REVIEW: Unremembered - Jessica Brody

GENRE: YA

PAGES: 302

PUBLISHER: Macmillan Kids

FORMAT: PB

BUY IT: Waterstones

RATING: 4 Stars

SUMMARY

When Freedom Airlines flight 121 went down over the Pacific Ocean, no one ever expected to find survivors. Which is why the sixteen-year-old girl discovered floating among the wreckage—alive—is making headlines across the globe. Even more strange is that her body is miraculously unharmed and she has no memories of boarding the plane. She has no memories of her life before the crash. She has no memories period. No one knows how she survived. No one knows why she wasn’t on the passenger manifest. And no one can explain why her DNA and fingerprints can’t be found in a single database in the world.

Crippled by a world she doesn’t know, plagued by abilities she doesn’t understand, and haunted by a looming threat she can’t remember, Seraphina struggles to piece together her forgotten past and discover who she really is. But with every clue only comes more questions. And she’s running out of time to answer them. Her only hope is a strangely alluring boy who claims to know her from before the crash. Who claims they were in love. But can she really trust him? And will he be able to protect her from the people who have been making her forget?

REVIEW

I'm lucky enough to have received an advance copy of this book from a rep and was immediately intrigued by its premise. I don't read contemporary novels very often but was glad that I picked this up. It errs towards science fiction and is as fast-paced as a spy thriller.

It's premise is great: A girl, named Violet by the nurses in hospital, is found floating in the ocean after a suspicious plane crash. After being placed with a foster family she becomes determined to find out where she comes from, and to also find out more about the mysterious boy who continues to follow her every move.

The Unremembered is a fantastically built novel. The suspense gradually grows into a high octane thriller that will have you gripping your seat. I was shocked time and time again by the abilities Violet discovers in herself and it was really fun to discover everything she can do at the same time she does. There were several times I was completely unsure how Violet was going to get out of the situations she gets in, which reminded me of the twists of The Hunger Games. You're never sure who to trust, or if any of her memories are ever real. It's not really a dystopian novel as such but will appeal to fans of these.

Thematically it centres are the themes of both love and scientific advancement, one a modern miracle and the other a timeless concept. It asks how love exists within us: Is it something that is lodged deep down and can't be erased or damaged as part of our brain? Is it a lingering part of a persons soul that can always react to someone you love? Or are there just different parts of our brains that are harder to damage? I really enjoyed these questions and finding out about Violet's past in the flashbacks as she 'restores' her memories.

One thought that struck me through the whole novel is how it seemed to pull the themes of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein into the modern age. Frankenstein asks us the price of scientific advancement and if it is worth sacrificing our humanity or morality. Unremembered asks these too, and also what faculties the modern world would demand of us if we were trying to recreate Dr. Frankenstein's Creature today. 

I highly recommend this book for adults, for teens, and even for younger readers ready to move up to teenage. I don't think there is anything in there that parents would have a problem with. Add this to your Goodreads and get pre-ordering, you won't be disappointed.

- Bex.

GUEST REVIEW: Famous In Love - Rebecca Serle

GENRE: YA Romance
PAGES: 432
PUBLISHER: Macmillan
FORMAT: Paperback
BUY IT: Waterstones
RATING: 4 Stars

SUMMARY

Paige doesn't think she's particularly special, but after getting the starring role in a massive film adaptation of the bestselling Locked trilogy, the rest of the world would disagree. Now she's thrown into the spotlight, and into a world of gossip, rumour and deceit. The only people who know what she's going through are her two male co-stars, and they can't stand the sight of each other. Paige knows it's a mistake to fall in love on the set of a movie, but days of on-screen romance and intensity start to change her mind. The question is, can she keep what happens behind the scenes a secret when the world is watching her every move?

REVIEW

I was immediately drawn to this book because a) I’m a sucker for romance stories and b) it is about a girl who is cast in a major book to movie adaptation. I did actually end up enjoying it as well. Once I got into it, I couldn’t put it down and I kept reading until I finished. Every time I tried to put the book down and go back to sleep, I kept thinking about what was going to happen next so I had to pick it up again. It was fast paced and despite there being no action, I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see what happened.

Paige was an interesting main character. Her views about major book to movie adaptations really made me think about how some big actresses may feel about appearing in them e.g. Jennifer Lawrence. She was constantly worried about messing it up or not doing it right for the fans. And when she went out to go sign books, her shock over the screaming fans really made me think about how hard it must be for these stars to deal with screaming fangirls. I am definitely not a screaming fangirl but it made me think about the way people view actresses. Paige found it hard to deal with the major change in her life that acting bought about, despite it being something that she has wanted for her whole life. Basically throughout the whole book ,she was dealing with some sort of issue but I didn’t mind it. I didn’t actually dislike her which is good.

Now here is where it gets complicated. The boys. Rainer was introduced quite early on in the book and we were made to like him and while he was cute and adorable, I was quite skeptical of his actions. He was too good to be true in my opinion and then when Jordan entered, I immediately loved him for some reason. I did end up liking both the boys because Rainer was sweet where as Jordan was brooding. Though I have to say I personally prefer Jordan myself but I do like them both for Paige. Saying that, the one thing I disliked about this book was the ending. I felt that it was rushed and a lot of the big things that we were waiting to happen happened within less than 50 pages. I also didn’t like who she ended up with and the actual ending. I mean, what about the other two movies? Did the fans like the movie? Surely her feelings would change? Also how did the book in the book end? Who did August choose? And another main question came from the beginning. Does she know that she chose the wrong person? I’M SO CONFUSED.

Never the less I really enjoyed the book as a whole so I’d probably give it about an 85% so 4 out of 5 stars. It is enjoyable and I do recommend you pick it up when it is released. That’s all from me today. Thanks for reading and see you soon.

- Sofia.

GUEST REVIEW: My True Love Gave To Me - Various

GENRE: Anthology
PAGES: 368
PUBLISHER: Macmillan
FORMAT: Hardback
BUY IT: Waterstones
RATING: 5 Stars

SUMMARY

A collection of joyful festive stories that will keep you warm during the cold winter months On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me ...This beautiful collection features twelve gorgeously romantic stories set during the festive period, by some of the most talented and exciting YA authors writing today. The stories are filled with the magic of first love and the magic of the holidays. This hardback edition features a ribbon marker and pink sprayed edges, and is the perfect gift. Includes: Ally Carter Holly Black Laini Taylor Rainbow Rowell Matt de la Pena David Levithan Stephanie Perkins Kiersten White Kelly Link Jenny Han Gayle Forman Myra McEntire.

REVIEW

Hey! Today I’m going to review a book that was probably one of my most anticipated releases of the year and that is My True Love Love Gave To Me. Why was I so excited for this book? Well first off it’s a selection of 12 winter romances and if you know me at all, then you know that I am a sucker for romance stories. The main reason I was so excited for this book was because of the amazing authors involved in it. It is all edited by Stephanie Perkins, who I absolutely adore, and it includes stories by Rainbow Rowell(EEP!!!),Jenny Han, David Levithan, Gayle Forman. As well as this it included some authors who I’ve never read anything by but I have heard nothing but good things about and these are Laini Taylor, Kiersten White, Holly Black, Ally Carter. It also included some stories by some authors that I’ve never even heard of such as Matt De La Pena, Kelly Link and Myra McIntyre. So I think it’s fair to say that I had very high expectations going into this book and it did not disappoint! While I didn’t enjoy some of the stories that much, most of them were amazing and I loved them all. I have been trying to figure out how to structure this review for quite a while now and I’ve decided to do a mini review for each story and rate each one seperately. Let’s get started.

Midnights by Rainbow Rowell

The book started off with Rainbow Rowell’s story so I was immediately in love. Rainbow Rowell’s story was about two friends called Noel and Mags and it was structured in a similar way to One Day by David Nicholls. Every mini chapter was set on New Year’s Eve, exactly a year later. I honestly fell in love with this story. Rainbow Rowell has this thing where she can make you fall in love with characters really easily but I didn’t expect to fall in love with them so much in a short story. Noel was outgoing whereas Mags was somewhat shy and I loved the contrast between them. I am officially under the impression that everything Rainbow Rowell writes is pure gold. This was probably my favourite story in the whole book and I’ve already reread it about 3 times. Overall this story obviously got 5 out of 5 stars.

The Lady and the Fox by Kelly Link

Well this one was slightly disappointing. First of all a little sidenote, I was under the impression that these would be 12 winter romances that were set in our world. However, this story had some supernatural element to it, I think. I finished this story almost a week ago and I’m still not quite sure what happened in it. I really didn’t understand it at all. The main protagonist, Miranda, wasn’t anything special. I didn’t really feel anything towards her. I didn’t like her but I didn’t dislike her. She was just there. And I felt similarly about the other characters. I think it might have been the writing but I’m not sure.I have never read any of her novels but I don’t think I will be. I just didn’t feel anything while reading it and that really disappointed me. I can’t give this story higher than 2 out of 5 stars but I feel really bad about it.

What even happened in that story? I still don’t even know.

REVIEW: Mountwood School For Ghosts - Tony Ibbotson

GENRE: MG/Supernatural
PAGES: 272
PUBLISHER: Macmillan
FORMAT: Hardback
BUY IT: Waterstones
RATING: 4 Stars

SUMMARY

Fredegonda, Goneril, and Drusilla are Great Hagges, much more important and much rarer than regular old hags. They think that ghosts these days are decidedly lacking and that people haven't been scared of ghosts for years. So one day they decide that something needs to change - it's time for these ghosts to learn a thing or two about being scary. And what better way to teach them than to set up their very own school for ghosts?

REVIEW

A wonderful book that combines mystery, mayhem and ghosts! A trio of terrifying hagges decide to set up a school for ghosts to train them in all things ghastly, and they become embroiled in the life of Daniel and Charlotte as they try and save their homes. It's funny, clever and brilliantly written, the descriptions are so vivid I could see exactly what was being described. Perfect for 7-12 year olds.

- Gem.

REVIEW: A Little Something Difference - Sandy Hall

GENRE: Contemporary/Romance
PAGES: 272
PUBLISHER: Macmillan
FORMAT: Paperback
BUY IT: Waterstones
RATING: 4 Stars

SUMMARY

Lea and Gabe are in the same creative writing class. They get the same pop-culture references, order the same Chinese food and hang out in the same places. Unfortunately, Lea is reserved, Gabe has issues, and despite their initial mutual crush it looks like they are never going to work things out. But somehow, even when nothing is going on, something is happening between them, and everyone can see it. Their creative-writing teacher pushes them together. The baristas at the local Starbucks watch their relationship like a TV show. Their bus driver tells his wife about them. The waitress at the diner automatically seats them together. Now they just need to realize that they're meant for each other, and start falling in love...

REVIEW

The most enjoyable romance book I have read for a long time! This book was so refreshing, it took the basic principle of two young people falling in love and deals with it in an interesting and touching way. Told from the point of view of 14 people (it's easy to follow despite so many view points), each person has their own take on Lea and Gabe, and each of them has their own personality that makes it really fun to see what they think is happening. My favourite is Inga, I wish I had had a teacher like her! This is such a great book, the perfect book to curl up on the sofa with and the next thing you know you'll have read the entire thing and be grinning from ear to ear! I knew I was going to like it after 7 pages when there was a Buffy reference... Read this now :)

- Gem.

REVIEW: The Rain - Virginia Bergin

GENRE: Dystopia
PAGES: 400
PUBLISHER: Macmillan
FORMAT: Paperback
BUY IT: Waterstones
RATING: 4 Stars

SUMMARY

One minute sixteen-year-old Ruby Morris is having her first proper snog with Caspar McCloud in a hot tub, and the next she's being bundled inside the house, dripping wet, cold and in her underwear. Not cool. As she and Caspar shiver in the kitchen, it starts to rain. They turn on the radio to hear panicked voices - 'It's in the rain ...it's in the rain ...' That was two weeks ago, and now Ruby is totally alone. People weren't prepared for the rain, got caught out in it, didn't realize that you couldn't drink water from the taps either. Even a drip of rain would infect your blood, and eat you from the inside out. Ruby knows she has to get to London to find her dad, but she just doesn't know where to start ...After rescuing all the neighbourhood dogs, Ruby sets off on a journey that will take her the length of the country - surviving in the only way she knows how.

REVIEW

Wow, this book is AWESOME! Ruby is a fantastic narrator, the first person perspective really puts you into Ruby's shoes as she deals with the catastrophic events that take place throughout the novel. What I found scary was the fact that it seemed so believable, I could honestly imagine this happening and it made me want to stock pile bottled water, tinned food and waterproof clothing! I loved the fact that instead of being like a lot of narrators in dystopian novels, they readily accept their situations and get on with it without question - Ruby questions the insanity of what is happening to her and makes it seem much more realistic. I was riveted to her journey and couldn't wait to find out what would happen in each new chapter. The ending was brilliant, I'm just really hoping there's another book as I'm not ready to be finished with Ruby yet!

- Gem.

REVIEW: Journey to the River Sea

PAGES: 320
PUBLISHER: Macmillan
FORMAT: Paperback
BUY IT: Waterstones
RATING: 4 Stars

SUMMARY

It is 1910 and Maia, tragically orphaned at thirteen, has been sent from England to start a new life with distant relatives in Manaus, hundreds of miles up the Amazon. She is accompanied by an eccentric and mysterious governess who has secret reasons of her own for making the journey. Both soon discover an exotic world bursting with new experiences in this highly colourful, joyous adventure.

REVIEW

Beginning in 1910 Edwardian England, 'Journey to the River Sea' by Eva Ibbotson tells the story of Maia, a thirteen year old orphan who is being sent to start a new life with relatives thousands of miles away....up the Amazon river! She doesn't travel alone however, as she is joined by her strange and unfathomable governess (Miss Minton) who secretly wants to take the journey for reasons of her own.

The world they encounter along the way is just as exotic as they had predicted, complete with new experiences and characters that they would never have met back at home. For Maia, the journey is intriguing and astonishing, yet when they finally arrive at their destination of Manaus, things aren't quite as planned. The long lost family they are to stay with are nothing if not odd, Mr Carter has tucked himself away from 'modern life', his wife is scared of the world around them and the less said about their twins...the better! All of this is sent to test Maia and Miss Minton but they take it all in their stride and they soon begin to enjoy the way of the Amazon.

This book is so beautifully written and the description of the surroundings, people and world in which Maia now lives will whisk you away with her. For me this was the quintessential story for children, featuring excellent characters with brilliant narration from Maia, lovely and vivid storytelling and subtle moral undertones (as is to be expected from stories like this). 

Journey to the River Sea reminded me of The Water Babies by Reverend Charles Kingsley as some of the themes are quite similar. I also couldn't help but think of Roald Dahl too as the descriptive passages are also very reminiscent of some of Dahl's books for earlier readers such as Esio Trot and The Magic Finger.

This was a very enjoyable read which is perfect for all ages but would be more suited for older children/younger teens as the underlying theme of finding your place in the world, separate from your guardians prevails throughout.

- Adam.

REVIEW: Amy and Matthew - Cammie McGovern

PAGES: 336
PUBLISHER: Macmillan Children's
FORMAT: Paperback
BUY IT: Waterstones
RATING: 4 Stars

SUMMARY

Amy is unflinchingly honest about her limitations. Born with cerebral palsy, she can't walk or talk without help. But trapped inside this uncooperative body lies a brilliant mind and a luminous spirit - a girl capable of truly loving and worthy of being loved in return. Matthew has his own set of challenges - a mind consumed by unwanted repeated thoughts, obsessive rituals and a crippling fear that he can't explain. But underneath all of the anxiety lies a deep seed of hope for someone to come along who believes in him...This is the story of Amy and Matthew. It may not be a fairy tale romance or set in an imagined world far from our own. But the love they share is real. And yes, there's magic in it.

REVIEW

I didn't really know what this book was about, the blurb is deliberately vague other than to say it's a love story. I started reading it on Sunday morning and I soon found it was Sunday night and I'd finished it! Amy is funny, insightful and doesn't let her Cerebral Palsy stop her from doing what she really wants - it's not her body that is limiting her actions, it's her mother. She has spent her life surrounded by adult helpers but hatches an ingenious plan to get to know people her own age - pay them to help her get around school. Matthew becomes one of her helpers and they soon become friends. 

The interactions betweens the two of them are sweet, funny and full of hope for a better future. It's a very different kind of love story - it's bound to draw comparisons to Fault in Our Stars simply because the teenagers aren't 100% "normal" and are suffering from certain conditions, but it's really nothing like it. It's much more about Amy and Matthew's personal journey, the romance is just a side effect of that really. Anyone who likes stories that will make them laugh and surprise them should definitely give this a go!

- Gem.

GUEST REVIEW: Fangirl - Rainbow Rowell

PAGES: 480
PUBLISHER: Macmillan
FORMAT: Paperback
BUY IT: Waterstones
RATING: 5 Stars

SUMMARY

Cath and Wren are identical twins, and until recently they did absolutely everything together. Now they're off to university and Wren's decided she doesn't want to be one half of a pair any more - she wants to dance, meet boys, go to parties and let loose. It's not so easy for Cath. She's horribly shy and has always buried herself in the fan fiction she writes, where she always knows exactly what to say and can write a romance far more intense than anything she's experienced in real life. Without Wren Cath is completely on her own and totally outside her comfort zone. She's got a surly room-mate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words ...And she can't stop worrying about her dad, who's loving and fragile and has never really been alone. Now Cath has to decide whether she's ready to open her heart to new people and new experiences, and she's realizing that there's more to learn about love than she ever thought possible...

REVIEW

People always see me reading books around school and a lot of people don’t know me that well, so to start a conversation they usually ask me what my favourite book is. In the past, I have never been able to answer it properly because I’ve never had a definite favourite, I love so many books and it’s hard to just choose one. Also this person would also judge me based on the book I say, so I always chose carefully. But ever since last September, the answer to this question was clear. Fangirl is my favourite book. Then of course, a lot of people who I talk to have never heard of the book so they ask why I like it so much. I still do not know how to answer this question, because there are many reasons as to why I love this book. I recently discovered that my goodreads review isn’t exactly great because I didn’t know what to write. So this is my first proper review as to why I love this book. I’ll try to make it as non-spoilery as possible but just to make sure only read on if you have read the book.

Rainbow Rowell has this way of writing which I absolutely love. Before reading Fangirl, I had read Eleanor and Park and that’s how I got excited about the release of Fangirl. Eleanor and Park was a great and lovely book that really hit me with the feels. What I loved about Eleanor and Park was that she made me feel like I could relate to the characters, despite being nothing like them. During Eleanor and Park, I felt a special connection to both characters and this made me excited for Fangirl. But this isn’t a review of Eleanor and Park, that shall be for another post.

Fangirl started off with a sentence that just captured me right away and after reading the first page I couldn’t put it down.

There was a boy in her room.

Now I understand that isn’t exactly the best opening sentence but what caught my attention was the way that Cath reacted. Going into this book, I had a feeling I would be able to relate to the main character somehow, but I didn’t think she would be almost an exact replica of me and that’s what I loved. My experience with fangirls, led me to believe that they aren’t generally like me. I’m used to encountering the sort of fangirls who scream and cry at everything to do with their fandom, which attracts attention. I’m the sort of girl who hides behind my books and prefers to go unnoticed. And that is exactly what Cath was like, as you could tell from her reaction to there being a boy in her room. She froze and panicked and went silent, which is exactly what I would do. This then got me interested in the book and I flew through the first few chapters quickly.
   

REVIEW: Stella - Helen Eve

GENRE: Contemporary
PAGES: 368

PUBLISHER: Macmillan Children's Books
FORMAT: Paperback
BUY IT: Waterstones
RATING: 5 Stars

This review refers to an uncorrected advance edition.

SUMMARY

17-year-old Stella Hamilton is the star blazing at the heart of Temperley High. Leader of the maliciously exclusive elite, she is surrounded by adulation; envied and lusted after in equal measure. And she is in the final stage of a five-year campaign to achieve her destiny: love with her equally popular male equivalent, and triumph as Head Girl on election night. By contrast, new girl Caitlin Clarke has until now lived a quietly conformist life in New York. With the collapse of her parents' marriage she has been sent across the Atlantic for an English boarding school education, only to discover that at Temperley, the only important rules are the unwritten ones. It's a world of the beautiful and the dangerous, and acceptance means staying on the right side of Stella Hamilton, the most beautiful and dangerous of them all. Not everyone is happy to be under the Hamilton rule. But fighting the system means treading the same dark path as Stella - and if Caitlin puts a foot wrong, it's a long way down ...

REVIEW

This is a fantastic YA thriller - think Mean Girls meets Pretty Little Liars with a heck of a lot more venom thrown in!

The dual narrative by Stella and Caitlin was brilliant, it allowed insight into each characters thoughts as things got more and more complicated and heated. Each chapter provides more revelations into Stella's past and Caitlin's developing character and your alliances to characters change consistently. 

This is a really dark tale of friendship, romance, obsession and power play... I loved it!

- Gem.

REVIEW: Thirteen - Tom Hoyle

GENRE: Alternative History
PAGES: 336

PUBLISHER: Macmillan Children's Books
FORMAT: Paperback
BUY IT: Waterstones
RATING: 4 Stars

SUMMARY

Born at midnight in London, on the stroke of the new millennium, Adam is the target of a cult that believes boys born on this date must die before the end of their thirteenth year. Twelve boys have been killed so far. Coron, the crazy cult leader, will stop at nothing to bring in his new kingdom. And now he is planning a bombing spectacular across London to celebrate the sacrifice of his final victim: Adam.

REVIEW

An action-packed and exciting novel that ramps up the tension with each chapter. Adam is a great character - despite being thrust into an incredibly dangerous and strange scenario, he was brave and determined to protect those around him and to survive. Coron was a fantastic villain; it was scary believable as there really are people that are that warped and believe in their delusions. 

It was impressive for a début novel, the only thing that let it down ever so slightly was that the end sequence was a bit too short - it felt like it had been built up so much that it could've used a bit of extra time. But overall I was very impressed and I'd definitely read more by this author.

- Gem.

REVIEW: Because It Is My Blood - Gabrielle Zevin

GENRE: Dystopia

PAGES: 368

PUBLISHER: Pan Macmillan

FORMAT: PB

BUY IT: Waterstones

RATING: 5 Stars

SUMMARY

Freed from jail, Anya hopes that things will get back to normal. But life on the outside is even more dangerous than life behind bars. Some of her gangland family want revenge for the crime for which she has done time: the shooting of her uncle. Forced to flee the country, Anya hides out in a cacao plantation in Mexico. There she learns the secrets of the chocolate trade, a trade that is illegal and deadly in her native New York. There too she discovers that seemingly random acts of violence carried out across the world have a single target: her family. As innocent bystanders get caught in the crossfire Anya must act fast and decisively to stop it, no matter what the danger to herself.

REVIEW

When Anya is finally released from Liberty, she finds that life on the outside is still as difficult as ever. Win's dad is still running for office and her mortal enemy so her boyfriend is off limits, her Catholic school won't have her back, and all she wants to do is graduate like a normal teenager. Nothing ever runs smoothly.

This, the second book, doesn't necessarily ease you in slowly. I like that it doesn't use the first chapters to recap everything that happens in the last book but you can still pick up on the important threads if you don't remember. I had missed Anya's voice a lot - she's probably my favourite character in any book. She's still strong and admirable, but she's funny too and I really aspire to be like her. She does what she has to in difficult circumstances but is also willing to deal with the consequences too. I hate quite a lot of female narrators in YA books, they can be so superficial or underdeveloped in terms of character - either completely weak to boys or think they are so ugly when every man falls at their feet. I despise this. So it came as a pleasant surprise when Anya decides to stay away from Win. Don't get me wrong, I adore their little relationship, but Anya is so much more realistic about things and knows that she and Win are both young and might decide to go their own ways one day. She's also clear about the fact that even though she cares deeply about him, she's not willing to put him before her family. She is so far from being stupid.

Anya is such a positive person. Despite everything she has so much hope. Because It Is My Blood sees her develop so much as her own person and gradually move away from depending on her father's half-remembered advice. She's such a fantastic role model and I can't praise her enough. She's selfless without being unrealistic and I totally understand her. There is something about Anya that is also really sad; she loses so much in her life despite her desperate attempts to hold everything together but she never lets it break her more than it should.

Again, this book features heavily on Anya's relationship with her dysfunctional 'mob' family, but no matter how much they all favour tradition, Anya begins to realise that it's her relationship's with those who are actually close to her (mostly her best friends) and not necessarily those she related to by blood that are the most important people in her life. Just because you have blood in common it doesn't mean they won't stab you in the back. This is an important move for Anya - she has always protected her family no matter what, but now she begins to see things for what they are.

As part of her way to avoid being pulled back to Liberty, Anya escapes to Mexico. I really liked that this changed the cultural focus from Russian. It brought a fresh flavour and perspective, and the move of scene made the narrative more interesting and gave Anya's character room to grow without being influenced by her family. It was nice to see Anya make a friend in Theo that doesn't have any connection to her life back home.

Apart from Anya, who's motives are clear because of the first person narrative, no other character is who you think they are. There are 'whodunnits' aplenty in this book. In fact, there is always something that leaves you on a bit of a cliffhanger just when you think Anya is getting to her feet again - Zevin knows exactly when to put the action in. As the plot develops you realise that the first book, All These Things I've Done, sets the scene and the actions, whereas this follows and explores the extremes of her consequences. 

There's so much to say about this book, and even this series. As much as I can't wait for the last book I desperately don't want it to end. This series has given me so much - it's exciting, heartbreaking, thrilling and romantic. I love Anya and I love this series. Read it people.

- Bex.

REVIEW: All These Things I've Done - Gabrielle Zevin

GENRE: Dystopia

PAGES: 368

PUBLISHER: Macmillan Children's

FORMAT: Paperback

BUY IT: Waterstones

RATING: 5 Stars

SUMMARY

Sixteen year-old Anya's parents have been murdered because her father was the head of a notorious underworld gang. Now she is determined to keep herself and her siblings away from that world. But her father's relatives aren't so keen to let them go. When Anya's violent ex-boyfriend is poisoned with contaminated chocolate - chocolate that is produced illegally by Anya's criminal family - she is arrested for attempted murder. Disconcertingly, it is the new D.A. in town who releases her from jail, but her freedom comes with conditions. The D.A. is the father of Win, a boy at school to whom Anya feels irresistibly drawn. Win's father won't risk having his political ambitions jeopardised by his son seeing a member of a crime family. She is to stay away with him. Anya knows she risks her freedom and the safety of her brother and sister by seeing Win again. Neither the D.A. nor the underworld will allow it. But the feeling between them is so strong that she may be unable to resist him...

REVIEW

All These Things I've Done is a fast-paced story about a family struggling with loss and the weight of reputation. Set about 80 years in the future the world is a vision of a dystopian future. Manhattan has become a grey, desolate wasteland where everything is rationed by vouchers, including water. It is more importantly about a loss of childhood; the three Balanchine children are forced to grow up quickly and understand everything that has happened to their family. It's a darkly humorous whirlwind through the life of a teenager who has to struggle with both the normal teen processes of falling in love, but also the adult burdens of being born into a dangerous criminal underworld.

Anya is the (now orphaned) daughter of a 'mafiya' crime boss who was murdered in his home. Her mother is also dead and she is now under the guardianship of her aged grandmother who is only being kept alive by machines until Anya is eighteen and able to take guardianship of her siblings: Natty, her younger sister, and Leo, her brother who has slight learning difficulties that means he is vulnerable and easily manipulated.

As a narrator Anya is by far one of the best I have ever read. It is in first person, and there are hints in the texts that she is writing or transcribing the story, though the reader isn't sure where from or why. She is unbelievably strong. She's witty, clever, and has the biggest heart. She understands her responsibility within the family unit as an unofficial guardian and takes it in her stride. She's extremely likeable and although being a Ballanchine comes with a reputation she only lives up to its principles, not its actions.

Although she is strong and level-headed, she is also somewhat conflicted and this makes her so interesting to read. She confesses at the beginning at of the book that she hates her dead father, but she proves time and time again that it's his sayings that actually get her through the day, to the point where as a reader you wonder if she consciously thinks them or if they are internalised. Her narrative is matter-of-fact, and can at times be disturbingly clinical in emotional situations; there is an overtone of resignation, but I actually think this is more of a coping mechanism. The things that happen to her, and the things she has to shoulder, are enough to make any teenager fall apart. The plot is quick-paced and even though I'm a relatively slow reader I read this over 2 days. It's emotionally charged but it's not overwhelming. She spends her time between school and home, as these are the two most important parts of her life. 

I also want to mention the role of religion in this novel, because its an important repeated theme. Even though Anya is a Catholic she does not practice in the traditional way. Confession becomes a way of talking about her problems and (not quite in the traditional sense) of finding absolution. Anya has no one to talk to about her problems. She spends her time protecting everyone from themselves and her family, she can't tell her family because they will worry and she can't tell her friends because they will be put in danger. The priest becomes the only impartial character in her life and is therefore more important than she realises. The Church, then, features as a comfort to Anya and is actually more introverted than the whole religious practice. It takes on her parent's role of spiritual well-being that they cannot fulfil and in the same way acts a moral compass.

You won't really find your typical YA romance in here, although there is anamazing guy called Win. He's much more to Anya than someone who is a potential lover; he's someone who is there for her, is a friend and proves himself to be loyal, and in that way differs from a lot of the men in her life. I wanted them to be together, not necessarily because they would be a 'hot' couple, but because I grew to care about Anya and wanted her to let someone protect her for a change.

I'm happy that this is only the first in a series because I really want to read more about Anya and her family. However I do think that this would work perfectly well as a stand-alone novel. It answers just enough questions to satisfy the reader, but leaves enough open that you only have a vague knowledge of what the future will hold. This is also what the chapter headings and contents pages do - you think it tells you what is going to happen, and in a way it does, but the way Anya speaks and the intricate details of the events still make it worth reading. I think it's brave but also inspired when you have writing that is as strong as this.

Finally I wanted to share a quote that I feel really sums up the feel of this novel; it's on page 52 for anyone who has the UK Macmillan edition:

"I smiled at him. 'Her whole life story right here waiting for us to read it.'

He agreed. 'It's sad when you think about it, but also kind of beautiful.'"

- Bex.