REVIEW: Goodbye Days by Jeff Zentner

Goodbye Days are the days you spend with the parents of your three dead best friends. They're not easy and they will make you cry. But for Carver Briggs, the guilt of knowing his text led to their deaths makes it so much worse.

Goodbye Days was difficult to read. Carver is a likeable character, and you really feel for him as he goes through the grief of losing his best friends, all while being blamed for their deaths. I can't say I enjoyed it because of the subject matter, but it was definitely a book I couldn’t put down.

Stars: ★★★☆☆

I received a copy of Goodbye Days from Penguin Random House via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli

The Upside of Unrequited is a companion novel to Becky Albertalli’s debut, Simon Vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda, and is the heartwarming story of Molly and her relationship with her twin sister, Cassie, as they both fall in love.

I knew I would love The Upside of Unrequited as I adored Simon Vs. Molly is a wonderfully relatable character whose insecurities will resound with many, and my heart sung when Simon showed up.

The Upside of Unrequited is effortlessly diverse, and it would be brilliant to see more YA written in this way. An excellent read.

Stars: ★★★★★

I received a copy of The Upside of Unrequited from Penguin Random House via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

My Week In Books (1st April)

I thought this would be a quiet week for books, but how wrong I was. Here's what I acquired!

• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 
• The Wildings by Nilanjana Roy
• The Hundred Names of Darkness by Nilanjana Roy
• Becoming Betty by Eleanor Wood 
• The State of Grace by Rachael Lucas 

There's also a few new reads on my Kindle!

I finished reading The State of Grace this week, which was wonderful (review here). I drifted between books for a while before starting The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli.

Finally, Stripes Publishing made a very exciting announcement this week!

REVIEW: The State of Grace by Rachael Lucas

The State of Grace is Rachael Lucas’  debut YA novel, and tells the story of Grace, a teenager with Asperger’s, as she finds her way in the world.

The State of Grace is a beautifully told story that I couldn’t put down. As an Own Voices book, you really get a sense of Grace and who she is, and this will show that there is more to those with Asperger’s than the labels we put on them. Grace is a funny and sensitive narrator, and her story will reach out to everyone who reads it.

Stars: ★★★★☆

I was sent a copy of The State of Grace by Pan Macmillan in exchange for an honest review.

LET'S TALK ABOUT: Fantastic Beasts

When Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was announced I was sure it would ruin a franchise I love. How wrong I was.

When I saw the film I fell in love with Newt and his world. It was great to see life beyond Hogwarts, and some of Dumbledore's backstory. 

I now own four Fantastic Beasts books: one screenplay and three versions of the Comic Relief textbook. It’s not everyone's cup of tea, but Fantastic Beasts is everything I could want as an adult who grew up with Harry Potter. I can't wait to see what's coming next.

My Week In Books (25th March)

I've had a busy bookish week, so let's dive right in!

I was lucky enough to win this YA book bundle from HarperCollins. There's quite a few I haven't read so I'm excited to get stuck in.

I ordered this gorgeous new edition of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them from America to add to my collection.

I've been reading The State of Grace by Rachael Lucas this week, and it's wonderful. My review will be up soon!

I was really excited by the (rather beautiful) cover reveal of The Gender Games by Juno Dawson, out 1st June.

LET'S TALK ABOUT: Feminism

Feminism. Important to some, and a dirty word to others. If you type “feminism definition” into Google, you get this:

However, feminism means different things to different people. It depends on what is important to them.

To me, feminism is the right to walk safely in the streets, without fear. It is the right to live without the expectation that I will do a man’s bidding. It is the right to live and work without derogatory comments based on my gender. 

Most of all, feminism is the right to be free.

What does feminism mean to you?