Sex in YA Books

So if you follow me on Twitter, you've probably seen my thread looking for books with positive realistic representations of sex in YA books.

Representing any issue in YA books needs to be handled well. You can't breeze over and sugar coat a topic because that is inauthentic and unrealistic. Teenagers and young adults know about sex, they may be having sex. Therefore mis-representing it in books is not "sheltering" them its harming them as they need a realistic view of relationships.

In real life there is no "fade-to-black" movie moment and it really irritates me when a book or movie does that as they don't want to portray the real moment to teenagers or young adults.

Teenagers relationships are just as valid. Therefore I'm glad there are some books which represent sex, love and relationships in a realistic way for teenagers. Representation really matters. 


1) The Classic: Forever by Judy Blume    (REVIEW HERE)

The representation is not only realistic in this book but is probably one of the first books for many people that they read where sex was displayed. 

This novel centres around first relationship between Katherine, the main character, and her boyfriend Michael. As they fall in love for the first time they begin having sex. 
The way the relationship progresses is written so well and the sex scenes are realistic. 

The book shows sex in a realistic light, bleeding when you lose your virginity, it hurting, it sometimes being disappointing and the fact that just because you fall in love doesn't mean it will last forever. 

A must read (although I find the boyfriend Michael to not be great and it is a little dated because its 50+ years old)

Top Books of 2019

2019 has come to an end. It was definitely A YEAR, but not one for reading.. I only managed to read 33 books as I started a new job, moved out and had a lot of other stuff going on that just left me with very little time to get to much reading. But what I did manage to read, was fantastic!

Check out some of the amazing and wonderful books I read this year. Reviews I have posted will be linked and I'll give you 3 reasons why I loved each book - Let's go!

 Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare (Review Here)

Okay, this year I finally hopped back on the Cassie Clare fan-club. I read the entire The Infernal Devices series and finished The Mortal Instruments series.

Clockwork Princess was a fantastic read because:

#1 The couples - this book provides some great couple and relationship development for so many. From Charlotte & Henry, Gideon and Sophie and our ever loving Jem/Tessa/Will love triangle

#2 Be still my Jessa shipping heart

#3 Thinking about the epilogue still hurts. If you wanna feel pain? Read a Cassandra Clare book

 Simon Vs The Homosapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli (Review Here)

Okay, this book had been on my TBR for years and I finally got round to reading it. Boy, was I in love with this book.

#1 The mystery romance was so gripping to read about

#2 This book actually had me laughing out loud. There were so many hilarious incidents and parts that I still find myself thinking about

#3 The characters were so three dimensional. Honestly I loved reading about every single character and wanted them to come out of the page. I could honestly read a book about each and every side character. I now need to read everything Becky has and will ever write.

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: Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

Publisher: Walker Books
Publication Date: March 2013
Source: Borrowed from library 
Series: The Infernal Devices #3

Blurb: 
A net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London Institute. Mortmain plans to use his Infernal Devices, an army of pitiless automatons, to destroy the Shadowhunters. He needs only one last item to complete his plan: he needs Tessa Gray.

Charlotte Branwell, head of the London Institute, is desperate to find Mortmain before he strikes. But when Mortmain abducts Tessa, the boys who lay equal claim to her heart, Jem and Will, will do anything to save her. For though Tessa and Jem are now engaged, Will is as much in love with her as ever.

As those who love Tessa rally to rescue her from Mortmain’s clutches, Tessa realizes that the only person who can save her is herself. But can a single girl, even one who can command the power of angels, face down an entire army?

So the last book in The Infernal Devices series hit me hard, even though literally everyone told me it would do so, I still felt overwhelmed. 
This review may contain spoilers for the other books in the series and possible this one as I cannot CONTAIN MY EMOTIONS FOR MUCH LONGER!

So here is your **SPOILER WARNING** . Stop reading if you have not read this book, but instead read my reviews of Cassandra Clare's novels here! 

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: 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! 

Best Books I Read in 2017

Hi everyone. As the year comes to a close, I thought I would share my favourite novels of 2017. I hope that 2018 brings you happiness. 

As a result of huge college work amounts and various other busy activities in my life in the past year, I only managed to read 30 books which is even less than last year. Although I read fewer novels, I feel like I discovered some greats this year, 

I really enjoyed all of the books mentioned on this list and you can see my full reviews of them linked below. 

Lets jump right in to my list of the best books I read in 2017; 

Review: Like Other Girls by Claire Hennessy

Publisher: Hot Key Books
Publication Date: 25th May 2017
Source: Received copy from publisher

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Blurb: 
Here's what Lauren knows: she's not like other girls. She also knows it's problematic to say that - what's wrong with girls? She's even fancied some in the past. But if you were stuck in St Agnes's, her posh all-girls school, you'd feel like that too. Here everyone's expected to be Perfect Young Ladies, it's even a song in the painfully awful musical they're putting on this year. And obviously said musical is directed by Lauren's arch nemesis.

Under it all though, Lauren's heart is bruised. Her boyfriend thinks she's crazy and her best friend's going through something Lauren can't understand... so when Lauren realises she's facing every teenage girl's worst nightmare, she has nowhere to turn. Maybe she should just give in to everything. Be like other girls. That's all so much easier ... right?

 Huge thank you to Hot Key Books for sending me a copy of this novel in exchange for a full and honest review. Claire Hennessy is quickly becoming one of my auto-buy, all time favourite authors and I was so extremely excited to read this novel as soon as I got my hands on it. I decided to not read too much of the blurb and avoided all early reviews of the novel so I could go into it completely fresh and just let the novel surprise me. It was a brilliant idea.

This novel is utter brilliance. Like Other Girls deals with so many important and current issues that not only affect those worldwide but also focusing on national Irish issues. The novel touches on hard issues in a realistic and raw way. Claire does not try to sugar coat any aspect of the novel, which I think is how it should be as readers can both learn and begin to understand the issues more clearly. 

Review: Good Girls Don't by Claire Hennessy

Publisher: Poolbeg Press
Publication Date: January 2004
Source: Borrowed from library


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Blurb:

My past is a list of experiences. Not mistakes, experiences, and if I had the chance to go back and change something, I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t be me otherwise. But I do wish that the past would just stay put . . .” Good girls behave themselves. Good girls work hard. Good girls always do the right thing. Emily Keating is not a good girl by these standards, but she’s trying. She wants to help her friends – even if it means skipping school or kissing them when she probably shouldn’t. She wants to be a good friend to everyone – even Hugh, her ex, who she still has unresolved issues with. Even Lucy, her former crush, who’s toyed with Emily’s heart more than once. Even Barry, her dearest friend, who everyone insists she has chemistry with. But at what point do you need to stop sorting everyone else’s life out and find your own happy ending – even if that means hurting someone you care about?

After reading Nothing Tastes As Good by Claire earlier this year, I really wanted to read more of her novels. So I hunted down a copy of Good Girls Don't in my local library and was very excited to get reading it as soon as possible.

Review: Harry Potter & The Cursed Child by JK Rowling, John Tiffany & Jack Thorne

Publisher: Little Brown UK
Publication Date: July 31st 2016
Source: Gift

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Blurb:

Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, a new play by Jack Thorne, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series and the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage. The play will receive its world premiere in London’s West End on July 30, 2016.

It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.

While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.

 I can not describe the sheer joy I felt when my dad & sister got me this book as a present! I love them so much and could not wait to dive straight back into the Harry Potter wizarding world. Here is my *spoiler free* review. 

So this book is not a book, it is a script. I do have to admit that I was at first a little skeptical about reading a play's script as I have not read a play since secondary school. Although it was a little jarring at first, I soon got used to the idea and quickly it felt like reading a normal book as I was swept up by the story.

The Cursed Child tells the story of Albus Severus Potter, a boy who has had to grown up in the shadow of his dads legacy. Being Harry Potter's son has taken it's toll on Albus and through the course of the story we see how this affects Albus's life at school, his relationship with his father and also shows the expectations others have towards Harry's children. 

Albus is a character that the reader / audience take into their heart from the very beginning. Albus is so like his dad in certain ways, such as his spontaneous nature and bravery, yet is also struggling with thinking he will never live to be like dad. 

Book Recommendations Based On Your Favourite Pokemon | Pokemon Go!

So this month, the world has been captivated by the release of Pokemon Go.

If you've been living under a rock, you might be unaware as to what this is. Pokemon Go is an app created by Nintendo which allows the mobile phone holder to live out their childhood dreams of actually being a Pokemon master by catching, evolving and battling Pokemon.

I've given in to my Pokemon Go addiction. I was a huge fan of the TV show as a child and my seven year old self would be over the moon if they knew about this app.

So I've decided to combine two loves, one old and one new ; Books + Pokemon Go! Find a cool book recommendation based on your favourite type of Pokemon below. 


Click the books cover to be taken to my review! 

If you're a fan of water type Pokemon, try a contemporary read.

I recommend these; 

If fire type Pokemon are you're favourite, you should pick up an action packed novel!

Review: Nothing Tastes As Good by Claire Hennessy

Publication Date: 6th June 2016
Publisher:  Hot Key Books
Source:  Review Copy

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Blurb: 

What happens when you give in to the voices in your head?

Annabel is dead. And she's not happy about it. Despite having strived to be 'lighter than air' back when she was alive, the consequences of that yearning haven't quite sunk in yet. 

Julia Jacobs is fat. Which Annabel immediately notices when she's assigned as Julia's ghostly helper (don't even think about calling her a guardian angel). And as her helper, Julia's problem seems pretty obvious to Annabel. Fat = problem = unhappy. Sorted. 
The only trouble is that whatever is causing Julia to overeat is hidden deep within her. 

Except. . . all this time spent in someone's head has got Annabel thinking. Not just about food, but about her family too. And that maybe happiness can mean more than eradicating all the flesh from your bones.

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

As soon as I heard about this novel, I knew I needed to read it ASAP! I had pretty high hopes going into this novel, and it's such a good feeling when those expectations are not only met but exceeded. This novel deals a lot with serious issues such as body image, eating disorders, death etc and I think the way Claire Hennessy handled them was fantastic. 

One of my favourite aspects of the novel was how perfectly the author captured the essence, emotions and feelings of being a teenage girl. This novel was one of those novels you read and you find yourself drawn so far into it that you feel as if you know the characters, they're emotions, the setting- and it's because you can relate to them. From teenage relationships, friendships, sex, school, alcohol etc- all were written with such reality and honesty. When reading the novel you realise you've felt some of these emotions, experienced some of their experiences, and this brings you closer to the story. Claire Hennessy did not "sugar-coat" or brush over the realities of the issues discussed in the novel and I think that was an important and honorable action. 

The characters in this novel were also amazing. Every character has their own flaws and imperfections, but this makes them feel even more real and shows the reader that it is okay, and human, to be imperfect but you still deserve to be loved. 

Review: What Was Never Said by Emma Craigie

Publication Date: 7th May 2016
Publisher: Short Books
Source:  Received from publisher for review

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Blurb:

15-year-old Zahra has lived in England most of her life, but she is haunted by memories of her early childhood in Africa: the warm sun, the loud gunfire, and happy days playing with her older sister before "the visitors" came. It is hard for Zahra to make sense of everything that happened, and the terrible events are impossible to talk about, but when three familiar women arrive unexpectedly for tea, Zahra realises that the dangers of the past could still destroy her.

What Was Never Said is the powerful story of a girl navigating the demands of two very different and conflicting worlds; a tale of surviving loss and overcoming fears.

 Big thank you to those at Short Books for sending me a copy of this novel in exchange for my full, honest review. 

Before going into this novel, I really did not know what to expect. I knew a little about FGM (Female Genital Mutilation) and the consequences it can have on the individual but after reading this novel, I realised just how much of an invasive, torturous procedure it is and the life long effect it has on the girl. This novel made me think good and hard about culture, practises, feminism and society's expectations of women. 

What Was Never Said has a unique way of playing on the idea of saying something without saying it, of talking about something without talking about it. Zahra's flashbacks to life in Somlia offer great insights into her life there and her villages practises which I found both interesting and somewhat difficult to read. Zahra often down-plays the FGM practise by calling it "cutting" or using throw away phrases, one of which struck me hard - "anyone can steal from an open purse". Although the author does not go into any graphic details, the reader is aware of what occurs with this practise. 

Review: Am I Normal Yet? by Holly Bourne

Publication Date: August 1st 2015
Publisher: Usborne 
Source:  Bought 

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Blurb: 

All Evie wants is to be normal. She’s almost off her meds and at a new college where no one knows her as the girl-who-went-crazy. She’s even going to parties and making friends. There’s only one thing left to tick off her list…

But relationships are messy – especially relationships with teenage guys. They can make any girl feel like they’re going mad. And if Evie can’t even tell her new friends Amber and Lottie the truth about herself, how will she cope when she falls in love?

As you may know if you have read my favourite books of 2015 blog post, Am I Normal Yet? was one of my absolute favourite novels of last year. You may also be wondering, Shannon if you read that book back in October of last year, why on earth are you only writing a review now?! Well blog reader, the answer to that is that I kept putting off this review to formulate my thoughts in a comprehensible manner as I did not want to be a mess of emotions just yelling at you to buy this book!

I picked up this novel before attending Dept Con 1, a book convention where Holly Bourne was speaking and signing her novels. I did not know much about this novel before reading it apart from the fact that lots of people on twitter, including my wonderful friend Cooleen, had read and adored it. I went into this novel expecting it to be good, but I was utterly blown away by how incomprehensibly fantastic it was! 

Am I Normal Yet? tells the story of Evie, a sixteen year old girl with mental health problems that wishes to just be a "normal" teenager. The novel goes through so many themes from family life to school to fitting in. Some of the most prominent themes in the novel is friendship,mental health and the concept of what "normal" is. 

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.

Review: Still Falling by Sheena Wilkinson

Publication Date: 2015
Publisher: Little Island Books
Source: Borrowed from library

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Blurb: 
‘The rain was still falling, but the dark had parted…’
F Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

Luke falls. He has epilepsy.
And, as it turns out, he has much bigger issues too.
Esther falls. In love.
It’s wonderful – but there’s a shadow that she can’t identify and she can’t make go away just by loving Luke.
Luke’s experience has taught him to despise himself; Esther’s self-belief is fragile. And love is not as easy as it looks. Will they be still falling at the end of term?
A story about the struggle it can be to love someone who doesn’t love themselves – and why it’s worth it.

In October of 2015, I went to my first ever book convention, Dept Con 1, and got to meet so many amazing authors, both known and new to me. Sheena Wilkinson was one of these and after meeting her and hearing her talk about her novel I knew I needed to pick it up and was so glad I stumbled upon a copy in my local library. 

I went into this book with medium expectations, I had thought it was going to be a light contemporary, boy meets girl, type of novel. It was so much more than that. 

This novel absolutely blew me away. I picked up this novel after having done some study for my college exams as a way to relax and wind down, but a few hours later and I had finished the novel and could not stop thinking about it. So naturally I took to twitter to tell everyone how amazing it was (@Shannonbookworm). 

Favourite Books of 2015

I read and discovered so many amazing new books and authors in 2015 that narrowing it down to just those on this list was extremely difficult. 

I absolutely adored all of the books mentioned on this list and if I have not posted a review of them yet, it shall be up very soon. 

Lets jump right in to my list of the best books I read in 2015; 

Only Ever Yours by Louise O' Neill

This book was one of the first books I read in 2015 and it honestly blew me away. This is Louise O'Neills debut novel filled with a powerful setting, strong characters, feminism, themes of friendship, body issues, fat shaming, objectification and parallels can easily be drawn to our own society. Honestly this novel will stay with you for a very long time after reading and change your perspectives.