Flawless by Lara Chapman

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Format: Paperback

Published: 3^rd May 2011

Number of Pages: 272

Book: For Review from Bloomsbury*

Genre: Real-to-Life Fiction, Romance, Comedy, Contempory, YA

Recommended Age: 11+

Contains: Mild Swearwords

No Alcohol, Drug References

 

Sarah Burke’s life is about to get complicated.  She’s agreed to help her gorgeous best friend, Kristen, catch the eye of the hot new guy at school, only to discover that he’s actually perfect for her!  And to make matters worse, Sarah’s convinced that the guy of her dreams won’t be able to see past her unusually large nose.

Misguided matchmaking, hilarious escapades and genuine romance result in this sensational high school romcom.

Review:

Sarah has just met the perfect guy for her.  Smart, articulate, gorgeous: he’s everything she’s ever wanted and more.  But she’s agreed to help her best friend, Kristen, get him.  Sarah wasn’t expecting the scheme to go so far.  Is she willing to sacrifice everything – her own happiness, her future guy, her morals – for her best friend’s happiness?  For loyalty?

I loved this book so much!  The writing was incredible, funny yet clever.  It tackled some tricky teen issues – accepting your faults, morals – but in a light way that was completely enjoyable.  It was such a brilliant book of love, loyalty and mismatched relationships.  It was touching, even as it made me grin.  I just absolutely loved Flawless!  I can’t wait to see what Lara Chapman writes next – I have a feeling it will be amazing!

Sarah Burke was wonderful, absolutely awesome.  She had a big nose, but she tolerated it.  And when other people made fun of her, she stood up for herself.  Often in rather funny ways.  She was also a geek in a great way, a loveable way.  Plus she has just got to be the most loyal friend ever, in the whole wide world.  Well, that or a bit of an idiot.  I’m going with Option One.

Kristen was sweet and really protective of Sarah.  I loved her – her sense of humour, her protectiveness, her love of life.  She was just gorgeous – inside and out.  And she was made even more real by her insecurities.  Kristen was just drop-dead-brilliant.

The “perfect guy,” Rock, was gorgeous, smart, thoughtful, and family orientated.  He was just a real sweetie, and super intelligent as well.  And that was why I just could not figure out how he didn’t know who the writer was! 

The bond between Sarah and Kristen was really strong.  Sarah would do absolutely anything for her best friend – even give up the guy of her dreams, and suffer through watching the two of them flirt.  And Kristin would do anything for Sarah, and was just constantly standing up for her.  Their relationship was beautiful, special and an once-in-a-lifetime friendship.

Ok, so Flawless was simple and predictable.  It was nothing like my usual vampire-filled reads.  But, still, I adored this book.  It was totally amazing.  I was touched, amused, intrigued and always thinking.  The writing was just so honest and beautiful, the characters and situations so relatable.  I loved every word – devoured them, even – and truly think that everyone should read this.  Accepting yourself is just so important, and Flawless highlights this perfectly.  A wonderful, thought-provoking read, hidden inside an equally wonderful rom-com.  It taught me was that we all have a few things we’re embarrassed about, insecurities.  And that you can’t be happy if you don’t accept yourself.  I know that, when I’m feeling insecure, quotes from this book will be what I think about.

Star Rating:
4 Out of 5

Read this book if you liked:

The Sweetest Thing by Christina Mandelski

Drawing With Light by Julia Green
No and Me by Delphine de Vigan
The Chocolate Box Girls by Cathy Cassidy

Challenges It's Taking Part In:

100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge 2011 (Hosted by Book Chick City)
British Book Challenge (Hosted by The Bookette)

Happy Reading

Megan

* This book was received from Bloomsbury in exchange for an honest review

Annexed by Sharon Dogar

Publisher: Andersen

Format: Hardback

Published: 2^nd September 2010

Number of Pages: 320

Book: Borrowed From the Library

Genre: Historical Fiction, Real-to-Life Fiction, Realistic-Fiction, YA, YA-Adult Crossover

Recommended Age: 12+

Contains: Alcohol, Drug References, Mild Swearing

No Violence, Death 

‘I’m scared.

Scared I’m a coward.

Scared we’re trapped.

Scared we’ll be caught.

Scared that it’s my own ghost standing at the bottom of the stairs, waiting for me…

That this is it – all that’s left of my life.’

Everyone knows about Anne Frank, and her life in the secret annexe – or do they?

Peter van Pels and his family are hidden away with the Franks, and Peter sees it all differently.  What is it like to be forced into hiding with Anne Frank?  To hate her and then find yourself falling in love with her?  To know you’re being written about in her diary, day after day?  What’s it like to sit and wait, to watch through a window whilst others die, and wish that you were fighting?

Anne’s diary ends on August 4 1944, but in this imagined story, Peter’s experience continues beyond the betrayal and into the Nazi death camps.  ‘Is there anybody there?’ he asks.  ‘Is anybody listening?’

We should be.

Review:

Everyone knows the story of Anne Frank, the girl forced into hiding during World War Two by the Nazis.  But have you ever thought about what it was like for the others in the Annexe?  Peter van Pels lived there, with the Franks and his parents.  He hates it to begin with, hates everyone – Anne in particular.  But then it all changes, and he falls in love with the girl who annoyed him most.  How long can they stay hidden?  And what happens to Peter afterwards, once they get found?

I remember reading Anne Frank’s diary as a little girl, whilst doing WW2 at school.  The true horror was sort of lost on me then, but when I picked it up again recently, I saw everything.  The death, the pain, the world.  And I also saw her life, her spirit, her essence.  Annexed made it all feel so much more real.  It was an incredible book: sad, beautiful, and horrible, it shows that love grows in the unlikeliest places and that to many bad situations, there can be something worse.  I just sped through it, devouring it.  My mind is still spinning.

Written in a diary-like form of memories, with the currently dying Peter – lying in a concentration camp sick-bay – chipping in now and then, revealing what he now sees as obvious, cherished, stupid.  The writing was amazing, real, so full of life and hope and despair – so raw.

Peter was a wonderful character: so strong and smart.  He may not have said a lot out loud, but inside he told all that was important.  What really got through to me was how scared he was to hope, how terrified he was of being disappointed.  He was scared that he’d die, without doing any of the things he wanted to do.  And all because he was Jewish.  All Peter longed for was no labels, to be seen simply as Peter, not a German, not a Jew, just Peter.

It was really interesting seeing Anne from another point of view.  She was just as full of life, hope and ideas.  Often, she would get so enthusiastic or overwhelmed by one emotion or another that she would shake.  Peter described her as being “lit up”, commenting that he was surprised that she didn’t “burn” due to her all-consuming “passion” for words.

All the other characters from Anne’s diary were precisely the same.  Peter’s father was strong, brave and good-humoured.  His mother was sweet and caring, always helping Peter out.  Anne’s father, Mr Frank, is still one of my favourite historical people.  Strong, quiet, kind-hearted, practical Mr Frank, so full of hope.  Anne’s mother wasn’t in this book as much, but I still could understand why Anne wasn’t overly keen on her at times.  As for Margot, Anne’s sister, she was just as quiet and sweet.  She wanted to be a doctor – though I’m not sure if that is fact or not – and it’s so painful that she was unable to be.  Margot Frank would have made a wonderful doctor…

What was truly special was Anne and Peter’s relationship.  To begin with, Peter couldn’t stand her.  Then, slowly, he fell in love with her passion.  It was just intriguing to see what it was like to be the one being written about, how scared Peter was at saying something stupid that could be published for the world to see once – if – the war finished.  Their talks were also brilliant.  They were made more perfect once I saw how much they meant to Peter once they were over – once he’d lost Anne…

Part two was set in the concentration camp, part one about life in the Annexe.  It was horrible.  I cried.  It all just felt so real, so terrible, like it was happening as I read.  God, the things Peter went through…  It was horrifying, devastating…  I can’t imagine it happening to a flesh-and-blood human, to the real Peter.  But, as Peter said in Annexed: “This is not a story.  This is the truth.  These things really happened.”

This was a wonderful story, so heart-breaking it was honestly untrue.  I knew how the story ended, obviously, yet I still hoped, prayed that the story would miraculously change.  I cried, because that was clearly such a stupid thing to wish for, but I’m not sure if I’ve ever wanted to change an ending as much as I did whilst reading this.  This book will stay with me forever.

Historical-Fact Teaser – May Ruin Book If You Don’t Know…  You Have Been Warned!

Peter van Pels died aged eighteen, after seven months in Auschwitz.  “Are you listening?”  You should be.  We all should.

Star Rating:
4¾ Out of 5

Read this book if you liked:

Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Before I Die by Jenny Downham

Challenges It's Taking Part In:

100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge 2011 (Hosted by Book Chick City)

British Book Challenge (Hosted by The Bookette)

Happy Reading

Megan