All of the Above by James Dawson

I am not able to put how good this book is into words. At this point I'm simply resorting to guttural sounds. UGHHHHHH

All of the Above by James Dawson was a book that so accurately captured the idea of teenagers and sexuality that I realised, when the story ended, that I really had connected to the characters in the story. And when they lose a friend, as did I, when they laughed, I did too.

This may sound strange but it wasn't until the end of the novel that I realised the story was written by a man. Dawson managed to give his main character, Toria, such a voice, even when she speaks on behalf of her friends, all you want to do is read on.

Again, I have to talk about my initial feelings going into the first chapter. Firstly, the word CLICHE jumped out at me like a flashing neon light. New girl moving to a new town, she meets a bunch of misfits, meets a boy yada yada yada. It was like Perks of Being a Wallflower meets Mean Girls.

But there was none of that. This books fits into it's own category.

Instead of a boring, meningeal plot this book was jam packed with twists, curves and full on plot loopdy loops. Without giving too much away, all I can say is that there's loss, struggle and romance. The perfect ingredients to teen drama.

Like Green's Margo Roth Speigelman or Alaska Young, Polly Wolff manages to encapsulate the very idea of someone so sculpted by the idea of being different that it makes the reader wish that this person truly existed just so that their very existence could prove society's ideals wrong.

One major thing I would also like to point out is how Dawson confronts the idea of teens having sex. In most stories I've read, sex is described as this big and scary and poisonous thing that should be mostly avoided. All of the Above's sex scenes and discussions were not only realistic to the modernity of the story but made the idea seem less daunting and a thing, that should still be considered a big step, but still be fun and enjoyable. This was refreshing to me and made the story all the more fun to read.

I'd like to conclude this review with a new feature that I'm introducing, my favourite quote from the book;

"Some people are candles, some people are fireworks."

4 out of 5 stars.

All of the Above by James Dawson

I am not able to put how good this book is into words. At this point I'm simply resorting to guttural sounds. UGHHHHHH

All of the Above by James Dawson was a book that so accurately captured the idea of teenagers and sexuality that I realised, when the story ended, that I really had connected to the characters in the story. And when they lose a friend, as did I, when they laughed, I did too.

This may sound strange but it wasn't until the end of the novel that I realised the story was written by a man. Dawson managed to give his main character, Toria, such a voice, even when she speaks on behalf of her friends, all you want to do is read on.

Again, I have to talk about my initial feelings going into the first chapter. Firstly, the word CLICHE jumped out at me like a flashing neon light. New girl moving to a new town, she meets a bunch of misfits, meets a boy yada yada yada. It was like Perks of Being a Wallflower meets Mean Girls.

But there was none of that. This books fits into it's own category.

Instead of a boring, meningeal plot this book was jam packed with twists, curves and full on plot loopdy loops. Without giving too much away, all I can say is that there's loss, struggle and romance. The perfect ingredients to teen drama.

Like Green's Margo Roth Speigelman or Alaska Young, Polly Wolff manages to encapsulate the very idea of someone so sculpted by the idea of being different that it makes the reader wish that this person truly existed just so that their very existence could prove society's ideals wrong.

One major thing I would also like to point out is how Dawson confronts the idea of teens having sex. In most stories I've read, sex is described as this big and scary and poisonous thing that should be mostly avoided. All of the Above's sex scenes and discussions were not only realistic to the modernity of the story but made the idea seem less daunting and a thing, that should still be considered a big step, but still be fun and enjoyable. This was refreshing to me and made the story all the more fun to read.

I'd like to conclude this review with a new feature that I'm introducing, my favourite quote from the book;

"Some people are candles, some people are fireworks."

4 out of 5 stars.

Black Cairn Point by Claire McFall

And now, ladies and gents, another book that had me rocking in a corner. And not in the good way.

If Birdy had you creeped out and questioning everyone you meet, then Black Cairn Point will not just have you questioning strangers. But have you question your friends as well. And you'll never want to go camping again, no way Jose.

My original opinion on this novel from writer Claire McFall was dull. Dull and in desperate need of some answers. One hundred pages in and I'm still left wondering where this is going and when it's going to take off.

The action starts and more questions are raised. My brow is furrowed in the what-the-hell-is-going-on kind of way and I'm left seriously confused. I had my suspicions and, similarly to Birdy, they were shot to death by an ultimate plot twist that was also deeply disturbing. You know, the best kind!

This book did have it's flaws though and they numbered more than most.

I've already mentioned the dry plot (up until the end of course) but there's also the generic characters to consider. Subtract the twist at the end I was getting a sort of Breakfast Club vibe from each character in this story. Darren, the jock, Emma, the princess, Martin, the brain etc. This could be just an added feature to highlight the intricately proceeding plot but I just found the characters difficult and pandering.

The one thing I did like about this story however, was what I mentioned before, it's intricacy. The plot, though dry, evolved into something very neat and it's creepiness was set up in a series of minor leaps and bounds that was just enough to keep it going towards an exciting climax. One thing I will point out is though, I only wish that this could've begun right from the beginning. The start didn't grab me like I think most books should.

Black Cairn Point was a somewhat interesting read. Definitely unique and cleverly put together. My only problem is that the plot did not grab me from page one.

3 out of 5 stars.

Black Cairn Point by Claire McFall

And now, ladies and gents, another book that had me rocking in a corner. And not in the good way.

If Birdy had you creeped out and questioning everyone you meet, then Black Cairn Point will not just have you questioning strangers. But have you question your friends as well. And you'll never want to go camping again, no way Jose.

My original opinion on this novel from writer Claire McFall was dull. Dull and in desperate need of some answers. One hundred pages in and I'm still left wondering where this is going and when it's going to take off.

The action starts and more questions are raised. My brow is furrowed in the what-the-hell-is-going-on kind of way and I'm left seriously confused. I had my suspicions and, similarly to Birdy, they were shot to death by an ultimate plot twist that was also deeply disturbing. You know, the best kind!

This book did have it's flaws though and they numbered more than most.

I've already mentioned the dry plot (up until the end of course) but there's also the generic characters to consider. Subtract the twist at the end I was getting a sort of Breakfast Club vibe from each character in this story. Darren, the jock, Emma, the princess, Martin, the brain etc. This could be just an added feature to highlight the intricately proceeding plot but I just found the characters difficult and pandering.

The one thing I did like about this story however, was what I mentioned before, it's intricacy. The plot, though dry, evolved into something very neat and it's creepiness was set up in a series of minor leaps and bounds that was just enough to keep it going towards an exciting climax. One thing I will point out is though, I only wish that this could've begun right from the beginning. The start didn't grab me like I think most books should.

Black Cairn Point was a somewhat interesting read. Definitely unique and cleverly put together. My only problem is that the plot did not grab me from page one.

3 out of 5 stars.

Trouble is a Friend Of Mine by Stephanie Tromly

What a flawless read! Like the Spring days to come or receiving a surprise birthday card, this story was a delight to experience. It was just one of those things that tends to brighten someone's day.

I will admit, I am one of those readers that looks at the crime-solving genre and immediately hits the snooze button in my brain. And I look at teenage mystery stories with even less excitement. So naturally I had low expectations going in.

How wrong I was! Not only was the writing fluid and expressive but Tromly manages to make each one of her characters lovable. Yes, even the bullies that you just want to love to hate. Also, if you're a teenage girl and you don't end up falling in love with Digby even just a little by the end of the book then you may have something seriously wrong with you.

This book was similar to watching a TV show. Not as mind-numbing, but just as effortless. Our protagonist, Zoe, is ordinary. That's it. She's just a regular girl (not unlike you or me) who finds an adventure on her doorstep. This adventure comes in the form of Digby, the school's local troublemaker/detective/brutally-honest-outcast-with-a-kind-of-dark-past.

There is something so beautiful about this though. This book didn't make me wish guys were like this in real life. It didn't give me unreal expectations about friendship or enemies-turned-friends. This book made me believe that if you don't got out searching for adventure than eventually it'll find you and turn your seemingly ordinary life into something special. It may come in the form of some sexy stranger on your doorstep or in the form of a new friend but this book gives me hope that adventure will come. No matter what.

5 out of 5 stars.

Trouble is a Friend Of Mine by Stephanie Tromly

What a flawless read! Like the Spring days to come or receiving a surprise birthday card, this story was a delight to experience. It was just one of those things that tends to brighten someone's day.

I will admit, I am one of those readers that looks at the crime-solving genre and immediately hits the snooze button in my brain. And I look at teenage mystery stories with even less excitement. So naturally I had low expectations going in.

How wrong I was! Not only was the writing fluid and expressive but Tromly manages to make each one of her characters lovable. Yes, even the bullies that you just want to love to hate. Also, if you're a teenage girl and you don't end up falling in love with Digby even just a little by the end of the book then you may have something seriously wrong with you.

This book was similar to watching a TV show. Not as mind-numbing, but just as effortless. Our protagonist, Zoe, is ordinary. That's it. She's just a regular girl (not unlike you or me) who finds an adventure on her doorstep. This adventure comes in the form of Digby, the school's local troublemaker/detective/brutally-honest-outcast-with-a-kind-of-dark-past.

There is something so beautiful about this though. This book didn't make me wish guys were like this in real life. It didn't give me unreal expectations about friendship or enemies-turned-friends. This book made me believe that if you don't got out searching for adventure than eventually it'll find you and turn your seemingly ordinary life into something special. It may come in the form of some sexy stranger on your doorstep or in the form of a new friend but this book gives me hope that adventure will come. No matter what.

5 out of 5 stars.

Paperweight by Meg Haston

Whilst reading this book I had the exquisite privilege of joining an anorexia nervosa sufferer and survivor on their journey to recovery. Haston's way of writing makes the sufferings of her characters seem real and brutal which makes for an interesting read.

The story centres in around Stevie, a young bulimia sufferer, who undergoes the terrible struggle of losing someone you love and paying the ultimate price for it. Horrifically enough however, it is a price that she brings upon herself, spiraling deeper and deeper in a whirlpool of guilt and denial.

Stevie goes from being a particularly normal teenager to getting sucked into seedy bars and binge drinking where she meets Eden, a hypnotic and dangerous girl who brings Stevie and her beloved brother Josh under her spell.

What made this story special is that with every chapter you get a little more insight into who the character is and how they go to where they are. If you consider the story a little boring at first, stick with it, because the story gets as warped as the mental disease itself.

As she resists the pull of her treatment and her shrink (cleverly nicknamed Shrink), Stevie reflects on her life up until her brother's untimely death in a car accident. Things start to boil between her and Eden and what Stevie thought was an ideal friendship evolves into something deeper.

Overall this novel was definitely a unique experience to read and it made me think a little deeper about life and those most affected by it's twists and turns. If a book that makes you think twice is what interests you, then this is most certainly a book worth your time.

4 out of 5 stars.