REVIEW: The Island

THE ISLAND

by M.A. Bennett

Pages: 304

Publisher: Hot Key Books

Publication Date: 9th August 2018 

Received From: Hot Key Books

Link is a fish out of water. Newly arrived from America, he is finding it hard to settle into the venerable and prestigious Osney School. Who knew there could be so many strange traditions to understand? And what kind of school ranks its students by how fast they can run round the school quad - however ancient that quad may be? When Link runs the slowest time in years, he immediately becomes the butt of every school joke. And some students are determined to make his life more miserable than others . . .

When a school summer trip is offered, Link can think of nothing worse than spending voluntary time with his worst tormentors. But when his parents say he can only leave Osney School - forever - if he goes on the trip, Link decides to endure it for the ultimate prize. But this particular trip will require a very special sort of endurance. The saying goes 'No man is an island' - but what if on that island is a group of teenagers, none of whom particularly like each other? When oppressive heat, hunger and thirst start to bite, everyone's true colours will be revealed. Let the battle commence . . .

S.T.A.G.S. was one of the most talked about YA's of 2017 and when it was announced that M.A. Bennett was releasing another book I was beyond excited! So, when I got the chance to read The Island I jumped at the chance. The Island has the same flare and sense of danger that Bennett's first book had which instantly lets you know you're in for one hell of a ride. 

The Island is a story about a boy named Link and how he goes from bottom of the pack to king of the island. Its a twist on the coming of age story, where Link and a group of people from his elite school end up on a desert island and the only thing that stands in the way of their survival is themselves. Throughout the book the characters have to find a strength within themselves, break away from high school stereotypes and become adults in the most unexpected ways. The question is, when the rules they have lived by for so many years are taken away, can this group of teenagers discover a way to survive? 

The saying goes 'power corrupts all' and this book shows just how true that can be when this misfit group of teenagers are forced into situations they never imagined possible. The thing I loved about Bennett's first book was it tapped into this old fashioned idea of hierarchy that we like to believe has been/is being abolished and it invites the readers into worlds were it is still very much an issue. It looks at the complexity of human behaviour and show the reader the extents people will go to achieve (and then keep) power. 

The book itself is constantly twisting and turning, creating situations these young protagonists will have to fight to survive through. It is an exciting new book and even though the feminist in me found some moments hard to stomach, I know that that's the point! Bennett does not shy away from the darker parts of human behaviour and that just makes this book all the more exciting. 

Overall, this is a really exciting new book that I think any YA enthusiast will devour in a matter of days. It is fast paced, exciting and pushes the reader into a world that sits so close to ours it's hard not to imagine this happening somewhere. If you haven't pre-ordered this one yet then I highly recommend that you do. 

**I received this book as an ARC from Hot Key Books to read & review. This is a 100% honest review.**

REVIEW: The Cruel Prince

THE CRUEL PRINCE

by Holly Black

Pages: 384

Publisher: Hot Key Books

Publication Date: 2nd January 2018

Received From: Hot Key Books

Of course I want to be like them. They're beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.
And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.
Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.
To win a place at the Court, she must defy him—and face the consequences.
In doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. But as civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.

Holly Back's Tithe and Ironside are the books that started my love of YA Frey. They are full of danger, magic and lust that completely absorb you into the pages and when I heard Black was making a return trip to the land of Faerie I was beyond excited! The Cruel Prince is fast paced, magical, dangerous and all consuming. The characters are, in my opinion, some of the best she has ever created and the way humanity and power interlink throughout the story made this book unputdownable. 

The Cruel Prince is the first of a new series and it tells the story of an orphaned human girl, Jude, who finds herself right at the centre of the High Court of Faerie. Jude and her two sisters all adapted differently when their parents were brutally murdered by their now step-father and as the story unfolds it’s these differences that leads to Jude’s unlikely story. For you see, Jude has always wanted to be like the Frey. For Jude it was their strength and skill she admired and even though being human is seen as a weakness she was determined to prove she could be one of them. However, with a coronation around the corner, battles for power in play and a prince that can’t stand the sight of her, Jude has more to prove than ever before. 

Jude, for me, was the perfect protagonist! There was something about her that made you want to route for her even when you could see she was making all the wrong choices. She is one of those characters that has a bit of a chip on her shoulder (and rightly so) and finds herself needing to prove her worth to everyone around her. Her two sisters adapted differently to the world on the other side of the hill but it is Jude's need for acceptance from this world that makes her relatable. She is the quintessential outsider, the girl that will never fit in, never given a chance to be more than her preconceptions and that in itself makes her fight even harder. You can't help but adore her and for me that's what makes a YA protagonist special. 

The story itself was full of adventure and interlinking parts that keeps you on your toes from the very first to the very last page. Black never shies away from the brutal side of frey folklore and The Cruel Prince is no different. There were moments that made me wish she wasn’t so damn good as describing things but it is this grittiness mixed with the wonder of the Faerie world that entices the reader. This is one of those books were setting, storytelling, characters and that literary magic all come together to create something rather special.

Overall I adored this book. If I'm honest I was a little worried I had set my expectations too high but Black smashed it and I didn't want this story to end. It is full of peril, trickery, plotting, love and magic. It’s a tale of family value, royal hierarchy and a young girls need to be accepted. The Cruel Prince is Holly Black at her best and I'm dying to see what she has in store for us next. 

**I received this book as an ARC from Hot Key Books to read & review. This is a 100% honest review.**

REVIEW: Aurabel

AURABEL

by Laura Dockrill

Pages: 304

Publisher: Hot Key Books

Publication Date: June 1st 2017

Received From: Hot Key Books

It has been two years since Rory drowned, and Lorali is in Hastings, living the quiet life of a normal teenage girl. But her safe life on land won't last for long. Life in The Whirl has become a hotbed of underwater politics and as the council jostles to oust the king, one Mer in particular has her eye on Lorali as the key to her own rise to power.
Meanwhile, Aurabel, a lowly Mer from the wrong side of the trench, is attacked by sea beasts and left for dead - and without a tail. Raging with righteous anger, she rebuilds herself a mechanical tail and reinvents herself as a fearless steampunk Mer seeking revenge. But she never expected the most important job that was about to drop into her lap.

Okay so after Lorali I was a little sceptical about another book with half of it narrated by the Sea. However, there was something about Aurabel that had me hooked from the very beginning. I don't know if it was the need to find out what happened to Rory or the new characters that were introduced but the focus of this book captured my attention in a way Lorali fell just shy of doing. 

Aurabel follows on two years from where Lorali leaves off and with life under the sea more dangerous then ever before the question still remains... what happened to Rory? As well as this, Aurabel introduces new characters, most importantly Aurabel herself - a take no nonsense mer from the whirl's equivalent of the wrong side of town. Aurabel gets caught up in mer politics which has unimaginable consequences. With gritty, honest, magical and unfathomable plot twists this book tells the story all Lorali fans have been waiting for, in a way no one could have predicted. 

Okay so first things first The Sea... still not sold on the idea of this guy getting POV chapters, however, there was something about this book that meant I wasn't as frustrated by them as before. In the first book Laura Dockrill definitely didn't shy away from the grittier aspects of the story but with Aurabel there were moments that made my skin crawl. That's not a bad thing by the way! No, I love the fact the story doesn't sugar coat the situation, it makes a fantasy feel real and that is really hard to do as a writer. 

The characters in this installment, for me, were much more compelling and in a way Lorali almost felt like a set up book for this one. It meant I cared about Lorali and Rory enough to want to know what happened to Rory after he fell into the sea but it was this book where the story really took off. Reading as Lorali and Aurabel's worlds collide had me on tender hooks and their unlikely friendship was entertaining from the get go!

Overall this book was more then I expected it to be. It was fun, fast pasted and full to the brim with exciting twists and turns. With selkies, mermaids, sea monsters, amusements parks and even fake legs this book is a fascinating sequel that is full of adventures you don't want to miss!

**I received this book as an ARC from Hot Key Books to read & review. This is a 100% honest review.**

REVIEW: Lorali

LORALI

by Laura Dockrill

Pages: 337

Publisher: Hot Key Books

Publication Date: July 2nd 2015

Received From: Hot Key Books

Colourful, raw, brave, rich and fantastical - this mermaid tale is not for the faint-hearted.
Looking after a naked girl he found washed up under Hastings pier isn't exactly how Rory had imagined spending his sixteenth birthday. But more surprising than finding her in the first place is discovering where she has come from.
Lorali is running not just from the sea, not just from her position as princess, but her entire destiny. Lorali has rejected life as a mermaid, and become human.
But along with Lorali's arrival, and the freak weather suddenly battering the coast, more strange visitors begin appearing in Rory's bemused Sussex town. With beautifully coiffed hair, sharp-collared shirts and a pirate ship shaped like a Tudor house, the Abelgare boys are a mystery all of their own. What are they really up to? Can Rory protect Lorali? And who from? And where does she really belong, anyway?

Lorali is the story of a girl that makes the decision to leave everything she knows behind and start a new life on two legs, for you see, before Lorali left the ocean she was a Mermaid!

The book follows not just Lorali but also the people she left behind and the boy she meets on land. It is one of those books that will have you second guessing what you thought you believed and reimagine the myths and legends surrounding mermaids. There is a harshness to the world under the sea and the fact Laura Dockrill chose to depict this world in a slightly darker way to which it is most commonly portrayed was really interesting to me. But the part I was most compelled by was the way in which Lorali's appearance on the coast of Sussex affected the people she met on two legs. It is a story filled with first loves, betrayal, new experiences, magic and the biggest secret of all... why did she run way from the sea?

Okay so as much as I did enjoy this book I do have some reservations. Once you get into it Lorali is such a fun read but being as it is one of those books with multiple POV it can be hard to keep my interest. You see the one thing I need is for the main protagonist to capture my heart, now Rory and Lorali did that but I struggled when it came to the chapters taken from the point of view of the Sea. It is an interesting idea and I found it compelling but I also found myself waiting to get back to the chapters told by the other characters.

The part I liked most about this book however, was the mix of modern story telling with moments of old worldliness. There are pirates, sea monsters and mermaids but Laura's take on them are not like anything I have ever seen before. The pirates wear suits for a start! But for me it is the mix of myth and reality, the way she depicts the two worlds crashing together was captivating and felt all too real. Internet forums on how to become a mermaid, mermaids down the Thames, deceit and so much more. Okay, I'm the first to admit I wasn't completely sold on the Sea POV but it really is an interesting idea.

Overall, Lorali is a unique tale of first loves, mermaids and the affect one girls choice can have on the world. It was funny, honest and full of exciting characters that will keep you entertained. If you haven't read this book yet then I would recommend giving it a read!

**I received this book as an ARC from Hot Key Books to read & review. This is a 100% honest review.**

REVIEW: CHERRY

CHERRY

by Lindsey Rosin

Pages: 356 

Publisher: Hot Key Books

Publication Date: 25th August 2016

ISBN: 1471405761
Received From:  Hot Key Books

Summary 

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

Review

Okay so I can't explain why I wanted to read this one but something about it was pulling at my metaphorical jumped like a little kid that wants attention so I HAD to read it and I'm so so so happy I did!! I was worried that it would be a sugar coated representation of high school but it turned out to be quite an honest account of a girls first time and the journey we go through emotionally before, during and after we pop our cherry. Although i'm getting ahead of myself... lets start at the beginning.

Cherry is a story about 4 friends, Layla, Zoe, Emma and Alex, on the lead up to there high school graduation. They have the normal everyday things to deal with like family, friends, classes and actually making it to graduation but in addition to this Layla decides they also need to loose their virginities. Throughout the book you follow all four girls as the make their way through the last few terms of high school and try to loose their V-cards at the same time... and in the form of a sex pact no less! For Layla it's all planned out, valentines day with her boyfriend Logan but for the others it's not that simple. Alex has already had sex... or at least that's what everyone thinks and the other two girls have to figure out the whole mine field that is dating before they can even think about the pact.

I think the reason I loved this book was because of the characters. I found all of the girls relatable in one way or another and it made me care about what happened to each of them. It is so easy for a YA novel that is based around sex to come across contrite or become more NA than YA but with Cherry, as much as sex plays a big part in the story the actual book is more to do with the girls becoming women. It becomes a story of four girls finding themselves and figuring out what they want from themselves as well as a relationship. 

I think the only real flaw I found was it was a little on the predictable side, I knew who was going to end up with who and there wasn't any real shocking twists to the story. However, in an odd way I think it made it more relatable. Yes I could tell what was coming but that's because I've been though similar situations to some of the girls. That was because the story lines were realistic and I think most people who dated throughout high school and their early twenties will connect to one part or another. 

Overall I really enjoyed this book and I didn't put it down. I actually lost a Tuesday to this book but it was totally worth it! I would recommend it to anyone!! It is honest, it is real, it is funny and sad and all in all it is an enjoyable and easy read. 

**I received this book as an ARC from Hot Key Books to read & review. This is a 100% honest review.**

Review: This Book Is Gay

THIS BOOK IS GAY

by James Dawson

Pages: 271pages

Publisher: Hot Key Books

Publication Date: September 4th 2014

ISBN: 9781471403958
Received From: Hot Key Books

Summary 

Former PSHCE teacher and acclaimed YA author James Dawson gives an uncensored look at what it's like to grow up as LGBT. Including testimonials from people 'across the spectrum', this inclusive book explores everything anyone who ever dared to wonder wants to know - from sex to politics, how to pull, stereotypes, how to come-out and more. Spike Gerrell's hilarious illustrations combined with funny and factual text make this a must-have read.

Review

Listen up ladies, gentleman and carrots I'm about to tell you why you need to read THIS BOOK IS GAY! 

So I like to think at 21 - almost 22 - I've got a pretty good understand of LGBT. I mean, my aunts a lesbian (of the butch variety) and one of my best friends throughout my teen years changed his sexual preference more times that he changed his sock, so it's not like I've had blinkers on when it comes to being LGBT. However, this book blew my mind. It's not just intriguing and at times down right hysterical it's also preceptive and informative. I don't think I went a chapter without learning something new. It's a fantastic read that, if I had the power, would get into every school library in the country stock THIS BOOK IS GAY. 

Unlike every other book I've ever reviewed This Book Is Gay is non-fiction. I don't usually read non-fiction for fun... in fact I think the only time I do is for my degree and they're art books (so basically lots of pretty pictures). In all fairness this book DID have lots of epic illustrations by the talented Spike Gerrell, but it was about so much more. It's a book about acceptance and finding out who you really are and knowing that no matter what label you find sharpied to your forehead it's okay to be whoever you are. For example, I'm a mostly straight, cis woman in her early twenties with big boobs, red hair and a tendency to crush on chicks. And in the word of Mr. Dawson himself, THAT'S OKAY! 

This Book Is Gay is split into different sections and each chapter tackles something different. From smashing the stereotypes of LGBT and the difficult task of 'coming out', to ways in which to meet like minded people and the nitty gritty of gay sex. It's the stuff that's not taught in schools, it's the things that, in the 21st century, most people should know but are too afraid to ask about. Although, should we really have to ask? 

I think that in general sex isn't talked about enough and I know that growing up I got into one or two little predicaments because I didn't understand what it meant to do certain things but it's even more so for people who have feelings for the same sex. It wasn't until my mid teens that I knew what happened between a woman and a women when it came to sexy time, I mean they doesn't have the pointy parts so how does it work? I think we need to ask more questions. I think that when it comes to sex ed classes we should be taught about all kinds of sex because I'd say at least 75% of the people I've met in my humble 21 years have had relationships (or at least experimented) with people of the same sex. 

Excuse the language... I'm sure he meant Motherlovers! 

Look, I could literally go on and write a book about how much I love this book but no one want to read that. What I will say is This Book Is Gay gives the reader the information they may not have been given at school. It's a book that answers the questions you might be too afraid or embarrassed to ask and above all else it's real, it's honest and it's a bloody funny book! 

Whether you're gay, straight, bi, trans or something else entirely this book is worth the read. It's educational and captivating. AND it's also got little sections for you to drawn in! What more could you want? 

P.S. Can we make Hug a Bisexual Week a thing? 

**I received this book as an ARC from Hot Key Books to read & review. This is a 100% honest review.**

Review: Say Her Name

Say Her Name

by James Dawson

Pages: 240

Publisher: Hot Key Books

Publication Date: 5th June 2014

ISBN:1471402444

Summary 

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... A truly spine-chilling yet witty horror from shortlisted 'Queen of Teen' author James Dawson.

Review 

Everyone has heard of Bloody Mary and the dangerous game that often gets played at parties. But have you ever dared to do it? Bobbie and her friends did and James Dawson describes the events that followed.

The story was that typical of ghostly haunts and spooks in the old school background, but for me what stood out was is coming-of-age backdrop.

The character of Mary was a creepy stalker-ghost who torments the teens right up to the bitter end leaving the reader with the question: was she evil or just misunderstood? For me, Mary acted as a reminder of what bullying can bring to light and how this can stick with someone throughout a lifetime. I found Dawson to be an easy writer to read, having never before read any of his other books. I'm not normally a fan of ghost stories as I find them to often be stereotypical and generic but I found Say Her Name to be an interesting version of Bloody Mary mainly for the colourful way in which she was portrayed. It showed that even when all evidence points to bloody murder (excuse the pun) there might still be another explanation.

Personally, I didn't find Say Her Name scary but I'm not one who tends to get scared over ghost stories so don't take this as a reflection of the book. I would still recommend this book for its interesting twist on a very well known ghost.

I would only give two recommendations to anyone who is particularly partial to getting the creeps from ghost stories and that is don't read this book at night or around any mirrors or you might have issues with over imagination. =)

However if like me, this only enhances the experience then curl up with the lamp on and enjoy the haunting adventure of Say Her Name and remember... don't say her name five times!!

**I received this book as an ARC from Hot Key Books to read & review. This is a 100% honest review.**

Review from Holly at Holly's Book Corner