Skin Deep ~ Laura Jarratt

“The stereo thumps out a drumbeat. Lindsay yells and reaches into the front of the car to turn the volume up – it’s her favourite song. The boys in the front laugh and Rob puts his feet up on the dash. I smile like I’m having a good time, squashed in the middle of the back seat with Lindsay dance-jigging around on my knee and Charlotte and Sarah on either side of me.”

When Steven Carlisle started showing off even more in his new car, driving with his knees and smoking a joint at the wheel Jenna knew it wasn’t a good idea. When the car skidded on a patch of black ice and crashes Jenna can barely remember a thing until Rob is pulling her out of the flames. Steven walks free, Jenna’s best friend dies and Jenna is left with severe scaring to her face and neck. Jenna is trying to come to terms with her new face but doesn’t even want to leave the house most days, especially not on the day she bumps into Ryan on the canal and he looks at her as if she’s a monster. Ryan knows it was wrong, he was just surprised and longs for the time he can apologise to her but will she even listen to the gorgeous traveller when he tries to talk to her?

***

Skin Deep was beautiful. I was told it was and I didn’t think I would think so, it’s about a girl who is severely scarred and a traveller boy who is judged as soon as he is seen, it’s a contemporary love story, what could possibly make it any different to the other love stories out there? But it is, and it is beautiful, nothing could have prepared me for the deep, moving story that is held between its pages and I don’t think I can prepare others so just go and read this book!

I loved the depth of the story, how Jenna and Ryan both had their own self-image problems to deal with and the twist of the murder half way through the book. I like love stories but prefer them to have a bit more depth to them than boy meets girl, girl meets boy, and they fall in love. I liked how Jenna and Ryan’s relationship grew from the start and how they were friends before deciding that they had feelings for one another. There was no insta-love and the character and story development was both brilliant.

The characters from the book were so real that I thought I knew them. There were parts of the book where Ryan could come across as an arse and I really liked that he wasn’t perfect, he was a real 16 year old boy and I thought that his relationship with his mum made him act in a certain way even when he didn’t want to. Jenna was a great character and I thought she was right for her age, but came across as more mature sometimes because of what she had to go through. I felt so sorry for her because of the change she had had to go through and the fact that she didn’t even have her best friend with her to handle the situation anymore. It must be so hard to have to learn to look at your face again after a graft of the extent she had to have and she was so brave, even if she didn’t want to go out and face the world, she still did it. Ryan’s mum was really interesting and I think her illness came across well in the story, you could tell that there was something not right with her from the beginning in the way that Ryan was so worried about her and her personality, all aspects of it were put across so well in the book that it was quite worrying to read at times. I really liked Jenna’s family too, even though her mum tried too hard sometimes but her father was just right I think! Steven was the worst character in that he made my skin crawl, I can’t believe he walked free and his whole attitude was awful.

I really love the writing from this book, it’s told in alternating perspectives between Jenna and Ryan and I love how much more you get because of this. I’m a huge fan of split narratives and it definitely works for this story. I cried so much at the end of this book because I really got to know and love the characters, I don’t usually cry at love stories, only when characters die, so that shows how much this one made its way into my heart.

I really would urge people to read this book, its beautiful and the problems that Jenna and Ryan both go through make you love them and root for them even more. I really couldn’t stop reading and I doubt others would either.

Skin Deep is the debut book from Laura Jarratt, published on March 5^th by Electric Monkey, an Egmont imprint. My copy was gifted to me from Viv at Serendipity Reviews.

Goodreads | Amazon

Letterbox Love (#1)

Letterbox Love is a new UK based feature similar to In My Mailbox or Mailbox Monday. The fine details of it are still being sorted so I cannot say who will be hosting it as such at the moment but please find below the wonderful books that have been added to my collection this week! 

For Review:

The Summer I Turned Pretty - Jenny Han

Im not entirely sure I will like this. Im a bit concerned about the love triangle and about the main characters nickname... However I am going to give it a try and if Im not keen I will find someone else to review it for me! 

Bought:

Geekhood: Close Encounters of the Girl Kind - Andy Robb

ARGH!!!!! I can't believe Ive got this!! Its not necessarily out until June but apparently Waterstones had a few copies floating around and decided to put them out and I had to buy straight away!!! I LOVE the sound of this book, its been recommended to me by Laura of SisterSpooky and I talk to the lovely Andy on twitter a bit so I just had to buy it didn't I?! 

Thats it for me this week. However I want to show you two books I wanted to buy yesterday and had to be good and not... I well want them though, so much fun! (PS the 'hole' book was in The Little Apple Bookshop in York... if you got to York, go to that shop - its AMAZING!) 

Queen of Teen Shortlist and Giveaway!

You probably noticed all the hype on twitter yesterday when the shortlist of the Quen of Teen 2012 award shortlist was announced... I certain did! 

This years shortlist is a great one with particularly awesome, in my honest opinion, authors like Maureen Johnson, Hayley Long and SC Ransom. There is even one spot on there for a guy, yes thats right, a guy! James Dawson, author of Hallow Pike (One of my favourite books of the year) is on the shortlist and I'm so excited for him.

Of course there are a few other authors I would have loved to be included on the list but we can't always have what we want. I thought I'd share with you the press release from The Queen Of Teen peeps and a chance to win The Queen of Teen book! There will be a further giveaway nearer the time of the awards for goodie bags too! 

Here's the fabulously sparkly press release I got through a couple of days ago: 

OMG, the Queen of Teen shortlist has been announced!

Queen of Teen is royally delighted to announce the shortlist for the fiction world’s most glamorous award. Thousands of heartfelt nominations have been received from teenagers across the country and voting is now open to find this year’s Queen of Teen.

The ten fabulous authors who have made the shortlist are as follows:

Cathy Cassidy, Maureen Johnson, Sarah Webb, Joanna Nadin, Cathy Hopkins, Samantha Mackintosh, Chris Higgins, Hayley Long, S.C. Ransom and our first ever male shortlisted author, James Dawson. 

The award will be presented at a glittering award ceremony in July 2012, when the writers of the best nominations will be invited to mingle with their favourite authors, invited journalists and other special guests. The ceremony is to be held at Queen of Teen HQ in leafy Surrey and will be superbly pink and sparkly – a truly majestic celebration of this thriving and important genre! 

Teens and tweens can now vote for their favourite author from the shortlist by visiting www.queenofteen.co.uk. Queen of Teen has attracted tens of thousands of votes from young readers across the globe and last year resulted in the fabulous author of the Chocolate Box Girls books, Cathy Cassidy, being crowned Queen of Teen. On being crowned Cathy said: “I've had lots of fun since being voted Queen of Teen... it's an amazing award because it's all about YOU, the super-cool reader gals out there. Your votes and views really DO count!”

So there you have it, the full shortlist and that all important website address; www.queenofteen.co.uk to go vote for your favourite. Remember you have to be under 18 to vote (so I'll be bullying my stepson into voting, naturally! haha).
If you want to be in for a chance of winning that fabulous Queen of Teen Book please fill out the form below! A vote won't hurt either if you are under 18!

The Power of Six - Pittacus Lore

“My name is Marina, as of the sea, but I wasn’t called that until much later. In the beginning I was known merely as Seven, one of the nine surviving Garde from the planet Lorien, the fate of which was, and still is, left in our hands.”

Marina has been hiding in an orphanage in Spain for many years since landing on Earth. Her and her Cepan were taken in when no-one else would help. Her Cepan has found God and seems to have forgotten when they are on Earth. Marina knows that soon she has to make a choice, stay with her Cepan, or go without her. First though, she must find her Chest and find out what she can about the others. 

John, Sam and Six are still on the run, driving across America, hiding from everyone as the news keeps flashing John and Sams faces up on the screen. They are terrorists according to the US government. And they are in trouble. 

The Mogadorians are closing in, they are sure to find John, Sam and Six... and though Marina doesn’t know it, they are already watching her.

***

The Power of Six was quite possibly even better than I Am Number Four. I was a bit concerned about how the story would carry on, knowing that this book as about Number Seven I didn’t want John and Six to be forgotten about so I loved the split perspective of the book. I loved the way the story for them carried on but also included Marinas and I loved the progress of it all! 

The plot was great. The suspense was full and I was at edge all the way through the book. I loved the atmosphere when you were following John and the others and I think it didn’t well to include that so the quieter introduction of Marina wasn’t too slow. I really loved Marina and I felt so sorry for her. At least the others had their Cepans helping them until they died but Marinas, Adelina, seems to have forgotten all about Lorien and just wants to hide out in the convent. I wanted to shake Adelina and tell her what a fool she was, how couldn’t she see that Marina needed her and they were important to Lorien. Though I did feel really bad when she started to come round. I loved the introduction of further numbers too and though I wont say much as I don’t want to spoil this for anyone who’s reading this review; I loved the ending of The Power Of Six. 

Marina was a really interesting character. She was very independent and very strong willed. I felt so sorry for her having to find her own way dealing with the stress of the convent/orphanage and the total ignorance of her Cepan. It must have been even harder for her than it was for Six. I loved the way Six became more of a main character too and how we found out more about her. I love Six’s character so much and if I needed any of these guys on my side I’d want it to be her! Sam is still such a sweet character but I worry about him being a human in an aliens world. I love how strong and brave he is. John was a bit of a prick in this book to be honest. His hearts in the right place and you can tell Henri’s death hit him hard but I honestly wanted to shake him a fair few times. Other smaller characters were brilliant and although I wasn’t sure I wanted to trust her at first I loved Ella, she was so lovely and a friend to Marina when she needed it! I wanted her to be a good guy but I wasn’t sure how genuine she was...  Hector also needs a mention as he was such an amazing guy. I loved him and wanted him to be safe. I wanted him to help Marina and I loved their relationship. I wasn’t sure of how much use he would be, being a drunk but I honestly think he wanted to make himself better. 

The Power of Six had all the fast paced amazing-ness of I Am Number Four but way more character and plot development. You find out even more about Lorien and the Mogadorians and I loved every second. I do think some of the time the writing gets a little confusing so thats why this is only a four for me. It grips your attention but for me there is way too much story covered in this book and it doesn’t allow you a lot of time to take it all in. Saying that; I am obsessed with the universe created in this series and I CANNOT wait for The Rise of Nine. 

The Power of Six is the second in the Lorien Legacies. It was published on April 12th by Penguin in the UK. My copy was sent in exchange for an honest review from the publishers. 

Goodreads | Amazon

Insurgent UK: Team Dauntless blog tour: Top 10 Characters I Believe Would Join Dauntless

As part of the amazing Team Dauntless UK's faction blog tour I wanted to highlight some amazingly cool characters from other books that I think would belong to the Dauntless Faction... Let me know if you agree or not! 

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1. Neville Longbottom - Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling

Remember that bit in the books where Neville is put into a full body binding curse and still doesn’t cry. Remember that bit where he stands up to his friends and tells them what they’re doing is wrong and they shouldn’t be sneaking out and they’ll get into trouble - the result being that he’s put into a full body binding curse AGAIN! Well these are just a couple of reasons why I honestly think Neville Longbottom would be Dauntless. 

2. Anya - All These Things I’ve Done by Gabrielle Zevin

Anya is full blown kick ass. I doubt very much that she’d have a problem jumping off tall buildings and things like that so long as its for a good cause - like her family or friends. She is brave because she has to be and doesn't let her guard down for anything.

3. Riley Blackthorne - Demon Trappers by Jana Oliver

This girl kicks demons asses for a living.... she couldn't be much more Dauntless!! 

4. Cammie Morgan - Gallagher Girls by Ally Carter

Cammie is girly and a bit boy obsessed at times but in all honesty, I think she'd be dauntless. Being dauntless is being brave and she is that. It also includes body modification and awesome accessories for disguise - which is well Cammie! 

5. Lis London - Hollow Pike by James Dawson

Lis went through a lot of crap, and a murder. Yet she still held her head up high.

6. Tali - Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Uglies is one of my favourite dystopians… it is right up there with Divergent and I love Tali for what she does, she actively jumps into danger and off tall buildings just like our friends do in Divergent.

7. Samwise Gamgee - Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien 

You don't get much braver than Sam, he doesn't have to travel with Frodo on the journey they take but he does it anyway and he sticks by him all the way.

8. Manchee - The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness 

I know Manchee is a dog, but who’s to say Dauntless team cant have their very own pet haha If Manchee was a person he would be strong and brave and look fear in the face rather than shy away from it. I know he’s a little silly in the book but I think that’s the dog in him, he’s still very brave!!

9. Suzume – Shadows on the Moon by Zoe Marriott

This book was a Cinderella retelling but, my word, it is nothing like the original story! Suzume was the strongest character I have ever come across and incredibly brave. She witnesses murders and is a part of things she shouldn’t be yet she keeps on going because she is brave and she holds a strong connection to those she loves.

10. Isis White - Whit by Iain Banks 

This one is donated to this list by my sister. I haven't read this book but from what my sister told me about it, I really need to. I have included the Amazon product description below so you can see why we think Isis would be Dauntless
"A little knowledge can be a very dangerous thing. Innocent in the ways of the world, an ingenue when it comes to pop and fashion, the Elect of God of a small but committed Stirlingshire religious cult: Isis Whit is no ordinary teenager. When her cousin Morag - Guest of Honour at the Luskentyrian's four- yearly Festival of Love - disappears after renouncing her faith, Isis is marked out to venture among the Unsaved and bring the apostate back into the fold. But the road to Babylondon (as Sister Angela puts it) is a treacherous one, particularly when Isis discovers that Morag appears to have embraced the ways of the Unsaved with spectacular abandon. Truth and falsehood; kinship and betrayal; 'herbal' cigarettes and compact discs - Whit is an exploration of the techno-ridden barrenness of modern Britain from a unique perspective."

***

Also, as a part of the tour Laura at SisterSpooky has done a post about her tattoos! Go see them here!

The Immortal Rules - Julie Kagawa

“They hung the Unregistereds in the old warehouse district; it was a public execution, so everyone went to see.

I stood at the back, a nameless face in the crowd, too close to the gallows for comfort but unable to look away. There were there of them this time, two boys and a girl. The oldest was about my age, seventeen and skinny, with huge frightened eyes and greasy dark hair that hung to his shoulders.”

Allie lives it a world where Vampires rule. They own the cities and have humans give blood up in return for food, they are treated like cattle. Thats only the Registereds though, and she isn’t one of those... She had to scavenge for food. Her and her friends lived in an old school, only looking out for themselves. Until one night when Allie leads her friends out of the city, into the ruins to grab a stash of food she’d found earlier, on the way back she and her friends are attacked by the rabids, her friends die and she is left with a terrible decision to make, die or become one of the things she hates the most. 

***

I don't do vampire stories, not since the terror that was Twilight. I had sworn myself off them, only letting one or two through my grasps in the search for recent vampire stories with the excitement, fear and pace of an Anne Rise novel. Which is why I take great pleasure in saying that I think I have found it! The Immortal Rules was amazing and everything I want in a vampire story.

The vampires are terrifying. Allie swears that she wont become like them but even she has no choice as to what the beast inside her chooses. I loved her internal battle and everything she went through to make herself stronger. I loved that the world world was so clearly explained; a disease had come and threatened society, created the rabids and made it so people had to hole themselves up in cities with huge walls to keep out the rabids. The whole story of The Immortal Rules was exciting and very well developed.

I loved the character we meet on Allies journey. Kanin was the first that I warmed to, even though he is not entirely likable. I hated Stick from the minute I saw him, he’s meant to be Allie’s friend and he just acts like such a sap, I wanted to slap him so much. I don't want to say too much about the characters because some of them don't come around til later on but what I can say is that they were all very well developed and very realistic, as far as vampires can go at least! I hated a few but that was the point and it takes a great deal of good writing to encourage the hatred that rose up inside of me for a couple of the characters.

I loved the setting of this book, Allie moves around a lot and the world was built up so much that I loved finding my way around it. I loved that it was set in a future America but kept the names so I liked finding my way around it. I could picture Old Chicago amazingly and still wanted to visit it, even in its dilapidated state! 

There is very little to fault with this book, the excitement was enough to make me want to keep turning and turning those pages and I loved every second of the action. There were a few parts where I thought things were over-described a little bit so maybe thats one thing to fault but other than that it was an amazing story! It made me wish I enjoyed Fey stories more so I could check out Kagawa’s other titles! 

The Immortal Rules was published on April 24th by Mira Ink. My copy was sent to me in exchange of an honest review from the publisher.

Goodreads | Amazon

I Am Number Four – Pittacus Lore

“The door starts shaking. It’s a flimsy thing made of bamboo shoots held together with tattered lengths of twine. The shake is subtle and stops almost immediately. They left their heads to listen, a fourteen year old boy and a fifty year old man, who everyone thinks is his father but who was born near a different jungle on a different planet hundreds of lightyears away.”

When the Mogadorians attacked Lorien there was no hope for survival. Nine children of the Garde and their nine Cêpan were bundled onto a ship bound for Earth. The nine children were tagged with a number each, when the Mogadorians tried to track them down there would be a legacy in place meaning they could only kill the children in order of their numbers. One was killed in Malaysia, two in England, three in Kenya. Number four is next, but hopefully no-one will find him in Paradise Ohio with his keeper Henri…

***

In a bout of madness I actually watched the movie “I am Number Four” before I read the book, I honestly thought the book wouldn’t be for me so that’s why but when I finished the movie I knew that I had to read the book, the movie was so good that the book had to be even better, didn’t it? Well now I’ve read the book I can happily say that yes, the book was indeed even better than the movie and I’m so glad I did actually read it!

I love the story and the legacy behind it, John (number Four) and Henri his guardian are in hiding, they go to Paradise to try and fit in, keeping out of notice from the Mogadorians. However as John is the next number in the list it’s obvious that the Mogadorians will be looking for him everywhere. I like that he had to go through all the usual stuff that a teenager should and that his powers caused him problems fitting in and things like that. I really enjoyed the romance element of the story too and how it linked to the way of Johns people on Lorien.

The characters were brilliant and I liked how much depth a lot of them had. Mr Harris, the principal even had a personality even though he only appeared in a few scenes.  Sam was an amazing character and I really felt for him: however I thought he was a better character in the movie than the book, unlike any of the others! Henri was just like a father to John and you could tell how much love they had for one another. Even Mark, who is an arse at first, had more to him than being the schools jock and I really liked him towards the end. Sarah was really lovely and I felt a bit sad that a lot of focus was put on how pretty she was rather than her personality, she had more to her than her looks and she was perfect for John. John himself was a great character and a great narrator. It was easy to connect with him and his sense of non-belonging was strong but powerful. I have to say though that the best character was Bernie Kosar, even being a dog he was amazing and had such a strong aura about him. I loved him with all my heart and would love to have a dog like that!!

I have read a couple of reviews that have complained about the writing style of this book saying it was boring and not very impressive but I really enjoyed it. It made the story easier to follow and it was simple yet effective. I really liked how much description was there and that there wasn’t really any repetition in it. The book was so easy to read which is a trait I love when there are 400 pages!

I really do recommend this book, I’m gutted that I watched the movie before I read it but I honestly didn’t think I’d enjoy it as I don’t often do sci-fi. If this sounds like you then please think again before vetoing I Am Number Four, it’s a great story regardless of it you usually don’t do sci-fi!

I am Number Four was published in Feburary 2011 by Razorbill, a Penguin Books imprint. The second book, The Power of Six will be released in paperback on April 12^th 2012. My copy of this book was sent in exchange for an honest review by the publisher. This has had no reflection on my opinions.

Goodreads | Amazon

In My Mailbox #53

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi, The Story Siren, you probably already know that but if you don't, go here to find out more!

I got Quite a few books this week so I did you a blog. It's probably terrible - I'm sorry! haha
For Review: Dying to Know You - Aidan Chambers Shooting Stars - Allison Rushby Dreams - Daniela Sacerdoti Bringing the Summer - Julia Green
Scarlet - AC Gaughen The Vampire Blog - Pete Johnson The Vampire Hunters - Pete Johnson The Vampire Fighters - Pete Johnson


Borrowed from Steffi: Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins My Sister Lives on the Mantlepiece - Annabel Pitcher

Bookish and Bloggish News #6

Harro!! Hows everyone doing on this lovely (questionable as I've not looked out the window out!) Saturday morning!? This week Ive got a couple of bits and bobs that I want to share with you regarding new books that are going to be hitting our shelves in the second half of the year! 

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Emma <3's LA - Keris Station

The awesome Keris posted a sneak peak of her new book on her blog a couple of days ago. I have had the pleasure of already reading the book and it is absolutely fantastic. If you love contemporary teen fiction then please go and check out the first chapter here.

I will also be posting the very first review of Emma <3's LA in the upcoming weeks so please come back for that. It is one of the best contemporary fiction books Ive read this year and will have you laughing, crying and cringing. The book will be published on June 7th by Orchard Books.

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Hot Key Books Launch Catalogue

On Monday 16th April the fantastic new publisher, Hot Key Books unveiled its full launch list. I missed out on checking what was on it until later in the week when My Favourite Books posted a little something about it. However when I went to check out the PDF catalogue my mouth was wide open - gawping at the screen I was saying "wow, I want that, and that, oooo and that!" 

Hot key books have got some absolutely amazing titles, you can check them all out here but I've picked a select few to highlight below. 

Angel Dust - Sarah Mussi 

"Would you move heaven and earth for the one you love?


When an angel is sent to earth to escort the soul of a young man to the after-­life she chooses to save him instead. But at what cost? An urban love story that recalls Romeo and Juliet by an author with a distinctive teen voice." (Published August 2012)

(taken from the Hot Key Books catalogue)

This sounds like so much fun and that cover does wonders for grabbing your attention! 

Constable & Toop - Gareth P. Jones 

"Sam Toop lives in a funeral parlour. While his dad buries the dead, Sam is haunted by their constant demands for attention – trouble is afoot on the ‘otherside’, and there is a mysterious disease imprisoning ghosts into empty houses... leaving Sam caught right in the middle..." (Published October 2012) 
(Taken from the Hot Key Books catalogue)

I LOVED The Considine Curse by this author and I vowed to make sure I read more by him - that hasn't happened yet but I definitely love the sound of this one!! 

Under My Hat: Tales from the Cauldron - Various Authors 

A stellar cast of acclaimed fantasy writers weave spell-­‐binding tales that bring the world of witches to life. Boasting over 70 awards between them (including a Newbery Medal, five Hugo Awards and a Carnegie Medal), authors including Neil Gaiman, Garth Nix and Holly Black delve into the realms of magic to explore all things witchy... From talking familiars, to covens that offer dark secrets to explore, these are tales to tickle the hair on the back of your neck and send shivers down your spine. (Published October 2012)

(taken from the Hot Key Books catalogue)

Look at that! Look at all those amazing authors who have contributed to this book! I want, badly! It looks and sounds awesome, I love it when books like this are released for Halloween!! 

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Chicken House Catalogue Summer/Autumn 2012

Look at the pretties! Now this isn't a pile of all the books, although I did receive Hitler's Angel with it... no, this is a collection of laminated posters which makes up Chicken House's catalogue. There are so many awesome looking books on it and I can't wait to get hold of them! You can find out more about each book on the Chicken House website but I thought I'd share a couple here too!

Unfed (Undead #2) - Kirsty McKay

"The good news: Bobby survived her Undead school trip. Bad news: her best mate, Smitty, is missing.

Bobby knows she’s got to find him … even if it means risking it all and going out into the starving zombie-infested wastelands again. Even if it means taking fellow survivors – including a couple of old frenemies – along for the ride. And even if the zombies are not the only ones who are chasing them this time." (Published August 2012) (taken from the Chicken House website)

I loved Undead and I have been waiting for this one for ages now, I honestly think Kirsty McKay has a brilliant sense of humour and a fantastic writing style which makes for the perfect zombie book! 

Torn - David Massey

"Afghanistan.

In the heat and dust of war, young British army medic Elinor Nielson watches an Afghan girl walk into a hail of bullets. But when she runs to help, Ellie finds her gone. Who is she? And what’s happened to her? What Ellie discovers makes her question everything she believes in – even her feelings for the American lieutenant who takes her side." (Published August 2012)(taken from the Chicken House website)

I love the sound of this one and I really do want to up my historical reading ante so I will definitely be checking this out. 

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So thats it for this week, just a quickie! I hope you like the look of these books as much as I do! Especially Under my Hat, Unfed and Emma <3's LA! 2012 is an awesome year for books and it looks like its just going to get better!

Fake Mustache – Tom Angleberger

“You may remember seeing me on TV when Jodie O’Rodeo saved the world.

I was that nerdy guy in the background that nobody could figure out what he was doing there. But nobody really cared because Jodie O’Rodeo had just saved the world. Remember?

Well, that was me, Lenny Flem Jr., and believe it or not, I saved the world too. Me and Jodie saved the world together. And this is the story of how we did it.”

When Lenny Flem Jr.’s friend Casper buys a man-about-town suit and the fantastic Heidelberg Handlebar number seven fake mustache Lenny doesn’t know what’s gotten into him. Casper appears to be acting normal and yes, any twelve year old boy would like such a realistic handlebar mustache but there’s something not right. The next day Casper’s acting equally as strange and there’s been a robbery in town – a shot man-about-town with a mustache has robbed the local bank. Lenny tries to confront Casper but Casper shows no knowledge of any robbery or anything. Then Fako Mustacho appears, buying the local Heidelberg toy factory and launching a bid for the presidency. Lenny is the only person who sees that Fako looks a lot like a certain friend of his, but with people believing he’s The Evil One, there’s not a lot he can do about it. Until former tween star Jodie O’Rodeo turns up willing to help take down Fako and his brainwashing ways.

***

Tom Angelberger does it again! This is an hilariously funny story about two twelve year old friends and a former celebrity battling it out to save the world – unlikely and not very realistic Fake Mustache will have you loving every second of this far out tale.

The story was very simple and easy to follow. I think that most reluctant readers will love this one, especially as it has artwork to support the text throughout. I loved that the story was so simple yet action packed and there were some very funny bits involving confetti and goo. The book is only 200 pages long and took me a matter of hours to read, without rushing at all. There are a lot of characters but as only a few are named and are important to recognise its easy to keep track of who everyone is. The outcome of the story was very funny and I really enjoyed how everything was pulled together.

I think my favourite character out the whole book was probably Mr Heidelberg, but we meet so many awesome characters that it’s hard to actually narrow it down. Lenny was an awesome kid and I felt so bad for him because he was the only one not brainwashed. He was also very funny, especially when he had to disguise himself; that was brilliant! Jodie was a really good side character too, I liked that we get a bit of the story from her point of view and that she had something else going on of her own, it actually made for a very deep character, which is something I think this type of middle grade fiction sometimes doesn’t have. There wasn’t actually a lot of Casper in the book but I kinda didn’t like him. He seemed a bit odd from the start and then when Fako appears, well yeah, it didn’t do anything to change my views. The characters made the story so funny and I really loved Sven as well. She did a lot for the humour in this book and I could picture her brilliantly in my head

I really think Fake Mustache is one for every kid, girl and boy, from age 9 to 12. Reluctant readers will love it because of the ease of it all and the supporting images and those less reluctant will enjoy it as a light, fun read, though may realise as I did that the story is not very shocking and things are thrown in your face a little too much. If you are looking for a book for your kids or a gift for someones else Fake Mustache will get you a few laughs and a great read, I definitely recommend it!

Fake Mustache is the latest from Origami Yoda author, Tom Angleberger, it was published on April 1^st through Amulet books. My copy was sent to me in exchange for an honest review which is what you see above.

Goodreads | Amazon

Author Q&A: Anna Stothard - author of the Pink Hotel

Hello Anna and thank you for taking time to answer these questions for me today! First of all can you tell me a little more about your book, The Pink Hotel?
Hi Raimy, thanks for having me on your blog. Great to be here.
The Pink Hotel is about a difficult, androgynous teenage girl from London who turns up uninvited to her estranged mother’s wake in a huge pink hotel in Venice Beach, Los Angeles. She’s never known her mother, but steals a suitcase of letters, clothes and photographs from a bedroom at the top of the hotel. Through the course of a boiling hot summer in Los Angeles the girl, who is never given a name, begins to dress up in her mother’s clothes and travel the city giving back letters and photographs to all the men who loved her mother. As she gets sucked further into her mother’s life, she discovers that sometimes you have to loose yourself completely in order to find out who you are….

The book grew from a real life experience; did this affect the writing of it? Are there a lot of real life events or is it mostly fictional? Did you have to be careful about what was included and what wasn’t?
I lived in LA for two years, so a lot of the places in the book are “real” places – there’s a huge pink hotel on Venice Beach, where I stayed for a week during my first time in LA, which became the inspiration for the Pink Hotel of the book. David, who the protagonist falls in love with, lives between Thai Town and Little Armenia in East Hollywood, which is where I used to live, and the climactic penultimate scene of the novel occurs in a desert bungalow inspired by a real shack in in the middle of nowhere outside LA.
Apart from the locations, and the fact that I did find a bunch of love letters belonging to my mother
when I was a teenager (although I never went searching for their author), the novel is a work fiction. The girl’s character is inspired by some possible version of me, perhaps, some alternative reality that’s never going to happen. She’s this ghostly character who doesn’t know what role she’s meant to be playing in life, which I think a lot of people can relate to. She’s fiction, though.

What kind of research did you have to do for the Pink Hotel?
I lived in Los Angeles for two years and didn’t drive, so did a lot eavesdropping on the crazy underbelly of the city, the part of the city without red velvet ropes and pool parties.

I understand that The Pink Hotel has been longlisted for the Orange Fiction Prize 2012, what was your first reaction when you found out about the longlist?
It is extremely exciting to be on a list with such wonderful writers.

I have noticed that The Pink Hotel is generally thought of as an Adult contemporary fiction book, however when I read the synopsis I thought it could cross over well into Young Adult fiction, do you think this is the case and would you recommend it to the older YA market? (16+)
It’s a coming of age story about a teenager discovering the boundaries of her identity, her place in the world, so I’d certainly recommend it to the older YA market. It’s a journey about learning how to construct yourself in rebellion and comparison to your parents, working out who you want to be.

Do you have any tips that you would offer to aspiring writers?
Always have a pencil in your bag? Also, try to put your work in a drawer when you’re “finished” because you’re probably not - then when you open the drawer a week or a month later, trick yourself into pretending you’re a stranger reading it for the first time (in the same vein, never label anything “Last Draft” because it’s so rarely the truth, and you end up with a bunch of “Last Draft” files mocking your pathetic optimism from the screen of your computer ever time you turn it on). Also, don’t despair.

Do you have any aids or lucky charms that you like to have near when you are writing?
Coffee. Usually in a yellow mug.

Does your writing follow a particular pattern? Do you stick to a set time period within the day or do you just go with the flow?
People say you should always leave writing in the middle of a scene, so you can jump right back in the next morning. I’ve never managed that sort of structure (I might die in the night, is my thinking, or have lost my train of thought by then). Perhaps as I get older I’ll become more structured, but right now I do it wherever and whenever I can, for as long as I can get away with.

How do you deal with negative, and even positive, criticism?
Hopefully it’s constructive, and you use it.

Have you got any other writing projects underway at the minute and if so can you tell us anything about them?
I’m writing another novel, a story set in London about a relationship falling apart.

A few more personal quick-fire questions:
Favourite author: Margaret Atwood
Favourite band: Belle and Sebastian (I like songs with stories)
Favourite colour: Red
Favourite animal: Eagles
Favourite dinosaur: Diplodocus. Great name.

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Thank you for this Anna, such great answers and I love the sound of your book, it's high up on my reading list and I cant wait! I love a song with a story too and I cant believe people suggest that you should leave writing in the middle of a scene, that would scare me! 


If you want to find out more about Anna or The Pink Hotel you can visit her blog here.

After the Snow - SD Crockett

“I’m gunna sit here in my place on the hill behind the house. Waiting. And watching.

Ain’t nothing moving down there.

The valley look pretty bare in the snow. Just the house grey and lonely down by the river all frozen. I got to think what I’m gonna do now that everyone gone.”

Willo is on his own. Having spent his life up into he mountains as a straggler with his family, he’s never known many people. When he’s out on the mountain and he hears Magda shouting, he doesn’t go to her, he knows there’s something wrong. Then he returns to the house and finds they are gone, Madga, his father and the twins, gone without their coats. He’s completely alone and has to find his way, but with no papers to make him official and nothing to his name his trip is going to be a struggle.

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After The Snow is a post-apocalyptic nightmare. Willo is alone and has to find his way but he doesn’t even know where to go. Yet even though it was sad and the world was crumbling I couldn’t put the book down!

The story was amazing, set in the future, after all the cars and planes have forced the world into an ice age; everyone is forced to live within shanty towns in big cities. Willo’s family escaped and live as stragglers on the mountains but they will be in trouble if they are found with no papers. When his family are taking away Willo doesn’t understand and I loved his journey. Willo’s mind doesn’t work in the same way other peoples does and I loved the way he decided to do things.  I also loved the setting of the mountain, it was based on Snowdonia in Wales but the author has said that parts of Russia made their way into it a bit too because of her experience there. The Welsh mountains in the state of the world at the time was a perfect setting and it really made me want to visit Snowdonia a lot, you could tell Willo loved his home a lot which helped the setting too!

The book reminded me a bit of The Wasp Factory but nowhere near as messed up and weird. Willo is different just as the MC is in that book and they both come across as quite loving, yet need to be loved, characters. The writing is very unique and did cause the book to be a little slow going for me because it jars slightly. The sentence structure that Willo uses is not normal for the English language but it emphasised his upbringing and mind set well I think. As I said I love Willo’s journey and the people he meets along the way.

I’m finding this review very heard to write and I think it’s because of how much I enjoyed the book because of things I don’t want to spoil for other people. I honestly thought that this book wouldn’t be for me and I didn’t even request it for review when the chance came. However it turned up with another book from the same publisher and I thought I may as well give it a read, and I’m so glad I did. As a reader I connected with Willo right from the start and I felt like I couldn’t let him go through the events that were happening on his own, he needed someone and that someone was me.

As I say, this review is very hard but that’s because I loved the book so much. There are things that happen that might come across as predictable but the ending had a twist that I didn’t see coming and I loved it for that. Other than bits you can see coming After The Snow is just a beautiful and brilliant book and I can assure you, you will fall in love with Willo as soon as you meet him!

After the Snow by SD Crockett was published on 3^rd February 2012 by Macmillan Children’s Books. My copy was kindly sent for review by the publisher, thank you. This has not changed my views at all. 

Goodreads | Amazon

Series I've Started and Really Should get round to finishing #4

This is a short feature about the series that I have started and not yet finished. It only applies to series that are out though... I'm not talking about those I've read and are waiting for! 

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The Poison Diaries - Maryrose Wood & The Duchess of Northumberland

I loved the first one of this series (review) but despite this and the fact that the second book has been sat on my TBR pile for months Ive still not got round to it. I think I'm worried about not enjoying it as I wasn't sure I would enjoy the first either. I really want to get round to this one soon, maybe someone could pursued me it needs to make its way to my currently reading shelf! 

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The Midnighters – Scott Westerfeld

This series was amazing, or at least the first two (reviews here and here) were. I borrowed these out the library though and have never got round to reading the last. I think I was a bit disappointed with the second and it put me off getting the third straight away. I think I may have to ask my new library to get it in for me just so I can tick this off my list! 

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Vladimir Todd – Heather Brewer 

The first in this series was brilliant (review) and whilst I really enjoyed it I found it a little too young for my liking. I want to carry the series on and find out what happens but there are five books in the series and I don't know how long that will take me! I love the books and really, really recommend them for younger, particularly male, readers! I'm sure I will get round to the rest of the series at some point but if any of you have read them please feel free to let me know if they keep up the awesome! 

Mini Reviews – Into the Woods by Stacey Whittle and Orange by Neil Gaiman

Orange – Neil Gaiman

This short story was one of those available to read on the World Book day 2012 iPhone App. It is written in the form of answers from some sort of interview; however the reader doesn’t know what the questions are. The Girl answering, Jemima, is talking about some experiment her mother, the inventor of a well known brand – Stuffed Muffins (TM)- was working on to create coloured blowing bubbles that didn’t splutter dye once popped when her younger sister, Nerys, fake tan applying extraordinaire, uses some orange dye on her skin which rakes over her mind and Nerys tries to set out on ruling the world.

The story was brilliant and highly entertaining with some brilliant references but it was also a bit weird, in true Neil Gaiman fashion. I really enjoyed reading it once I got round the strange way it was written. As the story was only about 70 pages long it didn’t take long to read but I was impressed at how much fit into that 70 pages!

Unfortunately I got this through the WBD app which is only available on Iphone, Ipad or IPod, I believe the story also features in The Starry Rift sci-fi anthology but I am unable to verify this.

Into the Woods – Stacey Whittle.

This is an anthology of Fairytales in graphic novel format. Each fairytale told a different story, some of them re-imaginings of classics and others new, and were written and drawn by different people. The collection is only small and I believe the longest story covers just 6 pages, so it didn’t take long to read at all. I was drawn to this book by its cover; I’m not going to lie! And some of the artwork inside was beautiful.

The stories were all really good, the first being a version of Red Riding Hood, set the scene for the rest of the book and I was really impressed by the art and the shocking conclusion to its story. That was the only tale I recognised so if the others were based on other fairytales I didn’t know the original. I liked the way that all nine tales had different art styles and ideas. I think my favourite one had to be The Black Shoes which was creepy but amazing at the same time, it was about a pair of shoes that seemed to have a mind of their own and whilst the idea may strike you as odd and not exciting, the story was a brilliant one.

The one downside to this collection was the length, I wanted more and I thought some of the stories could have had more to them if they were longer. I particularly would have preferred The Black Shoes to have been a bit deeper.

I think there was a tale for everyone within this collection and it’s definitely something I’d recommend to people who like graphic novels. 

My copy of this book was purcahsed from the Cardiff International Comic & Animation Expo, by Jenni from Junipers Jungle, thank you for this Jenni! It is available to purchase online here.

In My Mailbox (#52)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi, The Story Siren, you probably already know that but if you don't, go here to find out more!

This is my mailbox for the last two weeks, I think Ive done quite well to be honest with you!! 

For Review: 

The Immortal Rules - Julie Kagawa

Hitler's Angel - William Osborne

The Gathering Dark - Leigh Bardugo

Ive already read The Immortal Rules, I've been told to read Julie Kagawa before but have been put off as I'm not big into the Fey but this vampire story has loads going for it and I loved it, my review will be up later in the month. A thank you to Mira Ink, Indigo and Chicken House for these books!!

Gifted:

The Catastrophic History of You and Me - Jess Rothenberg

Passion - Lauren Kate

A huge thank you to the lovely Book Angel Emma for these books, Id mentioned that I really wanted to read Catastrophic on her blog and had asked her about reading Fallen in Love before finishing the books in that series which are already out and so she offered me these!! :D 

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So that's it for me. Im actually not sure if this is my entire mailbox as I'm away this weekend and if anything turns up on Saturday then I will have more! But I hope you guys got awesome mailboxes too and I will check them out as soon as I'm back!!