Stealing Snow by Danielle Paige
Genre: Fairy Tale Retelling
Published by: Bloomsbury Children’s
Pages: 384
Format: ARC e-book
Rating: ★★
From the very beginning, I was confused about what Stealing Snow was trying to retell. Her name, Snow, made me think of Snow White. But, the whole mirror thing and wintry landscape had me thinking Snow Queen. Either way, I was disappointed. Let’s talk about why… Continue reading “Review: Stealing Snow by Danielle Paige”
Doll Bones by Holly Black
Genre: Magical-Realism, Middle-Grade
Published by: Corgi Children’s
Pages: 256
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★
Okay, so I’ve sampled Holly Black’s YA books and her MG that’s co-written, so this is actually the first middle grade book of hers where there isn’t a secondary contributor. I feel like her writing is a bit hit-and-miss in general, and I’m sad to say that Doll Bones was a bit of a miss for me. It was an engaging story but completely over the top and I think I would’ve needed more elements of realism to properly enjoy it.
Scarlett by Cathy Cassidy
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Family
Published by: Puffin
Pages: 240
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★.5
Maddie and I have wanted to start reading more Middle Grade recently, so we decided to start with some of our favourite books from when we were tweens! Cathy Cassidy was a complete staple in my reading life when I was 11-14. I loved her(!) and Scarlett was the first of her books that I read, so I decided to start here.
Scarlett follows an angry girl who is misunderstood. She’s been booted from one school to the next and lives with her single mother who’s a little tired of Scarlett’s antics, so she sends her to live with her dad. But Scarlett’s dad started a new family…in Ireland.
Night School, Legacy, Fracture, Resistance, and Endgame by C.J. Daugherty
Published by: Atom | Genre: Mystery, Romance | Format: Paperback | ★★.5
I have an individual review for the first book in this series, and if you’ve read that, you’ll know that I struggled to get through it. HOWEVER, I decided to continue reading for a few reasons:
In the end I’m pleased that I gave this series a second chance, because much to my relief it did get better. Night School even turned into something I would recommend to fans of Ally Carter and Jennifer Lynne Barnes. It has it’s issues, and I think some of the general concept for the series is confused and completely unrealistic, but taken with a pinch of salt it’s pretty fun.
Continue reading “Series Review: Night School by C. J. Daugherty”
Cherry Crush, Marshmallow Skye, Summer’s Dream, Coco Caramel, Sweet Honey, Fortune Cookie
Genre: Middle Grade, Contemporary, Romance | Published by: Puffin
Pages: 272, 304, 288, 304, 304, 288 | Format: Hardback | Rating: ★★★★
The Chocolate Box series is one of my favourite middle grade series. I remember when Cherry Crush was being teased on Cathy Cassidy’s website and getting so excited at the idea that she was going to be writing a series about sisters! I also remember in 2010 (when I was 12-13) thinking, ‘oh my goodness, I’m going to be 18 by the time I finish this series!’ (Though I was 19 in the end because she added a half-brother to the mix which bumped the series up to six.) I stopped reading when Summer’s Dream came out…I’m not entirely sure why… but it felt like finally the right time to complete my Cathy Cassidy reading experience! I’m so glad I did, because it’s chocolatey and beautiful.
Continue reading “Series Review: The Chocolate Box Girls by Cathy Cassidy”
The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow by Katherine Woodvine
Genre: Mystery
Published by: Egmont
Pages: 320
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★★
Mystery is one of my favourite genres, so what better middle grade to start with than this? In brief, this book is essentially Nancy Drew in a department store, and if that sounds like your thing then there’s no way to be disappointed! With the next book in the series already published and the third on the way, I’m glad that now I’m hooked, more are at my fingertips! Continue reading “Review: The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow by Katherine Woodfine”
The It Girl by Katy Birchall
Genre: Contemporary, Comedy, UKYA
Published by: Egmont
Pages: 352
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★.5
This is another book that follows the geeky/awkward girl struggles through secondary school trope made popular by Holly Smale’s Geek Girl series. Any regular reader or watcher of Heart Full of Books will know that Maddie and I adore Geek Girl, and The It Girl is supposed to have a good sense of humour, so we both thought we’d give it a go! If nothing else, at least we’ll be supporting another UKYA author, right?
On The Other Side by Carrie Hope Fletcher
Genre: Magical Realism, Romance
Published by: Little Brown and Company
Pages: 345
Format: Hardback
Rating: ★★★
More: All I Know Now
Since I heard about this book becoming a thing, I’ve been slightly nervously awaiting it’s arrival. As the blurb and cover was revealed, the hype started to build. Books that concern the afterlife are one of my favourite things. Take Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin for example. On the Other Side had a lot to live up to. BUT, while reading, I ended up being on either side of the argument for why this book is good…or not so. Where did I finally end up? Let’s see… Continue reading “Review: On The Other Side by Carrie Hope Fletcher”
Holding Up The Universe by Jennifer Niven
Genre: Contemporary
Published by: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Pages: 400
Format: ARC e-book
Rating: ★★★★
More: All The Bright Places
Note: We received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Holding Up The Universe was definitely a book I was tentative to read. After really not liking All The Bright Places and seeing the kind of horrific first blurb this book had on Goodreads, it felt like a bad choice of reading material. BUT, second chances are always deserved and Netgalley did a much better job of summarising the plot without any negative connotations. So, let’s talk about it!
Continue reading “Review: Holding Up The Universe by Jennifer Niven”
Broken Hearts, Fences, and Other Thing to Mend, Revenge, Ice Cream and Other Thing Best Served Cold and Hearts Fingers and Other Things to Cross by Katie Finn
Genre: Contemporary, Summer, Romance, Revenge
Published by: Square Fish
Pages: 342, 400, 320 respectively
Rating: ★★.5
More by Katie Finn: Top 8 | What’s Your Status? | Unfriended
The Broken Hearts & Revenge trilogy follows Gemma, who used to be best friends with Hallie until she spread a rumour that destroyed Hallie’s mother Karen’s career and her dad’s chance at happiness. After five years she returns to the Hamptons, where Hallie lives, and uses a fake identity to try and rebuild their friendship, because grudges can’t last forever, right?
Continue reading “Review: Broken Hearts & Revenge Series by Katie Finn”
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