Tag: ya

#contemporary, #fiction, blog, blogtour, book blog, book blogger, book bloggers, book review, books, bookstagram, fiction, review, Uncategorised, ya, young adult

ARC Book Review: Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry by Joya Goffney

jthbookreviews

Title: Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry

Author: Joya Goffney

Publisher: Hotkeybooksya

Length: 352 pages

Synopsis: Quinn keeps lists of everything – from the days she’s ugly cried, to “Things That I Would Never Admit Out Loud”, to all the boys she’d like to kiss. Her lists keep her sane. By writing her fears (as well as embarrassing and cringeworthy truths) on paper, she never has to face them in real life. That is, until her journal goes missing. An anonymous account posts one of her lists on Instagram for the whole school to see and blackmails her into facing seven of her greatest fears, or else her entire journal will go public. Quinn doesn’t know who to trust. Desperate, she teams up with Carter Bennett – the last known person yo have her journal and who Quinn loathes – in a race against time to track down the blackmailer. Together, they journey through everything in Quinn’s been too afraid to face, and along the way, Quinn finds the courage to be honest, to live in the moment, and to fall in love.

What a book. I’m going to need all young adult books to be this good. Seriously.

Lets just talk about my favourite thing in this book, which is the black joy. Quinn, in her predominantly white school, has always gone along with the racism she has to endure and as she begins to hang out with the other black kids in her school she begins to stand up for herself. This is what I mean by Black Joy. She learns to love her skin, she has important conversations with her parents about internalised racism and they were all just brilliant. Joya has dealt with such important themes in an honest and educational way. These are things that need to be talked about, and read about especially when they’ve been done this well. All young adult contemporary books need to live up to this.

There’s also a really sweet, believable, slow burn romance throughout this book. I was willing them to be together and let me tell you I swooned when it happened. Swooned! I also loved (LOVED) the fact that when the love interest (I’m not using names to avoid spoilers) made a mistake he took accountability for his actions. It was so refreshing to read. But yes, its a really wonderful, real romance.

It’s full of fantastic characters. Quinn is a brilliant protagonist to follow. She’s funny, charming, relatable and I loved seeing her grow throughout the book. There’s also Carter and Olivia, who show Quinn her to love herself and there’s Auden who rounds out their team and I just wanted to be a part of it. They were all just well rounded, complex characters and it’s fantastic to read in a ya novel.

The story is also really enjoyable, I don’t want to give to much away as I want you to enjoy it for yourself. But if you’re like me you’ll be totally captivated answer you won’t be able to turn the pages fast enough.

I can’t recommend this book enough. Like I said, its a brilliant book with an important message that other books are going to need to live up to. It’s the best ya contemporary I’ve read in a long time. It breathes life back into this genre.

Thanks to the publishers for my gifting me a copy of this book in return for an honest, unbiased review. It’s out May 4th.

Until the next review

Jthbooks

#contemporary, author, blog, book blog, book blogger, book bloggers, book review, books, bookstagram, fiction, gay, lgbt, queer, Uncategorised, ya, young adult

Book Review: Kate In Waiting by Becky Albertalli

jthbookreviews

Title: Kate In Waiting

Author: Becky Albertalli

Publisher: Penguin

Length: 387 pages

Synopsis: Contrary to popular belief, best friends Kate and Anderson. Carpooling to and from theatre rehearsal? Environmentally sound and efficient. Consulting each other in every single life decision? Basic good judgment. Pining for the same guys from afar? Shared crushes are more fun anyway. But when their long-distance crush Matt Olsen shows up at their school, everything goes off-script. Turns out, communal crushes aren’t so fun when real feelings are involved. This one might even bring the curtains down on Kate and Anderson’s friendship.

This review is basically just a thank you to Becky Albertalli for writing this wonderful young adult book.

There is just so much to love about Kate in Waiting. The first thing that’s wonderful about this book is all fantastic characters. Kate is a brilliant main protagonist to follow. I loved that it was really about Kate finding herself and her confidence and it really was a joy to read. It was full of fantastic supporting characters to like Anderson, Noah, Brandie, Raina and Matt.

One of the best thing in the book was the relationships between the characters. Becky Albertalli really knows how to right friendships. They all had such a brilliant connections, especially Kate and Anderson. It reminded me of me and my bestie and I loved that.

Of course this is a Becky Albertalli so we had some fantastic representation and inclusivity in this book. Everyone gets there chance to shine and people are just who they are and it’s something Becky does so well.

The book follow Kate and Anderson as the both like the same guy and I’ll be honest and say that I thought it was going to be a little tedious, but it wasn’t! They always put their friendship first and I loved it. There were a few romances in this book, but I don’t want to spoil them for you. Let’s just say they were swoon-worthy.

And I loved that they were working on a musical! It was such a fun part of the book. If you feel like writing more books like this Becky, I definitely won’t complain.

The whole book is extremely sweet, but it never crosses into being to sweet and cliche. Kate in Waiting is just super enjoyable. It’s a super quick read because you never want to put it down.

Thanks to Penguin Random for my copy of this book in return for an honest, unbiased review. It’s out April 22nd.

Until the next review

Jthbooks

author, blog, book blog, book blogger, book bloggers, book review, books, bookstagram, gay, lgbt, queer, review, Uncategorised, ya, young adult

Book Review: Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender

jthbookreviews

Title: Felix Ever After

Author: Kacen Callender

Length: 354 pages

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Synopsis: Felix Love has never been in love – and, yes, he’s painfully aware of the irony. He desperately wants to know what it’s like and why it seems so easy for everyone but him to find someone. What’s worse is that, even though he is proud of his identity, Felix also secretly fears he’s one marginalisation too many – Black, queer, and transgender – to ever get his own happily-ever-after. When an anonymous student begins sending him transphobic messages- after publicly posting Felix’s deadname alongside images of him before he transitioned- Felix comes up with a plan for revenge. What he didn’t count on: his catfish scenario landing him in a quasi-love triangle… But as he navigates his complicated feelings, Felix begins a journey of questioning and self-discovery that helps redefine his most important relationship: how he feels about himself.

Oh my good! Oh my god! Oh my fucking god this book is incredible. Absolutely incredible. Not only is it incredible, it’s sweet, romantic and incredibly powerful.

We follow Felix, as he is trying to get a scholarship for art at the college he wants to attend and he is subject of a transphobic attack.

It’s such a captivating story that gives you all the feels. It really does. You so desperately want Felix to be happy. Again, it’s hard to read at some points because Felix is outed, and there’s transphobia, but it really is important.

Felix is a fantastic character to follow. He was kind, funny, super relatable. I also loved how although he had transitioned, he was still questioning who he is, what is pronouns would be. I can really see people finding the representation they’ve maybe been longing for in this book. There’s also more fantastic characters in this book. Shoutout to Ezra. I loved him. Loved him.

Oh the romance. It was so perfect. There was kind of a love triangle that I didn’t see coming and I was into it. One aspect of the triangle I didn’t really think I would be into when it became clear what was going to happen, but of course I was. But I was happy with the outcome. It was so well done. So romantic. How wonderful to see a trans love story!

As I’m sure you can imagine, I cried many times throughout reading this book (yes it really is that good). I shall now list the pages where I cried. Page 23. Page 124. Page 259. And then the last 15 pages. I cried because of the story, because of the writing and because of some of the powerful statements Kacen makes throughout the book.

I have to say this is why fiction is so powerful. Fiction shows you someone’s experience, so you connect to it in someone way. And in that connection you empathise. And when you empathise, you care and when you care that’s when you support. And this book is the perfect example of that.

‘I know, that as a trans person of colour, my life expectancy is in my early thirties, just because of the sort of violence people like me face every day.’

Kacen has created a story that’s so entertaining, romantic and ultimately heartwarming. They’ve also created a story that is authentic that is full of representation. And we all know how important representation is.

I can’t recommend this book enough. It’s brilliant. This will be in my favourites of the year for sure. Everyone needs to read this book.

Until the next review

JTH

author, blog, blogtour, book blog, book blogger, book bloggers, book review, books, bookstagram, gay, historical fiction, lgbt, queer, thriller, Uncategorised, ya, young adult

November Wrap Up

jthbookreviews

Now, I’ve been on lockdown this whole month and I really thought I was going to read more, but of course these lockdowns are hard and my reading took a while to get going.

I really started off the month slowly, just not reading much. I was finding it really hard to concentrate. But when I finally did get going I read some brilliant books. Absolutely brilliant. But I don’t only manage to read seven books. Not great, but not bad. Still I’ve found a new favourite so it was a good month.

Towards the end of the month my reading sort of tapered off again. But hey, that’s lockdown for you.

Let’s talk about these books then shall we?

First up I read The Shape of Darkness by Laura Purcell. This was a good book, not my favourite of the month, but still good. It kept me intrigued throughout. And I’ll definitely be checking out Laura’s other books. It’s out in January.

Next I read These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong and I really enjoyed this one. It took me a little why to get into it, but once I did I loved it. Great characters, a great story. Action packed. You can check out my full review here. Can I have book two now? This one is out now.

Then I read Between The World and Mw by Ta-nehisi Coates. This is a brilliant non-fiction book. I don’t think this is something you review. It’s just something you learn from. It’s a must read.

Up next was The Prophets by Robert Jones jr. Is this my new favourite book? I think so. It’s absolutely outstanding. The writing is phenomenal. Phenomenal. I can’t recommend it enough. This one is out January 5th. Thank you to Quercus books for my copy.

Then I read Love Is A Revolution by Renée Watson. This is a quick YA book that I really enjoyed. It had some fantastic characters, and I loved the message that this book gets across. This one is out in February. Thanks to Bloomsbury YA for my copy.

Next up was Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson. This book was short but it really packed a punch. The writing was absolutely stunning. It really was stunning. This one is out in February and I can’t recommend it enough. I look forward to rereading it. Thanks to Viking Books UK for my copy.

Then I read While Paris Slept by Ruth Druart. Loved this one. I love historical fiction and this is an excellent one. Thank you to Headline books for my copy. It’s out in March.

Lastly this month I read The Seven Husband’s of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I absolutely loved this book. Brilliant characters, a brilliant story. I can’t stop thinking about this book.

So that was my reading for the month. Are you interested in any of these? Or have you read any? Let me know.

Until the next review

JTH

blog, book blog, book blogger, book bloggers, book review, books, bookstagram, review, thriller, Uncategorised, ya

ARC Book Review: ‘The Lie’ by Hilary Boyd

jthbookreviews

Title: The Lie

Author: Hilary Boyd

Length: 360 pages

Publisher: Micheal J Books

I was lucky enough to be sent this from the publisher and I couldn’t wait to get started on it.

Synopsis: Romy and Michael have it all. Over 30 years of marriage, two grown-up sons and a beautiful London home, as well as a weekend bolthole by the sea. Until the arrival of a letter changes everything. At first Romy can’t believe what it is saying. That Micheal could do something so terrible. But then other lies start to emerge and she begins to wonder who the man she’s shared her heart, her bed and the best years of her life with, really is. Walking away should be the start of a new chapter for Romy. But an urgent telephone call brings her back into Michael’s life – and propels her into the past and the allegations that ended their marriage.

I really enjoyed this book. It was difficult to put down. I read over 200 pages in one night and trust me, that never happens with me.

What kept me hooked was the question of who was lying. When a letter shows up at her house, Romy’s husband is accused of assaulting a teenage girl, Romy stays by her husband side to begin with after he denies it but she always doubts him. It was fascinating to read her perspective and I couldn’t wait to find out the truth. It was dealt with incredibly well, sensitively but honest and real.

‘The Lie’ was filled with such wonderful characters. Romy, the main character, was instantly likeable. I was just drawn to her. And as the story progressed, all I wanted was for her to stand up for herself and get her happy ending. You could tell she was doing what she thought she should do, and I so wanted her to choose herself. I won’t spoil it for you, you’ll have to read it yourself to find out if she does.

It also has a wonderful romance in it, which I was also invested in (incase you haven’t noticed I was invested in the whole book). It was organic and romantic. Much needed sweetness, with the main storyline being such a tough subject.

It also had a satisfactory ending. Often when books are leaving all the questions to be answered at the end it can be a bit of a let down, but I didn’t find that with ‘The Lie’. I couldn’t turn those pages fast enough to find out what happened and I wasn’t disappointed. That’s a sign of great writing and storytelling.

I can’t recommend this book enough. It was an intense story with fantastic characters, that was ultimately a struggle to put down. I throughly enjoyed it.

Thank you Michael Joseph Books for gifting me with a copy of this book in return for an honest, unbiased review. It’s out now. Make sure you check it out.

Until the next review

JTH

#fantasy, #fiction, #yafantasy, author, blog, book blog, book blogger, book bloggers, book review, books, bookstagram, Uncategorised, ya, young adult

ARC Book Review: These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

jthbookreviews

Title: These Violent Delights

Author: Chloe Gong

Length: 439 pages

Publisher: Hodderscape

Synopsis: A blood feud between two gangs runs the streets red, leaving the city helpless in the grip of chaos. At the heart of it all is eighteen-year-old Juliette Cai, a former flapper who has returned to assume her role as the proud heir of the Scarlet Gang – a network of criminals far above the law. Their only rivals in power are the White Flowers, who have fought the Scarlets for generations. And behind every move is their hero, Roma Montagov, Juliette’s first love.. and first betrayal. But when gangsters on both sides show signs of instability, culminating in clawing their own throats out, the people start to whisper. Of a contagion, a madness. Of a monster in the shadows. As the deaths stack up, Juliette and Roma must set their guns – and grudges – aside and work together, for if they can’t stop this mayhem, then there will be no city left for either to rule.

Did I know I needed a Romeo & Juliet retelling set in Shanghai in 1926? But am I glad I got one? Yes. Yes, I am.

There’s so many enjoyable elements in this novel. I found the whole book really immersive. I just felt like I was in Shanghai and forgot about the real world. It just has such an atmosphere to it. Does anyone else think this would make a brilliant movie or mini series. I could see it all so clearly in my head. When it’s made I’ll definitely be watching.

These Violent Delights is full of fantastic characters. Of course we’ve got Juliette and Roma (see how it’s a retelling?) and they really are enjoyable characters. I’ve seen other reviewers say whether their team Juliette or team Roma and I have to say I’m team Juliette. She was such a great character. She was complex, fierce and kick ass! Honestly, I really loved her.

I’ve also seen people say whether they’re team Scarlet Gang or The White Flowers (again, see how it’s a retelling) and I have to say on this one I’m with Roma and the White Flowers. I found this one to had the most comradeship between the characters. Marshall and Benedikt, I want to be their friends.

Let’s talk about the romance shall we? It was a lovers to enemies to lovers and it was soooo good. It was sexy and romantic! And the longing, I was begging for them to get together. I also got the feeling of another romance between another two characters (which I won’t spoil) but I’m really excited for it to explored! I hope I’m not wrong.

I also didn’t expect the fantasy elements with the monster and the madness, but it definitely added another element to the novel. This is definitely a huge part of the story that kept me reading. I had to know what was going to happen.

Shall we talk about the ending? The pacing of the book really picked up and I couldn’t keep up. It was action packed. And let me tell you the ending shocked me. I had to put the book down for a minute to take in what happened. Ugh it was so good!

I can’t recommend this book enough, it’s action packed, romantic. And I am so excited for book two to explore these characters and stories even more.

Thank you so much to Hodderscope for gift me with a copy of These Violent Delights in return for an honest, unbiased review. It’s out tomorrow. November 17th.

Until the next review

JTH

#fiction, author, blog, book blog, book blogger, book bloggers, book review, books, bookstagram, gay, lgbt, queer, review, Uncategorised, ya, young adult

ARC Book Review: Fall Out by C.G. Moore

jthbookreviews

Title: Fall Out

Author: C.G. Moore

Length: 323 pages

Publisher: uclanpublishing

Synopsis: For Cal, coming out is explosive. But that is nothing to the fall out from his family, friends and foes. When events in Cal’s life reach critical, he is shaken to his core. Can he rely on his loved ones to help avoid meltdown?

I enjoyed the novel, some parts were definitely hit and miss, but overall an enjoyable with an important message that gets across to the reader.

There was a romance in the beginning of this book that I really didn’t like. It was rushed, unbelievable and it was definitely instalove. But I can say that it didn’t last to long, and it had a much better ending than beginning.

I also have to say I didn’t like the main character Cal at the beginning or his friendship with Em. The friendship was often tedious. There was also Cal relationship with Ems nan Peggy which also felt a bit random. There was just something off about if to me. However both get better as the characters develop but it still wasn’t enough to save them. All relationships just felt a bit forced to me.

The story line with Cal and his family is my favourite thing of the novel. It’s dealt with well and it’s heartfelt and meaningful. It felt was very real to me. It was the highlight of the novel.

Throughout the novel Cal is being bullied and it’s dealt with so well in the novel. It was descriptive and hard to read in the best way. It made my stomach drop at points. It captured the brutality of the kind of bullying LGBT+ kids go through and it’s heartbreaking. It also captures the ramifications well. It goes into a lot of detail and it defiantly needs some trigger warnings.

The conclusion to the story was what it needed to be. I think that’s fair to say that a good summary for the whole novel, it finishes stronger than it starts.

Thank you to C.G. Moore for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest, unbiased review. It’s out now.

Until the next review

JTH

author, blog, book blog, book blogger, book bloggers, book review, books, bookstagram, gay, historical fiction, review, Uncategorised, ya, young adult

WWW Wednesday – November 11th

jthbookreviews

We are in Lockdown here in the UK, and I hate to say it’s been affecting my reading. I just don’t want to pick up a book, but I can slowly feel it coming back so I figured I do a one of these blog posts to keep you all up to date.

What is WWW Wednesday? WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme where all you have to do is answer three simple questions. Look at me using the word meme! I feel so young!

  • What are you currently reading?
  • What have you finished reading recently?
  • What are you planning to read next?

Let’s talk about the books shall we?

What are you currently reading?

Ok so I’m currently reading The Prophets by Robert Jones Jr from Quercus Books. This is one of my most anticipated reads for 2021. I’m not very far in, I think around 60 pages, and it’s pretty incredible so far. I can just tell it’s going to be brilliant. The writing is so good. It’s out in January.

What have you finished reading recently?

I recently finished, just yesterday, Between The World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates and it was absolutely brilliant. After the American election, I saw a video clip of Van Jones speaking so emotionally and eloquently about what it’s like to be a black parent in the US and I just knew I had to read this book. If you’re looking to further understand and educate yourself on Black History and racial inequality this is the book. It’s so moving and powerful. I highly recommend. Everyone should read this book. It’s out now.

What are you reading next?

This is such a hard question. I’m really trying to make my way through my proof books for next year. So it’s definitely going to be one of those, but which one is the choice to make. This is why I don’t set tbr’s because I can never stick to them. But I think it’ll be between these two.

Love is a Revolution by Renée Watson which is out in February

Or

Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson which is also out in February.

They both sound incredible. Can someone pick for me?

Until the next review

JTH

#fantasy, #fiction, #literature, #yafantasy, book blog, book blogger, book bloggers, book review, books, bookstagram, gay, lgbt, queer, review, Uncategorised, ya, young adult

5 Books That Have Made Me Cry

jthbookreviews

I thought I’d do a fun, silly kind of post. I’m gonna talk about books that have made me cry.

Now, I love a book that makes me cry. If you care that deeply about a character, or they story that you openly weep, then the author has done a fantastic job.

Just because they’ve made you cry doesn’t make them depressing to me, sometimes sadness can be cathartic, beautiful even. I personally love the feeling of being so wrapped up in my book, that I begin to believe it’s real then become effected by it.

A good cry does the soul some good.

So here are the books that have made me cry.

First up is ‘The Secret Life of Bees’ by Sue Monk Kidd. My favourite book. The book that made me fall in love with reading. In the middle of this book, something devastating happens. STOP READING NOW IF YOU DO NOT WANT SPOILERS. May, a character who finds the world hard to bare, receives some sad news and it pushes her over the edge and she commits suicide. Not only is this sad, but her sisters reactions are heart breaking. Then, she leaves a note, which is so heartbreaking and true to the character, it just makes me weep. Glorious storytelling.

Next up is ‘Lie With Me’ by Philippe Bensson, translated by Molly Wringwald. This is one of those books that makes you believe in love. This book made me cry for two reasons, first it’s just written so beautifully. It’s so lyrical, honest and deep. Like taking a look inside someone’s soul. It’s beauty made me cry. Second, that ending. I was sobbing. Once I finished I had to sit there and let me feelings out. It’s taken me a long time to get over this book.

‘Crooked Kingdom’ by Leigh Bardugo. I think most people that have read this know which bit I’m talking about. AGAIN STOP READING IF YOU DO NOT WANT SPOILERS. When Mathias dies, there’s just so many layers to make you cry. There’s the fact that he genuinely cares about the group after her didn’t for so long. There’s the fact that he was shot by a young kid, the exact kind of person Mathias used to be before he changed. And there’s the fact he made it back to Nina, to see her one last time. The imagery of her lying next to his body on the boat as it sails was enough to make me cry In the bath.

‘Second Chance Summer’ by Morgan Matson. I read this a few years ago on vacation. I have to say, I rather embarrassingly cried like a baby by the pool. STOP READING NOW IF YOU DO NOT WANT SPOILERS, but when Taylor receives a letter from her Dad after he’s passed away from cancer, after spending one last summer together. Well I’m sure you can imaging how sad it was. Grab the tissues for this one.

Dear Lily by Drew Davies. This book deals with grief in such a real way. It asks the questions we all have when we’ve lost someone close to us. In Joys case, it’s dealing with the grief of losing her sister. In my case, the loss of my mother. I really had to take some time after finishing this one and just let the tears flow.

So, these are the books that have made me cry. In fact, writing this I’ve realised a lot more books have actually made me cry, so I’m sure I’ll be doing another one of this blog posts.

Until the next review

JTH

book blog, book blogger, book bloggers, book review, books, bookstagram, review, Uncategorised, ya, young adult

Book Review: All This Time by Mikki Daughtry and Rachael Lippincott

jthbookreviews

Title: All This Time

Author: Mikki Daughtry and Rachael Lippincott

Length: 322 pages

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Synopsis: Kyle and Kimberly are the perfect couple. At least that’s what Kyle’s always thought. But when Kimberly breaks up with on the night of their graduation party, Kyle’s entire world is turned upside down – literally. Their car crashes, and when Kyle wakes up he has a brain injury. Kimberly is dead. No one in his life could possibly understand… Until Marley. Marley is suffering from her own loss, a loss she thinks was her fault. As Kyle’s and Marley’s feelings for each other grow stronger, Kyle can’t shake the sense that he’s headed for another crashing moment, just as soon as he’s started to put his life back together. And he was right…

Okay, so I might be one of the few people on this planet who hasn’t read Five Feet Apart, so I really didn’t know what I was getting myself in for.

In All This Time, we follow Kyle who after a tragic accident where his girlfriend is killed, has to find a way to move on with his life and maybe find love again.

Damn, I enjoyed this book. It was everything I wanted it to be. It was sweet, romantic, emotional shocking, there was twists and turns and ugh I just loved it.

I really enjoyed the characters in this book. Kyle was a great character to follow, you really see him grow and learn who he is. I also really loved his relationship with his mum. I also loved Marley, her story was really emotional. It full of great characters and they all added to the plot really well and created some good sub plots for Kyle.

The romance was so incredibly sweet. I thought for a while it might be too sweet but who am I kidding, I loved it! It was a slow burn and so romantic. It was also entwined with the Kyle and Marley finding themselves again while they find each other and I really enjoyed that aspect. They gave me all the feels, they were end goals. Loved, loved and loved.

Oh my gosh, that twist. I didn’t see it coming. At all. I was so unbelievably shocked. And I was devastated. Literally devastated. I had to put the book down and just gather my thoughts. And then I couldn’t sleep because of the twist. My gosh it was a good twist.

Then as the story continues and I managed to control my emotions again, there was another twist. I couldn’t believe it. It nearly finished me off guys. Mikki and Rachael, what are you trying to do to me?? I had to finish this book (like I wouldn’t?) but I had to see if there was a happy ending. No spoilers.

I loved this book, it really was an emotional rollercoaster as I’m sure you could tell by my review. It was just so heartfelt and beautiful. Now I’ve obviously got to read Five Feet Apart.

Thanks to Hashtag Reads for gifting me with a copy of this book in return for an honest, unbiased review. It’s out now.

Until the next review

JTH