On The Fence by Kasie West

For sixteen-year-old Charlotte Reynolds, aka Charlie, being raised by a single dad and three older brothers has its perks. She can outrun, outscore, and outwit every boy she knows—including her longtime neighbor and honorary fourth brother, Braden. But when it comes to being a girl, Charlie doesn't know the first thing about anything. So when she starts working at chichi boutique to pay off a speeding ticket, she finds herself in a strange new world of makeup, lacy skirts, and BeDazzlers. Even stranger, she's spending time with a boy who has never seen her tear it up in a pickup game.

To cope with the stress of faking her way through this new reality, Charlie seeks late-night refuge in her backyard, talking out her problems with Braden by the fence that separates them. But their Fence Chats can't solve Charlie's biggest problem: she's falling for Braden. Hard. She knows what it means to go for the win, but if spilling her secret means losing him for good, the stakes just got too high.

Charlie is a typical tom boy; she grew up under 3 big brothers, playing football and wearing sweats. Their mother died when they were young, so Charlie had no one to explain make up or puberty to her. She never felt like she'd missed out on anything, until a nice boy pays attention to her. It all starts when Charlie is forced to find a job to pay off her dad, to learn responsibility after one too many speeding tickets. She finds a job in a boutique clothes shop, where she finally gets a mother figure and someone to teach her the techniques of being feminine. 

However, it's just a little too much to deal with and she secretly gets closer to the boy next door Braden. Practically one of her brothers, he's there for her without judgement when she needs him. With the budding romance, there's also an underlying coming of age story, remembering the truth of what happened to her mother and becoming closer as a family because of it. Charlie really comes into her own during the course of this, her own person and comfortable with her femininity. She's not a girly girl, never has been, but finds that it's not a bad thing to explore the unfamiliar and she gained surprising friends in the process. 

I do love a good summer rom-com and I read this in a day! Sweet, funny, full of heart, this was a great read, perfect for whiling away a sunny afternoon. Romance, friends and family, Charlie learns the importance of all three in her life in a very heartwarming and adorable way. 

Published 1st July 2014 by Harper Teen.

Weekly Highlights: the 'Mad Library' 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! 

To make up for the lack of new books last week, I might have gone slightly overboard this week! Not completely on purpose, but yeah, lots of books. So, real life continues to pretty much suck - I've had to sign on at the Job Centre again, which is exactly as depressing as I remember. I've also had a few more rejections, if I've heard anything back at all, so I've been escaping more into fiction. I've had a pretty good run in terms of books too, which is great. And, as I've said, I went a little crazy with new books so I'm all stocked up for summer!

On The Blog

Review of The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Williamson (5 stars)
Review of We Are All Made Of Molecules by Susin Nielsen (4 stars)
Blog tour: cover reveal of Inferno by Catherine Doyle
Review of Endgame by CJ Daugherty (4.5 stars)
Review of Lying Out Loud by Kody Keplinger (4 stars)
Review of The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton (4 stars)

Currently Reading

Finished My Secret Rockstar Boyfriend yesterday, which was amazing! Now it's a new book: Killer Game. Details below, but I am super pumped for this one!

On My Bookshelf

To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han
Lara Jean keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. One for every boy she's ever loved. When she writes, she can pour out her heart and soul and say all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly Lara Jean's love life goes from imaginary to out of control...

I've been eyeing this one up for ages, and finally gave in when I was ordering a father's day present and was £3 off free post and package. And as this was £3.85, I didn't take much convincing! Really looking forward to this, perfect summer reading.

Here Be Dragons by Sarah Mussi
Ellie Morgan wants a boy who’s all hers. Just for once, it would be nice to meet someone that Sheila the cow hadn't got her claws in to.

A remote farmhouse on Mount Snowdon is hardly the ideal setting for meeting anyone – unless, of course, you count her best friend George or creepy Darren (which Ellie doesn’t). But when a boy, glimpsed through the mist and snow, lures her up to the Devil's Bridge, Ellie realises the place she knows so well still has its secrets ...

The stronger her feelings for this strange boy become, the more she is in danger: a battle as old as Snowdon itself has been raging for centuries and now Ellie’s caught in the middle.

Something has left its lair. It’s out there stalking her. Who ever said true love was easy?

Another book I didn't need convincing to pick up. Being published early September, this is Mussi's new series and I am so excited for it! Welsh dragons - enough said! Thank you Vertebrate!

Killer Game by Kirsty McKay
At Cate’s isolated boarding school, Killer Game is a tradition. Only a select few are invited to play. They must avoid being ‘killed’ by a series of thrilling pranks, and identify the ‘murderer’. But this time, it’s different: the game stops feeling fake and starts getting dangerous – and Cate’s the next target. Can they find the culprit … before it’s too late?

Only heard about this the other day but I flew through McKay's first series so I have high hope for this one! Thank you Chicken House!

Hollow Pike by James Dawson

Something wicked this way comes...

She thought she’d be safe in the country, but you can’t escape your own nightmares, and Lis London dreams repeatedly that someone is trying to kill her. Lis thinks she’s being paranoid - after all who would want to murder her? She doesn’t believe in the local legends of witchcraft. She doesn’t believe that anything bad will really happen to her. You never do, do you? Not until you’re alone in the woods, after dark - and a twig snaps... Hollow Pike - where witchcraft never sleeps.

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers
Young, beautiful and deadly. Trained as an assassin by the god of Death, Ismae is sent to the court of Brittany, where she finds herself under prepared - not only for the games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?

Nobody's Girl by Sarra Manning
Bea thinks she's the most boring seventeen-year-old in the world. She's not pretty or popular or funny, unlike her mother who had Bea when she was 17. The only glamorous thing about Bea is the French father who left before she was born and lives in Paris. She yearns for la vie Parisienne every moment of her dull existence. 

So when Ruby Davies, the leader of her school's most elite clique picks Bea as her new best friend and asks her to go on holiday with them, she's wary but delighted. If nothing else it's two weeks away from her over-protective mother . But when the gang arrive in Spain, Bea is crushed to realise that Ruby and her posse have simply been using her. 

And all of these are from the library. I went in yesterday morning for Summer Reading Challenge training and couldn't resist a little perusal of the shelves. These are all going to count towards the Chapter 5 reading challenge, which I will talk about soon.

The Strange and Beautiful Sollows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton

Love makes us such fools...

Pain in love appears to be a Roux family birthright, and for Ava Lavender, a girl born with the wings of a bird, it is key to her inheritance.

Longing to fit in with her peers, Ava ventures away from home, ill-prepared for what awaits her in a world that does not know whether to view her as girl or angel. 

Ava's quest and her family's saga build to a devastating crescendo until, on the summer solstice, the skies open up, rain and feathers fill the air and Ava’s fate is revealed.

A mesmerizing, lyrical tale of longing, desire and the nature of love.

I knew almost nothing about this book going in. I had head mixed things but nothing on plot. I'm glad I didn't, it meant I have no preconceptions about anything.The story was quite strange, it took a while to get used to the gist of it. 

It starts with Ava's grandmother and goes through her family's trials with love. The women in the family have had some bad luck with love and Ava traces back her and her mother's story to try and explain it. However, it's not as if they were cursed, they, especially grandmother, had some crappy luck with men. That is no reason to go all melodramatic and believe that everyone she loved turned to dust or whatever she was thinking; I mean, she gave up at 19! Anyway, apart from not understanding Emilienne at all sometimes, I liked hearing about her and how she grew up, how she married and lived. I also really liked  Viviane's love story, with best friend Jack and her lodger Gabe.

All this leads to Viviane giving birth to twins, out of wedlock in the 1940's. Ava and Henry were both weird in their own way; Henry never said anything unless it was important, he literally didn't speak a word until he was 5 or something. And Ava was born with wings. Not really sure why but as her grandmother is haunted by the ghosts of her siblings, let's just go with it. 

Ava's "fate" isn't revealed until the very last chapter. In fact, the Big Thing happens at the end and her "fate" is the last page! While I really did enjoy this, I can't stress that enough, I thought it was Ava's story. Instead, the main character and narrator didn't appear until over half way through. It was beautifully written, practically the definition of lyrical prose but I still don't understand the point of it. Yes, it's about the complications of love and desire and family but it had some odd little magical elements that were out of place and unexplained. A great story, brilliant writing, but the overall point was lost on me.

Published 2nd October 2014 by Walker Books.

Lying Out Loud by Kody Keplinger

Sonny Ardmore is an excellent liar. She lies about her dad being in prison. She lies about her mom kicking her out. And she lies about sneaking into her best friend's house every night because she has nowhere else to go.

Amy Rush might be the only person Sonny shares everything with— secrets, clothes, even a nemesis named Ryder Cross.

Ryder's the new kid at Hamilton High and everything Sonny and Amy can't stand—a prep-school snob. But Ryder has a weakness: Amy. So when Ryder emails Amy asking her out, the friends see it as a prank opportunity not to be missed.

But without meaning to, Sonny ends up talking to Ryder all night online. And to her horror, she realizes that she might actually like him. Only there's one small catch: he thinks he's been talking to Amy. So Sonny comes up with an elaborate scheme to help Ryder realize that she's the girl he's really wanted all along. Can Sonny lie her way to the truth, or will all her lies end up costing her both Ryder and Amy?

I love Kody Keplinger's books! Seriously, I devour them - the characters, the humour, the development, the romance, it all adds up to an amazing skill in story telling that I am incredibly jealous of!

This instalment tells of Sonny, her best friend Amy and the annoyance turned crush Ryder. Lying comes naturally to Sonny. It's a way of protecting herself against the world, so no one knows the real her expect her best friend and she can keep some self-preservation when things go wrong. And lately things have gone massively wrong. She's not living at home, sneaking into Amy's room to sleep every night, and not telling anyone why she's broke. 

Sonny is living on the fringes of rich society; her best friend may appear to have it all but Sonny struggles with daily life from her car regularly breaking down to not being able to afford college. Although very sad and a little depressing, a much more realistic outlook on life.

I loved hearing from Sonny's perspective. Everything seemed so dire and she doesn't want to deal with it, so she lies. It's very easy to understand how things got so out of control and why she'd want to lie in the first place. As for the boy in her life, it was incredibly funny how Sonny and Ryder started talking. An honest mistake turns into an outlet, for both of them, to tell the truth of their crappy lives.

Another great story about the truths of being a teen, with some extra drama thrown in for good measure. Along with Sonny, Amy and Ryder, we also had guest spots from Wesley and Bianca, as Amy is Wesley's little sister. Remember her from The DUFF? It was really nice to see how things had turned out from the original story. Anyway, a fun and thoughtful read, great for the summer, full of incredibly diverse and complex characters, even when you wouldn't expect it. 

Published 2nd July 2015 by Hodder. Thank you to the publisher for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

Endgame by CJ Daugherty

Broken. Scattered. But not defeated.

The spy is gone but the cost has been high - the rebels at Cimmeria Academy have lost their leader and Carter West is missing. Nathaniel can taste victory. But Allie and the other survivors aren't done yet. First they have to get Carter back. Then they plan to make Nathaniel pay.

One way or another - the game must end.

Endgame is the thrilling fifth and final book in the internationally bestselling Night School series.

Starts right where Resistance left off, Allie being zoomed away from the action for her protection and abandoning Carter with Nathaniel. Immediately we catch up with the drama and the turmoil of having left without Carter but they have to prepare for Nathaniel's next move after the horrific accidents at the parley.

Throughout the final installment, Allie and Isabelle are preparing for the worst: Nathaniel taking over Cimmeria. But they do have an ace up their sleeve, which I think was incredible thinking on Allie's part. Even as they search for any scrap of a clue on Carter's whereabouts, there is never a dull moment. From infiltrating Nathaniel's comms to planning a rescue mission, the students are swept up in the action, sometimes leaving me a little breathless!

We have watched Allie grow up from a troublesome teenager and this is where she really comes into her own. She was so damn impressive with handling Nathaniel alongside her heartbreak and guilt. Plus she had some wicked back-up, all of whom I adored all the more in this last book. Especially Rachel and Nicole - that was an adorable side story, one I guessed about 2 books ago but still sweet! 

This was an epic end to an amazing series. Allie and her friends have gone through so much hurt, to finally have a happy ending is incredible and I'd say they deserve it!

Published 4th June 2015 by Atom.

Vendetta Book 2 Cover Reveal!

The highly anticipated, by me at least, book 2 in the Blood For Blood series by Catherine Doyle cover is being released today! And I have the pleasure of being part of that release! So, without further ado, ta-da!

Isn't it beautiful? And we have a title! I am so damn excited about this book! It's not being published until next January so we have a while until we find out more about Sophie and Nic and the underground Mafia world. But this ought to tide me over for a while! 

My review of Vendetta can be found here, and more details, when they come in, of book 2 can be found on its Goodreads page.

We Are All Made of Molecules by Susin Nielsen

There are two sides to every story

Stewart is geeky, gifted but socially clueless. His mom has died and he misses her every day.

Ashley is popular, cool but her grades stink. Her dad has come out and moved out – but not far enough.Their worlds are about to collide: Stewart and his dad are moving in with Ashley and her mom. Stewart is trying to be 89.9% happy about it even as he struggles to fit in at his new school. But Ashley is 110% horrified and can’t quite get used to her totally awkward home. And things are about to get a whole lot more mixed up when they attract the wrong kind of attention. . .

When Stewart and his dad move in with Ashley and her mum, things get tense. No one is expecting this to be easy but Ashley is horrified by the stuff that the boys bring into their lives. Plus her newly-out gay dad is still living within spitting distance which is not only weird but awkward and embarrassing as Ashley hasn't told anyone the truth. 

Stewart, 13 year old, Gifted at Maths but stumped at social interactions. Ashley is his new almost-step-sister, 14 years old, fashion savvy but hurt after the disruption to her family. Both characters were difficult to like in weird ways. Stewart was adorable but socially impaired so I was often cringing for him, whereas Ashley was pretty bitchy but I could understand her pain. With dual perspective, we see both sides of the argument and this made things a lot clearer, especially with Stewart's weirdness.

Then there's school. Stewart has moved to Ashley's school and is even in her year group, which means he has to deal with the big kids. Like Jared. Scary to some, a dream come true to others. Stewart uses Ashley is keep Jared off his back in gym, but then Jared isn't what he makes out to be. Basically, he was a huge douche. Homophobic, cruel, a bully, a bit pervy, it takes a while for anyone to see that side of him because he is very good at hiding it. But when things go wrong, Ashley gets hurt by Jared's douche-y side and Steward it there to protect her. 

They go through a surprising amount of crap in under a year but both kids come to realise that it's nice to have another ally and they come to an understanding. I really liked their progression, they both had to make compromises, some they didn't think of, but by the end, Stewart and Ashley actually sort of like each other. A really sweet and quick read about new siblings and friendship and the perils of teenage life. 

Published 30th April 2015 by Anderson.

The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Williamson

Two boys. Two secrets.

David Piper has always been an outsider. His parents think he’s gay. The school bully thinks he’s a freak. Only his two best friends know the real truth – David wants to be a girl. 

On the first day at his new school Leo Denton has one goal – to be invisible. Attracting the attention of the most beautiful girl in year eleven is definitely not part of that plan. 

When Leo stands up for David in a fight, an unlikely friendship forms. But things are about to get messy. Because at Eden Park School secrets have a funny habit of not staying secret for long…

I have heard such amazing things about this book and let me tell you: they are all true! Told with dual perspective between the two boys, we here the stories of David and Leo. Ever since he was 6 years old, David has wanted to be a girl. It's a closely guarded secret that only his two best friends know, because he has no idea how to tell his parents. Leo is the new boy at school, determined to keep his head down and get through his last year. The two boys collide when Leo punches the school bully in the face for David. 

But this is school and nothing stays secret for long, as we discover Leo's secret and David starts to make the transition. Things are pretty brutal for a while, for both of them, as kids can be mean and take some time to get used to change. But I was incredibly proud of both of them, it can be confusing enough as a teenager, being born in the wrong body I can't even imagine!

I loved the progression of their relationship, slowly becoming more confident with each other and sharing things. They were both really sweet and had some major changes to deal with but did amazingly well with them. With alternating chapters, we saw inside both of their heads, saw the struggle but also saw the great interactions between them. And an incredibly character development, with both Leo and David becoming comfortable in their bodies and their friends and family being supportive. A beyond-great story about a very important issue. 

Published 1st January 2015 by David Fickling Books.

Weekly Highlights: the 'LOL' 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! 

It's been a pretty good week this week, apart from hayfever. Done my volunteering, been shopping and spent too much money, and I'm spending the whole weekend at The Fiance's house. I've been going a little crazy with reading as well, which is great. I even lasted 45 minutes reading in the back garden before my eyes started watering! In other news, I've applied to a few great looking jobs, and I have an interview next weekend so good thoughts please!

On The Blog

Review of Murder Most Unladylike by Robin Stevens (4 stars)

Review of the Lunar Chronicles (so far) by Marissa Meyer (5 stars)

Currently Reading

Kody Keplinger's new book Lying Out Loud, details below. Just started and it's awesome! 

On My Bookshelf

My Secret Rockstar Boyfriend by Eleanor Wood
Geeky girl meets famous boy . . . what could go wrong?

Tuesday Cooper is happy being normal -doing her a-levels and indulging in her twin obsessions: buying weird vintage clothes in charity shops and writing her beloved music blog (which nobody ever reads). Her love for music started when she was thirteen and had a massive crush on Jackson Griffith, teen rock god and SUPER HOT LOVE OF HER LIFE. Now Tuesday's eighteen and has moved on to fancying boys in real life and Jackson went off the celebrity radar years ago.

So it can't be him that's messaging her on her blog, can it?

From one girl's computer to the pyramid stage at Glastonbury Festival, this is a love story for anyone who has ever wished that someone would sing a love song just for them.

Dreams can come true . . .


Fairest by Marissa Meyer
Fans of the Lunar Chronicles know Queen Levana as a ruler who uses her “glamour” to gain power. But long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, Levana lived a very different story—a story that has never been told … until now.

These two I couldn't resist when I visited Bath Waterstones, they both sound really cool. Fairest I need for my Lunar Chronicles collection, plus Levana is the best villain, and MSRB is getting great reviews all around.

Lying Out Loud by Kody Keplinger
Sonny Ardmore is an excellent liar. She lies about her dad being in prison. She lies about her mom kicking her out. And she lies about sneaking into her best friend's house every night because she has nowhere else to go.

Amy Rush might be the only person Sonny shares everything with— secrets, clothes, even a nemesis named Ryder Cross.

Ryder's the new kid at Hamilton High and everything Sonny and Amy can't stand—a prep-school snob. But Ryder has a weakness: Amy. So when Ryder emails Amy asking her out, the friends see it as a prank opportunity not to be missed.

But without meaning to, Sonny ends up talking to Ryder all night online. And to her horror, she realizes that she might actually like him. Only there's one small catch: he thinks he's been talking to Amy. So Sonny comes up with an elaborate scheme to help Ryder realize that she's the girl he's really wanted all along. Can Sonny lie her way to the truth, or will all her lies end up costing her both Ryder and Amy?

Yes! I am beyond excited for this! I love Kody's books - thank you Hodder!

The Lunar Chronicles (so far) by Marissa Meyer

Cinder
Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . . 

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Set in the future, several hundred years I think, Meyer re-tells Cinderella, with a nice mix of new twists and surprises while keeping some things recognisable from the original. It was very interesting to see how the world has developed, especially with the different empires and the negotiations and the peace treaties. And of course the Lunars, who with their magic powers of persuasion - bio-electrical something or other is how it's explained - are a series threat to Earth, and the Eastern Commonwealth in particular as their evil queen is determined to become empress. It's some pretty damn incredible world building!

I instantly adored Cinder. Part cyborg after an accident, she is about 30% metal, and is typically prejudiced for being less than human. I really felt for her but she could more than hold her own, with her skills as a mechanic gaining her note, and her spunk and determination for a better life. 

She had some great friendships with Peony, younger step sister, and Iko, an android with a "damaged" personality chip. And I can't go any further without mentioning Kai. I fell for him pretty much instantly, with his charm and sweet nature. I loved all of Meyer's characters, all so very different, with varying sense of goodness and quirks. Plus Queen Levana made a spectacular villain, as she was so completely heartless in her pursuit for power. 

Scarlet
Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. The police have closed her case. The only person Scarlet can turn to is Wolf, a street fighter she does not trust, but they are drawn to each other.

Meanwhile, in New Beijing, Cinder will become the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive – when she breaks out of prison to stay one step ahead of vicious Queen Levana.

As Scarlet and Wolf expose one mystery, they encounter Cinder and a new one unravels. Together they must challenge the evil queen, who will stop at nothing to make Prince Kai her husband, her king, her prisoner . . .

A set of new characters but with odd chapters from old favourites to see how Cinder and Kai are progressing. It was interesting and very cool to see them intertwine by the end, how it seems everything is connected.

Scarlet has her own problems - her grandmother has gone missing and no one seems to care. Along with unlikely companion Wolf, a street fighter who seems to know more than he's letting on, Scarlet takes the hunt to Paris. Scarlet and Wolf were something of an instant hit. They go through so much in just a day or two of knowing each other, it was inevitable they would be drawn together. And I loved that Scarlet made the first move - go girl! 

From Cinder's side, she gets a new companion too, in the form of the hilarious and a little bit pervy Captain Thorne. I admit, I didn't warm to him immediately but it didn't take long to get used to his sense of humour and his heroism. Plus, he bounces off Cinder very well and once they are used to each other, they make a good team.

By the end of the book, things are making a little more sense in terms of Scarlet's place in Cinder's story, as well as how she can help the lost princess take down the evil queen and the save the world. Not too much to worry about then!

Cress
In this third book in the Lunar Chronicles, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, now with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army.

Their best hope lies with Cress, a girl imprisoned on a satellite since childhood who's only ever had her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker. Unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.

When a daring rescue of Cress goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has. 

Another new face, this time Rapunzel. Some unlikely help comes to Cinder in the form of a damsel stuck in a satellite, a Lunar working for Queen Levena. So unlike Cinder and Scarlet, Cress was shy and anxious and I fell for her instantly. Meyer's heroines have that effect on me! Cress was just so damn cute but considering her rescue went so pear-shaped, she took it all in her stride and proved herself to be a valuable member of the team.

I think this is my favourite book so far, considering how much the characters were split up. Things don't go according to plan (when do they ever) but as more pieces fit together, and more people know the truth about Cinder, we finally start to form a plan. 

Oh, and we finally get a reunion with Cinder and Kai! And it was even better than I could have hoped for! I admit, I squealed. Quite a lot actually! Plus Cress and Thorne, dammit everyone's so cute!

I'm really glad I read these back to back, it made everything flow that bit more easier. And although I was surprised by how much was intertwined between the books, I really liked the set up and the alternating chapters so we could keep up with everyone. Now I've just got to wait for Winter and I'll finally, hopefully, see a happy ending for this fairytale characters!

Murder Most Unladylike by Robin Stevens

Deepdean School for Girls, 1934. When Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong set up their very own deadly secret detective agency, they struggle to find any truly exciting mysteries to investigate. (Unless you count the case of Lavinia's missing tie. Which they don't, really.)

But then Hazel discovers the Science Mistress, Miss Bell, lying dead in the Gym. She thinks it must all have been a terrible accident - but when she and Daisy return five minutes later, the body has disappeared. Now the girls know a murder must have taken place . . . and there's more than one person at Deepdean with a motive.

Now Hazel and Daisy not only have a murder to solve: they have to prove a murder happened in the first place. Determined to get to the bottom of the crime before the killer strikes again (and before the police can get there first, naturally), Hazel and Daisy must hunt for evidence, spy on their suspects and use all the cunning, scheming and intuition they can muster. But will they succeed? And can their friendship stand the test?

Set in the 30's and an all-girls boarding school, cut off from the rest of the world, Daisy and Hazel have a murder to solve. Things are not easy as they first have to find the body! Written from Hazel's perspective from her detective notebook, we follow their adventures as they to determine who might have wanted to hurt their science mistress. 

What I really loved was the lovely portrayal of their friendship, especially the balance between them, as Daisy is the leader and Hazel is the quiet new girl. While Daisy might be the the brains in the operation but as she realises she's been underestimating Hazel, Hazel gets her chance to shine. And as the narrator, Hazel is the more emotional one, as she is the one who discovered the body, the one who really takes to heart the possibility of a killer living among them. 

This was such a great mystery, I had many guesses but didn't see the truth coming! The mix of adventure, mystery and friendship was really cool and very fun to read. 

Published 5th June 2014 by Corgi.

Weekly Highlights: the 'Fun in the Sun' 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!

I can't really believe we're in June already - at least it's finally starting to act like summer! Not a bad week, had my interview on Wednesday, found out I didn't get it on Friday - yeah, it sucks but I don't feel bad about it because I know I did my best. Today I am over at my grandparents celebrating a birthday, so sun and family all around! And hopefully no hayfever, which I had something terrible on Friday and yesterday.

On The Blog

Review of Nowhere But Here by Katie McGarry (4 stars)

Review of Legacy, Fracture and Resistance by CJ Daugherty (4 stars)

Review of How To Be Bad by E Lockhart (4 stars)

Currently Reading

Halfway through Cress, book three of the Lunar Chronicles, which I am officially in love with! Next up is The Art of Being Normal, which is Bookish Brits group read for June.

On My Bookshelf

On The Fence by Kasie West
For sixteen-year-old Charlotte Reynolds, aka Charlie, being raised by a single dad and three older brothers has its perks. She can outrun, outscore, and outwit every boy she knows—including her longtime neighbor and honorary fourth brother, Braden. But when it comes to being a girl, Charlie doesn't know the first thing about anything. So when she starts working at chichi boutique to pay off a speeding ticket, she finds herself in a strange new world of makeup, lacy skirts, and BeDazzlers. Even stranger, she's spending time with a boy who has never seen her tear it up in a pickup game.

To cope with the stress of faking her way through this new reality, Charlie seeks late-night refuge in her backyard, talking out her problems with Braden by the fence that separates them. But their Fence Chats can't solve Charlie's biggest problem: she's falling for Braden. Hard. She knows what it means to go for the win, but if spilling her secret means losing him for good, the stakes just got too high.

Something of a fluke find as I was browsing kindle books, but I scored this long-time-wish-list for 99p!

Endgame by CJ Daugherty
Broken. Scattered. But not defeated.

The spy is gone but the cost has been high - the rebels at Cimmeria Academy have lost their leader and Carter West is missing. Nathaniel can taste victory. But Allie and the other survivors aren't done yet. First they have to get Carter back. Then they plan to make Nathaniel pay.

One way or another - the game must end.

The final book in the Night School series, I am beyond excited to read this! Thank you so much Sophie for passing along your copy!

How To Be Bad by E Lockhart, Lauren Myracle and Sarah Mlynowski

When you're tired of being good, sometimes you gotta be a little bad ...

Jesse, Vicks and Mel couldn't be more different. Jesse, a righteous Southern gal who's as thoughtful as she is uptight, is keeping a secret that she knows will change her life forever. Vicks is a wild child: seemingly cool, calm and collected on the outside, but inside she's furious at herself for being so anxious about her neglectful boyfriend. And Mel is the new girl in town. She's already been dismissed as just another rich kid, but all she wants is to get over some of her fears and find some true friends. 

But for all their differences, the girls discover they've got one thing in common - they're desperate to escape. Desperate to get the heck out of Niceville and discover their true 'badass' selves! Even if it's just for the weekend ... One 'borrowed' car later, it's time to hit the road and head for Miami. Hearts will be broken, friendships will be tested, and a ridiculously hot stranger could change the course of everything.

Three narrators, three very different girls. Jesse is a good Christian girl, embarrassed by her mother; Vicks is a typical wild child but inwardly insecure about her boyfriend moving away; and Mel is the new girl, very rich and thought to be slumming it. But of course nothing is that simple and people are never that easy to understand. When they go on a random road trip, real motivations are revealed and personalities allowed a chance to shine.

I love a good road trip story, they are always fun. Quite a short one, just three days, but boy can a lot happen in three days! It was full of very funny adventures - visiting a stuffed alligator, crashing a house party and getting fall-over drunk, and nearly getting eaten saving a duckling from a croc. Ok that last one wasn't funny, it was heart in my throat terrifying. But it did a pretty amazing job bringing the girls closer and forgetting little grudges. Looking death in the eye tends to do that!

By going out of their comfort zone, all three girls learn something about themselves and how they life their lives, keep their secrets and interact with friends. Along with the road trip drama, they all come closer together and I love a good chance-of-redemption story, as Jesse gets another chance with her mother, Vicks with her boyfriend, and Mel to make true friends. Different writers as the three girls made for very big personalities and very real voices. All in all, a great read, awesome characters with some cool love stories thrown in for good measure. Highly recommended for a summer contemporary. 

Published 4th June 2015 by Hot Key Books. Thank you to the publisher for my copy in exchange for an honest review.