YOUNG ADULT REVIEW (16+:) Suicide Notes from Beautiful Girls - Lynn Weingarten

Release Date: 02/07/15
Publisher:  Egmont

SYNOPSIS:

When June met Delia, she was a lifeline. Their intense friendship gave her a sense of belonging, of security, that she’d never had before. She felt braver, smarter, funnier, more attractive when Delia was around. But then something went wrong, and Delia and June haven’t spoken for a year when an announcement is made at their school that Delia is dead.

June barely has time to mourn before Delia’s ex-boyfriend convinces her that Delia didn’t kill herself but was in fact murdered, and June is fast swept into a tangle of lies and deceit – and a conspiracy she can barely conceive of, never mind believe.

Stylish, sexy and atmospheric, with so many twists it will leave you breathless.


REVIEW:

To be honest this is a book of two halves and whilst it’s aimed at the younger audience, I have to say that I wouldn’t recommend this for anyone under 16. It deals with a lot of dark material and whilst the principle character of June is one that many can associate with, when you come to dealing with Delia, there really isn’t anything likable about the girl to really make you care about the events around her.

It’s definitely a book that won’t let you put it down but it does take a pretty poor turn towards the end which left me feeling depleted as well as cheated. All round it is an OK book but as it is a title that will stay with the reader be prepared for some questions that you’ll not only be asking yourself but others who have read the book.

YOUNG ADULT REVIEW: The Shield of Kuromori - Jason Rohan

Release Date: 07/05/15
Publisher:  Egmont

SYNOPSIS:

Science meets Myth when ogres armed with high-tech weaponry steal a huge telescope as part of an insane plan to cast the world into permanent darkness. With global catastrophe looming, Kenny and Kiyomi take the fight to the enemy, even if it means going out of this world. But all is not well between the friends. Kiyomi's behaviour is growing increasingly erratic and it soon becomes clear that her life - and her humanity - are in danger. Kenny is faced with an impossible choice - does he save his friend or fulfil his duty?


REVIEW:

I llike to spend my time reading and whilst I’ve always had a love of reading trying to find books that will appeal to young readers, so I can, at times, be found reading some YA titles so that I can pass the torch on. Whilst this is Jason’s second novel, I found it quite easy to get into, I loved the way that the two principle characters give each other strength and whilst you’d think that it was primarily a book for boys, there’s enough here to appeal to the female market as well.

All round a good bit of fun and a title that I was pleased that I took the time to read. Add solid adventure into the mix and solid dialogue and there’s plenty here to hook your young reader in a big way.