Best Books I Read in 2018

Happy new year everyone! 2018 was a heck of a year for me, from being one of the most stressful years to being one of the happiest- there was some real ups and downs.
This year I graduated from college / university for the final time, traveled a little, went to festivals, had my first job rejection and managed to become a little happier and more positive.
Although there was great ups and downs, the year as a whole was wonderful. I wouldn't change it for the world.

As well as my personal achievements I managed to read some great books this year. I read 46 books, which is more than last year (link) and discovered some great books! I finally feel I am getting back into the swing of reading and blogging and hopefully can keep up a schedule of both for 2019.

Here's my favourites of 2018:

Review: White Rabbit, Red Wolf by Tom Pollock

Publication Date: May 3rd 2018
Publisher: Walker Books
Source: Review Copy from Publisher

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Blurb: 

Peter Blankman is afraid of everything and must confront unimaginable terror when his mother is attacked.

Seventeen-year-old Peter Blankman is a maths prodigy. He also suffers from severe panic attacks. Afraid of everything, he finds solace in the orderly and logical world of mathematics and in the love of his family: his scientist mum and his tough twin sister Bel, as well as Ingrid, his only friend. 

However, when his mother is found stabbed before an award ceremony and his sister is nowhere to be found, Pete is dragged into a world of espionage and violence where state and family secrets intertwine. Armed only with his extraordinary analytical skills, Peter may just discover that his biggest weakness is his greatest strength. 

 You know the feeling where you are utterly caught up in a story and its characters you never want it to end? Well that is how I felt while reading this novel. Another huge thank you to Walker books for sending me a copy of this novel in exchange for my full honest review. 

This book is the kind of book that swallows you up and then spits you out! The novel centers around Peter, a math genus with severe anxiety disorder. When someone tried to assassinate is mother, his world is thrown into disarray. He must adapt and begin a journey to try to understand just why his world has been thrown into chaos. 

Review: All The Lonely People by David Owen

Publication Date: January 10th 2019
Publisher: Atom Books
Source: Review Copy from Publisher

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Blurb: 
Everyone tells Kat that her online personality - confident, funny, opinionated - isn't her true self. Kat knows otherwise. The internet is her only way to cope with a bad day, chat with friends who get all her references, make someone laugh. But when she becomes the target of an alt-right trolling campaign, she feels she has no option but to Escape, Quit, Disappear.
With her social media shut down, her website erased, her entire online identity void, Kat feels she has cut away her very core: without her virtual self, who is she?

She brought it on herself. Or so Wesley keeps telling himself as he dismantles Kat's world from across the classroom. It's different, seeing one of his victims in real life and not inside a computer screen - but he's in too far to back out now.
As soon as Kat disappears online, her physical body begins to fade and while everybody else forgets that she exists, Wesley realises he is the only one left who remembers her. Overcome by remorse for what he has done, Wesley resolves to stop her disappearing completely. It might just be the only way to save himself.

A huge thank you to Atom Books for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for my full and honest review. This is one of my most anticipated releases of next year and let me say, David Owen has done it again!

I absolutely adored The Fallen Children when I read it, so I was looking forward to this but I was also apprehensive as I was scared it wouldn't live up to the previous novel. Thankfully, All The Lonely People met every expectation I had and surprised me in lots of ways. 

The novel centers around Kat, a girl who lives her life on the internet, who then becomes the target of a hate group. As a result, she shuts down all her social media and online presences to avoid the bullying. Slowly Kat begins to change, physically disappearing until no one can see her anymore or remember her! The only person who remembers her is her bully, Wesley. 

Review: The Surface Breaks by Louise O'Neill

Publication Date: 3rd May 2018
Publisher: Scholastic
Source: Bought

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Blurb:

Deep beneath the sea, off the cold Irish coast, Gaia is a young mermaid who dreams of freedom from her controlling father. On her first swim to the surface, she is drawn towards a human boy. She longs to join his carefree world, but how much will she have to sacrifice? What will it take for the little mermaid to find her voice? 

Hans Christian Andersen's original fairy tale is reimagined through a searing feminist lens, with the stunning, scalpel-sharp writing and world building that has won Louise her legions of devoted fans.

This was one of my most anticipated releases of this year and I was so excited when I picked this novel up. Yet, there was something lacking for me. 

Going into the novel, I was so excited. A combination of two of my favourite things - Disney and feminism?! Heck yes! As I began reading though my excitement began to wane a little. 

The novel is told by protagonist Gaia, a beautiful mermaid with a great singing voice. She grows up in the palace, daughter of a ferocious king who reigns over his kingdom and daughters. I found the oppressive world Gaia lives in to be so well written. The mermaid society is extremely patriarchal where the mermaids live to serve the mer-men and are judged upon their talents and beauty. Even the king lines his own daughter up in terms of preference, which I found extremely disturbing. 

Review: Crush by Eve Ainsworth

Publication Date: 3rd March 2016
Publisher: Scholastic
Source: Borrowed from Library

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Blurb:

Love hurts ... but should it hurt this much? Reeling from her mum's sudden departure, Anna finds the comfort she needs in her blossoming relationship with Will. He's handsome and loving, everything Anna has always dreamt of. He's also moody and unpredictable, pushing her away from her friends, her music. He wants her to be his and his alone. He wants her to be perfect. Anna's world is closing in. But threatening everything is a dark secret that not even Will can control..

Eve Ainsworth's gripping second novel is a pitch-perfect exploration of love at its most powerful, addictive and destructive.

This was a book I had seen a lot of book bloggers talking about when it was first released. I was late getting around to finding a copy but I was glad I did! 

This is the kind of book I think young people and youth groups should be reading. The novel contains an abusive relationship, where a girl who is sick of her family life find solace in her new boyfriend...although is isn't as great as first appearances may seem. 

Review: Say Her Name by Juno Dawson

Publication Date: June 5th 2014
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Source: Purchased

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Blurb:

Roberta 'Bobbie' Rowe is not the kind of person who believes in ghosts. A Halloween dare at her ridiculously spooky boarding school is no big deal, especially when her best friend Naya and cute local boy Caine agree to join in too. They are ordered to summon the legendary ghost of 'Bloody Mary': say her name five times in front of a candlelit mirror, and she shall appear... But, surprise surprise, nothing happens. Or does it?

Next morning, Bobbie finds a message on her bathroom mirror... five days... but what does it mean? And who left it there? Things get increasingly weird and more terrifying for Bobbie and Naya, until it becomes all too clear that Bloody Mary was indeed called from the afterlife that night, and she is definitely not a friendly ghost. Bobbie, Naya and Caine are now in a race against time before their five days are up and Mary comes for them, as she has come for countless others before... 

 It is not secret, that Juno Dawson is one of my favourite authors ever! So it seemed the perfect time to read this book around the spooky month.

The novel is set in an all girls boarding school in England. I loved this setting as I felt that not only did the old building enhance the spooky-ness, the interactions between the girls were really well written. The hierarchical nature of the school is something that many can relate to. The novel plays upon many secondary school tropes such as the outcast / misfit girl, our protagonist Bobbie, being put in situations against the most popular mean girl in school. I really enjoyed this setting for the novel and found it interesting to read about. 

Review: Chaos Walking- Short Stories by Patrick Ness

Publication Date: May 16th 2013
Series Order: #2.5 - Read after The Ask and The Answer

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Blurb:
The Wide, Wide Sea is set in the past, at a time before the Spackle War, and we get a first look at the fishing village on the sea where some very important things happen at the end of Monsters of Men.
The Wide, Wide Sea is set before the Chaos Walking series in a time before the division between man and spackle. 

I really enjoyed this novel. It provides a look at a world we only hear talk of but do not actually see within the series. The novel explores characters from bot sides - spackle and human. 

We see a young man bond with a spackle girl, their friendship and bond is something so completely new to the reader of this series as it is something we would never have seen or even considered before. 

I loved the character in this. Their vibrancy, closeness and relationship was so well written. I loved their unique ways of communicating and understanding each other. I would love to read more about the their story but unfortunately it was only a once off. 

I felt that this short story really packed a punch in its small size. Patrick Ness has endless ideas for this world. 


< Reviews of the other short stories to come here...stay tuned!>

Review: My Mum Tracy Beaker by Jacqueline Wilson

Publication Date: October 4th 2018
Publisher: Doubleday Publishers
Source: Purchased

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Blurb: 

Tracy has returned, hand in hand with her daughter Jess, she’s ready to make her childhood dreams come true.
Jess and Tracy Beaker are the perfect team. They do everything together.
Jess thinks Tracy is the best mum ever, even when she shouts at her teachers!

Tracy has made the perfect home for Jess, leaving The Dumping Ground far behind her.Yes, their flat’s a bit mouldy. It’s only just big enough for two. And the Duke Estate is a bit scary. But it’s their happy home.

Until Sean Godfrey, Tracy’s rich boyfriend, whisks them away to his mansion, life of fast cars and celebrity stardom.Will Jess’s brilliant mum turn into a new person altogether? And will Tracy realise that her childhood dream might not be what she needs after all?

 This is the first book in years that I have been so excited about, that I purchased it on its release day! 

If you don't know, Jacqueline Wilson has played a huge part in not only helping me fall in love with books but also in my formative years as a child and teenager. When I found out that Jacqueline was revisiting the character of Tracey as an adult, I knew it was going to be one I needed to buy. 

The novel is so perfectly reminiscent of "old" Jacqueline Wilson novels while also being set in the modern day. Tracey now has a child and it is so interesting to see how this stroppy, moody girl has grown into an independent, responsible and fiercely protective mother of her child, Jess. Jess and Tracey's relationship is so lovely and caring. It is so heart warming to read about their loving relationship when usually in Wilson's novels the children are in  the mix of very volatile dysfunctional family's. 

Review: Season of the Witch by Mariah Fredericks

Publication Date: 8th October 2013
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade 
Source: Won

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Blurb: 

Queen Bee Chloe is going to make Toni suffer for whatever transpired between Toni and Chloe's boyfriend, Oliver, over the summer. From day one of eleventh grade, she has Toni branded as a super slut, and it isn't long before things get so ugly that Toni fears for her safety. What's a scared, powerless, and fed-up teenager to do?

 Guided by Cassandra—a girl with some serious problems of her own—Toni decides to stop playing the victim and take control. Cassandra has been experimenting with witchcraft, and together they cast a spell on Chloe that may actually cause her death. Could Toni have really made such an awful thing happen?

So this book has been on my bookshelf for the LONGEST time and by that I mean....since 2013! I have decided that I am going to focus more on trying to read the books that have been on my bookshelves for a long time and not buy any more books until I can bring my TBR pile down a little. Any progress is good progress right ? 

I had very little idea what this book was as I was going into it, which was probably a good thing. Although the book did not blow me away, I did enjoy it for the most part. 

The story revolves around Toni, our main character who over the summer kissed the boyfriend of the most popular girl in school. As she now returns to school, she returns to cold shoulders from everyone, snide remarks and bullying behaviour from Chloe and her group of popular friends. 

Review: Dry by Neal Shusterman & Jarrod Shusterman

Publication Date: October 2nd 2018
Publisher: Walker Books
Source: Review copy from publisher


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Blurb: 

The drought—or the Tap-Out, as everyone calls it—has been going on for a while now. Everyone’s lives have become an endless list of don’ts: don’t water the lawn, don’t fill up your pool, don’t take long showers.

Until the taps run dry.

Suddenly, Alyssa’s quiet suburban street spirals into a warzone of desperation; neighbours and families turned against each other on the hunt for water. And when her parents don’t return and her life—and the life of her brother—is threatened, Alyssa has to make impossible choices if she’s going to survive.

Big thank you to Walker Books for sending me a copy of this novel in exchange for my full review. 

This is my first Neal Shusterman novel, and after reading Dry, I think I will definitely have to pick up more of his novels! I went into the book with average expectations, and wow this book blew me away. The novel was so engaging, gripping and will leave you thinking about it long after you've turned the last page. 

The novel centers around the "Tap-Out" where the water has stopped flowing for this town as the resources have run out. The novel shows us the affects of this water crisis through the eyes of Alyssa, her younger brother Garrett, neighbour Kelton, runaway Jacqui and Henry. 

Review: Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow by Siobhan Curham

Publisher: Walker Books
Publication Date: August 1st 2018
Source: Review Copy

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Blurb: 

Fourteen-year-old Stevie lives in Lewes with her beloved vinyl collection, her mum ... and her mum's depression. When Stevie's mum's disability benefits are cut, Stevie and her mother are plunged into a life of poverty. But irrepressible Stevie is determined not to be beaten and she takes inspiration from the lyrics of her father's 1980s record collection and dreams of a life as a musician. Then she meets Hafiz, a talented footballer and a Syrian refugee. Hafiz's parents gave their life savings to buy Hafiz a safe passage to Europe; his journey has been anything but easy. Then he meets Stevie... As Stevie and Hafiz's friendship grows, they encourage each other to believe in themselves and follow their dreams.

 Big thank you to Walker Books for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for my full and honest review. I had not heard about this book until I read the press release and once I did, I was extremely excited to read it. 

The novel is told through the dual narrative and perspective of our main characters, Stevie and Hafiz. Although leading very different lives and coming from very different backgrounds, both Hafiz and Stevie are struggling through issues which ultimately bring them closer together and help solidify their friendship. 

One of the aspects I loved about this novel was the way in which is highlighted and also delved into the issues the main characters are currently facing. Stevie, named after her mothers hero Stevie Nicks, has been moved to Lewes after the death of her father. Stevie is a carer for her mother who, since the death of her husband, has developed an extreme anxiety disorder and depression which prevents her from working and often times leaving the house. Stevie faces huge challenges living in such poverty to not only survive but also take on the parental role and be the carer of her mother. 

Review: The Ask and The Answer by Patrick Ness

Publisher: Walker Books
Publication Date: May 2nd 2013
Source: Borrowed from library

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Blurb: 
We were in the square, in the square where I'd run, holding her, carrying her, telling her to stay alive, stay alive till we got safe, till we got to Haven so I could save her - But there weren't no safety, no safety at all, there was just him and his men...

Fleeing before a relentless army, Todd has carried a desperately wounded Viola right into the hands of their worst enemy, Mayor Prentiss. Immediately separated from Viola and imprisoned, Todd is forced to learn the ways of the Mayor's new order. But what secrets are hiding just outside of town? And where is Viola? Is she even still alive? And who are the mysterious Answer? And then, one day, the bombs begin to explode...

So as you may know if you follow me on my Twitter or Instagram accounts, I recently re-read The Knife of Never Letting Go for the first time since I read it first six years ago! I loved the novel even more the second time around and finally had the motivation to continue with the series, and hopefully finish it this summer. Now after reading The Ask and The Answer I know that I immediately need the third book right now! 

The Ask and The Answer was not only the perfect sequel to what was an amazing introduction the the series, but also completely flipped the readers emotions and thoughts that they had gathered in the first book. In the sequel we encounter a completely new side to the story as Todd and Viola have now been captured by the Mayor and held captive. 

Review: Knights of the Borrowed Dark by Dave Rudden

Publication Date: March 10th 2016
Publisher: Puffin Books
Source: Borrowed

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Blurb: 

Denizen Hardwick is an orphan, and his life is, well, normal. Sure, in storybooks orphans are rescued from drudgery when they discover they are a wizard or a warrior or a prophesied king. But this is real life—orphans are just kids without parents. At least that’s what Denizen thought. . . . 
 
On a particularly dark night, the gates of Crosscaper Orphanage open to a car that almost growls with power. The car and the man in it retrieve Denizen with the promise of introducing him to a long-lost aunt. But on the ride into the city, they are attacked. Denizen soon learns that monsters can grow out of the shadows. And there is an ancient order of knights who keep them at bay. Denizen has a unique connection to these knights, but everything they tell him feels like a half-truth.
 If Denizen joins the order, is he fulfilling his destiny, or turning his back on everything his family did to keep him alive?

So this is a book I have seen so much buzz and chatter around since its release two years ago! I was so glad to finally pick it up so that I could see what all the hype was about. 

I was really looking forward to reading this novel as my interest was re-instated after seeing the recent publication of the third novel earlier this year. This series had taken the internet and my Instagram by storm! I really enjoy a gripping and adventurous middle grade novel and had not read one for a while, the final Percy Jackson book not included. This book also has one of the best first sentences I've ever read: "Looking back, it had been a mistake to fill the orphanage with books."

Review: Release by Patrick Ness

Publication Date: 1st May 2018
Publisher: Walker Books
Source: Review Copy from publisher

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Blurb: 

Inspired by Mrs Dalloway and Judy Blume's Forever, Release is one day in the life of Adam Thorn, 17. It's a big day. Things go wrong. It's intense, and all the while, weirdness approaches...

Adam Thorn is having what will turn out to be the most unsettling, difficult day of his life, with relationships fracturing, a harrowing incident at work, and a showdown between this gay teen and his preacher father that changes everything. It's a day of confrontation, running, sex, love, heartbreak, and maybe, just maybe, hope. He won't come out of it unchanged. And all the while, lurking at the edges of the story, something extraordinary and unsettling is on a collision course. 

 Huge thank you to Walker Books for sending me a copy of this novel in exchange for my full honest review. I have read some Patrick Ness novels before (see reviews here!) and highly enjoyed them. I also had the pleasure of meeting Patrick Ness at Dept Con a few years back. Going into this I expected to enjoy it but was actually surprised to find myself loving it even more than I had anticipated. I will say that there is some sexual scenes within the novel, so would recommend it for older teens. 

The novel completely hooked me. I have not been reading very much this year up until last month, as you can tell from the review barren wasteland my blog has become. But this novel completely gripped me from the get go and I sped through in 2 days because I could not put it down! 

Review: The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins

Publication Date: January 2015
Publisher: Doubleday Publishers
Source: Borrowed

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Blurb: 
EVERYDAY THE SAME
Rachel catches the same commuter train every morning. She knows it will wait at the same signal each time, overlooking a row of back gardens. She’s even started to feel like she knows the people who live in one of the houses. ‘Jess and Jason’, she calls them. Their life – as she sees it – is perfect. If only Rachel could be that happy.

UNTIL TODAY
And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough.
Now everything’s changed. Now Rachel has a chance to become a part of the lives she’s only watched from afar.
Now they’ll see; she’s much more than just the girl on the train… 

 So this was a book I had seen EVERYWHERE around a year or two ago. Probably one of the biggest PR campaigns I'd ever seen around a novel to be honest. I'm not usually one to read hyped up books, mostly because I often feel that the hype surrounding it will make it read as not as good to me because I'll be constantly waiting to reach that level of "wow" in the novel. 

So when I found the opportunity to read this, I decided to give it a go. I am very glad that I did. I'm not usually a big reader of adult mystery novels, my last one being Before I Go To Sleep- which I also enjoyed, but after reading and loving this maybe I should change that. 

Review: Sunflowers in February by Phyllida Shrimpton

Publication Date: February 8th 2018
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Source: Review Copy from Publisher

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Blurb:

Lily wakes up one crisp Sunday morning on the side of the road. She has no idea how she got there. It is all very peaceful. and very beautiful. It is only when the police car, and then the ambulance arrive, and she sees her own body, that she realises that she is in fact... dead. But what is she supposed do now? Lily has no option but to follow her body and see her family – her parents and her twin brother start falling apart. And then her twin brother Ben gives her a once in a deathtime opportunity - to use his own body for a while. But will Lily give Ben his body back? She is beginning to have a rather good time...

 Thank you to Hot Key Books for sending me an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for my full and honest review. This book was featured on my Most Anticipated 2018 Releases post which I posted back in January. I was extremely excited for this book and was so happy to be approved to receive and advanced copy of it.

The premise of this novel centers around our main character Lily, waking up on the side of the road looking down at her own body and realizing she is dead. Lily is then able to see the affect her death has had on the others in her life including her family, boyfriend, friends and her killer. Although this plot premise has been done before in many cliche ways, Phyllida Shrimpton brings the story line to life with her own wonderfully entertaining fresh spin on it. 

Review: The Never Dawn by R.E Palmer

Publication Date: 21 November 2017
Publisher:  FrontRunner Publications
Source: Received a copy from the author 

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Blurb: 

All his young life, Noah has longed to see the sky he's only heard about in stories. For over one hundred years, Noah's people have toiled deep beneath the Earth preparing for The New Dawn - the historic day when they will emerge to reclaim the land stolen by a ruthless enemy. 

But when Rebekah, the girl of his forbidden desire, discovers a secret their leader has been so desperate to keep, Noah suspects something is wrong.

 Together, they escape and begin the long climb to the surface. But nothing could prepare them for what awaits outside. 

 Thank you to the author for contacting me and sending me a copy of this book in exchange for my full and honest review. 

So I went into this book not having heard anything about it before, and looking for a new exciting dystopia to pull me out of my recent sci-fi and dystopia lag where I just haven't been enjoying any. Unfortunately, although I enjoyed some aspects of this novel, it just didn't hit the spot for me. 

Review: Zenith by Sasha Alsberg & Lindsay Cummings

Publication Date: January 16th 2018
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Series: (The Androma Saga #1)
Source: Review Copy from Publisher

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Blurb:
Most know Androma Racella as the Bloody Baroness, a powerful mercenary whose reign of terror stretches across the Mirabel Galaxy. To those aboard her glass starship, Marauder, however, she's just Andi, their friend and fearless leader.

But when a routine mission goes awry, the Marauder's all-girl crew is tested as they find themselves in a treacherous situation and at the mercy of a sadistic bounty hunter from Andi's past.

Meanwhile, across the galaxy, a ruthless ruler waits in the shadows of the planet Xen Ptera, biding her time to exact revenge for the destruction of her people. The pieces of her deadly plan are about to fall into place, unleashing a plot that will tear Mirabel in two.

Andi and her crew embark on a dangerous, soul-testing journey that could restore order to their ship or just as easily start a war that will devour worlds. As the Marauder hurtles toward the unknown, and Mirabel hangs in the balance, the only certainty is that in a galaxy run on lies and illusion, no one can be trusted.

Thank you to the publishers for offering me a copy of this novel in exchange for my full and honest review. I went into this novel not knowing much about it, except that Sasha Alsberg, a booktuber who I have watched for many years, was one of the co-writers and that it was set in space! So naturally, I was semi- excited going into this book.....little did I know what was to come.

Also preface, there will be slightly spoiler-ish mentions in this review so if you have not read the novel and would not like to be spoiled, do not read on. If you don't care about spoilers or have read the book, please continue!

Review: The Bombs That Brought Us Together by Brian Conaghan

Publication Date: April 2016
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Source: Borrowed from Library

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Blurb: 
Fourteen-year-old Charlie Law has lived in Little Town, on the border with Old Country, all his life. He knows the rules: no going out after dark; no drinking; no litter; no fighting. You don't want to get on the wrong side of the people who run Little Town. 
When he meets Pavel Duda, a refugee from Old Country, the rules start to get broken. Then the bombs come, and the soldiers from Old Country, and Little Town changes for ever.

Sometimes, to keep the people you love safe, you have to do bad things. 

 I first heard about this book at Dept Con where the author was reading from one of his other novels We Come Apart, which he has co-written with Sarah Crossan. I felt his writing style sounded really interesting and wanted to read more. I was excited to pick this novel up in my local library. 

The novel overall was really enjoyable. I felt it sort of reminiscent of another novel I had read previously, Trash by Andy Mulligan . Although I found The Bombs That Brought Us Together much more enjoyable. The story revolves around our main character Charlie, who lives in the strict rule filled Little Town. One day, a refugee from Old Country called Pav moves into the same apartment block and they immediately strike up a strong friendship which is tested when Old Country troops invade.