Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Title: Fangirl
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Publisher: Macmillan
Page Count: 445
Publication Date: September 10^th 2013
Obtained: Purchased

Synopsis:

Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan...

But for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words... And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?

Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?

And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

What I thought:

I’ve been meaning to read Fangirl for a while and I’ve finally gotten round to it. For me personally it was nice to read something a bit different from the usual things I buy. The story follows a girl named Cath who is in her first year at university. She has a twin sister called Wren and a love interest named Levi. That’s the ordinary stuff. The more unusual aspect of the protagonist is that in her spare time she writes fanfiction about a book character named Simon Snow.

This book was nice. It was a cute story about a girl balancing school with her family life whilst also chasing love and maybe writing a little Fanfiction. The book kind of started off slowly and then later picked up its pace. I found the fanfiction excerpts a bit boring and eventually I just started skim reading or skipping them all together. I know they were there to make the whole Simon Snow world seem more realistic but it felt unnecessary.

I found Cath’s character to be a bit whiny at times. For example, at the start of the book she has a ‘boyfriend’ who’s at another university. He calls her up to tell her that he has a real girlfriend now and thought she should know. Cath was obviously very upset about this, especially as the way he broke the news was in quite a cruel way, but at the same time it was clear to everyone that the relationship was mostly platonic and Cath could have saved herself a lot of heartache if she had accepted that they weren’t really dating in the first place.

There are many things that are unexplained in the book such as Caths social anxiety and her unwillingness to have any sort of contact with her mother. I feel like these would have been interesting things for Rowell to address in more detail. Overall though I thought the book was okay. Rowell makes a big effort to make Cath quirky and relatable but I feel like sometimes it was a bit over the top. Cath was borderline obsessed with Simon Snow and her fanfiction. It is a bit strange but she reassures us that it’s a perfectly healthy way to behave.

That being said, I thought the book was a decent read. I’ve been quite critical about what I didn’t love but there were other parts that were more enjoyable. So if you’re into slice of life type YA novels then this could be the book for you.

Rating: 3/5

Review: Geek Girl by Holly Smale

Title: Geek Girl
Author: Holly Smale
Publisher: HarperCollins
Page Count: 378
Publication Date: February 28^th 2013
Obtained: Purchased

Synopsis:

Harriet Manners knows a lot of things.

She knows that a cat has 32 muscles in each ear, a "jiffy" lasts 1/100th of a second, and the average person laughs 15 times per day. What she isn't quite so sure about is why nobody at school seems to like her very much. So when she's spotted by a top model agent, Harriet grabs the chance to reinvent herself. Even if it means stealing her Best Friend's dream, incurring the wrath of her arch enemy Alexa, and repeatedly humiliating herself in front of the impossibly handsome supermodel Nick. Even if it means lying to the people she loves.

As Harriet veers from one couture disaster to the next with the help of her overly enthusiastic father and her uber-geeky stalker, Toby, she begins to realise that the world of fashion doesn't seem to like her any more than the real world did.

And as her old life starts to fall apart, the question is: will Harriet be able to transform herself before she ruins everything? (Goodreads)

What I Thought:

Harriet Manner’s life changes the moment she is scouted by a modelling agent and propelled into the glamorous world of fashion, much to the dismay of her best friend Nat. On her journey from geek to chic she falls in love with a handsome stranger and finds out what it really means to be a model.

One thing is certain about this book; if you like your facts (which I certainly do) then you will have a great time filling your brain with the little titbits of trivia that happen to fall from Harriet’s mind. In fact the random factoids were probably the most enjoyable thing about the novel. Harriet kind of reminded me of Mia from the Princess Diaries pre-makeover. She’s pretty, but she doesn’t know it. All she needed was a haircut and some contacts.

And then of course we have a classic enemy, Alexa, who hates Harriet’s for no real reason but sure knows that she wants to make her life as difficult as possible. Thankfully she gets her just desserts. But let’s not forget her stalker-friend Toby who sprinkles some much needed comic relief throughout the novel. I thought Geek Girl was good for what it was. It was a nice change from the usual YA novel that I find on the shelf but it wasn’t anything particularly spectacular. The characters were pretty run-of-the-mill, which is my only gripe, that and the plot being predictable. Those thoughts aside I enjoyed it.

Rating: 3/5

Review: If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Title: If I Stay 
Author: Gayle Forman
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Page Count:  201
Publication Date: April 2^nd 2009


Synopsis:

“Just listen, Adam says with a voice that sounds like shrapnel.

I open my eyes wide now.
I sit up as much as I can.
And I listen.

Stay, he says.”

Choices. Seventeen-year-old Mia is faced with some tough ones: Stay true to her first love—music—even if it means losing her boyfriend and leaving her family and friends behind?

Then one February morning Mia goes for a drive with her family, and in an instant, everything changes. Suddenly, all the choices are gone, except one. And it's the only one that matters.

If I Stay is a heartachingly beautiful book about the power of love, the true meaning of family, and the choices we all make.(Goodreads)

What I Thought:

So in the beginning Mia has everything going for her: Cooler-than-cool parents, an adorable little brother, a best friend and a boyfriend to boot. Then her whole world comes crashing down when her family gets into a car accident.

Grave Doubts and Heaven Sent by Meg Cabot

Title: Grave Doubts & Heaven Sent (The Mediator)

Author: Meg Cabot

Publisher: Macmillan

Page Count:  432

Publication Date: August 10^th 2010

Synopsis:

Meet Susannah Simon: she's a typical teenage girl who just happens to be a ghost-hunter...oh, and she's also dead-over-heels for Jesse - the sexiest spook ever! But can this girl get her ghost? In "Grave Doubts", Suze has to contend with fellow ghost-hunter, Paul Slater, who gives her a deadly ultimatum. Unless she dates him, he'll send Jesse into the afterlife - for good. Paul may be totally hot, but Susannah Simon will not be bossed around. Let the games begin...In "Heaven Sent", all Suze's dreams have come true - she's finally dating the most gorgeous ghost of all time, Jesse! But when her creepy admirer threatens to travel back in time and stop Jesse from dying, Suze is distraught. Will her new boyfriend choose life or love?

What I thought:

Being the last books in the series I expected a few things to happen that would shake up the story. I mainly expected Jesse to make a ground breaking revelation that would leave everyones jaw unhinged but I suppose I wasn’t disappointed. As usual we had some very action packed scenes which are my favourite parts of all the books but I finally decided that I really don’t like Suze. At the start I liked her of the series and then in books 3 and 4 I was on the fence but apart from her ability to see ghosts she isn’t that interesting and she’s quickly gone from independent to boy-obsessed.

But I hate to leave a decent series unfinished so if you’ve read the last few books you might as well read this as well because they are quite entertaining.

Rating: 3/5

Mean Spirits & Young Blood (The Mediator) By Meg Cabot

Title: Mean Spirits & Young Blood (The Mediator)

Author: Meg Cabot

Publisher: Macmillan

Page Count:  437

Publication Date: 2010

Synopsis:

Meet Susannah Simon: she's a typical teenage girl who just happens to be a ghost-hunter ...oh, and she's also dead-over-heels for Jesse - the sexiest spook ever! But can this girl get her ghost? In "Mean Spirits", Suze is all set to spend a relaxing summer on the beach, until she runs into the vengeful ghosts of four high-school students. She must use her mediating skills to guide these ghouls through the afterlife and stop them wreaking havoc in the present. In "Young Blood", Suze is heartbroken when gorgeous ghost Jesse doesn't seem to love her back. When his 150-year-old grave is unearthed in her backyard, she is determined to discover how and why he died. But one thing's for sure - digging up the past can be a deadly business…

What I thought:

Well this is in a way the second book whilst also being the third and fourth. I always enjoy reading about Suze’s crazy ghost adventures where she has to fight off some supernatural baddies so this was a comfortable read. By this point I’d realised that in each book she has a new love interest (that isn’t Jesse) and she ends up either being stalked by him or having to politely turn him down. At first I had fun trying to guess which one they were going to be but it soon got quite repetitive and none of them were particularly likeable which I suppose was the idea and a way of making us like Jesse more.

I like the action scenes much more than when we were just hearing Suze’s thoughts because as independent Suze is when she isn’t in combat with a ghost she’s actually quite boring.

Suze makes a few odd decisions in this book. Mostly because this far into the series we think we can read and predict her actions but then she does something crazy that likens her to some of the same baddies she’s trying to rid the world of. Of course not all the ghosts are bad guys but the majority we meet aren’t that friendly. I enjoyed this book for the most part and I felt like it was a decent, quick read that would keep you entertained if you’re looking for something to fill that supernatural void in your life.

Rating: 3/5

Love You to Death & High Stakes (The Mediator) by Meg Cabot

Title: Love You to Death & High Stakes (The Mediator)

Author: Meg Cabot

Publisher: Macmillan

Page Count:  410

Publication Date: 2010

Synopsis:

Meet Susannah Simon: she's a typical teenage girl, who just happens to be a ghost-hunter ...oh, and she's also dead-over-heels for Jesse - the sexiest spook ever! But can this girl get her ghost? In "Love You to Death", Suze arrives in California and has barely unpacked when her mediator skills are put to the test. A vicious spirit in her new school is hell-bent on making her life a complete nightmare, but Suze is more than ready to kick some serious ghost butt if she has to. In "High Stakes", Suze's new life is looking up - cool friends, pool parties and getting to know Jesse (swoon), but then a desperate spirit asks for her help. Suddenly she's on the trail of a creepy local businessman, who just might be a vampire. Life just got dead complicated. Again.

What I thought:

Well there were two books put together here and I actually enjoyed reading them both as they were fast paced and the story lines were quite exciting. In the first we meet Suze, a girl who father died ten years ago and whose mother is remarrying, she is no ordinary teenager because she can see ghosts. At the start I quite liked Suze, she was self-dependent  and smart. But then she moves from New York to Carmel, California where she meets Jesse.

Yes, he’s a ghost. An attractive ghost at that which means Suze must become defensive around him while she denies she might like him. But Jesse actually lives in Suze’s room which probably gives her a pretty good reason for behaving that way. Their relationship is difficult to define because of two things: Jesse is a ghost and Suze should really exorcize him or at least help him find peace due to her being a mediator and all. But of course this is easier said than done.

She has three step brothers who all have distinct personalities, like the seven dwarfs as they’re often compared to only there are less of them. They were your classic annoying siblings that occasionally give you a heart warming-moment, so nothing new there although did find the eldest particularly irritating which I suppose was the idea. The story itself was decent and the writing was quite good so overall I would recommend this to anyone who has an affinity for ghosts.

Rating: 3/5

Pure by Julianna Baggott

Title: Pure

Author: Julianna Baggott

Publisher: Headline

Page Count:  480

Publication Date: February 8^th 2012

Synopsis:

We know you are here, our brothers and sisters . . .
Pressia barely remembers the Detonations or much about life during the Before. In her sleeping cabinet behind the rubble of an old barbershop where she lives with her grandfather, she thinks about what is lost-how the world went from amusement parks, movie theaters, birthday parties, fathers and mothers . . . to ash and dust, scars, permanent burns, and fused, damaged bodies. And now, at an age when everyone is required to turn themselves over to the militia to either be trained as a soldier or, if they are too damaged and weak, to be used as live targets, Pressia can no longer pretend to be small. Pressia is on the run.

Burn a Pure and Breathe the Ash . . .
There are those who escaped the apocalypse unmarked. Pures. They are tucked safely inside the Dome that protects their healthy, superior bodies. Yet Partridge, whose father is one of the most influential men in the Dome, feels isolated and lonely. Different. He thinks about loss-maybe just because his family is broken; his father is emotionally distant; his brother killed himself; and his mother never made it inside their shelter. Or maybe it's his claustrophobia: his feeling that this Dome has become a swaddling of intensely rigid order. So when a slipped phrase suggests his mother might still be alive, Partridge risks his life to leave the Dome to find her.

When Pressia meets Partridge, their worlds shatter all over again.

What I thought:

Pure’s your regular dystopian novel set in a sombre, disturbing post-apocalyptic world where people have been disfigured or have mutated beyond humanity. We mainly follow the lives of Pressia and Partridge whom, at the start of the novel, live two very different lives.

Firstly, this isn’t a bad book, it just isn’t great. It’s one of those stories where you can see the potential but for whatever reason it doesn’t quite reach it. The main problem with this story is the plot. There isn’t really a story here and frustratingly there are certain things which are never properly explained, like the OSR. Maybe I missed the part where we were told what they actually stood for. It seems like the writer has too many ideas but there isn’t enough space in the novel to execute them all.

The front of the edition I bought say’s ‘Love The Hunger Games Love Pure’. Well I did love The Hunger Games but I can’t say the same for Pure. Which brings me onto another point, The Hunger Games - it is not. There was way too much unnecessary and often unexplained violence. I expected the book to be a little gruesome but when it came down to the actual killings everything seemed too forced. This is in a sense a coming of age novel and as Pressia turns sixteen the OSR come after her to recruit her which leads to her getting her hands on some weaponry that she can't bring her herself to use on an old acquaintance. Oddly later in the story she doesn’t think twice to end someone’s misery – that someone being a character closer to her in certain respects.

I still don’t feel like I know who Partridge or Pressia are which is why some of their actions can be a surprise but at certain parts of the novel, as we were going from one person’s view to the other, I felt like they were the same person. Because of the characters and the lack of a proper plot I couldn’t really get into this novel the way I would another and so I couldn’t really enjoy it.

Rating: 3/5