Grumpy Darling by Alexandra Moody

Grumpy Darling by Alexandra Moody
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days

Pages - 400

Publisher - Electric Monkey

Source - Vine review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

Alexandra Moody's BookTok sensation continues with Darling Devils #2: Grumpy Darling — perfect for fans of Hannah Grace, clean romance, and slow-burn fire on the ice!

She's never been kissed. He's never felt this way about anyone.

Paige has ticked off everything on her senior year bucket list except one tiny thing — she’s never kissed anyone. And her best friend, Grayson Darling, is to blame.

Grayson is the school hockey team’s notorious enforcer, and he’s been scaring away any eligible bachelors that so much as look in Paige’s direction. With time running out, she demands that Grayson stop defending her honor. Instead, he’ll become her dating coach, training her to win the guy of her dreams.

But Grayson has plans of his own. He’s been in love with Paige since they were kids, and his clock is running, too. Coaching Paige might be his last chance to show her how good they’d be together. After all, practice makes perfect.


My Review

So this is book two in the Darling Devils series, you however do not need to have read book one. So this, like the first, is young adult but this one feels very young adult. So this book concentrates on Grumpy, Reed's twin brother. He has been in love with his best friend Paige forever but Paige is completely oblivious. As they get ready to finish school and head towards university or whatever they choose, Paige has a list she is working through of things she wants to do before then. The last thing on her list and soon becomes the main focus is getting her first kiss. She ends up enlisting Grumpy's help to kiss the newest recruit to the ice hockey team, their old pal. The chapters jump between Grumpy and Paiges point of views.

I really liked book one and figured this would be similar vibes which it does but because it centres around this first kiss it was very young. And I know it is young adult so it is young as is the characters but book one they seemed older, like the dramas and behaviours. This time round it was very high school, the pursuit of the first kiss, the crushes and all the drama's surrounding the situations, party, drink, embarrassment etc.

The banter and ribbing of the boys to each other did make me laugh, Paige and Grumpy are cute but it just seemed to take forever, a bit of a slow burn and I did find my self exasperated at times. That being said it is a cute read, poolside for sure, 3.5/5 for me. I would read the next in the series and check out her other books!

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Light as a Feather by Zoe Aarsen

Light as a Feather by Zoe Aarsen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 4 days

Pages - 385

Publisher -

Source - I think this was a competition win

Blurb

Riverdale meets Final Destination in this fast-paced and deliciously creepy novel about an innocent game that turns deadly at a high school sleepover.

It was supposed to be a game…

Junior year is shaping up to be the best of McKenna Brady’s life. After a transformative summer, McKenna is welcomed into the elite group of popular girls at Weeping Willow High, led by the gorgeous Olivia Richmond. For the first time in a long time, things are looking up.

But everything changes the night of Olivia’s Sweet Sixteen sleepover. Violet, the mysterious new girl in town, suggests the girls play a game during which Violet makes up elaborate, creepily specific stories about the violent ways the friends will die. Though it unsettles McKenna, it all seems harmless at the time.

Until a week later, when Olivia dies…exactly as Violet predicted.

As Violet rises to popularity and steps into the life Olivia left unfinished, McKenna becomes convinced Olivia’s death wasn’t just a coincidence, especially when a ghost haunting her bedroom keeps leaving clues that point to Violet. With the help of her cute neighbor, Trey, McKenna pledges to get to the bottom of Violet’s secrets and true intentions before it’s too late. Because it’s only a matter of time before more lives are lost.


My Review

So how many times when you were younger did you engage in games at a stay over? For us we used to play spirits, in this book it is almost like that but huge vibes from The Craft movie. The girls are a mixed bunch Olivia is the popular girl, money, location, beauty, McKenna has kind of just made it back into the fold and new girl who is quite quiet/reserved Violet has also just made it in. The game is simple, one lies on the ground, the others around, fingers underneath and someone, Violet, leads and tells them one by one in graphic detail a story about how they will die. Spooky and creepy but it is just a game right? Until one of the stories comes true, lots of questions, was it a coincidence, did Violet somehow know? Is the rest of the stories going to happen?

So this is absolutely young adult, teen with horror type vibes going through. So there is a lot of the angst and issues that are important to the youngsters, having a date for prom, getting judged for not, mean girl vibes within the popular clique and then the spooky story/game. McKenna has the cute guy next door neighbour but he is thought to be weird so much as McKenna does like him their friendship is under the radar.

The book is a little bit all over the place as we have McKenna liking the brother of cool girl Olivia, the secret friendship with mchottie next door. Then the turn of the supernatural now I loved that and you would absolutely be diving into where did she actually come from, whats her history, how did this happen, how can her story be so close to what happens. I did love that, some of the bitchy and teen behaviour/choices did annoy me but I think it reflects of the age group of those involved (for the most part to be fair).

I wasn't a huge lover of how we rounded up and I get that there are more books in the series so the need for it and I will most likely read them because I am nosey and want to know. Some bits riveting, some were just ok and I was annoyed at a few bits but the book kept me engaged a good bit. Apparently there is a tv show too so think I will have a nosey at that, absolutely going to rewatch the craft movie, 3.5/5 for me.

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Friendship Never Ends by Ella Dyson Blog Tour

Today is my stop on the blog tour for Friendship Never Ends by Ella Dyson, please check out the previous stops and the closing stop tomorrow, we all offer different content and it is a great wee book!







Friendship Never Ends by Ella Dyson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time Taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 252

Publisher - Trapeze

Source - ARC

Blurb from Goodreads

A big-hearted comedy about friendship, the 90s and the greatest girl band in the world

Three independent women - and one man who lives for drama - haven't spoken to their best friend in 20 years, after an epic talent show disaster tore them apart during the height of Spice-mania.

Self-appointed gang leader Carmen then decided to go it alone - Geri style. But now, in 2018, the school reunion is fast approaching. Friendship Never Ends tells the story of Carmen's plan to win back her former besties - Jemma, Ellie, Laura and Benny - ahead of the big night. But has Carmen really changed? And can their friendship ever really go back to how it was?


My Review

Split between past and present, we open in present day and meet Carmen who bumps into an old flame who happens to be a high profile football player now. Carmen knows she has to win him back and the school reunion is the place to do it, she just needs to get the old gang back together. Her high school friends she hasn't seen since the talent contest at school twenty two years ago, when their friendship was ripped apart. Ellie, Laura, Jemma, Benny and Carmen made up their wee group, all spice girls fanatics and the inspiration for their talent show performance.

A story about the struggles of adult hood before we go back to their high school days, their friendship dynamics, coming of age and eventually what happened that day to break up their friendship. We come full circle and back to present day and Carmen trying to get everyone back together and her plan to woo Darryl Kenny.

Carmen is not a nice character, she is shallow as an adult and a spoilt self centred brat as a kid. Each of the group have their own issues and demons to face, a lot of the story centres on their teenage time leading to the big "event". For some this might be a bit too teen angst but for me, I loved it, it was a trip down memory lane. The friendship dynamics, the learning dances/songs, picking who was who in the spice girls line up, the music, the things they chatted about. I loved that and the memories it evoked fantastic. We are actually planning a mini holiday/reunion with some of my oldest friends so this book was just bang on perfect timing.

Some cringe moments, funny, horrifying, sexuality, self discovery, stereotypes among other issues and I would be shocked at anyone reading this and not being transported back to some part of their teenage years or school days. Light hearted, funny, sad, mortifying a wee bit of a journey for the kids and adults. A book that doesn't take itself too seriously and one you can chuckled away at. Leave your adult responsibilities behind for a few hours, grab some popcorn and settle down to stroll down memory lane espesh if you were a teen when they Spice Girls crashed into the world of pop! This is my first time reading this author I cannot wait to see what else she brings out, 4/5 for me this time.

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State Of Emergency by Mary Hallberg

State of Emergency by Mary Hallberg
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - < 1 day

Pages - 158

Publisher - Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Source - Author (review request)

Blurb from Goodreads

17-year-old Dallas Langdon is fighting off zombies with a pizza cutter.

Dallas has always loved zombie movies. But when she catches a real live (erm, dead) musician eating a man’s intestines backstage after the show, she knows her movies have become a reality. And what do characters in zombie movies do? Seek shelter. Fortunately, Dallas's eccentric uncle owns a farmhouse in Chattanooga, an eight hour drive from New Orleans. It’s on top of a steep mountain, surrounded by electric fences, and cut off from the worlds of the living and the dead.

Dallas’s parents, still safe at home, laugh at her idea over the phone. Her friends only agree to join her because it’s fall break and they could use a mini vacation anyway.

But then Dallas’s best friend is killed by a zombie horde when they’re attracted to her ringing cell phone. Civilians think their reanimated loved ones simply have the flu, leaving them alive (well, undead) and rapidly increasing the zombies ranks. And since minors can’t buy guns, Dallas’s only weapon is a giant industrial pizza cutter she swipes from a gas station. George A. Romero never mentioned anything like this. With one friend dead and no zombie survival guides to help her, Dallas and her friends must get to Chattanooga before joining the ranks of the undead themselves.


My Review

New Orleans is the place and Dallas is our main character, opening with her sister and small town sensation Tatum. Tatum is making it big as a singer, the press can't get enough of her and Dallas is pretty fed up. Going from teenage angst to the start of a zombie apocalypse we follow Dallas and her friends as they try to convince people it is happening to travelling to a place of safety.

I went back and forth on this being 3.5 to a 4 star rating, I went for 4 stars as we have the origins of the outbreak which is new for me. We follow the very beginning and slow spread of panic to the realization of what is upon them. The protagonist has a very different kind of weapon, a pizza cutter, just to be clear, I initially thought it was the wee circular one we use however it is the curved blade one, quite different!

It is a small read at only 158 pages and I felt we could have had much much more, I have messaged the author to see if there are any more coming in the series, I do hope so. The characters, there wasn't any I connected with, probably because they are teens although I liked the idea of the uncle and would love to hear his story.

The book covers many issues, teen angst, death, survival, relationships and a few darker themes as well as zombies. I can't give a warning to the darker topic without spoiling but anyone who likes or reads zombies novels has a general feel for what they cover. 4/5 for me this time, thanks to the author for introducing me to her work.

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Review - Hoodie by Brendon Lancaster

Hoodie by Brendon Lancaster
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time Taken To Read - Dipped in and out for 9 days

Blurb From Amazon

From the moment Ben Chapman ( 'Hoodie' to the other Shady Boys) crashes out of school, determined never to return and, incidentally, seeking his revenge on the school's drug dealer by stealing and concealing his stash in his trousers on the way out, you know that this is a boy to whom caution and reticence are alien concepts. Outwardly, he maintains that all he wants is a job, his own money and to follow his heart towards the girl of his dreams, Isabelle. But, underneath that concealing hoodie, Ben has a rich inner life, fed by dope, wine and the belief that he is someone special. During his 'summer of love', we follow his attempts to engage with the real world with frustration and compassion. His adventures cause him to question today's competitive, consumer-based values, eventually challenging his perception of reality and prompting him to reflect upon who and what his purpose in life is before finding himself faced with the definitive test of resolve and bravery. Hoodie's blend of up-to-date realism, dream-like escapism, fast-paced, hard-hitting action, wistful musings, humour and tragedy, all while the story navigates its way on a magical mystery tour of Ben's mind, ensures an enjoyable read. It provides the perfect antidote to alarmist Daily Mail reporting of youth issues, exploring the problems facing modern day Britain from the perspective of a disempowered, disaffected teenager. On a deeper level, there is a moral/spiritual sub-text, fed by Ben's belief that he has a secret weapon; the simian lines (fused head and heart lines) on the palms of his hands. These are extremely rare and noted as being a genetic abnormality shared by drug addicts, mass murderers, scientific researchers and religious fanatics (and, by sheer coincidence, Tony Blair). Could these lines hold the key to his future?


My Review

Ben aka Hoodie is the main character, he has just finished his exams and stolen a load of drugs from the school thug. Ben wants a job, to be respected, get the girl of his dreams and get out of his head on alcohol and substances until he reaches his goals. This is the tale of a sixteen year old boy on a journey, facing the dilemmas of a teenage boy and some issues from his past. The book deals with a whole host of topics, drugs, sex, violence, auras, relationships and a whole lot more.

To be honest I have debated whether I should rate this a two or 3 star. The things I liked I really liked but the things I disliked really irked me. I found it hard to relate to the main character who seemed to morph between two people, the really deep thinking one and the teenage thug. I liked the Simian Lines part and read a little more on it when I got past that part as I hadn't heard of that before.

There was a lot of mish mash and I sometimes got a bit caught up and wanted there to be more focus. For example the drug dealer was dealt with at the start, a little in the middle and picked
up again at the end. Old Joe was a great part in the story but then his round up wasn't told in length just in passing through someone else. Initially I had thought this was going to be like an Irvine Welsh and it does have some of the undertones but I think I can honestly say I have never read anyone like this before.

The reason I decided to go with a three star instead of a two is purely because of the ending which I neither expected or guessed was coming. After Ben got out of hospital with his "attitude" I got really annoyed and was going to go with a two star rating, however as I said the ending was so unexpected it brought it back to a three.

If your looking for something chaotic, different, rough around the edges that has a deep undercurrent with a splash of everything in it then I would definitely recommend this book, 3 out of 5 for me this time.

I won this book as part of a giveaway over at http://thebookworm07.blogspot.co.uk/2... you can read the full interview over there.

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