Review: What If - Rebecca Donovan

What If by Rebecca Donovan, published by Penguin on 22nd January 2015

Goodreads synopsis:
What if you had a second chance to meet someone for the first time?

Cal Logan is shocked to see Nicole Bentley sitting across from him at a coffee shop thousands of miles from their hometown. After all, no one has seen or heard from her since they graduated over a year ago. Except this girl isn't Nicole.

She looks exactly like Cal's shy childhood crush, but her name is Nyelle Preston and she has no idea who he is. This girl is impulsive and daring, her passion for life infectious. The complete opposite of Nicole. Cal finds himself utterly fascinated and falling hard. But Nyelle is also extremely secretive. And the closer he comes to finding out what she's hiding, the less he wants to know.

When the secrets from the past and present collide, one thing becomes clear: Nothing is what it seems.

Review:
'What If' is a wonderfully captivating book which will touch your heart and make you treasure life and each and every step you take on your journey.  The book's message is about living life to the full and living the life you want.  This really resonated with me and made me want to be more bold and carefree and to appreciate happiness, rather than waiting for happy to come along.  

A young-adult standalone from Rebecca Donovan, author of the Breathing trilogy, I have been waiting to read this book ever since I first heard about it. I now want to recommend it to everyone for the very positive message it contains, as well as for it being such a fantastic contemporary read.  It made me laugh, smile and cry.  It tugged at my heartstrings and had me reading long into the night.  

It has an intricately layered narrative structure which took a bit of getting used to.  It switches narrators and the time frame jumps backwards a lot but it was so cleverly executed that I soon found myself not taking much notice of this.  Plus, the events that the story takes us back to are extremely central to the plot and the motivations and actions of the characters.  

The characters themselves are warm and real and flawed and really leap off the page.  There's Cal, the main narrator of the story, along with childhood friends Rae, Richelle and Nicole.  I'm not always so keen on male narrators, but I grew to like Cal immediately and I think Rebecca Donovan wrote him exceptionally well. Cal is at college when he meets Nyelle Preston - a girl who looks exactly like Nicole but acts in a completely different way.   Their personalities are polar opposites.  I don't want to say anything else about the plot except to say that this is a story you will want to puzzle out on your own.  It has a surprising twist at the end but it's a treat to try and unravel.  

'What If' is a brilliant romance that will make you question your actions and the what ifs of your own life.  Gorgeously written, it will take you on an incredible journey that you will not want to miss. 

   

Blog Tour: I Was Here - Gayle Forman

Today I am hosting a stop on the blog tour for Gayle Forman's new book 'I Was Here'.  You can read my review here

 



Inspiration for writing I Was Here

I met Suzy Gonzales about six years ago when I was profiling her for a magazine article. She immediately struck me as charismatic and bright, one of those people who had that spark. She was the kind of person I’d normally profile for doing something amazing at a young age: writing a novel or directing a movie or releasing an album before she hit 20. But instead, I was profiling Suzy for killing herself.

It was jarring. I kept having to reconcile this amazing girl that friends and family had told me about, one whose future seemed infinite with possibility, with the girl whose future was already in the past.

Shortly after I finished the article, I began to taper off doing journalism, focusing more on novels. But Suzy’s story burrowed somewhere in my brain because several years later, she emerged, or rather, a version of this bright charismatic young woman, emerged.

I began to imagine not what led Suzy – or, Meg, the fictional character she inspired – to kill herself (suicide is the ultimate unsolvable mystery, the victim dies with the perpetrator). Instead, I began to think about what it would be like to receive an email suicide note (as Suzy had sent her) from someone you loved, someone you were close to, someone you thought you knew everything about.

And that was how I found Cody, my heroically flawed heroine in I Was Here. The novel may open with Meg’s suicide note, but it is Cody’s journey that is the centre of the novel. Her search for the reason Meg chose to end her own life, and her own complicity in this decision, pushes her to the boundary of love, friendship, forgiveness and redemption.

 

 

 

Review: Talon - Julie Kagawa

Talon by Julie Kagawa, published by Mira Ink on 15th January 2015

Goodreads synopsis:
Ember and Dante Hill are the only sister and brother known to dragonkind. Trained to infiltrate society, Ember wants to live the teen experience and enjoy a summer of freedom before taking her destined place in Talon. But destiny is a matter of perspective, and a rogue dragon will soon challenge everything Ember has been taught. As Ember struggles to accept her future, she and her brother are hunted by the Order of St. George.

Soldier Garret Xavier Sebastian has a mission to seek and destroy all dragons, and Talon's newest recruits in particular. But he cannot kill unless he is certain he has found his prey: and nothing is certain about Ember Hill. Faced with Ember's bravery, confidence and all-too-human desires, Garret begins to question everything that the Order has ingrained in him: and what he might be willing to give up to find the truth about dragons.

Review:
'Talon' is the first book in a brilliant new Dragon series.  I'm absolutely convinced that Julie Kagawa can turn her hand to any paranormal/supernatural subject and weave a captivating story around them.  Faeries, vampires and now dragons all get her special treatment, making this an extremely hard to put down title.  I thought it was going to be gripping and exciting and boy, it certainly was!

The central heroine, Ember, is sent to Crescent Beach along with her twin Dante to assimilate themselves into the human world.  Ember and Dante are both dragons but in their human forms they get to experience a sense of freedom for the very first time.  Although Talon keeps them on a tight leash, Ember gets to enjoy sun, sea and sand, as she makes new friends and begins to question the organisation that she has always obeyed. 

Ember's point of view alternates with that of Garrett, a St George Soldier who is tasked with hunting and killing dragons.  He and Ember are both used to following orders, but after they meet, Garrett's long-held beliefs start to waver.  I liked the way that we got to see the perspective of both the hunter and prey but before long I was starting to question which might be which. 

Love may be on the cards between Ember and Garrett but then there's a rogue dragon on the scene who might just come between them.  Yes, there's something of a love triangle in the book but don't worry because it's not your typical boy loves girl, who loves other boy.  This is a love triangle with a twist which will keep you guessing.  I'm not sure who I wanted Ember to end up with more as there are elements to both male characters that I liked.  I'm sure other readers will be equally torn.   

Fast paced, exciting and with a strikingly gorgeous cover, this was a fantastic paranormal read to kick off the new year.  The sequel, 'Rogue' is due out later in 2015 and I shall be queuing up to get a copy.

Review: Marly's Ghost - David Levithan

Marly's Ghost by David Levithan, published by Electric Monkey on 8th January 2015

Goodreads synopsis:
When Ben’s girlfriend, Marly, dies, he feels his life is over and the prospect of Valentine’s day without her fills him with bitterness. But then Marly arrives – or at least, her ghost does – along with three other spirits. Now Ben must take a journey through Valentines past, present and future – and what he learns will change him forever.

Review:
A remix of 'A Christmas Carol' which is one of my favourite Christmas stories but with a twist.  David Levithan has added a Valentine's Day setting and given the story a set of contemporary characters and a protagonist who has closed himself off to love and life after his girlfriend Marly dies. 

This was a really quick read.  I finished it in about an hour but it was nevertheless extremely well told and I enjoyed the fresh take on a well loved classic.  Ben is visited by the ghosts of love past, present and future, warning him of what will happen if he gives up on a life without Marly.  I loved the overall message about appreciating life and the people you have around you, as well as enjoying each day because you never know what will happen to you next.  It's something that I think we all should try to remember.   

There are some other familiar faces in the book, including Tiny and Tim, as you've never seen them before!  I thought it was so clever how David Levithan really brought the story and characters up to date and made it much more relevant to readers today. 

Throughout the book there are some lovely illustrations by Brian Selznick.  These are also adapted from the original drawings, giving 'Marly's Ghost' a real spin on the old and the new. 

I think this was my favourite David Levithan book so far.  It contained a truly heart warming message all wrapped up in a treat of a story.   

Review: There Will Be Lies - Nick Lake

There Will Be Lies by Nick Lake, published by Bloomsbury on 1st January 2015

Goodreads synopsis:
In four hours, Shelby Jane Cooper will be struck by a car.

Shortly after, she and her mother will leave the hospital and set out on a winding journey toward the Grand Canyon.

All Shelby knows is that they’re running from dangers only her mother understands. And the further they travel, the more Shelby questions everything about her past—and her current reality. Forced to take advantage of the kindness of unsuspecting travellers, Shelby grapples with what’s real, what isn’t, and who she can trust . . . if anybody.

 Review:
This was an extremely unusual book. A thriller unlike anything else I've read before.  It's not my first Nick Lake book but the subject matter was extremely different to his other works.  I'm actually quite torn on my feelings about it, although after a shaky start, I did end up really enjoying it. 

The opening page, a prelude to the story, was mystifying but definitely make me eager to find out what was going to happen next.  I really had no clue in what direction the story was going to go and that meant that I could approach the book with an open mind. 

'There Will Be Lies' is literally a book of two halves.  In one, the main character, Shelby Jane Cooper is on the run with her mother.  She knows that she will be told two lies and then the truth but what lies she will discover and how these will impact on her, is left to Shelby and the reader to puzzle over.  In the alternative chapters, Shelby is in a strange world called the Dreaming.  She is guided by a mysterious coyote who takes her on an incredible journey.  What happens in the Dreaming is a reflection on her own life but I have to admit that I often found these sections of the story difficult to follow.  The Dreaming was quite confusing and I was not always sure what was happening.  I know this is a big part of the book but personally, I was more interested in Shelby's reality than this strange other world and I was tempted at times to skip through some of these parts of the story.  I'm glad I didn't, but I still felt that these sections slowed the narrative down a lot.  

Shelby's story is unbelievably shocking and events didn't unfold in a predictable way.  The ending in particular took me completely by surprise but I think it's a real credit to Nick Lake that you have no idea where he is going to take the story next.  From chapter to chapter I was in doubt that just about anything could happen to the characters.  He certainly puts Shelby through quite an ordeal!

If you are looking for something a bit different, then I think 'There Will Be Lies' may just be the book for you. 

Review: I Was Here - Gayle Forman

I Was Here by Gayle Forman, published by Simon and Schuster on 29th January 2015

Goodreads synopsis:
This characteristically powerful novel follows eighteen-year-old Cody Reynolds in the months following her best friend's shocking suicide.

As Cody numbly searches for answers as to why Meg took her own life, she begins a journey of self-discovery which takes her to a terrifying precipice, and forces her to question not only her relationship with the Meg she thought she knew, but her own understanding of life, love, death and forgiveness.

Review:
Gayle Forman books are always deeply moving and emotional, reflecting on the ups and downs of the choices we make in life.  'I Was Here' was no exception.  A dark and serious story dealing with some strong themes, such as teen suicide, mental illness and self-harm, it was a difficult read at times.  There are moments of light and hope but overall I found it pretty hard-going in places.  I had to put the book down a couple of times and then start again when I'd composed myself.

Cody's best friend Meg commits suicide.  Cody wants to know why and struggles to understand why she knew nothing about Meg's thoughts prior to her death.  Gradually she begins to unravel the truth about the best friend she thought she knew so much about, discovering a side to Meg that was previously hidden.  I liked the realism of friends being split up by the university experience.  We got to see how Cody felt about being left behind, as well as how it must have been hard for Meg having to try to build a new circle of friends, while dealing with the ups and downs of university life.    

I would have liked to have felt more connected to the character of Cody but the whole plot is so centred around her trying to find out about Meg that at times, I felt like I didn't wholly understand Cody herself.  She is desperate to find out the truth but I wasn't wholly convinced about the eventual outcome of this part of the story.

There is some romance in the book but this seemed to take a backseat to other aspects of the story and I didn't feel invested in it at all.  In fact, I would have been quite happy if it had been stripped away.

Sensitively written, 'I Was Here' addresses topics which will resonate with teen readers.  Although it wasn't my favourite Gayle Forman book, I took a lot of positive messages away from it and will be looking out for more from her in the future.