Review: Sundae Girl by Cathy Cassidy

 

Sundae Girl is a book by Cathy Cassidy, first published in 2007 by Penguin Books Ltd.

Jude's family are one crazy, weird mix. Her dad is an Elvis impersonator and her mum is just...mum. All Jude wishes for is a hassle free life...but when you live her life that is pretty hard to come by...

♥

But Mum is on a roll, running through 'Over The Rainbow' again and again before subsiding into endless slit-your-wrist Irish songs. Grandad shakes his head and goes to check on the turkey, but it's not ready yet, so we open a bottle of ginger beer and pour it into mugs. Alcohol is banned in our house, even at Christmas, on account of Mum's problem.

We have mince pies, warm from the microwave, and cream, sitting back to pull crackers and watch the Queen's speech. Grandad huffs and grumbles and swears under his breath all the way through. It's his favourite part of Christmas. 

♥ 

I loved this book at about age 10-12, and it hasn't lost it's magic yet. It's a great pre-teen book, and although is not quite as good as it was when I was younger, I still love it. 

This book really does explain things very well. Problems that arise in some and problems that arise in all teenagers and pre-teens lives. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a good, well written and easy to read book. I have to say, this book isn't a masterpiece, I don't marvel at it. But it's not half bad as books go.

-Beth

Happy Reading!♥ 

Review: Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine

 

Mockingbird is a book by Kathryn Erskine, first published in the UK in 2012 by Usborne Publishing Ltd.

After her older brother's death, Caitlin has no one to explain the world to her. Caitlin sees things differently to other people. She has Asperger's syndrome. Everything to her is a confusing mix of colours, emotions and things she can't understand.  

When Caitlin reads the definition of 'closure' in the dictionary, she decides that's what she and her dad need. And as she struggles to find it, Caitlin learns a lot about friendship, empathy and how to let colour into her black-and-white life. 

♥

I can see the light come on through my eyelids and I hear a creaking sound and then Mrs. Robbin's shaky voice. Can I get you something? Caitlin? Hot chocolate? Warm milk? 

My Dictionary.

Dictionary? 

Yes.

Oh. I was thinking of-

PLEASE.

More creaking. Okay dear.

I look up CLOsure and it says: the state of experiencing an emotional conclusion to a difficult life event such as the death of a loved one. 

♥

I'm not really sure what to think of Mockingbird. 

On one hand, it was very informative and taught me a lot about autism and Asperger's syndrome. Also, I found it very deep and emotionally well written. 

But, on the other hand, I didn't really like it. Actually, it's not that I didn't like it. It's just, I didn't really enjoy reading it.  

I think Emma puts it better. We were both lucky enough to be given this book for free, and always like to give a book a chance. But, the way Emma described reading it was sort of not very fun to read. It's not one you'd really choose, or miss, if you get what I mean. 

-Beth and Emma

Happy Reading!♥

 

Review: An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

(Please excuse the terrible photo - it in no way reflects the magnificence that is this book!)

19 Katherines and counting...

Colin's nineteen relationships have all started

and ended the same: him falling for a girl

named Katherine, and then a Katherine

dumping him. 

On a road trip miles from home, this

anagram-happy, washed-up kid prodigy, with his 

Judge Judy loving best friend riding shotgun, is 

on a mission to prove 

The Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability,

which he hopes will predict any relationships future 

and avenge dumpees everywhere.

And maybe, just maybe, it will finally 

win him the girl.

   I. Loved. This. Book.

   There's just something about John Green's writing that is so flipping awesome, and don't even get me started on his characters! I loved the main character, Colin (anagrams and all) and Hassan (the Judge Judy loving best friend) was hilarious - though I'm not sure his Thunderstick jokes were his best material.

   I thoroughly enjoyed this book, from the start where a love sick Colin is certain he is nothing but a washed-up kid prodigy, to him finally having his 'eureka' moment, and realising that what he thought was true isn't so important after all.

You need to read this book. It takes you on a funny, roller coaster of a journey that will surely bring you to the place you need to be at the end.

   Well done John Green - yet another book of yours I have come to treasure!

Thanks!

- Emma

Happy Reading!❤

Review: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Fangirl is a book by Rainbow Rowell, first published in 2013 by St. Martin's Press.

Cath is the ultimate fangirl. She is obsessed with Simon Snow and writing fanfic. But then, her twin sister Wren decides to go to college, and that Cath has to go too. When Wren splits the twins apart and stops being the other half, her twin has no choice but to get out in the big wide world too.

But it's not as easy for Cath, as her 'world' isn't real...

♥

After another twenty pages, Cath was getting sleepy. At some point, Levi had leaned against her, and then she'd leaned back, and it was hard to think about what was happening on that side of her body because she was busy reading . . . Though there was almost an entire chapter there where her lips and her eyes were moving, but her brain wasn't keeping track of anything but how warm he was. How warm her roommate's boyfriend was.

One of her roommate's boyfriends. Did that matter? If Reagan had three boyfriends, did that mean this was only one-third wrong?

♥

Gosh, what can I say. I'm fangirling so much right now. (Sorry, that was bad).

I love Rainbow. I mean love. So, so much. The way she writes is just...astounding.

With Fangirl, I could read and read or I could read and stop and carry on later. This book was, I don't know why, kinda relaxing. Maybe because it's mostly written in a day-by-day format, or because it's like a diary. I did the same with The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I could take breaks between chapters and not have to rush through everything - instead; absorbing every word.

Also, the way Rainbow writes about love and relationships fascinates me. She makes a kiss mean everything. She makes them not just a kiss. Everything is so important.

A year ago, I thought fangirl's were people who thought meeting a lame pop star was the best thing that ever happened to them.

Now I know the truth. Fangirl's are people like ME. Who obsess over books and movies and things that other people that don't see as important. Who dream of bookstores and sweaters with book quotes on them. Who's ultimate wish is to have a black hardback edition of Paper Towns. Who if they found a portal to their favorite fictional world in their closet, would jump straight in without hesitation. Who are nerds and don't care. We are us. We are Fangirl's. And we are freaking fantabulous.

-Beth

Happy Reading!♥

Review: Waves by Sharon Dogar

 

Waves is a book by Sharon Dogar, first published in 2007 by The Chicken House.

Charley, Hal and their family holiday in Cornwall every year. But last year, something went wrong. An 'accident' happened, and now Charley's been in a coma for an entire year, neither dead nor alive.

On their holiday in Cornwall this year, Hal finds it hard to shake off Charley's presence. He needs to find out what happened last summer, no matter what it takes. 

'A haunting story of love, lies and loss.'

♥

 'Help me, Hal!'

I stare at them both, but they don't notice, and the shiver inside me becomes fixed and cold, hard and frozen - I want to howl with laughter at the weird friggin' irony of it. Why now, why are they thinking about this now? Just when she's coming alive again for me? Why now, just when I'm beginning to remember something?

And Charley's voice comes back, stronger than ever.

'Remember.'

♥ 

Gosh, this one was amazing. I thought I would be disappointed by any book after I'll Give You The Sun, but this book was the right choice. Because, apart from a few grammar errors, this book was just beautiful. Maybe not as beautiful as I'll Give You The Sun, but beautiful in its own right. 

I think it was great to read a book that contained so much mystery, as I normally like light-hearted reads and romance. But Sharon Dogar's writing is just captivating...remarkable. 

-Beth

Happy reading!♥