REVIEW: Read Me Like A Book - Liz Kessler

GENRE: YA

PAGES: 304
PUBLISHER: Indigo

FORMAT: Paperback
BUY IT: Waterstones
RATING: 5 Stars
 

SUMMARY

Ashleigh Walker is in love. You know the feeling - that intense, heart-racing, all-consuming emotion that can only come with first love. It's enough to stop her worrying about bad grades at college. Enough to distract her from her parents' marriage troubles. There's just one thing bothering her . . .

Shouldn't it be her boyfriend, Dylan, who makes her feel this way - not Miss Murray, her English teacher?

 

REVIEW

I've read a couple of Liz Kessler's middle grade books, so I was excited about this YA offering, and it didn't disappoint. Ash is a great character - funny, sarcastic, insecure, and really relatable. It was really interesting to see how how her character developed as she tackles dealing with her parents marriage problems, her love life and her college work. It's her love life which plays a major part of this story, and it deals with some intense issues in a really sensitive way. There's some good shocks and twists in it which I found really enjoyable.

 

 I can't wait to read more YA from Liz.

 

- Gem.

REVIEW: Has Anyone Seen Jessica Jenkins? - Liz Kessler

GENRE: Contemporary

PAGES: 256

PUBLISHER: Orion

FORMAT: Hardback

BUY IT: Waterstones

RATING: 4 Stars

SUMMARY

Jessica Jenkins is missing...Jessica Jenkins has always thought she was a perfectly ordinary girl, until the day that part of her arm vanishes in the middle of a Geography lesson! Her best friend Izzy is determined to help Jessica realise what a great opportunity the power to turn invisible could be, but where has her new ability come from? Does this mean she's a superhero? And, when her friends are threatened, can Jessica use her superpower to help?

REVIEW

This an exciting and enjoyable book, perfect for 9-12 readers who love Cathy Cassidy and Jacqueline Wilson. I thought the plot was inventive and clever, and the kind of thing I wish would happen in real life - being able to turn invisible! As the plot progressed, Jessica has to solve the mystery of what is happening to her and her friends. Although it says it is a standalone novel I felt it would make a great series as it was so different from anything else I'd read for this age group, and the way the theme of friendship was dealt with was really clever. I'll definitely recommend this book to people.

- Gem.