Review: Queen of Coin and Whispers by Helen Corcoran

Publisher: O'Brien Press
Publication Date: June 2020
Source: Review Copy from Publisher

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Blurb: 
When teenage queen Lia inherits her corrupt uncle’s bankrupt kingdom, she brings a new spymaster into the fold ... Xania, who takes the job to avenge her murdered father.

Faced with dangerous plots and hidden enemies, can Lia and Xania learn to rely on each another, as they discover that all is not fair in love and treason?

In a world where the throne means both power and duty, they must decide what to sacrifice for their country – and for each other …

 Thank you to the lovely people at O'Brien Press for sending me an advanced copy of the novel in exchange for my review. 

I was very much looking forward to this book as it received a huge amount of publicity even in 2019 which is a long time before its release date. 

The novel centers around Lia who has now inherited the throne and will become queen of the kingdom. As Lia ascends to the throne, dangers begin to surface in every aspect of her life. She hires Xania as her Whispers aka her personal protector and spymaster. From here their relationship begins to grow, deepen and become romantic. 

The representation in this novel is just next level. The novel features wlw, mlm, bisexual characters and gay characters throughout. I really loved this aspect as in this world all sexual preferences and relationships are normalised. So I loved reading about these relationships and the interaction between characters. 

Review: Grief Angels by David Owen

Publication Date: March 5th 2020
Publisher: Atom Books
Source: Review Copy

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Blurb: 

15-year-old Owen Marlow is experiencing a great, disorienting loss after his father suddenly passed away and his mother moved them to a new town. None of his old friends knew how to confront his grief, so he's given up on trying to make new ones. There is one guy at school who might prove to be different if he gives him a chance but lately, Owen has been overwhelmed by his sadness. 

He's started to have strange, powerful hallucinations of skeletal birds circling above him. Owen tells himself that these visions are just his brain's way of trying to cope - until one night, the birds descend and take him to an otherworldly forest. There, he is asked to go on a dangerous journey that promises to bring him the understanding he so desperately seeks - if he can survive it.

 Massive thank you to Atom Books for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. 

This book was one of my most anticipated books of the year because I am obsessed with David Owens novels. Honestly, if you have not read any of his novels (ESPECIALLY THE FALLEN CHILDREN- MY ALL TIME FAVE) then please please do so! 

This book touched me so deeply and moved me. I know a lot of people say "this book made me think of life differently" or "this book really connected with me" but when I say this now I really mean it. 

Review: The Good Luck Girls by Charlotte Nicole Davis

Publication Date: October 1st 2019

Publisher: Hot Key Books

Source: Review Copy from Publisher

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Blurb: 

Aster. Violet. Tansy. Mallow. Clementine.

Sold as children. Branded by cursed markings. Trapped in a life they never would have chosen.

When Aster's sister Clementine accidentally murders a man, the girls risk a dangerous escape and harrowing journey to find freedom, justice, and revenge - in a country that wants them to have none of those things. Pursued by the land's most vicious and powerful forces - both living and dead - their only hope lies in a bedtime story passed from one girl to another, a story that only the youngest or most desperate would ever believe.

It's going to take more than luck for them all to survive.

 A huge thank you to Hot Key Books for sending me an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. 

[* Trigger Warning*: rape, sexual abuse, PTSD, substance abuse, violence*]

This book completely took me by surprise. As a book sold to me as girl driven, western with slight paranormal aspects - I did not expect to be completely gripped and consumed by the novel within the first 50 pages. I honestly could not put this book down or stop thinking about it. This was so refreshing for me as I've been in such a reading slump lately. 

The book centers around 5 girls - Violet, Aster, Tansy, Mallow and Clementine. The girls have grown up in a world where they are second class citizens, Dustbloods, as they are born without a shadow. Raised in extreme poverty, their parents sell them to a Welcome House out of desperation. Welcome Houses are brothels where girls are raised from children to be slaves until they turn 16 where they are then sold sexually to men who come to the welcome house. 

Review: Internment by Samira Ahmed

Publication Date: 07 March 2019
Publisher: Atom Books
Source: Review Copy (#Gifted)

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Blurb: 

Rebellions are built on hope.
Set in a horrifying near-future United States, seventeen-year-old Layla Amin and her parents are forced into an internment camp for Muslim American citizens.

With the help of newly made friends also trapped within the internment camp, her boyfriend on the outside, and an unexpected alliance, Layla begins a journey to fight for freedom, leading a revolution against the internment camp's Director and his guards.

Heart-racing and emotional, Internment challenges readers to fight complicit silence that exists in our society today. 

 A big thank you to Atom Books for sending me this book in exchange for my full and honest review. 

This is probably one of the most scary and hard hitting books I will read. I found the novel so terrifying as the events unfolding in it could easily begin to happen tomorrow. The novel centers around Layla, a seventeen year old American Muslim whose life is turned upside down when her and her family are shipped off to an internment camp against their will. It is the life inside these internment "anti- Muslim" camps that really make for harrowing reading. 

Review: A Danger To Herself And Others by Alyssa Sheinmel

Publisher: Atom Books
Publication Date: 5th February 2019
Source: Review Copy from Publisher

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Blurb:

Only when she's locked away does the truth begin to escape...

Seventeen-year-old Hannah Gold has always been treated like a grown up. As the only child of two New York professionals, she's been traveling the world and functioning as a miniature adult since the day she was born. But that was then. Now, Hannah has been checked into a remote treatment facility, stripped of all autonomy and confined to a single room.

Hannah knows there's been a mistake. What happened to her roommate that summer was an accident. As soon as the doctor and judge figure out that she isn't a danger to herself or others, she can get back to her life of promise and start her final year at school. Until then, she's determined to win over the staff and earn some privileges so she doesn't lose her mind to boredom.

But then she's assigned a new roommate. At first, Lucy is the perfect project to keep Hannah's focus off all she is missing at home. But Lucy may be the one person who can make Hannah confront the secrets she's avoiding - and the dangerous games that landed her in confinement in the first place.

A big thank you to Atom Books for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for my full and honest review!

This book is definitely one of those books that you pick up to read the first chapter quickly, and then 5 hours later you find yourself still reading it because you can not put it down! As soon as I started reading this book, I hardly wanted to put it down and when I, reluctantly, did - I found myself thinking about it constantly.

A Danger To Herself And Others tells the story of Hannah Gold. A teenager who is mature and academically minded that finds herself in an institution after an incident with her summer school roommate. As Hannah's roommate lies in the hospital, Hannah wonders why she is being kept in this mental institute and when she can leave to return to her studies.

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: 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: 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: 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: My Side of the Diamond by Sally Gardner

Publication Date: October 5th 2017
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Source: Review copy from publisher

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Blurb :

An extraordinary tale about the search for love from the acclaimed Costa and Carnegie winning novelist Sally Gardner.

Jazmin has been shunned ever since her best friend Becky disappeared. But Becky didn't just disappear - she jumped off a tall building and seemingly never reached the ground. It was as if she simply vanished into thin air. Did Jazmin have something to do with her disappearance? Or was it more to do with Icarus, so beguiling and strangely ever youthful, with whom Becky became suddenly besotted . . .

 Thank you to Hot Key Books for sending me a copy of this novel n exchange for my full and honest review. I have previously read some novels by Sally Gardner including The Door That Led To Where, Tinder and Maggot Moon. I had loved some of her previous novels and really disliked others. So I was interested to see how I would feel about this one. 

After loving The Fallen Children which also featured alien YA fun, I was interested to see how this would shape up. I didn't know much about this novel before going into it which I feel was the best idea. The novel was overall a good novel but I don't think I would re-read it any time soon. 

Review: Out of Heart by Irfan Master

Publisher: Hot Key Books
Publication Date: 
Source: Review copy from publisher
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Blurb: 

Donating your heart is the most precious gift of all.
Adam is a teenage boy who lives with his mum and younger sister. His dad has left them although lives close by. His sister no longer speaks. His mum works two jobs. Adam feels the weight of the world upon his shoulders.
Then his grandfather dies and in doing so he donates a very precious gift - his heart. 
William is the recipient of Adam's grandfather's heart. He has no family and feels rootless and alone. In fact, he feels no particular reason to live. And then he meets Adam's family. 
William has received much, but it appears that he has much to offer Adam and his family too.

Thank you to Hot Key Books publishing for sending me a copy of this novel in exchange for a full review. 

This was an interesting novel and it was much different than what I was expecting before going into it. The novel tells the story of Adam, a teenager with a passion for drawing who lives with his mum and sister and of William, a man without family who has received the heart of Adam's recently deceased Grandfather. 

Review: No Virgin by Anna Cassidy

Publication Date: November 3rd 2016 
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Source: Received from publisher for review


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Blurb: 

A raw, powerful, moving tale about a girl attempting to deal with the aftermath of a sexual attack.

My name is Stacey Woods and I was raped.

Stacey is the victim of a terrible sexual attack. She does not feel able to go to the police, or talk about it to anybody other than her best friend, Patrice. Patrice, outraged, when she cannot persuade her to go to the police, encourages Stacey to write everything down. This is Stacey's story.

 (*Trigger Warning for abuse, rape, sexual assault*)

Thank you to Hot Key Books for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for a full honest review. 

I had been really looking forward to reading this but with exams and college, I knew I needed to read it in a time where I could just sit down and fully give my attention over to it until I had finished it. When I started the book I did not want to put it down and I tore through the pages of Stacey's story until the end. 

The book deals with a lot of issues such as family life, friendships, teenage emotions, infatuation and ultimately abuse and rape. I think it is obvious Cassidy has done her research into the topic and the story comes across as raw and painful to read. The build up to the attack happens in a way which makes you understand Stacey, her life, her ambitions, personality and dreams all come across from the story in such an authentic way that you feel yourself identifying with her. 

Review: Cherry by Lindsey Roisin

Publication Date: August 16 2016
Publisher:  Hot Key Books
Source: Received Copy In exchange For Review

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Blurb: 

There's a first time for everything . . .

Layla, Alexis, Zoe and Emma are four best friends with not a lot in common. Well, except one thing . . . But they're determined to lose 'that thing' by the time they graduate high school. Yes, the time has come to Do It. To make love. To have all the sex. It's momentous, it's huge, it's important and it's life-changing. Or . . . is it?

Although each of the girls sets out with a pretty certain idea of what the Big Moment will be like, as they'll discover, life doesn't always work out the way you expect. And in their search for something huge, important and life-changing, they'll discover that they already have it - in each other. 

Cherry is one of those novels you read and you just sort of wish you could go back n time and hand it to your younger self. Cherry is a novel about a group of friends who make a pact to lose their virginity before they finish secondary school. The novel has been described as "american pie but with girls" and I think that is probably the most accurate description of the novel. 

Cherry was also one of those novels that you can read and find yourself in, something happens and you're like "oh my god that is literally me". I found that happening often and feel that so many readers could identify with this novel too. The theme of the novel is not only about losing your virginity and having sex for the first time but also about friendship, relationships and discovering yourself. 

Review: The Deviants by CJ Skuse

Publisher: Mira Ink 
Publication Date: September 22nd 2016
Source: Received review copy from publisher


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Blurb: 

Growing up in the sleepy English seaside town of Brynston, the fearless five – Ella, Max, Corey, Fallon and Zane – were always inseparable. Living up to their nickname, they were the adventurous, rowdy kids who lived for ghost stories and exploring the nearby islands off the coast. But when Max’s beloved older sister Jessica is killed, the friendship seems to die with her.

Now years later, only Max and Ella are in touch; still best friends and a couple since they were thirteen. But Ella is hiding things- like why she’s afraid to take their relationship to the next level.

When underdog Corey is bullied, the fearless five are brought back together again, teaming up to wreak havoc and revenge on those who have wronged them. But when the secrets they are keeping can no longer be kept quiet, will their fearlessness be enough to save them from themselves? 

Huge thank you to Mira Ink publishing for sending me an copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. I knew I wanted to read this book after reading Skuse's novel Monster (Review Here) and thoroughly enjoyed it. 

This book was so addictive- I mean crazy addictive. I found it hard to put down and after I had gotten a good way into the book I decided to not put it down at all and just read through the night to finish it! The way the book is written each chapter leads into another- pulling the reader's attentions straight into the next scene. The revenge scenes were so funny and skillfully written. 

Skuse's brilliant writing style is as evident in The Deviants as it was in Monster. CJ writes with perfect knowledge of her characters which seem so three dimensional and real. Her plot perfectly flows from beginning to end, keeping the reader hanging on her every word. 

Review: With Malice by Eileen Cook

Publication Date: 9th June 2016
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Source: Review copy

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Blurb:

Wish you weren't here…

When Jill wakes up in a hospital bed with her leg in a cast, the last six weeks of her life are a complete blank. All she has been told is that she was involved in a fatal accident while on a school trip in Italy and had to be jetted home to receive intensive care. Care that involves a lawyer. And a press team. Because maybe the accident…. wasn't just an accident.

With no memory of what happened or what she did, can Jill prove her innocence? And can she really be sure that she isn't the one to blame?

 Big thank you to Hot Key Books for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for a full and honest review. 

First up, I just want to say how beautiful the cover of this novel is. I'd seen photos of this book around Instagram before I began reading it and it's just such a gorgeous cover. I'm a sucker for beautiful typography on a book cover! 


Going into this book, I really did not know what to expect. I hadn't read any reviews of the novel or heard anyone talk about it so it was refreshing to go into the novel without any other opinions. 

Review: Nightfall by Jake Halpern & Peter Kujawinski

Publisher:  Hot Key Books
Publication Date: May 1st 2016
Source: Review copy

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Blurb: 
Night is coming.

On Marin’s island, sunrise doesn’t come every twenty-four hours--it comes every twenty-eight years. Each sunset, the townspeople sail to the south, where they wait out the long Night. None of the adults will tell Marin, Kana, or their friend Line exactly what happens when they leave the island, but when the three are accidentally left behind in the gathering dusk, they learn the truth: at Night, their town belongs to others, and those others want them gone.

Fleeing through the now-alien landscape that used to be their home, the three confront shocking transformations and uncomfortable truths about themselves.  They are challenged to trust one another or perish. Marin, Kana, and Line must find their way off the island . . . before the Night finds them.

 Thank you to Hot Key Books for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. 

I had not heard anything about this novel before receiving it for review but once I'd read the blurb I was instantly interested in the concept. 

On this mysterious Island, twins Marin & Kana have lived their whole lives in the sun, until now when the 14 year cycle of night begins. With everyone set to evacuate the island, Marin & Kana end up left behind while searching for their lost friend Line. Then the night brings all sorts of problems and terrors their way. 

I was surprised by this novel. After a pretty slow start, the novel began to pick up pace and suck me in. I became really interested in the mystery of the island, why the cycle of 14 years happens and invested in finding out what happens to the characters. The plot was interesting, well written although a little slow in places. There was one or two incredible twists in the novel that I did not see coming at all which I really enjoyed as usually I can guess whats going to happen. 

Review: Oasis by Eilis Barrett

Publisher: Gill Books
Release Date: February 19 2016
Source: Review copy from publisher

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Blurb: 
In the near future, a virus will drive humankind to the brink of extinction. With the illness spreading faster than attempts to control it, and society collapsing, the last surviving city will become a beacon of hope for survivors.

Walled off from the outside world, this city is christened Oasis. Governing on a promise to protect its citizens from infection at all costs, the government of Oasis begins to impose its vision of the perfect society. Every aspect of life is controlled, and the city begins to take on a new, sinister shape.

Born into this world is Quincy Emerson, a resident of the Outer Sector Dorms, brutal housing institutions reserved for those judged at risk of infection. Beyond the walls of Oasis, however, something is stirring, and events are about to overtake Quincy. Her fate, it turns out, may not be written in her genes.

Big thank you to the publisher, Gill Books, for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for a review. I was so excited to read this book as the blurb sounded like something I would really enjoy, and Eilis is only 16 years old and is Irish like me!

I first heard about this book last October when I attended Dept Con. Eilis was a speaker at one of the panels and I was so impressed by the eloquent way she spoke and so shocked that was just 16. Eilis is such an inspirational young woman having gotten a two book publishing deal at the age of just 15. I could not wait to read Oasis and when I did read it- I loved it! 

Review: Needlework by Deirdre Sullivan

Publication Date: 26 February 2016
Publisher: Little Island Books
Source: Review copy

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Blurb:

‘I would like to make things beautiful, but a tawdry and repulsive kind of beauty. A braver sort than people have from birth. Sexy zombies on a bicep. That sort of thing.’

Ces longs to be a tattoo artist and embroider skin with beautiful images. But for now she’s just trying to reach adulthood without falling apart.

A massive thank you to the publishers, Little Island Books, for sending me an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for a full and honest review. This book was also featured on my Most Anticipated Releases of 2016 list .

Prior to reading this novel I had read Deirdre's Prim Improper, which is the first novel in a series about a young girl dealing with new friends, family life after the death of her mother and living with her father. Prim Improper was a million miles away from how Needlework read.

Needlework could be summed up in a single word as haunting. The novel stayed with me, I could not get it out of my head when I went to sleep at night and waking in the morning it was first instinct to reach over, grab it from my bedside table and continue reading. The novel left me with so much to think about and question after reading it. It is definitely a novel that will consume you, your thoughts and be all you think / talk about for a long time after finishing.