UKYA Extravaganza Blog Tour: Q&A with Kate Ormand

 

Next weekend, I'm heading to Birmingham - for the first time in years - to attend UKYA Extravaganza, which will be taking place at Waterstones Birmingham! To celebrate UKYA, and the work of the authors, bloggers and other people within the community, Kerry Drewery and Emma Pass have managed to piece together a line-up of thirty-five authors for the afternoon's events! I spent a few panicked minutes on the phone waiting to hear whether tickets were still available over the phone a few weeks ago, just in time before they sold out(within twenty-four hours of initially going on sale!).

 

 As part of the countdown to the event, I'm hosting today's Blog Tour stop with the wonderful Kate Ormand, who is an author appearing at next weekend's event, and one of the cheerleaders for UKYA online. Also, she has an incredible amount of patience when it comes to waiting for questions to be sent by an apologetic blogger!

 

Find out more about Kate and her books:  Twitter | Website | Facebook

Hi Sophie! Thanks so much for having me!

Q. UKYA Extravaganza is next weekend! Now the countdown is coming to an end, what are you anticipating most about the event?

A. I'm so excited to meet everybody! I'm looking forward to getting a few of my books signed by some of the other authors too.

Q. Since this tour stop is a celebration of all things UKYA, can you share with us a few of your favourite books that fit into this category?

A. I LOVE Emma Pass's books, ACID and THE FEARLESS. I recently read 7 DAYS by Eve Ainsworth, which I thought was brilliant. THE SIN EATER'S DAUGHTER by Melinda Salisbury is also a new favourite. VENDETTA by Catherine Doyle is incredible. And I just finished the fantastic SLATED trilogy by Teri Terry.

Q. 'UKYA' is a fairly new term to the publishing world. What do you think has made this 'brand' so popular in such a short space of time?

A. The people who read it, write it and are passionate about it. Teams like Bookish Brits on YouTube. Lucy Powrie has Project UKYA and runs hugely popular Twitter chats that everyone's welcome to. Michelle at Fluttering Butterflies is running a British Books reading challenge this year and always creates UKYA lists on Goodreads. Debbie at Snuggling on the Sofa created an awesome spreadsheet for UKYA this year too! Things like this, and the people behind them, really give UKYA a boost and the love is spreading!

Q. As well as being an author, you also co-founded the blog Author Allsorts. How does it feel to be a part of the UKYA community, both as a blogger and an author?

A. I love it! I love reading and talking about books online, so it's nice to still be doing that - if I wasn't, I wouldn't have been able to join in the Scholastic Bloggers' Brunch with you guys last month!

Q.Most of the books we see being made into blockbusters are categorised as USYA. Do you think this is a genre UKYA can begin to challenge?

A. Definitely! Think of Teri Terry's SLATED or Sally Green's HALF BAD on the big screen - amazing!

Q. You will be at UKYA Extravaganza to promote your debut, Dark Days, which was released last year. What has surprised you the most about life as a published author so far?

A. People reading my books, supporting me, wanting me to write my name on things! Sometimes I don't think about the whole "author" bit, I just write and read and talk about books and go along with my day, then sometimes it hits me and it all seems so surreal and wonderful.

I've fallen head-over-heels for the pink font!

Q. Dark Days is a dystopia novel where the world has been divided into sectors and the people separated. How did you go about constructing this world? Were there notes, maps, drawings...?

A. I did draw a map of the sector and one of the New World to help me when navigating Sia through her setting. I had a lot of notes from reasons  for how the world is the way it is in the novel. I always had them all around me at the desk for easy access and making sure I remembered it all on top of everything else! I also have a pinterest board - images are a great source of inspiration to me.

Q. Sia, the main character, finds out early on in the novel that she has fifteen days before she gets 'eaten' by cyborgs. How would you react - honestly if you found yourself in her position?

I'd be devastated. I wouldn't be able to cope. She's SO much braver than me. And we do see different reactions in the book of how other characters handle the news.

Q. I've also just been reading about your upcoming book The Wanderers. Where does the inspiration for the creatures such as the shifters - and the cyborgs featured in Dark Days - come from?

A. I thought of the idea for THE WANDERERS when I saw a circus poster on my way to university one day. It was bright yellow, all torn and weathered, and I said, "What if I wrote a circus book where all the animals were shapeshifters?" And then...I did! Shapeshifters feature in plenty of books I've read, so I'm hoping to have given them a unique twists. The cyborgs - I like robots! I'm even playing with the idea for another robot book (but they're not vicious and deadly this time!).

Q. Will you be continuing to write UKYA novels?

A. Definitely! I love UKYA and I'm so proud and grateful to be a part of it! Thank you, Sophie!

Thank you so much for answering my questions, Kate!

***

 

You can follow the rest of the blog tour, and keep up to date with news about Saturday's event, by using #UKYAExtravaganza!

I will be writing a recap sharing my thoughts on the event that will be up on the blog next Monday!

Will I be seeing you at UKYA Extravaganza?
If not, would you like to see similar events held elsewhere?

Tell me in the comments!

Sophie
x

 

Apple and Rain Blog Tour: Inspiring Teachers

There were two reasons for why, when I was asked to participate in the blog tour for the Apple and Rain paperback, I replied within moments of seeing the email.

 The first: I absolutely adore Crossan's writing. No matter how much time I had spent staring at the white hardback edition in the bookstore, I hadn't yet managed to pick up Apple and Rain, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity. Whilst I still like the simplicity of the hardback, I can't help but prefer the bold colour of the new edition; not many people have missed it when I've been reading in class! It's no surprise that, since receiving the copy, I've spent the nights curled up reading it. I've been willing to read anything Sarah has written from the time I discovered Breathe!

Second: I saw a suggestion for what the post could be about - inspiring teachers - and knew it couldn't have fit better with my own experiences at school. I'll admit that I almost live in the English Department, in my own seat beside the radiator, and it's been the teachers there that have inspired me to pick up a pen. It's those that will spend the extra hour after class talking about daily life - what happens outside those four walls - or those that will lend you a copy of a John Green novel they enjoyed, that make an impact. I was introduced to the quote that has shaped the past two years by my English teacher, and been inspired by her support to want to do the same. I guess I've had my own Mr Gaydon! You can see when a teacher cares about what they are teacher, and like Sarah, I can't contemplate why we're still holding back creativity.*

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Have you seen the new ad on TV with that guy from Educating Yorkshire in it? The ad encouraging people to train as teachers? It’s fabulous. It makes me want to get back into the classroom and inspire a whole generation of young people to be their very best selves, to live fully, to dream bravely. And yet, I’m not sure the ad tells the truth about what it means to be a teacher in this country at the moment. I’m not sure it reflects what the government wants from teachers and students. I’m not sure how easy it is these days to be an inspiring teacher.

In my latest novel, Apple and Rain, a teacher called Mr Gaydon promotes poetry in his classroom in a way that’s fun and exciting and completely non-threatening. He gets his students interested and makes them see that poetry belongs to them. My protagonist is transformed by this process. So why did I include Mr Gaydon in my book? Well, I created this impassioned teacher because that’s how I feel poetry should be taught – as something which appeals to our emotions first and intellects second. We allow students to enjoy music before studying it, to ponder paintings before explaining the symbolism, but poetry is taught backwards – it begins as something to be puzzled over and examined, something to feel frightened of, and then we ask students whether or not they enjoyed the poems we’ve taught. And I don’t blame the teachers for this.

As I intimated, I was a teacher myself for ten years, and I know how hard it is to be penned in by a curriculum that leaves very little space for fun. Everything that’s taught is then tested, so how can teachers feel free to let students love poems before understanding them? To feel their musicality before examining the structure of the language? There simply isn’t the time.

And this is where the government comes in. Change the way we teach students and test them. Give teachers time to inspire. Leave space in the curriculum for fun and laughter. Maybe that sounds frightening. What about the unruly teachers, won’t they waste this time, fail to teach young people anything useful? There is that risk. Obviously. But I’d say a very low percentage of teachers would abuse a system that asked them to teach what they love.

When I lived in New Jersey I taught at an amazingly progressive school founded by a smart, warm woman called Suellen Newman where the teachers were encouraged to write their own curriculums and teach their passions, which we all did. The result? Mayhem! No, that's a joke. It was amazing! Teachers were happy and students thrived. Grades soared and the young people were roused to set up their own clubs, societies and interest groups, everyone taking responsibility for his or her own learning. The motivation stopped coming from the teacher and started coming from the students themselves who simply wanted to learn for learning's sake. And what more can we ask of young people than they take ownership of their own educations. Is it a fantasy? I don't think so. I've seen it happen. And maybe if the government eased up just a tiny little bit on teachers, it could happen in the UK too

***

It's the Apple and Rain paperback's book-birthday today(February 12th)! Make sure to pick up a copy - if only to be able to own that cover on your shelves!

 

Any memories of an inspiring teacher?

Share them in the comments!

 

*I was a Year Seven taught Harry Potter to a soundtrack of this parody. I know that was not on the syllabus!

UKYA Authors I Haven't Read Yet(But Want To)!

Earlier, notepad and pen in-hand, I sat down with the intent of writing a short-list of those authors I haven't read yet. Unlike those whose books I buy instantly, the moment they reach bookstores, these I have never picked up. Not once. I've read reviews of their novels, added them to a wishlist, admired shelves dedicated to them in a bookstore. As the list soon became two pages long, rather than the few bullet-points I was expecting, I decided to split it in two: the first being about UKYA authors, who I love supporting. We have some brilliant writers in YA, and I would love to spend more time reading what they have written, as - admittedly - most of my bookshelf features novels from American writers.

Moira Young

Moira Young's Blood Red Road - the first in the Dustlands trilogy - has been waiting on my shelf, in a space between my favourite dystopias, to be read for almost a year. In desperate attempts to find time to read it, I've taken it on road trips, becoming caught up in conversation rather than in the  characters and plot. Since the copy I own is covered in reviews on the inside cover comparing it to The Hunger Games, it's no surprise that I snatched this up. Teamed with the raving-reviews, book-award wins and intriguing synopsis, I knew this was a must-read. Already, I love the aspects Young has drawn into one novel, including a life or death scenario, and can't wait to read the first book by this author. With the three novels already published, I have no excuse not to pick them all up, especially since I've wanted to see whether Moira Young's writing lives up to they hype.

Annabel Pitcher

At the beginning of this year, Ketchup Clouds was at the top of my must-read list after receiving it for Christmas, picked up after I read about the novel on Amber's blog. I admired - and continue to - Pitcher's idea for the novel, that seemed so bold, the choice to write about a child sending letters to a criminal on Death Row. There is such a contrast between an 'innocent' child and somebody in an American prison. When I bought Ketchup Clouds, I also saw Pitcher's debut - My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece - on the shelves, but decided not to pick it up; wanting to try one before buying the entire collection. I've passed it during almost every trip to a bookstore since, but with one of her books still unread, I know I can't add it to my shelf. I'm really excited to read both of Pitcher's novels; expecting for them to be two of my favourite reads this year. I'll love the covers - and spine decoration - regardless, though! 

Holly Bourne

Whilst writing a post about the lack of books about mental illness, and how important it is for more to be published, Holly Bourne announced that her next novel would be about OCD. And I couldn't have been happier. After reading more about the book - which will be published in 2015 - I found out it was exactly what I had been waiting for. A novel, not with a friend or parent - a secondary character - suffering, but the main character struggling with illness. With recent events, it's crystal-clear that disorders like OCD and Depression do need to be covered more in novels, to raise awareness. The more they are written about, the less stigma surrounds the subject. 

Before it's released, though, I'd love to be able to read her previous novels - Soulmates and The Manifesto and How To Be Interesting - as both have been praised endlessly in reviews. Already, I love how both her published novels are completely different genres; hopefully, I'll love how Bourne tackles them.

CJ Daugherty

Outside of blogging only a few of my friends love to read and, mostly, I recommend novels to them - and then am forced to pick up double the amount of merchandise from book events to share. It's a small price to pay. When discussing reading in class once - amidst the release of The Fault in Our Stars - I was asked if I had read the Night School series. I hadn't. Since, we've had a few conversations about the series, and I've become really interested in the Bullingdon Club - a secret society in Oxford University that the likes of David Cameron have been members of - that the book is based around. From what I had read about the series before, I had always assumed that it was a fantasy series, following in the footsteps of The Twilight Saga. Now I know more about the inspiration behind the series, I'm looking forward to reading them, and discovering CJ Daugherty's world.     

So, what UKYA authors haven't you read that you want to?

Any from the list above?

Tell me in the comments!

Book Review: 'Half Bad' by Sally Green

I originally posted this review on The Guardian.

When I saw this in WHSmith, I knew I had to pick this up, placing it at the top of my TBR pile before reads that have been on my shelf for months.

'There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.'


You can't read, can't write, but you heal fast, even for a witch.

You get sick if you stay indoors after dark.

You hate White Witches but you love Annalise, who is one.

You've been kept in a cage since you were fourteen.

All you've got to do is escape and find Mercury, the Black Witch that eats boys.

And do that before your seventeenth birthday.

Easy.

Goodreads | Twitter | Website | Publisher

Sally Green's debut, the first in her Half Life trilogy, is promising; setting out possible plot lines for the sequel, Half Wild, with almost a year until its release. With a unique take on the world of witches - where no broomsticks or cauldrons are included - we experience Assessments, Giving Ceremonies and are introduced to the idea of a council for White Witches in England and Wales. Told using different narrative styles, switching from second person to first, Half Bad is an enjoyable and exciting novel that overcomes the stereotypes that we have come to accept surrounding the supernatural.

 

Beginning with mixed feelings on this novel, finding the narrative confusing, I contemplated returning to it later rather than continuing this debut. The opening pages are crammed with tension, hints about what could happen in the novel filling the pages, but this is soon lost, Green taking a few chapters to pick up this prose again. The author does execute the second person narrative with ease; a refreshing voice in YA fiction, and I can understand why she has been applauded for this in other raving-reviews. Although, the transitions from the different narrative styles could have been smoother, the plot a struggle to follow for the first part, the timeline becoming slightly blurred as new characters crept into the novel.

Our protagonist - Nathan - is a Half Code, half Black and half White witch. His father is the most powerful Black witch; his mother has committed suicide; his every move is watched by the Council. Half Bad documents his life, as he waits for his Father, and travels with him as he tries to discover what - and who - he is. The novel is, in truth, an in-depth study of his character, depicting his thoughts and feelings, showing the brutality he faces at the hands of Hunters. Nathan is a relatable character, falling in love and struggling to 'fit in' at school, and Green writes him with no restrictions. I loved the cast of characters in Half Bad: the combination of villains and heroes, the inclusion of a damsel-in-distress and a sidekick, along with a homosexual character. They were a distinct set, each described in such detail, the history of Nathan's character in particular thought through by the author.

Once the problems with the narrative were overcome, this soon became an action-packed novel, with some adventure aspects tainting the chapters. The slow and steady novel I became used to picked up its pace, with the suspense building as the ending approached;  particular subplots tied-up in preparation for the sequel, others left after a cliff hanger ending. As a huge fan of fantasy novels, this one was worth continuing!

A rocky-start but a worthwhile read all the same.

Recommend for: Ages 13+


4 Stars

Have you read 'Half Bad'?
What did you think?
If not, will you be picking it up?

Tell me in the comments!

Book Review: 'Acid' by Emma Pass

It's been almost a month since I wrote my last book review, as I've never had such a busy school-life, with revision and other projects that I'm currently working on stealing all of the free hours I use to have. I also haven't been able to read as much as I would have wanted to - although, I did get to sneak in 'Acid' during a short school-break, after it had been on my wish-list for months and I spotted it at my local library.

They stole her life. Now she wants it back.

ACID - the most brutal police force in history.

 

They rule with an iron fist.

 

They see everything. They know everything.

 

They locked me away for life.

 

My crime?

 

They say I murdered my parents.

 I was fifteen years old.

 

My name is Jenna Strong.

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'Acid' was an exhilarating and enthralling debut, that was driven by our main protagonist Jenna Strong, who readers can't help but admire. Set in 2113, the IRB is now controlled by the brutal police force ACID, who rule by inflicting fear onto those who watch on - fed information through their coms. As a person who loves reading, the fact that there are only a limited number of e-Fics that have been approved by ACID was a part of the book that was hard-hitting for me. This aspect was something that struck me, and made me fear where the world could be going; something all good Dystopias need to do. Strong, at the age of seventeen, may be the only women prisoner in Mileway but her wit and determination have kept her alive thus far; not to mention her feisty demeanour, and her unflinching attitude that made this book all the more enjoyable. Pass' debut was set in a mainly dystopia London, one that reflects some of the problems we are currently facing such as political turmoil, and was built carefully, a clear symbolism of the hierarchy that we see everyday in our daily-lives, but tend to ignore as we are so used to it.

The way 'Acid' was written perfectly captured the voice of Jenna Strong, and all the emotions that she experienced throughout the novel - everything from the anger she felt at ACID to her guilt over her parents' murders, and the frustration at not being told certain things. Jenna is definitely one of my new favourite female heroines. Pass' writing caught my attention from the very first page, effortlessly pulling me into a gripping tale that was never short of suspense or excitement; but also able to throw in expert character-building, to the point where you felt like many of the characters, mainly Jenna and a young man named Max Fisher(on the run from ACID) were not just fictional characters; they were depicted so well that they felt real. Feeling as if you are connected to a character is such an important part of a book, but with Jenna and Max, I was left jaw-dropped as if what was happening in their lives was what was taking place in my own.

 

Emma Pass really has established herself as an author I know I will continue to read, no matter what genre she dips her pen into. Not only were there a set of relatable main characters, but we had a set of secondary-characters that never felt as if they had been thrown in to move along the plot - a quick 'shortcut' for a new writer on the block. Instead,  'Acid' was not an overly-crowded, struggling to remember names, type of novel. Pass took complete advantage of the society she had written about, creating government-ministers I saw as villains creeping through the book, ready to pounce on Jenna whenever they wished. Yes, there was quite a large cast of characters, but they were all described so well and I grew to care about them - willing them on.

 

The plot was extremely intricate, and when reading, it was tough to comprehend how much planning it must have taken-place to piece together. With careful hints, you realise later, dropped in throughout the novel, as well as twists and turns throughout the stand-a-lone, it was unexpected - and something any fan of Dystopia novels and those who can spend hours reading thrillers will devour in a few days. The pages were filled with original ideas - and there are various different ways used to tell the story such as using ACID's news reporters - sent straight to com.

 

One of my favourite things about this novel was how it was a stand-alone. Although, the only reason that this is not a five-star read is due to a few loose-ends - but I couldn't recommend it enough for a great UKYA read.

 



4.5 Stars



Have you read 'ACID'?

Tell me in the comments!



Top Debut Authors I've Read in 2013

This year, most of my favourite books have been from first-time authors, and my shelves are practically full of debut novels. This though, is a fantastic thing, and I wish that these authors had gained more recognition, because even I know being a debut author is pretty difficult. I've read a lot of debuts this year, and decided at 1.30am this morning that I should write a post on the top authors who's debut book/s I read this year. Most of these authors have left me with quite a long wait for the sequel, as they love their "What, you can't end it here?" last pages, or next novels which I'm already anticipating just from reading some small pieces of information.

 

This list is in no particular order.

 

Holly Smale

I can't quite believe that this time last year I hadn't read Geek Girl yet, as Harriet Manners feels like an old friend of mine and, I mean that in a good way! This year, I have loved reading both 'Geek Girl' and the sequel, 'Geek Girl: Model Misfit' as some of the problems Harriet faces are ones that most young girls are able to relate to. When I got a manuscript of 'Geek Girl', with some cute-badges, way back in January, I remember how suddenly everything changed into people saying it's fine to be a geek, and that a lot of readers, including myself, began to express themselves a lot more because of the book. I'm definitely more willing to admit I'm a book-geek.  Personally, I think Smale's writing is fun, honest and hilarious. The third book in the series, that will not be the last after a recent announcement on Twitter, is one of my most anticipated reads of 2014!

 

Liz Coley

Pretty Girl Thirteen was both a harrowing and haunting yet, hard-hitting book that left me speechless. Coley dealt with such a difficult topic, that had me experiencing all levels of emotion, in her debut novel that was out this year. This novel will always be an unforgettable book to me - as the theme was unexpected; I went into this thinking it would be a Fantasy and found something very different. Along with a tough subject-matter, there were also some very hard scenes to read, that had to be written to make this story real. The reason Coley's work needs much wider-recognition is that she didn't shy away from topics in her book that no-author would dare to write about, and made it a book that will always stick-in-my-mind because of what it was about, and what it made me feel.

 

Natasha Ngan

 'The Elites' was definitely one of my favourite Dystopia's of this year, as I loved the way Ngan was able to take problems from today's society and place them in Neo-Babel, the world her book was set in. There was never a moment when I didn't feel connected to the characters, that the multiple narrative wasn't working, or my mind was wandering elsewhere. Instead, everything worked.One of my favourite things about the book was that all the backstories of the main characters were known, and the characters' pasts actually affected their actions throughout the novel. I applaud Ngan for this brilliant debut, and the mention of next novels above was, of course, about 'The Memory Keepers' her next novel, which isn't our for a while, but I know I've already fallen head-over-heels for the premise!

 

Samantha Shannon 

 

Anyone who got the chance to read 'The Bone Season' this year knows why it is on the list. The

world-building was breath-taking. The amount of thought, detail and planning that must have gone into the book, as well as the orders of Clairvoyance, is a work-load I can't quite comprehend. 'The Bone Season' was a huge novel, the one book I would not want to fall down on my shelf and hit me but the one I would use to defend myself in any-situation, yet Shannon's writing and world is, as I said in my review, highly-ambitious and just incredibly imagined.

 

Laure Eve

When I requested Fearsome Dreamer, it took a few weeks to arrive so, I thought that maybe it wasn't coming after-all but, I then got a gorgeous hard-back through the post and started it as soon as I could. That book, by Laure Eve, became one of my favourite books of this year! The writing was intricate and detailed, the characters had different personalities that I loved reading about, and the plot itself was gripping. There is one certain aspect of Eve's debut-novel that stood out a lot to me, and that was the idea of 'Life' where, everyone jacks into a type of 'video-game' and that's where they live their lives. In a street in the 'real world' everything is plain, without any colour or much to do, but in life, that street is none of those things. Instead, everything is brighter and bolder. I'm highly anticipating the sequel, which is out next year, and to discover more about the 'Talent' that the series is based around.

 

Helen Douglas

 'After Eden', Douglas' debut novel came out this year, and I was finally pulled-into the world of books about time-travel! I didn't think 'After Eden' would be as good as it was, but I enjoyed it so much, and the main characters' normal, every-day life was something I could completely relate to, with the romance making it something that meant I could forget school while reading! The romance between Eden and Ryan was also really well-written, something I was rooting on,  and the setting was a great choice, so I will be definitely checking out the sequel when it is released on 5th June!

***

My only question is, "Where are the male debut-authors?" I get emails about new books available for review, and am constantly searching on Twitter, but for some reason, I haven't seen the mention of many male debut-novels this year. While Patrick Ness is one of my favourite authors, and I enjoyed 'Every Day' by David Levithan this year, I haven't read a single debut by a male-author.

 

This was such a hard list to compile - as I have read a lot of great Debut's this year!

Top UKYA Authors!

After the recent announcement that the first UKYA convention will be held in London next year in July; the work of the new Children's Laureate Malorie Blackman, I've been thinking a lot about my favourite UKYA authors and those I'd like to see make an appearance at the festival. It's clear that the most popular books are from American authors at the moment. Of course, we've all heard mentions of The Hunger Games and The Mortal Instruments! I'd really like to see UK authors become more widely-recognised over the next few years, and think the two-day-convention held at London Comic-Con 2014 will really help get young people more interested in reading!

 

Patrick Ness

I was recently asked whether I count Patrick Ness as a UKYA author, and I felt that needed to be part of the list! Ness' writing is incredible - his storytelling is brilliant. I have so much praise for this author and not only because I was able to connect and love 'Chaos Walking' so much. There are so many layers to the characters' in this series, as I'm currently coming to the end of the final book I know I'm going to miss them! Todd Hewitt and Viola Eade are two of my favourite fictional characters, and Ness has an ability to write from both of their perspectives faultlessly. For anyone who has read 'A Monster Calls' you would have seen how versatile he is: it literally threw my emotions across the floor, but showed me how much of a great storyteller he is!

 

Holly Smale

I love the writing style and the characters that Smale has created in the 'Geek Girl' series. Not only is Harriet Manners, the main protagonist in her series an advocate for being yourself, it also makes you want to express your inner Geek. Her books also make you laugh-out-loud, as well as literally scream and shout when something goes wrong - not mentioning there's a fact on almost every page that I love to repeat to my friends! Also, I adore reading Holly's tweets! They are so funny - and she's always willing to talk to bloggers/reviewers!

 

Natasha Ngan

I've only recently read her debut novel, 'The Elites' and really enjoyed it! The reason Ngan is part of this list is because she deserves to be here! Her novel deals with so many problems we face in the world today, and her world-building and imagery is so detailed! It also had such a cultural feel to the whole book, something I loved.

 

Siobhan Curham 

I've read and loved everyone of Curham's novel and find I can relate so many aspects of the characters' daily life to my own. Curham writes with such a fresh voice, that is full of humour, wit and personality. I love seeing what she'll throw out next, especially since my worries about not liking 'Shipwrecked'. were put aside. I ended up comparing Shipwrecked to ice-cream in my review, and have taken to calling Siobhan ice-cream fiend! I'm really excited about her work against Anti-Bullying and how she is passionate towards that!

 

S.C Ransom

I have so much love for the 'Small Blue Thing' Series and believe this needs to be shared even more! S.C Ransom has some of the most beautiful-writing, if not the most beautiful writing, I have ever encountered, and the whole series was consistent when it came to that. I've been waiting for over a year now for her next book because I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

 

Sarah Crossan

If you read my last review, you probably saw that I was disappointed with the sequel to 'Breathe', 'Resist'. Although, that doesn't take away from the fact that the first book in the series was amazing! The way it was told, from the perspectives of Alina, Bea and Quinn, was perfect for the story to progress and it was really eye-opening to see what we could do to the environment.This series is also the first futuristic novel I've read that is set in the UK so, I loved seeing a different view-point.

Who are your favourite UKYA authors? Are you hoping to make it to the UKYA convention?

Book Review: Model Misfit(Geek Girl #2) by Holly Smale

Harriet Manners knows a lot of facts.

• Humans have 70,000 thoughts per day
• Caterpillars have four thousand muscles
• The average person eats a ton of food every year
• Being a Geek + Model = a whole new set of graffiti on your belongings.

But clearly she knows nothing about boys. And on a whirlwind modelling trip to Tokyo, Harriet would trade in everything she's ever learnt for just the faintest idea of what she's supposed to do next.

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When this came through my letterbox, I was so excited to start reading. As I turned the first few pages, I soon remembered why I loved the first book so much. Filled with witty-humour, personality and a whole host of characters to love, Model Misfit is a fun-filled continuation of the Geek Girl Series that became something I couldn't wait to pick after a long day!

At the beginning of this book, Harriet Manners is taking another step towards her own metamorphosis: she is spreading her wings. A new baby is on the way, her model boyfriend Nick has dumped her and she feels thrown to the side now her best friend Nat is going to France for the school holidays. The only thing she has to look forward to is spending the days with her delighted stalked Toby. Now approaching her sixteenth birthday, Harriet is growing up.  Since the final pages of Geek Girl, she has gained more confidence yet she is still the fact-filled, dinosaur-obsessed, geek with the graffiti-covered bag we all love. This time, she's not afraid to stand-up to Alexa by pointing out a grammar mistake - readers will be willing her on at this point! I really enjoyed this novel - and wanted more as soon as it came to an end.

I felt I got to know a lot more about other characters who have such large personalities - Wilbur especially. He became a father-figure to Harriet in many ways, a very vibrant, exaggerated one! Toby, possibly the most caring stalker in existence, is receiving all my affection! Sweet and charming, I applaud Toby for being the hero of this whole book. I will have to comment on Nick here, who is best known for being Lion Boy. It took me over 300 pages of this novel to decide what I really thought of him, as after you realise how his and Harriet's relationship ended, you may find yourself ranting to your parents...

Smale's writing is one of my favourite aspects of this novel. She has an ability to thrown in humour completely naturally and have you laughing-out-loud in every-chapter. Her writing completely reflects Harriet's personality yet, is so simplistic you can just enjoy this book and be happy to. You feel like you have a relationship with these characters, and realise that you're completely connected to their lives. I went through moments where I would be angry at a character, next I would be sitting jaw-dropped(you'll realise why at the end) and then willing another on. I couldn't help but share the facts I was reading with anyone I could find - and looked forward to what I would find out next.

The plot in this novel had constant twists and turns, and definitely kept you guessing! On the other side of the world, Harriet continues to struggle with modelling. Although, it comes together at the end and you instantly realise how smart Smale was when it came to planning this novel. Everything tied-up at the end like a boxed-gift covered in dinosaur wrapping paper - and it shows it had brilliant plotting! The way it all worked, the little hints but never too much, made an even better ending.

The only reason I haven't given this book five stars, is not for my lack of enjoyment. I did feel like things were over-done at times. Wilbur's 'quirks' were over-used and I liked them in the first book for how they were an added-extra. I found when they were repeated constantly on a page, they lost that naturalness! Also, I would have loved to have seen Harriet looking around Tokyo more, as it's such an interesting city!

4 Stars - A must read for fans of the first novel, and anyone who is looking for a light-hearted and fun read!

Book Review: The Elites by Natasha Ngan

"There is a rumour that the Elites don't bleed..."

After I finished this book, I've been itching to start typing up my review. I think it's the fact I don't want to just forget my reading experience!

Hundreds of years into the future, wars, riots, resource crises and rising sea levels have destroyed the old civilisations. Only one city has survived: Neo-Babel, a city full of cultures -and racial tension. Fifteen-year-old Silver is an Elite, a citizen of Neo-Babel chosen to guard the city due to her superior DNA. She'd never dream of leaving - but then she fails to prevent the assassination of Neo-Babel's president, setting off a chain of events more shocking and devastating than she could ever imagined. Forced to flee the city  with her best friend Butterfly, Silver will have to fight to find her family, uncover the truth about Neo-Babel - and to survive.

 

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The Elites was such an enjoyable debut from Natasha Ngan and one of the first books for a while where I've really been able to immerse myself in the world, characters and plot-line. Ngan has here a novel that has so many cultural aspects and really makes you feel that you are part of her world - Neo-Babel and, despite being set in the future, it tackles issues that are really rooted in today's society.

The way this novel was told was a highlight of the book for me. The multiple point of views were never confusing or unclear, something I've come across a lot lately, as the characters were so well-developed and really, people that you ended up caring immensely for. The various narratives were all equally strong: with different personalities, ideas and ways of life.  The time taken to develop and understand the characters really paid off: I rooted for them(sometimes - there are a few 'villain' types written in), felt for them and even cried for/with them! I should have counted how many times I was left jaw-dropped at something I had just read, scrambling to re-read the sentence because of the surprises thrown at me.

The characters became favourite fictional friends of mine! They weren't perfect but, had flaws: things that had really taken an effect on their lives. Just like I said previously about the time taken to develop them, each character has a backstory and it's shown how it effects what they do during the novel.  There is an exotic-theme woven into this book, it combines different cultures and makes Neo-Babel come alive. The writing is well-crafted and brilliantly detailed: never losing the main focus of the novel. It allowed me to picture the scenes vividly, and was also interesting to see what would happen in a City made up of different cultures.

While I was reading, this book barely left my hand. I finished within a number of days - which would have been a lot less without the stresses of school. It was captivating, exciting and thought-provoking - and with topics that will stay with you for quite a while after reading.
 

Personally, I'm so glad this is a stand-a lone as it worked really well. I got to go on this journey with characters I loved but, Ngan was able to tie everything in the closing chapters like a boxed-gift. I was left with no burning questions that would go straight through the book - but had tears brimming in my eyes instead! Finally, I don't need to spend months waiting for a sequel!

The only reason this book didn't get five stars from me is the fact that it takes time for this book to really begin. It's a slightly slow start, with a few strands of it hard to understand, but soon after the President's Assassination you get a fell of what this book will continue to be. This is a brilliant debut and one of the best reading experiences I have had for a while.

4 Stars - Ages 12+

I was sent this book in return for an honest review by the lovely people at
Hot Key Books.