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Book Review: Puddin’ by Julie Murphy (Dumplin’, #2)

Title: Puddin’ (Dumplin’ #2)
Author: Julie Murphy
Published: May 8th, 2018
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Rating: ★★★★★
Find the Author: Goodreads 

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

It is a companion novel to Dumplin’, which follows supporting characters from the first book in the months after Willowdean’s star turn in the Clover City pageant. 
Millie Michalchuk has gone to fat camp every year since she was a girl. Not this year. This year she has new plans to chase her secret dream—and to kiss her crush. Callie Reyes is the pretty girl who is next in line for dance team captain and has the popular boyfriend. But when it comes to other girls, she’s more frenemy than friend. When circumstances bring the girls together over the course of a semester, they will surprise everyone (especially themselves) by realizing they might have more in common than they ever imagined.

First Thoughts…

It’s no secret that I absoultely adored Dumplin’ when I read it a staggering two years ago! It was one of my favourite reads that year and when I heard that they were making a movie about Willowdean, my heart skipped a beat! I am so glad they’re putting a Plus Size character on the big screen for a movie about her and not about the “thin best friend” trope that we get nowadays. I remember that Dumplin’ had resonated with me a lot because I’m also plus size, and I found that there was a lot of truth in those small moments we all take for granted when we don’t know that what we’re saying or doing can affect someone. 

My Review…

In the sequel to Dumplin’, there’s Puddin’. (Okay, does the title remind anyone else of Harley Quinn’s line?) It’s essentially a companion novel to the first that follows some of the supporting characters from the first book. We have these two main characters – Millie and Callie – and they’re quite different from each other. Millie is a sweetheart, super positive and just one of those people who would have made the best friend when I was growing up. I never had a friend like Millie at all, or ones that understood what it was like growing up bigger than the other girls. So when I read that Millie usually goes to fat camp every year, I was ready for a story about losing weight, but then, her plans change. She isn’t going to fat camp this year. She’s going to chase her dreams and kiss her crush. The thought that Millie had this confidence that I can only dream of was exhilarating. 

But then Millie meets Callie. Callie isn’t like Millie at all. She’s harder, tougher and some may say, prettier. Basically, I felt like she might have been the “mean girl” type. She’s next in line for the dance captain and her friends (or enemies) and even boyfriend, are all popular. So when she meets Millie? It’s not smooth sailing. They’re brought together during the semester, and then their layers start unveiling their own flaws, beliefs and common ground they have. (By the end, I was even starting to like Callie – a character who I never would have thought I could.)
I’m just utterly blown away each time I read something by Julie Murphy. I’m an avid collector of her novels and to this day, nothing quite makes my heart happy like feeling like I can gel with the characters in a book series that isn’t all about the fat girl losing weight. It’s about the fat girl getting her dreams. Because weight? It’s just weight. It shouldn’t define who you are. And Dumplin’ and now Puddin’, have both been examples of just how to write an incredible, empowering and 5-star worthy YA novel. So it goes without saying that this has been one of my favourite reads this year so far! Huge, huge love for this book (and for Julie!).

Julie Murphy is a potty-mouthed Southern belle who was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, but found her home in Fort Worth, Texas. She’s never seen Star Wars, but has yet to meet a made for TV movie she didn’t love. When she’s not writing, Julie can be found cruising Costco for free samples, watching Sister Act 2, stalking drag queens on instagram, obsessing over the logistics of Mars One, and forever searching for the perfect slice of cheese pizza. She lives with her bearded husband, two vicious cats, and one pomeranian that can pass as a bear cub. DUMPLIN’ is her second young adult novel.

Have you read Puddin’ or Dumplin’?


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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Book Review: The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu

Title: The Truth About Alice

Author: Jennifer Mathieu

Published: March 8th, 2018

Publisher: Hodder’s Childrens 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

From the author of Zoella Book Club book MOXIE comes a startling book about stereotypes, slut shaming and the battle for popularity. 
Everyone knows Alice slept with two guys at one party.But did you know Alice was sexting Brandon when he crashed his car?It’s true. Ask ANYBODY.
Rumour has it that Alice Franklin is a slut. It’s written all over the ‘slut stall’ in the girls’ bathroom at Healy High for everyone to see. And after star quarterback Brandon Fitzsimmons dies in a car accident, the rumours start to spiral out of control.
In this remarkable novel, four Healy High students – the party girl, the car accident survivor, the ex best friend and the boy next door – tell all they know. 
But exactly what is the truth about Alice? In the end there’s only one person to ask: Alice herself.
‘Should be required reading for anyone in high school’ Bustle

First Thoughts…

I am guilty of not having read MOXIE, but still a huge fan. It stands for everything that I do and why I haven’t got around to it…I have no excuse. I’m bookishly guilty! I own a copy that I bought on holiday in Exeter and it’s still sitting in my TBR. So when Hodder reached out with The Truth About Alice, I threw myself at the chance. After all, it was published before Moxie, so maybe I could read them back to back? I went in with the highest of hopes and wasn’t disappointed.

My Review…

The story starts with a bang. Quite literally the most startling opener I’ve read in a while. We get pulled into the mystery from the get-go and everything revolves around, you guessed it, Alice Franklin. There’s rumors, and then there’s downright vicious-meets-huge rumors, which is what Alice has under her belt. It’s written in bathroom stalls in the Girls’ bathroom, the talk of the School and spirals a web of mystery when Brandon Fitzsimmons, star quarterback, dies in a car accident. People say it’s Alice’s fault. But is it really? Because no one really knows the truth about Alice (quite like the title) other than Alice, herself. So we start with four tell-all’s from four different students at Healy High, who spill their version of the truth and the consequences that lead us down a treacherous path. 

When we finally delve into the heads of the different characters, the truth crawls its way out. I was really taken aback by some of the things Alice’s “so called” friends said behind her back, the rumors that they spread without knowing the truth, and the way the town paraded the fallen football star as a hero, despite his poor treatment of women. Whenever we get a story like this, there’s always so much going on beneath the surface that it’s a sense of relief to delve into the truth and not have this barrier of reader-meets-character. Knowing the outcome of The Truth About Alice (no spoilers, it’s *so good* and you need to read it yourself) was like the perfect sheet of ice being shattered by a sledgehammer, truth – or freedom – at last. 

Overall, The Truth About Alice was incredible. I can see why people love Jennifer’s novels and I’ll definitely be picking up Moxie as soon as I can. There’s so much depth and character to this novel, and it’s got something for YA and older readers to gain something from. The character development was on point, and in particular Alice. Truly such a remarkable read that I don’t want to say too much about for fear of spoiling you all. Do yourselves a favour and go read this ASAP – you’ll thank me later. 



“The truth.” Dumbledore sighed. “It is a beautiful and terrible thing, and should therefore be treated with great caution.” 💛🌻 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ _________ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Hello book lovers! I’m back! Sorry I was gone so long. I was in one of those lack of inspiration moods and taking pictures just wasn’t turning out right. But now that we’re here together, I wish you the sunniest, happiest week and HAPPY SPRING to my fellow Spring babies. I was born in April (prime springtime) so my favourite flower is the Daisy! What’s your favourite flower? 🌻🌼🌸🌷⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ •⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #bookstagram #bookish #thetruthaboutalice #whatbeccaread #yalit #books #booknerdigans #booklover #ya #bookworm #reading #📚 #bookphotography #bookaholic
A post shared by becca › 21 › wales 🌻🐝 (@whatbeccaread) on Mar 6, 2018 at 1:00am PST

Have you had the chance to read The Truth About Alice?


What did you think?


Let me know what you thought in the comments, on Twitter or Facebook!


happy reading!

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Book Review: In Search Of Us by Ava Dellaira

Title: In Search Of Us 

Author: Ava Dellaira

Published: March 6th, 2018

Publisher: Hot Key Books

Rating: 🐱🐱🐱🐱

Find the Author: Goodreads 


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


Add To Goodreads

The author of the beloved Love Letters to the Dead returns with a parallel story of a mother and daughter each at age seventeen. Marilyn’s tale recounts the summer she fell in love and set out on her own path. Angie’s story is about her search for her unknown father.
This sweeping multi-generational love story introduces readers to mother-and-daughter pair Marilyn and Angie. To seventeen-year-old Angie, who is mixed-race, Marilyn is her hardworking, devoted white single mother. But Marilyn was once young, too. When Marilyn was seventeen, she fell in love with Angie’s father, James, who was African-American. But Angie’s never met him, and Marilyn has always told her he died before she was born. When Angie discovers evidence of an uncle she’s never met she starts to wonder: What if her dad is still alive, too? So she sets off on a journey to find him, hitching a ride to LA from her home in New Mexico with her ex-boyfriend, Sam. Along the way, she uncovers some hard truths about herself, her mother, and what truly happened to her father.

First Thoughts…

I only just recently bought Love Letters To The Dead, Ava’s previous novel, but couldn’t help requesting this gorgeous book on Netgalley. There was something so entrancing about the synopsis that screamed READ ME, BECCA!

My Review…

The striking thing about In Search Of Us is that I wasn’t expecting for it to move me so much. I picked it up thinking it would be a lighter read than it was, and it totally threw me off my game (in an amazing way, somehow.) Angie, our main character in one of the alternate chapters, has never known who her Dad is. She was raised solely by her Mother, Marilyn (who is our other narrator, taking us into the past). See, Angie is mixed-race, something her Mother can’t understand, as a white woman. She knows her dad was African-American, but here she is in the middle, not knowing where she fits in. Marilyn never planned to raise Angie alone, this we find out in the past scenes, and tells Angie that her real Dad has passed. But when Angie realizes that her Mother might have been lying, she sets out for a sense of belonging. Angie searches for her family ties in L.A., intertwining to where past-Marilyn meets James – Angie’s father.
I loved the mirrors between Angie and young Marilyn. They had so many things in common (that they didn’t even realise) and that lay subtly between the lines. I think that the message in In Search of Us is hugely important, especially for mixed-race people who don’t look like one/their Parents. Ava handles this with such care and transparency that was so effortless. But with the highs in a story come the lows, like the whirlwind love story of James and Marilyn, leading to disastrous ends between their families. These tie-up scenes toward the end really tugged at my heartstrings and I felt myself poring out emotion onto the pages.
Overall, though it is a moving and heartfelt read, it’s more than that: it’s modern, important and oh-so-amazing. I love that the lines of the truth toward the end were blurred so that we might not know everything that happened in the past, especially considering every novel isn’t meant to be tied-up neatly at the end. This was such a boomerang of a novel, coming out of nowhere and just stealing my heart. While the chapters bounced oddly, I still can’t think of anyone I wouldn’t recommend this to. I’ll be getting a paperback very soon – it’s that good. Four-and-a-half, brilliant stars!


What did you think of In Search Of Us?

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

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Book Review: The Unpredictability of Being Human by Linni Ingemundsen

Title: The Unpredictability of Being Human

Author:  Linni Ingemundsen

Published: December 28th, 2017

Publisher: Usborne Publishing

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

Meet Malin, a fifteen-year-old who sees the world differently. Malin knows she couldn’t change much about her life, even if she got to play God. Her dad would still yell all the time – especially as Malin is still friends with Hanna, the girl she met shoplifting. Her mum would still say a glass of wine is good for her heart – and Mum needs it, with Malin’s brother, Sigve, getting into trouble all the time. And Malin would still be Malin. Because she can’t be anybody else. 


In a voice bursting with immediacy and truth, Malin shares the absurdities of growing up and fitting in as her family struggles with the buried pain of mistakes made and secrets kept.


Profound, compassionate and as funny as it is dark, Malin’s story is an offbeat examination and celebration of the brutal, bizarre and beautiful unpredictability of being human.


If you love the freshness and honesty of The Perks of Being a Wallflower, the emotional depth of John Green, and the irreverent wit of Little Miss Sunshine, push this to the top of your TBR pile. 

First Thoughts…

The first thing that crossed my mind when The Unpredictability of Being Human appeared in my lap was that it had that certain je ne sais quoi. It reminded me of something John Green might write, but with a spirited twist. I was so eager to get into this but I was swarmed with TBR books around the holidays that I didn’t get a chance to read this until early February! 

My Review…

Malin, straight away, is quite an unusual main character. Her point of view and inner monologue on the world is striking, bordering on painfully honest. She sounds much older than her age, fifteen, throughout her POV. Malin’s family are a huge part of her troubles and bigger picture on life. There’s the situation surrounding her Mom’s drinking, her Father’s temper and brother’s troublesome behaviour. These things make Malin overwhelmed by these trusting, innocent ways to cope with not being able to change what her life is. 
What’s different about The Unpredictability of Being Human is that there is no solid plot. But in that way, it’s even more interesting, if that makes sense. It’s a crack into the universe inside Malin’s mind and a teenage life. And just a glimpse into her world is bittersweet, relateable and addictive. She’s to-the-point and there’s no messing about with her thoughts on everyday life, so there’s that same, definite maturity to her point of view that definitely made me feel like I was reading about someone a few years older (but not in a bad way). 
Overall, I flew through the pages SO FAST. I think it was over three nights that I read this before bed and it was such a refreshing, slice-of-heaven that I think it’s one of those books I could pick up again in months time and re-read. The writing does take some time to get used to in Malin’s ways of talking to us as readers, but it’s honestly such a great read that I can’t think of anything that was negative about The Unpredictability of Being Human. If you love feel-good YA or similar to the John Green demographic, you’ll adore this book. Amazing read – four stars!

Have you read The Unpredictability of Being Human?

Let me know what you thought in the comments, on Twitter or 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.


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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! 

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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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Blog Tour / Review: Shell by Paula Rawsthorne (+ Playlist!)

Hello, book lovers! Welcome to a brand new week and a brand new sparkly book in the form of SHELL. This was such a highly anticipated book for me as a retelling of the famous Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Thank you to Olivia at Scholastic for the amazing opportunity to read this!

Title: Shell

Author:  Paula Rawsthorne

Published: January 4th, 2018

Publisher: Scholastic

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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What if you thought you had died, only to wake up to find that your brain and eyes had been transplanted into someone else’s body? 

When Lucy, a teen diagnosed with terminal cancer wakes up cancer-free, it should be a dream come true. But faced with a life she didn’t choose and trapped in a new body, Lucy must face the biggest question of all… 
How far would you go to save the one you love?


First Thoughts… Right from the start, I knew Shell was something I was going to LOVE. I am a huge fan of retellings and especially the type that are done with subtle plot changes that weave into a complete mystery. And YES, I did read this THREE times! (People have been asking since seeing my tweets, and it’s so, so true.)

My Review… Shell panned out so different than I thought (in a quite brilliant and perfect way) and that was just the start of the incredible story that awaits. Lucy has been sick for a really long time with Cancer. She’s giving up, nothing working anymore and feeling truly tired and sick. She misses the life that she used to have when she was well, and stuck in a hospital bed feels like the last place she will ever see. But then, she has a bad moment in hospital and thinks she’s died. Surely she has. But then she wakes up, being asked tons of curious questions and feeling different. Then she’s told her cancer is gone. First, she thinks it’s some kind of miracle. But then she sees the reflection of someone. . .and it’s her. But it’s not Lucy’s face that she sees staring back at her. She sees someone else – and she is stuck in their body. 

Forced to pretend to be Renee and say goodbye to Lucy forever to avoid questions from the risky and illegal procedure, Lucy is only herself in secret with her Parents. She can’t tell her best friend, or Grandmother, despite being shunned by them as her new self. School is different as someone else now, newly taken in by the popular girls that wanted nothing to do with her when she was Lucy, and thrown into a life quite different from her own. But she can’t let go of the fact that she doesn’t know whose body she is in, or the strangeness that surrounds her because of it. When darker things start to unravel, Lucy is forced to question what she would do to survive. 

So. Many. Wow. Moments. This book! I can’t get over just how complex, smart and truly gripping Shell was. Paula’s writing is truthful and Lucy’s voice is wise and so real. This whole story is ethereal and ingenious. It had so many twists that I didn’t see coming at all, and I’m usually so good at seeing the plot twist before it happens. I can’t give this book enough love. I hardly reread books when I have such a tight reviewing schedule and that should show you just how amazing I thought Shell was. Huge five stars!

About The Author:
Paula Rawsthorne is the award-winning author of Blood Tracks and The Truth about Celia Frost. She first found success when she won the BBC National ‘Get Writing’ competition with her prize-winning story read on Radio 4. She has also been a winner of SCBWI’s ‘Undiscovered Voices. She is passionate about enthusing teenagers to get reading and is a writer in residence in a secondary school for the national literacy charity ‘First Story’. SHELL is her third novel for young adults. You can buy SHELL here.

 

SHELL Playlist


For my Blog Tour date, I really wanted to create a SHELL themed playlist! I love making them (as many of my readers will know!) and this was no exception. I made it on Spotify, so if you’re interested in listening to any of these while reading your copy of Shell, the link is below!

Playlist breakdown:

Rescue My Heart is the song I had playing in my head throughout Shell so I had to add it in there. Farewell is definitely the song for Lucy and her best friend Makayla. Heartbeats has the lyrics that instantly made me think of Lucy when she first woke up and realized who she was now. Killing Me To Love You is all about Lucy trying to prove that she is comfortable being Renee and loving her new body despite having issues with it. Only You gets me every time and it fits so many of the scenes throughout Shell. Is There Somewhere is melodic and fitted those kind of moments when Lucy was lost. Monsters is another one of those songs I had in my head – it’s like Lucy felt she was a monster. Strong is like Lucy’s song. She felt caught in the middle of being alive, but not wanting to live as someone else. Angels is the song I knew would fit during the first few chapters of Shell and you’ll know why when you read those beginning parts. Empty is how Lucy felt as Renee, through and through, along with I Can’t Breathe. Finally, In My Dreams is the kind of song that melts into the moments when Lucy was having dreams/nightmares about her new body (although it doesn’t quite fit). 

Have you read Shell?

What did you think?

Let me know on Twitter, Facebook or in the Comments! Don’t forget to stop by the Blog Tour stops for SHELL!

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: A Taxonomy of Love by Rachael Allen


Title: A Taxonomy of Love

Author: Rachael Allen

Published: January 9th, 2017

Publisher: Amulet Books

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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The moment Spencer meets Hope the summer before seventh grade, it’s . . . something at first sight. He knows she’s special, possibly even magical. The pair become fast friends, climbing trees and planning world travels. After years of being outshone by his older brother and teased because of his Tourette syndrome, Spencer finally feels like he belongs. But as Hope and Spencer get older and life gets messier, the clear label of “friend” gets messier, too.


Through sibling feuds and family tragedies, new relationships and broken hearts, the two grow together and apart, and Spencer, an aspiring scientist, tries to map it all out using his trusty system of taxonomy. He wants to identify and classify their relationship, but in the end, he finds that life doesn’t always fit into easy-to-manage boxes, and it’s this messy complexity that makes life so rich and beautiful.

First Thoughts…Just the cover alone (and I know it’s so wrong to just want to read something from the cover, but hear me out) made me want to delve into this endearing little novel. The title, for one, is pretty unique. I like the idea that there’s more to the novel than meets the eye and that we’ll get to see the main character (and secondary characters) grow over the course of years. 


My Review…So first thing, can I just gush, I AM SO FREAKING HAPPY I READ THIS BOOK. It was all that I wanted and more. And I know you’re supposed to save the real, hard-hitting compliments for the end of the review, but I just couldn’t wait. It’s not just that Spencer – love-able, relatable, curious, has a dream of being a Scientist and is funny – is an amazing main character, it’s that he’s not defined by his illness. See, Spencer has Tourette syndrome. Yes, he was teased about it and that obviously hurt him a lot, but he’s an optimist. Nothing is going to keep him from seeing the brighter things in life. And also a little smitten with his new friend, Hope. She’s brilliant, sharp and oh-so-realistic. They have a connection like no other and it’s no wonder that over the years of their friendship, lives and journeys together and apart, the label of friend starts to get blurry. 

The world that Spencer and Hope share is a beautiful, yet sometimes messy one. Sometimes they drift apart, then knit together again and can easily come undone. But the main fixture is obviously clear: they are meant to be in each others lives. Through Spencer’s taxonomy system, he confides in it’s clear-cut image of fitting their relationship into a certain box. But as we grow with Spencer’s POV and Hope’s, we learn that life doesn’t always fit into a certain way or box, but that doesn’t mean it’s flawed. It’s just…life. 

I can’t gush about A Taxonomy of Love enough. It’s the first book that I’ve read in 2018 and it was a ride of happy/sad tears, rooting for the beautifully crafted characters and sticking around for an enchanting timeline of love. Overall, this book is unlike any other. I would recommend this to anyone I know. Rachael – you wrote something epic and I can’t give you enough credit. FIVE STARS!


Have you had the chance to read A Taxonomy Of Love?


What did you think?


Let me know what you thought in the comments, on Twitter or Facebook!


happy reading!

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Book Review: Zenith by Sasha Alsberg & Lindsay Cummings

Title: Zenith (The Androma Saga #1)

Author: Sasha Alsberg & Lindsay Cummings

Published: January 11th, 2018

Publisher: HQ

Rating: 🐱🐱🐱🐱

Find the Author: Goodreads and Goodreads

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


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From #1 New York Times bestselling author duo Sasha Alsberg and Lindsay Cummings comes the first book in The Androma Saga, full of action, fantastical intrigue and steamy star-crossed romance. 

Most know Androma Racella as the Bloody Baroness, a powerful mercenary whose reign of terror stretches across the Mirabel Galaxy. To those aboard her glass starship, Marauder, however, she’s just Andi, their friend and fearless leader. But when a routine mission goes awry, the Marauder‘s all-girl crew is tested as they find themselves in a treacherous situation—and at the mercy of a sadistic bounty hunter from Andi’s past.  

Meanwhile, across the galaxy, a ruthless ruler waits in the shadows of the planet Xen Ptera, biding her time to exact revenge for the destruction of her people. The pieces of her deadly plan are about to fall into place, unleashing a plot that will tear Mirabel in two. Andi and her crew embark on a dangerous, soul-testing journey that could restore order to their ship—or just as easily start a war that will devour worlds. As the Marauder hurtles toward the unknown, and Mirabel hangs in the balance, the only certainty is that in a galaxy run on lies and illusion, no one can be trusted.

First Thoughts…When I first heard of Zenith, it was from the sneak-peek and I just KNEW I wanted to read it. Lindsay is highly regarded as an incredible author (I own around 2 of her books from The Murder Complex series, but haven’t read them yet) and Sasha is a famous booktuber. They both have this cool connection where they’ve wrote this book together and you can definitely see that they’ve bounced ideas off each other for this extremely interesting novel series. I actually asked for an advance copy of Zenith because of my connections to HQ (you’re all amazing!!) and that I was metaphorically dying to read it. Luckily, I was lucky to read it late last year!

My Review…I went into Zenith with the hopes that it might be a The 100 type of book, but it’s actually pretty hardcore. The main-main (you’ll get what I mean soon) character is Andi, a.k.a. Androma, and she’s also known as the Bloody Baroness. She doesn’t spare anyone (as her name tells) and her mercenary skill reeks terror throughout the Mirabel Galaxy. But there’s another side to Andi. She’s not always serious and brooding, but part of the Marauder starship as their leader. But then disaster strikes, and they find themselves thrown into the wave of chaos and at the hands of a familiar face to Andi – a bounty hunter from her illusive past. 
But that’s not even where the excitement ends. Among the Galaxy, there are other planets with cruel, merciless leaders that we get the chance to delve into the minds of, hell-bent on retribution. The characters – a skillful, at times underdeveloped (some of the characters I didn’t care much for, but there are others I loved) and tightly-knitted bunch, are what drives Zenith to a glorious and intergalactic adventure. 
I had heard mixed reviews on Goodreads about Zenith, but you know, like I always say: always give a book a chance. I’ve got to say, I really liked Zenith! And I love these authors! They have a certain something when they write together and I can see this becoming a huge hit with YA Science Fiction readers. It has a definite Star Wars outline and pacing, so fans of the movies will most likely love reading Zenith, for it’s suspense and action. 
Overall, Zenith is an imaginative novel to start the Saga and I’d definitely pick up the next in the series! It’s ingenious and well-paced and if you’re a fan of Lindsay’s other books, you’ll be picking this up as soon as it’s out in stores. 4 stars!


Have you had the chance to read Zenith?

Let me know what you thought on Twitter, Facebook, or by commenting below!

happy reading!

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