The books I have read this month include: 'Eden summer' , 'The girl who cried wolf','Sapphire Blue'. and 'we were liars.' They are all completely different but I recommend all of them!
This month has started with a bang, as I read a great book called 'Eden Summer' by Liz Flanagan. The story was based on two girls, infact, best friends. Life has thrown large obstacles to both of them.
The novel is from the perspective of Jess, a girl who is quite individual, she dresses goth-like and has tattoos. Her best friend, Eden has recently lost her sister, which leaves her depressed. The book starts with finding out that Eden is missing, and then the story returns to the past frequently unfolding the summers dramatic and important events.
I have never read a book that the plot expresses how important friendship is, and what it can do to you, which I loved. It also tort you about life and this following quote, will I think stay with me for a very long time: "We don't get happy or unhappy cos we deserve it. We're just lucky if we get good stuff. But you still have to choose what to make of it, right? So lets grab it".
The descriptions were amazing, it really created you to imagine the scenario. It was a complete page turner, with a rollercoaster of emotions that both the character and reader feels.
The book also touches Romance and family, as well as friendship- so the story leaves you feeling very lucky for the friends and family you have got. I was very sad to finish it as I really got to know all the characters, and I felt the story was definitely written from the heart.
So all in all, I really recommend this YA thriller, and I would definitely like to read more of Liz Flanagans books! I would recommend it to 13+.
Buy it:
http://www.davidficklingbooks.com/shop/ItemDetails.php?pubID=148
OR
https://www.waterstones.com/book/eden-summer/liz-flanagan/9781910989074
The second book I read this month is called 'The girl who cried wolf' by Bella James.
This book is about a young adult girl called Anna. She frequently fakes being sick so she doesn't have to attend school. She can never be bothered, for anything, especially school. She soon starts getting real headaches which she thinks is just her imagination helping her fake it. The school are so suspicious of her continuous absence so she is sent for a check up, to see if she really is ill.
To her shock, she ends up really getting ill-and she wonders if its even possible that she will survive.
As a character, she preferred her mother to her father, as he was much jollier to her. But when her baby sister was born, her mother had bruises all over her body, and her father suddenly left and no longer lived with the family.
Had her mother have a reason to be so depressed?
This book also contains romance, as when Anna in hospital, she meets a boy called Michael who has also suffered. They truly love each other, but will they be able to have a life together or will she not survive?
In the middle of the book, she has a huge operation, which causes her to be unconscious. Here, she is almost transported to another world, where sees the truth about her parents, and learns how horrible she has been at school.
The only criticism I have for the book is didn't get to know the character of Micheal very well, as their relationship moved very quickly and suddenly.
But overall, This book is gripping and a very nice and important story to read. I would recommend it to 13+, it was a different and touching story, and i had never read anything like it, which was nice to have a change!
Buy it:
or:
https://www.accentpress.co.uk/the-girl-who-cried-wolf
The next book I read this month is called 'Sapphire blue' by Karen King. This was a different read and I really have never read a novel with a plot like this.
It was based on afterlife , when two lovers die in a car crash and then lose each other, which results in their mission is to find each other. In the afterlife their are many different sections, both different and bad, and Will and Sapphire, the main characters, get wrapped in the duty to save and conquer the horrible section with horrible people in, 'red.'
I liked how the after life was different to normal life, as everything was controlled by mind power, this means that they can do and control everything and anything by their mind, but sometimes it can be very hard, and they need lots of practice to be powerful...This was a very clever idea.
This book is only 150 pages so is a quick but gripping book. I never really read fantasy books, which to be completely honest, isn't my ultimate favourite.
Having said that, I liked how the plot was based in the after life because it left me with a nice thought and hope that it was really like that when you died!
I really liked both main characters and I liked how the story contained romance, although it was a fantasy, and also a bit of a thriller!- It had a clever 'problem' to the story and I think the whole book portrayed messages about living life to the full, which I loved!
The ending was brilliant and It was a very heartwarming story.
I will be recommending it to people especially if they want a quick, easy fantasy read.
I would recommend it to people age 12+, it fits in to the YA section.
buy:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sapphire-Blue-Karen-King/dp/1625261667
The last book is a book that I don't think will leave my mind for a very VERY long time. It's called 'We were liars' by E. Lockhart.
This is one of those books which is extremely hard to describe especially without giving it away. A lot of reviews I've read have said 'Just read it!' The blurb also doesn't give anything away so when I started this book, I really knew nothing about the plot at all.
This book is based on a family, the Sinclares, who come across and have to be utterly and completely perfect. They have to smile when they're sad and get on with anything in their way, almost like it never happened...
The family go to a private island every summer of the coast of Massachusetts. They go with cousins and grandparents, it has been going on for generations.
One of the cousins always brings a boy called Gat, short for Gatwick. He has come with them for quite some summers now. He is handsome, and totally loveable, well, in Caddy's eyes anyway.
Caddy, the narrator of the story, had an accident one summer, and ever since she has been taking millions of drugs and getting horrendous headaches. The worst thing is, she can't remember why she had the accident, how she had the accident and what were the events leading up to it. She goes away with her father after the accident for quite some time, which means she doesn't see her cousins, so sends messages and emails to both them and Gat. But they never, ever, reply. Both the character and reader wonders if Caddy had a huge argument with them before the accident that she hasn't restored in her memory or they just haven't got round to replying, or neither..
The whole book looks back on the summer and what happened, coming back to the present too, slowly unfolding the accident and all the answers that Caddy and me, as a reader, were asking. I think my least and most favourite bit of the book was the ending, which I know, is a surprising combination. It was my favourite because I think it was the most clever twist I have ever read, and when I look back on the book I see all the little hints dropped in. But I don't like the ending because It creates me to not like the plot of the story and I found it quite confusing and sad. Then again, it left me thinking about it for quite some time and I was eager to know what other people felt about the book.
I will definitely be recommending this to friends, firstly because its a gripping and clever read but also I'm desperate to talk about this book to someone! I think everyone will have a different point of view of the whole story and ending, which is clever of the author.
So all in all, I would say don't read this book if your looking for an easy, light hearted happy book. But do read it if your looking for a gripping, romantic, thrilling story that is unforgettable... I'm not really sure if its unforgettable in a good or bad way, but think mostly good!
The last thing I love about the book is how once you've read the book, the blurb is really clever and totally true. It says:
which are lies?
which is truth?
You decide.
This completely relates to the story and ending and you will definitely be asking these questions to yourself once you've finished it!
I would recommend it to ages 13-14+, it fits in to the YA section.
buy it:
https://www.waterstones.com/book/we-were-liars/emily-lockhart/9781471403989