Letters to Eloise by Emily Williams
I’ll be honest, after reading the blurb for this book, I was skeptical and didn’t know if I would enjoy it.
It was bloody brilliant. …
A Quiet Kind of Thunder by Sara Barnard
After reading Beautiful Broken Things by Sara Barnard, which told the story of friendships, love and hurt, A Quiet Kind of Thunder explores the world of a girl who is a selective mute and boy who is deaf and follows their journey of self-discovery. …
Our Own Private Universe by Robin Talley
This one of my most anticipated releases for the entirety of 2017. After reading Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley, I was eager to get my hands on her new book: Our Own Private Universe. I was excited because I read that this book was about a bisexual, POC, fifteen-year-old, who goes to Mexico with the church. So already, there’s a lot going on here: we have a black girl, a bisexual protagonist who wants to explore her sexuality and it’s set in Mexico where there are religious aspects to it. After finishing it, I realised that I was slightly disappointed. *lengthy review ahead* …
Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira
This was a book that I had heard very mixed reviews on; people either loved it or hated it – and of course, I just had to be the person that thought it was in between. I didn’t dislike it, I didn’t love it. It just took forever to get into and I nearly DNF’d (did not finish) it. But luckily the last quarter of the book saved it from being dumped in the DNF pile!
Dear Anyone by Sue Whitaker
I’m at a loss for words. I am here, sitting in bed and I have no clue what to write. This book blew my mind. After reading Remember Remember by Sue Whitaker, I knew that I could expect a brilliant story but I was not expecting that. At all. That was magnificent. It was perfection.
Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
Reading Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda, you wouldn’t think that this was Albertalli’s debut novel. Normally a debut has a few problems here and there and the storyline isn’t quite up to the standard that is should be, but not with this book. No way. Albertalli has created something that is so powerful and moving that I started reading it again once I had finished it.
The Sunshine Time Ep 2 by Sonal Panse
Once I had finished episode one of The Sunshine Time by Sonal Panse, I just had to start episode two. There was something about Lea’s personality and the way that Panse created this whole, entertaining world that just made me want to keep reading about these characters
The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon
After Nicola Yoon’s debut novel: Everything Everything took the young adult genre by storm and was loved so much by everyone that it’s becoming a movie, it wouldn’t be long until Yoon’s second book was to come out. That second book is The Sun is Also a Star and in my opinion, it is better than her debut.
Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley
If you’re looking for a diverse book to read, then look no further. Lies We Tell Ourselves is the story about a black girl falling in love with a white girl during the Civil Rights movement.
I had to read this book for my local Waterstones book club and I am so glad that this was the book that was picked. It was so eye-opening and it taught me a lot about the Civil Right movement; I already imagined the integration of black people into white schools to be an unpleasant read, but the way that Talley tells it is horrifying: I wanted to cry for the black students.
Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven
Being the author of All the Bright Places, Jennifer Niven knows how to reach the young adult audience and how to capture their hearts and attention. She knows how to make characters relateable, three-dimensional and loveable.
Holding up the Universe is better than All the Bright Places. It’s 10x better. The writing is more fluid, the characters have more depth to them and there’s a strong, clear, positive message all the way through the book: you are wanted, you are necessary, you are loved.