REVIEW: Movie Night

MOVIE NIGHT

by Lucy Courtenay

Pages: 314

Publisher: Hodder Children's Books

Publication Date: January 11th 2018

Received From: Hodder Children's Books

One: I am hopelessly in love with Hanna Bergdahl. Two: for the first time since our recent reunion Hanna Bergdahl appears to be single. And three: I am in stuck in that inescapable netherworld of demons and acne - the Friend Zone.

Two best friends. One crush.

Sol and Hanna were best friends at primary school and after reuniting at college, they spend approximately seventy per cent of daylight hours together.

When disaster strikes at a New Year's Eve party and Hannah sees new boyfriend Danny Dukas kissing Lizzie Banks, a New Year's Resolution is formed. Sol and Hanna will watch one film a month for twelve months until the next New Year. After all, films hold answers to life's hardest questions. Maybe they'll figure out why they are both members of the dumpee club.

Only Sol Adams has a new year's resolution of his own: to kiss Hanna Bergdahl before the year is over.

When I read The Kiss I was completely enamoured with the way in which Lucy Courtenay constructs a contemporary romance. There was this added element of movie magic and I'm so happy that has carried on to her new book Movie Night. This book is unbelievably cute, laugh out loud funny at times and the quintessential YA will they, wont they romance that will turn your insides gooey. 

Movie Night is told from the perspective for our two main protagonists. First you have Hanna, the sixth form girl who fits in with the popular kids, changes boys like they're shoes and gets along with mostly everyone. Then there is Sol, Sol grew up with Hanna but moved away when he was younger. Now Sol is back he and Hanna are inseparable but he likes to keep things to himself, like the fact he has been in love with his best friend Hanna for longer than he can remember. Then one New Years Eve Hanna sees her boyfriend kissing someone else and on that night while comforting her Sol and Hanna make a pact. For the next year they are going to watch one movie a month together, because movies always have happily ever afters and maybe together they will find the answers they are looking for.  But with Sol trying to hold Hanna at arms length and Hanna slowly realising just how much he keeps from her their friendship is pushed to breaking point. It is a story about friendship, first love and learning to be who you want to be, not just who you are told to be. 

Throughout this book Sol and Hanna grow so much as characters, both together and apart that its hard not to love them. Movie Night is one of those coming of age stories that suck you in because you as a reader feel like you can connect with the characters. The book is written over the space of a year, a year that has our main protagonists applying for university and making big decisions about who they want to be. 

The characters melt your heart and the story keeps up pace throughout. The family dynamics are intriguing and if your favourite thing in this book isn't Nigel then I don't know what's wrong with you. There are moments in this book that show how hard it can be at that age and the pressure of some of the choices that need making but there is also a humour to it as well. It is the mix of depth and light heartedness that really elevated this book for me. 

Overall, Movie Night was one of those books I could read over and over again. It hit me right in the feels and from the very first chapter I needed to know if Sol got the girl. It is hard enough being a teenager but when you're in love with your best friend? Well that's when it gets complicated. 

**I received this book as an ARC from Hodder Children's Books to read & review. This is a 100% honest review.**

Tour Post: It’s The End Of The World As We Know It

IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT

by Saci Lloyd

Pages: 288 (paperback)

Publisher: Hodder Children's Books

Publication Date: 1st January 2015

ISBN: 1444916688
Received From:  Hodder Children's Books

Summary 

Welcome to a world controlled by a megalomaniac Lolcat. A world where data pirates, zombies and infobots on surfboards roam free. A world at war over cheese ... When teenager Mikey Malone gets sucked through a wormhole into this parallel world, he discovers a power-crazed corporation is planning to use Earth as a dumping ground for an uncontrollable poisonous algae. It's a race against time for Mikey and his rebel friends to stop the ruthless tyrants from getting their way.

Review

"You must trust the mystery. No snowflake ever falls in the wrong place."

Where. To. Start... It took me a little time to figure out if this book was the creation of a loon or a complete genius, for the record I settled on the latter. It’s The End Of The World As We Know It is by far the most brilliantly bonkers book I’ve ever read. It’s unique, funny and mind-blowingly complex with something in there for literally everyone. From zombies to pirates, surfboard-riding robots to clones, and that’s not even mentioning the war over a massive ball of cheese. It sounds insane, it know! But trust me when I say this, it’s the best kind of madness and I couldn’t put it down.

It’s The End Of The World As We Know It is about a boy named Mikey and what happens when a wack-a-doodle scientist rips a whole in the fabric of time and space creating a parallel universe. The book follows Mikey and a whole host of other characters as they try to get him back to Earth after falling through the wormhole. However, it’s not going to be easy as the parallel universe, DEVA, is being destroyed by a sex-crazed algae called UltraRed. Hearing about the wormhole the Korporation thinks Earth will be the perfect dumping ground for the UltraRed… oh and did I mention the head of the Korporation is a cat named Önska.

The whole book is barmy but I think that the reason it works so well is because of its rag-tag group of heroes. We have Kix, a Kickass Pansexual Being. Blitzer the BlitZerbot. Professor Mori the… well I think he was a robot of some kind. Oh and DØØ & Σëë, who are in my opinion, the best part of this book… these surfboard flying infobots never failed to make me laugh. Although if you have an issue with spelling in books then they may not be your favourite characters as they have a habit of swapping the first letters of words around as they find the human tongue a little on the dull side.  It’s this misfit group that brings the story to life; each one is unique and well thought through. Sometimes when reading a book that’s as complex as this one characters can fade and the begin to feel like nothing more than an after thought. However, Saci Lloyd has seamlessly put together a cast that feels relevant and exciting.

I think the only part I can fault is a personal thing, and that’s the dialogue. I struggled a little with the way Saci choose to voice the population of DEVA, I mean I’m not a stickler for grammar, not even close, however, there were moments where I had to reread a sentence or two which did feel a little tedious at times.

Overall, It’s The End Of The World As We Know It is a great read. It’s funny and new and unputdownable. The story flows and there isn’t a single chapter that isn’t filled with something out of the ordinary. I would recommend this book to anyone that is in need of something a little different and anyone in need of an adventure.

"Maybe I don't want to survive no more... maybe I wantz to live." 

**I received this book as an ARC from Hodder Children's Books to read & review. This is a 100% honest review.**

Q&A with Saci Llody

author of It's The End of The World As We Know It

What was the inspiration behind It’s The End Of The World As We Know It?

Oh, it’s full of things I’m super passionate about – mostly the future, and what do we want it to look like. I feel we are sleepwalking towards some very scary stuff and I want us to stop and think about it. I also wanted to write something funny and play about with the world… I’m a bit over the apocalypse.

The residents of Deva have a rather strange way of speaking, why did you choose to write it that way?

Umm, let me peer into my subconscious. There’s a variety of dialects going on… ONSKA, of course, speaks like a LOLcat. The synthetics often have little tics like zeds for s’s (not sure how to spell that) I don’t know why… maybe feelz a bit like the futur? Captain Duchamp has a little French thing going on, to make him feel like he hasn’t completely sold out to the machines – probably in the same way that people who pirate load of music occasionally buy vinyl to prove to themselves they’re still good people…

Think quick! You’ve been sucked through a wormhole into a parallel universe, what is the first thing you do?

Get myself a robot buddy

Who was your favorite character to write and why? For the record, mine are DØØ & Σëë. They are irilliantly bnsane.

Oh mine is probably Kix. She’s so angry all the time. And so curvy.

Where did your love for writing come from?

I don’t love it. It kills me every day sitting in front of this screen, but I am HORRIBLY COMPELLED.

If you could pick anyone, whom would you cast as Kix & Mikey in a film adaptation?       

Nikki Minaj and Seth Rogan’s younger brother/clone

What three books would you recommend to readers of It’s The End Of The World As We Know It?

Hitchiker’s Guide To The Galaxy

The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole

SuperSadTrueLoveStory (for more adult readers. Very cool)

Here’s a random one for you. If you could live in a fictional universe that’s ALREADY been written, which one would you choose and why?

Lord of the Rings. Totally be Tom Bombadil.

What’s the most challenging part of the writing process for you?

The writing part. I love the thinking it up and the final touch ups.

In one sentence tell us why we should read It’s The End Of The World As We Know It?

It’s so much funnier than a cup of warm sick.

Lastly, is there going to be a sequel?

Dangle mah donglez! Of course. I’m on it right now.

GIVEAWAY

 The lovely people at Hodder Children's Books have sent me a signed, yes I said signed, copy of It's The End Of The World As We Know It to giveaway to one of you lovelies. 

UK ONLY

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Review: The 100

THE 100

by Kass Morgan

Pages: 336 (paperback)

Publisher: Hodder 

Publication Date: 29th August 2013

ISBN: 9781444766882
Received From:  Hodder via Chapter5

Summary 

Ever since a devastating nuclear war, humanity has lived on spaceships far above Earth's radioactive surface. Now, one hundred juvenile delinquents -- considered expendable by society -- are being sent on a dangerous mission: to recolonize the planet. It could be their second chance at life...or it could be a suicide mission. 

CLARKE was arrested for treason, though she's haunted by the memory of what she really did. WELLS, the chancellor's son, came to Earth for the girl he loves -- but will she ever forgive him? Reckless BELLAMY fought his way onto the transport pod to protect his sister, the other half of the only pair of siblings in the universe. And GLASS managed to escape back onto the ship, only to find that life there is just as dangerous as she feared it would be on Earth. 

Confronted with a savage land and haunted by secrets from their pasts, the hundred must fight to survive. They were never meant to be heroes, but they may be mankind's last hope.

Review

"Maybe, here in the ruins of the old world, they could start something new."

First of let me say that The 100 (book) is NOTHING like the TV show. That's not to say it's bad, it's just different and if you want to read the book to find out what's going to happen to our favourite characters later on in the series then it's not really going to work! 

The story itself is well thought through and jam packed with plot lines and character developments. The multiple points of view gives us a chance to see how The 100 are coping and evolving on Earth but also to the evens unfolding in space. Each chapter’s flits between the past and the present showing how each character ended up in confinement and, subsequently, on the drop ship speeding towards Earth. Will the hundred survive on a planet that's been inhabitable for the past 300 years? And can the people left in space afford for them to fail? Things are about to get messy. 

We still have some of the regular suspects, Clarke, Wells, Bellamy and Octavia however they're not quite the same characters we've come to know and love. There are also a couple of newbies thrown into the mix. Glass, Luke and I'm going to say Wells too... because he is not, in any way shape or form, the same character I'd got to know and I’m not sure I like this version of him.

Bellamy is without a doubt my favourite character! He is so protective of his little sister and having chapters told from his point of view only increases my love for him. I can't help it; I'm a sucker for a bad boy with a soft side. 

Overall I did really liked this book. I think that because I had seen the show first it could, at times, feel a little slow but I think that's because the TV show covers so much in every episode. The book would have to be Game of Thrones length to cover even a per cent of the show. However, in general, ignoring the TV show tie in, it's a fun and fast read and I'm super excited to start Day 21! I need more Bellamy!!

**I received this book as an ARC from Hodder via Chapter5 to read & review. This is a 100% honest review.**