Pretty Little Memoirs - a YA Book Blog

Where The Story Never Ends. . .

Review Requests are currently closed due to current International conditions. Thank you for your kindness.

Quercus

Book Review: Girlhood by Cat Clarke (+ Q&A with Cat!)

Title: Girlhood 

Author: Emma Wunsch

Published: May 4th, 2017

Publisher: Quercus

Find the Author: Goodreads 


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

Real, compulsive and intense: Cat Clarke is the queen of emotional suspense. For fans of Paula Hawkins, Gillian Flynn, Megan Abbott and Jandy Nelson.

Harper has tried to forget the past and fit in at expensive boarding school Duncraggan Academy. Her new group of friends are tight; the kind of girls who Harper knows have her back. But Harper can’t escape the guilt of her twin sister’s Jenna’s death, and her own part in it – and she knows no one else will ever really understand.

But new girl Kirsty seems to get Harper in ways she never expected. She has lost a sister too. Harper finally feels secure. She finally feels…loved. As if she can grow beyond the person she was when Jenna died.

Then Kirsty’s behaviour becomes more erratic. Why is her life a perfect mirror of Harper’s? And why is she so obsessed with Harper’s lost sister? Soon, Harper’s closeness with Kirsty begins to threaten her other relationships, and her own sense of identity.

How can Harper get back to the person she wants to be, and to the girls who mean the most to her?

A darkly compulsive story about love, death, and growing up under the shadow of grief.

First Thoughts

Cat Clarke + Boarding School + Female Friendships = instant magic?!


My Review

There has always been something enticing and captivating about a boarding school book in YA. Girlhood stands out with it’s deep pink cover and chilling tagline: sugar and spice and scars for life. I was instantly drawn to the main character, Harper, who’s personality is tinged with the remnants of her sisters death hanging on her shoulders – because her sister Jenna who died, was her twin, and ultimately when twins are separated by such tragic circumstances, it’s unbelievably painful. But Harper has these friends; idyllic, lively and bursting with the kind of support that you’d kill for, and they have shaped the person she’s become at the Duncraggan Academy. 

New girl Kirsty is like a magnet to Harper. They share a painful similarity, because Kirsty has also lost a sister. They click and find an unspoken connection and for the first time in a very long time, Harper feels like she’s coming out of her shell and crawling back to the person she used to be. 

But then Kirsty suddenly changes, and it’s getting under Harper’s skin in the ways that Kirsty has become obsessive over Jenna – Harper’s twin – and faster than she can contemplate, Harper is at risk of losing the people she cares about the most. She knows that the answer to finding out the truth is to climb out of the depressive cloud hanging over her head and find herself again through the mayhem. 

WOW. Just wow. Have you ever read a book and then just sat there and thought “how do I go on from here?”. Girlhood is this book. I couldn’t read anything for a day after, still enraptured by the story, the painful truth and compulsively addictive characters. Girlhood is a lighthouse in the darkness; bold and enthralling. The elements that I loved were the lack of romance (because it focused on more important things), but the implement of sexuality in Harper’s case of being bisexual, and I think that Cat wrote this so honestly. Rowan was one of my favourite characters by far (you’ll know why when you read Girlhood) and I loved the friendship that bonded the girls together – it’s a breath of fresh air to see such a female driven friendship group in YA. 

Overall, Girlhood is a must-read, must-have and must-re-read over and over again. If you haven’t got it in your hands, you’re truly missing out on one of the best books of the year! I don’t say it very often, but I wish I could give this six stars, or seven, or eight. A true epic read!


Rating



Q&A with CAT CLARKE! 


It was one of the best days when I found out I could interview the Cat Clarke! She’s such a staple amazing YA author and having her on my blog is a dream come true. A huge thank you to Nina for arranging this (you’re a star!)


Harper sounds like such a fascinatingly complex character. What inspired her personality?

I wanted to write about a girl struggling to cope with grief, but just about managing to keep her head above water, with the help of her friends. Alhough there’s no romance in the plot, Harper is bisexual, and her best friend, Rowan, is a lesbian. I wanted to create a group of friends who weren’t all straight. On the surface of things, the four friends in Girlhood couldn’t be more different, but that’s partly what makes their bond so strong.
I also wanted Harper to feel uncertain and anxious about leaving school. She’s in her final year, and everyone else seems to have their whole future figured out, whereas she doesn’t have a clue what she wants to do. I think that’s something a lot of people can relate to – I certainly can!

What’s your favourite thing about Girlhood in the sense of female friendships in YA? 

I especially love the moments of kindness and forgiveness between the girls. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside 🙂 Friendship is one of my favourite things to read about in any book. 

What inspires you the most when writing? 

Oh that’s a tough one. I’m inspired by news stories (not so much right now though, with the world being pretty much on fire!). Music inspires me a lot, as do books and films. Inspiration can come from anywhere – it’s about paying attention, and being open to it at all times.

And finally, do you have any plans for future (surely amazing) books? 

I’m in the middle of writing my next YA, which should be out next year. And I’m also working on some non-fiction projects, and a top-secret project that I’m having a lot of fun with. I want to keep challenging myself with my writing, and hopefully keep enjoying the process.

Want to listen to an empowered GIRL POWER playlist? I created this playlist on Spotify for all my Pretty Little Memoirs readers! Enjoy listening to these girl anthems! 

Have you read Girlhood?


What did you think?


Let me know in the comments or at @LittleMemoirs on twitter, and use the hashtag #readGirlhood to join in!


happy reading!

post signature

Speed Review: “Red” by Alison Cherry



Title: Red

Author: Alison Cherry
Genre: Young Adult – Contemporary 
Release Date: Janurary 2nd, 2014 (UK)
Other Books by Author: For Real
Published by: Quercus 
Purchase at: Amazon, B&N, Waterstones

With thanks Quercus for the galley copy of this novel! As always, my reviews are non-bias and fair.




A hot new high school comedy for redheads and all who love them.


Top student. Beauty queen. Girlfriend of the hottest football jock. Felicity’s got everything. And it’s all down to her red, red hair.

Felicity lives in Scarletville, the world’s only redhead sanctuary, where red hair is celebrated, protected – and the key to success.

But Felicity has a secret. A red hot secret. And if anyone finds out, she’s finished. Because Felicity’s actually a natural blonde.

And in Scarletville, blondes need not apply.

I knew the moment I saw Red on Goodreads before it’s release that I would have to read it someday  in the future. And now that time has come! I saw it on Netgalley and jumped at the chance. I was so happy when the lovely people at Quercus accepted my request! I had read reviews that it was a fun, high-school contemporary novel, and ones like that are loved in my collection. 

def: a “speed review” is a new feature on Pretty Little Memoirs consisting of shorter reads and eBooks that I’ve read in a quick and event-filled review
I have Red Hair. Totally not natural, but I was obsessed for so long to get ruby locks. I naturally have very dark brown hair, so it was a work in progress. Now my hair is golden red in the sunlight and brown in the dim light, so I have the best of both worlds. 
So ultimately, I get why Felicity wanted to fit in with the other redheads in Scarletville. There’s something about fitting in, in addition, that makes life easier for a little while. But the message would be to embrace who we are naturally, than who we want to fit in with, and I think that the journey of Red was a roller-coaster of many amazing, enchanting things.
I read Red in one sitting, compulsively page after page just absorbing the hilarious one-liners, the parts in the city of the Redhead Sanctuary where the plot really made me think–and that’s a very rare thing an author can do for a reader; make them contemplate those situations in their own lives and play them over in our heads–so I was really into the fantasy that something like this story-world could exist and was playful, but easily believable. 
Felicity was trying to play into the hand of the society, not wanting her regular dye-jobs threatened, so that she could fit in and not be a strawbie–which to us, in the real world, is a redhead–so you get the idea that there is a false conception that Felicity should fit in, but because she only knows what she grew up in, in that environment, she doesn’t know that the town’s obsession with being a true red is as important in the real world. 
The characters were brilliantly executed and I truly enjoyed reading about all those that played part in Red. Felicity was of course my favourite, but you can’t beat the humor between all the characters in Red. I was constantly laughing to myself and that’s one of the things that is a must have for me. The ability to make me laugh, smile, think…a true reading experience. 
Overall, Red was an amazing read and I can’t wait to see what is next from Alison Cherry. I believe she has a new novel coming out soon called For Real which looks to be living up to the high standard of Red in it’s popularity on Goodreads and other blogs. So I’m looking forward to reading that in the future, too!
                                                   
Have you read Red?

What did you think? 

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

happy reading!
post signature

Review: “Brooklyn Girls (Pia)” by Gemma Burgess {with thanks to Quercus}

 
Fantastically funny, fresh and utterly relatable, Brooklyn Girls by Gemma Burgess is the first novel in her brand new series about five twenty-something friends—Pia, Angie, Julia, Coco and Madeleine—sharing a brownstone in hip, downtown Brooklyn, and discovering the ups and downs and ins and outs of  their “semi-adult” lives.

 The first story belongs to sophisticated, spoiled, and stylish Pia, who finds herself completely unemployed, unemployable, and broke. So what is a recent grad with an art history degree and an unfortunate history of Facebook topless photos to do? Start a food truck business of course!

 Pia takes on the surprisingly cutthroat Brooklyn world of hybrid lettuce growers, artisanal yogurt makers and homemade butter producers to start SkinnyWheels—all while dealing with hipster bees, one-night-stands, heartbreak, parental fury, wild parties, revenge, jail, loan sharks, playboys, karaoke, true love, and one adorable pink food truck. And that’s without counting her roommates’ problems, too. Gemma Burgess has captured the confusion, hilarity and excitement of the post-graduate years against a backdrop of the pressures and chaos of New York City life, with heartfelt empathy, fast humour and sharp honesty.
A charming debut series about five twenty-something girls and the humour, heartbreak, and drama that bring them together.

 

 

 

 

LIFE BEGINS AT 22! I have been (metaphorically) dying to read this! Not only was I interested in the ‘new adult’ genre that Gemma had picked up since writing her adult novels; ‘A Girl Like You’ and ‘The Dating Detox’, but that this was going to be a series! The cover just screams; PICK ME UP, and I was lucky enough for Quercus to gift me a copy to read. Also, I just love books that are set in New York City. As a matter of fact…I love anything to do with NYC! So right away I knew this was going to be so amazing….
 
 
The facts were; ‘Brooklyn Girls’ was, yes, set in Brooklyn, and revolved around the lives of Pia, Julia, Coco, Madeleine and Angie. The first novel is all about Pia, who was in such a dilemma in her life. She had nothing figured out, except that she was a twenty-something year old living with her friends in Julia’s Aunt’s house that she inherited when she died.
Gemma wrote with realistic and spot-on facts and ways of the chaotic life of Pia and her friends. Pia was a unique-sort of character, and I’m glad this first book was in her perspective. She was such a strong, smart and feisty person, and she outshone the others by miles, making her the most relatable and honest girl.
The first scene in the novel is Pia waking up at what was the ‘housewarming’ party, where she has a hangover and is struck with images of her ‘flashing’ party guests…the images now on Facebook. Now, Pia was broke, just out of college and fired from her job in PR…and to make matters worse, she was cut off by her parents.
“Because I don’t want to get rejected again. Because it’s too hard. Because I’m scared of taking a risk.”
And that’s not even the beginning of the wild one-nighters, heartbreak and that food truck; an idea that Pia thinks will take off and soon borrows money from a loan shark. She sets out to make a ton of profits, but wherever the Brooklyn girls are, complications follow…
My favourite character was definitely the half Indian, half Swiss; Pia. Her personality shone through in little breaks throughout the novel, showing the readers a side to Pia that maybe she didn’t express aloud, but that she confided in her narration with. She struggled with the break-up of her first love and that knocked her back a little, too–and no one said finding someone suitable to date was ever super easy at 22…but no one was trying to be perfect, either…and that was the thing about Brooklyn Girls that made me love it so much…it was realistic and truthful.
I adored the quirky, unique take on an idea that could’ve gone in a completely different direction. It had humour, the occasional ‘adult’ content and perhaps some jail time, but nevertheless, it was one of the most entertaining, marvellous books I’ve read this year. It had all the characteristics of a YA novel, but with a dash of an Adult theme that will give anyone competing in this ‘New Adult’ genre, a run for their money.
I thought that Gemma really tied up the ending so well, and I can’t wait to read the next instalment! I heard the next one will be in Angie’s perspective, and she was completely different to Pia in her own impulsive and funny way.
Much love for Brooklyn Girls that will get an OUTSTANDING five stars from me.
 
 



with thanks to Quercus books for letting me read such an amazing novel; my first ‘New Adult’ book!

 

Follow on Bloglovin  

 

happy reading!

 

post signature

↑ Top of Page