The Daughter’s Secret follows Rosalind and her “perfect” family six years after Stephanie (Rosalind’s daughter) ran away with her geography teacher, Nathan Temperley who is due to be released from Wandsworth Prison in eleven days time. ‘People often liken a great shock to being hit by a train, but the realisation that Stephanie had run away with Nathan Temperley was more like being caught in … Continue reading Daughter’s Secret
Code Name Verity is one of my favourite historical novels (btw historical fiction is my favourite genre) as it keeps you guessing and questioning right till the very end. The two different narratives with Maddie and Queenie/Scottie/Eva/Julia mean you are never quite sure if the narrator is telling to truth or lying during an interrogation. Far too many World War II novels have women in … Continue reading Elizabeth Wein – Code Name Verity
Goodbye Days is the first of Jeff Zentner books that I read and I must confess to intially being in two minds about it after reading the blurb. The concept of an everyday, common action (sending a text message) being classified as a crime was highly intriguing (because it reminded me about the Michelle Carter case) however the idea of ‘Goodbye Days’ to remember loved … Continue reading Jeff Zentner – Author Overview
This Book is Gay is a non-fiction book that explains and exploring all things LGBT+ in a humorous, uncomplicated way. The first-hand experiences threaded throughout give a personal feel to the statistics contained in this non-fiction book. It’s pitched as being Young Adult in genre however I think many adults (and Presidents) could do with reading it. ‘All we can do is rest assured that … Continue reading Juno Dawson – Author Overview pt 2
I haven’t been well enough to reread all the novels by Juno Dawson that I plan to review therefore I am doing my Author Overview of Juno in two parts. Margot & Me is a novel which I really related to on many levels as Fliss (the main charcter)’s mother has been battling cancer, it’s set in Wales and I’m half-Welsh (on my dad’s side). … Continue reading Juno Dawson – Author Overview
The Exact Opposite of Okay tackles the difficult and fairly recent issue of revenge porn, as Izzy is abused online and IRL for being a ‘slut’ following nude photos of her being posted online. ‘Cellulite and stretch marks around my hips and thighs. A giant mole on my left butt cheek. Swollen boobs because of the time of the month. Imperfections that, up until a … Continue reading Laura Steven – Author Overview
Letters to the Lost on the surface seems to be a typical teen-romance about a troubled bad-boy with a heart and a grief stricken girl who has given up on her gift for photography, however it’s much more than that. It subtly questions stereotypes and the impact these have on people’s paths in life. ‘If a rich kid taunts a poor kid for wearing hand-me-downs, … Continue reading Brigid Kemmerer – Author Overview
Like most great novels One Moment, One Morning starts with a shock event on a train, which interlinks the three main characters. It follows Karen who is widowed on the train, leaving her a single mother to Luke and Molly. Anna is Karen’s best-friend who lived with Steve an alcoholic, painter and decorator. Lou is a counsellor for troubled teens in london, with a difficult … Continue reading Sarah Rayner – Author Overview
It’s not me, It’s you was the first of Mhairi’s novels that I read as the main character, Delia’s family live in Hexham which is twenty minutes away from where I live and it’s always nice to a personal connection to the setting of a novel. ‘Where do I go from here? I can’t date. I mean, thongs have come back in, for God’s sake. … Continue reading Mhairi Mcfarlane – Author Overview
Beautiful Broken Things was Sara’s debut novel and my first introduction to her as an author, it was published in 2016. It’s overall theme is about the complexities of friendship, especially when an existing friendship is threatened by a new person. Not only is it beautifully written, it is also incredibly relatable especially as a former teenage girl, although everyone at one time or another … Continue reading Sara Barnard – Author Overview
