Review: No Experience Required by Janet Quin-Harkin

Publisher: Ellfie Books
Published: 11 January 2021

Synopsis: 
It s 1989. Life's easy for Deborah Lesley: she's up-market, drives her own flash car to school, and looks pretty good too. She's never had a job, either; but now her parents have split up, and she needs the money. Joe Garbarini is cool. He likes motorbikes, girls, and fun. He doesn't have time for much as he's running the Heartbreak Café when he's not at school. The Heartbreak Café is a noisy hangout on the north Californian coast. Joe's worked there for years, and knows what it takes. He's sure Debbie won't last a month but Debbie's determined to put up with his wisecracks and prove him wrong. 

Review:
Set in 1989, this series was originally published in the eighties. Janet Quin-Harkin was a huge favourite of mine when I was a teenager and so I was thrilled at the news that the Heartbreak Café series was being republished for a whole new audience of readers. I thought that the story might feel a little dated considering it's over twenty years old but it didn't at all. It deals with so many universal themes which will resonate with teens today, such as trying to become independent and find your own way in life, juggling the demands of school and friends with a part-time job and facing the trauma of parental divorce, that it still feels as fresh and new as when it was first written.

'No Experience Required' centres around Debbie, whose parents have just split up. Finding it hard to cope with a mother who has decided to go back to school, Debbie decides to get a part-time job. When she stumbles across the Heartbreak Café her mind is made-up that this is where she's going to work, even though she has never flipped a burger in her entire life. She begins to work alongside the gorgeous Joe and they develop a bit of a love/hate relationship. But with sparks flying between them, could their wisecracks mean something more?  

I adored the Heartbreak Café gang. There's cool Joe who all the girls are head over heels in love with, Ashley and her penchant for chocolate, plus geeky Howard and carefree Art. They are such a great gang that I wanted to scoot over on a stool, with a dish of chocolate madness in front of me and join in with all their fun.

If you're looking for hot and sizzling then you won't find it here but what you do get is a sweet, clean teen series where the romance is innocent and you won't catch the characters using any expletives, not even when things get steamy in the kitchen. It's such a refreshing change that I enjoyed kicking back and delighting in a wonderful slice of nostalgia.   

Next up in the series is 'The Main Attraction'.  Will Debbie and Joe ever become a couple?  You'll have to wait and see.      

Blog Tour: Heartbreak Cafe series by Janet Quin-Harkin

I'm delighted to have been invited by Ellfie Books to take part in the blog tour for Janet Quin-Harkin's Heartbreak Cafe series. It's very exciting that the whole series is being re-published in February which is the first time in over thirty years. I was a huge fan of Janet's books when I was a teenager and I still have some of them among my collection now. 

The Heartbreak Cafe series centres around Deborah Lesley and her life as it’s turned upside down when her parents split up. She finds herself having to move house and find a job in the popular beach hangout Heartbreak Café where life is never dull. In this hit eighties series about teen life in northern California, themes of friendships, work, family, divorce, and love are ever present. From movie makers coming to town and surprising romances, the Heartbreak Café series will transport you to a retro California, full of sun, surf, and heartbreak. 

Janet has very kindly put together her Top 5 Writing tips for the blog tour:

1.Write the book you are dying to read but it’s not on the shelf.

2. Don’t ever write anything because you think it will sell. You have to be passionate about anything you write.

3. Nothing is written in stone! If a scene is serving any useful purpose it has to go, even if it’s the best prose you have ever written.

4. Once you have created characters, it’s their story. Let them go where they want to, do what they want to. If you are experiencing writer’s block it’s often because you are forcing characters to do something they don’t want to.

5. Don’t talk about writing that book someday. If you want to write, you have to sit down and write. Every day. Writing is a craft form, not an art. You only get better at manipulating words when you practice, practice.

Janet Quin-Harkin first found success as a picture book writer, winning several awards. She was then asked to write a teenage series and Heartbreak Café was born! The first in the series No Experience Required was an instant success when it was originally published in the eighties. By the time the third book came out she was selling half a million copies. Since then Janet has gone on to become a New York Times bestseller. Writing under the pen name Rhys Bowen, she is the author of the historical Molly Murphy and Royal Spyness mystery series. She has won the Agatha Best Novel Award and was nominated for the Edgar Best Novel. Janet is British and divides her time between California and Arizona.

Visit her website to find out more about Janet aka Rhys Bowen and her books. I've definitely got a hankering to read her Royal Spyness mystery series now!

Review: Lock the Doors by Vincent Ralph

Publisher: Penguin
Published: 4th February 2021

Synopsis: 
Tom's family have moved into their dream home. But pretty soon he starts to notice that something is very wrong - there are strange messages written on the wall and locks on the bedroom doors. On the OUTSIDE.

The previous owners have moved just across the road and they seem like the perfect family. Their daughter Amy is beautiful and enigmatic but Tom is sure she's got something to hide. And he isn't going to stop until he finds the truth behind those locked doors. . .

Will their dream home become a nightmare?

Review: 
Before I started reading ‘Lock the Doors’ by Vincent Ralph, I wasn’t sure if it was going to be a YA horror or a thriller. After the first few chapters, I knew that I was going to be treated to a twisty, dark story which was full of suspense and which featured some very heavy, emotional issues. As I read on and the plot deepened and gradually began to unwind, it perfectly mirrored the way in which the main character Tom, started to discover the truth about his new home and the family that previously lived there. 

This review is difficult to write because I really do not want to give anything away which would spoil a new reader’s enjoyment of the book. I definitely think that the less you know about it in advance, the better off you will be. This is a story that creeps up on you bit by bit and by not knowing the truth, it makes the revelations, when they come, even more shocking. Tom was a great central protagonist and it was certainly interesting to see a character struggling with OCD. This isn’t something that I’ve come across before in YA books. Although at the start Tom seems pretty quiet and dare I say it, a bit timid, as he reveals more about himself, you realise that he has been through a huge amount of childhood trauma but grows in confidence so much throughout the story. He is dogged and determined as well, which means that when he befriends Amy, the girl that used to live in his new home, he is fascinated by the secret that he believes she is hiding and determined to help her.

I absolutely love YA thrillers and while I wouldn’t call this a typical book in the genre, it has a lot of the elements that I enjoy. Particularly the slow build of suspense and the desire to keep on and on reading, to try to get to the bottom of the mystery. There are some hard-hitting themes in the book which were well handled by the author and which tackle some quite difficult and emotive issues. I didn’t guess anything that happened and was definitely kept on my toes from beginning to end.

Review: Tales From the Hinterland by Melissa Albert

Publisher: Penguin
Published: 14th January 2021

Synopsis: 
In this brutal and beautiful world a young woman spends a night with Death, brides are wed to a mysterious house in the trees, and an enchantress is killed twice - and still lives.

But it's not safe inside these pages, and once you enter, you may never want to leave . . .

The highly anticipated collection of stories set in the creepy, haunting fairytale world first introduced in Melissa Albert's internationally bestselling and critically acclaimed Hazel Wood series.

Review: 

As the January evenings are dark and cold, this was the perfect read for the start of the year. Deliciously dark and fiendish, 'Tales from the Hinterland' by Melissa Albert is a collection of short stories set in the fairy tale world, first introduced in the Hazel Wood series. I haven't read the latter but I don't think it mattered at all, as you don't particularly need to have any prior knowledge to enjoy this book. 

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not always a huge fan of short story collections (although I have read some really good ones lately) so I was a little bit apprehensive when I started reading this. I need not have worried though as the stories are so inventive, original and mesmerising that I was drawn in by the varied range of tales told. There were some that I definitely enjoyed more than others but I think that's always the way with short stories. My favourites were 'Hansa the Traveller', 'Alice -Three-Times' and 'The Skinned Maiden'. These were the ones that really gripped me and which I found especially creepy and devious. 

This is a fairy tale world where happy ever after does not exist and where the characters' fates hang in the balance. Melissa Albert's imagination is allowed to run wild in this spine-chilling collection which I advise not reading when you're in the house alone! 

Review: All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace

Publisher: Titan Books
Published: 4th August 2020

Synopsis:
As princess of the island kingdom Visidia, Amora Montara has spent her entire life training to be High Animancer - the master of souls. The rest of the realm can choose their magic, but for Amora, it's never been a choice. To secure her place as heir to the throne, she must prove her mastery of the monarchy's dangerous soul magic. When her demonstration goes awry, Amora is forced to flee. She strikes a deal with Bastian, a mysterious pirate: he'll help her prove she's fit to rule, if she'll help him reclaim his stolen magic. But sailing the kingdom holds more wonder - and more peril - than Amora anticipated. A destructive new magic is on the rise, and if Amora is to conquer it, she'll need to face legendary monsters, cross paths with vengeful mermaids, and deal with a stow-away she never expected... or risk the fate of Visidia and lose the crown forever.

Review:
'All the Stars and Teeth' is a YA fantasy with a powerful and flawed Princess, a cursed pirate called Bastian, adventure and danger on the high seas and an abundance of magic. It is a fast-paced and exciting opening to a duology which weaves a compelling tale about the abuse of power and how one girl attempts to save a kingdom.

I enjoyed it because it was so unique and different to anything else that I've read recently in the YA fantasy genre. The story was unpredictable and the characters were multi-faceted. Nobody was completely good or bad and that made everything much more interesting. Case in point is the so-called heroine of the story, Amora Montara. She has spent her whole life readying herself to follow in her father's footsteps and become the High Animancer. She is devoted to her people but also longs for adventure and wants to explore the other islands that make up the kingdom of Visidia. When the test to prove that she is fit to be the heir to her father's throne goes horribly wrong, she flees the island, looking for a way in which she can win back the peoples' trust and make a triumphant return.

She's a fiesty and headstrong character but has always listened to her father's guidance and done her best to make him proud. She has grown-up being taught about the magic she holds within her but as events start to unravel she discovers that there is more than one side to the story of the Montara's rise to power. She does a lot of questionable things in the book, not all of which I agreed with but I think that makes her seem so much more real and easier to identify with.

I also loved the character of Ferrick who she is reluctantly engaged to and who is a healer with the ability to do pretty cool things, such as regenerating body parts. Vataea is pretty awesome as well but Bastian, the pirate who Amora escapes with, was definitely my absolute favourite. I'm pretty obsessed with pirate books generally but Bastian and his ship the Keel Haul gave me everything that I long for in a good pirate book. There's some love/hate sparks between him and Amora going on throughout but the romance never swamps the rest of the story. It sizzles away in the background and then flares to life at particular moments in the book which may just have been among my favourite bits.

Adalyn Grace has done a terrific job of the world building. There's a handy guide in the beginning of the book to the kingdom of Visidia which I found helpful in keeping track of the different places that they visit throughout the story. Each one is more fascinating and magical than the next. I especially enjoyed their trip to Mornute, the island of enchantment magic but also Kerost, where the people have the ability to control time.

The ending was hugely intriguing and contained a great plot twist which sets things up nicely for the next book, 'All the Tides of Fate' which will be published in 2021.

Teenage Favourites of the Past: Making Out series by Katherine Applegate

I thought it would be fun to look back on and revisit some of the book series that I was obsessed with when I was a teenager. The books that I collected and read often featured the things that I was interested in at the time (cue ballet, horses and boys) and looking back, I can see how they tracked the different stages I went through growing up. I still have many of these books on my shelves now, although sadly, some have disappeared over the years to make way for others.

 

The first series that I'm going to feature is the Making Out series by Katherine Applegate which was published in 1995 onwards. Now when these first came out, they published one book a month. I can remember going into my local bookshop at the start of every month (and often sending my Mum) to buy the latest release. I was absolutely obsessed with these! There were 28 books in the series and I'm lucky enough to still have the complete set, which one of these days I will reread in full. I actually only recently discovered that Katherine Applegate only wrote the first 8 books in the series and the rest were written by a ghost-writer. I didn't notice any difference in writing style at all at the time.  

 

 

The series followed the lives of a group of teenagers living on Chatham Island off the coast of Maine. They are in their last year of high school before they begin College and take the ferry to school each day. I loved the setting of the books and from then on, I always pictured myself living within a close-knit community on a small island. It seemed so idyllic at the time.

 

The main character was called Zoey and much of the series centred around her on and off again relationship with a boy called Lucas. They were hands down my favourite couple and I rooted for them from the very beginning. Zoey was the epitome of everything that I thought I wanted to be. She was smart, funny, beautiful, obsessed with writing down quotes about life and love and kind to everyone around her. She seemed to have it all, although she does go through some pretty big stuff in the series.

 

There's also Nina who is Zoey's best friend. She always has a smart and witty retort ready and although she seems pretty tough on the outside, she's really quite insecure and vulnerable when you get past her defences. Nina has a thing for Zoey's brother Ben, although he's initially dating Claire, Nina's older sister.

 

You might be detecting a trend here! Everyone dates everyone else at one point or another. But hey, it's a small island!

 

 

Claire is super obsessed with the weather and can often be found on her widow's walk. She comes across as quite the Ice Queen and I can remember not always liking her very much.

 

Boy wise, as well as Ben who's blind and super hot bad boy Lucas, there's also local boy Jake. He and Zoey are a couple at the beginning of the series but it was always obvious to me that she should end up with Lucas instead.

 

Later on in the series, new characters are introduced including Kate, Aisha, Aaron and Christopher. Oh and bad girl Lara who I definitely did not like at all but had four books dedicated to her.   

 

The series actually dealt with some quite hard-hitting topics such as death, divorce, drug and alcohol abuse and the ups and downs of first love. It wasn't always happy sailing on Chatham Island.

 

This was (and actually still is) one of my favourite young-adult series. I believe the books have all gone out of print now but if you can get hold of it, then I would still heartily recommend it.  

 

Here's the complete list of books in the series:  

  1. Zoey Fools Around
2. Jake Finds Out
3. Nina Won't Tell
4. Ben's In Love
5. Claire Gets Caught
6. What Zoey Saw
7. Lucas Gets Hurt
8. Aisha Goes Wild
9. Zoey Plays Games
10. Nina Shapes Up
11. Ben Takes a Chance
12. Claire Can't Lose
13. Don't Tell Zoey
14. Aaron Lets Go
15. Who Loves Kate?
16. Lara Gets Even
17. Two-Timing Aisha
18. Zoey Speaks Out
19. Kate Finds Love
20. Never Trust Lara
21. Trouble with Aaron
22. Always Loving Zoey
23. Lara Gets Lucky
24. Now Zoey's Alone
25. Don't Forget Lara
26. Zoey's Broken Heart
27. Falling for Claire
28. Zoey Comes Home

 

Have you read the series? If so, I'd love to know what you thought of it? Who was your favourite character?

Blog tour: Hey, Sherlock! by Simon Mason

I'm hosting today's stop on the 'Hey, Sherlock!' blog tour. I'm delighted to have a fantastic guest post from author Simon Mason to share with you all. 

"In March 2012 I decided to try to write a crime novel featuring a teenager.

Why crime? Because of the interest: it’s obvious that human beings are deeply interested in wrong-doing. Also because of the story-telling: the best crime novels exemplify what I call ‘the ancient art of literary hypnosis’ – as practiced by other writers interested in crime such as Homer, Dostoevsky and Stephen King – that mesmerizing story-telling which will not let you go. I admire it very much, and I wanted to try it myself.

Why teenager? Of all the astonishing things in the world – the 2012 Olympics, say, or Triple Heart Bypass, the Chrysler Building or Trump – teenagers are the most astonishing. Human exploding devices bursting out into the world in great starbursts of attitude and inventiveness and fantasy and humour.

Why Garvie Smith? My mother, who is a therapist, would have something to say about the fact that a polite, unassuming, modest, conforming sort of person such as myself should have been drawn to the phenomenally lazy, spectacularly rude and often frankly infuriating Garvie Smith.

(Luckily she’s registered blind and hasn’t read the books.)

Actually, the idea for a super-bright, super-lazy, super-infuriating boy came from a friend of my son. I don’t mean he gave me the idea, I mean he was the idea. Between the ages of thirteen and nineteen he really did nothing at all. But he was probably the smartest person I’ve ever met.

It occurred to me that super-bright, super-lazy sixteen-year-old boys – the sort who can’t be arsed to do anything, who wag off school and slouch down to the kiddies playground to pass round a spiff and almost-empty half bottle of Glenn’s vodka – are very well represented in life but not in literature. They’re not great role models, it’ true. They’re anti-heroes.

But my hunch was that, actually, we relish anti-heroes – we positively cheer them on in their bad behaviour. Let’s face it: the word is full of stupid figures of authority, and who hasn’t wanted to tell them to their face that they’re stupid? Who hasn’t fantasised about just not bothering to do that interminably boring piece of work assigned to us some humourless superior? Who hasn’t wanted to tune out quite large parts of the world from time to time?

And I also had a hunch that if a very bright, very lazy boy got interested in something – a murder, for instance – he might just prove to be a little bit brilliant in working out what the police weren’t able to. Although he might arse it up completely for the official police effort, the case might get solved.

So Garvie Smith slouched into my imagination, and – upright, unbending, humourless – along came DI Raminder Singh too, the Sikh detective unfortunate enough to be the ‘official police effort’. Well, I feel sorry for him.

And in this way I arrived at my own variation on the classic detective duo (Holmes and Watson, Starsky and Hutch, Morse and Lewis): Garvie and Singh, a difficult teenager and an uptight Sikh.

 

What could possibly go wrong?"

'Hey, Sherlock' is out now, published in the UK by David Fickling Books. Don't forget to check out all of the other stops on the blog tour and come back soon to read my review of the book.

Review: The Beast's Heart by Leife Shallcross

Publisher: Hodder and Stoughton
Published: 3rd May 2018

Synopsis:
He is a broken, wild thing, his heart’s nature exposed by his beastly form. Long ago cursed with a wretched existence, the Beast prowls the dusty hallways of his ruined château with only magical, unseen servants to keep him company—until a weary traveler disturbs his isolation.

Bewitched by the man’s dreams of his beautiful daughter, the Beast devises a plan to lure her to the château. There, Isabeau courageously exchanges her father’s life for her own and agrees to remain with the Beast for a year. But even as their time together weaves its own spell, the Beast finds winning Isabeau’s love is only the first impossible step in breaking free from the curse . . .

Review:
This book first came to my attention a long time ago. The beautiful cover initially caught my eye, then I read the blurb and put it on my list of books that I had to read. It's taken me this long to get hold of a copy so I was extremely excited to stumble upon it in my local library.

It's no secret that I love fairy-tale retellings. I can't get enough of them. What was intriguing about 'The Beast's Heart' is that it takes the traditional story of Beauty and the Beast and retells it from the point of view of the Beast himself. So instead of the story being told by the female characters, events are shown through the eyes of the Beast, as he tries to break the curse set upon him.

All of the key and familiar elements of the story were present. A tired traveller arrives at the Beast's home and spends a single night under his roof, picking a beautiful rose before he leaves which he plans to give to his youngest daughter Isabeau. The Beast has dreamt about Isabeau and is desperate to meet her, so he fools the old man into sending him his daughter. In return, he will grant the old man his freedom. Isabeau duly arrives at the Chateau and recognising his loneliness, agrees to spend a year with the Beast. During that time, she is afforded every luxury, as magic weaves its way around their lives and the Beast tries to win her love to free himself of a fairy's curse.

The Beast is a character that I've always liked because although he at first seems monstrous to the eye, he actually has a heart of gold. He's consumed by his loneliness which makes him desperate for company and longing for love. Glimpses are shown of his past and hints given about the reason for his transformation but personally I would have liked to have found out more about his family history. Maybe a few occasional flashbacks to the events that led him to his present situation. I loved seeing him evolve though and learn to become less 'beast' and more 'man'.

One of my favourite things about the book, was the fact that not only do we get to see things through the eyes of the Beast, but we also get to watch Isabeau's family through the Beast's magic mirror. Her two sisters who have been left behind, initially seem rather lazy and discontented but Claude and Marie soon start to change their attitudes and turn their lives around - discovering just how satisfying it can be to learn to cook and keep house. In the process, they enjoy their own romances which develop throughout the course of the story.

I really enjoyed 'The Beast's Heart' but I might possibly have liked it more if I hadn't also recently read 'A Curse So Dark and Lonely' by Brigid Kemmerer (read my review here). The latter is one of my books of the year and was such a perfect retelling with a twist of Beauty and the Beast, that Liefe Shallcross's book paled a little in comparison. Saying that, you can never have enough interpretations of fairy-tales and this one was enchanting and magical, lulling me with a promise of happy ever after.

If you have enjoyed reading this review and would like to buy the book, please considering purchasing via my affiliate links from Amazon or the Book Depository.

Review: American Royals by Katharine McGee

Publisher: Penguin
Published: 5th September 2019

Synopsis:
When America won the Revolutionary War, its people offered General George Washington a crown. Two and a half centuries later, the House of Washington still sits on the throne. Like most royal families, the Washingtons have an heir and a spare. A future monarch and a backup battery. Each child knows exactly what is expected of them. But these aren't just any royals. They're American. And their country was born of rebellion.

As Princess Beatrice gets closer to becoming America's first queen regnant, the duty she has embraced her entire life suddenly feels stifling. Nobody cares about the spare except when she's breaking the rules, so Princess Samantha doesn't care much about anything, either . . . except the one boy who is distinctly off-limits to her. And then there's Samantha's twin, Prince Jefferson. If he'd been born a generation earlier, he would have stood first in line for the throne, but the new laws of succession make him third. Most of America adores their devastatingly handsome prince . . . but two very different girls are vying to capture his heart.

Review:
This was a fantastic read. It is an imagining of what America would be like today if instead of being President, George Washington had been made King. His descendants would therefore be sat on the throne today. It is a book that will appeal to you if you're Royal Family obsessed, can't stop reading all the news about Harry and Megan or even just love scandal, romance, gossip and a touch of intrigue. 'American Royals' has it all.

The story centres around the Washingtons - Princess Beatrice, the heir to the throne, Princess Samantha, the spare and the wild child and her twin brother Prince Jefferson. The book focuses on telling the story from the female characters point of view, so there is also Daphne Deighton who wants to finally win Jefferson's heart and climb back into the court's favour, as well as Nina - a commoner who has grown up with the Royal Family but never quite felt like she fit in.

My favourite character in the book was Beatrice and her struggle to reconcile what she truly wants with the needs of the Crown. She has a pre-destined role to play that she has been groomed for since she was young. She has to make a lot of sacrifices along the way and often struggles between her head and her heart. I enjoyed seeing her start to grow in self-confidence and exert herself more as she carries a lot of pressure and expectation on her shoulders. As well as Beatrice, Nina was an intriguing character because she is on such familiar terms with the Washingtons but at the same time, always feels like she's on the fringes. It was interesting to see how her involvement with them had an impact on other areas of her life and how she isn't entitled to the same level of protection from the eye of the media.

I enjoyed this book so much. Light, fun and a real pleasure to read. I actually thought it was a standalone but the way that it ends leaves a lot of things unresolved, so I sincerely hope that there is more to come.

If you have enjoyed reading this review and would like to buy the book, please considering purchasing via my affiliate links from Amazon or the Book Depository.

Review: Unleashed by Amy McCulloch

Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Published: 22nd August 2019

Synopsis:
When Lacey Chu wakes up in a hospital room with no recollection of how she got there, she knows something is up. But with her customizable smart pet, Jinx, missing in action and Moncha, the company behind the invention of the robot pet, up to something seriously sinister, she’s got a lot of figuring out to do. Lacey must use all her engineering skills if she has a chance of stopping Moncha from carrying out their plans. But can she take on the biggest tech company in North America armed with only a level 1 robot beetle...?

Review:
'Unleashed' is the second part of Amy McCulloch's brilliant duology which began last year with 'Jinxed'. I was very excited to read this and I wasn't disappointed! It was great to return to the world of Monchaville and to see all my favourite characters again.

If you haven't yet read 'Jinxed' then I would strongly suggest doing so before starting this one. Everything will make a lot more sense to you in terms of the futuristic setting. Basically, society has now evolved to the point that instead of smart phones, everyone has a baku. This is essentially an innovative smart device which is leashed to its owner and comes in the form of different animals. A basic level 1 baku will typically be an insect such as a beetle or a butterfly, a level 2 baku could be a dormouse and they get increasingly more sophisticated in size and technology as the levels go up. The Bakus are designed to make life easier for their owners and so are able to screen messages, display maps, provide entertainment and communication and basically see to their owners every need. I actually think they sound incredible, although it's slightly scary to think that we might not be as far from this kind of technology becoming real as we first assume.

The story picks up a month on from where the previous book left off. The main character Lacey Chu wakes up in a hospital bed with no idea of how she got there or what happened to her. The only thing she does know is that her scarab beetle Slick is acting suspiciously and Jinx is missing. It's a good thing that she has Team Tobias by her side to help work out what's going on. Not everything in Monchaville is as it seems and as Lacey and co begin to connect the dots, it seems that something sinister is brewing behind the scenes.

I love the fact that McCulloch depicts a strong female protagonist with seriously good STEM skills. Lacey is an incredible engineer and her ingenuity and tech know-how ultimately help to save the day. This is an area in which teenagers really are the future as they innovate, design and develop some amazing new technology that we may well be using sooner than we think.

Lacey is on a crusade to figure out what is really going on with Moncha Corp and why they are so desperate to get their hands on Jinx. I really enjoyed seeing her and Team Tobias work together to investigate Moncha and the disappearance of their founder Monica Chan. They work like a well-oiled machine and there is no doubt that they have each other's backs. It was great to see more of Lacey's friend Zora in the book too as she has some wicked coding skills.

'Unleashed' unfolds at a fast and furious pace which I think is probably slightly due to the fact that this is a duology and not a trilogy. There's no slow middle book to get in the way, just a whole lot of action and excitement to keep the reader immersed in the story. There are lots of shocks and surprises along the way and I was often on the edge of my seat. I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen to Lacey, her friends and family and I was hooked until the very last page.

Only problem now is that I really want a baku of my own!  

If you have enjoyed reading this review and would like to buy the book, please consider purchasing via my affiliate link from Amazon.

Review: See All The Stars by Kit Frick

Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Published: 22nd August 2019

Synopsis:
Then: They were four—Bex, Jenni, Ellory, Ret. (Venus. Earth. Moon. Sun.) Electric, headstrong young women; Ellory’s whole solar system.

Now: Ellory is alone, her once inseparable group of friends torn apart by secrets, deception, and a shocking incident that changed their lives forever.

Then: Lazy summer days. A party. A beautiful boy. Ellory met Matthias and fell into the beginning of a spectacular, bright love.

Now: Ellory returns to Pine Brook to navigate senior year after a two-month suspension and summer away—no boyfriend, no friends. No going back. Tormented by some and sought out by others, troubled by a mysterious note-writer who won’t let Ellory forget, and consumed by guilt over her not entirely innocent role in everything and everyone she’s lost, Ellory finds that even in the present, the past is everywhere.

 

Review:

After finishing this book, I felt like shouting from the rooftops that everyone else should read it too. It's really that good. I was glued to the story from start to finish and majorly impressed to discover that this is Kit Frick's debut novel. Holy moly! The story is wonderfully depicted and Frick's writing is gorgeous. I absolutely loved it.

 

'See All The Stars' is a YA contemporary thriller that keeps you guessing as you're teased about something that's happened to change the main character Ellory's whole existence. Once she was part of a group of four friends who did everything together, told each other everything and were as tight and unbreakable as friends could be. They all gravitated around Ret, the ringleader of their little group and Ellory's best friend. But that was Then. When they enjoyed lazy summer days, flirtations with boys and the heady beginnings of love.

 

The story switches backwards and forwards between Then and Now. Ellory has been away from school for two months and is finally returning to Pine Brook for her senior year. No longer friends with the other girls, she is a loner who only wants to finish the school year and move on to whatever the future has in store for her. There are hints that something terrible has happened. Something that Ellory is still consumed with guilt about but the big mystery is what?

 

I really did love this book which was gripping, and compulsive reading. I spent a lot of time trying to guess the twist but I also just enjoyed the way that Frick explored the friendship between the girls and the way in which they are so entangled in each other's lives. It's interesting to see Ret at the centre of the group having brought them all together and the fact that without her, Ellory, Bex and Jenni might not have anything else in common. I liked the way in which this was depicted because I think it's often true of real-life friendships where people end up becoming friends with others through association. The bond between Ellory and Rex is all-consuming and this lies at the heart of the story. There are touches of romance too, with Ellory falling for the alluring Matthias who she stumbles upon at a party but the strongest relationship in the book is the one between her and Ret.     

 

It was interesting to see the disintegration of Ellory and the struggle she goes through without knowing what has caused it. I felt a lot of empathy for her character but also admiration at the way she tries to rebuild her life and move on.  

 

If you are a fan of this genre and love YA fiction then I beg you to read 'See All My Stars'. It's a five star read that is absolutely captivating. After just one book, Kit Frick is now on my auto-buy list, so I'm looking forward to reading next her second novel 'All Eyes On Us'.   

 

If you have enjoyed reading this review and would like to buy the book, please consider purchasing via my affiliate link from Amazon.

Review: A Dress for the Wicked by Autumn Krause

Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books
Published: 6th August 2019

Synopsis:
Nothing much happens in the sleepy town of Shy in Avon-upon-Kynt. And for eighteen years, Emmaline Watkins has feared that her future held just that: nothing.

But when the head of the most admired fashion house in the country opens her prestigious design competition to girls from outside the stylish capital city, Emmy’s dreams seem closer than they ever have before.

As the first “country girl” to compete, Emmy knows she’ll encounter extra hurdles on her way to the top. But as she navigates the twisted world of high fashion she starts to wonder: will she be able to tailor herself to fit into this dark, corrupted race? And at what cost?

Review:
Autumn Krause's debut novel 'A Dress for the Wicked' combines both fashion and politics in the fictional city of Avon-upon-Kynt. I have to admit that the first thing that attracted me to this book was the luscious cover. The artwork is simple but striking and oh so pretty. It really made me want to pick it up and start reading.

The setting of the book is based on aspects of Victorian London with its class structure and rules of etiquette. It doesn't however fit within the historical fiction genre. I find it quite hard to say exactly which genre I would slot it into, as it combines so many different elements: historical, fantasy and even dystopia. There is a strong political undercurrent running throughout the story. The main political party in the book are the Reformists Parliament Party, who every year grant an arts budget to the Crown. The Crown then pass on a large portion of this to the Fashion House which is run by the inimitable Madame Jolene. The Reformists now want to cut the arts budget and create cheaper fashions but there is a lot of opposition to their plans.

The main character in the story is Emmaline Watkins or Emmy as she is known, who gets a place in the prestigious Fashion House competition. She gets the chance to compete against a number of other girls to become a design apprentice - a position that she aspires to. Emmy becomes the token 'girl from the country', with no one expecting her to rival the other competitors, who are more privileged and well connected. She does not know who she can trust and does not even appear to have the support of her Publican mother, who has remained behind in Shy.

The plot reminded me a little bit of 'The Hunger Games' but with dresses and definitely not as deadly. There are however high stakes involved with each girl having different reasons for taking part that are gradually revealed throughout the story. I did find the start of the book much slower than I was expecting and it took me a good few chapters before I got used to the style and rhythm of the writing. It definitely improved as the story progressed and I found myself enjoying it more and more. There is a lot about fashion in the book which wasn't something that particularly appealed to me, although it was interesting to see Krause's take on using fashion to reveal the character and personality of the main players. I also liked the way that she provided a nod to the real fashion world, with her imagining of what the first fashion show could have looked like.

This was a book that started with a slow burn but really grew on me. I thought that there was a lot of interesting character development in the second half and even some romance to keep me happy. After reading the ending, I assumed that there was going to be a book two to look forward to but I believe that currently this is a standalone novel. I do hope that Autumn Krause gets to return to the world of Britannia Secunda and the district of Avon-upon-Kynt because I would really like to know what happens to Emmy next.

If you have enjoyed reading this review and would like to buy the book, please considering purchasing via my affiliate links from Amazon or the Book Depository.

Review: The Last Voyage of Poe Blythe by Ally Condie

Publisher: Penguin
Published: 4th April 2019

Synopsis:
Poe Blythe, the seventeen-year-old captain of the Outpost's last mining ship has revenge on her mind as she and her crew voyage up the Serpentine River in search of gold. But there is something Poe wants even more than gold, however - to annihilate the river raiders who, two years ago, killed the boy she loved.

As Poe navigates the treacherous waters of the Serpentine and realizes there might be a traitor among her crew, she must also reckon with who she has become, who she wants to be, and the ways love can change, even and especially when you think all is lost.

Review:
I've read all of Ally Condie's previous books and 'The Last Voyage of Poe Blythe' featured heavily on my list of the 2019 new releases I was looking forward to reading. It sounded intriguing and my interest was piqued by the thought of a dystopian adventure set at sea and featuring rival factions who are fighting over gold. That's pretty much what was delivered and on the whole I enjoyed Condie's latest offering.

The majority of the story is set on-board the Gilded Lily - a ship captained by Poe Blythe. The ship's mission is to dredge the Serpentine River of gold and return it to The Outpost, where it will be delivered into the hands of the Admiral. Poe has always followed orders in the past but this time she wants revenge on the river raiders who killed the boy she loved and was planning to escape with. She has designed a wicked and deadly set of armor to protect the ship and is determined to make the raiders pay for what they took from her. It's a unique and inventive story concept which kept me glued to the pages as Poe's journey unfolds.

The pace was a little slow at the very beginning of the book but then the sense of adventure kicked in and I could almost sense the motion of the ship, the claustrophobia of the crew and the smell of the sea. Anything vaguely pirate related and I'm there, so this was an aspect of the story that I particularly enjoyed.

The one thing that I thought was missing a little bit from the book was more insight into some of the characters. As the main protagonist, the story revolves around Poe who was a character that I greatly liked and admired. She is stubborn and tough, incredibly brave and not used to letting people in. She does however learn how to rely on others for support when she is given a new crew to take with her on her mission. I would have loved to have known more about some of the secondary characters. Her second-in-command Brig was quite a dark horse, who Poe is never quite sure if she can trust or not. I wanted to know more about him as a person and his past. Part of me wonders if this was a deliberate choice by Condie because it means that like Poe, the reader is never sure either who can be trusted on the ship and who is attempting to sabotage the mission and help the raiders.

As far as I'm concerned, the ending tied up some but not all of the threads of the story. So while, I believe that this is currently a stand-alone, I would not be surprised to see Condie return to this world and these characters. I'll definitely be along for the journey.

If you have enjoyed reading this review and would like to buy the book, please consider purchasing via my affiliate links from Amazon or the Book Depository.

And if this sounds like a book you would enjoy, then why not watch the official trailer:

Blog tour: Find the Girl: All That Glitters by Lucy and Lydia Connell

I'm hosting today's stop on the blog tour today for 'Find the Girl: All That Glitters' by Lucy and Lydia Connell

Lucy and Lydia were kind enough to answer the MOST important question of all among book lovers:

'What are your favourite YA books – now, or when you were growing up'.

"We loved reading so much when we were younger, especially Lucy. She would always have a book in her hand. She was obsessed with every Jacqueline Wilson book and would read one after the other. Her favourites were Double Act, Illustrated Mum, Lola Rose! Also we both LOVED the Mary-Kate and Ashley books and Princess Diaries books. Lydia LOVED A Series Of Unfortunate Events and we both loved all the Hunger Games books!"

I absolutely loved their latest book about twins Nancy and Nina, so read on for my full review.

Publisher: Penguin
Published: 25th July 2019

Synopsis:
Nancy Palmer used to be Insta-famous and her twin Nina used to shy away from everyone. Things can change pretty quickly. Nina has been accepted onto a Guildhall music course and is famous because of her pop star boyfriend, Chase. Nancy is trying to put her name on the map by becoming a music journalist and is not getting distracted by Chase's hot bandmate Miles.

When their estranged dad shows up out of the blue and shows an interest in Nina's budding music career, Nancy isn't sure he's just there to make amends. As they attempt to find their way through new challenges, they both have to remember that you have to pave your own path to success and sometimes fame comes at a price.

Review:
'Find the Girl: All That Glitters' is the second book about identical twins Nancy and Nina. This is a great series which is ideal for fans of contemporary YA. Written by YouTubers Lucy and Lydia Connell, in collaboration with author Katy Birchall, the writing style is extremely engaging and overall the book is a fresh, sparkling, enjoyable read. It does help to have read the first book, 'Find the Girl' as this established a lot of the main characters but it's not absolutely necessary as there's a recap of events at the start.

The book follows the same format of alternating points of view between Nancy and Nina. This gives a nice take on the different perspectives of the twins. Nina was still my firm favourite, as we see her at the beginning of the story, winning a place on the Guildhall School of Music and Drama's weekend programme. She's constantly worried that her musical ability is not good enough and I thought it was good to see the angst she goes through, constantly comparing herself to everyone else. This is something that I think a lot of people do, often to their own detriment, so I liked the message that emerged about being true to yourself and focusing on your own abilities and achievements, rather than those of anyone else.  

Nancy on the other hand, is worried that she is going to be left behind. Everyone around her seems to have a passion or interest that they're throwing themselves into and she feels like the odd one out. It was good this time to see Nancy facing her share of insecurities. Although she is the confident, outgoing twin who often is the one leading the way and blazing a trail, she came across as someone who I could empathise more with because she worries that she hasn't found her niche yet - that special thing that will drive her and which she can throw her efforts into. She matures a lot in the book and became a more well rounded character.

For those romance fans, the gorgeous Chase Hunter returns, although there is some trouble in paradise for Chase and Nina. I can't reveal any more! Plus, Nancy is very distracted by Miles, the drummer of the band, who seems to keep appearing everywhere she goes. You will not be disappointed in the outcome of that storyline!

There's lots of drama too, when Nancy and Nina's Dad reappears. I enjoyed the family dynamic which was introduced, although I guessed from the start that their Dad might well have an ulterior motive for coming back into their lives.

I thought this was a brilliant book which really suited my reading mood and would be a perfect addition to your holiday suitcase. Fun and light but with just the right amount of depth to draw you in and keep you reading, I'm hoping that the twins will be back for more in the future.

If you have enjoyed reading this review and would like to buy the book, please consider purchasing via my affiliate links from Amazon or the Book Depository.

Review: Find the Girl by Lucy and Lydia Connell

Publisher: Penguin
Published: 26th July 2018

Synopsis:
As kids, Nina and Nancy were inseparable. As teenagers, not so much...

Where Nancy is popular, an Instagram star, and obsessed with boy band heartthrob Chase, Nina is shy, a talented classical musician, and shuns the spotlight that her sister thrives in.

But when the wrong twin unwittingly ends up at the centre of a romantic social media storm, the bonds of twin-ship will be tested like never before...

Review:
'Find the Girl' is written by well known YouTube stars Lucy and Lydia Connell, in collaboration with author Katy Birchall. I wasn't quite sure what to expect but I was actually really pleasantly surprised and I enjoyed reading it. Twin stories are always intriguing and great fun which is exactly how this book turned out.

Nancy and Nina are twin sisters who have drifted apart. They have separate friendship groups, different interests and their personalities are pretty much chalk and cheese. Nancy is the more outgoing sister who is obsessed with boy band lead singer Chase Hunter. And by obsessed, I mean obsessed! Nina is much shyer and quieter and is absorbed with getting into the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. First though, she has to conquer her fear of playing the piano in front of an audience. The twins end up attending a Chasing Chords concert together, where Nancy hopes to meet her dream boy. However, it's Nina who finds herself having an unexpected encounter which may end up tearing the sisters apart for good.

The story is told from the alternating points of view of Nancy and Nina. I definitely enjoyed the Nina chapters the most because I found her a much more appealing character. I also loved her burgeoning romance which was incredibly sweet and cute to watch unfold. Although Nancy did grow on me a lot as the story progressed, she originally came across as very shallow and self-absorbed and I didn't like they way she treated her twin when her friends were around. As the book progressed, it was interesting to see the two girls develop as individuals but also as sisters - a bond which they had sadly lost.

The plot is fairly predictable but it unravelled in a fun and engaging way that kept me hooked. The ending had a fair few surprises which definitely added to the drama. This was a fresh contemporary YA which would make a perfect summer read. Devour it in time for the sequel 'Find the Girl: All That Glitters' which is due to be published on 25th July 2019.

If you have enjoyed reading this review and would like to buy the book, please consider purchasing via my affiliate links from Amazon or the Book Depository.

Also don't forget to come back on Friday when I'll be taking part in the blog tour for Lucy and Lydia's latest book 'Find the Girl: All That Glitters'. I have a very exciting guest post to share with you.

 

Cover reveal: Crave by Tracy Wolff

Today I'm taking part in an exciting cover reveal from publisher Entangled Teen.

 

One of their biggest YA books for 2020 is Crave by New York Times bestselling author Tracy Wolff. I'm pleased to be able to share the absolutely stunning cover for the book which I think is really striking (and a bit Twilight reminiscent).  

Crave is a romantic and thrilling tale of forbidden love, about the undying battle between feeling nothing and feeling so much, it could destroy everyone you love.

It will be published by Entangled Teen on April 7th 2020.  

Review: The Paper & Hearts Society by Lucy Powrie

Publisher: Hodder Children's Books
Published: 13th June 2019

Synopsis:
Tabby Brown is tired of trying to fit in. She doesn't want to go to parties - in fact, she would much rather snuggle up on the sofa with her favourite book. It's like she hasn't found her people ...

Then Tabby joins a club that promises to celebrate books. What could go wrong? EVERYTHING - especially when making new friends brings out an AWKWARD BUZZING feeling all over her body.

But Olivia, Cassie, Henry and Ed have something that makes Tabby come back. Maybe it's the Austen-themed fancy-dress parties, or Ed's fluffy cat Mrs Simpkins, or could it be Henry himself ...

Can Tabby let her weird out AND live THE BEST BOOKISH LIFE POSSIBLE?

Review:
'The Paper & Hearts Society' by Lucy Powrie is a book that I would like to press into the hands of every teenager. It highlights the ups and downs of growing-up in a time when social media is everywhere and the pressure to fit in is sometimes overwhelming. There was so much about the story and characters that I identified with and I think the majority of readers will feel exactly the same. I read it in one sitting and was really, really impressed with Powrie's debut.

The story is about teenager Tabby Brown, who at the beginning of the book, has moved to a new area with her family. She's staying with her Gran, while her Mum and Dad pack up their old house. She's browsing books in the library one day when she comes across a flyer for a new book club. She's initially hesitant about going along but her Gran thinks it will be a good opportunity for her to make new friends and soon the club becomes the start of a whole new chapter in Tabby's life.

Tabby is a wonderful main character because she's just so real and relatable. She worries about fitting in with a group of friends that have already known each other for years and have a shorthand that she doesn't initially know. Although Olivia, Henry and Ed are warm and welcoming, she doesn't get off to the best start with Cassie who seems to resent her presence. Her anxiety about joining in with an established friendship group is something that I suspect most people have experienced at some point or another. Although it initially feels awkward, I thought that it was brave of Tabby to keep trying and to acknowledge that it would take time to properly fit in. As well as Tabby, I particularly liked the two boys: Henry and Ed. They have quite different personalities but they both help Tabby to feel more comfortable and at ease and are straightforward, easy-going characters.

There are lots of different themes explored in the book. One is the power and pressure of social media and how it can be used as a tool for bullying. I'm really glad that I didn't grow up with social media and some of the technologies that we have today. I love Instagram and Twitter, but they can be extremely invasive and I felt for Tabby and what she goes through.

I LOVE the fact that 'The Paper & Hearts Society' celebrates books and reading and makes it cool to be obsessed with buying a stack of new books, or visiting literary landmarks or having an Austen-themed fancy dress party. I know exactly how the characters feel when they express their love of a particular author and plan an exciting road trip to see some famous literary cities. I've visited both Bath and Stratford Upon Avon many, many times and could share their excitement and awe because that's exactly the way I've felt in the past when I've visited Shakespeare's grave or seen the house where Jane Austen resided. I really need to plan my own trip to Haworth now!

This is a gem of a book which has a fresh contemporary voice and exemplifies all the best qualities of the Young Adult genre. I felt like I was reading about myself at times which is a characteristic you don't often come across. This was a 5 star hit for me and I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

If you have enjoyed reading this review and would like to buy the book, please consider purchasing via my affiliate links from Amazon or the Book Depository.

Review: The Weight of a Thousand Feathers - Brian Conaghan

The Weight of a Thousand Feathers by Brian Conaghan, published by Bloomsbury Children's Books on 13th June 2019

Synopsis:
Who is Bobby Seed? He's just your average sixteen-year-old - same wants, same fears, same hang-ups. Dull, dull, dull. But then there's the Bobby Seed who's a world away from average. The Bobby Seed who has to wipe his mum's backside, sponge her clean three times a week, try to soothe her pain. The Bobby Seed whose job it is to provide for his younger brother, Danny, to rub his back when he's stressed and can only groan and rock instead of speak. That's Bobby Seed. Same, same, same, yet different, different, different ...

Review:
'The Weight of a Thousand Feathers' is Brian Conaghan's fourth novel and winner of the 2018 Irish book award for Teen and YA Book of the Year. It's the story of teenager Bobby Seed, who is your average 16 year old, apart from the fact that he is a carer to his Mum and also looks after his younger brother Danny. Bobby's mother has MS and is dependant on him for her care. He has to cook, clean and basically do everything for her.

I haven't read any YA books before that are told from the point of view of a family caregiver and especially not one who also happens to be just a teenager. As well as caring for his Mum, Bobby is also trying to navigate his own issues at school, shield his younger brother and deal with relationship dramas and questions about his own sexuality. Bobby was an extremely strong voice in the story who ends up confronted with an impossible dilemma. His train of thought is full of indecision, guilt and angst and I really felt for him.

During the story, Bobby meets Lou at a young carers support group. He is attracted to him and they share their emotions and thoughts with each other but I wasn't actually very keen on Lou. I found it hard to feel the same sympathy toward him as I felt for Bobby.

The book explores the ethical dilemma of assisted suicide or euthanasia which makes it an incredibly hard-hitting read. It is such a complex and difficult question: would you help ease the suffering of a loved one if they were dying or in pair or with no quality of life? It is an extremely controversial and emotive issue and one which creates a lot of debate. I thought that Brian Conaghan presented the situation with care and a sensitive touch. I found it so heart-breaking and extremely difficult to read at times. My heart went out to Bobby and his brother. 

This is a story that is both thought-provoking, as well as incredibly sad and moving. Be prepared to read with a big box of tissues by your side.

Review: The Switch Up - Katy Cannon

The Switch Up by Katy Cannon, published by Stripes on 13th June 2019

Synopsis:
LAX Departure Lounge. Two girls board the same flight to London as complete strangers. When the plane touches down, it’s the beginning of the craziest plan ever. Can Willa and Alice really swap lives for the summer?
Things are going to get complicated...

 

Review:

Katy Cannon is my go-to author for contemporary YA with a solid heart of gold. I loved her previous books 'Love, Lies and Lemon Pies' (read my review here), as well as 'Secrets, Schemes and Sewing Machines' (read my review here).

 

Katy's latest book 'The Switch Up', was high on my list of titles I was looking forward to being published this year. It is the perfect summer read for either sitting with on the beach or reading during some downtime on a city break. I devoured it in one sitting and am now desperately hoping that there will be a sequel.

 

'The Switch Up' follows in the same vein as Freaky Friday and The Parent Trap. It features two girls, Alice and Willa, who on the spur of the moment, decide that they will swap lives for the summer. Willa ends up in London and Alice in Italy, pretending to everyone around them that they are someone else. The book alternates between the two girls as they face new adventures, make new friends and ultimately learn some big lessons about themselves.

 

Alice was my favourite of the two because I seemed to identify with her more. She likes to please people, she likes to feel in control of things around her and she likes to have everything planned out. Spontaneity is not something that is normally associated with her but when she has a chance meeting with Willa at the airport, she is convinced to swap places and ends up spending the summer in Italy with Willa's Aunt Sofia and her foster children. There are lots of layers to Alice's story and I thought that Katy Cannon handled this with a deft touch. She highlights some of the stresses and insecurities that Alice has been dealing with, while also allowing her to blossom and grow in confidence.

 

Willa ends up in London with Alice's potential stepmother Margo. She meets a friend of Alice's called Hal, who helps her to hide her real identity. Willa is extremely confident and outgoing but she too has secret worries and fears, as well as family problems to face up to. I enjoyed seeing her become more aware of others around her and their feelings, as she discovers some painful truths about herself.

 

'The Switch Up' was a sparkling read which I thoroughly enjoyed. Katy's storytelling is exceptional and her books are the perfect reads for young teens. The story explores common issues such as family, identity and friendship, while also weaving in light touches of romance. While I was reading, I could almost feel the sun on my face and the sand in my toes. A superb contemporary YA that was enormous fun to read.

Blog tour: The Switch Up - Katy Cannon guest post

I am thrilled to be taking part in the blog tour for Katy Cannon's new book 'The Switch Up'. I finished reading this a few days ago and absolutely loved it. Don't forget to stop by the blog next week to read my full review. It's the perfect summer read to pack in your suitcase!

For today's blog tour stop, I have a fantastic guest post from Katy herself. It's the ultimate 'Surviving Summer: An Introvert's Guide and it's a great read that I could really identify with.

Summer is a great time for getting together with friends, going out and doing things, and making the most of the great weather. Of course, for introverts (like me) it’s also a time to start panicking about being expected to do All The Peopling All The Time.

Don’t get me wrong; I like people, I like spending time with friends, and I like getting out and doing things. I even like sunshine, as long as I have enough sunscreen on. I just find all of the above – what I call Peopling - mentally and physically exhausting, after a while.
So, over the years, I’ve come up with my own methods for keeping my summers fun and enjoyable, not overwhelming. Here they are:

1. Build In Downtime. If you know that spending a lot of time with loads of people is going to leave you exhausted, try to schedule your summer so you have breaks between big social gatherings. This might take a bit of planning, but having a day – or even a morning, afternoon or evening – to yourself between commitments with friends or family will help you re-energise and enjoy your time with others more.

2. Make Your Own Fun. You don’t have to spend your time alone moping in your room or doing homework though (well, not all of it, anyway). Try jotting down some activities that do give you more energy and make you happy. Mine include reading, getting outside in the sunshine for a walk (or more reading), listening to podcasts, going to the cinema - or a museum or exhibition - by myself, following an online yoga video, and daydreaming (which sometimes turns into napping). Whatever your list is, having it there in front of you when you get your downtime will remind you of all the fun things you can use it for.

3. Pick Your People. Even for us introverts, some people are more draining than others – and a select few can even make us feel better than or as good as being alone! So pick who you spend your summer with carefully. Okay, so you can’t choose your family, and friendship groups often include at least one person who doesn’t thrill you, but just thinking about how different people make you feel can be a starting point. Even a subtle shift towards spending more time with those people who energize you, and building in more downtime between time spent with those who don’t, can help improve your summer.

4. Set Goals and Say No. These two sort of go together. If you’re anything like me, saying ‘no’ to people who want to spend time with you can be difficult. I’ve found that what helps me is having a really good reason I can’t hang out. So, I always keep a summer goals list – maybe a handful of books I want to read, an exhibition I want to visit, a project at home, that sort of thing. Then, when I need to not be Peopling, I can say with confidence that I have something else I really need to do that day. Because I do. It’s on my list, and it matters to me – and friends will respect that. (Really good friends will also totally understand if you tell them ‘I can’t People today. Can we People tomorrow?’ incidentally.)

5. Be You – and Love It. Above all, embrace being an introvert! All it means is that you find more energy in time alone than in large groups – like a third or more of the population. Introverts tend to be more thoughtful and reflective – which can lead to being more creative, more empathetic and able to build long lasting friendships. So, love who you are, and love summer again!

Huge thanks to Katy for writing such a lovely guest post and don't forget to check out all of the other stops on the blog tour. My review will be going live on the blog on publication day (13th June).