Nine Uses for an Ex-Boyfriend by Sarra Manning

Hope Delafield hasn't always had an easy life.

She has red hair and a temper to match, as her mother is constantly reminding her. She can't wear heels, is terrified of heights and being a primary school teacher isn't exactly the job she dreamed of doing, especially when her class are stuck on the two times table.

At least Hope has Jack, and Jack is the God of boyfriends. He's sweet, kind, funny, has a killer smile, a cool job on a fashion magazine and he's pretty (but in a manly way). Hope knew that Jack was The One ever since their first kiss after the Youth Club Disco and thirteen years later, they're still totally in love. Totally. They're even officially pre-engaged. And then Hope catches Jack kissing her best friend Susie... 

Does true love forgive and forget? Or does it get mad... and get even?

You should know by now that I love and will love anything Sarra Manning writes. Simple as that. And even though this was kind of difficult to read, because I don't want my boyfriend of 7 years to do what Jack does, I still loved this story. So, the basic story is that Hope and Jack have been together forever and one night, she finds him making out with her best friend. She, understandably, throws a complete fit and comes back the next morning to Jack's apologises and insistence that it was just that once because they were tipsy. Hope doesn't want to give up on 13 years together so forgives him and he acts like the perfect boyfriend for the next week or so. 

Of course, nothing is really that perfect and even I could feel that Jack was feeling guilty for more than that one kiss. Sure enough, spoiler alert, it wasn't just the one kiss between Jack and Susie and Hope's reaction is amazing and yet very restrained. Let's just say I would have done much worse, to Jack's face. I didn't know if Hope was so in love or just being stupidly stubborn for giving Jack more chances, even after she discovers he has lied. She really wants to work on their relationship, which again I don't know is naive or brave; personally I would have trouble trusting him after discovering he'd been lying for over 5 months! But Hope is willing to look past it if he is. 

The main focus was of course on Hope and Jack's relationship and what needed fixing, but because it was told from Hope's perspective, it was also about her personal growth. I really felt for Hope, she had quite a lot of shit throughout, from Jack and her family, not to mention her work and of course Susie. Although I'm not sure it was the right thing to keep forgiving Jack, Hope was very strong with what she wanted and I admired that. I really did fall a little in love with her, as I so often do with Manning's heroines. 

There was quite a lot of shouting at the book, usually at whatever nonsense Jack came out with. At times I honestly couldn't see what Hope saw in him! But it wasn't about him, it was about Hope and her realisation that her life is more than Jack, and that's important whether or not you're in a relationship.   

Published 2nd February 2012 by Transworld.

The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman

In downtown Manhattan there's a very special place. It might not look like much from the outside but if you enter and make your way down to the basement, you'll find something so amazing you won't believe your eyes. The Grimm Collection. It's mysterious and powerful, and in the wrong hands could be devastating ...

I've had my eye on this for a while; I am fascinated by old fairy tales and weird artefacts (I watch Grimm and Warehouse 13, so yeah!) so this proved to be right up my street.

So, it told of young Elizabeth as she starts her new job at the Collection Library, a special kind of library that houses items rather than books. The whole mystery and history behind the collection was fascinating, from old woven rugs to Snow White's mirror that speaks in rhyme. This aspect of the book was very fun but the mystery got old towards the end of the book; it seemed everything had a magical explanation, which was pretty cool but rather annoying after a while. Saying that, I did like how most things could be tied to a fairy tale I recognised, and even if I didn't, it always gave a little back story so I could keep up, for example the Twelve Princesses. 

As for the characters, they were all very interesting to meet but it was difficult to get to know them. Elizabeth was way too naive and trusting of her new friends at the Collection; I couldn't for the life of me figure out the boys Marc and Andrew, although maybe that was on purpose because Elizabeth couldn't figure them out either. And for Anjali and her little sister, things seemed to be a little too easy for them; like the little sister (whose name I've forgotten right now) just happens to know a protection spell? Maybe it was because it was all a bit simplified, it was clearly for a young reader and I wanted something a bit more complex.

That isn't to say I didn't enjoy it, it was all just a bit too easy. However, I really did like seeing the fairy tale objects holding true magic and seeing what they could actually do. The overall story was good, just a bit young for me. 

Published 2012 by Oxford University Press.

Weekly Highlights: the 'Summer' edition

Weekly Highlights is a feature borrowed from Faye of A Daydreamer's Thoughts, where I get to highlight my posts of the week, show you my new books and talk about bookish things! 

Ah, the summer holidays! Apart from starting my hours at the library, nothing much to report from this week. Had some pretty cool book post, so there's that to look forward to; and applied for a few jobs this week that I'm hopeful for, so cross your fingers for me! 

On The Blog

Review of From What I Remember by Stacy Kramer and Valerie Thomas (5 stars)

Review of Let's Get Lost by Adi Alsaid (4 stars)

Review of Landline by Rainbow Rowell (5 stars)

Currently Reading

Shipwrecked by Siobhan Curham, for Chapter 5's reading challenge. Been meaning to read this for so long, am really glad I've finally picked it up!

On My Bookshelf

City of Halves by Lucy Inglis

London. Girls are disappearing. They've all got one thing in common; they just don't know it yet... 

Sixteen-year-old Lily was meant to be next, but she's saved by a stranger: a half-human boy with gold-flecked eyes. Regan is from an unseen world hidden within our own, where legendary creatures hide in plain sight. But now both worlds are under threat, and Lily and Regan must race to find the girls, and save their divided city.

This sounds super cool, thank you so much Chicken House!

Landline by Rainbow Rowell

Georgie McCool knows her marriage is in trouble. That it’s been in trouble for a long time. She still loves her husband, Neal, and Neal still loves her, deeply — but that almost seems besides the point now.

Maybe that was always besides the point.

Two days before they’re supposed to visit Neal’s family in Omaha for Christmas, Georgie tells Neal that she can’t go. She’s a TV writer, and something’s come up on her show; she has to stay in Los Angeles. She knows that Neal will be upset with her — Neal is always a little upset with Georgie — but she doesn’t expect to him to pack up the kids and go home without her.

When her husband and the kids leave for the airport, Georgie wonders if she’s finally done it. If she’s ruined everything.

That night, Georgie discovers a way to communicate with Neal in the past. It’s not time travel, not exactly, but she feels like she’s been given an opportunity to fix her marriage before it starts . . .

Is that what she’s supposed to do?

Or would Georgie and Neal be better off if their marriage never happened?

I adore Rainbow's writing (who doesn't?) and her adult books are no different from her YA books in terms of interesting characters and great story arcs. And I know a lot of you have minor issues with reading her adult books because it's difficult to relate to, and although I might not be married yet, I am old enough to understand the complexities of adult relationships. They can be complicated and especially with young children, romance and spontaneity can go out the window!

So, Georgie is a TV writer and has just been plugged for her own show but needs to write five episodes over Christmas. Which means she can't go on holiday with her family, which of course her husband hates. Leaving her home alone, Neal doesn't speak to her for the whole Christmas break, although Georgie tries. Even from the very beginning, it was heartbreaking to see their relationship crumbling at the edges. 

Rainbow used flash-backs in correlation to the magic phone to show how Georgie and Neal's relationship blossomed and grew. As they got older, it was obvious they were struggling to balance work and home and the tension was starting to show in their lack of communication. So when Georgie discovers she has this connection to a past Neal, she is estastic to be able to talk to the Neal she fell in love with. All this weird mojo with the magic phone was surprisingly realistic; she considers insanity before an actual time portal!

It was a little bit sad as she realises it may be better off to let Neal go. But she still loves him so much and is too stubborn and selfish to let him go. Which is understandably, I would be too. But talking to past-Neal makes her remember how good they are together and her family is definitely worth fighting for. So although parts of it were bittersweet, the overall feel was incredibly romantic but also realistic. Sometimes you need that big sweeping gesture and you have work for what you love.  

Published 3rd July 2014 by Orion.

Let's Get Lost by Adi Alsaid

Five strangers. Countless adventures. One epic way to get lost. 

Four teens across the country have only one thing in common: a girl named LEILA. She crashes into their lives in her absurdly red car at the moment they need someone the most. 

There's HUDSON, a small-town mechanic who is willing to throw away his dreams for true love. And BREE, a runaway who seizes every Tuesday—and a few stolen goods along the way. ELLIOT believes in happy endings…until his own life goes off-script. And SONIA worries that when she lost her boyfriend, she also lost the ability to love. 

Hudson, Bree, Elliot and Sonia find a friend in Leila. And when Leila leaves them, their lives are forever changed. But it is during Leila's own 4,268-mile journey that she discovers the most important truth— sometimes, what you need most is right where you started. And maybe the only way to find what you're looking for is to get lost along the way.

This follows Leila as she makes her way north on an epic road trip to see the Northern Lights, but each chapter from someone else'e perspective. A really interesting way to do things but one that definitely worked, as Leila stayed this mysterious, short-term entity that floats into each of their lives and (usually) makes it better.

First up was Hudson. A mechanic's son with dreams of becoming a doctor, Leila enters the day before his big college interview. Through destiny and a little misbehaving, Hudson stays out too late with her and ends up missing the interview. He obviously blames her but Leila throws it back and says that he had plenty of opportunities of stop, maybe he didn't really want to be a doctor anyway. Well that stumped him. And that's pretty much Leila, coming into someone's life suddenly and throwing everything out of sync but setting things back on course.

She then meets Bree, teenage runaway and they both get arrested. Next up is Elliott who needs help getting the girl of his dreams. Finally Sonia is struggling with love and needs a hand getting into Canada because she has the wedding rings. In each case, Leila bumps into them and just simply by being there, being someone to talk to, she helps them take that next step or whatever it is that needs doing. 

The final chapter was Leila's. She has reached her camp site where she's going to watch the Lights and she finally shares the truth of why she's on this epic road trip. Her last step in her journey was sweet and a little bit heart-breaking as she opens up to a neighbouring family on the camp site, much like all her new friends opened up to her. Leila finds some truth in her road trip, not exactly what she was searching for but still something good. Her whole journey has taught both her and her new friends to be true to themselves and go after what they love, because life is too short. Might sound like a cliché but it's true. And after leaving Hudson in the first leg of her trip, to have a happy ending and get her semblance of family back was just perfect. An all around feel good story. 
Published 1st August 2014 by MiraInk. Thank you to the publisher for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

From What I Remember by Stacy Kramer and Valerie Thomas

KYLIE: MEXICO WHAT? I should be putting the finishing touches on my valedictorian speech. Graduation is TODAY, and is this a wedding band on my finger.

MAX: It all started with Kylie's laptop and a truck full of stolen electronics. Okay, it was kind of hot, the way she broke us out like some chick in an action movie. But now we're stranded in Tijuana. With less than twenty-four hours before graduation. Awesome. 

WILL: Saving Kylie Flores from herself is kind of a full-time occupation. Luckily, I, Will Bixby, was born for the job. And when I found out she was stuck in Mexico with dreamy Max Langston, sure, I agreed to bring their passports across the border -- but there's no reason to rush back home right away. This party is just getting started. 

LILY: I just walked in on my boyfriend, Max Langston, canoodling with Kylie Flores, freak of the century. Still, I can't completely hold it against him. He NEEDS me. It's even clearer now. And I'm not giving him up without a fight.

I'm pretty sure I put this on my most anticipated reads of 2013 post last year and I can't believe it took me this long to read it! Whatever I expected of this, they were blown out of the water by how funny and sweet the story is. So, there was a brief prologue then rewind 48 hours. Goodness, I couldn't understand how things had spiralled so out of control that this was how it ended up, in just two days!

Max and Kylie find themselves stuck in the back of a truck, after trying to rescue her laptop which was stolen, and then abandoned in Mexico. Yeah, I know, bit extreme! Everything happened so fast, it went from the last day of school and the mayhem that entails, to fearing for their lives, in another country with no way back home. The film quotes at the beginning of chapters and the constant 'I was living it and couldn't believe it was really happening' added to the whole scenic and road trip aspect of the story. It was very well held together, if that makes sense; even though it all seemed so surreal, the way the characters handled things was real. And this came across very well in the dialogue, which was very teenager-y, if I can say that. Despite the ridiculousness of the story, the way they all spoke felt very real and I really felt the fear and the giddiness of the whole situation in Max and Kylie's voices. 

The story was told with alternate perspectives, which was very handy when Max and Kylie were being kidnapped to Mexico and Will was still in the city. Because we saw things from everyone's perspective, it was difficult to hate the popular girl, or the hard working nerd or whoever we were supposed to dislike. Even Lily, the stuck-up rich girl, was difficult to dislike when we find out her troubles at home. Speaking of which, there were also deeper issues explored, like the uncertainty of the future, autism and its challenges, sexuality and all sorts of things that are just a part of life. 

I really enjoyed this story, it had everything from budding romance to car chases! It was incredibly funny and really sweet and sometimes completely bonkers but so much fun to read. It was all about growing up and finding the right person for you, even if it's someone you didn't expect. 

Published 7th January 2013 by Egmont Electric Monkey. 

Weekly Highlights: the 'And the winner is..' edition

Weekly Highlights is a feature borrowed from Faye of A Daydreamer's Thoughts, where I get to highlight my posts of the week, show you my new books and talk about bookish things! 

Not a lot to report this week, not after the drama of Comic Con! Actually, I've had a pretty boring week - done my work, my job hunting, and my reading and apart from no luck on the job side of things, it's been a good week. I've signed up for Chapter 5's Summer Reading Challenge, oh and I have my first hours at the library for the Mythical Maze SRC on Thursday, which promises to be fun.

On The Blog

Review of The Oathbreaker's Shadow by Amy McCulloch (4 stars)
Review of Take Back The Skies by Lucy Saxon (3.5 stars)
Review of The Distance Between Us by Kasie West (4 stars)

Currently Reading

My first Chapter 5 SRC book: The Moment Collector by Jodi Lynn Anderson. Bit of a slow start but still interesting. 

On My Bookshelf

I have been so good and not bought any books this week! No book post either, not that I would have complained (*hint hint*)

And The Winner Is...

Ah, what you all, and by all I mean the few people who entered, actually care about: the winner of my song pairing competition. Entries were lower than I wanted but I'm nicely surprised by the thought of those of you who did enter. 

A few of the runner-up entries, if you will, is Esther's match of Callum and Sephy from Noughts and Crosses with These Four Walls by Little Mix - definitely a good song for the ending! Another great entry is Kayleigh's Solitare by Alice Oseman with Dreaming Out Loud by We Are In The Crowd - you would definitely have a second prize if I could manage it!
An interesting  entry, even though it's not UKYA, is Katrina's. She said The Fault In Our Stars reminds her of Leave Out All The Rest by Linkin Park, which I thought was pretty cool. 

So, the actual winner? I pick... Hawwa! She matched Soulmates by Holly Bourne with Sparks Fly by Taylor Swift, which is a great love song for Poppy and Noah. Congrats Hawwa, an email is coming your way!

Thank you everyone for your entries, it was actually quite tough to pick one winner! Thanks for playing and if you liked it, maybe I'm come up with something else soon!