EVE READS

Hello my name is Eve and this is my YA book blog. On this blog I will be reviewing a mix of genres, whether that's an adult or YA book- however all the books I'll be posting about I'll make sure appeal to a young adult audience. Anyway I hope you find my blog useful- if you have any questions feel free to contact me xx

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Passenger

by Alexandra Bracken

Two Stars **

Synopsis:

Passage, n.

i. A brief section of music composed of a series of notes and flourishes.

ii. A journey by water; a voyage.

iii. The transition from one place to another, across space and time.

In one devastating night, violin prodigy Etta Spencer loses everything she knows and loves. Thrust into an unfamiliar world by a stranger with a dangerous agenda, Etta is certain of only one thing: she has traveled not just miles but years from home. And she’s inherited a legacy she knows nothing about from a family whose existence she’s never heard of. Until now.

Nicholas Carter is content with his life at sea, free from the Ironwoods—a powerful family in the colonies—and the servitude he’s known at their hands. But with the arrival of an unusual passenger on his ship comes the insistent pull of the past that he can’t escape and the family that won’t let him go so easily. Now the Ironwoods are searching for a stolen object of untold value, one they believe only Etta, Nicholas’ passenger, can find. In order to protect her, he must ensure she brings it back to them—whether she wants to or not.

Together, Etta and Nicholas embark on a perilous journey across centuries and continents, piecing together clues left behind by the traveler who will do anything to keep the object out of the Ironwoods’ grasp. But as they get closer to the truth of their search, and the deadly game the Ironwoods are playing, treacherous forces threaten to separate Etta not only from Nicholas but from her path home... forever.

My thoughts:

To make this review more clear I am going to bullet proof it:

GOOD Points:

The setting was very interesting- the book took place in so many different places from a medieval Syria to World War II England to rain forests. While reading this I was on holiday lying on a beach so I kept looking out to sea and picturing all the different places.

It has a more diverse set of characters than other books, as Nicholas one of the main characters is African-American, in an 18th Century world. That aspect was interesting.

BAD Points:

This book was too long, or at least two long winded it went on and on and it was very frustrating as the descriptions could last for pages. It just made it really boring which was so surprising, as I though this was going to be my most interesting and surprising read as had such a fascinating premise. Honestly, this spoilt the book completely for me as meant reading it felt more like a chore than a hobby.

It was at times hard to follow. I felt like the writing just wasn’t clear and felt all jumbled up. However this may have been down to the long-windedness of the plot. Also because everything took so long to happen

Although Etta and Nicholas’s relationship did grow so they became closer, there was this slight element of insta-love. As soon as Nicholas saw Etta he gave this slightly long description of how beautiful she looked and it was just a bit sickly, which is a lot coming from me as I love a good bit of romance.

At times it wasn’t at all historically accurate, however this is a slightly irrelevant point as it is a fantasy and so it doesn’t matter as much that Bracken hasn’t done as much historical study before each time period. However if you're one of those people who gets bugged by this, then this isn’t a book for you.

I also just didn’t connect with either Nicholas or Etta, Bracken’s clumsy writing style in this really distanced both the characters and I just wasn’t able to connect. She romanticised Etta, so that she was this fiesty, beautiful and independent young woman with her dress flowing in the wind who I just couldn’t relate to in the end. As for Nicholas, he was nice, but that was it.

Conclusion:

Sorry for being so critical, it took me two months too post this, as I didn’t want to offend anyone as I know this book has a lot of fans. I did actually enjoy the first Darkest Minds book, although I didn’t as much enjoy the rest of the trilogy. Unfortunately, as much as I wanted to love this book, I just am not a fan. I hope you found this review at least slightly helpful.

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I’ll Give You the Sun

By Jandy Nelson

Five Stars

Age group/genre: young adult, contemporary

Publisher: Walker Books

Setting: California, the book takes place either at Art School or during Summer

pages: 429

Edition: Paperback

Synopsis:

A brilliant, luminous story of first love, family, loss, and betrayal for fans of John Green, David Levithan, and Rainbow Rowell

Jude and her twin brother, Noah, are incredibly close. At thirteen, isolated Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude cliff-dives and wears red-red lipstick and does the talking for both of them. But three years later, Jude and Noah are barely speaking. Something has happened to wreck the twins in different and dramatic ways . . . until Jude meets a cocky, broken, beautiful boy, as well as someone else—an even more unpredictable new force in her life. The early years are Noah's story to tell. The later years are Jude's. What the twins don't realize is that they each have only half the story, and if they could just find their way back to one another, they’d have a chance to remake their world.

This radiant novel from the acclaimed, award-winning author of The Sky Is Everywhere will leave you breathless and teary and laughing—often all at once.

I’ll Give you the Sun is one of the best YA novels I have ever read, and I don’t say this lightly, it truly is an amazingly unique and special book. I also am aware that Jandy Nelson’s unique style of writing isn’t everyone’s favourite style, however I have to say I loved it, and really enjoyed the alternative narrators of Noah age 13 and Jude age 16 three years later- I was surprised by how much this structure worked. I felt as if the world that Jandy Nelson created was bursting with colour, and was so visual it has remained really clear in my mind. The writing is very poetic, and is full of metaphors and nuances, giving the impression that every word was clearly thought about. I also loved the themes that Jandy Nelson explored, which were family relationships, sibling jealous, first love and art. I also loved the LGBTQ+ theme explored here.

The main characters were great, Noah was so lovable, although occasionally frustrating, and I loved his story. However Jude for me was my favourite character, although at first I didn’t like her as much as Noah, as I got into the book she became so interesting. Three years prior, when Noah is telling the story, Jude is wild and daring and at times irresponsible, however three years later she is only a shell of the person she used to be, this major character development I thought was explored effectively.

I also found I’ll Give You the Sun to be in it’s own right quite suspenseful, with secrets and twists that I did not see coming, and when they were unearthed it was so exciting. The whole art world presented here was so colourful, and Jandy Nelson’s love of art was really unearthed and explored. I loved how different artwork was incorporated into the writing, not to the point that you needed to know about the artists and artworks mentioned, but more so that it just added that extra weight to the story. I really recommend looking at Jandy Nelson’s website as she has blog where she puts pictures of some of the art work mentioned and it really brings the story even more to life.

This is a story for dreamers, for those with big imagination, for people who are artists and writers and story tellers. I cannot recommend this book enough, it has been two years since I first read this book, and it’s place in my heart (as cheesy as it sounds) has not changed.

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Worldwide Proof Copy Competition!

I have 2 proof copies of ‘On The Other Side’ to give away here on tumblr! Reblog this post and use the hashtag #OnTheOtherSide ! Make sure you read the Terms and Conditions before entering! bitly.com/ontheotherside-WIN

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Saving Francesca

by Melina Marchetta

Synopsis:

Francesca is stuck at St. Sebastian’s, a boys' school that pretends it's coed by giving the girls their own bathroom. Her only female companions are an ultra-feminist, a rumored slut, and an impossibly dorky accordion player. The boys are no better, from Thomas, who specializes in musical burping, to Will, the perpetually frowning, smug moron that Francesca can't seem to stop thinking about.

Then there's Francesca's mother, who always thinks she knows what's best for Francesca—until she is suddenly stricken with acute depression, leaving Francesca lost, alone, and without an inkling of who she really is. Simultaneously humorous, poignant, and impossible to put down, this is the story of a girl who must summon the strength to save her family, her social life and—hardest of all—herself.

A compelling story of romance, family, and friendship with humor and heart, perfect for fans of Stephanie Perkins and Lauren Myracle.

What I thought:

Saving Francesca was brilliant, and in many ways was different to so many Young Adult contemporary books I have read. What made Saving Francesca so great was the brutal honesty, the family dynamic and the exploration of themes of friendship. Usually in young adult fiction there is some of romanticisation, whereby all the characters are a little too perfect, or a little too flawed in the right way. However in Saving Francesca I did not find this to be the case at all, the boys at Francesca’s school would burp and be genuinely unpleasant and disgusting at times in this very male environment,  it made for a refreshing read.

I loved the family aspect in Saving Francesca, and had to be my favourite part. Francesca came from a real close knit Italian family and so meant that Francesca’s Mum’s depression had more of a bigger impact. Also the relationship with Francesca’s brother was just damn right adorable!

I thought the themes of depression were really well handled as it really felt like you were muddling through the mess of Francesca’s home life with her, which as a reader made me feel a whole lot more closer to Francesca, as she was often confused as she didn’t really know what was going on. For me personally I found Francesca’s confusion, worry and at times anger, especially projected on to her Father very relatable, as I feel as though I’ve been through all those things when I had a close family member suffering with depression.

It was also brilliant to go on this journey where Francesca begins to discover herself through her friendships at school but also as she matures. At the end I was crying so hard just because of the length of the journey you go on with Francesca, which is ironic as it is quite a short book.

This is a book for if you’re just getting start with young adult fiction, but it’s also a book for those who are tired or reading the generic YA contemporary genre, as this book is beautifully well crafted with rich and vibrant characters which made it very entertaining and completely heart wrenching.

Books you may also enjoy:)

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6936382-anna-and-the-french-kiss?ac=1&from_search=true

First and Then by Emma Mills - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23310751-first-then

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Persuasion book review

by Jane Austen

Five Stars ✮✮✮✮✮

Genre: classic, British literature,

Publisher: Vintage Classics

Setting: 19th Century England

pages: 320

Edition: paperback

Synopsis:

Eight years ago Anne Elliot bowed to pressure from her family and made the decision not to marry the man she loved, Captain Wentworth. Now circumstances have conspired to bring him back into her social circle and Anne finds her old feelings for him reignited. However, when they meet again Wentworth behaves as if they are strangers and seems more interested in her friend Louisa. In this, her final novel, Jane Austen tells the story of a love that endures the tests of time and society with humour, insight and tenderness.

What I thought:

I loved Persuasion, although the first 25% it took me a week to read, however after I got past there it only took me a couple of days because I couldn’t put it down!! This consequently made me feel like I was breathing, eating and sleeping solely persuasion which was a bizarre and brilliant experience. I haven’t read any classics in so long and it really made me want to read a few more (so if you have any classics set in this period you recommend for me - let me know!)

I loved the character of Anne Elliot, she was brilliant- she was shy and yet had the most brilliant mind- she was kind, intelligent and caring- and yet none of her family seemed to appreciate her. I found this so sad and frustrating at times because I wanted to reach into the book and shake Anne’s Father, Sir Elliot, and be like look she’s standing right in front of you and she’s brilliant. I did enjoy the weird and strange family dynamics in this book but at the same time finding extremely frustrating, how Anne’s family could be so selfish and proud- and obsessed by image. I also think that Anne’s family I definitely could envision as people I know in real like (you know the sort who are obsessed with what party they’re going to and popularity and vanity instead of just living). It was a good thing Anne was such a likeable character, as it meant I could hold onto her in this sea of really irritating yet extremely interesting characters. Anne Elliot was also the sort of character that you really just want to give a big hug to and tell her it would be okay, I felt for her so much, and I’m honestly so glad that Austen gifted us with this gem of a character.

As for the romance, oh god did I love it! For the first part of the novel I resented Captain Wentworth, however after subsequent events I did warm to him and found myself really rooting for Anne and Captain Wentworth to reunite. There was also the most swoonworthy letter in this book with one of my favourite romantic quotes I think I’ve probably ever read - “You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope...I have loved none but you.” And I’m sorry, if that didn’t kill you just reading that, you’re clearly some indestructible God. Anyway, so my only thing in the whole novel was that I would have loved to get to know Captain Wentworth some more, because it felt like you only really saw him through the observations of other characters and I felt like he was only really present for a few chapters- however at the same time I didn’t mind because it did make him more of an intriguing and mysterious figure and meant that I had to work him out for myself- which I enjoyed.

Also you can’t talk about a Jane Austen novel without mentioning a bit about setting and culture. I loved the feel to this novel, I thought it was also a great way to explore social conventions of the period, yet although the culture was vastly different from 21st Century culture of today I still found this book relatively easy to read - and didn’t particularly feel too lost at any point which is a good thing. Although I loved imaging the dresses and the houses of this period, as well as envisioning what the Jane Austen town of Bath would look like. In addition to this I also loved both the seaside and country settings, and felt like I could really immerse myself in the setting.

So to finish with I would just like to reiterate for maybe the dozenth time how much I loved this book, but also that this one is definitely one I’d recommend for people like me who’ve only read a few classics, as it was relatively short and definitely way more straightforward to read than other classics I’ve read.

Books you may also enjoy:)

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

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I’ll Meet You There book review

by Heather Demetrios

Three and a half stars

Age group/genre: young adult, contemporary

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.

Setting: Small town in California, USA

pages: 388

Edition: hardback

Synopsis:

If seventeen-year-old Skylar Evans were a typical Creek View girl, her future would involve a double-wide trailer, a baby on her hip, and the graveyard shift at Taco Bell. But after graduation, the only thing standing between straightedge Skylar and art school are three minimum-wage months of summer. Skylar can taste the freedom—that is, until her mother loses her job and everything starts coming apart. Torn between her dreams and the people she loves, Skylar realizes everything she’s ever worked for is on the line.

Nineteen-year-old Josh Mitchell had a different ticket out of Creek View: the Marines. But after his leg is blown off in Afghanistan, he returns home, a shell of the cocksure boy he used to be. What brings Skylar and Josh together is working at the Paradise—a quirky motel off California’s dusty Highway 99. Despite their differences, their shared isolation turns into an unexpected friendship and soon, something deeper.

What I thought:

I really enjoyed I’ll Meet you there, I thought it had great characters and was a really interesting read. I love the character Skylar, she was hard working and a really strong female character which I really liked. I also think Heather Demetrios was great at showing Skylar’s character development from her at the start of the book having to always hold up those around her such as her Mum who was an alcoholic and suffered from severe depression as well as her best friend Dylan who was a teen mom, and then as the book went on to Skylar developed and learnt to start putting herself first and asserting herself. This book was also really beautifully written.

I did enjoy the romance between Josh and Skylar, and thought it really developed. Sometimes in YA literature relationships can be easy to establish once the two characters are both aware they love each other, however I’ll Meet You There portrayed the realistic side to relationship, that they can be messy and complex even when two people love each other. There was also no ‘instant love’ which I really liked, Skylar and Josh’s love grew as the book went on- and it made it so much more interesting and realistic. This also made for a more suspenseful romance, as it made you really look forward to the moment that they’d finally admit there feelings for each other.

The best bit about I’ll Meet You There was the raw emotion, Demetrios did such a good job at describing the characters inner struggle and turmoil, which I thought made it really enjoyable and at times had me feeling really emotion. She did such a good job at describing what the character’s were going through and making it in a sense very relatable, even though I had never experienced a lot of what Skylar went through. I also thought Demetrios tackled some really heavy topics in a way that still made the book quite light and these heavy topics really added to the story.

I’ll Meet You There also had a real great setting, in this small town that was extremely trapping as not many people left and not many of the people in Skylar’s class graduated let alone went to college- so her getting a scholarship was a major deal. I also loved how the setting was woven into the story, I felt like I really got to know the town and so made the story so much more visual in my mind than in other books I’ve read. I thought the culture of the town was really well explored, as well as this idea of people’s desperation to leave this small and quite cut off town.

Although teen pregnancy was a minor part of the book I thought the themes of teen pregnancy were really well explored in this book, how in some ways teen pregnancy can trap you meaning it is hard to go to school and raise a child, however in other ways it is possible to rise above that and carry on with school and be a brilliant Mum. I thought Dylan was a great character, as usually in the media teen moms are portrayed as being bad parents, however Dylan wasn't -she loved her kid and although getting pregnant was an accident and raising a child was a struggle, she was able to become a good Mum with the support of family and friends. Although it was a minor theme to the book it was one of my favourite bits.

This book was so much more than just a romance novel, it dealt with some heavy themes of death and hopelessness, and the way in which it can effect people. The book wasn’t at all one dimensional as the book was also centred around Skylar’s relationship with her Mum and her two best friends Dylan and Chris- as well as the romance with Josh. Overall I really did enjoy the book however for some reason I didn’t warm and love it entirely, and I’m not quite sure why, although I did massively enjoy it. Maybe it was the predictability of it, I think I was hoping for an unusual or maybe surprising ending, as the book itself had been a little different to other YA reads, however for the most part I was satisfied by the book itself. I would recommend this to people who enjoy YA contemporary and romances, especially if you enjoy complex characters and books with some heavy themes.

Books you may also enjoy:

The Distance between us by Kasie West 

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen 

One Perfect Summer by Paige Toon 

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Birthday Book Haul!

Yesterday was my birthday and I was given a few books so thought I’d share them with you - let me know what I should read first :)

Persuasion by Jane Austen

I’ll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios

Between Shades of Grey by Ruta Sepetys

Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

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Books with the best romantic relationships

I am sucker for a book with a really good romantic relationship, so I thought in honour of Valentine’s day I would put together a few of my favourite relationships that I’ve read within a book- with this post being a bit of a recommendations post. Here are a few of my favourites YA romances:

The Sky is everywhere by Jandy Nelson: This book is about 16 year old Lennie Walker, who comes from a loving but highly eccentric and hippy family consisting of her Gran, her Uncle Big and Bailey- her strong and confident sister whom which Lennie has always happily lived in the shadow of. That is until Bailey dies abruptly, tearing Lennie’s family and world apart. I love this book, it’s poetic, a little bit crazy and head over heels romantic, with some crazy mad characters. The romance in this book is a little strange, as after Bailey’s death Lennie finds she needs someone to share her grief with- and somehow that ends up becoming her dead sister’s boyfriend, while at the same time falling head over heels for Joe Fontaine- a french, musical and all round AMAZING guy. I love Lennie and Joe’s relationship, it’s warmth and is so genuine, and amongst the mess of a book that really represents the inner turmoil within Lennie’s life is Joe, who has the world biggest smile and is so kind and caring. I don’t know why I love the relationship between Joe and Lennie, only that I am acutely aware it is something very special that you don’t see in everyday YA contemporary- in fact I’ve never read about a relationship that’s been bought alive so vividly.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver: I couldn’t write about my favourite romances without mentioning this one- I have to say this was probably my first romantic relationship within a book that I just ended up going insane for and shipping all the way to the moon and back. Delirium is set in a society where love is a disease and must be cured (okay I know this sounds a little lame but it really really works), it is 95 days until Lena’s cure where she’ll never be able to think irrationally or develop deep connections - because she’ll be cured of love. However Lena meets Alex, a confident and mysterious young man who she forms a connection with. As there romance began to blossom this means that Lena’s belief of the world will come crashing down around her. Not only has this book got brilliant world building of a strange and dystopian society, but also consists of my favourite Romeo and Juliet style forbidden relationship. Lena and Alex’s relationship is so electric, and Lauren Oliver builds a lot of heightened tension using the sterile and controlling society which Lena and Alex live, creating this great sense of urgency and desperation. I’d also definitely recommend this one if you’re into dystopian novels.

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes: I had to mention this one as the film is coming out shortly, and I am so so excited for it with Emilia Clarke (Daenerys from Game of Thrones) and Sam Claflin. Me Before You is about a young woman named Lou, who is a little quirky and brilliant main character, who ends up working for a wealthy family as the carer of their son, who is after a tragic motorcycle accident is now paralysed, and which has taken his desire away to live. However little does he know that Lou is about to burst into his life in a riot of colour- and neither know that it is going to change each other for all of time. I don’t want to give a lot away about this book, but all I’m going to say is that this book is INCREDIBLE with the most amazing friendship between Lou and Will, this book is so profoundly moving and emotional- and definitely worth a read whether you’re into romantic books or not.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: Those of you that know me will definitely know that I’m a big secret romantic, and that I live from Pride and Prejudice like it’s my actual bible (I probably don’t go a day without making at least one vague Pride and Prejudice reference). Anyway so I could hardly write a list about a few of my favourite books without mentioning my loved Pride and Prejudice- so here it is!! For those of you that don’t know Pride and Prejudice is about Elizabeth Bennet - the second oldest of a family of five sisters whose futures rests upon a successful marriage to a prosperous man. While Mr Bingley takes a liking to the oldest daughter Jane, Mr Darcy finds himself against his better judgement falling in love with witty and high-spirited Elizabeth Bennet. This book is the inspiration for many authors romantic relationships established in books, and for me is maybe the ultimate love story and is such a timeless and much recommended read.

Hope you all have a fab Valentines!! xx

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From Left to right:

Night Owls by Jenn Bennet

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

Pride and Predjudice by Jane Austen (yet another edition to add to my collection)

Confusion by Elizabeth Howard

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

The Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain (yes I may have got it cuz John Snow is on the cover ;)) 

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Night Owls (alternative USA name the Anatomical Shape of a Heart)

by Jenn Bennet

Four Stars★★★★☆

Age group/genre: young adult, contemporary

Publisher: Simon and Schuster UK

Setting: San Francisco, USA

pages: 272

Edition: paperback

Synopsis:

Beatrix Adams is a bit of a misfit, with dreams of becoming a medical illustrator in an extremely competitive field, so is trying to spend the summer drawing dead bodies at her local university. However after trying to sneak her way into the hospitals Willed Body program she misses the last train home and ends up on the dreaded night bus, called the Owl, where she meets Jack, an infamous graffiti artist. The story starts from there, following the pair on adventures across San Francisco- from midnight buses to city rooftops, where there relationship begins to bloom. However Jack has a family secret, that may have the power to tear the pair apart.

What I thought:

I LOVED this book, it was everything I hoped it would be and so much more. It had a funny and quirky main character, it had family relationships, it portrayed sex in a real light, it felt as if the art world was bursting from the pages and it really did a good job at incorporating the San Francisco setting into the book, which was just brilliant. Honestly I loved pretty much everything about this book.

The main character Beatrix (or Bex) was funny, strange and very lovable, I enjoyed her lively, out going character. Beatrix spent a lot of the novel navigating life with her family, from messy relations with her Dad, to her friendship with her elder brother and learning to be truthful and honest to your Mother while trying to balance experiencing life yourself even if it involves occasionally breaking the rules (something I can totally relate to!). I thought the family relationships explored within this book made the book have really strong foundations and made it very realistic. My favourite bit about Bex was seeing her grow throughout the novel into this independent young adult, it was absolutely lovely to see.

As for the love interest in this book, Jack, I really enjoyed his character. At first honestly I wasn’t quite sure on Jack however throughout the novel I did feel, just like Beatrix, that he very much developed as a character and matured. Jack also bought his own dimensions to the book, with a troubled home life and a close guarded secret, which made the book not only more thought provoking but also interesting. Both Bex and Jack came from very different backgrounds, while Bex goes to the local inner city school- Jack went to a private school and belonged to a very affluent family. I enjoyed that for Bex and Jack that their slightly different backgrounds made no difference to their relationship whatsoever.

I loved the mix of art within this book, it made me feel as if the pages were bursting with colours, it was just so explosive. I felt as if the whole tone of this book had this really warm element to it, made only more interesting by the skilfully woven family relationships in this book. I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a well written young adult read, or anyone with a thirst for contemporary fiction.

Books you may also enjoy:

Anna and the French Kiss

I’ll Give you the Sun

Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares

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The Diary of a Young Girl

Anne Frank

Five Stars

Age group/genre: all ages from 12+, autobiographical

Publisher: Penguin books

Pages: 341

Edition: Paperback

Synopsis:

The Diary of a Young Girl remains the single most poignant true-life story to emerge from the Second World War.

In July 1942 Anne Frank and her family, fleeing the horrors of Nazi occupation, hid in the back of an Amsterdam warehouse. Anne was thirteen when the family went into the Secret Annexe and, over the next two years, she vividly describes in her diary the frustrations of living in such confined quarters, the constant threat of discovery, the hunger and fear. Her diary ends abruptly when, in August 1944, she and her family were finally discovered by Nazis.

This book provides a deeply moving and unforgettable portrait of Anne Frank - an ordinary and yet an extraordinary teenage girl.

What I thought:

Reading this book was something I had been meaning to do for a long time and was aware my reading of it was long overdue. Reading Anne Frank’s The Diary Of A Young Girl is the sort of read you’re not likely to forget quickly. I think this review is only going to be a quick one because I have no clue as to how to articulate my feelings on this book (I’ve been crying all evening after turning the final page) - So I apologise in advance but here goes it..

Reading The Diary of A Young Girl was an intense experience, you’re trapped inside Anne Frank’s mind, being told her sometimes brutally honest and unfiltered thoughts on pretty much everything. Getting through this book took a long time due to this (almost a month!) however it was definitely worth it. Reading about Anne Frank’s life was fascinating, but reading about her perspective on things was just as much so. She’s an astute and witty teen, who is quite feisty and has the potential to make you laugh, cry and sometimes ache as you know what is to come.

Sometimes listening to all Anne Frank’s commentary on everyday life was difficult as it was at times repetitive if not a little boring, however I enjoyed the simplicity of it all as you really have to take into account that this is a normal life and you really are reading Anne’s personal diary of what was everyday life to her. I thought Anne said some of the meaningful quotes that honestly made me feel so choked up just reading them:

“It's really a wonder that I haven't dropped all my ideals, because they seem so absurd and impossible to carry out. Yet I keep them, because in spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.”

Anyway, as a current teenager of sixteen years old, I felt like I could really understand some of the things that Anne bought to light such as sexuality, relationships with family and friends and what it’s really like to grow up as a a teenager. I think this is a part of what makes the book so entirely relevant today.

I really love to read a lot of historical fiction, so it was interesting to learn about what it felt like to be in hiding from the Nazi’s, the feelings of desperation for the allies to conquer Germany and hearing from Anne’s point of view as she sat in her annex listening to the radio on some of the most key events of the War. It was also interesting to hear about some of the more simple things like how the black market worked (which Anne and her family used to survive), as well as the different types of food they ate and the emotive descriptions of what it was like during air raids.

I didn’t really want to have to rate this book, as I feel it would be a bit like rating Anne Frank’s life, but for the purpose of this review I’m giving it five very worthy stars.

I recommend the Diary of a Young Girl to anyone with a thirst for WW2 historical fiction, who want to read more autobiographies about empowering people or anybody who is just in the thick of growing up. Really though, I believe that the Diary of a Young Girl is a book that is so relevant today, with the rise in anti-semiticism and much of the political environment today regarding the refugee crisis- so whether you just watch the brilliant BBC adaption or read about Anne’s story on Wiki it is vital that as the young people of today we keep sharing Anne’s important message to the rest of the world.  

Recommendations:

Once by Morris Gleitzman - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1045757.Once

Promise the Night by Michaela MacColl (this is not WW2 but it’s historical autobiography about a teenager in Africa) - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10836616-promise-the-night?search_version=service

The Boy in Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1754278.The_Boy_in_the_Striped_Pyjamas?from_search=true&search_version=service

[evereads-blog]

First and Then

by Emma Mills

Three and a half stars 

Age Group and Genre: Young Adults, Contemporary

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.

Pages: 272

Edition: Hardback

Synopsis:

Devon Tennyson wouldn't change a thing. She's happy watching Friday night games from the bleachers, silently crushing on best friend Cas, and blissfully ignoring the future after high school. But the universe has other plans. It delivers Devon's cousin Foster, an unrepentant social outlier with a surprising talent for football, and the obnoxiously superior and maddeningly attractive star running back, Ezra, right where she doesn't want them first into her P.E. class and then into every other aspect of her life.

Pride and Prejudice meets Friday Night Lights in this contemporary novel about falling in love with the unexpected boy, with a new brother, and with yourself.

What I thought

First of all I’d just like to say how much I loved this book, it was warm and cosy and was just one of those happy books that makes you smile. It was also cute and cheesy and romantic which was just what I was looking for when I picked it up. I also loved all the different relationships in this book - from friends, family to romance, I thought they were very well explored.

I really liked the main character of Devon, she was sarcastic at times and did have a really good sense humour - meaning she would sometimes make me laugh out loud - and I really empathised with some of the things she was going through, particularly her worry about the future. The only thing I didn’t quite like about the character of Devon was how Emma Mills made Devon’s pride and prejudice and other Jane Austen references slightly far fetched, even though I am a massive Austen fan, I just felt that they didn’t quite fit with the story, they were more like they were thrown with an after thought. However overall I liked the character of Devon and thought she was a really funny and likeable narrator/main character.

I also really liked Foster, enjoying the slight twist of eccentricity he bought to the book. I enjoyed the romance in this book, and thought Ezra to be a great love interest, although I wasn’t particularly moved by the romance or anything but I did find it to be sweet. I also wished the romance had developed a little earlier in the book, but overall I did enjoy the evolution of the romance.

I thought the book did a good job of handling one of the more minor characters teen pregnancies, portraying her as a person rather than just a product of a ‘mistake’, which I really liked. I also loved how Devon was such a strong female main character, sometimes I think that in the YA genre authors can occasionally either write their main characters as being to perfect and flawless and therefore entirely unrealistic or either too weak with no real substance behind the character. However Devon was the complete opposite, she stood up for herself, was sarcastic and was such a genuinely likeable character - it was great!

Anyway this book was just what I was looking for it, was light and easy read, cheered me up and pulled me out of my reading slump. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys YA contemporary and is looking for a charming and warm read.

Books you may also enjoy:

The beginning Of Everything by Robyn Schneider   

Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen 

Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone 

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[evereads-blog]

Hiya! My name is Eve and this is my first post on this blog, which is super duper exciting. Basically this is my new book blog and I’ll be posting a lot on here hopefully. I will be posting book reviews, reccomendations, interviews with authors and people who work in the book world industry and much much more! (sorry for all the exclamation marks it’s just I am so excited to start this blog and get to know some of you other book book bloggers as well:))

Anyway please give me a cheeky follow ;) if this sounds like something you’d be interested in

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