These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly

Well, talk about the most satisfying of unsatisfying endings. It's just *sigh*  when you know two people are so right together and then cliffhangers and- ughhhh. I'm facing a mixture of emotions right now.

These Shallow Graves. Where to start?

I think I'll start with Eddie. EDDIE! I cannot express how much I wish a man like him truly existed. His character actually effected me in more ways than one. His strength and his rustic charm and... and I'm swooning right now. Literally.

On the topic of strong characters may I just express how much I loved our main heroine, Josephine Montfort? Jo's wit and courage in the face of all that opposes her just leaps off the pages of this novel and I even found myself in awe of everything Jo overcame. Oh boy, did I have an unhealthy attachment to these characters!

And the plot! Oh the plot! (ahem, calm down Kat) Everything moved at a pace that I loved to keep up with. Just when you think you know which way things are going to turn, BAM! Another plot twist or amazing revelation.

I should probably summarise, forgive me. Here we go.

So Jo's father dies tragically but things don't add up. Was it an accident? Suicide? Or, dare I say, murder?

With the help of the ruggedly sexy reporter Eddie, Jo finds herself on this fast-paced, action-adventure to find some answers. Along the way she picks up some bad habits, meets some courageous new friends and discovers the truth of not only her father's death but also the justice needed for those who deserved it. (Honestly that's how much I can give away at this time. I'm under great personal restraint here, you have no idea)

So yeah, incredibly strong characters and the fast-paced plot combined to create a real thriller of a story! And to be honest, I took one look at the whole "mystery-thriller" genre and groaned internally. I used to find books of this kind to be extremely dull. Well, from now on I think I might be a little more open-minded when it comes to this sort of thing. These Shallow Graves has definitely changed my opinion on YA crime/mystery and I'm thankful for it.

Interesting quote: "This is the best thing, Jo. The city stretched out before you, glittering like a sack of diamonds. Yours for the taking. A drink and a smoke and no one to please but yourself. Freedom."

4 out of 5 stars.

These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly

Well, talk about the most satisfying of unsatisfying endings. It's just *sigh*  when you know two people are so right together and then cliffhangers and- ughhhh. I'm facing a mixture of emotions right now.

These Shallow Graves. Where to start?

I think I'll start with Eddie. EDDIE! I cannot express how much I wish a man like him truly existed. His character actually effected me in more ways than one. His strength and his rustic charm and... and I'm swooning right now. Literally.

On the topic of strong characters may I just express how much I loved our main heroine, Josephine Montfort? Jo's wit and courage in the face of all that opposes her just leaps off the pages of this novel and I even found myself in awe of everything Jo overcame. Oh boy, did I have an unhealthy attachment to these characters!

And the plot! Oh the plot! (ahem, calm down Kat) Everything moved at a pace that I loved to keep up with. Just when you think you know which way things are going to turn, BAM! Another plot twist or amazing revelation.

I should probably summarise, forgive me. Here we go.

So Jo's father dies tragically but things don't add up. Was it an accident? Suicide? Or, dare I say, murder?

With the help of the ruggedly sexy reporter Eddie, Jo finds herself on this fast-paced, action-adventure to find some answers. Along the way she picks up some bad habits, meets some courageous new friends and discovers the truth of not only her father's death but also the justice needed for those who deserved it. (Honestly that's how much I can give away at this time. I'm under great personal restraint here, you have no idea)

So yeah, incredibly strong characters and the fast-paced plot combined to create a real thriller of a story! And to be honest, I took one look at the whole "mystery-thriller" genre and groaned internally. I used to find books of this kind to be extremely dull. Well, from now on I think I might be a little more open-minded when it comes to this sort of thing. These Shallow Graves has definitely changed my opinion on YA crime/mystery and I'm thankful for it.

Interesting quote: "This is the best thing, Jo. The city stretched out before you, glittering like a sack of diamonds. Yours for the taking. A drink and a smoke and no one to please but yourself. Freedom."

4 out of 5 stars.

Monsters by Emerald Fennell

More twisted than Birdy and more gruesome than Black Cairn Point... *maniacal cackling* this book was a treat to read!

Sometimes you just want something that is straight to the point and brutal in it's execution and that is exactly what Monsters supplied. Fennell's writing was as blunt as blunt can be and that provoked a strong emotional response in the reader. Because that's what we want right? Books that can make us feel something...

Every small description, even if it was about something minor, was so simplistic and blunt that I found myself feeling uneasy and almost uncomfortable in some places. You know... in the best way possible of course!

We centre in on one of those classic tortured souls, the ones that make these stories all the more interesting to read. As the story is from a first-person perspective, we never actually learn the main characters name but we learn that she's well... different. Her aunt and uncle, whilst being partially (if not so), neglectful of their niece aren't there emotionally which I think led this insanely interesting character into her twisted ways. But I'm here to review the story not profile the characters.

Now just because I can't put a fault on this novel doesn't mean that it is perfect. Like it's characters this novel has depths to which I couldn't even see and that made it an eye-opener. As previously mentioned the bluntness of the writing hit home in all the right places and was just the right amount of creepy to make your skin crawl.

All I can say, and this could be a contributor to the straight-forward nature of the story, but the plot events didn't necessarily connect in a flowing manner. To me the story seemed choppy and disconnected and, let me remind you, THIS IS NOT A BAD THING. This, like the creepy nature of the plot twists and character developments, was a much-needed addition to add to the overall sombre and sinister tone of the book.

Interesting quote: "I really like my school but, honestly, I think it would be better if someone just burned the place to the ground."

4 out of 5 stars.

Monsters by Emerald Fennell

More twisted than Birdy and more gruesome than Black Cairn Point... *maniacal cackling* this book was a treat to read!

Sometimes you just want something that is straight to the point and brutal in it's execution and that is exactly what Monsters supplied. Fennell's writing was as blunt as blunt can be and that provoked a strong emotional response in the reader. Because that's what we want right? Books that can make us feel something...

Every small description, even if it was about something minor, was so simplistic and blunt that I found myself feeling uneasy and almost uncomfortable in some places. You know... in the best way possible of course!

We centre in on one of those classic tortured souls, the ones that make these stories all the more interesting to read. As the story is from a first-person perspective, we never actually learn the main characters name but we learn that she's well... different. Her aunt and uncle, whilst being partially (if not so), neglectful of their niece aren't there emotionally which I think led this insanely interesting character into her twisted ways. But I'm here to review the story not profile the characters.

Now just because I can't put a fault on this novel doesn't mean that it is perfect. Like it's characters this novel has depths to which I couldn't even see and that made it an eye-opener. As previously mentioned the bluntness of the writing hit home in all the right places and was just the right amount of creepy to make your skin crawl.

All I can say, and this could be a contributor to the straight-forward nature of the story, but the plot events didn't necessarily connect in a flowing manner. To me the story seemed choppy and disconnected and, let me remind you, THIS IS NOT A BAD THING. This, like the creepy nature of the plot twists and character developments, was a much-needed addition to add to the overall sombre and sinister tone of the book.

Interesting quote: "I really like my school but, honestly, I think it would be better if someone just burned the place to the ground."

4 out of 5 stars.

When I Was Me by Hilary Freeman

Okay, so When I Was Me poses some really great ideas and potential for a great story. With some tweaking the characters could be really admirable and bring the story to life. The theories and interesting science fiction behind the story made it a very thoughtful and unique experience.

Unfortunately that's where it ends.

I wish I could write more positive things. I don't like posting negative reviews. But, apart from being very unique with it's ideas and responses to a common fictional problem, this story sheds no positivity in any other areas.

Firstly, I'd like to talk about the main character, Ella. There is very little to be admired about her, she's stuck-up and self-centred. Though it may be a tired cliché amongst teen fiction, I believe that this generation is becoming used to strong, powerhouse females able to defend themselves on their own and take charge of the situation. Collins' Katniss, Clare's Clary and, for decades, Rowling's Hermione have moulded the idea of a perfect heroine. The fact that Ella defies these traits could be a refreshing change but instead just makes everything (ie: the plot, other characters and setting) drag on so much more.

When the going gets tough, normally, the girl gets going. She doesn't, however, get going to her new boyfriend of two dates and suddenly engage in "passionate and lustful" sex. Her sudden desperation to be held when faced with the ultimatum that will make the course of the story should make the readers sympathetic of her situation. Instead the sex was as forced as the romance was. The character of Will/Billy was without depth and his relationship with Ella was bone dry.

Consequently this led to a haphazard array of misplaced events and plot twists. Some were even left without conclusion!

SPOILER ALERT: 

After Ella emerges back into her old body after committing suicide from her parallel body their is no further mention of the mysterious old lady that she repeatedly hallucinated about. Every mention of the old woman made the story a little more interesting and gave it more depth. This was immediately dashed when this plot point was not accurately finalised.

~~~

My final point can either be considered a positive or a negative for the story depending on the interpretation of the reader.

The only character which stood out from all the rest was Daniel. His ingenuity about Ella's situation made him interesting but also really compelling and kept me asking questions like; how does he know this stuff? Can he be trusted? Is he hiding something? And so on and so forth.

However Ella's self-centred nature makes her oblivious to the point that, if he so desired, Daniel had her completely under his control. I'm just saying that she really rushed into trusting him. None of her decisions seemed very well-thought out.

Overall I can't say this story was a complete waste of time. It was certainly an experience. The only positive was that it made my think and consider the idea of parallel universes. I thought about it until my head hurt. But unfortunately the quality of this story goes no further than that.

1 out of 5 stars.

When I Was Me by Hilary Freeman

Okay, so When I Was Me poses some really great ideas and potential for a great story. With some tweaking the characters could be really admirable and bring the story to life. The theories and interesting science fiction behind the story made it a very thoughtful and unique experience.

Unfortunately that's where it ends.

I wish I could write more positive things. I don't like posting negative reviews. But, apart from being very unique with it's ideas and responses to a common fictional problem, this story sheds no positivity in any other areas.

Firstly, I'd like to talk about the main character, Ella. There is very little to be admired about her, she's stuck-up and self-centred. Though it may be a tired cliché amongst teen fiction, I believe that this generation is becoming used to strong, powerhouse females able to defend themselves on their own and take charge of the situation. Collins' Katniss, Clare's Clary and, for decades, Rowling's Hermione have moulded the idea of a perfect heroine. The fact that Ella defies these traits could be a refreshing change but instead just makes everything (ie: the plot, other characters and setting) drag on so much more.

When the going gets tough, normally, the girl gets going. She doesn't, however, get going to her new boyfriend of two dates and suddenly engage in "passionate and lustful" sex. Her sudden desperation to be held when faced with the ultimatum that will make the course of the story should make the readers sympathetic of her situation. Instead the sex was as forced as the romance was. The character of Will/Billy was without depth and his relationship with Ella was bone dry.

Consequently this led to a haphazard array of misplaced events and plot twists. Some were even left without conclusion!

SPOILER ALERT: 

After Ella emerges back into her old body after committing suicide from her parallel body their is no further mention of the mysterious old lady that she repeatedly hallucinated about. Every mention of the old woman made the story a little more interesting and gave it more depth. This was immediately dashed when this plot point was not accurately finalised.

~~~

My final point can either be considered a positive or a negative for the story depending on the interpretation of the reader.

The only character which stood out from all the rest was Daniel. His ingenuity about Ella's situation made him interesting but also really compelling and kept me asking questions like; how does he know this stuff? Can he be trusted? Is he hiding something? And so on and so forth.

However Ella's self-centred nature makes her oblivious to the point that, if he so desired, Daniel had her completely under his control. I'm just saying that she really rushed into trusting him. None of her decisions seemed very well-thought out.

Overall I can't say this story was a complete waste of time. It was certainly an experience. The only positive was that it made my think and consider the idea of parallel universes. I thought about it until my head hurt. But unfortunately the quality of this story goes no further than that.

1 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.