Illegal by Miriam Halahmy

Series: Hayling Island Cycle, Book Two

Publisher: Meadowside Fiction

Format: ARC

Published: 20^th March 2012

Number of Pages: 288

Book: For Review*

Genre: Contemporary, Realistic-Fiction, Romance, Coming of Age, Action-Adventure, Thriller-Suspence, YA

Recommended Age: 13+

Contains: Violence, Self-harming, Drug Growing, Swearing

No Alcohol References

Author's Blog: Miriam Halahmy

“If Jemma had lived, none of this would have happened.  I’d have been too busy to get dragged into this filthy, illegal business…”

Since Lindy’s baby sister died, her family have been caught in a downward spiral.  Her brothers are in prison and her parents have given up.  Soon Lindy is out of her depth too, caught in the centre of an international drugs ring, with no way out.  Then Lindy finds help from an unexpected ally: weird, mute Karl from school, and together they plan a daring and desperate escape.  But when you’re in this deep, can you ever be free?

Touching, surprising and painfully honest, Illegal is the second in a cycle of three novels by Miriam Halahmy, and the follow up to her acclaimed first novel, Hidden.

                                                                   Review:

Ever since baby Jemma died, Lindy's family has fallen apart. Her brothers are in prison and her parents spend all their money on alcohol and gambling.

So when she's offered a job by her cousin, she takes it, desperate to escape. But she's soon in way too deep: her cousin is a drug dealer, and she's caught in the middle. With no way out, she's trapped, caught in a downward spiral…

Until she finds an unexpected ally in the new boy: strange, mute Karl. With his help, can Lindy escape the web she is caught up in?

When you've done what she's done, is being truly free ever an option?

I love emotional contemps, so when Miriam asked me to review this, I couldn't say no! And Illegal did not disappoint! Emotional, powerful and addictive, it had me hooked from page one. It dealt with difficult topics like drug dealing brilliantly, and created a story with amazing and a believable plot. I adored Illegal, and can't wait to get my hands on Hidden and Stuffed (Books One and Three).

Lindy Bellows was a really troubled girl who had too much responsibility, too young. She was tough, putting on a brave face, but she was drowning.  And she was all alone. Her vulnerability broke my heart, and made me just love her to pieces. She'd lost so much, so she didn't really want to let people in and was scared and untrusting of the ones she did let in. She was so vulnerable and broken inside that it was impossible for me NOT to love her.

Karl Reece was strong and cute and sweet and caring and darn irresistible!  To begin with he never said anything, but he spoke volumes with his eyes, eyebrows and face. I loved him! He'd been through so much, and was so clever and oh-so-cute with his "I-love-facts-voice"!

I loved the relationship between Lindy and Karl: it was so natural, so sweet, so real. I just loved seeing how Lindy's thoughts of Karl changed as she got to know him better, going from thinking of him as a "retard" to feeling terrible for ever thinking that. They were so different but so alike and when they were together, I just felt it. They were perfect.

Garth Bellows, Lindy's 19-year-old brother, was someone I couldn’t figure out to begin with.  He was meant to make everything better for Lindy, but he got her the job with Cousin Collin.  But he really came through and tried to look out for Lindy, even from prison.  He was so caring and reassuring and made me and Lindy feel safe.

Cousin Collin Bellows, drug dealer. He was a shady character, tricking Lindy, lying, wheedling his way into everyone's good books. I agreed with Lindy: he was "totally insane".

Jess... When I first 'met' her, I thought she was a total cow: she was horrid to Lindy, vindictive. But towards the end, I started thinking that she wasn't too bad. I think her character can be expanded on... And guess what! After meeting Miriam, she confirmed Book3, Stuffed, will be about Jess: Squeee! Can't wait!

Lindy's family was really dysfunction and broken. Her dad was addicted to gambling, always down at the bookies. Her mum was empty, broken, never doing anything. Her big brothers were in prison, and her younger one was innocent and young and always hungry. And baby Jemma was dead. Although the family wasn't perfect, they were a family. And I could feel it, especially in the very last chapter. I'll miss the Bellows!  I really loved little Sean - he doted on Lindy, worrying if she wasn't in... he was terrified he'd lose her too. He was so clever and so cute and I just loved him!

A huge theme in this book is loss. Both Lindy and Karl lost someone, and it affected them both hugely.  Friendship is another, especially in the unlikeliest places, and about being able to let people in and trust them after having loved and lost before. This in particular, I think Miriam did beautifully.

The writing was brilliant: raw, emotional, powerful. Told in third person, it still really let me get into Lindy's head. I felt everything she felt, saw everything she saw. And it was authentically teen. It was simple, yet emotional and powerful. Just the way I like it!  And the plot was brilliant and compelling, unlike anything I've read before. I've read ones with drugs in, but not ones like this. Not with characters I fell in love with the moment I met them and had me glued to the page so I could find out how it all ended. Although I had a vague idea about what the plot would be like, I really didn't see the twists coming. I loved every second!  

I just adored the setting.  Hayling Island sounds beautiful, and I loved getting to see the huge variety of people who live there. All the little facts and places on the Island just made the story feel all the more real to me. I can't wait for my next Hayling fix!

Emotional, powerful and about feeling trapped with no way out, Illegal was a beautiful and touching story, one that pulled me in and didn't let go, even after I put the book down. I just loved this book. Every. Single. Second. I can't wait to read the others in the series!

Star Rating:
5 Out of 5

Read this book if you liked:

Hidden by Miriam Halahmy

Kill All Enemies by Melvin Burgess

Saving Daisy by Phil Earle

 You Against Me by Jenny Downham

Challenges It's Taking Part In:

Happy Reading

Megan

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

100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge 2012 (Hosted by Book Chick City)

YA Contemporary Challenge 2012 (Hosted by Reading Angel & Katie's Book Blog)

British Books Challenge 2012 (Hosted by The Overflowing Library)

Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick by Joe Schreiber

Publisher: Electric Monkey

Format: ARC

Published: 5^th March 2012

Number of Pages: 240

Book: For Review*

Genre: Contemporary, Thriller, Suspense, Humor, Action-Adventure, Mystery, Realistic-Fiction, Romance, YA

Recommended Age: 13+

Contains: Rather a lot of Violence and Death (She IS an Assassin), Mild Swearing, Alcohol References

No Drug References

Author's Blog: The Scary Parent

“You shot him.  You totally just shot that guy back there.  I think I’m gonna throw up.”

One ordinary guy.

One female assassin.

Five targes by daybreak…

When Gobi lands in Perry’s life, she rips it apart like a bombshell.

Fasten your seatbelts for a quirky, rapid-fire joyride through the streets of New York…  This is the most entertaining thriller you’ll read this year.

                                                                   Review:

"You shot me."

Perry's mom thought having a foreign exchange student would be enriching for all of them. Perry though it could lead to a hot chick in his house. Instead, they got Gobi. Perry made sure to be nice to her, to help her, and was fine about being teased for it. Until his mother tells him that he has to take the frumpy, constantly surprised-looking Gobi to prom. She's been there almost a year, and Perry is sure that Gobi is geeky and boring and he does not want to go to prom with her.

Turns out, Gobi isn't as dull as she's been making out. In fact, she is very interesting, very dangerous, very hot and very much armed.

Gobi is an assassin, and she has five targets before morning. Perry is caught up, trapped, as Gobi pulls him along for the ride, for her killing spree.

I don't know what I was expecting when I picked Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick up. I've never read anything by the author, or with this kind of story line. But what I wasn't expecting was a book that made me laugh out loud, hooked from the first sentence and unable to put it down 'til I found out what happened. As I said before, I've never read anything like it, and the uniqueness made it all the more awesome!

Perry Stormaire was someone I liked straight away. He was snarky and funny and brave and sweet. He was just an ordinary kid who was desperate to please his dad and play in his band.  Therefore his freaking-out reaction at who Gobi really is was both believable and totally hilarious!  And I kinda loved him. Just a little! He was so cool and so clever and brave and sweet and funny...  Yeah. Just a little bit loved him!

Gobi Zaksauskas was a very, very unusual and complicated character. She seemed dull at first... until she went and called this guy a "ball-licker". She was full of surprises; defiant and stubborn and brave. And dangerous! A bad-ass, gun toting, dangerous chick. She was confident and charming and unexpectedly, strangely, I found myself liking her, ruthless assassin though she was. She has earned a place in my Kickass Wall Of Fame (currently occupied by Rose Hathaway and Katniss Everdeen).  She may have been a killer, but she was more than she seemed. She was... brilliant. Absolutely, freaking brilliant.

Gobi and Perry's relationship was equally brilliant, more so because they were complete opposites. Gobi was a kick butt, confident assassin. Perry was just a normal kid, who was scared of not pleasing his dad. But as the night went on and the body count went up, they got close, and Gobi had a huge (but positive) impact on Perry. Their relationship and the chemistry between them felt 100% real to me, despite the rather unusual circumstances!

The other characters were brilliantly padded out – I especially loved the relationships in Perry's family. This wasn't because they were amazing and so close. It was because they were so unusual, and not like many I've read about. I just liked the family dynamics and how they evolved as the book went on. They weren't perfect, but they all loved each other.

Utterly addictive, action packed, killing sprees, loads of laughs, believable characters, a dash of romance and break neck speed, Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick was amazing - it totally blew me away! A word of warning: if you read this, make sure you have a whole day free 'cause you will NOT be able to put it down!

The writing was brilliant - totally teen, totally Perry and totally laugh-out-loud funny. The action was just non-stop from the word go, the writing sucked me in from the very first line. So many of the books I read are written from the girls' POV, so I loved being inside the boy's head for once. And I just loved that college application questions were used at the start of each chapter, and that all tied in with the events that followed.  The plot was equally amazing: full of action, totally unexpected, it twisted and turned as the body count speedily went up! From the first chapter, I was hooked and the action only picked up from there! Shoot outs, murder, car chases, "only a little" bomb(s) and just nonstop action. The plot was just amazing and surreal. I will point out that it's probably very unlikely these events will happen, but I believed them anyway. Schreiber made them really and funny and addictive!

With two lead characters I loved to bits, non-stop action, unrelenting humor and just pure awesomeness, Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick is one of the most original and addictive books I've read in a long time. I loved every second! I can't wait for the movie! Or for whatever Schreiber brings out next.  I want another about these characters please! Hint hint, Mr Schreiber!

Star Rating:
4½ Out of 5

Read this book if you liked:

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Cold Fury by T.M. Goeglein

Medusa Project by Sophie McKenzie

Challenges It's Taking Part In:

100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge 2012 (Hosted by Book Chick City)

Happy Reading

Megan

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

Shooting Stars by Allison Rushby

Publisher: Walker

Format: ARC

Published: 28^th February 2012

Number of Pages: 272

Book: For Review*

Genre: Realistic-Fiction, Contemporary, Romance, Mystery, YA

Recommended Age: 12+

Contains: Mild References to Suicide and Depression

No Alcohol, Drug References

Author's Blog: Allison Rushby

Behind the flashing lights, the camera reveals all... even love.

Meet Josephine Foster, or Zo Jo as she's known in the biz.  The best pint-sized paparazzo out there, Jo loves shooting the stars, and she certainly doesn't mind doing whatever it takes to get that one perfect picture.

But then Jo is sent on a major undercover assignment to shoot Ned Hartnett - teen superstar/heartthrob and the only celebrity who's ever been kind to her - at an exxclusive retreat facility in Boston.  Among the cheesy group therapy sessions and embarassing "team building" exercises, Jo finds there's more to the reclusive Ned than meets the eye - and maybe more to herself, too.

                                                                   Review:

Zo Jo, the pint-size photographer, is the best in the biz. She loves her job, and certainly isn't afraid to do whatever it takes to get the perfect photo.
Until she's sent undercover to an exclusive retreat to get shots of teen star Ned Hartnett. Ned, the only star who has ever spoken to her kindly, who kept her in the paparazzo biz. She isn't at all sure about being there, but this job could secure the money she needs to go to school. But as she gets closer to Ned, her morals are tested like never before...

I don’t know what I was expecting when I picked up Shooting Stars – I’ve never heard of anything like it!  What I wasn’t expecting was to be totally addicted to ever word.  Exciting, twisty, funny and pure awesome, Shooting Stars just sucked me in from the first page.  I loved every moment, all the characters and the fact it made me laugh out loud.  Amazing, amazing, amazing!

Josephine Foster, AKA Zo Jo, was just brilliant! Crafty, enthusiastic and a little genius, I was equally shocked and impressed at the lengths this 16 year old went to get that one perfect photo. More impressed, actually. She was snarky and funny: a just really loveable character.  As awesome as the tough, snarky Jo was, I really liked seeing the more vulnerable side of her. It was obvious she was hurting really bad, even if she couldn't admit it. And she was, as I mentioned before, a genius! An EVIL genius!

Ned Hartnett, a 16 year old singer-song writer, who was reclusive without being resentful – according to Jo, anyway.  He helped Jo when they were younger and was really sweet to her and he proved that he had sneaky-smarts with his suggestion on how Jo could get the sneaky shots.  I liked his sneaky side.  And his sweet side.  He was just so cute and adorable!  But, he was hiding something… Something I didn’t guess.  And it wasn’t his bacon bits addiction!

I really loved Ned and Jo’s relationship.  I’m glad they didn’t start of loathing one another, like in so many movies – I liked that their backstory was sweet and realistic.  Their past made their current feelings much more plausible.  What I liked even more is that they were kinda awkward in their dating – I mean, real teens aren’t totally at ease with one another right away are they?  Their mix of chemistry and awkwardness was sweet and believable.  Perfect!

All the supporting characters were equally amazing.  Such as Mannie, Jo’s friend and fellow pararazzo, who was cheerful, friendly and funny.  Jo’s dad, also paparazzo, only paparazzo royalty; he was also really supportive and just lovely.  Wendy, Jo’s cousin and next door neighbor, was really nice and funny and totally knew Jo and all her sneaky ways!  But she really loved Jo and would do anything for her.  And I loved Kristina: former ballerina, girly, funny and as tall as Jo was short, she was Jo’s only friend in the retreat facility.  And all of them were just so real, so well-padded-out!

And the writing was amazing!  It was teen, addictive, funny and so Jo.  I adored the witty style, the description, the characters and the humor – everything!   I loved every moment, that I saw everything, and that I fell totally in love with all the characters.  And I loved the way Rushby tackled difficult issues such as depression, suicide and teen phobias.  Although these were just touched upon, I felt Rushby covered and described them really well: lightly, but not so lightly she brushed them off. 

The plot was completely unexpected.  I thought it’d be boy meets girl, fall in love, moral dilemma, get over it, couple.  And, well, I was wrong!  Shooting Stars was full of twists: I actually did not see the big twist coming – at all.  Which, of course, made it even more amazing and awesome.  Sure, some parts were expected after the blurb.  But the main part of the story… not so much.

And I’d just like to say that I really admired Allison’s view of fame and the paparazzi.  She totally got the way our world, the media and stardom work.  I just loved the way she portrayed it all through the slightly cynical Jo, who just nailed how the celeb society works.

A leading paparazzo, a reclusive teen star, a retreat to “find yourself” and one or two problems to untangle, I adored Shooting Stars.  A cute, fun, light hearted and addictive read, it is not one to be missed!

Star Rating:
4½ Out of 5

Read this book if you liked:

Diamonds are a Teen's Best Friend by Allison Rushby

Flawless by Lara Chapman

The Chocolate Box Girls by Cathy Cassidy

Split By a Kiss by Luisa Plaja

 Fifteen Days Without a Head by Dave Cousins

Challenges It's Taking Part In: Happy Reading

100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge 2012 (Hosted by Book Chick City)

YA Contemporary Challenge 2012 (Hosted by Reading Angel & Katie's Book Blog)

Megan

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

Someone Else’s Life by Katie Dale

 Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Format: Paperback

Published: 2^nd February 2012

Book: For Review*

Genre: Contemporary, Realistic-Fiction, Romance, Mystery, Mental Health, YA, YA-Adult Crossover

Recommended Age: 12+

Contains: Alcohol Refernences, Mild Swearing, Death

No Drug References

Author's Blog: Katie Dale

And keep an eye out for the blog tour post Katie's done for us!  It'll be up on the 28th!

One Secret Can Change Everything.

When Rosie Kenning's mother, Trudie, dies from Huntingdon's disease, her whole world falls apart. Not only does Rosie desperately miss her mum, but now she has to face the fact that she could have inherited the fatal illness herself. Until she discovers that Trudie wasn't her biological mother at all ...Rosie is stunned. Can this be true? Is she grieving for a mother who wasn't even hers to lose? And if Trudie wasn't her mother, who is?

But as Rosie delves into her past to discover who she really is, she is faced with a heart-breaking dilemma - to continue living a lie, or to reveal a truth that will shatter the lives of everyone around her... 

                                                                   Review:

“You saved each other.”

Rosie Kenning’s mum Trudie had Huntington’s.  Rosie, dropping everything for her mother, had to watch the once vibrant woman she loved so much die slowly and terribly.  With her Mum gone and her whole world in pieces, Rosie now has to find out if this is to be her future, if she has inherited the Huntington’s gene.  Until she’s told that Trudie isn’t her biological mother.  But how can that be?  How can she not be Trudie?  Is she grieving someone who isn’t even hers to grieve?  And if so, who is her real mother?

With her past as blank as her future, can Rosie continue living a lie, or can she risk destroying the lives of those around her to find out more about her past...?

I knew this would be an amazing book – I mean, have you read the blurb?! – but I wasn’t expecting something twisty and swirly, full of shocks and surprises with characters I’d fall so head over heels in love with, I’d want to magic them out of the book!  If this book isn’t already on your radar, by God, go get yourself a copy NOW!  It’s such an amazing book and worth every penny!  I adored every moment and was left wanting more, more, more! A book that truly tugged at the heartstrings one moment and had me stupidly smiling the next. 

Rosie Kenning was so strong and so caring.  I admired her so much, putting her whole life on hold so she could take care of her mother.  I just loved her from the word go.  And it was just so obvious that she absolutely adored her mother Trudie.  She had to grow up so fast, and she lost so much.  But through it all she was selfless, brave, loving and strong.  She was amazing, and we could all learn something from her.

Andy Hunter, Rosie’s boyfriend, was sweet and caring and cute and yummy!  He was just adorable, really protective and supportive, always there for her…  Did you guess that I had a minor book-boyfriend crush on Andy?

I have to mention Trudie Kenning, Rosie’s mother, who although was already dead by the time the story starts, played a big part in it none the less.  She was strong, light-spirited, trying to make a joke of everything, and obviously loved Rosie just as much as her daughter loved her.  She was inspirational, even though we never ‘met’ her.

The rest of the supporting characters were equally amazing.  Rosie’s Nana was so sweet and cheerful: I loved her! Jack Woods was funny, sweet and friendly, and just the perfect father.  If I could have any fictional father, from any book, I’d pick Jack, hands down.  Kitty Clare was someone I couldn’t figure her out.  I thought: oh, so that’s the real Kitty.  Then: wham!  Still, I couldn’t help feeling sorry for her, seeing the position she was in… Aunt Sarah, who loved Trudie so much she… did what she did.  She was a loving and kind person, one I found I couldn’t dislike at all – I felt sorry for her too, I mean: what would you have done in her position?

What I liked most about this book is the flawless way Katie tackled the difficult issues.  Huntington’s and the effects it has.  And may I just say that I really admire the way Katie described the disease – enough of the medical info so we can grasp the basics, no jargon to confuse us.  But more, the emotional description.  The pain at watching your Mum die, the fear of not knowing if that could be you, drowning in it all.  Throughout the book, I couldn’t help thinking: “Could I have done that, if I were in Rosie’s place?  Dropped everything, even my friends and school, knowing I’d have to watch my mother die, watch what could be my future..?”  And then there was the whole biological parent thing.  The importance of being related by blood.  I mean, any old person can make a baby.  What’s hard is raising them and loving them.  That’s what makes a parent.  Rosie in particular really shows this: even though she was looking for her birth parents, Trudie is still her Mum and nothing could change that. 

The writing was just so, so good.  Emotional, powerful and utterly addictive, it was just perfect for this kind of book – more than perfect, in fact.  I could feel everything, see everything!  And I adored the dual narrative; I loved that we had no clue who the other narrator was to begin with – I didn’t guess either!  As for the plot, well, it was twistier than… a really twisty thing.  There was just shock after shock, surprise after surprise and I literally saw nothing coming!!  And that, may I just say, was a huge achievement and made the book so, so, so much more addictive!  I loved every second… even the bits I cried at.  Which was quite a few of them.

An amazing, incredible, moving, emotional, thought-provoking story that had me surprised at every twist, hooked to every word and racing to get to the end, so I could know what happened next.  Katie, whatever you may write next, you have me extraordinarily excited and I will be first in line, without a doubt!

Beautiful, inspiring, heart-warming, life affirming, perfect… I came to the end and just wanted to read it all over again.  As I said before: perfect.

Star Rating:
5 Out of 5

Read this book if you liked:

Before I Die by Jenny Downham

If I Stay by Gayle Foreman

Entangled by Cat Clarke

Saving Daisy by Phil Earle

Fifteen Day Without a Head by Dave Cousins 

Challenges It's Taking Part In:

100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge 2012 (Hosted by Book Chick City)

2012 Debut Author Challenge (Hosted by The Story Siren)

YA Contemporary Challenge 2012 (Hosted by Reading Angel & Katie's Book Blog)

British Books Challenge 2012 (Hosted by The Overflowing Library)

Megan

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

Happy Reading

Number of Pages: 496