style was charming and distinctive, and I can see how she is easily one of the best YA Contemporary authors out there. 
Overall, Better Than Perfect couldn’t have been better – it was perfect. For fans of Katie McGarry, Simone’s novels are on my TBR list for sure now! I can’t wait to read more from her. 


I think there were so many little moments that were my favourites, it would give away WAY to many spoilers if I even dared. But when you read them, they’ll become your favourites too, definitely. 

Like I said above, for fans of Katie McGarry and anyone who loves a YA Romance with an unique spin on it. 

Have you read Better Than Perfect?


What did you think?


Tell me in the comments, on twitter or by using the hashtag #BetterThanPerfect

happy reading!

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Book Review: “Flirty Dancing” by Jenny McLachlan


Title: Flirty Dancing 

Author: Jenny McLaughlan
Genre: Young Adult – Contemporary 
Release Date: July 3rd, 2014
Published by: Bloomsbury Childrens


I received this from Bloomsbury Childrens books in exchange for an honest review. As always, my reviews are fair and non-bias. 



 Bea Hogg is shy but fiery inside. 

When national dance competition Starwars comes to her school looking for talent, she wants to sign up. It’s just a shame her best friend agreed to enter with school super-cow Pearl Harris. Bea will fight back! But when school hottie, Ollie Matthews, who also happens to be Pearl’s boyfriend, decides to enter the competition with Bea, she will have more than a fight on her hands.

This warm, nuanced, hilarious story about friendship, fortitude . . . and dancing is impossible not to fall in love with. Jenny’s voice is fresh and convincing, and she handles both darker and lighter elements of the story with equal panache.

Flirty Dancing looked like a fun, spontaneous and hilarious read right from the synopsis. And, come on, a book about a dance competition, love and friendship? It’s criminal not to read it.
Bea is a smart, sometimes shy, and always hilarious, main character of Flirty Dancing. When she gets word of a fabulous new national dance competition called Starwars, she wants nothing more than to dance. Although her skepticism holds her back at first, she gets a pep talk from her Grandma and decides that she has what it takes and she should go for it. But when she finds out her best friend; Kat, has joined her arch enemy (although former best friend turned mean girl) Pearl’s team, she is stuck for a partner to dance with. 
But then, her Grandma’s connections at dance lessons stick Bea with her crush and the hottest boy at school; Ollie. Although they haven’t talked much and Bea can’t help but hold back because Ollie is dating her competitor and ex-friend; Pearl. But when they get further and further into the competition and become closer as dance partners, there’s a dance chance they could become more than just dance partners. 
The book also zooms in on friendship and how easily we forget how much a friend or ex-friend used to mean to us and how we change as people growing up and for Pearl, she turned against Bea, but Bea wasn’t like Pearl and tried to give her the benefit of the doubt, cowering down all the time. It was refreshing to see a girl stand up to someone who belittled her and because of that, Bea was an all-star character for me. 
Flirty Dancing was everything I expected and more. It was packed full of hilarious one-liners, clever characters that were lambently witty and honestly original, not to mention how unique the story was in itself. I’ve only ever read a few books in all my time reading that intergrate dance-themes into them and Flirty Dancing beat them all – and other books alike – to the top spot. Playful, comical and not to mention how I couldn’t put it down, Flirty Dancing was a five-star YA that I dare you not to love. 

I loved dance rehearsals, Betty (she was so fun) and Bea’s courage to overcome that shyness around dancing and going up against her arch enemy. 

 YA book lovers of all genres will love Flirty Dancing, but in particular Contemporary readers who favor a little fun and romance in their YA books. 




Have you read Flirty Dancing?

What did you think? 

Tell me in the comments or at @LittleMemoirs on twitter!

happy reading!
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Book Review: “The Winner’s Curse” by Marie Rutkoski

Title: The Winner’s Curse

Author: Marie Rutkoski
Genre: Young Adult – Historical Romance / Fantasy 
Release Date: July 3rd, 2014
Published by: Bloomsbury Childrens


I received this from Bloomsbury Childrens in exchange for an honest review. As always, my reviews are fair and non-bias. 





Winning what you want may cost you everything you love.

As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions. One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction.

Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin. But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined.

Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.

Historical fiction isn’t usually my go-to read, but there was something compelling about The Winner’s Curse. I had heard so many great things about the story and the romance and that it was a must read, so I was going in with high hopes. 
The high hopes I went into The Winner’s Curse with were met with exceeding enchantment and allure into the Historical backdrop and charismatic characters. Kestrel was especially interesting, although being set in the third person POV didn’t give me a full look into her thoughts and I wasn’t sure what that would mean until Arin was introduced and I saw why there was a different point of view situation where we could see into both of their worlds. Although they were both about to collide massively. 
Kestrel is the General’s daughter, and she has everything she could possibly want. She also had a question weighing on her shoulders; to join the military like her father or get married. But when she sees a slave auction in progress and the slave up for grabs being Arin, she sees something in him that she hasn’t quite seen in anyone else. Promising he can sing, she buys him even to the dismay of her best friend; Jess. Although the consequences that follow were something Kestrel couldn’t have pictured. She feels a connection with Arin, even if he is secretive and distant. But when they talk about music, especially Kestrel’s piano that she adores, they seem more matched than she ever thought. But it was becoming obvious that they had a certain connection and scandal hits the town, forcing them to be frightfully honest about how they saw each other. But Arin has ulterior motives, even if he is growing to hate being dishonest to Kestrel. His plans are wild and outrageous, but he’s not the one in control. He still tries to save Kestrel when the plan goes forward, and sends her world spiralling out of control into a one she doesn’t even recognize. One completely opposite to the life she has lived all her life. The roles get reversed. People get hurt. And still there is still a spark between them, even if Kestrel is filled with hate and Arin with slight remorse. 
The Winner’s Curse is unlike anything I’ve ever read – genius, enrapturing and with a hopelessly destined love. Filled with enamoring qualities and a world with stakes higher than ever, where the roles of rich and poor are tested like a game. An incredible – possibly even the best – Historical YA book I have ever read. A definite favourite this year.
I can’t wait for The Winner’s Crime, book two of the trilogy!



A game of bite and sting, anyone? (You’ll only understand if you’ve read The Winner’s Curse, which you SHOULD!) Speaking of, you can actually play it here on Marie’s website for the book. 

Historical YA fans, even stretching to the Fantasy lovers. It’s one of those books where even if you don’t normally read the genre, you’d love. 

Have you read The Winner’s Curse?


Tell me in the comments or on twitter!


happy reading!

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Book Review: “Searching For Sky” by Jillian Cantor

Title: Searching For Sky

Author: Jillian Cantor
Genre: Young Adult – Contemporary
Release Date: July 3rd, 2014 
Also by the Author: The September Sisters
Published by: Bloomsbury Childrens 

I received this from Bloomsbury in exchange for an honest review. As always, my reviews are fair and non-bias. 


*Contains minor details of the story*

Sky and River have always lived on Island, the only world they’ve ever known. 

Until the day River spots a boat. 

Across Ocean, in a place called California, Sky is separated from River and forced to live with a grandmother she’s just met. 
Here the rules for survival are different. People rely on strange things like cars and cell phones. They keep secrets from one another. And without River, nothing makes sense. Sky yearns for her old life where she was strong and capable, not lost and confused. 
She must find River so they can return to Island, but the truth behind how they ended up there in the first place will come as the biggest shock of all.

Searching For Sky had a completely different first reaction for me when I first see a book or hear about it. I didn’t even think about it, I just knew that there was an amazing story in the pages. And that COVER…is even more beautiful in person, believe me. I love the US one, but my favoritism stays with the UK version for definite. 
Sky and River have lived on Island for as long as they can remember, and it’s the only place that each of them can call home. They call it “Island”, where they have adapted to their limited resources not knowing any different, like “Bathroom Tree”, “Falls” and “Ocean”, everything had a certain name for them. They live there alone after Sky’s Mother and River’s Father were found dead, and had to survive by themselves, only counting on each other. 
River sees a boat one day when he’s catching fish for him and Sky, but they aren’t certain what a boat even is. They soon find that the people on the boat arrive at the Island to take them home – even though Sky has no idea where that place even is – to a place called California. There, things are very different. Sky is separated from River and meets her grandmother who immediately tries to connect her to a new way of living by getting a team of experts to teach her everything someone of her teenage-age should know and do. 
Being set in Sky’s POV, nothing was limited at all by not being able to get inside her head and emotions. I instantly connected with her, through sympathy and compassion for her confusion and brand new eyes at California, a place she didn’t even know existed. Things in the real world are painstakingly difficult to grasp and day after day, Sky – who’s been told that her name isn’t even her own – feels lost by association in her new life. All she knows is Island, and even though she tries and learns new things every day, she just wants to be reunited with River. 
It was tragic what happened in Sky’s life, and as she learns the startling new information about where she came from, who her Mother and River’s Father; Helmut, really were, Sky can’t help but try and grip the good memories tighter. All she knew was that with the help of her grandmother’s neighbour; Ben, she needed to find River. She had to go back to Island. 
Searching For Sky really made me feel for the characters, in a way that I could picture Sky vividly in this world that felt so dystopian to her. I felt so bad for River, and although selfish at times, I felt remorse for Sky’s grandmother who so desperately just wanted for her to feel at home. After all, she had lost two people she loved and never thought she would see again. 
Overall, Searching For Sky is a book filled with the qualities in a book I love; an impeccable plot, an ending to make you tear up, characters I empathized and a story that won’t leave my mind. 
Searching for Sky definitely made my favourites list for this year – an exceptional and impressive five-star novel.

I loved moments between Sky and Ben, and even though she felt more inclined to feelings toward River, they seemed like they really hit it off. He was more gentle in the way he taught her things about the World, unlike her grandmother, so she felt more relaxed about trusting him and it showed.

For fans of YA Contemporary, particularly if you’re a fan of hard-hitting novels (in the emotion sort of way). Adult readers will love Searching for Sky alike with it’s readability being perfect for all ages from teens and up.



Have you read Searching For Sky?


Tell me what you think in the comments or on twitter!

happy reading!

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Mutant City!

Fifty years ago, the world was almost destroyed by a chemical war. Now the world is divided into the mutants and the pure. Mutants must fight for survival in a scarred landscape, while the privileged pure live out a life of disease-free perfection.

 Thirteen years ago, a covert government experimental facility was shut down and its residents killed. The secrets it held died with them. But five extraordinary kids survived.

 Today four teenagers are about to discover that their mutant blood brings with it special powers. They are heading straight for Mutant City with rival factions close behind. One by one, they face the enemy. Together, they must stay alive . .

Fans of Darren Shan, Charlie Higson and Michael Grant, listen up! Mutant City is a new novel by Steve Feasey that’s perfect for you!

To find out more about the series, click here or you could do better and take the quiz to find out what YOU are in the Mutant City world!

I was a…Shape Shifter! 

The quiz asks you all these different and interesting questions all about you and then analyzes them to come up with the result! Amazing, right?


Analysing your responses can only conclude that your mutant power is: Shape Shifter

You are great in any social situation, able to shift your personality to whoever you are talking to. However, like the Incredible Hulk, you have a tendency towards mood swings, and your shape-shifting emotions will turn any problem into a crisis.


Mutant City is out as of May 8th by Bloomsbury Children’s Books!


happy reading!

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